Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Sunday said the United States faced a choice between an “impossible” military operation or a “bad deal” with Tehran, after US President Donald Trump disparaged Iran’s latest peace proposal.

Negotiations between the two countries have been deadlocked since a ceasefire, brokered by Pakistan, came into effect on April 8, with only one round of direct peace talks held in Islamabad so far.

Iran’s Tasnim and Fars news agencies reported that Tehran had submitted a 14-point proposal to mediator Pakistan, but Trump was quick to cast doubt on it.

“I will soon be reviewing the plan that Iran has just sent to us, but can’t imagine that it would be acceptable in that they have not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to Humanity, and the World, over the last 47 years,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

US news website Axios reported, citing two sources briefed on the proposal, that it set “a one-month deadline for negotiations on a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, end the US naval blockade and permanently end the war in Iran and in Lebanon”.

In a statement on Sunday, the Revolutionary Guards sought to put the onus back on Trump, saying he must choose between “an impossible operation or a bad deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran”.

“The room for US decision-making has narrowed,” they said.

The day before, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told diplomats in Tehran that “the ball is in the United States’ court to choose the path of diplomacy or the continuation of a confrontational approach”.

Iran, he said, was “prepared for both paths”.

‘If they misbehave’

In a brief interview with reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday, the US president declined to specify what could trigger new American military action.

“If they misbehave, if they do something bad, but right now, we’ll see,” he said. “But it’s a possibility that could happen, certainly.”

Mohsen Rezaei, a military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, said Iranian forces would sink US ships.

“The US is the only pirate in the world that possesses aircraft carriers. Our ability to confront pirates is no less than our ability to sink warships. Prepare to face a graveyard of your carriers and forces,” he posted on X.

His remarks came after Trump, while addressing a rally in Florida, compared the US action in the sea to that of pirates. “We’re like pirates” as he described an earlier helicopter raid on an oil tanker under the US blockade of Iranian ports.

“We … landed on top of it, and we took over the ship. We took over the cargo, took over the oil. It’s a very profitable business,” he remarked.

Axios reported earlier in the week that Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff had asked for Tehran’s nuclear programme to be put back on the negotiating table.

But Iran’s mission to the UN pointed to the massive US nuclear arsenal, accusing Washington on Saturday of “hypocritical behaviour” towards Iran’s own atomic ambitions.

Peshawar Zalmi won the toss and decided to field first in the high-octane final of the 11th season of HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) against tournament debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen in Lahore on Sunday.

Speaking after the toss, Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar said that assessing the situation at the earliest was the key to his team’s success.

“The pitch is looking grassy, and we will try to utilise the first six overs,” he said. “Like the whole of the tournament, we will try to execute our plan as per the playing conditions.”

He also announced the inclusion of Nahid Rana in the final XI. Nahid is replacing Khurram Shehzad.

Hyderabad Kingsmen captain Marnus Labuschagne said there was no change in his team for the final.

“It’s been an amazing couple of days, obviously, with that finish in the last game against Islamabad. We have one more job today, and I can’t wait,” he added.

“The benefit of having played international cricket is being used to this atmosphere. But nothing makes it more special than being in the final of your first PSL as Hyderabad Kingsmen; it’s very exciting,” the Australian batter said.

Talking about the final, Labuschagne said that this day was similar to their last match; however, he said, “It’s for us to take in this atmosphere, this crowd, and this occasion, but stay calm and understand what we need to execute.”

“I think the toss isn’t as important in games where the wicket is so good,” he said.

Peshawar Zalmi, who entered the final after crushing three-time champions Islamabad United by 70 runs in the first playoff match, are on a run for their second title. They last lifted the trophy in 2017, when they defeated Quetta Gladiators in the final.

Throughout PSL 11, Babar-led Zalmi registered eight victories and just a single defeat, to the Gladiators, sealing the top spot in the points table.

Meanwhile, Kingsmen — one of the two new franchises added to the PSL circuit in this edition — secured a stunning 2-run victory over Islamabad United in the make-or-break eliminator on Friday to book a place in the final.

Kingsmen had a rough start to the campaign, losing five games in a row before getting back on track to win the next five fixtures and qualify for the playoffs.

Sri Lankan police have arrested 37 Chinese nationals suspected of running a cyberscam centre in the capital Colombo, a spokesman said on Sunday, in the latest crackdown on foreign-run online fraud.

The suspects, aged between 23 and 44 and including one woman, were arrested after a tip-off, the police spokesman said.

“They had entered the country on tourist visas and were illegally employed, while two of them had overstayed their visas,” he added.

