Austrian police have arrested a man suspected of lacing jars of baby food with rat poison in what authorities presumed was an extortion scheme.

Police, cited by the APA news agency, said the suspect, aged 39, was apprehended in the state of Burgenland, south of Vienna. They did not name him nor say where exactly he was arrested.

He was charged with deliberately causing a public danger and attempted grievous bodily harm.

The arrest comes two weeks after Austrian authorities detected rat poison in baby food jars sold in some supermarkets. The jars were made by the German-based company HiPP, and German police became involved in the case.

Five tampered jars were recovered before they were consumed in the following days in Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Police said they believed the crime was carried out to extort the company, which put out a product recall in Austria.

One of the adulterated jars was bought in a Spar supermarket in Burgenland state, in the city of Eisenstadt. It was found to contain 15 microgrammes of rat poison.

Another jar sold in the same supermarket was suspected to have also been laced with poison, but it has not yet been recovered.

Bankrupt discount carrier Spirit Airlines ceased operations on Saturday, the industry’s first casualty linked to the Iran war, after failing to secure creditor support for a US government bailout plan. The collapse of the carrier following a doubling in jet fuel prices during the two-month-old Iran war will cost thousands of jobs. It is a blow to US President Donald Trump, who had proposed US$500 million to save Spirit despite opposition from some of his closest advisers and many Republicans in...

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and briefed him on the security situation in the country, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.

According to the PMO statement, Naqvi met with the premier in Lahore, where he briefed him on the security situation in the country and the measures taken in this regard.

The interior minister also informed the premier regarding the security arrangements for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) final scheduled to be held in Lahore tomorrow (Sunday).

PM Shehbaz directed Naqvi to make the best possible arrangements for the players, spectators and citizens.

In February, the minister had met with the premier to review the country’s overall security environment following major suicide attacks in the federal capital.

At the time, PM Shehbaz had directed Naqvi to address the security situation in Islamabad and other matters “in an effective and efficient manner”.

A rescue team on Saturday released from a barge in the North Sea a humpback whale that had been stranded in shallow waters near Germany since March, witnesses said. Nicknamed “Timmy” by German media, the whale was spotted swimming near Germany’s Baltic Sea coast on March 3, far from its natural habitat in the Atlantic Ocean. The mammal’s health deteriorated as it became repeatedly stranded in shallow waters near the coastal city of Wismar, and unsuccessful efforts to coax it towards deeper seas...

Two activists who participated in a Gaza-bound aid flotilla were brought to Israel for questioning, the foreign ministry said on Saturday, after the vessels were intercepted by Israeli forces this week.

Saif Abu Keshek, from Spain, and Thiago Avila, a Brazilian, were in Israel and would “be transferred for questioning by law enforcement authorities”, the ministry said on X, adding that the two activists were affiliated with an organisation sanctioned by the US Treasury.

The ministry said the activists were affiliated with the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), a group Washington has accused of “clandestinely acting on behalf of Hamas”.

In January, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on the group, which it said was involved in organising Gaza-bound civilian flotillas that aimed to break Israel’s sea blockade on the Palestinian territory.

Israel’s foreign ministry said Abu Keshek was a leading member of PCPA and Avila, also linked to the organisation, was “suspected of illegal activity”.

“Both will receive a consular visit from the representatives of their respective countries in Israel,” the ministry said.

Spain condemned the “illegal detention” of its citizen. Abu Keshek “must be released immediately so that he can return to Spain”, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told Rac1 radio.

“We are facing an illegal detention in international waters, outside any jurisdiction of the Israeli authorities,” Albares said.

Avila was among the organisers of a flotilla that had tried to bring aid to Gaza last year despite the naval blockade. That effort was also intercepted by Israeli forces.

The current flotilla comprised more than 50 vessels and had set sail from ports in France, Spain and Italy with the aim of breaking the blockade of Gaza and bringing humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory.

Israel controls all entry points to Gaza.

Throughout the conflict, there have been shortages of critical supplies in Gaza, with Israel at times cutting off the entry of aid entirely. The Gaza Strip has been under Israeli blockade since 2007.

