On a worn-out five-a-side pitch in a wasteland of ruined buildings and rubble, Jabalia Youth took on Al-Sadaqa in the Gaza Strip's first organised soccer tournament in more than two years.
India attended the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace on Gaza as an observer country, represented by Charge d'affaires at the Indian Embassy in Washington DC, Namgya Khampa.
FIFA and Board of Peace to support Gaza reconstruction through football
India and Israel have elevated their relationship to a special strategic partnership, focusing on enhanced cooperation in trade, technology, and defense, while also addressing regional peace initiatives.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Israeli Parliament, reaffirming India's support for Israel in the face of terrorism and expressing support for the Gaza peace initiative.
The Kremlin has confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin has received an invitation to join US President Donald Trump's Gaza Peace Board and is currently considering the offer.
The invitation comes as the US administration moves forward with formalising the "Board of Peace" structure linked to Trump's broader Gaza roadmap.
United States President Donald Trump on Friday withdrew the invitation extended to Canada to join the Board of Peace.
Israel has strongly condemned Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif's "outrageous" remarks calling for Israel's annihilation and labelling it "evil" and a "curse for humanity", raising doubts about Pakistan's role as a "neutral arbiter" for peace.
After the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire and expressed hope for lasting peace, Pakistan took much of the credit for playing mediator between the two countries. However, Jonathan Schanzer, Executive Director at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies and former US Treasury counterterrorism analyst, said Pakistan is deeply indebted to China.
The Congress party has criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's diplomatic efforts following the ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran, facilitated in part by Pakistan. The party claims this development undermines Modi's strategy and exposes his perceived failures in foreign policy.
The United Nations Security Council has adopted a draft resolution endorsing United States President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan and authorising the establishment of an international stabilisation force in the enclave, with the American leader describing it as a 'moment of true historic proportion'.
A Financial Times report reveals Pakistan's crucial role in brokering a temporary ceasefire between the US and Iran, driven by White House concerns over rising oil prices and Iran's resilience.
A media report indicates the White House was directly involved in crafting a social media post by Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, requesting then-US President Donald Trump to extend the deadline on Iran.
'US and Iran have not annulled the ceasefire, and the possibility of continuing negotiations remains open.'
Iranian news agencies have denied reports of Iranian officials travelling to Pakistan for negotiations with the United States, even as Pakistan prepares for potential talks and faces criticism from Israel.
Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania discusses her docudrama 'The Voice of Hind Rajab,' which focuses on the tragic story of a six-year-old Palestinian girl killed during the Israel-Gaza conflict, and her motivations for making the film.
A Pakistani national has pleaded guilty to attempting to commit an ISIS-inspired attack at a Jewish centre in New York in 2024, coinciding with the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.
Trump seems to have estimated that Ghalibaf is a pragmatic politician who is receptive to close relations with the US and is enthusiastic about fostering business and economic ties in particular, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
IDF chief stressed the urgent need for legislative measures, including a conscription law, a reserve duty law, and an extension of mandatory military service.
Iranian representatives have conveyed to the Trump administration that they are unwilling to resume talks with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, preferring instead to engage with Vice President J D Vance.
A new analysis by the Institute for the Study of War has warned that Iran could escalate its attacks on Israel by launching large missile salvos aimed at maximising psychological pressure on civilians.
The India release of the Oscar-nominated film 'The Voice of Hind Rajab', based on the story of a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli forces, is facing delays as the distributor awaits a censor certificate.
India has called for a ceasefire, release of all hostages, and peaceful resolution of the Israel-Hamas conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. The Centre informed Parliament that India welcomed the agreement on the first phase of the Gaza Peace Plan. The article also covers India's energy sourcing strategy and the release of Indian fishermen by Pakistan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed ways to strengthen the strategic partnership between India and Israel, focusing on peace efforts in West Asia and condemning terrorism.
Arundhati Roy has withdrawn from the Berlin International Film Festival, as she was 'shocked and disgusted' by the comments of the jury members regarding their stance on Gaza.
Benjamin Netanyahu declares that the joint Israel-US campaign is successfully 'crushing' Iran, eliminating existential threats and weakening the regime's regional influence.
The core issues to be settled -- access to Hormuz, Israel's aggression in Lebanon, the question of Iran's nuclear programme, sanctions relief and compensation -- are thorny enough to require weeks of patient negotiation. The most likely outcome of the opening sessions is that both sides take the measure of each other, establish what is and is not negotiable, and return home without having broken anything. That would count as progress.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met with his counterparts from Egypt and Turkiye in Islamabad ahead of a quadrilateral summit, including Saudi Arabia, to discuss the ongoing conflict in West Asia and explore avenues for peace.
Israel Defence Forces carried out air strikes, killing nine people in Gaza, following an alleged violation of the United States-brokered ceasefire deal by Hamas, CNN reported.
The IRGC said the strikes were conducted in support of offensives by Hezbollah and residents of southern Lebanon, and described them as the beginning of a series of pre-announced operations against Israel.
Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey met in Islamabad in what analysts say is the formal opening of a new diplomatic formation that could reshape the post-war regional order. Their immediate goal is a ceasefire; their larger ambition is to ensure that neither Iran nor Israel emerges from this war in a dominant position. Pakistan's foreign minister then flew directly to Beijing and mooted a Chinese role as guarantor of any eventual agreement. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
By all available indications, the White House drafted a face-saving note and handed it, ready-made, to Islamabad. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was supposed to then post it in the guise of a plea urging Trump to extend the deadline by two weeks 'to allow diplomacy to run its course'. Trump would then graciously accept Pakistan's 'request' and declare a ceasefire. Sharif dutifully posted the message on X. Except that he, or whoever was handling the account, forgot to delete the tell-tale first line visible in the edit history: 'Draft - Pakistan's PM Message on X'. Prem Panicker's must read blog on the Iran War.
It may now be time to question the price India is paying for Israel's disregard of the serious undermining of India's energy security, asserts former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
Trump may strike. He may announce productive talks and extend again. He may do both at the same time. Iran will not open the Strait on someone else's terms, so no matter what happens, that problem will remain unsolved. And the IRGC will still be collecting its $2 million toll from every ship bold enough to ask permission to pass.
The LPG squeeze on India's restaurant sector is the quotidian face of a deeper crisis.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday said India's presence at the Gaza peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, at the level of a Minister of State, was in stark contrast to the heads of state gathered there, and wondered whether the decision reflects "strategic restraint" or "missed opportunity".
If the Iranian regime needs to be punished for promoting quasi-terrorist outfits like Hezbollah and Hamas, then what about Pakistan which has spent decades exporting terror around the world, killing thousands, particularly in Afghanistan and India? asks M R Narayan Swamy.
'What we have yet to see on either the US or the Iranian side is willingness to compromise on their ultimate demands and the flexibility to reach an agreement to end the war.
President Donald Trump announced the US will strengthen the United Nations, ensure its viability, and provide financial assistance, while also asserting that his Board of Peace will oversee the global organization's operations.
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