“If they ⁠want to talk, they ​can come to us, or ​they can call us. You know, there is a telephone. We have nice, ​secure lines,” Trump said ​in an interview on Fox News’ “The Sunday ‌Briefing.”

Trump ⁠cancelled a trip by his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan on Saturday, ​dealing a ​new ⁠setback to peace prospects after Iranian Foreign Minister ​Abbas Araghchi departed Islamabad ​after ⁠speaking only to Pakistani officials.

Araghchi has since returned to Pakistan ⁠despite ​the absence of ​US counterparts.

Saturday’s ballot marked the first elections of any kind in Gaza since 2006 and the first Palestinian polls since the Gaza war began more than two ​years ago with Hamas’ cross‑border attack on southern Israel.

Abbas’ West Bank–based Palestinian Authority (PA) said the inclusion of the Gaza city ​Deir al‑Balah, which suffered less damage than other areas of the coastal territory during the war, was ⁠intended to show that Gaza was an inseparable part of a future Palestinian state.

The elections, in which voter turnout was low, had ​been held “at a highly sensitive moment amid complex challenges and exceptional circumstances”, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa said as results were announced on ​Sunday.

But they represented “an important first step in a broader national process aimed at strengthening democratic life … and ultimately achieving the unity of the homeland”, he said.

Possible indicator of Hamas support

Hamas, which ousted the PA from Gaza in 2007, did not formally nominate candidates in Gaza and boycotted the race in the ​Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Fatah’s victory was widely expected.

But some candidates on one of the Deir al-Balah lists were widely seen by ​residents and analysts as aligned with the movement, making the vote a potential indicator of support for the Islamist group.

Preliminary results showed that the list, ‌known as ⁠Deir al‑Balah Brings Us Together, won only two of the 15 seats contested in Gaza.

The Nahdat Deir al‑Balah list, backed by Abbas’ Fatah party and the Western-backed PA, secured six seats. The remaining seats were won by two other Gaza-based groups, Future of Deir al‑Balah and Peace and Building, not affiliated with either faction.

Abbas loyalists swept the election in the West Bank, running unchallenged in many seats.

Fatah spokesperson ​Abdul Fattah Dawla noted that turnout ​was close to that for ⁠the last municipal elections in the West Bank in 2022, praising voters for participating despite ongoing violence by Israel.

“By electing figures linked to Fatah, voters appear to be seeking unrestricted international support for municipal ​governance and a gradual political shift that could extend beyond the local level,” said Palestinian political ​analyst Reham Ouda.

The recent ⁠war has left much of Gaza reduced to rubble, with many residents displaced and focused on survival. Israel has continued conducting strikes despite an October ceasefire.

In Gaza, voter turnout reached just 23%, while in the West Bank it was 56%, according to Chairman of the Central Elections Commission ⁠Rami al‑Hamdallah.

Al‑Hamdallah ​said some of the ballot boxes and voting equipment did not make it ​into the enclave because of Israeli security restrictions, though those challenges were overcome.

Hamas’ Gaza spokesperson, Hazem Qassem, downplayed the significance of the election results, saying that they had ​no impact on wider national issues.

An ITP official told APP on Sunday that Chief Traffic Officer Muhammad Sarfraz Virk and other traffic officers were also present on the occasion.

IGP Rizvi reviewed the newly established paperless counters and issued directions regarding the smooth implementation of the system.

The initiative had been taken to facilitate citizens and save their valuable time.

He said earlier, citizens were required to fill out medical forms, attach photographs and submit multiple documents during the licensing process. He said under the new system, citizens would no longer need to bring documents, photocopies or photographs. He said the entire process, from medical examination to issuance of a driving licence, had been made completely paperless.

The IGP appreciated CTO Muhammad Sarfraz Virk and his team for completing the project in a short time. He added that the licensing fee system would also be digitalised soon.

The official said citizens would now only need to bring their Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) to obtain a driving licence from the Islamabad Traffic Police.

Araghchi’s return to Islamabad is aimed at conveying an important message to Pakistani authorities, according to sources. His delegation had briefly returned to Tehran for consultations and is expected to rejoin him.

Araghchi travelled to Pakistan from Oman’s capital, where he held meetings with political leaders to discuss regional developments and bilateral relations.

Sources said Araghchi is scheduled to leave for Moscow later on Sunday.

The visit follows earlier talks in Islamabad between Iranian officials and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, as well as military leaders, focusing on security issues and the evolving regional situation. Despite those discussions, no breakthrough was achieved.

Pakistani officials have said they remain willing to facilitate dialogue, keeping the door open for further diplomatic engagement.

Araghchi had previously left Islamabad on Saturday without progress in talks aimed at addressing tensions linked to the US-Israel stance toward Iran. Iranian officials described Washington’s position as “maximalist,” while US officials viewed Tehran’s demands as unacceptable, sources said.

