Entertainment
Pakistan wins big in Washington; India feels Trump’s fury
In a surprising turn, Pakistan has gained favour and influence in Washington in recent months, despite President Donald Trump’s reelection in November last year sparking deep concern in Islamabad, where officials feared strained relations ahead.
During his first term, Trump favoured New Delhi while accusing Islamabad of “deceit” and of providing safe haven to “terrorists” — an allegation Pakistan has categorically rejected.
Following a recent severe military confrontation between India and Pakistan in decades — the nuclear-armed neighbouring countries have undergone a striking role reversal, The Washington Post reported.
Currently, US-India relations are at the lowest level, strained by rising trade tensions and an increasingly personal spat between President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
On the other hand, Pakistani officials have quietly and successfully navigated Trump’s political world, fostering closer ties with the White House at a moment of global upheaval.
In August, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir visited the US for the second time within a span of just two months, highlighting the strengthening ties between Islamabad and Washington. The army chief described his recent visits to the US as “a sign of a new dimension” in the relationship.
Pakistan has recently secured one of the lowest US tariffs among major Asian economies, at 19% — well below the 29% rate initially threatened by US officials and far lower than the 50% tariff imposed on India for buying Russian oil.
Trump has boasted about joint plans to explore Pakistan’s “massive” oil reserves, and Pakistani officials have offered to partner with America on cryptocurrency ventures and the development of rare minerals.
Last week, the US vowed closer counterterrorism cooperation with Islamabad and designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) as a “foreign terrorist” organisation.
Senate Defence Committee former chairman Mushahid Hussain Syed said: “We couldn’t ask for more.”
At a time when other countries are being forced to make concessions, he continued, “our legitimate interests are being preserved, protected and promoted”.
In response to questions from The Washington Post, the White House press office said the president “is effective because he is able to maintain relationships while advocating for America First policies — such as reducing the massive trade deficit between the United States and India”.
The economic stakes for Trump are low — Pakistan’s trade volume with the US amounts to about 5% of India’s. Pakistan’s pitches to the president could fall apart in the face of a fragile economy and manifold security threats.
World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency company backed by the Trump family, signed a letter of intent with Pakistan’s Crypto Council in April, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
The statement highlighted that the American delegation included Zachary Witkoff, the son of Steve Witkoff, the New York real estate developer now serving as Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East.
US-Pakistan relations gained further momentum in May, analysts said: When the president announced his administration had brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after days of military escalation.
Officials in Islamabad were quick to give Trump credit and announced they would nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize.
India, however, denied that US mediation had sealed the truce, contributing to the falling-out between Trump and Modi.
“President Trump leaned on his relationships with both India and Pakistan to secure a ceasefire in a deadly conflict that could have gone nuclear without his involvement,” the White House said in its statement to The Post.
Weeks after the ceasefire, Trump invited Field Marshal Munir to have lunch with him at the White House — a highly unusual private meeting between a US president and a foreign military chief, as well as a tacit acknowledgement of COAS Munir’s growing clout.
Tech billionaire and the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, has expressed concerns about the H-1B visa programme, stating that it is being “gamed” by select outsourcing firms in the US.
The tech tycoon emphasised that authorities should address the misuse of the H-1B visa system rather than dismantling it entirely.
What is H-1B visa?
H-1B visas allow U.S. companies to hire skilled foreign workers, and are mostly used by Indian citizens, particularly in the technology and healthcare sectors.
During a recent podcast with Indian entrepreneur Nikhil Kamath, Musk highlighted that America has “long benefitted” from the contributions of talented Indian migrant workers, while acknowledging the issues around the “misuse” of the H-1B programme.
Manipulation in H-1B visa lottery system
Outsourcing firms have faced backlash for manipulating the lottery system, including submitting multiple applications for the same worker and hiring low-cost contract employees instead of filling speciality roles, BBC reported.
Musk firmly stated, “We need to stop the gaming of the system,” but he disagreed with those advocating for the complete shutdown of the H-1B system, arguing that such a move would be detrimental to the U.S. economy.
Recent data from the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) indicates that approvals for H-1B visas from Indian outsourcing companies have dropped to their lowest level in a decade, with a significant decline in initial employment petitions.
Besides H-1B visas, Musk also commented on former President Trump’s tariff policies, which he believes distort markets, noting that negotiations for a trade deal between the U.S. and India are ongoing, with an agreement expected by year-end.
Duchess of Edinburgh was reportedly left in a state of shock as she witnessed a painful accident, nearly breaking royal protocol as it happened.
The 60-year-old royal, who has earned a prominent position with King Charles as his ‘secret weapon’ for the monarchy, has been dragged in an unfortunate court case about an 81-year-old woman, who lost her life in 2023.
A woman named Helen Holland had been crossing the street at Old Bailey when she was hit by the speeding officer, PC Christopher Harrison, part of the motorcycle convoy that was escorting Sophie as she left the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office.
The officer was given a ‘not guilty’ verdict which garnered an emotional reaction from Helen’s family. One of the family members had yelled, “You ruined our family with no consequences.”
Prince Edward’s wife has remained quiet amid the legal process. She had only released a statement at the time to express her sympathies with the family. She could not comment further due to the ongoing court case.
In a new report by DailyMail, never-before-shared details about Sophie’s reaction were shared in which she nearly broke the protocol for the pedestrian.
For the first time they have detailed the horrific injuries Helen sustained during what Harrison described in court as “a tragic accident”. They also shared that in moments after the collision, the Duchess of Edinburgh tried to leave her vehicle to rush towards Helen.
Meanwhile, Helen’s son Martin and her daughter-in-law, Lisa, are pursuing another legal action not for any compensation but to prove that the beloved great-grandmother “did nothing wrong”.
Duchess of Edinburgh statement via Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace released a short statement on Duchess Sophie’s behalf in May 2023.
“The Duchess’s heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the injured lady and her family,” it read.
“She is grateful for the swift response by the emergency services and will keep abreast of developments. Further comment at this time would not be appropriate while the incident is being investigated.”
Sadie Sink has opened about her character Max Mayfield in the Stranger Things new season.
In season 4, Max was left in coma after a psychic encounter with Vecna. The first volume of the fifth season has shown that her consciousness is trapped in the upside down.
While talking about her character, Sink said that there always has been something that anchored her to the role like the environment, the bands, the skateboard or the clothes.
“But this season, there was nothing. It was clothes that didn’t feel like Max, crazy hair that was grown out and tangled, and dirt all over my face”, she told The Hollywood Reporter.
She continued, “She’s in a rough, feral state. It was pretty bizarre. It was weird to feel like Max and then look like that and be in that environment.
Stranger things 5 the first volume depicts how Max’s fate has been kept a mystery after Holly Wheeler is taken by Vecna and she crosses paths with a young girl.
Responding to her character’s fate, Sadie added that “Max is a really caring person” and accepts Holly as an ally instead of seeing her as just a small girl.
The Spider-Man actress said, “I feel like we’ve left it all out on the table, and it’s at a good closing point, but I don’t know. I could do it again. Because I love that set so much, and I love the character.”
Stranger Things 5 second volume is set to premiere on December 25.
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