&w=3840&q=100)
US' Rubio, Pak PM agreed to strengthen Pak-US relations to increase trade
'The two leaders acknowledged the importance of working together to promote a durable peace between Israel and Iran and maintaining regional stability,' said Tammy Bruce, US State Dept Spokesperson
Press Trust of India Islamabad
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday acknowledged the importance of working together to promote peace and stability in the region.
Rubio dialled Sharif to discuss the Middle East situation.
"The two leaders acknowledged the importance of working together to promote a durable peace between Israel and Iran and maintaining regional stability," said Tammy Bruce, US State Department Spokesperson.
Both leaders "agreed to continue working together to strengthen Pakistan-US relations, particularly to increase trade", said a statement released by the Pakistan government.
Commenting on the current situation in the Middle East, Sharif asserted that Pakistan will continue to play a constructive role in establishing peace in the Middle East.
Sharif also praised US President Trump's "courageous and decisive leadership, which led to a ceasefire between Iran and Israel." He also thanked Secretary Rubio for the key role of the United States in the Indo-Pak ceasefire.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


India Gazette
5 minutes ago
- India Gazette
Indo-French joint military exercise SHAKTI-VIII underway in southern France
La Cavalerie [France], June 28 (ANI): The Indo-French Joint Military Exercise SHAKTI-VIII continues to strengthen operational interoperability and mutual cooperation between the Indian and French Armies. Held at Camp Larzac, La Cavalerie in Southern France, the exercise features the participation of 90 personnel, primarily from the Indian Army's Jammu and Kashmir Rifles battalion, alongside the French Army's 13e Demi-Brigade de Legion Etrangre. These 90 personnel from the Indian Army contingent had departed for France on Monday to participate in the eighth edition of Exercise 'Shakti', scheduled to take place in La Cavalerie from 18 June to 01 July 2025. In an official statement, the Army said, 'The Indian Army contingent has departed today for France to participate in the 8th edition of Exercise Shakti, taking place in La Cavalerie, France, from 18 June to 01 July 2025. The Exercise will foster synergy and interoperability in the conduct of counter terrorism operations in semi-urban terrain.' Exercise Shakti is an annual military training engagement conducted alternately in India and France. Last year, the seventh edition of Exercise Shakti was conducted at Umroi in Meghalaya from 13 to 26 May 2024. It was held at a 'fully developed and modern Foreign Training Node'. Underlining the diplomatic and military importance of the event, the Ministry of Defence in an official statement said, 'The Opening Ceremony of the joint exercise was attended by Thierry Mathou, Ambassador of France to India and Major General Prasanna Sudhakar Joshi, General Officer Commanding 51 Sub Area. The Indian contingent for the 2024 edition comprised 90 personnel, mainly from a Battalion of the Rajput Regiment, with additional participation from other arms and services. Observers from the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force were also part of the exercise. The French contingent, also consisting of 90 personnel, was represented mainly by soldiers from the 13th Foreign Legion Half-Brigade (13th DBLE), the MoD statement added. Outlining the broader aim of the exercise, the Ministry said,' Aim of Exercise SHAKTI is to enhance joint military capability of both sides to undertake multi-domain operations in a sub-conventional scenario under Chapter VII of the United Nations Mandate. The joint exercise will focus on operations in the semi-urban and mountainous terrain.' 'Objectives to be achieved from the joint training are a high degree of physical fitness, rehearsing and refining drills for operations at the tactical level and sharing of best practices,' the MoD added. Key tactical elements to be practised during the joint exercise include responses to terrorist actions involving the capture of defined territory, setting up of a Joint Command Post and an Intelligence & Surveillance Centre, and securing of landing sites. The exercise will also feature Small Team Insertion and Extraction drills, Special Heliborne Operations, Cordon and Search Operations, as well as the deployment of drones and counter-drone systems. The Ministry added: 'Exercise SHAKTI will enable the two sides to share their best practices in Tactics, Techniques and Procedures of conducting joint operations. The joint exercise will facilitate developing interoperability, bonhomie and camaraderie between armed forces personnel of the two countries. This will also enhance the level of defence cooperation, further fostering bilateral relations between the two friendly nations.' (ANI)