“The leaders ​discussed the urgent need to get shipping moving again in ​the Strait of Hormuz, ​given the severe consequences for the ‌global ⁠economy and cost of living for people in the UK and globally,” ​the ​spokesperson ⁠for Starmer’s office said in a ​statement.

“The prime minister shared ​the ⁠latest progress on his joint initiative with President (Emmanuel) Macron ⁠to ​restore freedom of ​navigation,” the spokesperson added.

In ​talks in Muscat with ‌Oman’s ⁠Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said, Araghchi said the US ​military presence ​in ⁠the Middle East was ​fuelling insecurity and ​division ⁠and called for a regional security ⁠framework ​free of ​outside interference.

The area consumed by the fires reached 1,373 hectares (3,393 ​acres) as of early Sunday morning, up 7% from ​a day earlier.

The fires threaten residential districts of Otsuchi ⁠on the Pacific Coast - a town that lost nearly a ​tenth of its population in one of Japan’s worst disasters, the ​March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Evacuation orders are in place for 1,541 households or 3,233 residents, roughly a third of Otsuchi’s population.

“Although the Self-Defence Forces are ​fighting the fires from the sky (with helicopters), the dry weather ​and winds are helping the fires expand,” Otsuchi Mayor Kozo Hirano told ‌a ⁠press conference.

One Otsuchi resident said he worried about the damage the wildfire could inflict.

“A fire burns everything down. With a tsunami, you might have something left after the destruction,” Yoshinori Komatsu, 74, said ​as he watched ​Self-Defence Force ⁠helicopters dump water over fires in the distance.

The only casualty to date has been one minor ​injury suffered when a person fell at an ​evacuation centre, ⁠Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency said on its website.

No rain is expected in the region on Sunday or Monday, but a ⁠brief ​shower is forecast on Tuesday, according ​to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The cause of the fires is unclear and under investigation.

“It does appear that he did, in ​fact, have set out to target folks ​that work in the administration, likely including the ⁠President,” Blanche told NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” ​adding that the suspect likely travelled by train ​from Los Angeles to Chicago and then to Washington, DC.

The suspect will be formally charged in federal court on ​Monday with assault of a federal officer and ​discharging a firearm in an attempt to kill a federal ‌officer, ⁠Blanche said.

Blanche said the suspect was not cooperating with investigators as of Sunday morning.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were rushed ​out of ​the White ⁠House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington by Secret Service agents on Saturday ​night after a man opened fire ​on security ⁠personnel nearby.

The man fired a shotgun at a Secret Service agent at a checkpoint in ⁠the ​Washington Hilton hotel before being ​tackled and arrested, officials have said.

According to police officials, the investigation has been completed and it has been established that Kapoor, Fatehi, and other named individuals had no proven link to the alleged drug network.

Authorities said there was no evidence to suggest the involvement of any celebrity in the case.

The case dated back to August 2022 when the Mumbai Police arrested alleged drug trafficker Salim Suhail Shaikh through their Crime Branch and Anti-Narcotics Cell.

According to police, mephedrone worth Rs1.19 lakh was recovered during the operation.

Shaikh revealed to investigators that he had delivered drugs to parties which included multiple public figures as guests.

In 2025, the Anti-Narcotics Cell questioned many celebrities, including Kapoor, Fatehi, and others as part of their investigation.

However, no concrete evidence emerged connecting any of them to drug trafficking or consumption, officials said.

Police added that an initial chargesheet has already been filed against three accused persons, while a supplementary chargesheet will be submitted against two additional arrested individuals and one absconding suspect.

Hundreds of agents from several law enforcement agencies were tasked with protecting the annual bash, which President Donald Trump headlined this year.

Yet a suspect with a shotgun and other weapons managed to get just a floor above the Washington ballroom, where an extraordinary concentration of cabinet members, high-ranking lawmakers and celebrities were dining.

In addition to Trump, ​Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Todd Blanche, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Interior ​Secretary Doug Burgum and various other government officials were in attendance, many with their own security details.

‘Not particularly secure building’

It is too early to definitively say whether there were any law enforcement failures or miscommunications.

But coming less than two years after ​a pair of assassination attempts against Trump during the presidential campaign in 2024, Saturday’s incident suggests even the nation’s most comprehensive personal security apparatus has ​points of vulnerability.

Washington’s police chief said the alleged gunman — who was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and knives — was staying at the Washington Hilton hotel where the dinner took place.

During an impromptu White House press conference after the incident, Trump praised first responders, including the Secret Service.

He also mused about the dangers of being president, ​noting some of his predecessors had been assassinated, but adding that the suspect had not been close to “breaching” the doors of the ballroom.

“It’s not ​particularly a secure building,” Trump said of the hotel about a 10-minute drive from the White House.

It was also the site of a 1981 assassination attempt against ‌then-President Ronald ⁠Reagan.

While the roughly 2,600 attendees were required to pass through metal detectors to enter the basement ballroom, they needed only to show a ticket to enter the hotel itself, which was also open to guests.

With the venue’s entrance surrounded by demonstrators, many protesting the Trump administration’s war against Iran, attendees were quickly waved through.

