Trump orders US naval blockade of Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump on Sunday ordered a US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in response to Iran’s ’’unyielding’’ refusal to give up its nuclear ambitions during failed peace talks in Islamabad.

$1bn, a bride or a breakup: Uganda general’s bizarre ultimatum to Turkey

Uganda’s army chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba has sparked a diplomatic controversy after demanding $1 billion from Turkey along with what he described as “the most beautiful woman” in the country, while threatening to sever ties if his conditions are not met.

Iranian official says ‘no one expected’ a deal in one meeting

The spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry has spoken with Iranian media after JD Vance’s comments.

US-Iran peace talks: Australia urges both sides to return to negotiations

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has called on the US and Iran to uphold the ceasefire and resume talks.

Iran says success of Islamabad talks depends on US avoiding ‘illegal demands’

Iran said Sunday that talks with the United States in Islamabad will succeed only if Washington abandons “excessive” and “illegal” demands.

Taiwan spotted Chinese warplanes as Xi met opposition leader in Beijing

Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Saturday that it spotted 16 Chinese warplanes operating near the island the previous day, around the same time China’s president was ​meeting the Taiwanese opposition leader.

US-Iran talks pause for now, disagreements remain

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said on Sunday that his negotiating ​team was leaving Pakistan after not reaching a deal with Iran after 21 hours of negotiations.

Trump says US forces are ’clearing’ Strait of Hormuz

U.S. President Donald Trump on ​Saturday posted on social media that the United States ‌military has started to clear the Strait of Hormuz, and that all of Iran’s minelaying ships have been sunk.

Iran threatens to attack US Navy ships entering Strait of Hormuz after first US vessels moved through channel

Iran threatened to attack any US Navy ships that enter the Strait of Hormuz shortly after American vessels moved through the channel for the first time since the war broke out.

Iranian negotiators in Pakistan ‘defending Iran’s interests’: Pezeshkian

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has expressed support for the Iranian negotiators in Pakistan, saying the delegation will “negotiate bravely” in defence of the country’s interests.

India relaxes conditions for rice exports to some European countries

India has allowed exports of ​basmati and non-basmati ‌rice to some European countries without an ​otherwise mandatory ​certificate of inspection by ⁠its export inspection ​agency for six ​months, a government notification said on Friday.

Rubio says revoked visas of ex-Iranian vice president’s relatives

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he has revoked the residency statuses of several individuals related to Iran’s former Vice President for Women and Family Affairs, Masoumeh Ebtekar.

Kamala Harris says she is considering 2028 presidential run

Former US Vice President Kamala Harris said on Friday that she is considering a presidential run in 2028, implying that she may run for president for the third time.

Iran leader says US should focus on ‘America First’ policy – not ‘Israel First’

Iran’s first vice president says the outcome of the high-stakes negotiations in Islamabad rests entirely on US priorities.

Iran has lost track of mines it planted in Hormuz, reopening delayed: Report

Iran’s inability to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz stems from a basic problem that it cannot locate all the naval mines it deployed during the Middle East conflict and lacks the technical capability to remove them, US officials told The New York Times.

Hormuz remains at near standstill after ceasefire

Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained well below normal volumes despite a U.S.-Iran ceasefire as Tehran asserted its control by warning ships to keep to its territorial waters while doing so.

EU airline industry warns of fuel shortages if Strait of Hormuz stays closed

Europe will suffer jet fuel shortages in just three weeks if the the Strait of Hormuz does not reopen, the trade body for the continent’s airports has warned.

Trump praises Artemis II crew, hints at future Mars mission

Donald Trump praised the crew of Artemis II after they safely returned to Earth, calling the mission “spectacular” and the landing “perfect.”

‘Strait of Hormuz will open, with or without Iran’: Donald Trump ahead of peace talks in Pakistan

US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) asserted the Strait of Hormuz “will open with or without Iran,” ahead of ceasefire talks with Tehran scheduled in Islamabad.

Iran delegation arrives in Pakistan for US talks

Pakistan has confirmed the arrival of a senior Iranian delegation in Islamabad ahead of expected negotiations with the United States. According to Pakistan’s foreign ministry, the delegation — led by Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf — was received by Ishaq Dar and other senior officials.

NASA’s Artemis II crew splashes down after history-making moon mission

The Artemis II, and the four astronauts aboard the Orion space capsule, has splashed down into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, Nasa has confirmed.

USTR: China involvement in Iran would complicate matters

U.S. Trade Representative ​Jamieson Greer said on Friday that the ‌United States is trying to maintain a stable relationship with China, but if Beijing gets involved with Iran in ​a way that is counter to U.S. ​interests, that would complicate matters.

France and Pakistan condemn ‘Lebanon ceasefire violations’

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot have “expressed concern over serious ceasefire violations made in Lebanon”, in a phone call on Friday morning.

Iran delegation still to leave for talks in Pakistan as Israel attacks Lebanon

Iran’s negotiating team has not yet left for scheduled talks with the US this weekend in Pakistan due to Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, says Abas Aslani, a senior research fellow at the Iran-based Center for Middle East Strategic Studies.

Russia’s Putin announces Orthodox Easter ceasefire, Ukraine’s Zelenskiy agrees

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday announced a 32-hour ceasefire over a two-day period for Orthodox ‌Easter and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Kyiv would abide by the measure.

Iran says it ‘would be dumb’ for US to let Netanyahu kill diplomacy

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that it would be “dumb” for the United States to allow Israel to jeopardise the regional ceasefire by continuing its intense attacks on Lebanon, which have killed hundreds of people since the truce came into effect.

Alarm raised over outbreak of mpox in Khairpur

Raising concern over the mpox outbreak in Khairpur, experts at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) on Wednesday urged healthcare providers and policymakers to treat the viral disease as an immediate public health concern.

US considers new crackdown on Chinese telecom companies

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission said it may bar three major Chinese telecom companies from ‌operating their data centers in the U.S. and could ban telecom carriers from connecting with those Chinese carriers.

Lebanon PM asks Pakistan to confirm country’s inclusion in truce talks

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has asked his Pakistani counterpart to confirm Lebanon’s inclusion in the Iran war ceasefire, a day after Israeli strikes on the country killed more than 200 people.

Islamabad locks down for first US-Iran talks as Israeli attacks on Lebanon jeopardise truce

Israel bombed more targets in Lebanon on Thursday, putting the U.S.-Iran ​ceasefire into further jeopardy after the biggest Israeli attacks on its neighbour of the war killed more than 250 people and threatened to torpedo Donald Trump’s truce.