trump says usiran
| | | |

Trump says US-Iran talks to resume Monday

ByJustpaste.in

US President Donald Trump has announced that fresh negotiations between the United States and Iran are expected to begin on Monday, saying he decided to suspend planned military action after being encouraged by signs of progress toward a possible agreement.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said discussions with Tehran would resume through diplomatic channels, expressing hope that negotiations could help prevent further escalation in the region. He did not disclose the venue of the talks or identify the officials expected to participate.

Earlier, Trump stated that he had delayed what he described as a large-scale military operation after receiving requests from Iran and several key US allies in the Middle East to give diplomacy another opportunity. According to him, regional partners believed a negotiated settlement was within reach and urged Washington to avoid immediate military action.

Trump said Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar had all encouraged restraint, arguing that continued dialogue offered the best chance for reducing tensions. He added that discussions were expected to cover issues related to the Strait of Hormuz as well as Iran’s nuclear programme.

Despite Trump’s comments, Iranian authorities have not officially confirmed the planned negotiations. Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency rejected claims that Tehran had requested the United States to postpone military action, describing the assertion as inaccurate.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, however, said negotiations involving Oman over the future of the Strait of Hormuz were progressing toward a final stage, indicating that diplomatic contacts remain active.

Trump also declined to set a deadline for reaching an agreement, saying his administration was prepared for different outcomes but preferred a peaceful resolution over military confrontation.

The announcement had an immediate impact on global energy markets. Oil prices fell sharply in early Asian trading as investors reacted to the possibility of reduced tensions in the Gulf region. Brent crude and US benchmark oil both recorded notable declines following Trump’s remarks.

The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most strategically important shipping routes, with roughly one-fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas supplies passing through the narrow waterway. Any disruption in the area has the potential to significantly affect international energy markets.

Similar Posts

  • | |

    PTI founder not in solitary confinement

    ByJustpaste.in

      The Islamabad High Court on Thursday heard petitions challenging the alleged solitary confinement of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi. During the proceedings, Advocate General (AG) Islamabad Naveed Hayat Malik informed the court that the two prisoners were not kept in solitary confinement, adding that they were being provided facilities even better than B-class prison standards. Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro presided over the hearing. The petitioners were represented by Barrister Salman Safdar, while the jail superintendent was also present in the courtroom and submitted a detailed report regarding the facilities provided to the high-profile inmates. Advocate General Malik clarified that the detainees were not isolated due to punitive measures but as a security protocol. He noted that the inability of petitioners’ families to meet them did not constitute solitary confinement. Meanwhile, Jail Superintendent Sajid Beg explained that solitary confinement legally means locking an inmate in a single cell for 24 hours—which, he emphasized, was not the case for Imran Khan. The PTI founder, he said, was housed in a compound consisting of seven interconnected cells, allowing free movement. Additionally, a convicted inmate was permanently assigned to accompany him, further disproving the solitary confinement claim. The superintendent also disclosed the amenities provided to Khan. He was given access to a television set, newspapers, and books. Both Urdu and English dailies are being delivered daily, and more than 500 books have been provided to him so far—with nine more recently added to his cell. However, Barrister Salman Safdar, representing the petitioners, painted a contrasting picture. He informed the court that on the Supreme Court’s directive, he had visited Imran Khan as a friend of the court and noticed his deteriorating eyesight. According to Safdar, Khan expressed satisfaction with his food, security, and bathroom facilities but pleaded: “Just save my eyesight.” Safdar further alleged that for seven months, he was not allowed to meet his client, and it was only after the intervention of the Chief Justice that a meeting was arranged in April, lasting barely 65 minutes. Out of that brief meeting, the PTI founder spent 60 minutes complaining about mental torture and restrictions on meetings. He claimed he was under 22-hour isolation while Bushra Bibi faced 24-hour confinement. Safdar also pointed out that the TV provided in the cell had no functioning channels. In a disturbing revelation, Safdar informed the court that Imran Khan’s 68-year-old sister, Aleema Khanum, visited Adiala Jail 38 times without being granted a single meeting. The PTI founder has also been deprived of telephonic conversations with his sons for the last eight months. Safdar argued that this psychological torture is far more severe than physical violence and urged the court to intervene. He requested that a panel of three lawyers be formed to visit the jail and independently assess the conditions. He also demanded that Imran Khan be allowed a weekly phone call with his sons and that the jail authorities submit an affidavit committing to this arrangement. Justice Soomro noted that he had previously visited jails in Sindh when he was a senior judge there, but Aleema Khanum interjected, urging the judge to personally visit Adiala Jail to ascertain the reality. After hearing all parties, the court directed them to submit written reports and relevant legal references, after which an appropriate order would be issued.

