PK-LIVE NEWS

pThe Foreign Office (FO) said on Wednesday that Pakistan, as a signatory to the recently announced multinational maritime defence coalition, would implement its commitments in full earnest./p pThe statement comes following the a href"https://www.dawn.com/news/2022293"deaths/a of three Pakistani sailors in Houthi strikes on a Saudi cargo ship on Tuesday./p pLast month, Riyadh unveiled plans for a multinational maritime defence coalition to protect shipping and energy supply routes in the Red Sea region. Fourteen countries, including Pakistan, Turkiye and Egypt, backed the coalition in a joint statement./p pAnswering questions at a weekly press briefing, FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi elaborated that Pakistan was a signatory of the recent joint statement supporting a multinational maritime defence coalition, led by Saudi Arabia, to protect shipping and energy supply routes./p pPakistan is a signatory to this maritime coalition communique and we will implement it with full earnest, Andrabi said, adding that the country was engaged with the Saudi authorities in this regard./p pAndrabi further said that on the directions of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Pakistan was ascertaining the details of the agreement./p pIn his opening statement, the FO also said that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvis a href"https://www.dawn.com/news/2022296"visit to Iran/a was aimed at discussing bilateral relations, security-related matters and regional developments, particularly peace and stability in the region./p pHe said Naqvi who arrived in Tehran on Tuesday was holding meetings with senior Iranian officials./p pHe added that the visit provides the two countries the opportunity to discuss bilateral relations, security-related matters, and regional development, with a particular focus on efforts to promote peace, stability, and constructive engagement amongst the parties in the region and regional developments./p pNaqvi was received in Tehran by his Iranian counterpart, Eskandar Momeni, and later held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Iranian media reported./p pA diplomatic source had told emDawn/em from Tehran that the principal objective of Naqvis visit was to follow up on the a href"https://www.dawn.com/news/2009003"Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding/a and Pakistans mediation between Iran and the US./p pSpeaking further on Pakistans mediation efforts between the US and Iran, Andrabi reiterated that Pakistan remained engaged alongside brotherly states in sincere efforts to work towards a resolution to the crisis./p pPakistan is making all-out efforts to bring the two parties to the negotiating table and the Islamabad MoU and pave the way for peace and stability in the region, he said./p pHe also warned that Pakistan would continue to offset spoilers using direct and indirect channels and ensure the continuation of constructive dialogue to resolve outstanding issues./p pDuring the QA session, responding to a question regarding the status of the Islamabad MoU, the spokesperson said, Whenever the rationality for dialogue will overcome the logic of escalation, the template for peace is provided in the Islamabad MoU and Pakistan-Qatar joint statement./p pThe current deadline for the 60-day period for US-Iran negotiations under the Islamabad MoU is Aug 17. Andrabi, however, noted that this deadline can always be extended if there is the intention to hold dialogue./p pEven then, five days still remain, so we are not closing the chapter, he added. But we hope that even if the deadline is not implemented, the extension will take place eventually and the parties will revert to dialogue./p pAsked about the basis for Pakistans continued optimism amid the US-Iran conflict, the spokesperson said, As a mediator and facilitator of talks, we remain optimistic that a solution is in sight./p pHe pointed out that during the conflict, the countries had cycled through periods of heightened escalation followed by relative calm and eventual dialogue. He termed this the natural progression of any armed conflict of international significance./p pWe are not discouraged by escalations, as much as we do not get overly optimistic when there is a period of calm, he said, while highlighting Pakistans sustained engagement with the parties to resolve the conflict./p pThe country would continue its engagement with optimism that ought to be there in any credible facilitator and mediator, he added./p h2a id"makkah-pact-reflects-resolve-for-sharing-burden-of-regional-peace" href"makkah-pact-reflects-resolve-for-sharing-burden-of-regional-peace" class"heading-permalink" aria-hidden"true" title"Permalink"/aMakkah pact reflects resolve for sharing burden of regional peace/h2 pThe FO spokesperson also spoke of the defence pact a href"https://www.dawn.com/news/2021248"signed/a last week between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, which he said was highlight of the week./p pThe joint defence agreement, signed in Makkah on Friday, aims to strengthen collective deterrence and empowers its signatory states to treat an attack against one of them as an attack against all of them./p pHe said the agreement reflected the three nations commitment to further strengthen their collective security, promoting peace security and promoting peace security and stability in the region and beyond./p pHe said the agreement reflected the long-standing brotherly relations among the three countries and displays our resolve for sharing the burden of regional peace and security./p pThe agreement is purely defensive in nature and allows unified efforts to confront threats and security challenges to the member states, Andrabi added, recalling Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dars a href"https://www.dawn.com/news/2021923"statement /acongratulating the nation on the agreement on August 10, wherein he held the agreement was defensive in nature and not against any country./p pResponding to a question, he noted that while the agreement was open to other countries, he was not particularly aware of which specific countries may join it in the future. He also said that he was not aware of any consultations with the US and China regarding the agreement, calling this a matter of diplomatic exchange, but noted that channels of communication with both countries remained open./p h2a id"fo-rejects-indian-meas-baseless-remarks-on-ajk" href"fo-rejects-indian-meas-baseless-remarks-on-ajk" class"heading-permalink" aria-hidden"true" title"Permalink"/aFO rejects Indian MEAs baseless remarks on AJK/h2 pWhen asked about the Indian Ministry of External Affairs a rel"noopener noreferrer" target"_blank" class"link--external" href"https://www.facebook.com/PressTrustofIndia/videos/the-ministry-of-external-affairs-called-on-the-international-community-to-hold-p/1598930701771301/"recent remarks /aregarding alleged human rights abuses in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), the FO spokesperson rejected the baseless statement. The region has been gripped by unrest since early June as a href"https://www.dawn.com/news/2021864"elections /aare also being held./p pIndias professed concerns for human rights in AJK are disingenuous given its own well-documented record for repression in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, including excessive use of force, arbitrary detention, suppression of political freedom and sweeping powers under the draconian laws enacted there./p pHe added that Indias politicisation of developments in AJK was misleading and cannot divert attention from the stark realities in Indian illegally occupied Kashmir./p pPakistan remains fully committed to the protection of fundamental rights and the democratic freedom of AJK, he said./p pHe added that rather than making such statements over AJK, India would be well advised to honour commitments made by its founding fathers and uphold the right of the people of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir to freely determine their future through a United Nations plebiscite in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions./p