Israel’s foreign ministry earlier claimed around 175 activists had been taken off more than 20 vessels on Thursday by the country’s military. Flotilla organisers said 211 activists had been kidnapped.

Organisers said the Israeli operation had taken place over 1,000 kilometres from the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces halted the boats overnight Wednesday to Thursday, with organisers, the Global Sumud Flotilla, saying their equipment had been smashed and that the intervention had left them facing a “calculated death trap at sea”.

Dozens of intercepted activists disembarked on Friday on the Greek island of Crete, according to an AFP journalist.

Former senator Mushtaq Ahmad was also among those detained. On Friday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on X that Ahmad had been released.

“I reiterate my strongest possible condemnation of the illegal detention of humanitarian workers aboard the flotilla as well as obstruction of humanitarian aid destined for the besieged people of Gaza,” he said.

The United States has backed Israeli authorities, calling the flotilla a “stunt”.

In the summer and autumn of 2025, a first voyage by the Global Sumud Flotilla across the Mediterranean towards Gaza drew worldwide attention. The boats in that flotilla were intercepted by Israel off the coasts of Egypt and the Gaza Strip in early October.

Crew members, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, were arrested and then expelled by Israel.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Saturday advised the public to take precautionary measures as the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said that heatwave conditions would continue to prevail in the province’s central and upper parts till tomorrow (Sunday).

In a heatwave alert, the PMD said, “Hot or very hot and dry weather likely to prevail over most parts of the province. However, heatwave conditions [to] continue to prevail in the central and upper parts of the province till tomorrow.”

The PMD said that under its influence, the daytime maximum temperatures were likely to be 3-5 degrees Celsius above normal in Jamshoro, Dadu, Shaheed Benazirabad, Kashmore, Ghotki, Sanghar, Khairpur, Naushahro Feroze, Jacobabad, Larkana and Sukkur districts.

The Met department also predicted dust thunderstorm/gusty winds in Jacobabad, Larkana, Kashmore, Shikarpur, Sukkur and Ghotki districts for Saturday and Sunday.

“Avoid exposure to direct sunlight during the daytime and remain hydrated,” the department said, advising farmers to keep the weather in mind when working and to also take care of livestock.

It further said that wind or dust storms may “damage loose structures like electric poles, trees, vehicles and solar panels at vulnerable locations”.

The department also predicted the maximum temperature in Karachi Division to be between 38-40 degrees Celsius on Sunday, and between 39-41 degrees Celsius on Monday.

Meanwhile, Sindh CM Shah issued directives to the district administrations concerned. The chief minister said that according to the Meteorological Department, Jamshoro, Dadu, Shaheed Benazirabad, Ghotki and Sanghar were in the grip of a heatwave.

He instructed the district administrations in the affected areas to establish heatwave relief camps. He also directed that special arrangements be made in hospitals for heatstroke patients.

The chief minister advised the public to take precautionary measures before venturing outside. He urged the people to cover their heads, drink water, stay in shaded areas and avoid working in direct sunlight.

The Foreign Office (FO) on Saturday slammed a social media post by British Special Representative for Afghanistan Richard Lindsay regarding developments along the Pak-Afghan border, saying that the remarks were “devoid of a deeper understanding of the situation”.

Early on Friday, Lindsay had shared a post by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on the social media platform X, which said it had documented “tens of civilians killed or injured” in strikes in eastern Afghanistan, including a university.

“Concerned by further violence along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, including strikes in Kunar. All steps must be taken to protect civilians and avoid further escalation. I continue to urge dialogue and restraint, including in meetings in Afghanistan this week,” Lindsay said.

It is worth mentioning that earlier this week, the information ministry had rubbished reports by the Afghan media alleging Pakistan carried out attacks targeting a university and residential areas in the neighbouring country’s Kunar province.

On Saturday, FO Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi issued a response to media queries regarding Lindsay’s post.

