New York Times

NEW YORK:&nbsp;A founding principle of the United States, enshrined in its constitution&rsquo;s opening amendment, is that the republic depends on citizens&rsquo; freedom to disagree with one another. They need to be able to do so intensely, on matters of life and death, including war and divisive modern issues like abortion, gun safety and health insurance.&nbsp; There are limits to free speech, yes, but they involve edge cases, like falsely shouting fire in a theater or inciting an imminent act of violence. If the American ideal of freedom means anything, it is that Americans can engage in an extremely wide range of political speech, including the tasteless and the offensive. The US President Trump is himself a purveyor of tasteless and even threatening language, speaking in ways that no previous president did.&nbsp;Yet his own exercise of his First Amendment rights&mdash;the constitutional protections guaranteeing freedom of speech&mdash;has not stopped him from encroaching on those of others.&nbsp;He has punished universities, immigrants, law firms, federal prosecutors, military leaders, national security officials and others for voicing opinions with which he disagrees. Now he is taking his campaign against free speech to a new level by using the assassination of Charlie Kirk as a justification to promise the repression of groups that he describes as liberal. Mr. Trump&rsquo;s aides are drafting an executive order that could come as soon as this week, The Times reported, and it will most likely target left-leaning organizations. On Monday, the country&#39;s&nbsp;Vice President JD Vance mentioned both the Ford Foundation and George Soros&rsquo;s Open Society Foundations, saying that they benefited from a &ldquo;generous tax treatment,&rdquo; the same tax treatment that benefits nonprofit groups like religious charities and the National Rifle Association Foundation. The intimidation campaign is already having an effect. Federal officials have urged companies to fire workers who have criticized Mr. Kirk, and some have done so. In a direct exercise of government influence, Brendan Carr, the chairman of the F.C.C., threatened Disney for remarks that Jimmy Kimmel made on his late-night ABC show. &ldquo;We can do this the easy way or the hard way,&rdquo; Mr. Carr said. He also urged television stations to stop broadcasting the show. Two major station owners quickly did so, and ABC has suspended the show indefinitely. As we wrote last week, we are horrified by the killing of Mr. Kirk, and we mourn his death. The evidence suggests that he was murdered for his views, which is the most fundamental violation of free-speech principles. We vehemently disagree with people who suggested that Mr. Kirk bore any responsibility for his own shooting. As Spencer Cox, Utah&rsquo;s Republican governor, said afterward: &ldquo;We need more moral clarity right now. I hear all the time that words are violence. Words are not violence. Violence is violence.&rdquo; Yet it is the Trump administration, not the left, now violating Mr. Cox&rsquo;s standard. Mr. Trump&rsquo;s promised crackdown depends on the false premise that liberal and nonpartisan groups are part of a far-left conspiracy that promotes violence against conservatives. In truth, the country has experienced a surge of political violence and plots that have targeted both Democrats and Republicans, including Mr. Kirk, Mr. Trump, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Representative Nancy Pelosi, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and two state legislators in Minnesota. As this list suggests, the highest-profile targets show no clear partisan pattern. Mr. Trump and his aides tell a very different story &mdash; and a false one. They claim that political violence comes mostly from the left. &ldquo;The radicals on the left are the problem,&rdquo; the president said last week. In fact, multiple data sources show that neither side has a monopoly on political violence, but it is more likely to come from the right. Between 2015 and 2024, 54 percent of ideologically connected killings were committed by people on the far right, according to the Anti-Defamation League. By comparison, 8 percent came from