Mint
31 minutes ago
- Mint
G-7 countries agree to the ‘Side by Side' tax deal for US companies: Here's what it means
The US and fellow Group of Seven nations have reached an agreement aimed to prevent a global tax war, by establishing a 'side-by-side' tax system. This new arrangement would exempt US companies from some elements of an existing global agreement. A key component of this deal involved the US officials agreeing to remove Section 899 from President Donald Trump's tax-cut bill, This provision, often referred to as the 'revenge tax' would have increased taxes on the US income of non-US-based businesses and individuals from countries whose tax policies Washington deems discriminatory. The side-by-side system could 'provide greater stability and certainty in the international tax system moving forward,' the G-7 advanced economies said Saturday in a statement. As part of the agreement, the other G-7 members will support the US's stance in ongoing negotiations with the Group of 20 countries and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which has been hosting global talks on corporate taxes, with some proposals drawing opposition from the US. Officials from the G-7 said they look forward to coming up with a solution that is 'acceptable and implementable to all,' according to the statement. While some progress has been made, the issue of 'digital services taxes,' remains only partially addressed. Some countries currently levy these taxes on the profits of US-based technology companies including Meta Platforms Inc. and Inc. The effort to establish a side-by-side system will include a 'constructive dialogue on the taxation of the digital economy and on preserving the tax sovereignty of all countries,' according to the G-7 statement. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday that he had asked Senate and House leadership to remove Section 899 from the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act after securing G-7 backing for the side-by-side system. Senate Republicans deleted the section in the latest version of the tax bill.


Time of India
42 minutes ago
- Time of India
Meet Parag Jain, the new R&AW chief who palyed key role in Operation Sindoor
Parag Jain NEW DELHI: Parag Jain, a seasoned intelligence officer credited with masterminding the high-stakes Operation Sindoor, has been appointed the new chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW). His appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, with his two-year tenure set to begin on July 1, a day after incumbent Ravi Sinha retires. Jain, a 1989-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the Punjab cadre, is widely regarded as an expert in both human and technical intelligence. According to the official government order, 'The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Shri Parag Jain, IPS to the post of Secretary, Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW) under Cabinet Secretariat for a tenure of two years from the date of assumption of the charge of the post until further orders, whichever is earlier. ..' Before this, he headed the Aviation Research Centre (ARC), an elite wing known for its work in aerial surveillance, SIGINT (signals intelligence), PHOTINT (photo reconnaissance), IMINT (imagery intelligence), and border monitoring. His operational depth and leadership were most recently seen in the planning and intelligence behind Operation Sindoor, which targeted nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), including the headquarters of Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, on May 7. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Tripura Mosquito Crisis Solved by Strange New Device (See How) Mosquito Eliminator Read More Undo Officials told PTI that 'the missile strikes were guided by pinpointed intelligence gathered by a team led by Jain.' His command over HUMINT and TECHINT integration was instrumental in enabling the armed forces to carry out precision strikes across the Line of Control. Jain's operational experience in Kashmir makes him an ideal fit to deal with Pakistan's attempts to revive cross-border terror infrastructure. His involvement during the 2019 reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir was significant, particularly in security coordination. Apart from domestic intelligence, Jain has served at Indian missions abroad — in Sri Lanka and Canada. In Canada, he monitored the activities of Khalistani terror modules operating from foreign soil, further strengthening his credentials as a neighbourhood specialist. He was promoted to the rank of Director General of Police (DGP) in Punjab on January 1, 2021, though he was on central deputation at the time. During the height of terrorism in Punjab, Jain served as SSP and DIG in multiple districts, contributing to critical counter-insurgency operations. With a reputation as a no-nonsense operator in the intelligence community, Jain now takes charge at a time when India's external security challenges — from Pakistan and China to cross-border terror financing and transnational extremist networks — demand sharp strategic responses. (With inputs form news agency PTI)