Author: EchoAsiaNews

Iran has stated that the Strait of Hormuz will remain restricted until the United States lifts its naval blockade on Iranian ports, escalating tensions amid ongoing negotiations to end the regional war. In a televised address, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of Iran’s parliament and a senior negotiator, said talks with Washington had seen “progress” but major disagreements remain. “We are still far from the final discussion,” Ghalibaf said, adding that “fundamental points” are yet to be resolved. The dispute comes as a temporary ceasefire agreement nears expiration on Wednesday unless extended. Donald Trump said “very good conversations” were ongoing with…

North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles into the sea on Sunday, escalating its weapons tests amid heightened global tensions linked to the ongoing Iran conflict and renewed diplomatic signals involving the United States. According to South Korean military officials, the missiles were launched from near the coastal city of Sinpo at around 6:10 a.m. local time and travelled approximately 140 kilometres (90 miles) before landing in the sea. No incursions into Japanese territory or its exclusive economic zone were reported. The launch marks the fourth missile test this month and the seventh so far this year, underscoring a sharp increase…

Egypt and Pakistan are working “very hard” as mediators to bring about “a final agreement between the United States and Iran”, Egypt’s foreign minister said as he attended Antalya Diplomacy Forum, AFP reports. “We hope to do so [reach an agreement] in the coming days,” Badr Abdelatty said, noting that “not only us in the region, but the whole world is suffering from the continuation of this war”. “We are pushing very hard in order to move forward,” he said.

Sarfaraz Ahmed has been appointed as head coach for Pakistan’s two-match Test series against Bangladesh next month, the Pakistan Cricket Board said on Saturday. The series, part of the ICC World Test Championship, will begin with the first Test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium from May 8 to 12. The second Test will be held at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium from May 16 to 20. Sarfaraz, who led Pakistan to the 2017 Champions Trophy title, has previously worked with the Under-19 team and Pakistan Shaheens following his retirement from international cricket. Since the resignation of Australian coach Jason…

Global oil prices fell sharply after Iranian officials announced the reopening of commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, easing fears of supply disruption and boosting global equity markets. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would allow passage for commercial vessels following a ceasefire arrangement linked to developments in Lebanon. He stated that the waterway would remain open for the duration of the ceasefire. The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of global crude oil shipments normally pass, had faced disruptions since the escalation of regional tensions involving United States and Israel. Earlier disruptions had pushed oil prices…

Hakan Fidan, the Foreign Minister of Turkey, has accused Israel of using security concerns as a pretext to pursue territorial expansion, remarks he made during the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. Fidan said Israel was not acting solely in self-defence and argued that security was being used by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as justification for expanding control over additional territory. Speaking in English during a panel discussion, he said Israel had created an international perception of acting purely in self-defence, which he described as an “illusion.” He added that recent developments indicated a broader strategy beyond defensive action. He…

The Donald Trump administration has renewed a temporary waiver allowing countries to purchase sanctioned Russian oil transported by sea, extending the arrangement for approximately one month despite political criticism from US lawmakers. The waiver, issued by the US Department of the Treasury, permits transactions involving Russian oil and petroleum products loaded on vessels up to May 16. It replaces a previous 30-day waiver that expired earlier this month and excludes transactions involving Iran, Cuba, and North Korea. A Treasury Department spokesperson said the decision was intended to help ensure adequate global oil supply as negotiations with Iran continue, noting efforts…

Dario Amodei, chief executive of AI startup Anthropic, met US officials at the White House on Friday in what both sides described as a productive and constructive discussion, marking a notable shift in relations between the company and the US government. According to US media reports, Amodei met with Susie Wiles, White House Chief of Staff, and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. A White House spokesperson said the meeting focused on potential collaboration and shared approaches to managing the challenges of scaling artificial intelligence technologies. The statement added that the discussions covered cooperation opportunities as well as frameworks for addressing…

Hajj flight operations from Pakistan have commenced, with the first batch of pilgrims departing from Jinnah International Airport aboard a private airline, airport authorities said. A total of 160 pilgrims travelled on the inaugural flight to Madinah, where they were received by airport officials and Hajj service providers. Under the government’s Road to Makkah initiative, immigration procedures for the pilgrims were completed prior to departure in Pakistan. Separately, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is set to begin its Hajj operations, planning to transport more than 55,000 pilgrims through 191 flights to Saudi Arabia. According to the airline, around 49,000 pilgrims will…

Pakistan and Argentina have held preliminary discussions on strengthening football cooperation, including the possibility of an international friendly between their national teams, sources familiar with the matter said. Officials from the Pakistan Football Federation and the Argentine Football Association engaged in an online meeting where they explored multiple areas of collaboration. These included coaching development, technical training programmes and broader initiatives aimed at improving football infrastructure in Pakistan. The two sides also discussed the potential for Argentine coaches to visit Pakistan under a structured development programme, alongside plans for a wider technical partnership to support long-term growth of the sport.…