In video footage, the gunman can be seen charging down a hallway past a security checkpoint.

He then shot an agent, before ​being tackled and handcuffed, according to ​authorities.

Inside the ballroom, attendees were still ⁠eating the spring pea and burrata salad when guests toward the back of the room reported hearing multiple gunshots.

Secret Service agents quickly rushed Trump and Vance off the long head table, though the protective agents for many ​cabinet members and lawmakers — seated on the floor with the journalists and their guests — reacted in different ​fashions.

Some agents clambered ⁠through the packed ballroom, standing on chairs and overturning tableware to reach protectees, while bewildered guests ducked under tables.

Security details for cabinet members, including Rubio, Bessent and Burgum, pushed their protectees to the ground and formed human shields.

Most protectees were eventually ushered out, though the timing of their removals varied significantly, ⁠with some ​being spirited out almost immediately and some staying put for minutes.

Trump, who narrowly escaped death ​in 2024 when a would-be assassin’s bullet skimmed his ear during a campaign stop, was for his part eager to restart the festivities, White House officials said.

He later told journalists the ​Secret Service determined that continuing the event would be impossible.

During the visit, President Zardari was briefed by Chairman of Sany Group, Tang Xiuguo, on the company’s advanced manufacturing systems, product lines and ongoing investments in research and development.

Vice Mayor of Changsha Qian Lixia was also present on the occasion.

The visit focused on exploring avenues for industrial cooperation, technology transfer and investment between Pakistan and China in the engineering and construction machinery sector, the President Secretariat’s media wing said in a press release.

During the visit, the president was given a detailed overview of SANY’s operations, including its core business areas of concrete machinery, excavators, cranes, piling equipment and road machinery.

He was also informed about the company’s financial and operational performance, including its 2024 operating revenue, which was $11.27 billion, product segmentation and sustained investment in innovation and R&D capacity.

The president was accompanied by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, Sindh minister Sharjeel Memon and others.

China’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Jiang Zaidong and Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, Khalil Hashmi, were also present on the occasion.

The president was given a tour of the company’s flagship No. 18 Factory, which is a digitally integrated manufacturing facility recognised for its advanced automation and data-driven production systems.

He was briefed on the factory’s intelligent operations, high automation rate and its role as a benchmark for modern industrial manufacturing.

He noted the scale of technological integration and its relevance for countries seeking to modernise industrial production and improve efficiency.

President Zardari appreciated the scale, sophistication and technological depth of SANY’s manufacturing ecosystem.

He emphasised the importance of strengthening cooperation in industrial technology, skill development and joint ventures that could support Pakistan’s infrastructure and industrial growth.

He also highlighted the potential for collaboration in areas such as construction machinery, digital manufacturing, clean energy and engineering solutions.

Tang Xiuguo underlined the company’s commitment to innovation, digitalisation and international partnerships and informed about the country’s ongoing operations in Pakistan and expressed the willingness to explore opportunities for increased collaboration with Pakistan in manufacturing, technology exchange and capacity building.

In a statement issued during his ongoing five-day visit to China, President Zardari described the incident as a “heinous form of terrorism” and said it deserved the “strongest possible condemnation.”

He also expressed relief that the US president and First Lady were unharmed during the episode.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he was “deeply shocked” by the shooting at the event, which was attended by President Trump and other senior officials before being abruptly interrupted.

“Deeply shocked by the disturbing shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington, DC,” he wrote on X.

He later expressed relief over the safety of all those present, adding that his thoughts and prayers were with the US president and others affected.

According to the PCB, the physical tickets will be available at 18 designated TCS Express Centres in Lahore from Tuesday at 10am.

Fans should aim to reach the stadium by 6.30pm to witness the curtain closing ceremony before the final match of the tournament, the PCB said in a statement.

Fans can buy VIP enclosures (Fazal Mahmood and Imran Khan) tickets for Rs6,000, while the premium enclosures (Rajas and Saeed Anwar) will be available for Rs4,000.

First-class enclosures, which comprise Abdul Hafeez Kardar, Abdul Qadir, Javed Miandad and Sarfaraz Nawaz, are priced at Rs2,000.

Seats in the Hanif Mohammad, Imtiaz Ahmed, Saeed Ahmed and Inzamam-ul-Haq, which are categorised as General enclosures, will be available for a minimum of Rs1,500.

The thrilling action of the HBL PSL 11 final can also be enjoyed from the VVIP enclosure (Waqar Younis) at the Iqbal End, whose tickets can be bought for Rs8,000.

The tickets for the Zaheer Abbas enclosure at the Jinnah End will carry a price of Rs10,000, while the PCB Gallery tickets are priced at Rs12,000, the statement added.

The project, which will be developed within the Nawaz Sharif IT City, will be the country’s first fully integrated “end-to-end” media production hub, offering modern facilities for film, television, animation and digital media under one roof.

