Following are the top foreign stories at 1710 hours

     FGN43: PAK-INDIA-7THLD STRIKES
     *Pak PM Sharif terms Indian missile strikes on terror targets as 'act of war', vows to respond
     Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif early Wednesday termed the Indian missile strikes on terror targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Punjab province as an "act of war" and said his country has every right to give a "befitting reply".

     FGN58: PAK-JEM-LD AZHAR
     JeM chief Masood Azhar says 10 members of his family, 4 others killed in India's missile attack on his HQ
     Lahore: Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar acknowledged on Wednesday that 10 members of his family and four close associates were killed in India's missile attack on the outfit's headquarters in Bahawalpur.

     FGN85: PAK-INDIA-STRIKE-JUD-FUNERAL
     Pak Army personnel, JuD members attend funeral of 3 persons killed in Indian military strikes on group's HQ
     Lahore: The Pakistan Army personnel and members of the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) of Hafiz Saeed on Wednesday attended the funeral of three persons killed in the Indian military strikes on the terror group's headquarters in Muridke, some 40 km from Lahore.

     FGN83: PAK-INDIA-STRIKE-2NDLD WORLD
     Operation Sindoor: World leaders call on India, Pak to exercise restraint, hope hostilities 'end very quickly'
     Washington/Moscow: World leaders, including UN chief Antonio Guterres and US President Donald Trump, on Wednesday called on India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and hoped that the hostilities would end "very quickly".

     FGN82: PAK-INDIA-STRIKE-2NDLD NSC MEETING
     Pakistan's security huddle authorises armed forces to take action to revenge Indian strikes
     Islamabad: Pakistan's National Security Council on Wednesday said the country's armed forces have been duly authorised to undertake retaliation “at a time, place, and manner of its choosing” to avenge the loss of innocent Pakistani lives in Indian military strikes.

     FGN78: CHINA-2NDLD INDOPAK
     China calls on India, Pakistan to exercise restraint
     Beijing: China on Wednesday called on India and Pakistan to exercise maximum restraint in the "larger interest of peace and stability" of the region and said it will play a "constructive role" in easing the tensions by working with the international community.

     FGN77: PAK-INDIA-STRIKE-AIRSPACE
     Pakistan closes airspace for 48 hrs after India's Op Sindoor
     Karachi/Islamabad: Pakistan on Wednesday announced a 48-hour closure of its airspace for all air traffic after India carried out a military strike on terror targets in Pakistan and PoK.

     FGN69: PAK-INDIA-STRIKE-UK
     UK says it stands ready to support India and Pakistan to move towards dialogue and de-escalation
     London: The UK on Wednesday said that it stands ready to support both India and Pakistan to move towards dialogue and de-escalation, after Indian armed forces carried out missile strikes on terror targets in the neighbouring country under Operation Sindoor.
    
     FGN65: PAK-STOCKS
     PSX bleeds as tensions between India, Pakistan escalate
     Karachi: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) lost 6,500 points on Wednesday amid an escalation of military confrontation between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.
    
     FGN64: PAK-INDIA-STRIKE-PUNJAB-EMERGENCY
     Emergency declared in Pakistan's Punjab province after Indian missile strikes
     Lahore: Emergency was declared on Wednesday in Pakistan's Punjab province even as all educational institutions closed in the wake of the Indian missile attack.

     FGN53: PAK-INDIA STRIKE-LD DEESCALATION
     Pak ready to 'wrap' tensions if India de-escalates: Defence Minister Asif
     Islamabad: Pakistan is ready to "wrap up" tensions with India, if New Delhi de-escalates the situation, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Wednesday.

     FGN52: PAK-INDIA-STRIKE-SUMMON
     Pakistan summons Indian Charge d'Affaires after Indian strikes
     Islamabad: Pakistan on Wednesday summoned the Indian Chargé d’Affaires and lodged a strong protest against the Indian strikes.

     FGN50: RUSSIA-INDOPAK
     Russia expresses ‘deep concern’ at escalation of tensions between India, Pakistan over Pahalgam terror strike
     Moscow: Russia on Wednesday expressed deep concern at the escalation of military confrontation between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.

     FGN44: US-PAK-ADVISORY
     Operation Sindoor: US mission issues security alert in Pak, advises citizens to leave areas of active conflict
     New York: The US Mission in Pakistan on Wednesday issued a security alert advising American citizens to leave areas of active conflict, saying it is "closely monitoring developments" following Operation Sindoor launched by India targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan.

     FGN37: RUSSIA-PUTIN-25 YEARS
     Putin completes quarter century, polls show he's still popular in Kremlin's hot seat
     Moscow: Exactly 25 years ago on May 7, an obscure ex-KGB colonel Vladimir Putin -- with little public exposure as deputy mayor of St Petersburg -- took the oath of the highest office in the post-Communist Russia.

     FGN31: INDIA-STRIKE-PAK 2NDLD TRUMP
     I just hope it ends very quickly: Donald Trump on India's military strikes on terror infra in Pakistan
     New York/Washington: Shortly after India carried out military strikes targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir early Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said he hopes that the hostilities will end "very quickly".*

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)