the political left. Conservatives and progressives alike should reflect on whether the nasty and often personal rhetoric of today&rsquo;s politics may have contributed to an atmosphere in which unstable or angry people become more likely to commit violence. Still, even that scenario is very different from one in which political groups are organizing and helping commit the violence. There is zero evidence that left-wing groups played a role in Mr. Kirk&rsquo;s killing or in other recent violence against Republicans. &ldquo;Absent additional facts, there was one person responsible for Charlie Kirk&rsquo;s assassination,&rdquo; Mike Pence, Mr. Trump&rsquo;s former vice president, pointed out on Thursday. If anything, many elected Democrats and prominent progressives have clearly and consistently condemned Mr. Kirk&rsquo;s killing in ways that prominent Republicans failed to do after attacks on Democrats. After the attack at Ms. Pelosi&rsquo;s home, which included a brutal assault of her husband, Paul, Mr. Trump himself and other prominent Republicans mocked the victim and spread absurd conspiracies that the episode was staged. After the shooting of two Democratic legislators and their spouses in Minnesota, Senator Mike Lee, a Utah Republican, bizarrely blamed &ldquo;Marxists,&rdquo; while Laura Loomer, an influential Trump confidante, falsely blamed &ldquo;goons&rdquo; working for Gov. Tim Walz, the Minnesota Democrat. These are terrible things to say. They are not crimes, however, and they are certainly not grounds for a government crackdown against conservative groups. The Trump administration is now targeting other groups for lesser sins and maybe no sins at all. Mr. Vance&rsquo;s specific (and tenuous ) claim about the Ford Foundation and the Open Society Foundations was that they helped to fund The Nation, which published an article lambasting Mr. Kirk after his death. If that article &mdash; whatever you think of it &mdash; is grounds for government punishment, the First Amendment has no meaning. We urge Mr. Trump and his aides to remember the free-speech criticisms that they and other conservatives have often made of progressives over the past decade. Republicans have excoriated the left for its attempts to conflate personal safety with contestable ideas and to quash political expression on Covid-19, race, trans issues and other subjects. Conservatives have been correct about some of these excesses, too. In his Inaugural Address in January, Mr. Trump promised to &ldquo;bring back free speech to America.&rdquo; Mr. Vance, while speaking in Munich in February, excoriated European countries for restricting speech and promised, &ldquo;Under Donald Trump&rsquo;s leadership, we may disagree with your views, but we will fight to defend your right to offer it in the public square, agree or disagree.&rdquo; Instead of living up to these principles, the Trump administration and its allies are attempting to restrict speech in ways that are more extreme than anything that Democrats have done. Stephen Miller, a top White House aide, has claimed the existence of a &ldquo;vast domestic terror movement&rdquo; on the left and denigrated the Democratic Party as a &ldquo;domestic extremist organization.&rdquo; Attorney General Pam Bondi has suggested that a business that refused to print signs promoting vigils for Mr. Kirk deserved to be prosecuted. Representative Clay Higgins of Louisiana called for permanent social-media bans on &ldquo;every post or commenter that belittled the assassination of Charlie Kirk.&rdquo; Mr. Higgins, it is worth noting, is one of the congressmen who previously criticized social-media companies for suppressing conservative speech &mdash; and who belittled the attack on Mr. Pelosi. If Mr. Trump refuses to stand up for the basic American right to disagree without fear of oppression, others still can. An executive order that follows through on the threats that he and his aides have made would be clearly unconstitutional. And it would deserve an immediate injunction from the federal courts and a swift rejection from the Supreme Court. The ability to disagree with other people on raw, difficult issues, without fear of repression, is the essence of American freedom.

