Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) repaid a deposit of US $1 billion to Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), UAE, on Thursday (23 April 2026), said a post shared on social media by the central bank of Pakistan on Friday. &ldquo;Deposits of $2.45 billion were repaid last week,&rdquo; the post added.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 321px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2047527895392731603&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=66b7990de9f679b6bccb26449233098d216fd2bf&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>It concluded that the payment on Thursday &ldquo;completes the repayment of total deposits of $3.45 billion to UAE.&rdquo; Earlier at the start of the current month, in an official statement, Pakistan&#39;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had said the deposits were placed &ldquo;under bilateral commercial agreements,&rdquo; reflecting the UAE&rsquo;s continued support for Pakistan&rsquo;s economic stability. &ldquo;Accordingly, pursuant to mutually agreed terms, the Government of Pakistan, through the SBP, is now returning the matured deposits to the UAE,&rdquo; the spokesperson said, adding, &ldquo;This is a routine financial transaction, and any attempt to portray it otherwise is erroneous and misleading.&rdquo;

Economy

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) repays a deposit of US $1 billion to Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), UAE, on Thursday (23 April 2026), said a post shared on social media by the central bank of Pakistan on Friday.

Pakistan completes repayment of $3.45B deposits to UAE: State bank 

ISLAMABAD: Pope Leo XIV on Friday condemned the ongoing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-israel-war-on-iran-day-56" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">conflict in Iran</a>, saying too many innocent lives had been lost and calling on all parties, including the United States, to pursue&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-interior-minister-meets-us-ambassador-baker-to-discuss-peace-efforts" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">dialogue</a>&nbsp;and respect international law, according to Vatican News. The Pope made the remarks aboard the return flight to Rome following a four-nation&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pope-visits-eq-guinea-on-last-stop-of-africa-tour" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apostolic Journey through Africa</a>, speaking to journalists departing from Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. &quot;As a pastor, I cannot be in favor of war,&quot; he said. &quot;I would like to encourage everyone to make efforts to seek answers that come from a culture of peace, not hatred and division.&quot; The pontiff said he had received a letter from families of children killed on the first day of attacks in Iran. He also told reporters he carries a photo of a Muslim child in Lebanon, spotted holding a &quot;Welcome Pope Leo&quot; sign during the papal visit. The child was later killed in the war&#39;s final phase, as reported by Vatican News. On the prospect of regime change in Iran, the Pope declined to take a position, saying the more pressing concern was protecting civilian lives. &quot;It is not even clear what regime currently exists after the first days of attacks by Israel and the United States on Iran,&quot; he said. Asked about Iran&#39;s recent execution of an opposition member, the Pope did not limit his condemnation to any single government. &quot;I condemn all actions that are unjust. I condemn the taking of people&#39;s lives. I condemn capital punishment,&quot; he said. &quot;Human life is to be respected &mdash; from conception to natural death.&quot; Migration Speaking in Spanish, the Pope addressed the migration debate ahead of his planned trip to Spain. He acknowledged a state&#39;s right to regulate its borders but said wealthier nations bear responsibility for the conditions driving&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/7900-people-died-disappeared-on-migration-routes-in-2025-un" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">emigration</a>&nbsp;from the Global South. &quot;Africa is often seen by many as a place to extract minerals, to take its wealth for the benefit of other countries,&quot; he said, per Vatican News. He called for greater investment in African nations so people are not compelled to leave. He added that regardless of policy, migrants remain entitled to basic dignity. &quot;When people arrive, they are human beings and deserve the respect that belongs to every human being,&quot; he said. Papal diplomacy Asked whether meeting with authoritarian heads of state amounted to lending them moral legitimacy, the Pope defended the Holy See&#39;s policy of maintaining diplomatic relations across governments. &quot;There&#39;s an awful lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to promote justice, to promote humanitarian causes,&quot; he said. The pontiff stated that quiet diplomacy had at times secured the release of political prisoners and addressed crises of hunger and disease, according to the Vatican News.

Pope Leo XIV speaks to journalists aboard the flight returning to Rome after his African tour, addressing war, migration and global conflicts. (Vatican News)

Europe

Pope Leo XIV condemned the Middle East War, citing civilian deaths, and said he cannot support war. He pontiff urged dialogue and respect for international law to end the conflict. 

