Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had a meeting with T&uuml;rkiye&#39;s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan ahead of Antalya Diplomacy Forum.&nbsp;Pakistan&#39;s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, stated this in a post on X on Friday.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2044982302770385219&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=36346b60701e05996574a6870e0976de02efb7e3&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 699px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2044982302770385219"></iframe></div></div>He said, &quot;My brother, T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif last night upon our arrival at Antalya.&quot;&nbsp; &quot;We had good conversations ahead of a busy day today at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum,&quot; Dar added. Meeting with Korean minister&nbsp;Meanwhile, Dar also met&nbsp;&quot;last evening with H.E. Jeong Yeondoo, Vice Minister for Strategy and Intelligence at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.&quot;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2044995937240838517&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=36346b60701e05996574a6870e0976de02efb7e3&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 648px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2044995937240838517"></iframe></div></div>&quot;They exchanged views on matters of mutual interest and recent regional developments.&quot; &quot;Vice Minister Yeondoo appreciated Pakistan&rsquo;s role in the sustained diplomatic efforts in pursuit of peace and stability in the region and beyond,&quot; said a post on X by Pakistan&#39;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday.

Foreign Affairs

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Dar also met Jeong Yeondoo, Vice Minister for Strategy and Intelligence at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

Pakistan PM Sharif meets Turkish FM, Korean minister in Antalya 

ANTALYA: Turkey hosts a high-stakes forum Friday bringing together the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, as Islamabad pushes diplomatic efforts to end the Middle East war. Pakistan&#39;s powerful army chief met senior negotiators in Tehran on Thursday as Washington and Iran considered a fresh round of talks to end the six-week war. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will address the three-day Antalya Diplomacy Forum when it opens on Friday in the Mediterranean holiday resort of Antalya. The foreign ministers of Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt are to meet on the sidelines of the forum, with the war and the blockade of the crucial Strait of Hormuz expected to dominate. The timing of the meeting has not yet been announced. Pakistan has positioned itself as a key mediator in regional diplomacy having hosted rare talks between Iran and the United States last weekend, which ended inconclusively. &quot;We are making the necessary efforts to reduce tensions, extend the ceasefire, and continue the negotiations,&quot; Erdogan said in an address to his ruling AKP party in parliament this week. &quot;Negotiations cannot take place with clenched fists. Weapons must not be allowed to speak again instead of words. The window of opportunity opened by the ceasefire must be fully utilised.&quot; The White House has said further talks with Iran would &quot;very likely&quot; be in Islamabad, where Vice President JD Vance led the US delegation in the last round of negotiations. - Push for peace -Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who met Qatar&#39;s ruler in Doha on Thursday as part of a regional tour, will also join the forum and meet Erdogan on its margins, as Islamabad pushes for a US-Iran second round. &quot;We will continue to provide all the support we can to ensure that the ongoing temporary ceasefire turns into a permanent one,&quot; a Turkish defence ministry source said on Thursday. &quot;We hope that this war -- whose effects are being felt increasingly not only regionally but also globally -- will come to an end as soon as possible, and that the parties will act constructively in the ongoing negotiation process,&quot; the source said. Turkey, while a vocal critic of Israel, has joined diplomatic efforts with Egypt and Pakistan to help reach a ceasefire in the conflict. Ankara has said the Middle East ceasefire should include Lebanon which is facing Israeli attacks. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Monday also the strategic Strait of Hormuz should be reopened &quot;as soon as possible&quot; while warning that its status would remain a key point of contention. He described the waterway as an &quot;international free passage zone&quot;, adding that any disruption to freedom of navigation is not something parties want to see.&quot; More than 150 countries are expected to take part in the Antalya gathering, including more than 20 heads of state and government. Among the participants are Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Middle East

Turkey’s Antalya forum brings together key regional powers as Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt intensify diplomacy to secure a lasting ceasefire, reopen Hormuz, and advance renewed US-Iran talks.

