International News
India controls world cricket now, says Imran Khan
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that money has become a “big player” in cricket and that countries like New Zealand and England wouldn’t have dared to cancel their tours of India because “India controls” the sport.
The former Pakistan skipper added that “England let itself down” by deciding to cancel the men’s and women’s teams’ short tour of Pakistan recently, days after the New Zealand cricket team decided to abandon their while-ball series and fly out of Pakistan citing “security fears”.
In an interview to Middle East Eye, Imran said, “Money is a big player now. For the players, as well as for the cricket boards. The money lies in India, so basically, India controls world cricket now. I mean, they do, whatever they say goes. No one would dare do that to India because they know that the sums involved, India can sort of produce much more money.”
In the wake of the New Zealand and England cricket teams cancelling their tours of Pakistan, some Pakistan ministers and former cricketers have started dragging India’s name in their statements. They are also allegedly blaming the Indian cricket board (BCCI) for the cancellation of their tours.
In fact, a senior BCCI official had told IANS recently that Pakistan has an old habit of ‘using’ India’s name in all their ‘big or small news’ that too without any proof. “We wish Ramiz Raja (PCB chief) good luck…Pakistan cricket reaches new heights under him. We want to clear one thing that the BCCI has no role in the cancellation of England and New Zealand tours to Pakistan,” a BCCI official had told IANS.
Imran said in his interview that England think they do Pakistan a great favour by touring the country.
“England let itself down (by cancelling the series). I think that there is still this feeling in England that they do a great favour to play with countries like Pakistan. One of the reasons is that, obviously, the money,” the Pakistan PM said.
In fact PCB chief Raja too has spoken on similar lines, saying that, “The ICC is a politicised body divided between the Asian and Western blocs and 90 per cent of its revenues are generated from India. It is frightening. In a way, India’s business houses are running Pakistan cricket and if tomorrow the Indian PM decides he will not allow any funding to Pakistan, this cricket board can collapse.”
International News
US failed to gain Iran’s trust during talks: Iranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf

Tehran, April 12: Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf said on Sunday that the US failed to gain Iran’s trust during recent negotiations, despite what he described as Tehran’s willingness to engage in “good faith”.
In a series of posts on X, Ghalibaf stated that the Iranian delegation raised “forward-looking initiatives”, however, the US failed to gain its trust. He mentioned that the US has to decide whether it can earn Iran’s trust and logic, as it has understood Tehran’s logic and principles.
“Before the negotiations, I emphasised that we have the necessary good faith and will, but due to the experiences of the two previous wars, we have no trust in the opposing side. My colleagues on the Iranian delegation raised forward-looking initiatives, but the opposing side ultimately failed to gain the trust of the Iranian delegation in this round of negotiations,” Ghalibaf posted on X.
In another post, he wrote: “America has understood our logic and principles, and now it’s time for it to decide whether it can earn our trust or not?”
His statement comes as high-level talks between US and Iranian officials in Pakistan failed to produce an agreement. The Speaker led the Iranian delegation during the negotiations with the US in Islamabad.
Ghalibaf also hailed the people of Iran for taking to the streets following the advice of the Supreme Leader and expressed gratitude to his colleagues for attending the 21-hour negotiations.
In a post on X, he stated: “We consider every mirror to be another method of authority diplomacy, alongside military struggle, for upholding the rights of the Iranian nation, and we will not for a moment cease our efforts to consolidate the achievements of the forty days of Iran’s national defence.”
“Iran is a body with 90 million souls, from all the heroic people of Iran who, following the advice of the Supreme Leader and by taking to the streets, supported their children and sent us on our way with their blessings—for this, I am grateful, and to my colleagues in these intense 21-hour negotiations, I say: well done, God strengthen you,” he posted on X.
The failed talks mark a setback in efforts to revive diplomatic engagement over Iran’s nuclear programme, which has long been a point of contention between Washington and Tehran. Previous negotiations have stalled over verification measures, sanctions relief and the scope of Iran’s enrichment activities.
Meanwhile, US Vice President J D Vance said negotiations with Iran failed to produce an agreement after more than 20 hours of talks in Islamabad, warning that Tehran’s refusal to accept Washington’s terms was “bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America”.
“We have been at it now for 21 hours, and we’ve had a number of substantive discussions with the Iranians. That’s the good news. The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement,” Vance told reporters at a press conference in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The Vice President said US negotiators had clearly outlined their position, but Tehran declined to accept the terms.
“We’ve made very clear what our red lines are, what things we’re willing to accommodate them on, and what things we’re not willing to accommodate them on, and we’ve made that as clear as we possibly could, and they have chosen not to accept our terms,” he said.
Vance emphasised that the core US objective remained preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons capability.
“The simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,” he said.
He added that Washington was seeking long-term assurances from Tehran, not temporary commitments.
“Do we see a fundamental commitment of will for the Iranians not to develop a nuclear weapon, not just now, not just two years from now, but for the long term. We haven’t seen that yet. We hope that we will,” Vance said.
He confirmed that Washington has put forward what it considers its final proposal.
International News
We have not forgotten US breaches: Iran hardens stand amid peace talks