Maryam Nawaz said the initiative aims to revive Pakistan’s film industry by providing advanced technology, resources and infrastructure, while reducing reliance on foreign services for visual effects (VFX) and post-production.

The planned Film City will include state-of-the-art studios, sound stages, post-production labs, and purpose-built shooting sets.

A central lake and convention halls for international events and award shows will also be part of the project.

In addition, the development will feature a media trade hub as well as film and music schools to support talent development.

The chief minister said the project is expected to create thousands of direct and indirect job opportunities and boost sectors such as animation, gaming and digital media, strengthening the broader creative economy.

The Film City will be completed in phases, with further details to be announced soon.

A meeting in this regard was presided over by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in Lahore, sources said on Sunday.

The meeting decided to develop major roads in Lahore as model corridors, with strict enforcement of lane and line discipline.

Traffic police have been directed to monitor violations through cameras installed on mobile patrol vehicles.

During the briefing, officials said that over the past six months, traffic police issued more than 500,000 challans and impounded over 100,000 vehicles.

The chief minister ordered a zero-tolerance policy against traffic violations such as zigzag driving, one-way breaches, illegal roadside parking and lane discipline infractions.

A proposal was also discussed to impound motorcycles for three days in police stations for dangerous zigzag driving.

Speaking at the meeting, Maryam Nawaz called on authorities to take stronger steps against underage driving and to roll out a public awareness campaign on traffic rules.

She emphasised the need for practical and effective measures to curb violations in Lahore, while also directing officials to crack down on illegal roadside parking.

Expressing concern over the city’s deteriorating traffic discipline, she tasked officials — including the Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Lahore — with ensuring visible improvements in traffic flow.

According to a spokesperson for the provincial Home Department, the decision has been taken in view of security concerns to ensure public safety, maintain law and order, and protect property.

The restriction will remain in place until May 25.

The statement added that limited use of small drones will be allowed during indoor events at halls and marquees, with organisers responsible for ensuring their safe operation.

The Home Department said intelligence and law enforcement agencies will be exempt from the ban.

Authorities have directed district administrations and police across Punjab to strictly enforce the orders to prevent any untoward incidents.

According to the PCB, the Women’s National Selection Committee named the 15-member squad for the series scheduled to take place at National Bank Stadium in Karachi from May 4 to 9.

The ODI series will be followed by a three-match T20I series, and the squad for the T20I series will be announced in due course.

Fatima Sana will continue to lead the side in the three ODIs — part of ICC Women’s Championship 2025-29.

The ODIs will be played on May 4, 6 and 9, with the first ball of each ball set to be bowled at 3.30pm, the PCB said.

Pakistan are currently placed fifth in the ICC Women’s Championship with two points after featuring in an away ODI series against South Africa earlier this year.

Uncapped Momina Riasat has been included in the 15-member squad.

Zimbabwe women’s team will embark on their maiden tour of Pakistan for the series and will arrive in Karachi on April 29.

Both teams will train at the National Bank Stadium from April 30 to May 3.

The T20I series will follow at the same venue on May 12, 14 and 15, with matches set to begin at 7.30pm.

Pakistan women’s squad:

Fatima Sana (captain), Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Zafar, Diana Baig, Gull Feroza, Momina Riasat, Muneeba Ali (wk), Najiha Alvi (wk), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Rameen Shamim, Sadaf Shamas, Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah and Tasmia Rubab

Reserves: Iram Javed, Eyman Fatima, Saira Jabeen, Tuba Hassan and Ambar Kainat.

Series schedule (All matches at National Bank Stadium, Karachi):

May 4 – First ODI (3.30pm)

May 6 – Second ODI (3.30pm)

May 9 – Third ODI (3.30pm)

May 12 – First T20I (7.30pm)

May 14 – Second T20I (7.30pm)

May 15 – Third T20I (7.30pm)

Dinner chatter paused.

The silence was broken when the doors crashed open to the ‌giant ballroom at the Washington Hilton, where some 2,600 journalists and their guests — dressed with rare pomp in tuxedos and gowns — had just sat down for the salad courses and glasses of wine.

President Donald Trump was seated with first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other dignitaries at a long head table.

Elegantly uniformed waiters soon charged down the ​middle aisle.

Agents hustled Vance and several others off the stage.

Plainclothes officers sprang from their seats and pushed to the ground ​several cabinet members, who had been seated moments earlier at tables among the journalists, then rolled the administration officials beneath ⁠tables.

Other officers drew handguns. Still others materialised seemingly from nowhere in full tactical gear, long guns trained on the astonished, alarmed attendees, most of whom ​were diving to the floor, crawling under tables and chairs for safety.

Trump and the first lady barely moved at first as chaos erupted around them.

“I thought ​it was a tray going down,” Trump told reporters in a White House press conference hours later.

But it was no service mishap. Authorities later said a gunman with multiple weapons had charged through a security checkpoint on the floor above the ballroom, in the same hotel where another lone gunman, John Hinckley Jr., had shot President Reagan as he left ​an event in 1981.

