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US-Iran deal seems more of a ‘stopgap measure’

FOR a few hours on Saturday, it appeared that the long diplomatic effort led by Pakistan to end the US-Iran war was approaching its culmination. President Donald Trump spoke of signing an agreement on Sunday, while Pakistani and Qatari mediators echoed the same with high confidence. Interestingly enough, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also remarked that a deal had never been closer. Still, within hours, Tehran publicly pushed back against reports that a signing ceremony was imminent, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei making it clear that no agreement would be signed that day. Still, as these lines were being written, it was not clear whether the delay was temporary or whether the negotiators were struggling to bridge differences that remain unresolved. Such uncertainty, in any case, isn’t unusual in diplomacy especially when it is taking place between arch rivals like the US and Iran. MoU looks driven less by reconciliation th...
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Germany hammer World Cup debutants Curacao after early scare

Germany won their first opening match at a World Cup since lifting the trophy in 2014 as they eased to a 7-1 win against debutants Curacao in their opening Group E match in Houston on Sunday. The Germans will face stiffer tests against group rivals Ecuador and Ivory Coast but the win against the tiny Caribbean nation puts them in a good position to progress to the knockout stages for the first time since 2014. An early German goal by Felix Nmecha was cancelled out by a deflected strike from Livano Comenencia which had the Curacao fans, known as the Blue Wave, out of their seats in Houston. However, Nico Schlotterbeck, Kai Havertz with a double, Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown and Deniz Undav scored to put to bed any possibility of one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history. Germany settled early, Nmecha scoring a beauty in the sixth minute, receiving the ball from Florian Wirtz and curling the ball round a Curacao defender and past goalkeeper Eloy Room. The goal had coach Juli...
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India rout Pakistan at women's T20 World Cup

India made the perfect start to their women’s Twenty 20 World Cup campaign with a 64-run win against Pakistan on Sunday. Harmanpreet Kaur’s side dominated from start to finish in their opening group game of the tournament at Edgbaston. After India elected to bat first, opener Smriti Mandhana was the catalyst for the victory as she survived two drops to hit 68 from 44 balls. Mandhana blasted nine fours and two sixes, while Kaur notched four fours in her innings of 36. Wicket-keeper Richa Ghosh kept the pressure on Pakistan’s overwhelmed bowlers with a quick-fire 34 featuring five fours and a six. Pakistan’s run chase looked a daunting task and so it proved as they crumbled against India’s spinners. All-rounder Deepti Sharma finished with impressive figures of 5-10. She pushed Pakistan towards defeat by running out opener Muneeba Ali, who top-scored for Pakistan with 41. Sharma also dismissed Gull Feroza and Ayesha Zafar to leave Pakistan in disarray before leg-spinner Sree Chara...
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BUDGET 2026-27: Govt slammed over provincial freeze as budget debate opens

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PKMAP chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai speaks at the National Assembly’s budget session.—White Star • Opening day dominated by political speeches in NA • Achakzai says freezing funds will hit provinces’ health, social sectors • PM defends govt’s approach, highlights Balochistan projects • Supports border fencing for national security; renews offer for talks with opposition • MQM calls for strong local govt system, approval of 28th Amendment ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Saturday formally began a general debate on the federal budget for the next financial year, with lawmakers delivering lengthy speeches and mostly raising political and local issues rather than discussing the budgetary proposals presented by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb amid noisy opposition protest on Friday. The highlight of the opening day of the budget debate was a more than hour-long speech by Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai and an immediate response from Prime Minister...
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US-Venezuela joint operation kills leader of Tren de Aragua gang

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The leader of the transnational gang Tren de Aragua has been killed in southern Venezuela as part of a joint operation with the United States, in what a top Pentagon official on Saturday described as a warning to “narco-terrorists” in Latin America. Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, alias Nino Guerrero, was “neutralised” in southeastern Bolivar state, Venezuela’s Ministry of Communications said in a statement on Friday. US President Donald Trump said Guerrero was killed in “a swift and lethal kinetic strike” by US forces, in an attack “coordinated closely with our friends in Venezuela”. “As a result, Tren de Aragua terrorists no longer have safe haven in Venezuela or anywhere else,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform Friday night. On Saturday, a senior aide to Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth said the killing was meant to serve as a stark warning. “The death of Nino Guerrero sends a clear message to Latin America. There is no ref...
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'Peace has never been this close': PM Shehbaz says text of 'final' US-Iran peace deal agreed upon

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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday confirmed that a “final agreed-upon” text of the peace deal between Iran and the United States had been reached. A day prior, US President Donald Trump said the United States and Iran could sign a peace deal as soon as this weekend, which, if finalised, would be the most significant diplomatic breakthrough yet to end the months-old war. “We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “The strait will officially open as soon as we sign, which could be soon, very soon, maybe over the weekend in Europe,” he said. In a post on X, PM Shehbaz said Islamabad was working “closely” with both sides to finalise the next steps of the process. “Peace has never been this close as it is now.” The premier also cautioned against an “incessant misinformation campaign being waged by those who want to sabotage the peace deal”. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghc...
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Bilawal welcomes invitation to form PPP govt in GB, expresses gratitude to PM Shehbaz

ISLAMABAD: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday welcomed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s statement regarding the formation of a government in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and expressed his gratitude. The PPP is all set to form a government in the region after it gained 11 out of 24 seats in the GB Legi­slative Assembly, according to the unofficial results (Form-47) of the June 7 elections . According to Radio Pakistan , the prime minister assured full support from the PML-N to the PPP on government formation. The prime minister said the PML-N has decided to sit on the opposition benches in the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly, but its elected members will vote in favour of the PPP to form the government. In a statement , Bilawal said that recognising the PPP’s majority in GB is the continuation of a democratic tradition and added that the party views the premier’s invitation to form the government as a “positive step”. “As a result of a consensus agreement, the positions o...
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