Author: EchoAsiaNews

TEHRAN: Iran will continue to engage in negotiations when necessary but does not trust commitments made by the United States, a senior Iranian parliament official has said, according to state-linked media. Deputy Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly Mojtaba Nikzad said Iran’s position is not limited to confrontation and that diplomacy remains an option when required. However, he stressed that Iranian authorities do not accept assurances from Washington. “It is not correct to say that we only fight and do not negotiate,” Nikzad was quoted as saying by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency. Nikzad rejected reports in foreign media suggesting…

KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait’s military has confirmed that drone and missile strikes targeting Kuwait International Airport caused “significant material damage” and left several people injured. According to the military statement, the attacks hit terminal infrastructure at Kuwait International Airport, resulting in damage to civilian facilities and injuries among airport personnel. Emergency response teams were deployed to assess and contain the impact at the site. In a separate development, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the strikes were part of retaliatory operations against regional targets. The IRGC stated that the attacks “should serve as a lesson” for the United States, following…

Benjamin Netanyahu is facing growing political and strategic criticism inside Israel over his approach to the ongoing escalation with Hezbollah in Lebanon, with hawkish commentators and security-aligned voices arguing that his government is deliberately limiting the scale of strikes on Beirut. According to these criticisms, the restraint is being driven less by military calculation and more by political considerations, including concerns about international backlash, particularly from the United States, and the need to maintain alignment with Washington’s position. Some Israeli analysts cited in domestic debate argue that avoiding large-scale strikes on the Lebanese capital reflects an attempt to prevent further…

ISLAMABAD: Political tensions have intensified ahead of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly elections scheduled for June 7, as the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) exchanged accusations over alleged restrictions on campaigning and electoral fairness. Election activity across Gilgit-Baltistan has increased in recent days, with major political leaders visiting the region to address rallies in the 24-seat assembly contest. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif arrived in Gilgit on a brief visit, while Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Aseefa Bhutto Zardari held a campaign rally in Skardu’s GBA-7 constituency. Government officials rejected PTI’s allegations of unequal treatment. Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political…

United States: Taylor Swift has publicly praised music legend Paul McCartney, highlighting his influence just days before releasing new material of her own. The U.S. pop star posted on her Instagram Story on Tuesday night, sharing McCartney’s promotional post for his newly released album The Boys of Dungeon Lane. Alongside the post, Swift wrote: “Never not inspired by this eternally exceptional artist,” accompanied by a flexed-bicep emoji. The tribute comes as Swift prepares to release her upcoming track I Knew It, I Knew You, which is featured on the Toy Story 5 soundtrack later this week. McCartney and Swift share…

United States: The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has proposed new import duties targeting 60 economies, including Pakistan and India, over alleged failures to act against forced labour in global supply chains, as the Trump administration seeks to rebuild its tariff framework following recent legal setbacks. According to a government filing, the proposed tariffs range between 10% and 12.5% and will undergo a public comment period before any final decision is made. The move follows months of U.S. investigations into trading partners including China, the European Union, and Japan, examining whether they have taken adequate steps to prevent imports linked…

Tehran: Gulf hostilities escalated on Wednesday after the U.S. military reported disabling a vessel near Qeshm Island that it said was attempting to sail toward an Iranian port in violation of what it described as an American blockade. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that the Botswana-flagged oil tanker M/T Lexie, which was unladen, ignored repeated warnings over a 24-hour period. It said an American warplane ultimately struck the vessel’s engine room with a Hellfire missile, rendering it inoperable. In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had launched attacks on U.S. assets in Bahrain and Kuwait following what…

United States: Oil prices extended gains for a third consecutive session on Wednesday as renewed hostilities in the Gulf heightened concerns over global energy supplies after U.S.-Iran peace talks stalled. U.S. crude futures surged about 2% to $95.40 per barrel, reflecting growing market anxiety over potential disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil transit route. At the same time, the U.S. dollar briefly touched 160 yen before easing slightly, as traders remained cautious about the possibility of intervention by Japanese authorities to support the currency. Supply concerns were further amplified by a sharp decline in U.S. crude…

Cynthia Erivo has addressed the challenges she faced during the Wicked press tour, revealing that the experience became emotionally and professionally exhausting following a viral incident involving co-star Ariana Grande. In a recent interview, the Oscar-nominated actress said the intense online reaction to the event played a significant role in her decision to step back from awards season campaigning for Wicked: For Good. “I think maybe in a way it did, actually,” Erivo said when asked whether the Singapore incident influenced her decision. The incident occurred during a red carpet event at Universal Studios Singapore, when a man rushed toward…

New York: Stargazers across the world are set to witness a rare celestial event this weekend as a Blue Moon appears in the night sky on May 31, marking the first such occurrence since August 2023. According to astronomical experts, the full moon will reach peak illumination at approximately 4:45 a.m. ET on Saturday. Despite its name, the moon will not actually appear blue, as the term refers to the timing of the lunar event rather than its colour. The phenomenon occurs when two full moons appear within the same calendar month, with the second one commonly referred to as…