Author: EchoAsiaNews

Iran has rejected a U.S.‑led peace proposal aimed at ending the ongoing Middle East war, describing the plan as “excessive” and unsuitable, according to Iranian officials. Tehran’s initial response was delivered to Pakistani intermediaries and is expected to be conveyed back to Washington for further consideration. A senior Iranian source told Reuters that the response to the U.S. proposal, which reportedly includes a 15‑point framework for a ceasefire and political settlement, was not positive, and Tehran finds aspects of it unacceptable. Iran has instead outlined a set of its own conditions under which it would consider ending hostilities, though specific…

United States President Donald Trump will travel to China for a high‑profile summit with President Xi Jinping on May 14 and 15, the White House announced on March 25. The trip, originally planned for late March, was postponed due to the ongoing war involving the United States and Iran. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the visit will now take place in Beijing in mid‑May, as officials finalize details for what has been described as a historic diplomatic engagement between the world’s two largest economies. Trump posted on social media that preparations are being completed and expressed optimism…

Light rainfall swept across Karachi on March 26, bringing relief from the intense heat as drizzle and cool winds were recorded in several parts of the city. The rain began in central areas, including Saddar, Clifton, M.A. Jinnah Road, and the Old City Area, before spreading to northern localities such as North Karachi, New Karachi, and Surjani Town. The showers were preceded by strong, gusty winds, while the rainfall remained light but caused a noticeable drop in temperature in multiple areas. No immediate disruptions were reported, although intermittent rainfall is expected to continue in parts of the city. The development…

Pakistani fintech firm Sadapay confirmed that its mobile application became unavailable for all users on Tuesday following a disruption at the Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centre in Bahrain. The company said its infrastructure is hosted on AWS in Bahrain, and service disruptions began after drone strikes on March 1 linked to the ongoing US‑Israel war against Iran. The outage has prevented customers from accessing the app, though banking infrastructure and card transactions remain operational according to Sadapay’s official communication. The conflict, which began with US and Israeli attacks on Iranian targets, has caused broader instability in the Gulf region,…

Veteran Pakistani Qawwali singer Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and his son Shahzaman Khan were officially honoured at the Houses of Parliament in the United Kingdom during a ceremony highlighting cultural diplomacy and South Asian musical exchange. The event, organised by British‑Asian artist Raja Kaasheff, recognised the duo’s contributions to music and their role in connecting audiences across South Asia and the diaspora. A central feature of the gathering was the unveiling of a cross‑border Bangla duet titled “Prem Piyasha – Reloaded (Thirst for Love)”, a collaborative project involving artists from Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and the UK. The song, which…

The federal government has announced an optional multi-tariff Time-of-Use (ToU) pricing mechanism for industrial electricity consumers. The initiative aims to align electricity costs with actual supply-demand patterns and encourage industries to use energy more efficiently, particularly during off-peak hours. Under the new framework, industrial users can opt into a system where electricity charges vary depending on the time of day. The mechanism includes fixed charges linked to the Maximum Demand Indicator (MDI), which discourages peak-period consumption, and variable energy charges that reflect the real cost of electricity at different times. Officials say this approach will help manage peak loads, reduce…

The club confirmed that Mohamed Salah will leave Liverpool at the end of the 2025–26 season, bringing an end to a glittering nine‑year career at Anfield that saw him become one of the most iconic figures in the club’s history. Salah’s departure was announced by the club on March 24, with his contract being allowed to expire, marking the conclusion of a period in which he helped Liverpool secure numerous honours including Premier League titles and a UEFA Champions League crown. Salah, now 33, joined Liverpool from AS Roma in 2017 and quickly established himself as a talismanic figure, scoring…

At least 70 people, including seven women and 13 children, were killed in a deadly strike on El‑Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday. The attack, which occurred on Friday, has left the hospital’s outpatient and emergency departments severely damaged and the facility non‑functional, depriving more than two million people of critical medical services. The WHO’s deputy representative in Sudan, Hala Khudari, described the incident as an “atrocious attack on a healthcare facility,” warning that the assault on a civilian hospital exacerbates an already dire humanitarian situation in the country. Hundreds more were…

Players in the 11th edition of the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL 11) have vowed to maintain high standards on the field despite matches being played without spectators, Dawn reported on Wednesday. The tournament, set to begin on 26 March, has been billed as a “new era” for the league with eight teams participating for the first time under an expanded format. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that all fixtures will proceed behind closed doors at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and National Stadium in Karachi, instead of the originally planned six cities, as part of nationwide austerity and fuel‑conservation…

Washington reportedly sent a peace plan to Iran as US President Donald Trump expressed optimism on Tuesday over ending nearly a month of warfare, while Tehran announced it would allow “non-hostile” vessels safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, the critical oil shipping route. The developments came amid continuing violence in the region. (Source: Dawn) Trump told reporters at the White House that the United States was “in negotiations right now” with Iran. He described a recent Iranian gesture related to the strait as a “very big present worth a tremendous amount of money,” signaling tentative progress in diplomacy. Iran,…