KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday he wanted to agree a position with Washington to “stop Putin” before holding talks with Moscow.
The comments came after US President Donald Trump held a long phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and said the sides had agreed to begin negotiations on Ukraine immediately.
Zelensky and senior Ukrainian officials are undertaking a series of meetings this week with Trump allies in Kyiv and Brussels and at the Munich Security Conference.
“The Ukraine-America meetings are a priority for us,” said Zelensky.
“And only after such meetings, after a plan to stop Putin has been worked out, I think it is fair to talk to the Russians.”
Trump also spoke with Zelensky in a call that the Ukrainian leader had described as “meaningful” and broad.
But on Thursday he said that while he believed Ukraine was Trump’s priority, it was “not very pleasant” that the US leader had spoken with Putin first.
The Ukrainian leader also said that Trump had told him he had wanted to speak with both Putin and Zelensky at the same time, without elaborating on why that had not happened.
Zelensky also said he had told Trump that without security guarantees Russia was likely to attack Ukraine again.
Zelensky wants plan with US to ‘stop Putin’ before talks with Russia
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Zelensky wants plan with US to ‘stop Putin’ before talks with Russia
- Comments came after Trump held a long phone call with Putin and said the sides had agreed to begin negotiations on Ukraine immediately
Blast claimed by Daesh kills four in northwest Pakistan
- Officials were traveling in a car in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province when attack happened in a market in Bajaur city
- Around 300 people, mostly security officials, have been killed in attacks in KP and Balochistan provinces since start of year
PESHAWAR: An explosion in northwest Pakistan killed at least four local government officials and police Wednesday, an officer told AFP, in an attack claimed by a branch of the Daesh group.
“One senior government official, along with another government official and two police officers, were killed in the attack. Eleven people were wounded,” said Waqas Rafiq, a senior police official stationed in Bajaur, a city near the border with Afghanistan.
The officials were traveling in a car in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province when “the attack happened in a market in Bajaur city,” Rafiq added.
Hours later the IS-K group of Daesh claimed to have detonated an explosives-laden moped that targeted the vehicle in which the officials were traveling.
The deadly blast came four days after 16 soldiers were killed in the same province in an attack claimed by the Pakistan Taliban, a group which is very active in the area.
Around 300 people, mostly security officials, have been killed in attacks since the start of the year by armed groups fighting the government in both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, according to an AFP tally.
Last year was the deadliest in a decade for Pakistan, with a surge in attacks that killed more than 1,600 people, according to Islamabad-based analysis group the Center for Research and Security Studies.
Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in violence in its regions bordering Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021, with Islamabad accusing its western neighbor of allowing its soil to be used for attacks against Pakistan — a claim the Taliban denies.
China, EU should not ‘seek confrontation,’ says FM Wang Yi
- Europe is “facing various challenges,” Wang said, but stressed that none were caused by China “in the past, present or future”
BRUSSELS: China’s top diplomat warned his EU counterpart against “confrontation,” his foreign ministry said Thursday, after she urged Beijing to stop undermining Europe’s security.
Meeting Kaja Kallas in Brussels on Wednesday, Wang Yi said China and the European Union “should not be regarded as opponents because of differences, nor should they seek confrontation because of disagreements,” according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement.
Europe is “facing various challenges,” Wang said, but stressed that none were caused by China “in the past, present or future.”
Ahead of their meeting, Kallas, the EU’s foreign affairs chief, said China was “not our adversary, but on security our relationship is under increasing strain.”
She said Chinese firms were “Moscow’s lifeline to sustain its war against Ukraine” and accused Beijing of carrying out cyberattacks, democratic interference and unfair trade practices that “harm European security and jobs.”
China has portrayed itself as a neutral party in Russia’s more than three-year war with Ukraine. But Western governments say Beijing has given Moscow crucial economic and diplomatic support.
“Enabling war in Europe while seeking closer ties with Europe is a contradiction Beijing must address,” Kallas added on Wednesday.
Wang, meanwhile, sought to cast Beijing as a steady counterweight against superpower rival Washington, which has threatened to slap sweeping tariffs on imports from European nations.
“The path taken by the United States should not be used as a reflection of China,” he said. “China is not the United States.”
Beijing’s foreign ministry also said the two sides had discussed Ukraine, the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, and the Iran nuclear issue.
Beijing and Brussels should treat one another with “respect,” Wang said, adding that Europe should pursue a more “active and pragmatic” China policy.
The Chinese diplomat also met European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and his Belgian counterpart Maxime Prevot on Wednesday.
China and the EU should “uphold multilateralism and free trade... and work together to address global challenges such as climate change,” Wang told von der Leyen.
Wang will next travel to Germany, where he will hold talks with Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on diplomacy and security.
And in France, Wang will meet minister for Europe and foreign affairs Jean-Noel Barrot, who visited China in March.
The visits come about three weeks ahead of a summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and the EU’s top officials in Beijing.
Pakistan eyes global models to expand SME finance, tackle low credit access
- Minister stresses SMEs’ role in GDP, employment at international development forum
- Government says reforms to boost lending, cut red tape and spur sustainable growth
KARACHI: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb this week stressed on the importance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) for the country’s economy, highlighting his government’s policy to increase their lending portfolio to enhance their contributions to employment, exports and the national GDP.
Pakistan’s finance czar was speaking at a high-level panel discussion titled “Scaling up SME Finance” on Wednesday, hosted at the International Business Forum on the sidelines of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) in Sevilla, Spain.
The minister underscored the importance of SMEs to Pakistan’s economy, noting that these enterprises account for approximately 40 percent of the country’s GDP, 25 percent of exports and nearly 78 percent of non-agricultural employment.