The suspect in Saturday night’s shooting, identified by a law enforcement official as Cole Allen, a California teacher who was staying at the ​hotel, allegedly fired rounds from a shotgun that struck a Secret Service agent before he was tackled by police.

Within the ballroom, Secret Service agents soon descended on Trump. ‌

The president ⁠crouched as they got him out of his chair and stole glances toward the centre of the room, where other agents stepped across chairs and tables to reach remaining dignitaries.

Personnel in combat dress swarmed the ballroom stage.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was quickly shuttled away.

Agents shoved Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin into a side room and led House Speaker Mike Johnson away while tugging on his tuxedo jacket.

Several ball attendees began chanting, “USA! USA! USA!”

Then a roomful ​of journalists, rising uneasily from the ground ​where they had spent several unnerving ⁠minutes, began to work.

Smartphones slid from pockets. Cameras clicked on.

Some 2,600 people tried to figure out what exactly had happened. Rumours swirled.

Reporters struggled for WiFi access. The password for the event’s network, many suddenly learned, ​was “MOREWINE.”

Backstage, Trump insisted the show must go on, telling leaders of the White House Correspondents’ Association that he still ​wished to deliver ⁠remarks.

Instead, the Secret Service convinced Trump to return to the White House. The dinner was off.

The president pledged to resume the event within the next 30 days.

Meanwhile, agents sealed the doors to the ballroom, which grew increasingly warm.

Nearly an hour after the shooting, Education Secretary Linda McMahon left the hotel with her ⁠security detail.

Gentlemen ​undid their bow ties. Ladies slid off their high heels.

Weijia Jiang, a White House ​correspondent from CBS News and president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, asked guests moments later to depart the Hilton.

As they did, onlookers at the hotel bar stood by the exits. Their ​phones were out, recording.

In a post on X on Saturday after concluding his day-long trip to the Pakistani capital, Araghchi said the proposal was shared as part of efforts to establish a lasting end to the conflict.

He said Iran places “very much” value on Pakistan’s mediation efforts and its “brotherly” role in trying to restore regional stability.

“Shared Iran’s position concerning workable framework to permanently end the war on Iran. Have yet to see if the US is truly serious about diplomacy,” he wrote.

After talks with senior Pakistani officials on regional security and ceasefire efforts with the United States, Araghchi left Islamabad and later arrived in Muscat on Saturday evening.

During his visit — the first stop of a three-nation tour— he met Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

Araghchi also thanked Pakistan for its role in facilitating the April 8 ceasefire between Tehran and Washington, and for continued mediation efforts since then, outlining Iran’s “principled positions” on maintaining the truce and ending what he called the imposed war.

Prime Minister Sharif described his meeting with Araghchi as a “warm, cordial exchange of views” on regional developments, adding that both sides also discussed strengthening Pakistan-Iran relations.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi left mediator Pakistan empty-handed at the weekend, and US President Donald Trump cancelled a planned visit ​to Islamabad by his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, dealing back-to-back blows to peace prospects.

The deadlock ​leaves the world’s biggest economy and a major oil power locked in a confrontation that ⁠has already pushed energy prices to multi-year highs, stoked inflation and darkened global growth prospects.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told ​Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif by phone that Tehran would not enter “imposed negotiations” under threats or blockade, according to a ​statement from the Iranian government.

Pezeshkian said the United States should first remove “operational obstacles,” including its blockade on Iranian ports, before negotiators can lay any groundwork to resolve the conflict.

Araqchi described his visit to Pakistan as “very fruitful.”

An Iranian diplomatic source in Islamabad said Tehran would ​not accept “maximalist demands” from the United States.

Trump told reporters in Florida that he scrapped the envoys’ visit because the talks ​involved too much travel and expense to consider an inadequate offer from the Iranians.

After the diplomatic trip was called off, Iran “offered ‌a lot, ⁠but not enough,” Trump said.

On Truth Social, he wrote that there was “tremendous infighting and confusion” within Iran’s leadership.

“Nobody knows who is in charge, including them,” he posted.

“Also, we have all the cards, they have none! If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!”

Pezeshkian said on Thursday that there were “no hardliners or moderates” in Tehran and ​that the country stood united ​behind its supreme leader.

Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Araqchi echoed the message in recent days.

Adding to regional strains, radical Israeli regime leader Benjamin Netanyahu ordered his troops to attack Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, ​his office said, further testing a three-week ceasefire.

Tehran has largely closed the Strait of ​Hormuz, which normally ⁠carries one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, while Washington blocks Iran’s oil exports.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt earlier said the US had seen some progress from the Iranian side and that Vice President JD Vance was ready ⁠to travel ​to Pakistan.

Vance led an unsuccessful first round of talks in ​Islamabad this month.

The US-Iran conflict, in which a ceasefire is in force, began with US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran on February 28.

Iran has since struck ​Israel, US bases and Gulf states.

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from Torrance, a suburb of Los Angeles, was named by law enforcement as the armed suspect detained near the venue where Donald Trump and other senior officials were present, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN.

