Pakistan's army chief has arrived for talks in Tehran in the latest diplomatic move to ease tensions in the region and arrange a second round of negotiations between the United States and Iran. That's according to the Pakistani military, which said Wednesday that the delegation included the country's interior minister and other senior security officials. The military said the visit was "part of the ongoing mediation efforts," but gave no further details. Pakistan has emerged as a key mediator in the conflict. Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that the U.S. will ramp up its infliction of economic pain on Iran. Bessent said the effort would be the "financial equivalent" of a bombing campaign.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have traded attacks in a dramatic escalation of tensions between the countries. Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif said Friday the two countries are now in "open war." Afghanistan launched a cross-border attack on Pakistan late Thursday, saying it was in retaliation for earlier Pakistani airstrikes. Pakistan then carried out airstrikes in Kabul and two other Afghan provinces Friday. Tensions have been high between the neighbors for months. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan's Taliban government of harboring militant groups that then stage attacks across the border and also of allying with its archrival India. A ceasefire ended intense fighting in October, although the two sides have occasionally traded fire since then.

Pakistani officials say a suicide bomber targeted a Shiite mosque on the outskirts of Islamabad during Friday prayers, killing 31 people and wounding at least 169 others. It was a rare attack in the capital of Pakistan as its Western-allied government struggles to rein in a surge in militant attacks across the country. Some of the wounded in the attack on the sprawling mosque of Khadija Al-Kubra were reported to be in critical condition. Television footage and social media images showed police and residents transporting the wounded to nearby hospitals. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Militant groups across Pakistan often target security forces and civilians.

A powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake has shaken northern Afghanistan, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 640 others. The quake struck before dawn on Monday, damaging the historic Blue Mosque in Mazar-e-Sharif. In the town of Khulm, near the epicenter, residents have been digging through the rubble of collapsed homes. The impoverished country often struggles to respond to natural disasters, especially in remote regions. The Ministry of Defense announced that rescue and emergency teams have reached the affected areas. The United Nations in Afghanistan said its teams are on the ground assessing needs and delivering urgent aid.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have announced a ceasefire following days of the deadliest clashes in years that killed dozens of people on both sides of the border. The pause came after appeals from major regional powers, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The violence has threatened to further destabilize a region where groups including the Islamic State and al-Qaida are trying to resurface. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring armed groups. The country's Taliban rulers deny it. Pakistan has seen a growing number of militant attacks since 2021, when the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan. Key border crossings remain closed.

Rescuers in Pakistan's Punjab province are racing to reach stranded families after heavy rain and water from overflowing dams in India caused major rivers to burst their banks. The floods have displaced nearly 250,000 people and affected than 1 million, with crops and businesses destroyed. At least 15 people were killed in Gujranwala district. Officials have set up relief and medical camps to deliver essential supplies. Floods have killed more than 800 people in Pakistan since late June. In Indian-controlled Kashmir, heavy rains have triggered flash floods and landslides, killing at least 115 people.

Torrential rainfall has left at least 34 people dead in Pakistan and India and triggered flash floods and landslides in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Over 210,000 people in Pakistan have been displaced, and the shrine of the founder of the Sikh religion has been submerged. Many of the dead were trekking on a popular Hindu pilgrimage route. Forecasters say rain will continue across the region this week. Heavy downpours and flash floods in the Himalayan region have killed nearly 100 people in August. Scientists say climate change is fueling heavier monsoon rains in South Asia.