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The Israeli military has said it confirmed the veracity of a viral photograph which appeared to show one of its soldiers smashing a statue of Jesus Christ to pieces with a sledgehammer in southern Lebanon.
Pakistan is moving to repay the last $1.5 billion of a UAE loan this week after already returning $2 billion, as officials look to an IMF board review expected next month to unlock fresh funding and steady market confidence.
Sohail Afridi, the Chief Minister for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has claimed that Imran Khan first proposed the peace talks now unfolding in Pakistan as far back as 2002, adding a new burst of controversy to the country’s already charged political landscape.
Donald Trump has long favoured high-profile diplomacy and may want to fly in himself if Pakistan offers the chance for a final deal or landmark announcement, meaning JD Vance would likely need to stay home in Washington or return from Islamabad first.
A post by menswear commentator Derek Guy praising Shehbaz Sharif’s tailoring has ignited an unexpected debate about diplomacy, symbolism and why some non-Western leaders may now wear classic suits better than the West itself.
Trump says his representatives Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are travelling to Pakistan for peace negotiations with Iran in Islamabad, after issuing a sharp warning to Tehran, placing Pakistan at the centre of a fast-moving diplomatic showdown.
Pakistan’s capital region moved into an unusual state of alert after hotels were reportedly cleared, transport was suspended in Rawalpindi and security tightened across key routes, sharpening speculation that Islamabad could soon host another major diplomatic push tied to the US-Iran crisis.
After the Islamabad Talks, Pakistan reportedly launched a major air operation to escort Iran’s negotiators home amidst an Israeli terror threat, reflecting both the danger hanging over the diplomatic track and Islamabad’s increasingly central role in trying to keep dialogue alive.
Ali Şahin, a prominent Turkish parliamentarian, has called for Pakistan to become a full member of the Organization of Turkic States, saying centuries of cultural links and growing geopolitical cooperation have created a bond deeper than ordinary diplomacy.
After years of being defined by debt scares, bailouts and economic uncertainty, Pakistan is showing signs of a broader recovery marked by renewed market access, stronger investor confidence, diplomatic relevance and momentum that isn't stopping anytime soon.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said India has remained the principal obstacle to regional cooperation, as Pakistan steps up efforts to build alternative links through travel, trade and tourism while calling for dialogue from Kashmir to Palestine.
Indian defence analyst Pravin Sawhney has argued that Pakistan could play a major role in the emerging world order, describing a multipolar system in which each region is shaped by a key state that acts as a centre of balance, wisdom and influence.
Pakistan wants early approval of its next IMF tranche as the country heads into another programme review next month. The move is aimed at protecting reserves, reassuring investors and sustaining a still-fragile sense of economic stability.
Pakistan’s electricity shortages eased after a sharp rise in hydropower generation, cutting outages in some areas from around six hours a day to less than three and giving the country’s strained grid a measure of temporary relief.
Pakistan is accelerating plans to return to international capital markets, with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb using meetings in Washington to outline a diversified borrowing strategy that includes Eurobonds, a Panda bond and liability management tools.
Britain has removed Gilgit-Baltistan from the restricted section of its Pakistan travel advice, easing a notable warning on the country’s mountainous north in a move which could positively affect tourism, insurance and international perceptions of the region.
Two Iranian IRGC gun boats opened fire without warning on a tanker 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman. The vessel and its crew were reported safe, while authorities investigate, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre.
Pakistan has raised $500 million in a three-year Eurobond priced at 6.975 per cent, marking a notable return to international debt markets and offering a fresh sign that investor confidence in the country’s near-term economic outlook is beginning to recover.
Donald Trump issued a surprise public thank-you to Pakistan while praising Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, a message likely to intensify debate over Pakistan’s growing strategic relevance.
In a little-noticed update, the World Bank has placed Pakistan in its Middle East and North Africa, or MENA, regional classification from fiscal year 2026, ending its longstanding placement in South Asia.