 President Donald Trump speaking to members of the media on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One en route to Joint Base Andrews, Md., Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP)

Articles

Although Trump frequently uses offensive language himself, he has aggressively punished others—from universities to officials—who express views he opposes.

The Trump administration’s controversial approach to free speech enforcement

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pressure on Israel over its military campaign in Lebanon intensified on Tuesday, as Italy suspended defense ties, Spain issued a blunt legal rebuke, and China called for respect for Lebanese sovereignty. In Rome, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced the suspension of a long-standing defense cooperation agreement with Israel. The pact, in place since 2006, covers military training, industrial cooperation, &nbsp;and technology sharing. According to AFP, Italian officials said the move followed reports that Israeli forces fired warning shots at a United Nations peacekeeping convoy in southern Lebanon that included Italian personnel, an incident that drew strong backlash in Italy, a key contributor to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). &ldquo;In view of the current situation, the government has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the defence agreement with Israel,&rdquo; Meloni said on the sidelines of an event in Verona, according to Italian news agencies ANSA and AGI. In Beijing, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro S&aacute;nchez delivered a sharp condemnation, accusing Israel of violating international law and describing its conduct as &ldquo;intolerable,&rdquo; AFP reported. Speaking during an official visit, S&aacute;nchez said the war had been a &ldquo;mistake&rdquo; from the outset and called for the European Union to suspend its cooperation framework with Israel. He also urged accountability, warning that there should be &ldquo;no impunity&rdquo; for what he described as criminal acts, and said Lebanon must be included in any ceasefire arrangement. Separately, Iran&rsquo;s President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a post on X that &ldquo;the essence of civilizations reveals itself at critical historical junctures,&rdquo; adding that positions taken by countries including Spain, China, Russia, T&uuml;rkiye, Italy, and Egypt against what he described as &ldquo;warmongering and crimes&rdquo; reflect their deep cultural and historical roots.<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=2044063688584507580&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Flogin%2F&sessionId=3362cbd2995e2849f5202d296d2c5f703c1a9990&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 321px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div> China&rsquo;s response included Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning saying Lebanon&rsquo;s sovereignty &ldquo;should not be violated&rdquo; and stressed the need to protect civilian lives, urging all parties to de-escalate. Israeli officials did not immediately respond to the remarks.

A photograph taken from the Israeli side of the border with Lebanon shows Israeli soldiers driving along a road running beside destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon on April 15, 2026. (AFP)

Asia

Europe

Middle East

Italy suspends defense ties, Spain condemns Israel, and China urges restraint as global pressure mounts over Lebanon strikes. Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian also criticizes Israel, highlighting the widening international backlash.

Global pressure grows on Israel as Italy, Spain, China criticize Lebanon strikes

ISLAMABAD: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday that China does not recognize the &ldquo;so-called &lsquo;Arunachal Pradesh&rsquo; illegally set up by India.&rdquo;&nbsp;He made the remarks at the ministry&rsquo;s regular press conference in Beijing. China&rsquo;s newly announced standardized names for places in Zangnan are &ldquo;fully within China&rsquo;s sovereign rights,&rdquo; he said, using the Chinese name for the region, adding that&nbsp;&ldquo;Zangnan region is China&rsquo;s territory.&rdquo; <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; line-height: 2;"><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=2044256901417054517&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=59cf929660b953b1a57fd64f6b4703305659807c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 640px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The statement followed the publication by China&rsquo;s Ministry of Civil Affairs of a sixth batch of standardized names for places in Zangnan on April 10, according to Guo&rsquo;s remarks at the briefing. At the same press conference, Guo said China-India relations are &ldquo;generally stable at the moment,&rdquo; adding that&nbsp;China&rsquo;s commitment to improving and growing relations with India &ldquo;has not changed.&rdquo; India has rejected China&#39;s decision to assign new names to places in the region India calls Arunachal Pradesh. The foreign ministry statement was China&rsquo;s response to India&rsquo;s criticism. The English-language&nbsp;China Daily, in a report, quoted Guo as saying that both countries should &ldquo;move toward each other&rdquo; and take more steps conducive to bilateral relations. It reported that India said the move detracted from efforts to stabilize bilateral ties.

China

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun has said that China’s latest standardized place names in Zangnan are within its sovereign rights, and that Beijing rejects Indian occupation of Arunachal Pradesh.

China says it has never recognized Arunachal Pradesh as part of India

RAIPUR: The death toll from a boiler blast at a power plant in central India has risen to 19, a police officer said Wednesday, noting that 17 others were injured. The explosion occurred Tuesday at a facility operated by Vedanta Limited, a subsidiary of London-listed Vedanta Resources, in Chhattisgarh state&#39;s Sakti district. &quot;The death toll in the power plant blast has reached 19 whereas 17 are undergoing treatment in various hospitals,&quot; district police chief Praful Thakur told AFP. The explosion likely occurred after a pipeline burst, spewing &quot;superheated steam&quot; onto people having lunch at the time, the Indian Express newspaper said. Indian-born billionaire Anil Agarwal, chairman of Vedanta Resources, said he was &quot;distressed by the extremely tragic accident&quot;. &quot;A high-level investigation into this incident has been initiated. We will leave no stone unturned in getting to the bottom of this matter,&quot; he said in a statement. Chhattisgarh state authorities have also launched a probe, with chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai vowing the &quot;strictest possible action&quot; against those found guilty. Industrial accidents are common in India, often due to poor adherence to safety regulations and weak enforcement. A fire at a fireworks factory in western India last month killed 17 people.

