WORLD

Kyiv, 19 August 2026 (Ghufran): Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 103 prisoners of war each, officials from both sides confirmed on Wednesday, with Ukrainian intelligence indicating that another exchange is expected before the end of the month. Russia and Ukraine have carried out regular prisoner exchanges throughout the war that began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, despite remaining far apart over the terms of a potential peace agreement.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the Ukrainians released in the latest exchange included servicemen from the Armed Forces, the State Border Guard Service and the National Guard. On the Russian side, Interfax news agency, citing the Russian Ministry of Defence, also confirmed the prisoner exchange. One of the Ukrainian returnees, 2...

MOSCOW, 19 August, 2026 (Nosheen) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday hosted Myanmar’s military-backed leader Min Aung Hlaing for talks aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and expanding cooperation between the two countries.Opening the talks, Putin said Russia and Myanmar had cooperated on foreign policy and security issues while also developing a number of economic projects.The two countries have conducted joint military exercises and are working on plans for Russia to build a nuclear power plant, a seaport, oil refineries and other infrastructure facilities in Myanmar. Min Aung Hlaing’s visit is the latest in a series of overseas trips to countries including China, India, Laos and Thailand as he seeks to strengthen international recognition and improve Myanmar’s diplomat...

ABU DHABI, 19 August, 2026 (Ghufran) — The United Arab Emirates has suspended all trade activities, exchanges and financial transactions with Iran until further notice, the UAE Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, citing a regional escalation that it said was undermining regional and international peace and security.The announcement came a day after the UAE Defence Ministry said it had detected two ballistic missiles launched from Iran, marking the first such reported incident since a May 4 strike on Fujairah port. In a subsequent statement, the UAE Defence Ministry said its assessment indicated that the missiles had targeted maritime traffic. Both missiles fell into the sea, according to the ministry.Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei rejected the UAE's statement on Wedn...

MANILA, August 18, 2026 (Ghufran): A student livestreamed himself shooting a schoolmate dead before taking his own life at a high school in the Philippines on Tuesday, authorities said, in the country’s second school shooting in as many months.The incident took place at Ateneo de Zamboanga University, a Catholic private institution in western Mindanao.Regional police spokeswoman Shella Chang told AFP that the shooter went to the classroom of the victim, shot the student and then went to the fifth floor, where he shot himself. Interior Secretary Victor Remulla separately confirmed that the ninth-grade suspect had livestreamed the incident on social media. The alleged shooter’s Facebook account has since been disabled.A video circulated by local media showed the barrel of a gun moving down a...

WASHINGTON, 18 August, 2026 (Nosheen): US President Donald Trump said Monday that Iran would not agree to the kind of deal he considers necessary to end the conflict with the United States, as talks between the two countries remained stalled.Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said the United States was involved in the conflict for one primary reason: to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.“They’re not going to make the kind of a deal that I feel is necessary. Look, we’re in there for one reason: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. Asked whether Washington was seeking an extension of an interim agreement with Iran, Trump replied, “No.”The interim agreement reached in June had called for an “immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all f...

WASHINGTON, 18 August 2026 (Ghufran):US President Donald Trump said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has responded to his efforts to reengage with Pyongyang, a day after Trump ordered the United States to substantially scale back military exercises with South Korea and described North Korea as “unthreatening and respectful.”Trump’s relationship with Kim received significant attention during his first term, when the two leaders met at summits in 2018 and 2019 and exchanged letters. Their negotiations later broke down over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. Despite the reduced emphasis on the relationship during Trump’s current term, the US president has repeatedly expressed interest in reviving direct diplomacy with Kim. Asked by a reporter in the Oval Office why Kim had not responded to...

تہران، 18 اگست 2026 (کامران راجہ) — اسلامی پاسداران انقلاب کے ترجمان بریگیڈیئر جنرل حسین محبی نے کہا ہے کہ ایران امریکا کے ساتھ کسی قسم کے مذاکرات نہیں کر رہا، جس میں سفارتی ذرائع کے ذریعے ہونے والی بات چیت بھی شامل ہے۔ بریگیڈیئر جنرل حسین محبی نے کہا کہ سفارتی امور ایران کی وزارت خارجہ اور دیگر متعلقہ اداروں کی ذمہ داری ہیں، تاہم سفارتی ذرائع سے بھی واشنگٹن کے ساتھ کوئی مذاکرات نہیں ہو رہے۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ سفارتی مذاکرات نہ ہونے کی وجہ امریکا کی جانب سے اپنے وعدوں کی خلاف ورزیاں ہیں۔ سپاہِ پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی کے ترجمان نے امریکی صدر ڈونلڈ ٹرمپ کے بیانات کو بھی تنقید کا نشانہ بنایا اور دعویٰ کیا کہ ان بیانات کا مقصد عارضی طور پر تیل کی قیمتوں کو قابو میں رکھنا تھا۔ محبی نے کہا کہ امریکا کے پاس واحد راستہ یہ ہے کہ وہ شکست تسلیم کرے اور ایران کی شرائط مانے۔ انہوں نے مزید کہا کہ امریکی صدر...

TEHRAN, 18 August, 2026 (Kamran Raja) : Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) spokesperson Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi said Iran is not engaged in any talks with the United States, including through diplomatic channels.Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi said diplomatic affairs are the responsibility of Iran’s Foreign Ministry and other relevant institutions, adding that no negotiations with Washington are being conducted through diplomatic channels either.He said the absence of diplomatic talks was a result of what he described as the United States’ violations of its commitments.The IRGC spokesperson also criticised statements by US President Donald Trump, claiming that they were aimed at temporarily controlling oil prices.Mohebbi said the only option available to the United States...

TEHRAN, 18 August, 2026 (Ghufran): Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz escalated further after another commercial vessel was targeted in a projectile attack, killing one crew member.According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a vessel was targeted on Tuesday while sailing out of the Strait of Hormuz. The attack severely damaged the vessel’s engine room, resulting in the death of one crew member.Following the attack, the remaining crew members were safely evacuated by the Omani Coast Guard, which responded promptly to the incident.Meanwhile, before the latest incident, Iran had also detained an oil tanker linked to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the Strait of Hormuz.According to reports, the UAE-linked tanker was stopped near Qeshm Island while using a special route d...

 TEHRAN, 18 August, 2026(Kamran Raja): Iran has reportedly obtained a US-made weapon recovered from the wreckage of American F-15 fighter jets shot down during the war, potentially providing Tehran with an opportunity to study US military technology.According to foreign media reports, Iran recovered a “GAU-5A” weapon from the wreckage of the aircraft. The weapon was reportedly designed to help US pilots survive critical situations in enemy territory.The report said the weapon came into Iranian possession from the aircraft wreckage rather than being captured directly from a US pilot. The recovered equipment could provide Iran with valuable insight into the technology used by its adversary.Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the US dream of forcing Iran into unco...