Daily News Pakistan

South African judge Navanethem "Navi" Pillay, 85, won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday "for her efforts to promote peace and international law", the Norwegian Nobel Committee said. Pillay held states and national leaders accountable and brought hope to victims of violence and conflict, and demonstrated a firm moral compass in her long career, the committee said. "A common thread runs from her early work defending Nelson Mandela and others who stood up against apartheid to her service as a judge in some of the key international court cases of our time," the committee said. Navi Pillay was chair of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory that concluded last year that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. Israel dismissed the report as "scandalous". The peace prize is the fifth Nobel awarded this week, after literature, chemistry, physics and medicine. Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado won i...

UN Secretary General António Guterres has said Pakistan is on the frontlines of climate chaos despite contributing only a tiny fraction of global emissions. In a post on X handle, he said the tragedy of 2022 floods in Pakistan showed the world a profound injustice. The UN Secretary General urged the G-20 countries to respect their commitments and urgently reduce their emissions.

The Islamic Republic of Iran Army has announced plans to upgrade all of its missiles and increase their range and speed. Army spokesman Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia made the remarks in an interview with Fars news agency on Sunday, as tensions remain high between Iran and the United States amid the latter’s acts of mischief in the region and its rejection of diplomacy. Akraminia said that following the recent illegal US-Israeli war on Iran, the Army decided to improve the range of its missiles, and it has now taken steps in that direction. “The missiles we used during the war—particularly the Ground Force’s missiles that targeted enemy bases in Kuwait, and the Navy’s sea-launched cruise missiles that struck enemy vessels—performed very well and proved effective,” he added. “However, we concluded that we need to improve the speed and range of these missiles, as the enemy is now operating farther from our shores, at distances of up to 1,000 kilometers. God willing, we will upg...

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)’s Navy says Iranian forces exercise “complete and decisive” control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, rejecting statements by US officials that the waterway remains open. “The control exercised by the Islamic Republic’s forces over the strategic Strait of Hormuz is complete and decisive,” the IRGC Navy said in a statement on Friday. It described US officials’ claims that the Strait of Hormuz is open as “an outright lie,” saying they were intended “solely to control oil prices and cover up their own defeats.” The strait is closed to vessels seeking to transit without prior coordination with the Islamic Republic, the statement added. The IRGC Navy said the situation would remain in place until the end of the United States’ “terrorist army’s aggression” against the Islamic Republic and until the relevant obligations had been fulfilled. Iran closed the chokepoint following the launch of the latest bout of unprovoked American-Israeli aggres...

Iran’s top security official says US President Donald Trump’s claims of victory against Iran have moved beyond “fantasies,” noting that the reality on the ground is being shaped by Iran’s people, soldiers and missiles. Major General Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), made the remarks in a post on X on Friday. “After one failure after another, the worst president in American history just keeps talking—and talking—and now his words have even outrun his own fantasies,” he wrote. “You can win every day in your own imagination. But reality is shaped by Iran—by its people, its soldiers, and its missiles.” The remarks come as Trump has repeatedly claimed that the United States has already won, or is on the verge of winning, the war on Iran. According to the latest tally, he has made victory claims at least 100 times. The claims began to emerge early after the US and Israeli regime launched their unprovoked war of aggression against Iran on Februa...

China and the United States have agreed to cut tariffs imposed on $60 billion worth of goods imported from each other, on an array of products ranging from US corn to cosmetics, and from Chinese household appliances to toys. Under the US-China Board of Trade, both countries have each recommended $30 billion of trade in non-sensitive goods for more favourable tariff treatment, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement on Sunday. For the United States, that was "unlocking improved market access" for about 30% of US exports to China, he said. The reciprocal tariff reduction as well as an extension of a trade truce were among the key takeaways from the second summit this year between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, hosted in Washington last week. One of two lists from the White House showed that China planned to trim duties on a variety of US agricultural goods including corn, wheat, sorghum, meat, dairy, vegetable oils and meals. It did n...

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy’s deputy for political affairs has warned that Iran will target American vessels across the Indian Ocean if the United States wages a new war of aggression against the country. “If another war breaks out, we will undoubtedly attack and strike their vessels and destroyers, even in the Indian Ocean,” Ali Mohammadi said in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas on Saturday. The remarks came after US President Donald Trump rejected a seven-day Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which has remained under the tight grip of the Islamic Republic since the early days of the illegal US-Israeli military assault against the country. Trump also claimed that the United States already had “total control” of the strategic waterway, responsible for a fifth of global oil demand. Mohammadi said vessels in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman are under the surveillance of the IRGC Navy and that claims about the passag...