“We have seen the social media post by the British special representative for Afghanistan regarding developments along the Pak-Afghan border. The one-sided remarks are devoid of a deeper understanding of the situation along the border,” the spokesperson said.

“Cross-border aggression and terrorist infiltration attempts from the Afghan side have continued unabated despite Pakistan’s goodwill gesture of a temporary pause, announced in March 2026,” Andrabi said.

Pakistan had lau­nched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against the Afghan Taliban and terrorists operating from its soil on the night of Feb 26, following unprovoked cross-border attacks by the Afghan Taliban. After a temporary pause on March 18 at the request of “brotherly Islamic countries,” Pakistan had announced the operation’s resumption on March 26, saying it would continue “until its objectives are achieved”.

Andrabi said since the announcement of the temporary pause, “indiscriminate and unprovoked cross-border attacks by the Afghan Taliban, and terrorist activities by Afghan Taliban-supported Indian proxies inside Pakistan, resulted in the martyrdom of 52 civilians and 84 injuries”.

“Pakistan, while exercising restraint, has responded effectively by precisely targeting Afghan Taliban posts and terrorist support infrastructure, while also thwarting multiple infiltration attempts from the Afghan side,” the FO spokesperson said.

He noted that the “Afghan claims of civilian casualties due to Pakistan’s responses lack evidential credibility”.

“Such unwarranted remarks, without linking them to the root cause of terrorism, do not offer a balanced and objective perspective,” the FO spokesperson said.

“We urge a better understanding of regional dynamics, Pakistan’s principled stance, as well as the unparalleled sacrifices rendered by the people of Pakistan in the fight against terrorism,” the spokesperson concluded.

Minister says spate of Taliban attacks targeting civilians ‘unacceptable’

On Friday night, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that the spate of Afghan Taliban attacks deliberately targeting civilians in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s border districts was “unacceptable, insidious and reflective of their barbaric nature towards human life”.

“Resorting to targeting civilian areas after being comprehensively beaten on the ground by the proud security forces of Pakistan and having no courage to face them is not only despicable but also speaks volumes of the low moral character of the regime leaders,” he said.

He also pointed to figures released by the Bajaur deputy commissioner regarding civilian casualties. He also said that three civilians playing cricket were also injured due to the “blatant and shameless quadcopter targeting by Fitna al Khawarij” on Friday.

Fitna al Khawarij is a term designated by the state for the banned Teh­reek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

“Conversely, the Afghan Taliban regime’s so-called representatives continue to lay frivolous false allegations of deliberate targeting of civilians by Pakistan,” Tarar said.

The minister said that it had been reported “with a lot of clarity and evidence that Pakistan targets only terrorist infrastructure” and information had always been promptly and transparently shared with the public.

“Pakistan’s fight against kharji terrorists, their sponsors and abettors remained based on truth, principles, honour, resolve and faith, viz the kharjis and their Indian-backed abettors whose unholy fight and death both are resigned in shame, duplicity, greed and evil,” he said.

KARACHI: A judicial magistrate on Saturday granted bail to a serving police officer’s son, who was arrested in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) following a heated argument with officials for having a police number plate on a private luxury vehicle.

A video of the man, identified as the son of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nasim Ara Panhwar, arguing with policemen had gone viral on social media. He was released from custody late on Friday night on personal surety, police sources said.

A first information report (FIR) was registered against the suspect by the Defence police on Friday on the complaint of Sub-Inspector Shazan Shakeel.

It invoked sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from the discharge of his duty), 186 (obstructing a public servant), 170 (personating a public servant) and 171 (wearing garb or carrying a token used by a public servant with fraudulent intent) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

On Saturday, the suspect appeared before the court of Judicial Magistrate (South) Aasim Aslam, who took up his bail application. Advocate Osama Ali and Faisal argued before the court as the suspect’s counsel.

Advocate Ali contended that the FIR had been filed “even though an understanding had been reached between the police and the suspect”.

The court order, seen by Dawn, stated that the suspect was “produced in police custody” and “did not complain of maltreatment at the hands of police”.

