United States President Donald Trump has imposed a 10% tariff on most US imports, with even higher rates for China (34%), India (26%), Japan (24%) and the EU (20%), escalating a global trade war.
Trump reiterated that he is not negotiating on behalf of Ukraine, but rather aiming to bring the parties to the negotiating table.
The CIA's confirmation comes amid reports claiming that the US strikes did not destroy nuclear sites in Iran as claimed by President Donald Trump or his administration.
Russian and Ukrainian negotiators convened in Istanbul on Friday for their first direct peace talks in over three years, amidst pressure from US President Donald Trump to resolve Europe's deadliest conflict since World War Two.
Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, the US has said it will not get involved in the conflict, stressing that it is "fundamentally none of our business." While acknowledging concerns about a potential nuclear war, Vice President J D Vance emphasized that the US cannot control India and Pakistan, but can encourage them to de-escalate. The US has also reiterated its support for direct dialogue between the two countries and encouraged efforts to improve communications.
US President Donald Trump claimed that "five jets were shot down" during the conflict between India and Pakistan in May and repeated his assertion that the fighting ended following his intervention. India has maintained that the two sides halted their military actions following direct talks between their militaries without any mediation by the US.
United States President Donald Trump's special envoy for Russia-Ukraine negotiations, Keith Kellogg, has been excluded from high-level discussions aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, according to a report in NBC News.
A breakthrough has been achieved in the Gaza conflict, with Israel and Hamas agreeing to a ceasefire deal, marking a potential turning point in the ongoing war, CNN reported citing sources.
United States Charge d'Affaires Natalie Baker on Wednesday met Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar as part of efforts to de-escalate tensions with India following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 in which 26 people were killed.
There was no reference to trade in talks between top leaders of India and the United States during the India-Pakistan military conflict, government sources said on Monday after American President Donald Trump claimed that he pressured New Delhi and Islamabad to stop hostilities by threatening to cut trade with both countries.
He went on to say that even though this has not been discussed, he is going to 'increase trade substantially with both of these great Nations.'
On Friday, during the weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, when asked about media reports that some Indian oil companies have stopped taking oil from Russia, had said India has made clear its approach on the issue.
In a move sending a strong signal to China, foreign ministers from Quad countries -- India, Australia, Japan and the United States -- in a joint statement on Tuesday strongly opposed any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion.
The Pakistan government, as well as the country's military establishment, have come under severe criticism from netizens on social media for recommending United States President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Trump said that he and Putin agreed to have their respective teams start negotiations immediately and begin by calling Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy regarding the conversation.
Acutely conscious that he's left with less than four years to create his legacy, Trump is undoubtedly a man in a hurry, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
'Pakistan has found itself in a favourable position after Operation Sindoor by appreciating the mediation as claimed by Trump and recommending him for the Nobel Peace Prize.'
'Stage five of this catastrophe has begun: Starvation.'
India on Thursday said the issue of trade did not come up at all in talks between Indian and American leaders during its military clashes with Pakistan, virtually rejecting Washington's repeated claims that its offer of trade stopped the confrontation.
The United States has temporarily suspended foreign assistance to Pakistan for re-evaluation following an executive order issued by President Donald Trump, according to a media report on Tuesday.
'There's a lot of sense in what Prime Minister Modi did, but the Indian government has to be really prepared for a really sharp escalation spiral.'
Trump also repeated his claim that seven fighter jets or more were shot down during the hostilities.
United States President Donald Trump welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the West Wing lobby in the White House in Washington, DC on Thursday.
The fact that Gor has President Trump's ear makes him an extremely valuable commodity for India -- he represents both a challenge and an opportunity, points out Aditi Phadnis.
Pakistan's Ambassador to the US, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, has urged President Donald Trump to help ease tensions with India, highlighting the Kashmir issue as a "flash point" in nuclear terms. He believes that the US should take a more comprehensive and sustained approach to address the situation rather than just immediate de-escalatory measures.
In a Truth Social Post, Trump said, "This cannot continue. There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days."
'As one former Indian diplomat put it to me, Delhi has access to the White House, but Islamabad has access to Mar-a-Lago.'
Pakistan military spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry told a hurriedly called press conference in Islamabad at around 4 am that th Pakistan air force's Nur Khan (Chaklala, Rawalpindi), Murid (Chakwal) and Rafiqui (Shorkot in Jhang district) airbases were targeted.
'One good outcome of Operation Sindoor -- perhaps, its best outcome -- could be that India has resumed meaningful contact directly with Pakistan at the military-to-military level,' observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi told US Vice President JD Vance on May 9 that Indian response will be "more forceful, stronger, devastating" in response to Pakistani actions, the sources said.
India's precision strikes using an array of weapon systems and missiles on eight key installations ranging from air defence systems to radar sites and command centres of the Pakistani military forced Islamabad to urge New Delhi to end the hostilities, the sources said.
Bhutto, who served as the Foreign Minister earlier, addressed a briefing at the UN Headquarters in New York and sought reconciliation with India, making a plea for talks and Intel sharing between the two neighbours.
'Trump's aggressive stance towards China and preference for military posturing could shift the Quad's balance towards overt militarisation.'
US President Donald Trump on Saturday (local time) said that the United States has launched an attack on three Nuclear sites in Iran.
Witkoff confirmed that while progress had been made, there were still unresolved details that would be addressed during the upcoming talks.
The UN Security Council will hold closed consultations on Monday on the situation between India and Pakistan after Islamabad sought an emergency meeting on the issue. Pakistan, which currently sits as a non-permanent member of the council, requested the meeting in light of rising tensions between the two countries following a terror attack in India. The meeting comes after India's foreign minister spoke with all council members except China and Pakistan, emphasizing the need to bring perpetrators of the attack to justice. The Pakistani envoy has argued that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir poses a threat to regional and international peace and security, justifying the need for a council discussion.
Who accompanied Prime Minister Narendra D Modi to his Thursday meeting with US President Donald J Trump in the Oval Office, and who did POTUS bring along?
'The Alaska Summit made me realise that while difficult, peace is within reach.'
Sections in the US State Department and Pentagon have always felt more comfortable dealing with all powerful Pakistani generals instead of elected civilians, points out Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.
Delete posts that are offensive, political, divisive, or just plain immature, counsels Dr Karan Gupta.
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