Turkey hosts latest diplomatic push on Middle East war

LAS VEGAS: Disney showcased the first theatrical trailer of the new Marvel franchise film &quot;Avengers: Doomsday&quot; on Thursday during the closing day of CinemaCon in Las Vegas. The clip -- played twice for the enthusiastic audience at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace -- offered the first look at Robert Downey Jr. as the villainous Doctor Doom. It marks the actor&#39;s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the death of Iron Man in 2019&#39;s &quot;Avengers: Endgame.&quot; The footage also teased several dramatic moments from the movie, including a fight between Gambit and Shang-Chi -- played by Channing Tatum and Simu Liu, respectively -- and Patrick Stewart reprising his role as X-Men&#39;s Professor Xavier, warning: &quot;Something&#39;s coming, something we may not be able to deter.&quot; At the very end of the trailer, Chris Evans returns as his character Steve Rogers, otherwise known as Captain America, appearing before a surprised-looking Thor (Chris Hemsworth) as the Norse god&#39;s Mjolnir hammer flies into Rogers&#39; hands. Both Evans and Downey Jr. were on the stage at CinemaCon to present the trailer alongside the film&#39;s directors, brothers Joe and Anthony Russo. &quot;I said I would only come back if there was a real reason,&quot; Evans told the crowd. &quot;And in Doomsday, there is a very real reason that these heroes need Steve Rogers.&quot; &quot;Avengers: Doomsday&quot; follows the events of &quot;Avengers: Endgame,&quot; bringing together a host of Marvel characters new and old, including the X-Men, previously excluded from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The movie will have its US premiere on December 18, the same day as Denis Villeneuve&#39;s &quot;Dune: Part Three.&quot; Theater owners hope the double-whammy will be a box office bonanza, ending the year on a high note amid declining revenues. Sequels on the way&nbsp;Marvel&#39;s presentation was the grande finale of Disney&#39;s CinemaCon showcase. The annual convention allows movie studios to preview their upcoming slates to theater owners and the press. Tom Hanks, Dwayne &quot;The Rock&quot; Johnson and Queen Latifah were among the superstars to showcase footage from their upcoming Disney films. Director Jon Favreau introduced the opening scene of his new movie, the latest Star Wars flick &quot;The Mandalorian and Grogu,&quot; out next month. Disney also played clips from the upcoming sequel films &quot;The Devil Wears Prada 2&quot; with Meryl Streep reprising her role as icy fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly, and &quot;Toy Story 5,&quot; the latest Pixar animated film with lifelike toys Woody and Buzz Lightyear coming together more than 30 years since the original released.

Film & TV

Disney closed CinemaCon with the first Avengers: Doomsday trailer, revealing Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom, Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers return, and previews of major upcoming sequels and franchise films.

Marvel premieres first 'Avengers: Doomsday' trailer at CinemaCon

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb held a series of high-level meetings in Washington to project Pakistan&rsquo;s reform progress, strengthen ties with lenders and ratings agencies.&nbsp;Across engagements with the IMF, China&rsquo;s central bank, Moody&rsquo;s, JP Morgan, the OPEC Fund and IFAD, the emphasis remained on programme continuity, financial cooperation, development financing and investor confidence.&nbsp;&nbsp;IMF: Programme progress in focus &nbsp;Aurangzeb had a meeting with IMF Deputy Managing Director Nigel Clarke. According to the official post, the minister briefed Clarke on Pakistan&rsquo;s external financing position, implementation of the IMF-supported programme and the broader external outlook, signalling Islamabad&rsquo;s effort to keep reform momentum aligned with macroeconomic stability.&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2044814357717250097&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=459175f3376a05d42cd3b385e09d99028e102825&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&nbsp; People&rsquo;s Bank of China: Financial cooperation and market access &nbsp;In his meeting with the Governor of the People&rsquo;s Bank of China, Aurangzeb discussed financial cooperation and market access, according to the Finance Ministry post. The engagement underlined the importance Pakistan attaches to China not only as a strategic partner, but also as a potentially important channel for deeper financial linkages and access to regional capital markets.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2044954399597088886&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=459175f3376a05d42cd3b385e09d99028e102825&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&nbsp; Moody&rsquo;s: Economic outlook and market re-entry &nbsp;Aurangzeb also met Moody&rsquo;s to discuss Pakistan&rsquo;s economic outlook and market re-entry strategy. A mirrored post snippet said the minister stressed improved economic fundamentals, and progress under the IMF programme, arguing that these factors had strengthened investor confidence as Pakistan eyes a return to external markets.&nbsp;&nbsp;J.P. Morgan: Pitch to global investors &nbsp;At a J.P. Morgan seminar, the finance minister engaged institutional investors on Pakistan&rsquo;s economic outlook. The official post said he highlighted positive economic momentum driven by sound macroeconomic management and improved fiscal and external-sector stability, before taking questions from investors.&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2044951347452334436&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=459175f3376a05d42cd3b385e09d99028e102825&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&nbsp;OPEC Fund: Development financing expansion &nbsp;Aurangzeb&rsquo;s meeting with OPEC Fund CEO Abdulhamid Alkhalifa focused on expanded development financing cooperation. Public snippets indicate the discussion explored priority sectors and a stronger pipeline of projects, reflecting Pakistan&rsquo;s search for broader multilateral-backed development funding.&nbsp;&nbsp;IFAD: Agriculture and partnership &nbsp;The minister&rsquo;s meeting with International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) President Alvaro Lario centred on agricultural transformation and future partnership. According to the official post, both sides agreed on the need for a more structured and scaled-up partnership, including the possible involvement of additional multilateral partners.&nbsp;