delivered a critique of Western hypocrisy at the UN General Assembly, exposing the contradiction of an Israeli regime armed with nuclear weapons and granted total impunity, while Iran faces relentless inspections and sanctions. Addressing the assembly, the Iranian official emphasized that trust cannot be built merely through rhetoric, but requires a fundamental abandonment of double standards. “The atomic bomb and other weapons of mass destruction in this region are in the hands of the Israeli regime; yet inspections are demanded of Iran!” Pezeshkian stated, highlighting the absurdity of the current international order. “Israel massacred 70,000 people in Gaza, yet Iran was bombed at the negotiating table!” Israel possesses nuclear weapons, refuses to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and has never permitted a single international inspector into the occupied territories in its entire history, Pezeshkian said. “Yet, it is rewarded with billions of dollars in free weapo...

Members of the 11-nation Brics group, including China, Russia, Iran and India, called for calm in the Middle East, in a joint statement issued Saturday at a summit meeting. "We express deep concern over the continued escalation of tensions in the Middle East/West Asia and, recalling our respective national positions, call for exercising maximum restraint, as well as avoiding actions that could further aggravate the situation," the statement issued in the Indian capital New Delhi read.

Pakistan's first Ambassador to the Republic of Armenia, Shafqat Ali Khan, presented his letters of credence to Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan during a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Yerevan. Speaking on the occasion, President Khachaturyan expressed his readiness to support efforts to further develop Pakistan-Armenia relations and to expand cooperation in areas of mutual interest. Ambassador Khan conveyed the greetings and best wishes of the President and the Prime Minister of Pakistan to President Khachaturyan and reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with Armenia. The two sides underscored the significant potential for expanding bilateral engagement, particularly in trade and investment, education, culture, people-to-people contacts and other areas of economic cooperation.

Yanchi County in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region is stepping up efforts to take its halal and specialty food products into overseas markets, with the Middle East emerging as a key target for its e-commerce expansion. The initiative was highlighted at the fifth Western E-Commerce and Cultural Tourism Consumption Promotion Series and the Minning Cooperation and Exchange activities, which opened in Yanchi on September 4. The three-day event brought together more than 100 representatives from e-commerce platforms, supply-chain companies, industry organizations and businesses. Discussions focused on cross-border logistics, digital transformation and strategies for reaching overseas consumers. Reaching Overseas Consumers A major focus was helping local businesses, particularly producers of halal and specialty foods, develop new routes into international markets. Representatives from TikTok, Facebook, YouTube and Middle Eastern e-commerce platform Noon presented their...

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has congratulated Tajikistan on its Independence Day, saying Tehran has made the expansion of comprehensive cooperation with Dushanbe a foreign policy priority. In a message to President Emomali Rahmon on Monday, Pezeshkian congratulated him and the Tajik people on the 35th anniversary of their country’s independence, which falls on September 9. He described the occasion as the “manifestation of national sovereignty and the beginning of fundamental transformations” on the path toward Tajikistan’s development and prosperity. “This auspicious occasion is a reminder of the Tajik people’s firm determination and strong resolve in their pursuit of independence, dignity and pride. Undoubtedly, this great achievement is a source of joy and pride for all those around the world who cherish our shared culture and civilization,” said Pezeshkian. The Iranian president described the long-standing historical, cultural, and linguistic bonds as well as civilizatio...

Iran said on Tuesday it would reciprocate if the United States honoured its commitments under a June interim deal on halting their conflict, but tensions remained high after US President Donald Trump threatened Tehran with further strikes. Oil prices rose after the first exchange of direct attacks since late July, and following reports of two tankers coming under fire leaving the Strait of Hormuz, the global oil supply waterway that Iran has effectively closed to shipping. The six-month-old conflict had shifted into an economic standoff before a US attack on Iran's Larak Island on Sunday, which Iran responded to by launching missiles overnight at two US air bases in Jordan. "We're going to hit them hard ... There will be a response," a Fox News reporter quoted Trump as telling the channel on Monday, although the president separately told reporters that the renewed strikes did not signal a return to full-scale war. A senior Iranian source told Reuters the exchanges...

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyid Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei has described the United States and the Israeli regime as “sworn enemies” of unity among Muslims, stressing the need for greater solidarity and cooperation across the Islamic world. The Leader issued a message on Sunday, marking the birth anniversary of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and the Islamic Unity Week. The following is the full text of his message: In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful “Mohammad, the Messenger of God, and those who are with him are firm against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves” (Holy Quran 48:29). I extend my congratulations to the noble nation of Iran and the great Islamic Ummah on the occasion of the auspicious birth anniversary of the Great Luminary, the Noblest of Creation, the Radiant Lamp, God’s Chosen One, the City of Knowledge, the Mercy to the Worlds, the Honorable Messenger of Islam (PBUH), and the auspicious birth anniversary of his pure and vir...

