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Six big takeaways from a turbulent week of UN diplomacy

Limousines whisked world leaders away from the United Nations on Friday after a week of speeches, meetings and hallway diplomacy. While they reached no breakthroughs on the world's most intractable conflicts, talks on the Iran and Ukraine wars inched forward, and global powers used the venue to debate AI risks with industry leaders. Here are the big takeaways from scores of panels, hundreds of meetings, hours spent in ​lines and listening to speeches — and countless cups of coffee: Reboot of Iran diplomacy The UN was probably most useful for facilitating the first shuttle talks between American and Iranian officials since ‌the collapse of a ceasefire in July. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner communicated through mediators. The efforts must continue, a senior Iranian official told Reuters, even as Iranian and American leaders exchanged sharp words at the General Assembly hall, with the US threatening to...
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Trump, Xi wrap up summit with tea and tour of US archives

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping drank tea at the White House on Friday and visited the National Archives, capping a three-day summit that showcased personal diplomacy ​rather than big breakthroughs in economic relations. The two leaders praised each other in remarks while they had tea in the White House Red Room. Trump said the summit between ‌the world's two largest economies had produced great strides and that "I think our farmers are going to be happy" but did not provide details. .@POTUS: "I think our farmers are going to be very happy — a lot of very positive things happened... Great things for both countries. It's just been very, very productive." https://t.co/nUByGPElXk pic.twitter.com/69wDC0xWCj — Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 25, 2026 "America is very happy about this visit, and I'm sure China is very happy also," he said. Trump: America is very happy about this vi...
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Amazon bets $3b on India's fast-delivery boom, sources say

US e-commerce retailer Amazon will invest $3 billion to expand ​its India quick commerce business by 2030, two sources said, its biggest bet yet on a sector where rivals have raced ahead by ‌popularising deliveries within minutes. The instant deliveries sector, dubbed "quick commerce", has become a rapidly growing force and reshaped how urban Indians shop for everything from milk and chocolates to iPhones and electronics, which were once only bought from retail stores or major e-commerce websites where deliveries took time. Walmart's Flipkart and Amazon, which dominate India's e-commerce space, are late entrants in quick commerce. The $19 billion sector is set ​to more than double in size to $41 billion by 2030, according to Datum Intelligence. Amazon plans to invest $1 billion in the quick commerce sector by the ​end of 2027, and another $2 billion by 2030, two people with direct knowledge of the plans said. The planned investment has ⁠not previously been...
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Naval chief calls for action to unlock Pakistan’s maritime potential on World Maritime Day

Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Naveed Ashraf on Wednesday called for translating maritime policies, regulations and international commitments into practical action, stressing that Pakistan’s maritime potential could only be realised through a safe, secure and sustainable maritime environment. In a message issued on the occasion of World Maritime Day 2026, being observed on September 24, the naval chief extended his felicitations to Pakistan’s maritime community and the international maritime fraternity. CNS Ashraf acknowledged the contributions of seafarers, maritime professionals, fishermen and coastal communities, saying their efforts remained vital to maritime connectivity, economic prosperity and the country’s overall economy. He said Pakistan’s coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone offered significant opportunities for growth in shipping, shipbuilding, ship recycling, fisheries, offshore resources, energy, tourism and other activities linked ...
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Pakistan and US target Afghan-origin narcotics network, seize 463kg meth

Pakistan and the United States have seized approximately 463 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine, valued at $21 million, in a coordinated operation targeting an illicit narcotics network originating in Afghanistan, the US Embassy in Islamabad said on Tuesday. In a statement, the embassy said the seizure took place on August 30 after its Drug Enforcement Administration office in Islamabad (DEA Islamabad) coordinated with the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), in cooperation with Sri Lanka’s Police Narcotics Bureau and the DEA’s New Delhi office. “Between August 14-29, ANF’s Karachi-based Port Control Unit identified containers scheduled for transport from Pakistan to Colombo, which ANF suspected to be carrying illicit narcotics that originated in Afghanistan,” the statement said. Read: ANF says Afghan drug network disrupted, 671kg of meth seized The identification of the containers prompted the ANF to alert DEA Islamabad, which worked with authorities a...
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KU professor assault case ends in apology, settlement

A University of Karachi professor and the man accused of assaulting him and his nephew have settled after the suspect apologised to the professor. Professor Dr Arif Khan Saqi, chairman of KU’s Islamic Learning Department, told The Express Tribune that Konain Ali Shah visited his residence on Sunday night along with his father-in-law, relatives and family elders and apologised for the incident. Prof Saqi said he accepted the apology and forgave Konain, adding that the two sides had reached an understanding. He said Konain’s father had also been visiting his residence from time to time to meet him. “They came to my home on Sunday night and I forgave Konain Ali Shah,” he said. Read More: Karachi court sends main suspect on three-day remand over alleged threats to KU professor The professor added that compensation had also been paid for damage caused to his nephew’s vehicle during the incident. On September 8, Prof Saqi and his nephew were subjected ...
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Tehran praises Pakistan's peace efforts as Interior Minister Naqvi meets Iranian counterpart

Tehran on Monday praised Pakistan's peace efforts as Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Iranian counterpart Eskandar Momeni on Monday and exchanged views on bilateral relations and the latest situation in the region. In a post on X, the interior ministry noted that progress was reviewed in the meeting on the ongoing cooperation between the interior ministries of both countries in various sectors. وفاقی وزیر داخلہ محسن نقوی کی ایرانی وزات داخلہ آمد، ایرانی ہم منصب اسکندر مومنی سے ملاقات پاک ایران دوطرفہ تعلقات اور خطے کی تازہ ترین صورتحال پر تبادلہ خیال ملاقات میں دونوں ممالک کی وزارت داخلہ کے درمیان مختلف شعبوں میں جاری تعاون پر پیش رفت کا جائزہ لیا گیا pic.twitter.com/bEjeAaTKj5 — Ministry of Interior GoP (@MOIofficialGoP) September 21, 2026 According to the ministry, Momeni stated that Naqvi's recent visit was "very beneficial" and thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Fiel...
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