Sunday | Pakistan

The sixth round of Iran-US nuclear talks is planned for Sunday, Tehran said as the two sides appear locked in a standoff over uranium enrichment nearly two months into the high-stakes negotiations. Iran has said it would present a counter-proposal to the latest draft from Washington, criticised by Tehran for failing to offer sanctions relief in return for curbs on its nuclear programme. “The next round of Iran-US indirect talks is being planned for next Sunday in Muscat,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said in a statement on Tuesday. There was no immediate comment from mediator Oman, which has hosted some of the previous rounds, while Washington has said the talks could be held as early as Thursday. The longtime foes have held five rounds of negotiations since April, the highest level contact since President Donald Trump withdrew Washington from a 2015 nuclear accord during his first term. Trump has said the next meeting was expected on Thursday, although a source familiar with preparati...

VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo XIV appealed to the world’s major powers for “no more war” in his first Sunday message to crowds in St. Peter’s Square since his election as pontiff. The new pope, elected on May 8, called for an “authentic and lasting peace” in Ukraine, a ceasefire in Gaza, and the release of all Israeli prisoners. Speaking in fluent Italian, Leo also welcomed the recent fragile ceasefire between India and Pakistan, negotiated overnight, and said he was praying to God to grant the world the “miracle of peace.” “No more war!” the pope said, repeating a frequent call of the late Pope Francis and noting the recent 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, in which some 60 million people were killed. Leo said today’s world was living through “the dramatic scenario of a Third World War being fought piecemeal,” again repeating a phrase coined by Pope Francis. Tens of thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square and on the Via della Conciliazione leading to the Vatican broke into applause at the call for pea...

Top U.S. and Chinese officials wrapped up the first day of talks in Switzerland on Saturday aimed at defusing a trade war that threatens to hammer the global economy and planned to resume negotiations on Sunday, a source close to the discussions said. Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met for about eight hours with U.S. Treasury Secretary […]