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.
Cruz Beckham and Jackie Apostel exuded perfect couple goals as they stepped out in France for Paris Fashion Week on Thursday.
The couple sweetly held hands as they arrived at their lavish hotel, chauffeur privately.
As for Jackie’s style, she cut a stylish figure in a pink faux-fur coat paired with blue denim jeans and chic burgundy high heels.
Meanwhile, the young son of Sir David and Victoria Beckham embraced the spring weather shorts and a leather jacket.
They arrived in Paris just a day after Cruz and his band, The Breakers, performed on stage at The Deaf Institute in Manchester.
For the unversed, David Beckham made sure to support his son by attending the performance, watching his 21-year-old son and his band take the stage alongside former player Nicky Butt.
Just hours earlier, David, Victoria, Cruz, and Romeo sent birthday wishes to Brooklyn via Instagram posts to mark his 27th birthday.
The public olive branch came six weeks after Brooklyn made a bombshell statement declaring that he had no wishes to reconcile with his father.
Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes stunned fans with their first official public appearance together in over a decade.
Gosling turned The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon into a birthday bash for Mendes’ 52nd.
The 45-year-old appeared on the late-night show to promote his upcoming film Project Hail Mary, but the spotlight quickly shifted when he surprised Mendes with an extravagant celebration.
He invited the audience to sing “Happy Birthday” as Mendes.
Gosling wearing striped Louis Vuitton cardigan, walked onstage to cheers.
The festivities escalated when Fallon revealed that North Bergen High School’s marching band was in the audience.
The band paraded onto the stage, playing “Happy Birthday” while waving a flag emblazoned with Mendes’ name.
Confetti rained down as Gosling clapped, sang along, and received a kiss on the cheek from Mendes.
The moment marked a rare public outing for the couple, who last walked a red carpet together in 2013 for The Place Beyond the Pines.
Since meeting on set in 2011, Gosling and Mendes have kept their relationship largely private, raising daughters Esmeralda and Amada away from the spotlight.
Mendes, who has often spoken about her preference for privacy, seemed touched by the surprise.
The celebration not only honored Mendes’ milestone birthday but also delighted fans with a rare glimpse of Hollywood’s most private couple.
Britney Spears has spoken to both her mother and her two sons following her DUI arrest earlier this week, with those closest to her now rallying around the singer in the aftermath of what sources describe as an deeply emotional night.
According to TMZ, Lynne Spears called her daughter as soon as she heard about the arrest, with the conversation between the two described as “positive” and “hopeful.”
Britney also spoke to her sons Sean Preston, 20, and Jayden James, 19, after being released from jail on Thursday morning, though she has not yet seen any family members in person.
The outreach comes at a particularly raw moment.
Spears was pulled over near the Borchard Road off-ramp in Newbury Park, Ventura County, at around 9:28 p.m. on Wednesday after officers reportedly observed her driving her black BMW “erratically at a high rate of speed.”
She was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of a combination of drugs and alcohol, and an insider told Page Six that officers also found an unknown substance inside her car at the time.
Her chemical test results remain pending and the investigation is ongoing. She was released at 6:07 a.m. Thursday.
Sources paint a picture of a woman who was visibly distressed throughout the process.
Spears was “crying and very tearful” while being booked, according to Page Six.
“She was incredibly emotional,” a source told the outlet. “It’s been a very hard couple of months.” The same insider said Spears “felt ashamed and embarrassed” and is “very sorry” for what happened.
“She doesn’t want to let anyone down, including her fans. The last thing she wants is to be judged publicly all over again.”
Her manager, Cade Hudson, was blunt in his public statement, calling the incident “completely inexcusable” while expressing hope that it might mark a turning point.
Maharashtra’s Rs 7.69-Lakh-Crore Budget: Who Gains? Who Pays More?
Stock market today: Which are the top losers and gainers on March 6- check list – The Times of India
Bangladesh road map aims at raising tax-to-GDP ratio to 15% by 2035
Attock Cement’s acquisition approved | The Express Tribune
Policy easing drives Argentina’s garment import surge in 2025
India Us Trade Deal: Fresh look at India-US trade deal? May be ‘rebalanced’ if circumstances change, says Piyush Goyal – The Times of India
-
Business1 week ago
Attock Cement’s acquisition approved | The Express Tribune
-
Fashion1 week agoPolicy easing drives Argentina’s garment import surge in 2025
-
Business1 week ago
India Us Trade Deal: Fresh look at India-US trade deal? May be ‘rebalanced’ if circumstances change, says Piyush Goyal – The Times of India
-
Politics1 week agoWhat are Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities?
-
Sports7 days agoLPGA legend shares her feelings about US women’s Olympic wins: ‘Gets me really emotional’
-
Politics1 week agoUS arrests ex-Air Force pilot for ‘training’ Chinese military
-
Sports1 week agoSri Lanka’s Shanaka says constant criticism has affected players’ mental health
-
Business7 days agoGreggs to reveal trading amid pressure from cost of living and weight loss drugs