Polymarket now gives Trump roughly a one-in-three chance of visiting Pakistan by May 31, reflecting how Islamabad’s growing role in U.S.-Iran diplomacy has moved from back-channel intrigue to public speculation.
Trump signals visit Pakistan if a US–Iran deal is signed in Islamabad, praising Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif while placing Pakistan firmly at the heart of the diplomatic drive.
The package, including an extended $5 billion deposit and a new $3 billion injection, underscores deepening ties between Riyadh and Islamabad while helping Pakistan navigate mounting economic pressures.
Pakistan is pushing to convert its ceasefire mediation into something larger: progress on the nuclear issue at the centre of the Iran crisis. But while optimism has grown, key disputes remain unresolved and officials say a second round of talks has not yet been formally dated.
Pakistan and the US are exploring ways to deepen their economic partnership as Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb uses World Bank and IMF meetings in Washington to pitch Pakistan as a resilient and reform-focused economy.
The White House has publicly declared Pakistan the sole mediator in the current United States-Iran negotiations, a striking statement that formalises Islamabad’s role as the main diplomatic channel in a volatile and unfinished process.
An undercover investigation has exposed how migrants, many of them Pakistani, are allegedly being coached to pose as gay in order to claim asylum in Britain, raising difficult questions about visa abuse, organised deception and the damage done to genuine refugees.
Donald Trump has said fresh US-Iran talks in Islamabad could take place within days, reinforcing Pakistan’s growing role as a mediator. Why, he says? "Because the Field Marshal is doing a great job."
From calls with Tehran and Gulf capitals to ceasefire diplomacy and marathon talks in Islamabad, Pakistan has inserted itself into the most delicate phase of the U.S.-Iran crisis and emerged as an unlikely broker of dialogue.
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi backed Pakistan’s role in the US-Iran Islamabad Talks during a call with Shehbaz Sharif. She emphasised de-escalation and the urgent need to ensure safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi discussed the US-Iran negotiations held in Islamabad, with Beijing praising Pakistan’s efforts to promote regional stability.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister and Deputy PM Ishaq Dar and Britain’s Home Secretary Yvette Cooper discussed the US-Iran talks held in Islamabad, with London praising Pakistan’s role in facilitating dialogue.
Pakistan said it was still making a full diplomatic push to ease tensions between the United States and Iran after marathon talks in Islamabad ended without agreement, underscoring Islamabad’s bid to keep a fragile mediation effort from unravelling.
Pakistan is aiming to attract up to 50,000 Russian tourists annually and generate $1 billion in revenue from the market. Officials say changing travel patterns and Pakistan’s northern destinations could create a new opening for the country’s tourism industry.
Pakistan has retained a B- rating from Fitch, with the agency citing reform momentum, improving macroeconomic stability and stronger foreign exchange buffers as reasons for the affirmation, while warning that the economy remains vulnerable to oil shocks.
The Islamabad Talks were never designed to deliver an instant grand bargain between Washington and Tehran. Their significance lies in something more foundational: they preserved the ceasefire, brought both sides face to face, defined the central sticking point and opened the door to a second phase of diplomacy.
Donald Trump praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir as “very extraordinary men” after being briefed on the marathon U.S.-Iran talks in Islamabad, placing Pakistan’s leadership at the centre of a major diplomatic moment.
Donald Trump has said that he expects Iran to return to the negotiating table and “give us everything we want,” reinforcing a maximalist U.S. position after high-level talks in Islamabad ended without a deal.
Pakistan’s emergence as the setting for U.S.-Iran diplomacy in 2026 was not a sudden stroke of luck but the return of an older strategic role; long before officials sat across from one another in Islamabad, Pakistan was already the back channel by which messages, assurances and ceasefires were carried.
Iran leaves the door open after Islamabad, but says the United States must now earn its trust. Tehran says the talks were serious, while Pakistan played a central role in keeping the diplomatic channel alive, and Washington must now prove it can turn dialogue into trust.