Consumer prices in July were up 3.4 from a year ago a smaller annual increase than in May or June. The news makes it less likely the Fed will feel the need to raise interest rates in September.

pOperation under way to rescue dozens missing after boat overturned by waves at worlds largest human-made lake/ppAt least 44 people have diedstrong /strongafter an overcrowded ferry capsized on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe, police said./ppThe boat had a capacity of 90 people, but was carrying 114 adult passengers, five crew members and an unknown number of children, Zimbabwes civil protection unit (CPU) said earlier on Wednesday, citing ticket sales./p a href"https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/12/zimbabwe-lake-kariba-ferry-capsize"/a

Francesca Hongs defeat in the Democratic primary for governor defied expectations and may have shown the democratic socialist wave cannot reach beyond urban centers.

Gina LaPlaca and her husband Jason Carty face ballot fraud charges after allegedly using fake signatures on her Democratic primary petition in New Jersey.

A moderate won the closely fought Democratic primary for governor in Wisconsin, the latest contest between the partys progressive and moderate wings.

Colombia experienced a number of aftershocks on Tuesday, as efforts continued to free survivors trapped in rubble and buildings.

p Mohsin Naqvi meets Pezeshkian and Araghchi in Tehranbr Khawaja Asif says warring sides nearing some sort of an arrangementbr Tehran sees Islamabad MoU as only legitimate framework for resolution of wider warbr Trump rails against devious Iranian negotiators/p pISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran on Tuesday to follow up on the stalled a href"https://www.dawn.com/news/2016487"Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding /a(MoU), as Islamabad seeks to revive its mediation efforts between Iran and the United States./p pNaqvi, who arrived in Tehran earlier in the day, was received by his Iranian counterpart Eskandar Momeni, and later held talks with Araghchi. The two interior ministers are also expected to hold detailed bilateral discussions during the visit./p pA diplomatic source told emDawn/em from Tehran that the principal objective of Naqvis visit was to follow up on the Islamabad MoU and Pakistans mediation between Iran and the US, which has remained largely dormant as Oman took the lead in negotiations over arrangements for navigation through the Strait of Hormuz./p blockquote class"twitter-tweet" lang"en" a href"https://twitter.com/AJEnglish/status/2087279134947115359"/a /blockquote pThe reported progress ina href"https://www.dawn.com/news/2022142/qatar-says-iran-oman-talks-on-hormuz-reached-advanced-stage" Oman-Iran dialogue /ahas created an opportunity for Islamabad to move for reviving the broader process that had emerged from the June agreement./p pSeparately, Defence Minister Khawaja Asifa href"https://www.dawn.com/news/2022152/us-and-iran-are-close-to-some-sort-of-arrangement-defence-minister-khawaja-asif-tells-bloomberg" told/a emBloomberg/em that the United States and Iran are close to some sort of an arrangement./p pThings are shaping up again in favour of a peace arrangement or a deal. The signals over the last three days are that we are close to some sort of an arrangement, he added./p pstrongDiplomatic efforts/strong/p pPakistan had recently invited Araghchi and Iranian parliament speaker and chief negotiator Bagher Ghalibaf to visit Islamabad at the earliest possible opportunity. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, however, said on Monday that the visit of the two Iranian leaders would take place at an appropriate time./p pNaqvis visit assumes significance as an effort to keep Pakistans mediation channel active rather than wait for the Iranian leadership to visit Islamabad./p pThe Persian Gulf, particularly the Strait of Hormuz, remains locked in a fragile no war, no peace situation following the collapse of Islamabad MoU reached between Iran and the US in June./p pIn his meeting with the Iranian president, Naqvi described the relationship between the neighbours as strong, long-standing and unbreakable and conveyed Islamabads serious determination and will to pursue the comprehensive development of ties with Tehran./p pPresident Pezeshkian also noted that