India

A boiler explosion at a Vedanta power plant in central India kills 19 people and injures 17, prompting investigations into the cause.

India power plant blast death toll climbs to 19: Police

ISLAMABAD: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has granted a license to Alibaba-backed Koko Tech Pakistan Pvt. Ltd. to operate a &quot;Buy Now Pay Later&quot; business in Pakistan. In a press release issued on Tuesday, the SECP said the development marked a significant step for Pakistan&rsquo;s digital financial ecosystem.&nbsp; Koko Tech is owned by Alibaba, making the move a notable entry by a major global technology company into Pakistan&rsquo;s fintech space. The regulator said Alibaba&rsquo;s move reflected growing international confidence in Pakistan&rsquo;s large consumer base, expanding digital economy and untapped financial services market.&nbsp; It added that Koko Tech was expected to introduce innovative, data-driven lending solutions in the Buy Now Pay Later segment by using advanced AI-driven credit assessment systems and globally tested digital infrastructure. According to the SECP, the company&rsquo;s entry would help expand access to consumer financing, particularly for young users, freelancers and small businesses that remain underserved by traditional banking channels.&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=2044020211641397593&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=59cf929660b953b1a57fd64f6b4703305659807c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 897px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The commission said the new license could also help support small and medium-sized enterprises, increase e-commerce activity and accelerate the shift toward a more inclusive, technology-led financial system. The SECP described the development as a direct inflow of foreign investment into Pakistan&rsquo;s financial sector.&nbsp; In the press release, SECP Chairman Dr Kabir Ahmed Sidhu said the entry of Alibaba Group would boost competition and innovation in Pakistan&rsquo;s fintech market.&nbsp; He added that Pakistan remains an attractive destination for international investment because of its large population, growing digital adoption and an improving regulatory framework. The licensing of KTPL comes as Pakistan seeks to deepen financial inclusion and broaden the use of digital financial services across the economy.&nbsp; Buy Now Pay Later services, which allow consumers to pay for purchases in installments, have expanded rapidly in many markets as an alternative form of short-term consumer credit, especially in online retail. The move is likely to be closely watched by Pakistan&rsquo;s banking, fintech and e-commerce sectors, as Alibaba&rsquo;s entry in the Buy Now Pay Later segment could intensify competition and spur further innovation in consumer lending and digital payments. Alibaba Group has a significant and growing presence in Pakistan. Its operations span e-commerce, digital payments, logistics, and cloud computing, including platforms such as Daraz and AliExpress.

Economy

Pakistan’s SECP grants a 'Buy Now Pay Later' license to Alibaba-backed Koko Tech Pakistan, signaling the growing confidence of foreign companies in its digital financial market.

Alibaba-backed firm granted Buy Now Pay Later license for Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has departed for Jeddah for an official visit to Saudi Arabia, kicking off a significant four-day official tour spanning Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkiye from April 15 to 18, according to an official statement.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 688px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" 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=2044273504418447435&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=8826cd1edd93237dc0a2dec520b30130f6da51cf&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The prime minister will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, the statement said, without sharing further details. The announcement comes shortly after Finance Minister Aurangzeb said that Saudi Arabia has committed an additional $3 billion in deposits to Pakistan, with disbursement expected within a week, providing timely support for the country&rsquo;s external financing needs.&nbsp;Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-finance-minister-outlines-macroeconomic-outlook-reform-progress-at-uspakistan-business-council-luncheon" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings 2026</a>, the finance minister said the Kingdom has also agreed to extend its existing $5 billion deposit for a longer period, moving away from the earlier annual rollover arrangement. During his visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the prime minister is expected to hold high-level meetings with the leadership of both countries to discuss bilateral cooperation as well as regional peace and security. In T&uuml;rkiye, the prime minister will participate in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, where he will join a leaders&rsquo; panel to present Pakistan&rsquo;s perspective on key global issues. On the sidelines of the forum, Sharif is also expected to meet Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other world leaders.Pakistan&rsquo;s participation in the forum reflects its commitment to constructive diplomacy, multilateral cooperation and engagement on global challenges. The prime minister will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Syed Tariq Fatemi, along with other senior officials.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia Prince Muhammad bin Salman on March 12, 2026, in Jeddah.