A local police source said 35 tablet computers, 147 mobile phones and 100 SIM cards were seized at the suspected scam centre in the Colombo suburb of Talangama.

The arrests came a month after 152 foreign nationals, mostly Chinese, were detained for allegedly running a cyberscam operation out of a hotel in the island’s northwest.

Immigration authorities arrested 135 Chinese men and women in March for allegedly running a similar scam operation. They have since been deported.

Beijing’s embassy in Colombo said at the time it was working closely with local authorities to prevent Chinese nationals from carrying out scam operations in Sri Lanka.

The embassy said Sri Lanka’s developed telecommunications infrastructure, favourable geographical location and relatively lenient visa policies encouraged fraud gangs to move to the South Asian nation.

In 2024, Sri Lankan authorities detained 230 Chinese nationals and 200 Indian nationals accused of operating cybercrime centres in various parts of the island.

BAJAUR: Two people, including a social activist, were killed in separate attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district on Sunday, police and rescue officials told Dawn.

The first incident took place in the Kohi area of Salarzai tehsil, where unidentified armed assailants attacked social activist Malik Ziaur Rehman near his residence, Salarzai Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Jamal Shah said.

“Unidentified assailants opened fire on him near his house, leaving him critically injured,” he said.

According to Rescue 1122 Khar station spokesperson Riaz Ahmad Khan, the 37-year-old succumbed to his injuries at the district headquarters hospital Khar, where he was taken in a critical condition after the attack.

An official at the Salarzai police station told Dawn that a team of law enforcers was immediately sent to the site of the incident, and a search had been launched to locate the attackers, who had fled after firing at Rehman.

Police are also further investigating the incident.

Area residents told Dawn that Rehman’s father, Malik Fatchi Khan, was also killed by unidentified attackers a few years ago.

Separately, a man identified as Sayed Door Khan was killed in a blast caused by an improvised explosive device in Bajaur’s Asil Targaoo area, Khar DSP Saidur Rehman said.

He said Sayed was critically injured in the blast and succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.

The DSP said an investigation of the incident was under way to trace those responsible for the blast and ascertain the motive of the attack.

Israel gave final approval for a plan to purchase two new combat squadrons of F-35 and F-15IA advanced fighter aircraft from Lockheed Martin and Boeing in a deal worth tens of billions of dollars, the defence ministry said on Sunday.

The deal, approved by Israel’s Ministerial Committee on Procurement, is a first step in a 350 billion shekel ($119 billion) plan to bolster Israel’s military and “strengthen readiness ahead of a demanding decade for Israeli security,” it said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said much of this expanded defence budget will be to produce munitions in Israel and not be dependent on foreign countries. Israel, he noted, will also develop “groundbreaking” aircraft.

The ministry added that the new squadrons will serve as a cornerstone of the military’s long-term force development, addressing regional threats and preserving Israel’s strategic air superiority.

“Alongside immediate wartime procurement needs, we have a responsibility to act now to secure the Israeli Defence Forces’ military edge ten years from now and beyond,” said ministry Director General Amir Baram.

The recent US-Israeli war on Iran “reinforced just how critical the US-Israel strategic relationship is, and how essential advanced air power remains,” he added.

Under the deal, Israel would buy a fourth F-35 squadron from Lockheed Martin and a second squadron of F-15IA fighter jets from Boeing.

“Israel is stronger than ever, and Israel must always be much stronger than our enemies,” Netanyahu said. “These aircraft strengthen Israel’s overwhelming air superiority.”

In December, Boeing was given an $8.6bn contract for Israel, including 25 new F-15IAs and an option for 25 more.

Baram said the next step would be to move forward with finalising the agreements with the US government and military counterparts.

The US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on February 28, but a ceasefire has been in place since April 8. The US Navy maintains a blockade of Iranian ports.

Defence Minister Israel Katz said the conflict demonstrated the air force’s power and its decisive role in protecting Israel.

“The lessons of that campaign require us to keep pressing forward on force buildup, to ensure air superiority for decades to come,” he said.

Katz said the new aircraft would lead to a significant technological leap in integrating autonomous flight capabilities, next-generation defence systems, and establishing Israeli military dominance in space.

“Our mission is clear: to ensure the IDF has the tools, capabilities, and strength to operate anywhere, at any time,” Katz said. “We will continue to invest, to grow stronger, and to stay ahead of our enemies - to keep Israel secure today and in the future.”