While the investigating officer (IO) sought physical custody of the suspect “for further interrogation and collecting evidence”, the judge noted that the PPC sections invoked in the FIR were bailable offences.

Therefore, the court granted bail to the suspect against surety bonds worth Rs50,000. In case of failure to pay, the suspect shall be remanded into judicial custody until May 15.

The magistrate further ordered the IO to complete the investigation and submit a final report within the stipulated time as per the law.

In his complaint, the police official had said he was on patrolling duty along with other personnel near Qayyumabad in DHA’s Phase 7, when they spotted a “suspicious” black Toyota Revo with police lights and tinted windows. He added that the driver refrained from disclosing his name and said he should be let go as “my mother is an SP and this car belongs to her”.

According to the FIR, the driver was informed that having police lights and tinted glasses on a private vehicle was a crime, following which he ordered “gunmen accompanying him” to push the complainant.

Shakeel said he opened the car’s door and attempted to arrest the driver, upon which the latter grabbed his collar and started hurling abuses at him, before fleeing from the spot.

Police deny SSP stormed station where her son was held

Meanwhile, police denied that SSP Panhwar, along with her gunmen, stormed the police station where her son was held.

South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that she “visited” the police station to argue that her son was innocent and was being “victimised”.

At the same time, the official said that while attitudes may need to improve, a cop has the authority to stop and check a vehicle bearing fake number plates.

Earlier, the South Zone police in a statement said the vehicle concerned was seized while its driver was formally arrested. Departmental proceedings have been initiated against the police guards present in the seized vehicle, while the attitude of the policemen present at the checkpost was also being probed, it said.

The Clifton superintendent of police (SP) has been appointed as an inquiry officer to this effect, said the statement.

“No one is above the law,” South Zone police said, adding that relatives of the police officers were not allowed to use official vehicles. The police urged the citizens to avoid using fancy or official number plates, or hooters and police lights on private vehicles; otherwise, strict legal action would be taken.

The suspect charged with storming a security checkpoint and firing a shotgun near the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday mocked security measures at the Washington Hilton that allowed him to get close to United States President Donald Trump.

“I expected security cameras at every bend, bugged hotel rooms, armed agents every 10 feet, metal detectors out the wazoo,” the hotel guest identified by law enforcement as Cole Allen, 31, said in a manifesto ahead of the attack. “What I got,” he added, “is nothing”.

Allen’s attack heightened a decades-old problem for the hotel industry: how to tighten security while maintaining a sense of warmth and hospitality. Some new security firms are offering AI-powered monitoring solutions, but hotels have been slow to adopt anything that could spike costs and infringe on the privacy of guests.

“Security is going to continue to improve with technology in identifying strange behaviour. But at the end of the day, it’s a hospitality business where customers have to feel welcome,” said Nicolas Graf, a professor of hospitality management at New York University.

Allen moved through the building before charging a checkpoint on a floor above the ballroom where Trump was dining with 2,600 journalists, government officials and others. Trump was safely evacuated and the guests were unharmed, but the breach showed the risks at such events come from inside hotels.

Hotel attackers have repeatedly exploited the same vulnerabilities: multiple access points, guests arriving at all hours, uneven screening, and blurred lines between public space and protected zones.

“Not every guest in the building is screened the same way, which is why zoning and access control become critical,” noted Morgan Stevens, senior vice president for global security operations at Crisis24.

Hotels must boost security to save lives, but also need to watch their spending. The top nine hotel, casino and resort companies by revenue generated about $102 billion in 2025, but have faced margin pressure in recent years.

After the attack, the Washington Hilton hotel said it had been operating under “stringent” Secret Service protocols. Hilton Worldwide Holdings declined to comment for this story, but the steps taken following the attack on Saturday followed a familiar pattern.

Law enforcement sealed off the hotel. Investigators retraced the suspect’s path. Security experts debated what should have been done differently.

Allen was charged with attempted assassination, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and illegally transporting guns and ammunition across state lines when he took a train from his hometown in California. He has not yet entered a plea.

