Daily News Pakistan

US President Donald Trump has confirmed that US negotiators will be arriving in Islamabad today (Monday) to hold the second round of talks with Iran, while warning Tehran of dire consequences if it rejects a peace deal with Washington. "My Representatives are going to Islamabad, Pakistan — They will be there tomorrow [Monday] evening, for Negotiations," the US president wrote in a post on his Truth Social on Sunday. He also accused Iran of a "total violation" of the two countries' ceasefire for firing on ships near the Strait of Hormuz, and renewed a threat to wipe out Iran's bridges and power plants unless it accepted his terms. "We're offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don't, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran," he warned. "NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!" Meanwhile, conflicting reports have emerged over the composition of...

US forces killed three men whom ​the military described as ‌illicit drug smugglers in a strike on a boat in ​the Caribbean, US Southern ​Command said on Sunday. Southern Command ⁠posted what it said ​was a video of the ​strike on the social media platform X, showing an explosion of a ​small boat travelling on ​open water. The boat was travelling on “known ‌narco-trafficking ⁠routes in the Caribbean,” Southern Command said. The US military has so far killed 157 ​alleged ​members ⁠or affiliates of drug organisations in 45 ​strikes against drug trafficking ​vessels ⁠in the Western Hemisphere, a senior US defence official said ⁠last ​month.

An advance team from the United States has arrived in Islamabad as Pakistan prepares to host the second round of talks between the Washington and Iran, sources said on Sunday. Advance teams from foreign delegations have begun arriving in the country ahead of the much-anticipated talks, sources said. Authorities in Islamabad and Rawalpindi heightened security in the federal capital, sealing off the Red Zone to traffic as Pakistan prepares to host visiting foreign delegations. The measures follow reports about the second round of talks between delegations from the United States and Iran, reportedly scheduled next week. In a statement, Islamabad police said that the Red Zone and Extended Red Zone will remain completely closed for all kinds of traffic until further notice due to the arrival of foreign delegations. They advised citizens to use alternate routes and cooperate with traffic police to ensure smooth flow and security. Further, the district administrations of Islamabad and...

In a message on Saturday marking Army Day, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei hailed the country's army for courageously defending the nation in the recent imposed war, just as it did in previous imposed wars. He said the army of the Islamic Republic of Iran has been "courageously defending the land, water, and the flag to which it belongs" in the face of the US-Israeli war of aggression. "With its strong divine and popular support, and in dense and solid ranks, shoulder to shoulder with other warriors of the armed forces, it has confronted two armies at the forefront of disbelief and arrogance, making their weakness and humiliation evident in the eyes of the world," read the message issued on the occasion of Farvardin 29, which marks the formal establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army. The Leader of the Islamic Revolution, who is also the chief commander of the armed forces, emphasized that just as Iranian army dro...

Meta intends ​to conduct a first wave of sweeping layoffs planned for this year on May 20, with more ‌coming later, three sources familiar with the plans told Reuters. The Facebook and Instagram owner will lay off about 10% of its global workforce, or close to 8,000 employees, in that initial round, one of the sources said. The company is planning further layoffs in the second half of the ​year, the three sources said, although details of those cuts, including date and size, were not yet settled. ​ Executives may adjust their plans as they observe developments in artificial intelligence capabilities, the sources added. Reuters ⁠reported last month that the company was planning to lay off 20% or more of its global workforce. Meta declined to comment ​on the timing or scope of planned cuts. CEO Mark Zuckerberg is pumping hundreds of billions of dollars into AI as he seeks ​to dramatically reshape his company’s inner workings around the technology, reflecting a broader pattern amo...

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has said that control of the Strait of Hormuz has reverted to what it described as its “previous state,” citing the continuation of a US blockade on Iranian ports. In a statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB, the IRGC’s joint military command accused the United States of engaging in “acts of piracy and maritime theft” under the pretext of enforcing a blockade. The statement said the key shipping lane is now under “strict management and control” of Iran’s armed forces, adding that the situation would persist unless Washington restores full freedom of navigation for vessels travelling to and from Iran. “Until the United States restores full freedom of navigation… the status of the Strait of Hormuz will remain tightly controlled,” the statement said. The latest development underscores ongoing tensions over the vital waterway, a major route for global oil shipments.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday held a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the 5th Antalya Diplomacy Forum. According to a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office, during the warm and cordial meeting, President Erdogan welcomed PM Shehbaz to Turkiye and thanked him for attending the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. The meeting comes a day after the premier reached Turkiye on the third leg of his tri-nation tour after concluding visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar. During his visit to Riyadh and Doha, PM Shehbaz held meetings with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The Turkish president, during the meeting with PM Shehbaz on the sidelines of the diplomacy forum earlier today, praised the prime minister’s peace efforts and said Turkiye would continue to support Pakistan’s diplomatic initiative to bring peace to the region. The prime minister thanked President Erdogan for ...