Iran-Pakistan relations would serve the two countries national interests as well as contribute to regional stability and security./p pThe emphasis on bilateral ties came days after Pakistan a href"https://www.dawn.com/news/2021248"signed/a a trilateral defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, an arrangement Islamabad has repeatedly stressed is defensive in nature and not directed against any country./p pOn Monday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar a href"https://www.dawn.com/news/2021935"spoke /awith his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi and shared the contours of the agreement, underscoring its objectives of strengthening strategic cooperation and contributing to regional peace and security./p pstrongHormuz future/strong/p pThe disagreement over the future management of the waterway had emerged as one of the principal fault lines in the implementation of the agreement and contributed to the subsequent escalation./p pIran and Oman have since been negotiating a new arrangement for safe passage through the strait, with the talks focused on a possible new shipping route and mechanisms for its management. Tehran, however, has maintained that an understanding with Oman would constitute only a technical or first stage arrangement and would not by itself amount to a full reopening of the waterway./p pIran is adamant that it will reopen the strait only after US has redressed all alleged violations of Islamabad MoU./p pAccording to the diplomatic source, Irans position conveyed to foreign capitals remains that full reopening of Hormuz is linked to implementation of the Islamabad MoU by US./p pIran, the source said, has insisted that the MoU, having been concluded at the presidential level, remains the only legitimate framework for resolving the wider dispute and should be implemented in the form in which it was signed rather than renegotiated through selective reinterpretation./p pThe source said Tehran was also seeking evidence of US political willingness to restore the process before moving towards what he described as the next phase leading to reopening of Hormuz. Iran, he said, wants concrete and verifiable assurances rather than verbal commitments, particularly on whether Washington is prepared to return to its obligations under the MoU./p pstrongTrump rails against devious negotiators/strong/p pMeanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Tuesdaya href"https://www.dawn.com/news/2022165/trump-calls-iran-devious-negotiators-dishonest-people" described /aIrans negotiators as devious and dishonest./p pTheyre very devious negotiators because theyll agree to something, then theyll go out and tell the press that they never agreed to it. Theyre very dishonest people, he said in an interview with US outlet emReal Americas Voice./em/p blockquote class"twitter-tweet" lang"en" a href"https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2087173715893047674?ref_srctwsrc5Etfw7Ctwcamp5Etweetembed7Ctwterm5E20871737158930476747Ctwgr5Ec1df016c4e28b717565f54b178332fbc586f0a337Ctwcon5Es1_ref_urlhttps3A2F2Fwww.dawn.com2Fnews2F2022165"/a /blockquote pHe added that Irans economic situation and inflation was unsustainable, suggesting that the US could either wait and just keep that going, or hit them really, really hard./p pThe third option, he said, was to beat them economically but were doing that anyway./p pHe claimed that Iran was economically a mess, saying: They cant borrow money. We control their money they had a lot, and we have total control Im their banker./p pemPublished in Dawn, August 12th, 2026/em/p

Sen. Darline Graham, who is serving out the remainder of her brother's term, and Rep. Ralph Norman advance to the special primary runoff later this month.

In response to a threat against the jet last month, the president was clandestinely removed in a catering container. But the plane was sent into the skies anyway with government employees and reporters onboard.

Video captures construction workers clinging to a malfunctioning Miami crane as its arm collapses onto a luxury high-rise pool deck during assembly.

Today marks one year since the National Guard was deployed to the nation's capital. Here's what has happened since. And, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake leaves more than 100 people dead in Colombia.