Hard to secure

Hotels rarely shut down for major events but employ access controls like separate elevators or restricted floors.

It typically takes several days to a week to secure a hotel ahead of a major event, experts said. Security teams conduct site surveys, establish credential systems, and divide the property into controlled zones.

But other guests can still move through lobbies, restaurants and guest floors alongside screened attendees. That creates unavoidable security gaps, they said.

“Hotels employ a layered approach to safety and security,” said a spokesperson for the American Hotel and Lodging Association. Precautions include trained staff, surveillance systems, access control and coordination with law enforcement, the spokesperson said.

Robert McDonald, assistant professor at the University of New Haven and a retired supervisory Secret Service agent, said the agency typically works with hotel security, local police and the White House administration to develop a security plan rather than closing hotels outright.

The latest incident shook the confidence in that model. Trump said afterwards that the hotel was “not a particularly secure building”.

Reuters reported that US law enforcement officials were reassessing security at the Washington Hilton, outside of which president Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981 by John Hinckley, leading some to call it the “Hinckley Hilton”.

After that shooting, the Hilton added a secure garage allowing presidential motorcades to arrive inside the building, and adopted wider use of magnetometers and tighter press controls, McDonald said.

Around the world, other major attacks at hotels have prompted security changes. A turning point was the 2008 assault on the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai, which left 31 people dead inside the property.

“The industry has improved quite significantly since” that Mumbai attack, NYU’s Graf said.

In 2017, a man aiming out the window of a 32nd-storey suite at the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas gunned down 58 people attending a nearby concert, the deadliest mass shooting in US history. Hundreds more were injured.

Costly security upgrades

Hotels are starting to consider AI-powered weapons detection, but experts said making meaningful upgrades would be costly and complex.

Shortly before the December 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Hilton in Midtown Manhattan, AI security firm Xtract One said it had received an inquiry from the chief security officer of a major hotel chain about its weapons-detection system.

As of now, no rollout has followed.

“This is a complex problem to solve, not simply addressed by putting in a single screening device,” said Xtract One CEO Peter Evans. He noted the heavy volume of people, multiple entrances, and the variety of luggage moving through large hotels.

Interest has been stronger in some international markets, Evans said, especially in Mexico where cartel violence has frightened travellers and hurt revenues.

Anthony Varchetto, co-founder of Blue Star Security, said hotels often allocate resources toward external threats while underestimating risks posed by registered guests.

“That’s a common oversight, he said. People get complacent, they understaff, and a lot of it comes down to budget.”

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Header image: Members of the media work near the Washington Hilton hotel, where a shooting incident at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, in Washington, DC, US on April 26, 2026. — Reuters/File

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while chairing a meeting on energy sector reforms on Saturday, directed the authorities concerned to formulate a comprehensive strategy to stabilise electricity tariffs.

During the meeting, the prime minister stressed the need to provide relief to both industrial and domestic electricity consumers and instructed officials concerned to take concrete measures in this regard. He also called for significant improvements in the power transmission system to reduce line losses.

Highlighting the importance of modernisation, the premier stressed the use of advanced technology in the energy sector and ordered the promotion of renewable energy projects to address the country’s energy shortfall.

He further underscored the need to enhance digital facilities to make electricity bill payments more convenient for consumers.

PM Shehbaz also directed to continue strict measures against electricity theft and reiterated that an uninterrupted energy supply was essential for promoting industrial growth.

He stated that providing relief to domestic consumers remained one of the government’s top priorities.

He added that reforms in the energy sector would be implemented keeping in view the broader interests of the public and industry.

Meanwhile, during the meeting, officials presented recommendations regarding electricity consumption for both domestic users and the industrial sector.

The meeting was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari, Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik and others.

Last month, it emerged that the government is preparing a new power tariff structure to encourage industrial consumers to maximise their operations during the daytime and minimise them during peak consumption hours in the evening.

The power minister discussed the concept with World Bank Country Director Bolormaa Amgaabaza. The minister informed the World Bank official that the Power Division, after assessing concessional tariffs, was currently working on time-of-use proposals to further enhance energy competitiveness.

