Pakistan, India agree on ceasefire with immediate effect

Pakistan and India announced on Saturday that they agreed on a ceasefire.

The announcement came following four days of military strikes on each other.

Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Saturday that Pakistan and India have agreed on a ceasefire with immediate effect.

"Pakistan has always strived for peace and security in the region, without compromising on its sovereignty and territorial integrity," Dar said.

He said that after the recent escalation and military activities on both sides, several countries, including the U.S., Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, were in contact with Pakistan.

Diplomatic efforts were underway throughout the day, following which a ceasefire agreement was reached, he added.

Ukraine ready for 30-day truce with Russia starting Monday

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Saturday that Kiev is ready for a "full and unconditional" 30-day ceasefire with Russia starting Monday.

Sybiha made the statement in a post on social media X, following a meeting with leaders of the "coalition of the willing," an initiative led by Britain and France in support of Ukraine.

A durable ceasefire can pave the way to peace negotiations, Sybiha said.

Earlier in the day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with leaders of the coalition, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

According to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, the five leaders also held a "fruitful call" with U.S. President Donald Trump, focusing on peace efforts.

China, U.S. high-level economic, trade meeting starts in Geneva

China and the United States kicked off on Saturday a high-level meeting on economic and trade affairs in Geneva, Switzerland.

As the Chinese lead person for China-U.S. economic and trade affairs, He Lifeng, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and vice premier, attended the meeting with the U.S. lead person Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Explosions heard in Indian-controlled Kashmir hours after India-Pakistan ceasefire

Loud blasts were heard in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Saturday evening, just three hours after India and Pakistan agreed to observe a ceasefire and end military actions, officials said.

The massive blasts were audible in Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

According to the region's Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, explosions were heard across Srinagar. "This is no ceasefire. The air defense units in the middle of Srinagar just opened up."

It was reported that in Akhnoor, Rajouri, and R S Pura sections, the two sides exchanged heavy shelling and artillery. The exchange of fire was also reported along the Line of Control (LoC) in Palanwalla section of Jammu.

Immediately after the blasts, a blackout was enforced.

4 civilians injured in ceasefire violations by Indian forces in Pakistan's Punjab

At least four civilians were injured on Saturday in two separate incidents of unprovoked ceasefire violations by Indian forces in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province, official sources told Xinhua.

The violations took place along the Working Boundary in Sialkot district, which separates Pakistan's Punjab province from the Indian-controlled Kashmir, according to the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.

In the first incident, at around 6:00 p.m. local time, an 18-year-old girl sustained a back injury in Pasrur area of Sialkot.

A second incident occurred when Indian forces opened fire between 6:23 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. local time in Harpal section, targeting civilian settlements.

"Three members of a local family from Jangal village were also injured in unprovoked firing from the Indian side," the sources added.

Ceasefire violations were also reported in Kotli, Bhimber, Chamb, and Keran sections along the Line of Control dividing Kashmir, the sources said.

Israeli army says conducted 60 airstrikes in Gaza Strip

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Saturday said in a statement that its Air Force attacked about 60 terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip over the past day.

The statement added that under the intelligence guidance of the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), the IDF killed militants and dismantled terrorist infrastructure sites above and below ground.

Two of the militants were killed in the northern Gaza Strip after they approached Israeli armored troops and posed a threat to them, according to the IDF.

Simultaneously, IDF armored troops operating in Rafah and the Morag Corridor route in the southern Gaza Strip struck a booby-trapped compound from which several militants were operating and posed a threat to the troops, the statement said.

Gaza "dying of thirst" as water systems collapse: water authority

The Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) warned on Saturday that the Gaza Strip is facing a water crisis and "dying of thirst" due to the near-total collapse of water and sanitation services amid the ongoing conflict with Israel.

In a statement, the authority said Israeli military operations, widespread infrastructure damage, power outages, and restrictions on fuel and essential supplies have brought water services to a near standstill.

The PWA reported that 85 percent of water and sanitation facilities in the enclave have been severely damaged, leaving residents with an average of just three to five liters of water per person per day -- well below the World Health Organization's minimum emergency standard of 15 liters.

The statement also warned of growing public health risks, citing the discharge of untreated wastewater into residential areas and the use of salty, undrinkable water by residents.

The PWA accused Israel of violating international humanitarian law and called for an immediate halt to military operations, an end to what it described as "systematic occupation practices," the lifting of the blockade, and the protection of water sector workers.■