A LinkedIn profile matching his identity describes him as a part-time instructor at C2 Education, a test preparation and tutoring firm.

The company recognised him as “teacher of the month” in December 2024, according to its social media posts.

The profile also indicates that Allen graduated from the California Institute of Technology in 2017 with a degree in mechanical engineering.

He later earned a master’s degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills in 2025.

During his time at Caltech, Allen was featured in a local news report for developing a prototype emergency braking system for wheelchairs.

Federal Election Commission records show he donated $25 to Kamala Harris’s 2024 presidential campaign.

Allen also described himself as an independent video game developer.

He appears to have released a game titled Bohrdom on the Steam platform and registered a trademark for the name in 2018.

In addition, his profile notes that he was working on a second game, tentatively titled “First Law.”

The US attorney says that “the defendant will be arraigned on Monday in federal district court” and that there will be many more charges against him as more information comes to light.

The assailant will be charged with using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon, Pirro told reporters.

“It is clear, based on what we know so far, that this individual was intent on doing as much harm and as much damage as he could,” Pirro said.

“And thankfully, because of the checkpoint right outside the ballroom where thousands of people were situated to hear the president of the United States, because that checkpoint worked, there was no one who was injured.”

A Secret Service agent who was shot was doing fine, she said.

Interim Washington, D.C., police chief Jeffery Carroll said the suspect was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives.

He said investigators had no reason to believe at this time that anyone else was involved.

The police chief said there “does not appear to be any sort of danger to the public” now and that investigators believe the suspect was working alone.

Security footage posted by President Trump shows a man sprinting through the metal detectors and past law enforcement, who turn toward him with guns raised.

Officers then swarm toward the man off-screen.

• The suspect fired a shotgun at a Secret Service agent but was arrested.
• Trump later said the injured officer was protected by a bulletproof vest and was in good condition.
• Officials said the suspect appeared to act alone. Police said he was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives.
• Surveillance video released by Trump showed the suspect running through a screening area before agents drew their weapons.
• The event, attended by about 2,600 people, was cancelled.
• Trump later said federal agents were raiding the suspect’s home in California.
• The shooting follows two assassination attempts against Trump during the 2024 campaign.
• The dinner was being held at the Washington Hilton, also the site of the 1981 attempt on President Ronald Reagan.
• The suspect is believed to have been a guest at the Hilton hotel where the dinner was held.
• Authorities cannot yet say what the suspect’s target or motivation was.
• The incident appears to have been isolated.
• Trump’s appearance at this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner marks his first time attending the event as president.
• He boycotted the event at the Washington Hilton throughout his first term and again in 2025.
• His attendance follows years of open hostility toward major news organisations, including lawsuits, accusations of “fake news” and restrictions on press access during his administration.
• For supporters, Trump’s attendance signalled engagement with a press corps he often criticises.
• For detractors, it underscored enduring tensions between the president and journalists covering his administration.

The US president was speaking to reporters at the White House after he and other senior US officials were evacuated from the annual White House Correspondents’ dinner on Saturday night following a shooting outside the ballroom.

Trump said he did not think the incident was tied to the war in Iran based on information so far, but he added that his actions toward Tehran could have made him a target and that he would not be deterred.

“When you do things like that, you become a target. If I wasn’t doing that, I guess I’d be a lot less of a target, but I’m honoured to be,” he told reporters at the White House.

“It’s not going to deter me from winning the war in Iran. I don’t know if that had anything to do with it, I really don’t think so based on what we know.”

Quoting two law enforcement officials, the Associated Press said the suspect was identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from Torrance, California.

Trump said the suspect had been carrying several weapons before being stopped by the Secret Service.

One agent was struck by gunfire but was unharmed thanks to a bulletproof vest.

“He was hit at very close range with a high-powered weapon, and the vest held up,” Trump said.

Washington interim police chief Jeffery Carroll told reporters the assailant apparently acted alone and was armed with a shotgun, handgun and multiple knives.

He said the gunman’s motive was still unclear.

The man fired a shotgun at a Secret Service agent at a checkpoint in the Washington Hilton ‌hotel before being tackled and arrested.

Trump told reporters at a hastily arranged briefing at the White House later that the officer was saved by his bulletproof vest and is in “good shape.”

It was not immediately clear whether Trump was the target of the attack, though he told reporters he believed that he was.

The president has survived two previous attempts on his life since 2024, a period of deepening political polarisation in the United States.

Vice President JD Vance was removed from the room first, while agents initially covered Trump in place before escorting him and First Lady Melania Trump from the room.

Trump briefly stumbled on the way offstage before being assisted by his security detail.

He was held for some time in a secure presidential suite at the hotel as the president and organisers initially sought to resume the event — hotel staff refolded napkins and refilled water glasses, and aides adjusted the teleprompter for the president — before Trump was returned to the White House on the advice of the Secret Service.