PESHAWAR: A tribal gathering convened by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Saturday decided that a jirga will be formed to hold talks with the federal government and other stakeholders on drone attacks in the province.

In the past few days, CM Afridi has condemned “persistent drone attacks” in KP, even hinting at introducing legislation to criminalise collateral damage in such incidents.

On Saturday, a “loya (grand) jirga” was held at CM House, where tribal elders had been invited to decide the future course of action.

According to a statement issued by CM House, all participants of the loya jirga demanded “negotiations with stakeholders”, and therefore, it was decided to give talks “another chance”.

It was decided that a smaller jirga will be formed, which will hold talks with the federal government and other stakeholders. “If negotiations fail, a march towards Islamabad will be undertaken, and there will be no return until peace is secured,” the statement read.

The CM House statement further said that the jirga will also “struggle for the financial and Constitutional rights” promised to the tribal districts at the time of the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas’ (Fata) merger.

“When Fata was merged, a promise was made to give us Rs100 billion annually. For the merged districts, this amounts to Rs800bn, of which only Rs168bn have been given,” Afridi was quoted as saying, noting that if the population share of the merged districts was included, KP’s share in the National Finance Commission Award would increase from 14.6 per cent to 19pc.

The loss of lives of women, children and elders in drone attacks was strongly condemned during the gathering, the CM House statement said.

CM Afridi also “expressed deep regret over the improper conduct towards jirga members at checkpoints today”, stating that such an attitude was breeding hatred among the people.

“Starting today, practical measures will be taken to prevent drone attacks,” the statement announced. It noted that “miscreant elements attempted to re-enter Malakand but were rejected by the people”, calling on the residents of the tribal districts to also rise for peace.

The statement quoted CM Afridi as saying that “22 major military operations and over 14,000 intelligence-based operations have failed to establish peace”.

“The failure to achieve peace despite having all the resources is alarming … if these resources were handed over to me, I guarantee peace within 100 days,” he said.

The KP CM said the tribal youth were “being pushed toward provocation so they can be targeted”, adding that the people would keep up their “struggle for peace under all circumstances”.

“We have the right to self-defence against those who do not uphold the law and the Constitution,” the chief minister noted.

He also recalled that in the first cabinet meeting chaired by him on Nov 14, 2025, a decision was made to repeal the Actions (in Aid of Civil Power) Regulation 2011, which had been extended to the entire KP in 2019.

CM Afridi claimed that “970 individuals, whom they call terrorists, are being held in various detention centres without anyone’s knowledge”, adding that the KP government had sent letters seeking their names but “received no response”.

“If a list of those in custody exists, a complete account of every person can be maintained,” he emphasised.

Addressing a cabinet meeting on Friday, CM Afridi had expressed his intention to protest against drone attacks in his province, saying that these attacks were resulting in “collateral damage”.

On Tuesday, CM Afridi had convened a meeting of lawmakers from the merged districts at CM House, where it was decided that the issue would be taken up in the KP Assembly. The meeting had been organised by Afridi following a drone strike in his native Khyber district, which claimed the life of a minor girl and injured six members of a family a day earlier. The family of the slain girl held a protest in Peshawar near the Hayatabad toll plaza, and were dispersed by violent police action.

Subsequently, at a KP Assembly session on Thursday, Afridi questioned the results of military operations during the last 20 years and hinted at legislation to curb collateral damage.

“We held a meeting on bringing a law against drone attacks, but ‘they’ have protected themselves in the Constitution against drone attacks … However, we can legislate against collateral damage,” he said, without specifying further.

A senior Iranian military officer said on Saturday that renewed fighting with the US was “likely”, hours after President Donald Trump said he was not satisfied with an Iranian negotiating proposal. Iran delivered the new draft to mediator Pakistan on Thursday evening, state media reported, without detailing its contents. The war, launched by the United States and Israel in late February, has been on hold since April 8, with one failed round of peace talks having taken place in Pakistan since...