Blaze News - Pakistan

United States President Donald Trump held a “tense” phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, CNN reported on Friday. Citing a US and Israeli source familiar with the matter, CNN reported the conversation came shortly before Israel announced it would seek direct ceasefire talks with Lebanon. The Israeli source told CNN that Netanyahu came to understand that if he did not call for direct talks with Lebanon, Trump might simply declare a ceasefire. The call marked at least the third conversation between the two leaders this week in which Lebanon featured prominently. Earlier in the week, they spoke ahead of Trump announcing a two-week ceasefire with Iran. During that exchange, Netanyahu reportedly urged that Lebanon not be included in the broader framework. According to CNN, a day later, Trump pressed Netanyahu to scale back Israeli strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon, following reports from Lebanese health authorities that 303 people were killed in Israeli a...

Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal are experiencing dramatic political transitions, each ushering in genuinely new governing orders rather than the familiar 'old wine in new bottles' reshuffles. These shifts carry consequences not only domestically but across the broader South Asian region. Sri Lanka's transition, the earliest of the three, was driven by systemic economic collapse that persisted despite heavy borrowing from China. The election of a reformist government emerging from the mass protest movement marked a decisive break from the dynastic politics of the Rajapaksa era. While India and multilateral agencies provided crucial financial and humanitarian assistance during the crisis, this goodwill has not translated into policy alignment. Colombo's new leadership emphasises sovereignty, transparency and a break from dependency politics, yet the country still struggles to restore economic stability without imposing further hardship on its population. In Bangladesh, th...

One of Pakistan’s most famous sister duos, Mawra Hocane and Urwa Hocane, recently premiered on a local morning show to talk about Mawra’s much-discussed on-screen emotional performances and crying scenes. Host Nida Yasir praised Mawra, who is well-known for her ability to look graceful even while crying. “No one looks as beautiful in our industry crying”, said Nida. Urwa added “More than just being pretty, she does it in a way where the other person feels those emotions. You start crying with her”. Mawra shared that, in the beginning, she felt unsure about receiving such compliments. “People would say, oh you look so pretty when you cry. I used to wonder, should I say thank you?” When asked if this trait came from childhood, Uwra revealed that Mawra had the cutest “thick tears and doll-like face” growing up, which often made it impossible for their mother to refuse her requests. Mawra also touched on her emotions on set, recalling a moment when a song she used to listen to with her bro...

Nearly six weeks of war in Iran have ended, for now, with US President Donald Trump claiming victory, but the US-Iran ceasefire locks in a harsh reality: an entrenched, radical government with control over the Strait of Hormuz and a powerful lever over global energy markets and Gulf rivals, analysts say. The shockwaves have rippled outward, contributing to global economic strains and bringing conflict to Gulf neighbours whose economies depend on stability. "This war will be remembered as Trump's grave strategic miscalculation. One whose consequences reshaped the region in unintended ways," Middle East scholar Fawaz Gerges told Reuters. Before the war, the Strait - a narrow passage carrying around a fifth of the world’s oil and gas - was formally treated as an international waterway. Iran monitored it, harassed shipping and intermittently intercepted vessels, but it stopped short of asserting outright control. In the new reality, Tehran has moved from shadowing tankers to ...

United States Democratic Party leader Ayesha Khan on Wednesday welcomed the decision to de-escalate tensions and establish a ceasefire between Iran and the United States, while paying tribute to the diplomatic efforts of the leadership in Tehran, Washington and Islamabad. In a statement, Ayesha praised both Iran and the US for choosing dialogue over confrontation, describing their decision to step back from escalating tensions as “wise and responsible”. “Pakistan is proud to have played a leadership role with wisdom, determination and a strong commitment to peace,” she said. Ayesha noted that the leadership of the three countries had helped create a conducive environment for de-escalation and diplomacy, adding that the ceasefire offered the region a vital opportunity to breathe a sigh of relief. She expressed hope that the development would not prove to be merely a temporary pause, but rather the beginning of a new era marked by lasting peace, stability and mutual cooperation,...

Iran sounded the alarm on Wednesday over violations of its temporary ceasefire with the United States after Israeli attacks on Lebanon and halted the flow of oil in the Strait of Hormuz. Within hours of the ceasefire agreement brokered by Pakistan, Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said Tehran was preparing a heavy retaliation against the Israeli regime in response to Israel’s violation of the ceasefire in Lebanon. The warning followed reports by Al Jazeera, citing Lebanon’s Health Ministry, that at least 89 people were killed and more than 700 wounded in Israeli strikes across the country earlier in the day. Israel carried out its heaviest strikes on Lebanon since the conflict with Hezbollah broke out last month, even as the Iran-aligned group paused attacks on northern Israel and Israeli troops in Lebanon under the two-week US-Iran ceasefire. Read: PM commends US and GCC nations for 'giving peace a chance', urges ceasefire respect after reported violations “In response t...