Suspect thought to be ‘lone wolf’

A law enforcement official identified the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, a Los Angeles-area resident about 31 years of age.

Little was immediately known about Allen’s background, but social media postings ​suggested he was a teacher in Torrance, California, near Los Angeles.

The armed man, who officials said was a guest at the Washington Hilton where the dinner was being held, was taken into custody and was expected in court Monday.

Police believe he opened fire and acted alone but did not say who was his intended target or describe a motive.

“When you’re impactful, they go after you. When you’re not impactful, they leave you alone,” Trump, safe and uninjured and still in his tuxedo, said at the White House two hours later.

“They seem to think he was a lone wolf.”

Washington interim Police Chief Jeffery Carroll said the suspect was armed with a shotgun, a ⁠handgun and multiple knives.

He was taken to a local hospital to be evaluated but it was too soon to say what his motivation was, Carroll said.

Based on preliminary information, he was believed ​to have been a guest at the hotel, Carroll added.

A focus of the investigation is likely to be how the gunman was able to smuggle the shotgun into the hotel, which hosts the annual White ​House Correspondents’ Association dinner, a marquee fixture of Washington’s social calendar.

The black-tie event was attended by many members of Trump’s cabinet and other senior administration officials amid heavy security.

It was the first time Trump was attending the event as president, having boycotted it in previous years.

Afterwards, Trump addressed reporters, many still in evening attire, in an extraordinary late-night press conference in the White House briefing room, flanked by members of his cabinet and Vice President JD Vance.

His ​wife Melania looked on from the sidelines and demurred when he asked her whether she wanted to talk about the events of the evening.

The venue for the dinner was the scene of an ​attempt on the life of President Ronald Reagan, who was shot and wounded by a would-be assassin outside the hotel in 1981.

Closed-circuit TV footage released by Trump on Truth Social showed the suspect running rapidly through a security checkpoint, ‌momentarily catching ⁠security personnel off guard before they drew their weapons.

No shots were fired at the gunman who got through two checkpoints before being brought down.

“You know, he charged from 50 yards away, so he was very far away from the room. He was moving. He was really moving,” Trump said after the gala dinner was cancelled.

Officials believe he is a “lone wolf,” Trump said.

How it unfolded

Video footage of the event shows Trump and his wife sitting at a banquet table on stage in conversation with someone when a commotion at the rear of the ballroom — caused by the noise of gunshots — triggers a ripple of gasps through the ​room.

People started screaming, “Get down, get down!“ Many of the ​2,600 attendees dressed in tuxedos and ball gowns ⁠took cover under tables as security personnel drew their weapons, with some pushing cabinet secretaries to the floor and covering them with their bodies, while others formed a protective cordon.

Security personnel in combat fatigues stormed the stage, pointing rifles into the ballroom as Trump, his wife and Vance were evacuated.

Cabinet ​members who had been sitting at tables dotted around the vast room were escorted out by their security details one by one.

While most guests ​huddled under tables, some people ⁠began chanting “USA, USA.”

Trump stayed backstage for about one hour after being hustled from the stage, a source told Reuters.

He later said he had not wanted to leave the event, a remark that echoed images of him defiantly pumping his fist after narrowly escaping an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024.

In that attempt, Trump was shot and wounded in his upper ear by a 20-year-old gunman, who was shot dead by security ⁠personnel.

Just over two ​months after the Butler shooting, Secret Service agents spotted a man wielding a gun and hiding in bushes at the ​Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, while Trump was on the course.

It was deemed an assassination attempt, and the suspect was sentenced to life in prison in February.

Officials said bus terminals across the federal capital have been reopened, except for the Faizabad terminal, which will remain closed until further notice.

Authorities have also reopened hiking trails and public parks, including Daman-i-Koh and Lake View, restoring access to key recreational sites.

Separately, the administration issued updated directives on commercial activities.

According to the notification issued by Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon, all shops, markets and shopping malls will close at 8.00 p.m. throughout the week.

Restaurants, hotels, food outlets, tandoors and grocery stores will shut by 10.00 p.m., while takeaway and home delivery services will remain unaffected.

Marriage halls, marquees and other event venues will also close at 10.00 p.m., with the restriction applying to private events as well.

Sports facilities and gyms can now operate until 10.00 p.m., extending the earlier closing time of 8.00pm.

Pharmacies, hospitals, petrol pumps and dairy shops have been exempted from the restrictions.

The new timings came into effect on April 25 and will remain in force until further notice.

In Rawalpindi, Deputy Commissioner Hassan Waqar Cheema said all entry and exit points have been reopened for all types of traffic, although the Pirwadhai General Bus Stand will remain closed until further notice.

Under the new plan, agreements have been signed with seven institutions to expand meat exports, while collaboration between a Chinese firm and provincial authorities will establish a boiler unit to process meat for large-scale export.

The initiative includes a target to fatten 300,000 animals and export at least 100,000 in the first phase. Authorities also plan to import meat from around 300,000 animals through private companies, alongside the fattening of 300,000 cattle and buffaloes and 300,000 sheep and goats.

