Secretary of State Marco Rubio, right, greets Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar at the Department of State. Getty Images
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, right, greets Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar at the Department of State. Getty Images
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, right, greets Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar at the Department of State. Getty Images
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, right, greets Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar at the Department of State. Getty Images

Pakistan and US finalising trade deal, foreign minister says


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Islamabad will soon finalise a trade deal with Washington, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday.

Pakistan is seeking reprieve from the 29 per cent “reciprocal” tariffs initially imposed by the Trump administration.

“We are very close to finalising a deal with the US,” Mr Dar, who also serves as Deputy Prime Minister, said at an Atlantic Council event, noting that an agreement was expected within days.

“Our teams have been here in Washington discussing, having virtual meetings, and a committee has been tasked by the Prime Minister to fine tune [a deal]".

Mr Dar earlier met Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the State Department.

“The secretary underscored the importance of expanding mutually beneficial bilateral trade and exploring prospects for enhancing collaboration in the critical minerals and mining sectors,” the State Department said in a statement.

Relations between Islamabad and Washington have been showing signs of improvement in recent months, with President Donald Trump inviting Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir for talks at the White House.

Mr Dar’s visit is a sign of Pakistan’s growing influence in the multilateral arena as well as in its relations with the US, the foreign office said in a statement on July 19.

Semi-final fixtures

Portugal v Chile, 7pm, today

Germany v Mexico, 7pm, tomorrow

FIXTURES

New Zealand v France, second Test
Saturday, 12.35pm (UAE)
Auckland, New Zealand

South Africa v Wales
Sunday, 12.40am (UAE), San Juan, Argentina

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C600rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C500-4%2C000rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10.9L%2F100km%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh119%2C900%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

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The winners

Fiction

  • ‘Amreekiya’  by Lena Mahmoud
  •  ‘As Good As True’ by Cheryl Reid

The Evelyn Shakir Non-Fiction Award

  • ‘Syrian and Lebanese Patricios in Sao Paulo’ by Oswaldo Truzzi;  translated by Ramon J Stern
  • ‘The Sound of Listening’ by Philip Metres

The George Ellenbogen Poetry Award

  • ‘Footnotes in the Order  of Disappearance’ by Fady Joudah

Children/Young Adult

  •  ‘I’ve Loved You Since Forever’ by Hoda Kotb 
We Weren’t Supposed to Survive But We Did

We weren’t supposed to survive but we did.      
We weren’t supposed to remember but we did.              
We weren’t supposed to write but we did.  
We weren’t supposed to fight but we did.              
We weren’t supposed to organise but we did.
We weren’t supposed to rap but we did.        
We weren’t supposed to find allies but we did.
We weren’t supposed to grow communities but we did.        
We weren’t supposed to return but WE ARE.
Amira Sakalla

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Aayan%E2%80%99s%20records
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MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League final:

Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports

Ordinary Virtues: Moral Order in a Divided World by Michael Ignatieff
Harvard University Press

The biog

Most memorable achievement: Leading my first city-wide charity campaign in Toronto holds a special place in my heart. It was for Amnesty International’s Stop Violence Against Women program and showed me the power of how communities can come together in the smallest ways to have such wide impact.

Favourite film: Childhood favourite would be Disney’s Jungle Book and classic favourite Gone With The Wind.

Favourite book: To Kill A Mockingbird for a timeless story on justice and courage and Harry Potters for my love of all things magical.

Favourite quote: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill

Favourite food: Dim sum

Favourite place to travel to: Anywhere with natural beauty, wildlife and awe-inspiring sunsets.

Updated: July 26, 2025, 5:10 PM