Foreign Affairs

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has departed for Jeddah for an official visit to Saudi Arabia, kicking off a significant four-day official tour spanning Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkiye from April 15 to 18.

Pakistan's PM begins three-nation visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkiye

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&#39;s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said Tuesday that the country&#39;s leadership is not giving up on efforts to help the US and Iran negotiate.&nbsp; &quot;We would very much like to see if we can continue to pursue the dialogue,&quot; he said during an interview with the Associated Press on the sidelines of the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. &quot;We&#39;ll keep at it, and our leadership is at it.&quot; Aurangzeb said&nbsp;the&nbsp;talks marked the first direct discussion between the two nations in nearly 50 years. The finance minister said he also met this week with US officials, including Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, to discuss trade and finance concerns. He plans to meet Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday. In a phone call with The New York Post, President Trump said Tuesday a second round of talks with Iran &quot;could be happening over the next two days,&quot; indicating that the venue could be Islamabad.

Muhammad Aurangzeb - (File Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Pakistan's Finance Minister says Pakistan will continue to push US-Iran dialogue as talks resume, and Donald Trump signals a possible second round soon.

Pakistan won't quit US-Iran mediation, says finance minister

BEIJING: Russia&#39;s foreign minister said that his country could make up for China&#39;s energy shortages as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is choked by the US-Israeli war with Iran, Russian state media reported Wednesday. &quot;Russia can, without a doubt, compensate for the shortfall in resources that has arisen&quot; for China and &quot;other countries that are interested in working with us&quot; Sergei Lavrov said at a news conference in Beijing, in response to a question about the Hormuz blockage. He also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit China in the first half of the year, Moscow&#39;s TASS state news agency reported. Russia and China&#39;s close economic and political partnership has deepened since Moscow&#39;s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Lavrov, who began a two-day visit to Beijing on Tuesday and met President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, characterised the bilateral relationship as &quot;unshakable in the face of any storms&quot;, Russia&#39;s TASS and RIA Novosti news agencies reported. Ties between the countries &quot;play a stabilising role in world affairs&quot; and are &quot;becoming increasingly important... for the global majority that does not want problems or turbulence&quot;, he said. Lavrov&#39;s visit comes during the same week as a string of foreign leaders meet with Xi in the Chinese capital, including To Lam of Vietnam and Pedro Sanchez of Spain.

Sergei Lavrov says Russia can offset China’s energy shortfall amid disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, as Moscow and Beijing deepen strategic ties.

Russia can 'compensate' for China's resource gap from Iran war

Web Desk/AFP

WASHINGTON:&nbsp;Israel and Lebanon released a joint statement saying that they held &ldquo;productive discussions&rdquo; and agreed to launch direct negotiations as the two sides met in Washington, the United States said on Tuesday. &quot;The participants held productive discussions on steps toward launching direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon,&quot; State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement. &quot;All sides agreed to launch direct negotiations at a mutually agreed time and venue,&quot; he said. The announcement came after Israeli and Lebanese envoys held more than two hours of talks mediated by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. &quot;The United States congratulated the two countries on this historic milestone and expressed its support for further talks, and for the government of Lebanon&#39;s plans to restore the monopoly of force and to end Iran&#39;s overbearing influence,&quot; Pigott said. And it &quot;affirmed that any agreement to cease hostilities must be reached between the two governments, brokered by the United States, and not through any separate track,&quot; he added. Lebanon was pulled into the region-wide Iran war on March 2 after pro-Tehran Hezbollah attacked Israel. Since then, Israeli strikes have killed more than 2,000 people and displaced more than one million, despite international calls for a ceasefire, and Israeli ground forces have invaded southern Lebanon.

Israel and Lebanon agree to launch direct negotiations after “productive” talks in Washington mediated by Marco Rubio, marking a potential step toward de-escalation.

