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Mediator Pakistan urges against speculation over US-Iran peace talks date
- 21-hour talks reflect seriousness of both delegations: FO.
- Pakistan maintains contact with global partners continuously: FO.
- Lebanon ceasefire seen vital for regional stability: FO.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday urged the media against speculation regarding the schedule of the second round of negotiations between the United States and Iran, saying that the schedule for the upcoming talks has not been announced yet.
Addressing a weekly briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andarabi declined to share details of diplomatic engagements, emphasising the need for trust and confidentiality. “If we had shared such information, it would have been a breach of trust,” he said.
“The important thing is that both sides are willing to engage and dialogue continues,” he said, adding that details about delegations and participation were secondary and an internal matter of the concerned parties.
His remarks came amid reports that negotiating teams from the US and Iran could return to Islamabad later this week, five sources told Reuters, days after the highest-level inaugural talks between the two countries in decades ended inconclusively.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said on April 14 that talks between Washington and Tehran could resume over the next two days and that “we’re more inclined to go” to Pakistan, reported The New York Post.
The previous meeting in Islamabad, held three days after last Wednesday’s ceasefire announcement, marked the first direct encounter between American and Iranian officials in more than a decade and the most senior engagement since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf led their respective delegations in the last round of talks to work out a slew of issues, including the Strait of Hormuz, a major transit point for global energy supplies that Iran has effectively blocked but the US has vowed to reopen, as well as Iran’s nuclear programme and international sanctions on Tehran.
The trilateral ‘Islamabad Talks’ lasted nearly 21 hours after beginning on the afternoon of April 11, reflecting the complexity and high stakes involved.
Despite extensive discussions, the first round ended without a formal agreement. Officials in Islamabad, however, viewed the meeting as a significant step in opening direct channels of communication between Washington and Tehran.
Separately, a proposal has been shared with both Washington and Tehran to send delegations for the resumption of talks, Reuters reported, citing sources, as Islamabad continues coordinating with both sides on the timing of the next round, which could take place over the weekend.
These developments echo Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s earlier remarks, in which he noted that although the first round of US-Iran talks in Islamabad remained inconclusive, Pakistan’s efforts to bridge differences between the two sides are continuing, with diplomatic channels actively engaged.
Pakistan’s push to get Iran and the United States to the negotiating table for their highest-level face-to-face talks in decades to end weeks of war has garnered international praise.
‘Neither breakthrough nor a breakdown’
Addressing the media today, FO spokesperson Andarabi said the negotiations between the United States and Iran continued in a “serious and constructive” manner, describing the outcome as neither a “breakthrough nor a breakdown”.
“There was neither a breakthrough nor a breakdown,” he said, adding that the two delegations engaged in 21 hours of continuous talks, while the overall negotiation process extended beyond 24 hours.
He added that nuclear issues remained among the key topics under discussion in the negotiations.
He noted that such prolonged engagement on complex issues reflected “extraordinary commitment” by both sides. “The seriousness, resolve and positive attitude of the participants should be appreciated,” he added, highlighting that leadership from both countries, along with mediating officials, remained present throughout.
Calling the round “historic in significance,” the spokesperson said the role played by the leadership of all three countries deserved recognition.
The spokesperson said Pakistan would continue to act as a mediator and facilitator, keeping communication channels open between Tehran and Washington.
“All diplomatic efforts, including the Islamabad talks, are part of a continuous process,” Andarabi said, noting that high-level engagements in Tehran and visits by delegations were also part of this broader effort.
He added that Pakistan had maintained contact with global leaders through telephone diplomacy ahead of the talks and would continue engaging international partners.
“Pakistan’s position remains in favour of peace, stability and prosperity,” he said, reiterating that Islamabad was taking its allies and friendly countries into confidence while welcoming support from global powers, including Russia.
Highlighting Pakistan’s broader diplomatic outreach, he said the country had actively participated in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS) and hosted a meeting of senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt in Islamabad.
He also confirmed that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Chief of Defence Forces (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir was in Iran as part of ongoing engagements.
Lebanon situation
The spokesperson strongly condemned Israeli attacks in Lebanon, calling for an immediate end to hostilities.
He said the Lebanon ceasefire was part of the negotiations and was being viewed within the broader context of the regional peace process.
“Signs of improvement on the Israel-Lebanon front over the past two days are encouraging,” he said, adding that de-escalation would help create a conducive environment for dialogue.
“Peace in Lebanon and an end to armed actions are essential,” she noted, stressing that reduced tensions could support progress in negotiations.
The wider conflict in the region began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. Hezbollah opened fire in support of Tehran on March 2, sparking an Israeli offensive that has killed more than 2,000 people and forced 1.2 million from their homes, according to Lebanese authorities.
Iran says Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon must be included in any agreement to end the wider war in the Middle East. Washington has pushed back, saying there is no link between the two sets of talks.
Boston Marathon Monday morning is buzzing with the sunrise at Hopkinton, Massachusetts.
It’s a day of celebration, road closures, and a dazzling race as it hits the milestone of 130 years.
From weather forecast to start time, schedule, and route map, we have got you covered.
The 2026 Boston Marathon is expected to draw over 30,000 athletes from almost 130 countries, with entrants from all 50 states of America, per Boston Athletic Association.
