Tuesday, August 18th, 2026
Iran’s top negotiator Ghalibaf says Hormuz will remain closed until US meets demands
TEHRAN, AUG 18: Iran’s top negotiator Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf said on Tuesday that the strategic Strait of Hormuz will not be opened until the United States meets Tehran’s demands, including lifting a naval blockade. “I want to state clearly that the Strait of Hormuz will not be opened until the American commitments stipulated in the memorandum of understanding… are implemented,” Ghalibaf said in a speech broadcast on state television. He listed the removal of the blockade, the lifting of oil sanctions and unfreezing of Iran’s assets abroad among the demands,Read More
Lavrov says Russia, North Korea fighting for ‘new, righteous’ world order
MOSCOW, AUG 18: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told his North Korean counterpart that their countries were working to establish a “new and righteous world order,” after Pyongyang helped Moscow to drive Ukrainian forces from a Russian region last year. In a message to North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, Lavrov also reaffirmed Moscow’s pledge to boost cooperation in all areas and contribute to regional and international security, North Korea’s KCNA news agency said on Tuesday. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent an estimated 14,000 soldiers to RussiaRead More
PM’s aide says SC ruling on Imran’s hospital transfer ‘independent, based on merit’
ISLAMABAD, AUG 18: Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Tuesday described the Supreme Court’s ruling to transfer incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan to hospital as “independent and based on merit”. Speaking to journalists outside the Parliament House, the PML-N senator said that the PTI had taken too long to pursue the legal route, adding that if the party had opted for legal means, relief would have come earlier. “The PTI placed its case before the right forum, and the decision has come onRead More
Google opens Pakistan office; PM Sharif welcomes delegation
ISLAMABAD, AUG 18 /DNA/ – A 9-member delegation of Google, led by Wilson White, Vice President for Government Affairs and Public Policy, called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad today. Natalie Baker, Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, also accompanied the delegation. Welcoming the delegation, the Prime Minister said Pakistan is undergoing a major digital transformation of governance, including the digitization of the economy. He shared the government’s vision of “Digital Nation Pakistan” and informed the delegation that several initiatives to develop the national digital ecosystemRead More
Why Public Diplomacy Needs Legibility
By T.M. Awan In an age of artificial intelligence, information overload, and geopolitical competition, the greatest challenge for public diplomacy may no longer be persuading foreign audiences. It is becoming understandable to them. Around the world, diplomats and strategic communication experts are increasingly arguing that influence depends not simply on telling a country’s story effectively, but on making that country’s intentions, institutions, and policies clear and predictable. In other words, public diplomacy is gradually shifting from persuasion to legibility. For decades, public diplomacy focused primarily on convincing foreign audiences thatRead More
Vietnam embassy and Pakistan academy host prison diary launch
ISLAMABAD, AUG 18 /DNA/ – The Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, in collaboration with the Pakistan Academy of Letters, hosted an official book launch ceremony for President Ho Chi Minh’s renowned literary work, “Prison Diary” (Nhật ký trong tù), today at the Sheikh Ayyaz Conference Hall in Islamabad. The event, which brought together prominent literary figures, intellectuals, diplomats, and distinguished guests from Pakistan and abroad to celebrate the timeless relevance of the historic collection of poems. Written during President Ho Chi Minh’s imprisonment by the Kuomintang governmentRead More