  • | | |

    FBR starts fiscal year strong with rs810 billion t…

    ByJustpaste.in

    ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) kicked off the new fiscal year on a positive note by surpassing its July tax collection target, although a shortfall in income tax receipts and the government’s decision to reject a key enforcement proposal highlighted the challenges that lie ahead. According to provisional figures, the FBR collected Rs810 billion in July, exceeding its monthly target by Rs30 billion. The collection also marked a 7% increase compared to Rs757 billion collected during the same month last year. The strong performance was largely driven by robust sales tax collections, which reached Rs358 billion, surpassing the target by Rs53 billion and recording an 18% year-on-year increase. A significant 78% of total sales tax, amounting to Rs275 billion, was collected at the import stage, where tax compliance is generally higher. However, income tax collection remained below expectations. The FBR collected more than Rs300 billion in income tax, falling Rs23 billion short of the target. Analysts attributed the shortfall to advance tax collections made in June to meet last fiscal year’s revised revenue goals, along with reduced withholding tax rates for salaried individuals and property transactions introduced in the latest federal budget. Meanwhile, customs duty collection stood at Rs105 billion, matching the target, while federal excise duty generated Rs48 billion, slightly exceeding expectations. The July performance marks the beginning of a crucial fiscal year in which the government has committed to collecting Rs15.263 trillion in taxes under an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Meeting the annual target is considered essential for securing future IMF loan disbursements and creating fiscal space for development, defence and water resource projects. The FBR also reported encouraging progress in tax compliance, receiving around 227,000 income tax returns during July after updated tax return forms became available. Additionally, the authority issued Rs98 billion in tax refunds, approximately Rs13 billion more than in the same period last year. Despite the positive revenue performance, the federal cabinet declined an FBR proposal to activate restrictions on high-value purchases by individuals with insufficient declared assets. Had the proposal been approved, it would have limited the purchase of luxury vehicles, expensive properties, large stock investments and major cash withdrawals by non-compliant taxpayers. Economic observers say the government’s ability to sustain monthly revenue growth will be closely watched, as consistent tax collection remains critical to maintaining fiscal stability and meeting commitments under Pakistan’s economic reform programme.

  • | |

    Sharjeel Memon turns to NCCIA over social media al…

    ByJustpaste.in

    KARACHI: Senior Sindh Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has approached the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) over what he described as a social media campaign aimed at damaging his reputation and that of his son, Rawal Memon. Memon filed a written complaint with the cybercrime agency on August 9, seeking an investigation into what he termed false, fabricated and malicious claims circulating online. The controversy centres on social media allegations linking Memon to a guesthouse in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Karachi, where Mir Ali Raza was allegedly tortured and killed. Posts circulating on social media claimed that the property was owned by the Sindh minister. Taking notice of the allegations, Memon urged the NCCIA to investigate the matter and determine the facts behind the claims. He also expressed his willingness to cooperate fully with the authorities during the investigation. The minister’s complaint comes as scrutiny surrounding the Mir Ali Raza case continues to generate discussion on social media, with competing claims being circulated online.

  • | |

    Qudsia Ali, Abbas Ashraf on unhealthy gender dynamics

    ByJustpaste.in

    Pakistani dramas have long been a mirror to the society they come from, and Aik Mohabbat Aur is doing exactly that. The ongoing drama, in which Qudsia Ali plays Maham and Abbas Ashraf Awan plays Faris, explores the painful reality of marriages where women find themselves trapped with narcissistic partners. In a candid conversation with Fuchsia Magazine, the two actors stepped out of their fictional roles and spoke plainly about the dynamics they believe are damaging real relationships in Pakistan today. Abbas Ashraf was direct about where he believes the problem begins, and it is not with men themselves but with how they are raised. He said the narcissistic complex in men is a product of parenting, specifically the way sons are conditioned from childhood to feel superior to everyone around them. Parents, he argued, tell their sons they are the inheritors, the ones who matter, the ones who carry the family forward, while daughters are quietly assigned a lesser place. That imbalance, repeated across generations, plants the seeds of the entitlement and control that later destroys marriages. His prescription was as straightforward as his diagnosis. “Make both your sons and daughters feel equal if you want to stop your sons from becoming negative narcissists,” he said. It is a simple idea that carries enormous weight precisely because of how rarely it is practised. Qudsia Ali brought a different but equally sharp perspective to the same conversation, turning her focus toward the women who stay in difficult marriages long past the point of reason. Her explanation was rooted not in weakness but in a specific emotional wound. She said that many women are deprived of parental love from the very beginning of their lives. When they finally encounter even a fragment of affection from a partner, however temporary or conditional it may be, they hold on to it with everything they have because they have never known anything different. “Women are deprived of parental love and when they get even a glimpse of love, they lie down and take everything,” she said. “They take even a temporary love as they are extremely insecure.” The image is striking and uncomfortably accurate for anyone who has watched a woman accept treatment that from the outside looks impossible to justify. Qudsia did not offer this observation from a distance. She acknowledged that she herself had carried insecurities of her own, and that she had done the work to understand and overcome them. It was a moment of personal honesty that gave her words additional weight. Together, their observations form a connected picture of how the same system of unequal parenting produces both the men who expect everything and the women who accept anything. The drama they are appearing in explores exactly this territory on screen. But in this conversation, they chose to name it plainly off screen too, and that directness is what has made their remarks resonate beyond the usual boundaries of a promotional interview.

