live Houthi attacks target Riyadh as Iran sets conditions for reopening Strait of Hormuz
Houthi attacks target Riyadh amid concerns over Saudi oil supplies, as Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions are m...
China’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyong, has met Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, in Islamabad to discuss the China-facilitated Urumqi Process and regional security concerns.
Yue Xiaoyong, said the meeting focused on the China-facilitated process launched in April.
“It was a great pleasure meeting with Ambassador Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, today in Islamabad,” Yue said in a post on X.
“We recalled the great celebrations recently held in both countries for the 75th anniversary of our strongest diplomatic ties and discussed constructively about the Urumqi Process started in April,” he added.
Sadiq said the talks also focused on security threats in the region.
“Welcomed my Chinese counterpart Ambassador Yue Xiaoyong and his delegation to Islamabad,” Sadiq said.
“Held productive talks on regional security, including threats from TTP and ETIM operating from Afghan soil. Agreed to strengthen coordination and synchronize counter-terrorism efforts to protect regional peace and stability,” he added.
The Urumqi Process refers to informal talks hosted by China in Urumqi, Xinjiang, from 1 to 7 April. The discussions brought together officials from Afghanistan, Pakistan and China, including representatives from foreign affairs, defence and security departments.
Chinese officials said the three sides agreed that dialogue was the most viable way to resolve disputes and that terrorism remained one of the main issues affecting relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Pakistan has demanded that Kabul take visible and verifiable action against Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Islamabad says operates from Afghan soil. Kabul, however, rejects the claim.
In an interview with the BBC on Sunday, Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesperson for the Afghan authorities, said some of Pakistan’s demands were unrealistic.
“Problems can be resolved through dialogue and mutual understanding, and there is no issue without a solution. However, some of Pakistan’s demands are unrealistic and cannot be implemented by Afghanistan,” Fitrat said.
He said Afghanistan’s position was based on respect for its territorial integrity and national sovereignty, as well as an end to attacks on the Afghan people.
Previous mediation efforts by Qatar, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia have failed to produce a long-term settlement between the two neighbours. While those initiatives helped keep channels of dialogue open, no agreement has so far ended the violence or resolved the main security disputes between Kabul and Islamabad.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said it documented 372 civilian deaths and 397 injuries resulting from cross-border armed violence between 1 January and 31 March 2026.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy said a Togo-flagged oil tanker was struck while attempting to make an “illegal passage” through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media said early on Friday.
Saudi civil defence sent an all-clear on Saturday after issuing alerts for a second time for potential danger in Riyadh and the city of Al-Kharj east of the capital, amid an uptick in attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis on the Gulf country.
The European Union will disburse €3.3 billion ($3.8 billion) to Ukraine for missiles and drones, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The U.S. State Department approved a $2.7 billion military sale to Ukraine for air-defence development upgrades, along with related equipment and services, the department said. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported at least 10 people had died in Russian attacks over the last 24 hours.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 18 September 2026. These are the top five stories making headlines in the field of science.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has cleared the criminal record of former soldier Elor Azaria, who was convicted of manslaughter for shooting dead a wounded Palestinian in the West Bank in 2016.
Saudi civil defence sent an all-clear on Saturday after issuing alerts for a second time for potential danger in Riyadh and the city of Al-Kharj east of the capital, amid an uptick in attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis on the Gulf country.
Uzbekistan’s grape exports have grown rapidly. In January-August 2025, the country exported 86,200 tonnes of fresh grapes worth $78.3 million to 19 countries but can it turn these crops into a recognisable international product?
The death toll in a suicide attack at a police compound in northwest Pakistan has reached 31, AFP reported on Saturday, citing a police official.
Azerbaijan has rejected France’s justification for advising its citizens against travel to the country, after Paris cited risks of arbitrary detention and unfair trials.
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