Economy

Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb held a series of high-level meetings in Washington to project Pakistan’s reform progress, strengthen ties with lenders and ratings agencies.

Pakistan's finance minister steps up economic diplomacy with IMF, China and investors

WASHINGTON: The acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Todd Lyons, will leave his post at the agency charged with enforcing US President Donald Trump&#39;s anti-immigrant crackdown in May, the Homeland Security Secretary announced Thursday. Todd Lyons &quot;has been a great leader of ICE,&quot; said Markwayne Mullin in a statement, adding that his last day would be May 31 and wishing him luck in his &quot;next opportunity in the private sector.&quot; Lyons was appointed acting director of ICE by Trump in March 2025. He was a &quot;key player&quot; in the US president&#39;s anti-immigration drive, Mullin said. Mullin, who was appointed just a few weeks ago following the dismissal of his predecessor, Kristi Noem, did not give a reason for Lyon&#39;s departure or announce a replacement. Anti-immigrant raids The federal police has come under fire for carrying out anti-immigrant raids, with two US citizen protesters shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis this year. Lyons&#39;s departure comes a month after Gregory Bovino, the face of Trump&#39;s immigration raids, resigned from the US Border Patrol after outcry over violent raids in Minneapolis. At a Department of Homeland Security oversight hearing in February, Lyons defended the law enforcement agency&#39;s work. &quot;The president tasked us with mass deportation, and we are fulfilling that mandate,&quot; he told Congress.

Todd Lyons, acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, testifies in the Rayburn House Office Building on April 16, 2026 in Washington, DC. 

Americas

Todd Lyons, acting head of ICE, will step down on May 31 to move to the private sector amid controversy over aggressive immigration enforcement under Donald Trump.


US immigration agency interim head Todd Lyons to step down

LONDON: A top UK foreign ministry official will step down, local media reported late on Thursday, as the government faces fresh pressure over its past appointment of an associate of Jeffrey Epstein as US ambassador. The UK Foreign Office&#39;s Permanent Under-Secretary Olly Robbins will leave his role after losing the confidence of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, media including the Press Association (PA) news agency and BBC reported. Calls by opposition politicians for the prime minister himself to resign also intensified on Thursday as the government confirmed that its former Washington envoy Peter Mandelson had been appointed to his role after failing a background security check. Starmer has faced repeated questions about his judgment in selecting Mandelson, who was sacked last year only months into the post over his ties to the late convicted US sex offender Epstein. Opposition right-wing Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch wrote on X that &quot;Starmer has betrayed our national security. He should go&quot;. The prime minister has accused Mandelson of lying about the extent of his ties to Epstein during the vetting process for his Washington posting. Against recommendation Following an investigation published by The Guardian newspaper, a government spokesperson confirmed that foreign ministry officials made the decision to allow Mandelson&#39;s appointment to proceed &quot;against the recommendation of UK Security Vetting&quot;. But the spokesperson said neither Starmer nor the foreign minister &quot;was aware&quot; of this &quot;until earlier this week&quot;. Starmer sacked Mandelson as ambassador after documents released by a US Congressional committee revealed new details about the depth of his ties to Epstein. Police have opened an investigation into allegations of misconduct in office by Mandelson, who was arrested and bailed in February. He has not been charged and denies criminal wrongdoing. The force is investigating Mandelson over allegations he leaked sensitive documents to Epstein when he was a government minister, including during the 2008 financial crash.