Iran's top diplomat met his Qatari counterpart on Thursday in Tehran for talks on the strategic Strait of Hormuz, as a US naval blockade squeezes oil supplies to Iran amid a domestic shortfall. The visit by Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani follows a week of intense diplomacy in Iran involving separate meetings with Oman's top diplomat and senior Pakistani officials seeking ways to end the US war against Iran and reopen Hormuz. It also comes as Washington threatens wider secondary sanctions against countries, banks, and companies that continue doing business with Iran, part of a broader campaign it has called "economic asphyxiation". Iranian state television said Al Thani, who is also Qatar's prime minister, had met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, without providing details. Qatar's foreign ministry said they discussed de-escalation efforts as well as the proposed framework for Hormuz between Iran and Oman. ...

French-Saudi Investment Roundtable in Paris highlights strong investment flows, strategic sectors and expanded private-sector cooperation. The French-Saudi Investment Roundtable was held in Paris on Monday on the occasion of the visit of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to France, bringing together senior government officials, business leaders and chief executives of major companies from both countries to explore new opportunities for investment and economic cooperation. Saudi Minister of Investment Fahad bin Abduljalil Al-Saif said Saudi-French relations, which span a century, had entered a new phase of economic and investment cooperation, supported by the complementary strengths of French expertise in technology, industry, finance and innovation and the ambitious objectives of Saudi Vision 2030. Al-Saif said French foreign direct investment stock in Saudi Arabia reached €16.3 billion in 2024, doubling over five years and making France the K...

Russia is observing National Flag Day on August 22, commemorating the country’s tricolour as one of its official symbols of sovereignty, independence and national unity. National Flag Day was established by a presidential decree in 1994. Along with the national emblem and anthem, the Russian flag represents the country and reflects the continuity of generations of its multinational population. The history of Russia’s white, blue and red tricolour dates back more than three centuries. Peter the Great raised it as his personal standard in Arkhangelsk in 1693, while in 1705 he ordered the flag to be flown on Russian merchant ships. The tricolour was formally adopted as Russia’s national flag in 1896, ahead of the coronation of Emperor Nicholas II. A Federal Constitutional Law on the State Flag of the Russian Federation was adopted on December 25, 2000. Under the law, the flag consists of three equal horizontal stripes — white at the top, blue in the middle and red at the bottom. The ...

Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Saturday that Canada would impose tariffs starting September 8 on imports of US steel, electronics and other products in retaliation for President Donald Trump's 50% tariffs that took effect at midnight. After days of intense negotiations, the two countries did not reach a trade deal late Friday, worsening a delicate relationship between the longtime trade partners and allies and complicating the future of the continental free trade pact known as the US -Mexico-Canada Agreement. Trump's new tariffs hit sectors including wine, furniture, dairy products, cement, clothing, fishing rods and hockey equipment, and cover some $20 billion of Canadian exports to the US. These duties do not exempt Canadian products under the USMCA, which has shielded most Canadian exports to the US in the last 18 months. "Canada will match Washington's new tariffs dollar for dollar in order to protect Canadian workers, farmers, families, and businesses,...

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has met with his Iraqi counterpart Haibat al-Halbousi during his visit to Baghdad, discussing bilateral issues. The Iranian parliamentary delegation, headed by Ghalibaf, visited the Iraqi parliament on Wednesday, hours after they arrived in Baghdad, where talks were held with al-Halbousi and a number of Iraqi lawmakers. The two speakers then held a private meeting. Ghalibaf also presented a gift from the Iranian Parliament to his Iraqi counterpart, who, in turn, presented a commemorative gift from the Iraqi parliament to the Iranian speaker. Upon arriving in Baghdad, Ghalibaf and the Iranian parliamentary delegation visited the site where Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis were assassinated in a US drone attack near Baghdad in January 2020. The Iranian parliamentarians paid tribute to the two commanders.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has condemned and dismissed the attack on the Iraqi Kurdistan Region’s Prime Minister’s office as a false-flag operation. Nothing justifies the reckless attack on Prime Minister Barzani’s office, Araghchi wrote in a post on his X account. He added that Kurdish friends should be vigilant against false-flag ploys that are designed to sow discord between neighbors. “We protected our Kurdish friends against Saddam and DAESH, and we’re thankful for the security they’ve provided on our border,” he stressed. Earlier today, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson labeled the recent drone attack on the office of Masrour Barzani, Prime Minister of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, a “highly suspicious development,” urging regional vigilance to thwart attempts to destabilize ties between Iran and Iraq. In response to a query from IRNA on Monday regarding media reports of the attack, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismaeil Baqaei condemned the incident, characterizing the st...