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Trump to outline endgame as Washington debates Iran war’s next phase

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump is set to address his nation at 9pm (EST) on Wednesday to provide what the White House has described as “an important update on Iran,” fuelling speculation that he may declare an end to the five-week conflict — with or without a negotiated settlement. US media outlets, reporting the announcement, noted that Trump has brushed aside the need for a formal agreement to end hostilities. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, he said US forces would likely leave Iran in “two or three weeks.” “We leave because there’s no reason for us to do this,” Trump said. “We’ll be leaving very soon.” In remarks that appeared to redefine the war’s objectives, he suggested that a negotiated settlement was no longer essential. “Iran doesn’t have to make a deal. It’s a new regime. They are much more accessible,” he said, adding that if the war has prevented Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, “then we’ll leave whether we have a deal or not.“ Do...
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KSE-100 climbs by over 1,800 points during intraday trade

The Pakistan Stock Exchange’s KSE-100 index climbed by 1,804.59 points during intraday trade on Tuesday after witnessing a meltdown a day earlier. The KSE-100 index climbed by 1,804.59 points, or 1.23 per cent, to stand at 148,647.56 at 12:19pm from the previous close of 146,842.97. On Monday, PSX came under extreme selling pressure, dragging the KSE-100 index below the 145,­000 mil­estone intraday. The benchmark KSE-100 index remained in negative territory from the beginning of trade, hitting an intraday low of 144,656.97, a sharp decline of 7,050.55. It then closed 4,864.54 points lower than the previous session. Ali Najib, Deputy Head of Trading at Arif Habib Ltd (AHL), said that since February 9, it has been the seventh consecutive Monday, excluding March 23, during which the market experienced significant sell-offs, mostly driven by adverse geopolitical developments. Investor participation stayed cautious, keeping overall momentum fragile and contributing to incr­eased vola...
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‘Diplomacy takes time’: Pak envoy reaffirms Islamabad’s commitment to Iran-US peace amid complex situation

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Rizwan Saeed Sheikh has reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to facilitating dialogue between the United States and Iran, even as regional tensions intensify. In an interview broadcast on Tuesday, Ambassador Sheikh told Fox News that Pakistan is “committed to providing every possible facilitation for fruitful dialogue”, while stressing that ultimate decisions rest with the conflicting parties. “While Pakistan continues to be the facilitator, it is actually upon the conflicting parties themselves to not only create the prerequisites for negotiations and to be able to conduct them in all earnest, but they will have to take the decisions which make it successful,” Ambassador Sheikh said. He described the situation as “a highly complex issue involving political, economic, and regional factors” and expressed gratitude that both sides have shown confidence in Pakistan’s ability to help mediate. “We are also mindful of the fact that it is not an easy process...
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Canucks Takeaways: Edge, urgency not enough to stop Tortorella’s Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights ’ coaching change fired up the Vancouver Canucks . With one-time Vancouver coach John Tortorella standing behind the Knights’ bench Monday for the first time since Vegas’ surprise firing of 2023 Stanley Cup winner Bruce Cassidy, the Canucks played with more edge and urgency than they have in most games since the Olympic break. They still lost their sixth straight, 4-2, but forced the Knights to rally from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits as the Canucks bounced back from a 7-3 loss Saturday to the Calgary Flames. In his 1,000 th  National Hockey League game, Evander Kane opened scoring for Vancouver with a pretty finish from Jake DeBrusk on a two-on-one, and Brock Boeser’s deft second-period deflection again put the visitors ahead. But Shea Theodore and Reilly Smith scored goals for Vegas 1:17 apart late in the middle frame, and the Knights clinched just their second win in eight games on Cole Smith’s empty-netter with 70 seconds remaining in the third. Coaching hi...
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Between escalation and engagement: Pakistan keeps hope for peace alive

WASHINTON: Between the steady drumbeat of military escalation and the fragile stirrings of diplomacy, Pakistan has positioned itself as a rare and consequential channel of engagement in a crisis that threatens to widen into a full-scale regional war. By late Monday, speculation in the US capital had shifted toward the possibility of American ground operations in Iran. The shift followed President Donald Trump’s interview with the Financial Times , in which he spoke of “taking the oil” in Iran — remarks widely interpreted here as referring to the possible seizure of Kharg Island, Tehran’s principal crude export hub that also houses a naval facility. “To be honest with you, my favourite thing is to take the oil in Iran,” Trump told the newspaper. He added that Iran had agreed to “most of” a 15-point US proposal conveyed through intermediaries. The rhetoric coincided with mounting reports of military preparations. The Washington Post reported that the Pentagon is preparing fo...
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Israel PM restores access after Latin Patriarch blocked from Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem

Israel said the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem would regain access to Christianity’s holiest site after the decision to block him from entering the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday triggered international condemnation. Israeli police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa from entering the church, citing security concerns as Israel enforces a ban on gatherings in synagogues, churches and mosques during the ongoing war with Iran, which has brought missile strikes near holy sites. After widespread backlash, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday the Latin Patriarch would get “full and immediate access”. Members of the clergy attend a prayer service in the Church of All Nations held by Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, to mark Palm Sunday in Jerusalem on March 29, 2026. —AFP The Latin Patriarchate said in a statement that Pizzaballa and the Custos of the Holy Land, Father Francesco Ielpo, were travelling privately without a ceremonia...
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Drap dismisses reports of essential medicine price hikes amid global supply chain uncertainty

The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) on Sunday dismissed reports of price hikes in essential medicines across the country, stating that the rates have not “undergone any upward revision”. The statement comes as stakeholders in recent news reports alleged that an unprecedented increase in medicine prices had been observed since February 2024. Pakistan Drug Lawyers Forum President Noor Muhammad Mehr, a day earlier, told Dawn that the price of the insulin delivery device HumaPen Ergo II had increased by 114 per cent The Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA), however, claimed that the prices of essential medicines had remained unchanged despite a more than 20 per cent rise in fuel prices. In its statement, Drap said that it “strongly refutes the factually incorrect news reports circulating on various media channels regarding the recent increase in prices of medicines”. The regulatory body stated that medicine supply in Pakistan remained “unaffected” by...
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