Peter Mandelson - (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

United Kingdom

UK PM Keir Starmer faces mounting political pressure as a senior official will resign and scrutiny deepens over the controversial appointment of Peter Mandelson linked to Jeffrey Epstein.

UK top official to step down over ex-envoy's failed vetting: Reports 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday said that the if the &ldquo;military escalation and disruptions persists&rdquo; due to the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran, then the suffering will be prolonged and extended &ldquo;far beyond the region, translating into widespread economic hardship.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;Return to peace on the other hand will benefit all,&rdquo; Pakistan&rsquo;s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said.&nbsp; US President Donald Trump has said that a deal with Iran could be within reach, indicating that the next round of negotiations may take place as early as this weekend, with Islamabad remaining a key venue in the diplomatic process. Meanwhile, Iran is &quot;cautiously optimistic&quot; about the outcome of negotiations with the United States to end the war, its ambassador to the United Nations said, while acknowledging deep mistrust toward Washington. While speaking to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Ambassador Iftikhar said the country&rsquo;s &ldquo;clear and unequivocal position&rdquo; on the situation was clear as, Pakistan remained &ldquo;deeply concerned at the developments over the past weeks in the region.&rdquo; The ambassador said that Pakistan prioritized de-escalation from the start and the Islamabad Talks were made possible because of the country&rsquo;s outreach efforts.&nbsp; &ldquo;Through the &lsquo;Islamabad Process,&rsquo; Pakistan is pursuing the objective of ending the war and ensuring long-term peace,&rdquo; the ambassador said. While calling for the security of ships and civilians passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the ambassador said that the situation was adversely impacting countries with consequences for regional and global economy becoming &ldquo;evidently harsh.&rdquo; &ldquo;If the military escalation and disruptions persist, the suffering will prolong and extend far beyond the region, translating into widespread economic hardship,&rdquo; he said.&ldquo;Pakistan remains committed to continue playing its constructive role in promoting dialogue, fostering understanding, and supporting all efforts aimed at achieving lasting peace in the region,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Permanent Representative to UN says Pakistan remains committed to continuing to play a constructive role in promoting dialogue, fostering understanding, and supporting all efforts aimed at achieving lasting peace in the region

Returning to peace ‘will benefit all’: Pakistan at UN 

SAN FRANCISCO: Netflix shares plummeted more than 9% on Thursday as the TV streaming titan&#39;s quarterly earnings failed to impress investors and co-founder Reed Hastings announced he is leaving. Hastings, who helped grow the revolutionary DVD-by-mail company into a global entertainment behemoth, will depart Netflix to &quot;focus on his philanthropy and other pursuits&quot; when his term as chairman of the board of directors ends in June. He ceded daily control of Netflix to co-chief executives Greg Peters and Ted Sarandos in early 2023. &quot;Netflix changed my life in so many ways,&quot; Hastings wrote in an earnings letter. &quot;My all‑time favorite memory was January 2016, when we enabled nearly the entire planet to enjoy our service.&quot; Netflix faces increasing competition from rival streaming services as well as short-form video platforms like TikTok that vie for consumers&#39; attention. The company based in Los Gatos, California, reported quarterly revenue of $12.25 billion, a result that slightly topped expectations. The share price slide came despite Netflix reporting profit of $5.28 billion, which was boosted by a fee received for the termination of a deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery. During the recently ended quarter, Netflix declined to sweeten its takeover offer of Warner Bros, effectively ceding the media giant to a rival bid from Paramount Skydance after deciding the deal was no longer financially attractive. Netflix logged a termination fee of $2.8 billion related to the nixed deal, according to its earnings report. By not following through on the arrangement, Netflix will likely see the storied Hollywood studio and a group of TV properties &mdash; which includes CNN &mdash; fall into the hands of Paramount, fundamentally reshaping US media. Paramount&#39;s deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery is in a regulatory and shareholder approval phase. The bidding war had drawn White House attention, with President Donald Trump insisting he had a say in the outcome. Oracle founder Larry Ellison is the father of Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison. Larry Ellison, a longtime Trump ally, largely financed his son&#39;s takeover of Paramount and his subsequent bid for Warner Bros. Discovery. A victory by Paramount would see CNN &mdash; often the target of Trump&#39;s threats and criticism &mdash; pass to Ellison family control, amid backlash that a Paramount-owned CBS would see changes to the White House&#39;s liking. Netflix shares climbed after it stepped away from the Warner bidding, with analysts noting that money it saved could be invested in audience-drawing shows and its potentially lucrative advertising business. &quot;Netflix won with investors when it lost Warner Bros Discovery,&quot; said Emarketer senior analyst Ross Benes. &quot;Netflix&#39;s next challenge will be to truly diversify away from having subscriptions account for almost the entirety of its revenue.&quot; Baseball and ads The streamer&#39;s advertising platform continues to grow, and the company expects it to account for $3 billion in revenue this year, according to Peters. He added that Netflix sees opportunity in using artificial intelligence to make it easier for partners to customize ads. &quot;As the company enters a new era without Reed Hastings, advertising will play a bigger role,&quot; Benes said. Netflix is also pushing further into live sports, podcasts and games, executives said on an earnings call. The recently streamed World Baseball Classic was a hit on Netflix, according to co-chief executive Ted Sarandos. &quot;It was the most watched program we&#39;ve ever had in Japan,&quot; he said on the call. &quot;It was really exciting to see how this played out.&quot;

Hastings, who helped grow the revolutionary DVD-by-mail company into a global entertainment behemoth, will depart Netflix to "focus on his philanthropy and other pursuits" when his term as chairman of the board of directors ends in June.

Netflix shares dive as co-founder Reed Hastings steps away

Web Desk/AFP

This live blog follows updates for Day 49 of the US-Israel war on Iran. For a recap of Day 48, go <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/usisrael-war-on-iran-day-48" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">here</a>.<hr style="line-height: 2;"><ul style="list-style-type: square;"><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 2;">Donald Trump announces a 10-day Israel&ndash;Lebanon ceasefire, urging Hezbollah compliance</li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 2;">United Nations, global leaders welcome truce, emphasizing need for lasting peace</li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 2;">International Monetary Fund warns war may severely impact vulnerable economies beyond Middle East</li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 2;">Iran supports ceasefire but doubts US intentions ahead of future negotiations</li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 2;">Israel and Lebanon ceasefire begins amid tensions, uncertainty over long-term stability.</li></ul><hr style="line-height: 2;"> Trump characterizes Iran war as a &#39;little diversion&#39;Published: April 17, 2026 | 08:35<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;">GMT&nbsp;| By Web Desk United States President Donald Trump said US had the &ldquo;best economy&rdquo; in the history of the country &ldquo;despite our little diversion to the lovely country of Iran&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;Lovely place. But we had to do that, because otherwise bad things could happen. Really bad things,&rdquo; he said adding that they were &ldquo;going to see some incredible results.&rdquo; &quot;The economy is booming. Our economy is booming,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We&#39;re going to have victory very shortly,&quot; he added. <hr> South Korea pledges $4.1bn stimulus amid global risks from US-Iran warPublished: April 17, 2026 | 01:42<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;">GMT&nbsp;| By Web Desk South Korea&rsquo;s Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol has announced that his government will &ldquo;proactively&rdquo; respond to the impact on livelihoods and supply chains due to the US-Israel war on Iran, South Korea&rsquo;s Yonhap news agency reports. &ldquo;Until the end of the war becomes clear, we will firmly maintain an emergency economic response system and actively address supply chain issues and difficulties in people&rsquo;s livelihoods,&rdquo; he said. <hr> US says 12 ships, 100 aircraft involved in blockade of Iranian portsPublished: April 17, 2026 | 01:42<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;" id="isPasted">GMT&nbsp;| By Web Desk The US Central Command has said that it has deployed 12 ships, 100 aircraft and more than 10,000 troops to enforce its ongoing blockade of Iranian ports. As we reported earlier, CENTCOM claimed that 14 vessels have so far &ldquo;turned around to comply with the blockade&rdquo; since it took effect. CENTCOM also said that US forces are not blocking the Strait of Hormuz but only &ldquo;Iran&rsquo;s ports and coastline&rdquo;. <hr> Iran war &lsquo;should be ending pretty soon&rsquo;, says TrumpPublished: April 17, 2026 | 01:06GMT | By Web Desk US President Donald Trump spoke at an event in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he said that the war in Iran is going &ldquo;swimmingly&rdquo; and that it &ldquo;should be ending pretty soon,&rdquo; Al Jazeera reported. <hr style="line-height: 2;"> Trump says hopes Hezbollah &#39;acts nicely&#39; during Lebanon-Israel ceasefirePublished: April 16, 2026 | 23:46GMT | By Web Desk US President Donald Trump said he hopes the Hezbollah fighter group &quot;acts nicely and well&quot; during the 10-day ceasefire reached just hours earlier between Lebanon and Israel. &quot;I hope Hezbollah acts nicely and well during this important period of time,&quot; Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform as he arrived for a speech in Las Vegas. &quot;It will be (a) GREAT moment for them if they do. No more killing. Must finally have PEACE!&quot; <hr style="line-height: 2;"> IMF warns of war&#39;s human impact far from Middle EastPublished: April 16, 2026 | 23:17GMT | By Web Desk IMF economists warned that the war in Iran could have &ldquo;very, certainly severe&rdquo; consequences far outside the region &mdash; especially for energy-importing countries. &quot;Oil-impacted importers, particularly non-resource-rich and fragile states, face deteriorating trade balances, rising living costs and limited buffers,&quot; warned Abebe Selassie, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Director for Africa, at a press conference Thursday. &quot;The human consequences are almost certain to be severe,&quot; he added.