  • |

    Gold prices rise for third straight session, hit two-month high

    ByJustpaste.in

    Gold prices extended their upward momentum on Tuesday, climbing for a third consecutive session as investors turned their attention to key US inflation figures that could influence expectations for the Federal Reserve’s next interest-rate decision. The precious metal continued to attract buying interest amid renewed safe-haven demand and growing expectations that US monetary policy could become less restrictive if economic data point to a cooling economy. Spot gold gained around 1% to reach $4,432.74 per ounce by 0217 GMT, its highest level since June 5. US gold futures also advanced, rising 1.7% to $4,492.60 per ounce. Market analysts said several factors were contributing to the latest rally, including investors who had stayed on the sidelines during gold’s earlier decline and are now returning to the market as prices recover. IG market analyst Tony Sycamore said the move was partly being driven by a fear of missing out among investors who had failed to take advantage of the previous decline toward the $4,000 level. He also pointed to short-covering by speculative traders and renewed demand for gold as a safe-haven asset. Sycamore added that gold could have further room to advance over the medium term, potentially opening the way for a stronger recovery toward the $5,000-per-ounce mark. US inflation data in focus Investors are now closely watching the latest US inflation figures, with the consumer price index (CPI) scheduled for release on Wednesday and producer price data due on Thursday. The reports are expected to provide important clues about the future direction of US interest rates. Markets have already reduced expectations for further monetary tightening following weaker-than-expected US employment data released last week. The latest jobs figures raised concerns about the strength of the US economy and encouraged traders to reassess expectations for the Federal Reserve’s policy path. At its July meeting, the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged, although three policymakers dissented and supported an increase. The split among officials highlighted uncertainty over the appropriate direction of monetary policy as the central bank continues to balance inflation risks against signs of economic weakness. Gold generally benefits from a lower-interest-rate environment because the metal does not provide interest or other regular income. When bond yields and interest rates decline, the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding bullion becomes less significant, potentially increasing its appeal among investors. Fawad Razaqzada said that if incoming economic data continue to indicate a slowing US economy without a significant acceleration in inflation, financial markets could further reduce expectations for tighter monetary policy. Such a development could weigh on the US dollar while creating a more supportive environment for gold, he said. Geopolitical tensions add to safe-haven demand Geopolitical developments also remained an important factor in precious-metals markets. US President Donald Trump responded to Iran’s conditions for a potential peace agreement with demands of his own, including calls for compensation over people killed during wars, attacks and protests. The exchange has added uncertainty to diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important waterway for global energy shipments. Any prolonged disruption or renewed tensions around the Strait could increase concerns over global energy supplies and economic stability. Such uncertainty often encourages investors to seek traditional safe-haven assets, including gold. Analysts are therefore watching both economic indicators and geopolitical developments for signs that could influence bullion prices in the coming sessions. Other precious metals also gain Gold was not the only precious metal to advance during Tuesday’s trading. Spot silver increased by 0.9% to $66.30 per ounce, maintaining its recent strength. Platinum also moved higher, gaining 0.7% to $1,765.26 per ounce. Meanwhile, palladium rose 0.8% to $1,394.00 per ounce. With US inflation figures due later in the week, traders are expected to remain cautious while assessing whether the latest economic data will reinforce expectations for a shift toward easier monetary policy. For gold, a combination of softer US economic indicators, a potentially weaker dollar, lower interest-rate expectations and continued geopolitical uncertainty could provide additional support to prices in the near term.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *