'Once the market decides it wants to go up, it goes up -- no amount of bad news can really hold it back.'
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.
This sharp Iranian response came after a series of uncompromising remarks from the US president.
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.
United Liberation Front of Asom chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, who was arrested over two months ago, on Saturday said his outfit was not keen on peace talks but wanted to resolve long-drawn contentious political issues through negotiations. "I do not want peace talks, but want talks to resolve the problems facing the state," Rajkhowa said. "People will not be kept in the dark on the issue of talks and they will be the first to be taken into confidence," he said.
'Iran cannot trust the USA because it considers the USA to be Israel-controlled. And no, the IRGC is not going to accept anything else but major US concessions.'
Trump added that the United States would assist in managing the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump has stated that the war with Iran is "close to over," while the US Central Command reports blocking traffic to Iranian ports.
The Asom Gana Parishad, the state's main Opposition party, has raised a demand to initiate immediate peace talks with the banned United Liberation Front of Asom. Political observers, however, view the renewed call by the AGP for peace talks as an attempt to placate ULFA before the forthcoming panchayat election in Assam.
The United States has cautioned it is unlikely that the proposed peace talks with the Taliban will begin anytime soon given the lack of clarity over whether the militant group actually intends to engage in dialogue.
China's week-long mediation between Pakistan and Afghanistan concludes without a formal agreement, though Beijing claims progress in exploring solutions to resolve their differences.
Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned that Islamabad will enter into an 'open war' with Kabul if the ongoing peace talks in Istanbul fail, TOLO News reported.
You cannot 'fix' the relationship between your mother and wife, says rediffGURU Kanchan Rai. You can only create conditions for healing.
The Obama administration has said it is supportive of the peace talks between the Karzai government and the Taliban, but asserted that there is no change in its position that this requires a renunciation of Al Qaeda, following Afghan law and renouncing violence.
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.
China has criticised the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, calling it a dangerous and irresponsible move, and urged Washington and Tehran to honour the ceasefire. Beijing also denied aiding Iran militarily and threatened countermeasures if the US imposes tariffs.
Pakistan has handed over evidence-based demands to mediators in Istanbul talks with the Afghan Taliban, aiming to end cross-border terrorism. The talks follow recent border clashes and aim to defuse tensions between the two sides.
China has confirmed providing on-site technical support to Pakistan during last year's conflict with India, according to official media reports.
'A healthy marriage is all about trust and good communication,' counsels rediffGURU Dr Upneet Kaur, a therapist and marriage counsellor.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed to Russian President Vladimir Putin that India is on the side of peace in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, emphasizing the need for dialogue and diplomacy to end the conflict.
Former US President Donald Trump claimed that Iran has agreed to return its "nuclear dust" to the United States as part of broader assurances not to pursue nuclear weapons. He expressed optimism about ongoing negotiations and a potential deal.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has engaged in extensive diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the conflict in West Asia, offering to host talks between the US and Iran and engaging with leaders from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Malaysia, the UK, China, and the European Union.
In a bid to de-escalate Middle East tensions, the US has presented Iran with a comprehensive 15-point peace plan focusing on nuclear disarmament and regional stability in exchange for sanctions relief.
Two explosions near defence establishments in Punjab have triggered security concerns.
Ronda Rousey calls her comeback fight against Gina Carano the biggest in MMA history, dismissing critics and promising a landmark moment for the sport.
The popularity of US President Donald Trump is waning with approval ratings at its lowest, according to former diplomat Mahesh Sachdev, who notes that with two-thirds of Americans not approving of a continuation of the war on Iran, Trump faces the risk of being impeached.
Trump has made it clear: the US will not lift its blockade of Iranian ports until a deal is signed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly supported efforts to end the war in Ukraine and conveyed to Russian President Vladimir Putin that India will stand shoulder-to-shoulder in all peace efforts to find an amicable solution to the conflict.
Two explosions near security establishments in Punjab have triggered panic and condemnation from opposition parties, who allege efforts to destabilise the state. The blasts occurred in Jalandhar and Amritsar, with investigations underway. No injuries were reported.
'We are targeting a 2.5x to 3x increase in valuation by FY31.'
Isak Chisi Swu, chairman of the Naga rebel group NSCN-IM, has left for an undisclosed destination abroad, leaving the next round of peace talks with the government in jeopardy. A source in the NSCN-IM, which has been engaged in peace talks with the government since 1997, said that Swu will attend future peace talks with the government. The NSCN-IM general secretary Th Muivah will lead the rebel group's delegation in the next round of talks, to be held on Wednesday.
'We had been repeatedly requesting Bhutan government to act as a mediator between us and the Indian government and convince New Delhi to agree to focus its discussions on our main demand for sovereignty,' ULFA chief Paresh Baruah said.
The development comes nearly a month after Chief Minister Baghel said that his government was ready to hold talks with the rebels if they expressed faith in the Constitution.
The official, speaking as US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll held talks with Russian representatives in Abu Dhabi, said, "The Ukrainians have agreed to the peace deal. There are some minor details to be sorted out but they have agreed to a peace deal."
Gold prices surged in futures trading due to escalating US-Iran tensions, driving demand for the safe-haven asset.
'As result, Netanyahu 'convinced' Trump to go to war with the help of overoptimistic Israeli intelligence assessments, essentially explaining to him that they only need to bomb Iran for 3-4 days, and the regime would then collapse.' 'Rather unsurprisingly, Netanyahu is ever since blaming his own intel service for the entire operation failing.'
Given its actions, it doesn't appear that Pakistan really wants peace, the army chief added.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor disputes Donald Trump's claims of using trade to stop the India-Pakistan military conflict in May, citing conversations with government officials.
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