However, Aurangzeb noted that despite their contributions, SMEs access to formal finance remains “disproportionately low,” with a small percentage of private-sector lending currently directed toward them, the finance ministry said. He said the government is actively working through the central bank to encourage commercial banks to expand their SME lending portfolios.
“This expansion is expected to enhance the contribution of SMEs to GDP, exports, employment, youth and women’s digital empowerment, and overall financial inclusion, laying the foundation for sustained and inclusive economic growth,” the finance ministry said.
The minister said the government’s parallel efforts are underway to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) so it can extend market linkages, provide regulatory relief, enhance advisory services and lead capacity-building initiatives.
“Deregulation efforts, such as reducing reliance on NOCs and increasing e-inspections, are also being introduced to reduce compliance burdens for SMEs,” the finance ministry added.
Aurangzeb expressed his desire to learn from successful models across other emerging markets and fostering partnerships that promote technology-driven, climate-compliant, and socially inclusive SME development.
Pakistan’s government has increasingly spoken about achieving sustainable economic growth and moving the country away from his usual “boom and bust” cycle.
The government has attempted to pursue this through financial reforms, signing trade and business agreements with regional allies worth billions of dollars and enhancing its exports.
Turaif: Historical, cultural mosaic tracing back to pre-Islamic eras
- Located 40 km southwest of Turaif is the archaeological site of Qasr Duqrah, where material evidence indicating human settlement since the Stone Age had been found
TURAIF: Located in Saudi Arabia's Northern Borders region, Turaif governorate stands as a crossroads of ancient civilizations and historical events, serving as a gateway to Iraq and the Levant. The governorate is home to a range of culturally and historically rich heritage sites, many of which date back to pre-Islamic times.
Among the most prominent heritage landmarks is the archaeological site of Qasr Duqrah, situated 40 kilometers southwest of the governorate. Adjacent to it lies a mountain known as “Aqran,” also referred to as Duqrah Mount, which has been recorded under the Comprehensive Archaeological Survey Program.
Saudi Historical Society member Zahi Al-Khalawi stressed that the site known as “Duqrah” is among the Kingdom’s most significant archaeological locations, given the discovery of material evidence indicating human settlement since the Stone Age.
He noted that habitation at the site continued through the later Roman period (2nd to 6th centuries CE) and persisted into the Umayyad era (661 to 750 CE).
Another landmark is the Trans-Arabian Pipeline (Tapline), one of Saudi Arabia’s most significant industrial heritage sites. The pipeline stretches from the east of the Kingdom to its north, passing through Turaif, and has been registered in the National Industrial Heritage Register. It is the first officially documented industrial heritage site in the Kingdom, representing the early stages of Saudi Arabia’s oil industry and its developmental and economic significance.
Also noteworthy is the site of Qaru Turaif, a water source developed by the Tapline Company in the 1950s to help settle nomadic communities by order of the late King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al-Faisal Al Saud. The site has been listed as part of the governorate’s cultural heritage.
To the east of Turaif, about 25 kilometers away, stands Jabal Umm Waal, a historic landmark and northern gateway into the Arabian Peninsula. The mountain tells the stories of Bedouin life and the passage of trade caravans and pilgrims traveling from the Levant and Iraq. For centuries, it served as a safe route for travelers making their way southward.
Hosts Switzerland beaten 2-1 by Norway in their Women’s Euro opener
- The hosts had plenty of opportunities to grab what would have been a famous victory but the Norwegians dug deep to snatch a narrow win
- The victory puts the Norwegians top of Group A, with Finland second after their 1-0 win over Iceland earlier in the day
BASEL, Switzerland: Switzerland took the lead against Norway but fell to a 2-1 defeat on home soil after scoring an own goal on the opening day of the Women’s Euro 2025 Championship on Wednesday, with Norwegian captain Ada Hegerberg netting the equalizer and missing a penalty.
The hosts had plenty of opportunities to grab what would have been a famous victory but the Norwegians dug deep to snatch a narrow win, their third over the Swiss by a single goal in 2025.
Having lost to the Norwegians twice in the Nations League this year, the home side dominated the opening 45 minutes and Geraldine Reuteler came close to giving them the lead in the 24th minute with a shot that cannoned back off the crossbar before Nadine Riesen struck four minutes later to send the St. Jakob-Park Stadium into raptures.
Riesen reacted quickly to an attack that broke down, rattling the ball past Vilde Boe Risa and off the near post into the net to send the Swiss fans at St. Jakob-Park into raptures.
However, it was a different story after the break and it was Norway’s Hegerberg who turned the page.
After barely featuring in the first half, she leveled nine minutes into the second with an emphatic header from a corner that briefly silenced the home crowd and four minutes later, under pressure from Hegerberg, Switzerland’s Julia Stierli turned a low cross from Caroline Graham Hansen into her own net.
Reuteler was sparkling throughout for the Swiss but despite a number of golden chances, she could not get the goal both she and her team deserved, and she conceded a penalty which Hegerberg missed in the 70th minute.
Switzerland were awarded a spot-kick of their own that was overturned after a VAR review and, as the Swiss poured forward, the Norwegians hung on grimly for a victory that puts them top of Group A, with Finland second after their 1-0 win over Iceland earlier in the day.
“This was important, this means a lot for us... the goal was euphoria for me but it was damn important for the team as well,” Hegerberg told Norwegian broadcaster TV2.
“It is very strong of us to manage to turn it around. It may not happen in the prettiest way. We were told forcefully during the break that we did not run enough, then we saw two clips, a defensive and offensive, about how to take them, I think we managed to do that,” vice-captain Graham Hansen said.
Swiss coach Pia Sundhage was unhappy that her side did not manage to get more out of the game.
“I think it’s very heavy, a defeat like that. Our game plan was good and we even scored a goal... today it’s tough but tomorrow we’ll see a smile and start working,” she told broadcaster SVT.