Israel, Lebanon agree to direct negotiations after 'productive' talks: US

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&#39;s Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb said that Saudi Arabia has committed an additional $3 billion in deposits to Pakistan, with disbursement expected within a week, providing timely support for the country&rsquo;s external financing needs. Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-finance-minister-outlines-macroeconomic-outlook-reform-progress-at-uspakistan-business-council-luncheon" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings 2026</a>, the finance minister said the Kingdom has also agreed to extend its existing $5 billion deposit for a longer period, moving away from the earlier annual rollover arrangement. <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; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" 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=2044247340308148616&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard%2F&sessionId=6cce7b9fd498f49855a1f8e1b89c9a140954b443&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Aurangzeb said the fresh inflows would help strengthen Pakistan&rsquo;s foreign exchange reserves and support its external account, as the government aims to build reserves to around $18 billion, equivalent to about 3.3 months of import cover, by the end of the current fiscal year. He said Pakistan remains committed to meeting all external obligations on time, noting that the recent repayment of a $1.4 billion Eurobond was completed smoothly. The minister said Pakistan&rsquo;s external financing plan is well-defined and being implemented in a disciplined manner under the IMF-supported program. He added that during his visit, he held detailed talks with Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan and senior Pakistani officials to finalize the support package. Aurangzeb expressed gratitude to the Saudi leadership, particularly Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, for continued financial backing and close cooperation. He said Pakistan is receiving strong recognition from international financial institutions, including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, as well as global investors, for its economic reforms and diplomatic engagement. The minister added that Pakistan is advancing efforts to diversify funding sources through initiatives such as the Global Medium-Term Note program and a planned Panda Bond issuance. Aurangzeb reaffirmed the government&rsquo;s commitment to macroeconomic stability, continuity of reforms, and sustained engagement with bilateral and multilateral partners.

Pakistan's Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, alongside State Bank Governor Jameel Ahmad, met Saudi Finance Minister H.E. Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan in Washington on the sidelines of the World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings 2026.

The finance minister said the Kingdom has also agreed to extend its existing $5 billion deposit for a longer period, moving away from the earlier annual rollover arrangement.

Saudi Arabia commits $3B in additional deposits for Pakistan: Finance minister

GAZA CITY: Gaza&#39;s civil defense agency said on Tuesday that a toddler was among 10 people killed in separate Israeli strikes in the northern part of the Palestinian territory. Violence continues despite a ceasefire in the Gaza war that came into effect on October 10, with both Israel and Hamas regularly accusing each other of violations. Mahmoud Bassal, spokesman for the civil defense agency, said &quot;four people were killed, including a child and several others were injured... in a strike targeting a police vehicle&quot; in Gaza City. He identified the child as three-year-old Yahya al-Mallahi. Gaza City&#39;s Al-Shifa hospital confirmed receiving the bodies of the dead. Contacted by AFP, the Israeli army said it was looking into the details. In a statement, Gaza&#39;s interior ministry said Israeli warplanes had &quot;targeted a police vehicle&quot; in the city centre, &quot;causing several deaths and injuries.&quot; Bassal also said another person had been killed by Israeli fire in the northern Beit Lahia area earlier on Tuesday. The military said in a statement that its troops had identified an &quot;armed terrorist&quot; in the area of the so-called Yellow Line &mdash; behind which its forces have withdrawn &mdash; who approached their position. The army said he was killed in a strike, but it was unclear whether it referred to the same incident in Beit Lahia. AFP footage showed Palestinians gathering around the body of a man who was then placed on a stretcher and carried away to be buried through streets lined with rubble. Later on Tuesday evening, the civil defense agency reported that multiple people were killed in another strike near an intersection in the Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City. The Al-Shifa hospital confirmed receiving five bodies from &quot;an Israeli drone bombing with two missiles a group of citizens in front of warehouses for electricity generators&quot; in Al-Shati. The military did not offer an immediate response regarding the latest strike. The October ceasefire followed more than two years of war on Gaza. At least 757 have been killed in Gaza since the truce came into effect, according to the territory&#39;s health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations. The Israeli army says five of its soldiers have been killed in Gaza over the same period. Media restrictions and limited access in Gaza have prevented AFP from independently verifying casualty figures or freely covering the fighting.

Violence continues despite a ceasefire in the Gaza war that came into effect on October 10, with both sides accusing each other of violations; at least 757 have been killed in Gaza since the truce came into effect.

Articles by New York Times