A state-backed Nigerian militia, operating alongside the military, killed scores of ethnic Fulani herders in a raid, local sources have told journalists. The herders were killed in an operation that also involved vigilantes from Benin, just across the border from Niger State, after the herders were accused of being informants for the jihadist group Ansaru. The Nigerian vigilantes from Bussa district raided herding Fulani settlements around Kabe, in neighbouring Borgu, in a massacre that also saw...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called on PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif at their Jati Umra residence in Lahore on Sunday, a statement issued by the PM’s Office (PMO) said, adding that the Middle East conflict and the political situation in the country were discussed during the meeting.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz was also present on the occasion.

The PMO statement said the premier briefed Nawaz on the “situation in the country” and exchanged views on the political situation.

He further informed him about the situation in the Middle East and Pakistan’s efforts for the restoration of peace in the region, the statement added.

The conflict in the Middle East, which is now more than two months old, began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. And while hostilities have paused following a Pakistan-brokered two-week ceasefire on April 8 — which has been extended indefinitely by US President Donald Trump — the world continues to face its consequences.

Pakistan’s civil and military leadership has been engaged in feverish diplomacy, leading the efforts for de-escalation.

On April 11-12, Pakistan hosted the first high-level contact between Iran and the US in decades and mediated the meetings, known as the “Islamabad Talks”. However, with challenges in convening a second round, Islamabad has shifted back to its role as a facilitator and go-between.

Meanwhile, the conflict has also resulted in the closure of the Strait of Hormuz — through which one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supply used to pass in peacetime — giving rise to a global energy crisis and an increase in oil prices in the international market.

The PMO statement said PM Shehbaz also took Nawaz into confidence regarding oil prices in the international market and the steps the government has taken to “provide relief” to the people against this backdrop.

After the US-Israeli war on Iran began, the government initially hiked petrol and diesel prices by Rs55 per litre on March 6 and announced unprecedented austerity measures on March 9.

However, in the following weeks, PM Shehbaz said he had rejected recommendations to further increase fuel prices despite an increase in the global market on three occasions.

But on April 2, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik and Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb announced an unprecedented increase of 43 per cent and 55pc in the prices of petrol and high-speed diesel, respectively. The ministers had also announced a targeted fuel subsidy programme.

However, just a day later, PM Shehbaz slashed the petroleum levy by Rs80 per litre and brought the price of petrol down to Rs378 per litre.On April 10, PM Shehbaz further decreased diesel prices and petrol prices by Rs135 and Rs12 per litre, respectively.

The government has twice increased the prices of the two commodities since, first on April 24 and later on April 30.

At the end of March, China inaugurated the World Data Organisation in Beijing, a body with a stated mission of “bridging the data divide, unlocking data’s value and powering the digital economy”. The move is the latest signal of a broader trend: over the past several years, Beijing has developed a distinct data governance strategy to drive artificial intelligence (AI) development as it reshapes the terms of technological competition. Since late 2025, Beijing has pursued an aggressive AI adoption...

Opec+ agreed on Sunday on a modest oil output hike for June, an increase that will remain largely on paper as long as the US-Israeli war on Iran continues to disrupt Gulf oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.

Seven Opec+ countries will raise oil output targets by 188,000 barrels per day in June, the third consecutive monthly increase, Opec+ said in a statement after an online meeting. The increase is the same as that agreed for May minus the share of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which left the group on May 1.

The move is designed to show the group is ready to raise supplies once the war stops and signals that Opec+ is pressing on with a business-as-usual approach despite the departure of the UAE from Opec+, sources associated with the alliance and analysts said.

Opec+ is sending a two-layer message to the market: continuity despite the UAE’s exit, and control despite limited physical impact, said Jorge Leon, an analyst at Rystad and former Opec official.

While output is increasing on paper, the real impact on physical supply remains very limited, given the Strait of Hormuz constraints. This is less about adding barrels and more about signaling that Opec+ still calls the shots.

Top Opec+ producer Saudi Arabia’s quota will rise to 10.291 million bpd in June under the agreement, far above actual production. The kingdom reported actual production of 7.76m bpd to Opec in March.

The seven members who met on Sunday were Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Algeria, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Oman.

With the UAE leaving, Opec+ comprises 21 members, including Iran. But in recent years, only the seven nations plus the UAE have been involved in monthly production decisions.

Hike remains largely symbolic until Hormuz reopens

The US-Israeli war on Iran, which began on February 28, and the resulting closure of the Hormuz strait have throttled exports from Opec+ members Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait, as well as from the UAE. Before the conflict, these producers were the only countries in the group able to raise production.