Hopes the fighter group "acts nicely and well" during the 10-day ceasefire reached between Lebanon and Israel; IMF economists say war in Iran could have “very, certainly severe” consequences far outside the region, especially for energy-importing countries.



Trump seeks Hezbollah cooperation in ceasefire as IMF warns of war's human impact

Romesa Umar

ABIDJAN: Pakistan concluded its FIFA Series campaign with a 2-0 defeat to C&ocirc;te d&rsquo;Ivoire in Abidjan, showing defensive resilience against a higher-ranked opponent on Thursday. The result placed Pakistan third in the standings after a mixed tournament that included an 8-0 win over Turks and Caicos and a 1-0 loss to Mauritania. Despite the defeat, the match highlighted Pakistan&rsquo;s disciplined structure and ability to compete against stronger opposition. C&ocirc;te d&rsquo;Ivoire, ranked 72 places above Pakistan, had previously scored heavily in the tournament but struggled to break down Pakistan&rsquo;s defense for much of the game. Pakistan held firm for nearly 40 minutes, with Kayla Siddiqi and Isra Khan organizing the backline and limiting the hosts to long-range efforts. Goalkeeper Zeeyana Jivraj made several key interventions, while full-backs Anmol Hira and Karissa Jivraj disrupted attacking crosses. C&ocirc;te d&rsquo;Ivoire opened the scoring in the 39th minute when Ami Diallo headed in following a corner. The hosts increased pressure after the breakthrough, but Pakistan continued to defend resolutely, including a goal-line clearance by Isra. The second goal came in the 69th minute, with Habibou Oudraogo converting another set-piece opportunity. Pakistan&rsquo;s challenge intensified minutes later when Anmol Hira was sent off for handling the ball on the goal line. Jivraj saved the resulting penalty, denying Bernadette Amani and keeping the score line within reach. Jivraj continued to impress, making additional saves late in the match, including a close-range stop and a diving effort to deny a free kick. The tournament marked a competitive outing for Pakistan, who showed improvement in defensive organization and composure under pressure. The FIFA Series provided valuable international exposure for the team, with performances indicating progress despite the final result. While speaking to Pakistan TV Digital, Coach Adeel Rizki said that his side was up against &ldquo;a tough opponent&rdquo; wher it was key that th theam manage to keep its &ldquo;shape and discipline.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;Overall, it was a very satisfying performance from the team to hold them to just two goals,&rdquo; the coach said, adding that the games were &ldquo;learning curve&rdquo; for the team and they were bound to improve if they continued to &ldquo;play against such opponents.&rdquo;

Football

Result places Pakistan third in the standings after a mixed tournament that included an 8-0 win over Turks and Caicos and a 1-0 loss to Mauritania; despite defeat, match highlights Pakistan’s disciplined structure and ability to compete against stronger opposition.

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