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Pakistan PM Sharif visits Doha as regional mediation gathers pace for US–Iran talks

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  With the fragile ceasefire holding and signs of de-escalation emerging, Pakistan’s mediation efforts to revive US–Iran talks are gathering pace, reflecting a broader push to contain tensions across the Middle East. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif travelled to Doha on Thursday for talks with Qatar’s leadership as momentum builds for a possible new round of negotiations between the US and Iran to end the ongoing war. The meeting comes as the fragile ceasefire continues to hold and diplomatic contacts between Washington and Tehran show signs of picking up again. US President Donald Trump suggested that talks could take place within days, potentially in Pakistan, while UN Secretary-General António Guterres said it is “highly probable” that discussions will restart. Sharif’s visit to Qatar follows a stop in Saudi Arabia and comes ahead of meetings in Turkey, as Islamabad pushes on with its mediation efforts to secure a second round of talks between the two sides. Pakistan’s m...
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Germany, Israel see growing divide after criticism of Merz

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  The Israeli finance minister's sharp criticism of the German chancellor's views on Israel's settlement policy is just the latest sign of a growing estrangement. What's the current state of German-Israeli relations? Earlier this week, when German Chancellor  Friedrich Merz  spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister  Benjamin Netanyahu , it seemed like a routine exchange between world leaders. Afterward, Merz's spokesman Stefan Kornelius sent out a press release about the call. The final two sentences read: "In the conversation, the chancellor expressed his deep concern about developments in the Palestinian territories. There must be no de facto partial annexation of the  West Bank ." On the platform X, the chancellor's account shared the same message in both a German and an English post: "I made it clear: There must be no de facto annexation of the West Bank." None of this is really new. In a call between the two heads of government in mid-...
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Hegseth says US to keep Iran port blockade in Hormuz, ready for new attacks

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  US urges resolution through talks, but says Washington ‘locked and loaded’ to resume attacks. United States Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has said the military blockade of Iran’s ports will continue “as long as it takes”, saying Washington remained “locked and loaded” to attack Iran’s energy facilities. Hegseth spoke on Thursday as a tenuous pause in fighting agreed to last week has continued. On Monday, President Donald Trump had announced the military would blockade Iran’s ports in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf after US-Iran talks in Pakistan failed to reach a breakthrough. The defence secretary struck an aggressive tone as he maintained the US was monitoring Iran’s military movements during the pause in fighting, which currently is meant to extend through early next week. “We are reloading with more power than ever before … even more importantly, better intelligence than ever before,” Hegseth said. “As you expose yourself with your movement to our watchful eye, we are locked...
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Under fragile ceasefire, Iranians wonder if US deal can be done

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  On the plains of northwestern Iran, edged by snow-ribboned ridges, spring nudges almond trees into frothy bloom and a fragile ceasefire brings more traffic onto highways, and more Iranians back to their homeland. "I stayed with my son in Turkey for a month," a grey-haired banker says as we stand waiting in the departures hall at a Turkish crossing where a late winter's snow has sent temperatures plunging on that side of the border. "In my city in the north the Israeli and American airstrikes mainly hit military targets, not homes and civilian infrastructure," was his personal summary of five weeks of grievous war, paused by a two-week truce whose end falls in a week's time. "I'm a bit scared," an elderly woman in a headscarf confessed, her face wrinkling into worry. She spoke mournfully of the suffering of young Iranians – from the shells which crashed into crowded residential neighbourhoods, to the threats from Iran's Basij paramilitary ...
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Orbán's defeat and US shift raise hopes to unblock EU sanctions on Russia

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  After Viktor Orbán's defeat at the polls and Washington's decision to phase out waivers for Russian oil, hopes are rising in Brussels that a package of sanctions against Moscow will finally be unlocked. For more than two months, a new round of European Union sanctions against Russia has remained stalled on the political table. First vetoed by Hungary and Slovakia over an unrelated dispute with Ukraine involving the Druzhba pipeline, and later challenged by the energy turmoil unleashed by the US war on Iran, the proposed sanctions, which include a  full ban on maritime services  for Russian oil tankers, are still waiting for a resolution. But recent developments in Budapest and Washington have suddenly improved the odds, raising hopes in Brussels that the 20th package could soon be unblocked. The crushing defeat of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán last Sunday is set to transform the power balance, opening a window of opportunity to remove the outstanding vetoes on t...
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Julius Malema sentenced to five years for firearm discharge during EFF celebrations

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  Julius Malema, the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) today (16 April) received a five-year sentence for violations related to firearm handling and discharge. The East London Regional Court played host to the second day of sentencing, where the tension in the packed courtroom was palpable. Malema was convicted last October on five counts, including violating the Firearms Control Act. The conviction stemmed from a notorious incident during the EFF's birthday celebrations in 2018, where he fired live rounds, igniting fierce public outcry and legal repercussions. Magistrate Twanet Olivier presided over the proceedings, delivering a scathing statement regarding the gravity of the offence. In ensuring a fair sentence that balanced the needs of society with the circumstances of the accused, she remarked, “The sentence imposed should fit the offender as well as the crime. It must be fair to society and blended with a measure of mercy according to the circumstances of each mat...
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Russia launches one of its largest drone attacks on Ukraine this year, killing 18

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  Russia launched one of its largest barrages of drones and missiles on Ukraine this year, killing more than a dozen and wounding more than 100 people across the country, Ukrainian authorities said Thursday. At least 18 people, including a child, were killed and 118 wounded across the country as Russian strikes damaged buildings and sparked fires, according to local authorities and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. Russia  launched 659 drones and 44 missiles in the 24 hours before Thursday morning, the Ukrainian Air Force said, in waves of attacks on major cities including the capital Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia. “Over the past day and night, Russia carried out a massive terrorist attack against Ukraine with almost 700 drones, dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles. The attack primarily targeted civilians,” Andrii Sybiha, Ukrainian Foreign Minister said in a post on X Thursday. In Kyiv, four people were killed, including a 12-year-old boy whose body wa...
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