Even when shipping through the Strait of Hormuz reopens, it will take several weeks if not months for flows to normalise, oil executives from the Gulf and global oil traders have said.

The supply disruption has propelled oil prices to a four-year high above $125 per barrel as analysts begin to predict widespread jet fuel shortages in one to two months and a spike in global inflation.

Crude oil output from all Opec+ members averaged 35.06m bpd in March, down 7.70m bpd from February, Opec said in a report last month, with Iraq and Saudi Arabia making the biggest cuts due to constrained exports.

SUWON, South Korea, May 3 (Yonhap) -- A district court on Sunday issued an arres...

Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon on Sunday acknowledged that the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Red Line had proven to be a “very tough” project for the provincial government, but asserted that there had been no delay on its end.

Speaking to reporters in Karachi, Memon said the Sindh government had to make some difficult decisions on the BRT Red Line after “all other options were exhausted”.

The senior minister asserted that there had been “no mistake, mal-intent or delay” from the Sindh government on the BRT Red Line.

He noted that work on the project’s Lot-1 was “underway with great speed”, while work on Lot-2 had been restarted.

The Sindh government recently cancelled the construction contract for the BRT Red Line project. Subsequently, it chose the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) to resume construction on a section of the BRT Red Line along University Road, where commuters have been facing inconvenience.

Designed to cover around 27 kilometres from Malir Halt to Numaish via University Road, work on BRT Red Line commenced in early 2022. While initially scheduled for completion by 2024, the project has faced persistent delays, with its finishing timeline most recently pushed to 2028.

A week ago, CM Murad, while “apologising” to the people of Karachi, announced that the deteriorated University Road will be reconstructed within 90 days.

In today’s media talk, Memon reiterated: “We will try that by the end of July, this road is opened for mixed traffic by working day and night, so that there is no nuisance for the public.”

“We realise the difficulty being faced by the public, but as they say, you have to swallow a bitter pill to achieve something big,” he remarked.

The minister recalled that the Sindh government approached the FWO for the reconstruction of University Road after “issuing warnings and clearing claims” of the contractors of the BRT Red Line project.

He noted that the government also took the Asian Development Bank (ADB) into confidence about the FWO’s involvement in the road reconstruction. While the BRT Red Line is an ADB-funded scheme, the reconstruction of the University Road will be undertaken as a separate project funded through the Sindh government’s own resources.

For the bus project itself, Memon said the government would follow up with the necessary legal actions, such as re-contracting or re-tendering.

The minister said it would have been “very easy” for the government to simply launch buses, such as the People’s Bus Service, but it decided to construct the BRT project for future generations, considering Karachi’s growing population.

Criticising certain political elements for “politicising” the BRT project, Memon said the government’s aim was to finish the project.

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah carried out an early morning inspection of BRT Red Line from Jail Chowrangi to Nipa, reviewing progress on mixed traffic lanes, drainage, asphalt work and traffic management.

“People’s hardship is unacceptable. Roads must be restored tonight, quality cannot be compromised and traffic flow must improve immediately,” he was quoted as saying by CM House, warning that he would continue surprise visits to monitor progress.

CM Murad directed all departments and contractors to accelerate work, restore roads on an emergency basis and ensure minimum inconvenience to citizens.

He also ordered the immediate commencement of the remaining work on the Red Line Mosamiyat Flyover so it could be opened for mixed traffic at the earliest.

The chief minister was accompanied by provincial ministers, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab and project officials.

The Sindh CM also reviewed progress on Shahrah-i-Bhutto after inspecting the BRT Red Line project.

He was told that 38-kilometre Shahrah-i-Bhutto corridor, stretching from Jam Sadiq Interchange to M-9 Kathore Interchange, has reached 93 per cent completion.

The project is now targeted for completion by June 30, 2026, with efforts underway to open it to the public before Eidul Azha.

Murad termed Shahrah-i-Bhutto a “gift for people of Karachi”, asserting that it would play a key role in easing traffic congestion, shifting heavy traffic outside the city, and improving connectivity between M-9 and N-5 highways.

He also termed the project a “lifeline for Karachi’s economy”.

A small boat carrying migrants trying to cross the English Channel ran aground on a beach in northern France, leaving two dead and 16 people injured, including three with serious burns, authorities said on Sunday. The vessel, carrying 82 people, set out overnight from Hardelot beach, a few kilometres south of the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, but the engine failed and it began to drift, Christophe Marx, Secretary General of the Pas-de-Calais prefecture, told reporters. A French maritime gendarmerie...