The Boston Marathon is a hard nut to crack, and it just keeps getting tougher with each passing year.
According to the BMA, “This year’s cut-off time needed to gain acceptance into the Boston Marathon was four minutes, thirty-four seconds or faster (4:34) than the qualifying time for each respective age group and gender.”
Where does the Boston Marathon go?
The Boston Marathon kicks off on Main Street in Hopkinton, Massachusetts.
Athletes will then follow Route 135 through Ashland, Framingham, Natick, and Wellesley to where Route 135 turns toward Route 16.
The course follows along Route 16 until the fire station at Commonwealth Avenue, a point where runners will take a turn on the right and begin the stretch of Newton Hills.
After Heartbreak Hill from mile 20 to 21, runners will head across the Chestnut Hill Reservoir before turning left onto Beacon Street
From there, runners will have approximately four miles to the finish line.
They will continue through Brookline, Kenmore Square, and under Massachusetts Avenue.
Finally, the iconic turns await at the finish: right onto Hereford Street and left onto Boylston Street for the final sprint.
The Marathon finish line is set near the Boston Public Library in Copley Square.
What time does the Boston Marathon start today?
The 130th edition of the Boston Marathon will kick off the first race for Men’s Wheelchair at 9:06 a.m. ET, with the following start times for athletes competing in the day’s races as listed by the association.
Women’s Wheelchair at 9:09 a.m. ET
Handcycle & Duo Participants at 9:30 a.m. ET
Professional Men at 9:37 a.m. ET
Professional Women at 9:47 a.m. ET
Para Athletics Divisions at 9:50 a.m. ET
Wave 1 at 10 a.m. ET
Wave 2 at 10:25 a.m. ET
Wave 3 at 10:50 a.m. ET
Wave 4 at 11:15 a.m. ET
Boston Marathon 2026 will be covered live by ABC for all Boston-area viewers, with broadcast starting at 4 a.m. this morning, Monday, April 20, 2026.
Louisiana community is mourning the loss of 8 children who became the victims of a mass shooting in Shreveport on Sunday, April 19, 2026.
On Sunday morning, a tragic incident of mass shooting shocked the community in Shreveport when a gunman opened fire and killed eight children, between the ages of 3 and 11 years old.
The latest incident marks the deadliest mass shooting in a period of over two years.
Louisiana police have identified the gunman as a 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, who shot and killed his seven children and a cousin.
The shooting incident also resulted in wounding two women, including his spouse before the dawn’s first crack in a rampage at least in two locations.
After the shooting, which officials described as “homicide in nature,” the gunman escaped the scene in carjacked vehicle.
As a result of a police chase, the suspect in a crossfire was shot and killed by officers.
The Coroner’s office at the Caddo Parish has confirmed the identities of the victims.
These include Jayla Elkins, 3; Shayla Elkins, 5; Kayla Pugh, 6; Layla Pugh, 7; Markaydon Pugh, 10; Sariahh Snow, 11; Khedarrion Snow, 6; and Braylon Snow, 5.
Who was the gunman?
Shamar Elkins spent seven years in the Louisiana Army National Guard. From August 2013 to August 2020, as a signal support system expert and a fire support specialist, per CNN.
Elkins was never stationed and exited the Army in 2020, and their rank at the time of leaving was EI (private).
The outlet also reported Elkins’ past criminal record, as he had two prior criminal convictions in Caddo District Court.
As per the court records, Elkins married Shaneiqua Pugh, 34, about two years ago.
As per NYT, Elkins had a troubled domestic life and a strained relationship with his wife.
In a separate report by AP, which highlighted that the couple was in the middle of a separation and had a heated argument just moments before the shooting.
The shooting is seen as the deadliest in the U.S. since January 2024, when a 23-year-old man shot eight people, most of them his relatives, in a Chicago suburb.
Saturday Night Live veteran Tina Fey reflected on her years at the NBC sketch institution, acknowledging that some of her jokes were “on the wrong side”.
Speaking at the History Talks event in Philadelphia, Fey said she’s realized with time that not every punchline was fair.
The two times Globe Globe winner added candidly, “I was pretty dumb.”
Fey joined SNL in 1997 and later became head writer.
She recalled navigating some of the show’s most difficult broadcasts, from the first episode after September 11 to the anthrax scare and even President George W. Bush’s visit to meet Will Ferrell.
Over time, she said, the line between comedy and current events grew thinner, with politicians and public figures often responding directly to the sketches.
One of her most memorable stretches came in 2008, when she teamed with Seth Meyers and Amy Poehler to craft the now iconic Sarah Palin sketches.
Fey explained that the team worked hard to make sure their material was “a fair hit,” grounded in truth rather than random exaggeration.
“If it’s not true, it will not be funny,” she noted.
Reflecting on the influence of SNL, Fey said it was both thrilling and intimidating to know that what she wrote could be taken seriously by people in power.
She emphasized that the show never set out to control politics or the national narrative, but admitted that some of her own jokes didn’t age well.
Fey appeared alongside Nicole Kidman, Ted Danson, Kate McKinnon, Colin Jost and others at the event, which marked the nation’s 250th anniversary.
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