Officials said the livestock sector, long neglected, is now being treated as a key driver of economic self-reliance. Livestock farms are expected to create income opportunities, particularly in rural areas.

As part of broader reforms, the government has decided to establish modern veterinary hospitals in every tehsil, supported by mobile veterinary dispensaries to provide services in remote villages.

Separately, the chief minister, in a message marking World Malaria Day, said malaria remains a dangerous but treatable disease, stressing the need for awareness and prevention.

“Two Israeli enemy strikes, on a truck and a motorbike, in the town of Yohmor al-Shaqeef in the Nabatieh district killed four people,” a ministry statement said.

It later reported that an “Israeli enemy airstrike on the town of Safad al-Battikh, in the Bint Jbeil district, resulted in two fatalities and 17 injuries”.

Israel’s military said it “eliminated” three Hezbollah operatives on Saturday who were driving “a vehicle loaded with weapons”, as well as another one riding a motorcycle, and two more armed members of the group elsewhere.

It also said it identified two projectiles launched from Lebanon, decrying “a blatant violation of the ceasefire understandings” by Hezbollah, and later intercepted another “suspicious aerial target”.

Hezbollah, meanwhile, said it targeted an Israeli army vehicle in south Lebanon in retaliation for the attack on Yohmor al-Shaqeef.

Israel says it reserves the right to respond militarily to imminent threats under the terms of the ceasefire.

US President Donald Trump had announced on Thursday that a 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon that began on April 17 had been extended for three weeks.

Tehran-backed Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war on March 2 by firing rockets at Israel to avenge the death of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes.

The state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported Israeli artillery shelling on several south Lebanon locations on Saturday.

It also reported a “violent explosion” in Khiam, a strategic town along the east of Lebanon’s border with Israel where the agency has previously said the Israeli army has been “systematically” destroying houses and other buildings.

An AFP correspondent saw a huge cloud of smoke billowing over the town.

Israel’s military on Saturday reissued a warning to residents not to return to dozens of south Lebanon locations within the so-called “yellow line”, which demarcates a ribbon of Lebanese territory around 10 kilometres (six miles) wide running along the length of the border.

Israeli attacks have killed at least 2,496 people in Lebanon since March 2, according to authorities.

On Friday, Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Fayad said the group maintained the right to respond to any Israeli aggression, adding that extending the ceasefire “makes no sense” in light of the continued “hostile acts”.

Saudi Arabia’s Hajj ministry informed Al Arabiya that the first batch of Iranian pilgrims had arrived by air for this year’s annual holy pilgrimage, the channel reported on X.

Iran bombarded its Gulf neighbours, including Saudi Arabia, with missiles and drones for over a month in response to US and Israeli attacks on the Islamic Republic beginning on February 28.

Tehran’s aerial campaign halted earlier this month when the US and Iran announced a fragile ceasefire.

The admission of Iranians for Hajj has been a barometer for relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia after no Iranian pilgrims were allowed into Makkah for seven years from 2016 to 2023.

In 2016, Saudi Arabia severed relations with Iran when its embassy in Tehran and consulate in the northwestern city of Mashhad were attacked during protests after Saudi Arabia executed cleric Nimr Al Nimr.

The two countries resumed diplomatic ties in March 2023 under a China-brokered deal.

On April 9, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, in the first official contact between the countries since the start of the war.

On March 1, Riyadh’s foreign ministry summoned Iran’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia in protest over the attacks on the Gulf kingdom and its neighbours.

The Hajj is due to begin during the last week of May, and pilgrims from across the globe have already begun pouring into Saudi Arabia.

Soon after departing Islamabad, in a post on X, Abbas Araghchi said Iran “very much value[s]” Pakistan’s “good offices and brotherly efforts” to help restore peace in the region. He added that Tehran had shared a “workable framework” aimed at permanently ending the war, but noted that it remains to be seen whether the United States is “truly serious about diplomacy.”

Araghchi arrived in Islamabad on Saturday and held high-level talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The meeting focused on the evolving ceasefire situation and broader regional dynamics.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir were also present, along with a senior Iranian delegation.

Sharing details of the meeting on X, PM Shehbaz said he was pleased to meet the Iranian foreign minister and his delegation, describing the discussions as “constructive.”

He added that both sides exchanged views on regional developments, bilateral ties, and areas of mutual interest.

During his Pakistan visit, Araghchi also held separate meetings with Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

According to Iranian media, the talks covered cooperation across multiple sectors as well as regional and global developments. Araghchi conveyed Tehran’s commitment, on behalf of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian, to strengthening comprehensive ties with neighboring countries, particularly Pakistan.

He reiterated that Pakistan holds a special place in Iran’s foreign policy and emphasized Tehran’s resolve to further expand bilateral relations.

Araghchi also thanked Pakistan for its role in facilitating ceasefire efforts, supporting initiatives to end the conflict, and hosting key diplomatic engagements in Islamabad.