Tehran, April 12: Iran has taken a firm stance amid ongoing negotiations with the US, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei declaring that the country “has not forgotten and will not forget” past breaches of promise by the United States, underscoring deep mistrust even as talks continue in Islamabad.
In a detailed post on X, Baqaei stated, “Diplomacy for us is the continuation of the sacred jihad of the defenders of the Iranian land. We have not forgotten and will not forget the experiences of America’s breaches of promise and malicious acts. Just as we will not forgive the heinous crimes committed by them and the Zionist regime during the course of the second and third imposed wars.”
He described the negotiations as intense and prolonged, noting, “Today was a busy and long day for the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Islamabad. The intensive negotiations that began from the morning of Saturday with Pakistan’s benevolent efforts and mediation have continued without interruption until now, and numerous messages and texts have been exchanged between the two sides.”
Highlighting the determination of the Iranian delegation, Baqaei added, “The Iranian negotiators are employing all their capabilities, experience, and knowledge to safeguard Iran’s rights and interests. The heavy loss of our great elders, dear ones, and fellow countrymen has made our resolve to pursue the Iranian nation’s interests and rights firmer than ever before.”
Reaffirming Iran’s broader stance, he said, “Nothing can or should deter us from pursuing our great historical mission toward our beloved homeland and noble Iranian civilization. The Islamic Republic of Iran is determined to utilize all tools, including diplomacy, to secure national interests and protect the country’s well-being.”
According to Baqaei, discussions over the past 24 hours covered key issues including the Strait of Hormuz, the nuclear programme, war reparations, sanctions relief, and ending ongoing regional conflicts. He stressed, “The success of this diplomatic process depends on the seriousness and good faith of the opposing side, refraining from excessive demands and unlawful requests, and the acceptance of Iran’s legitimate rights and interests.”
At the conclusion of the latest round of talks, negotiations between Iran and the United States have been extended for another day at Pakistan’s proposal, with both sides agreeing to continue discussions. The talks, which began at 1 p.m. local time on Saturday, lasted over 14 hours and involved continuous exchanges of messages and draft texts.
According to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency, the extension comes amid continued disagreements, particularly over the Strait of Hormuz and other critical issues. The report noted that while some initial progress had been made, “serious” differences persist, largely due to what Iran describes as “illogical and excessive demands” from the US side.
International News
Trump backs ‘final offer’ after Iran talks fail

Washington, April 12: US President Donald Trump was closely involved in high-stakes nuclear talks with Iran and has backed a “final and best offer” to Tehran after negotiations in Islamabad collapsed without agreement, Vice President J D Vance said.
“We leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding that is our final and best offer. We’ll see if the Irans accept it,” Vance told reporters after 21 hours of negotiations .
The Vice President underscored Trump’s direct role in the talks, describing constant communication between the negotiating team and the White House.
“We were talking to the president consistently. I don’t know how many times we talked to him. A half dozen times, a dozen times over the past 21 hours,” Vance said.
He said the President had instructed negotiators to pursue a deal in good faith but with clear limits.
“The president told us, you need to come here in good faith and make your best effort to get a deal. We did that,” Vance said .
Despite intensive engagement, the talks failed to bridge differences over Iran’s nuclear programme.
“We have been at it now for 21 hours… we’ve had a number of substantive discussions with the Iranians. That’s the good news. The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement,” he said .
Washington, he added, had clearly laid out its negotiating boundaries.
“We’ve made very clear what our red lines are… and they have chosen not to accept our terms,” Vance said .
At the core of the impasse is the US demand for a long-term guarantee that Iran will not pursue nuclear weapons capability.
“We need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon and they will not seek the tools that would enable ’em to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,” he said .
Vance emphasised that Washington is seeking durable assurances, not temporary pledges.
“Do we see a fundamental commitment of will for the Iranians not to develop a nuclear weapon? Not just now, not just two years from now, but for the long term. We haven’t seen that yet,” he said .
He also highlighted the broader national security coordination behind the negotiations, noting that the team remained in touch with senior officials throughout.
“We obviously also talked to… the entire national security team… because we were negotiating in good faith,” Vance said .
While declining to disclose specific sticking points, Vance maintained that the US side had shown flexibility.
“I think that we were quite flexible. We were quite accommodating… and unfortunately we weren’t able to make any headway,” he said.
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