Pope Leo XIV condemns Middle East conflict, calls for immediate peace talks

BEIJING: Thousands snapped selfies beside sleek Chinese electric vehicles on Friday at the world&#39;s biggest car show in Beijing, where automakers are seeking to lure buyers in a cut-throat market. Rows of influencers posed in front of gleaming models at the cavernous international exhibition center in the capital, darting to suitcases stuffed with outfit changes, while animated CEOs worked the crowds in front of massive LED screens. Legacy overseas brands such as Volkswagen, Toyota and BMW once dominated in China, but have lost market share in past years to domestic firms that beat them to the electric vehicle revolution and undercut them on price. Chinese manufacturers including BYD, Xiaomi and Xpeng are now also at the forefront of integrating AI software and autonomous driving technology into their EVs. The Auto China exhibition, hosted at two side-by-side venues, spans 380,000 square meters, according to organizers &ndash; more than 50 football pitches. More than 1,400 vehicles from hundreds of Chinese and foreign companies are on display from Friday, when the show opened to industry professionals and the media, and later to the public from April 28 until May 3. At the sprawling expo, crowds cheered as XPeng chief executive He Xiaopeng took the stage beside the Chinese company&#39;s latest model, the GX, a six-seat electric SUV. The imposing 5.2-metre vehicle incorporates AI technology and is aiming at breaking into the luxury market, he said. It would soon be followed by humanoid robots this year, He promised, and eventually by flying cars, which XPeng hopes to mass-produce. Foreign automakers are increasingly collaborating with Chinese firms to keep pace with technological advances. BMW has partnered with Chinese battery maker CATL, while Audi is using Huawei&#39;s driving assistance systems and Volkswagen is developing EVs together with Guangzhou-based Xpeng. XPeng President Brian Gu told reporters that companies were &quot;leveraging their respective strength to collaborate with China&quot;, a trend he said would continue both domestically and overseas. Gu has his eyes set on export markets including Europe and the Gulf. Asked by AFP how Trump&#39;s tariffs were affecting Xpeng, he said only that the US market remained an important one. Fierce competition This year, companies are also jostling to sell space, analysts say, with roomy SUVs&#39; new growth area targeting customers prioritizing seating and comfort. China &quot;has become a customer retention and replacement/upgrade-driven market, and these big SUVs address that need,&quot; independent analyst Lei Xing wrote in a blog this week. Firms have flooded the domestic market in recent years with trade-in schemes, offering huge discounts to customers to give up their old car for a new one. The fierce price war led Chinese officials last year to call for tighter price monitoring and improving long-term regulation of competition. But newcomers appear unfazed, Lei wrote, naming at least eight EV brands from Chinese automakers that have cropped up over the last two years. Electric vehicles, an area China dominates, are also gaining traction as rising global oil prices linked to the Middle East war push drivers away from fossil fuel-powered models. Manufacturers are now competing on driving range. Xiaomi chief executive Lei Jun recently completed a 1,300-kilometre trip from Beijing to Shanghai in the SU7 Pro electric sedan, stopping only once to recharge during the 15-hour drive.

BYD-owned premium brand Denza Z model car is displayed at the Beijing Auto Show in Beijing on April 24, 2026. (AFP)

Artificial Intelligence

At Beijing’s massive auto show, Chinese EV makers showcase advanced AI vehicles, intensifying competition with global brands, while price wars, innovation, and export ambitions reshape the world’s largest car market.

Chinese EV makers take center stage at world's biggest auto show

TEL AVIV: Around 240 Indians claiming descent from a biblical tribe landed at Tel Aviv airport on Thursday, as part of a government operation to relocate them to Israel. The newcomers passed under a blue-and-white balloon arch, the colours of the Israeli flag, as dozens of well-wishers welcomed them with a traditional Jewish song. They were the first &quot;Bnei Menashe&quot; (&quot;Sons of Manasseh&quot;) to arrive in Israel since the government decided in November to fund the immigration of around 6,000 members of the community from the states of Manipur and Mizoram in northeast India. The community claims to descend from Manasseh, the forefather of one of the biblical &quot;lost tribes&quot; of Israel exiled in 720 BC by Assyrian conquerors. Dagan Zolat, who has lived in Israel for 20 years, was at the airport to meet a man whom he described as his brother. &quot;We were neighbors and among the only Jews in our village,&quot; he told AFP, adding that it had been nine years since he had seen his friend. &quot;When my son was little (in India), my friend often carried him in his arms,&quot; he said. The Shavei Israel organization, which seeks to trace the descendants of the lost tribes, said that some 4,000 Bnei Menashe have already immigrated to Israel since the 1990s, with around 7,000 others still living in India. In India, they were converted to Christianity by 19th-century missionaries. The 250 Bnei Menashe who arrived on Thursday are to settle in northern Israel, according to the Ministry of Integration. They will need to convert to Judaism in order to become Israeli citizens. Immigration Minister Ofir Sofer, who welcomed the newcomers at the airport, told AFP that their arrival marked a &quot;historic moment&quot;. &quot;This is the beginning of an operation that will allow the entire community to immigrate, 1,200 per year,&quot; he said. Manipur has seen periodic clashes for nearly three years between the predominantly Hindu Meitei majority and the mainly Christian Kuki community, which have killed more than 250 people. Since April 2025, more than 18,000 Jews have immigrated to Israel, down 18% on the previous year.

Members of the Bnei Menashe (Sons of Manasseh) community in India arrive at Ben Gurion Airport in Lod, near Tel Aviv, on April 23, 2026, as part of Operation Wings of Dawn. (AFP)

India

They were the first "Bnei Menashe" ("Sons of Manasseh") to arrive in Israel since the government decided in November to fund the immigration of around 6,000 members of the community from the states of Manipur and Mizoram in northeast India.



Around 240 Indians claiming descent from biblical tribe land in Israel

ISLAMABAD: A US Army soldier has been charged with &quot;unlawful use of confidential government information&quot; about a military operation that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro to make more than $400,000 in profits on a prediction market, the US Justice Department said on Thursday. According to the press release, Gannon Ken Van Dyke, 38, was indicted in the Southern District of New York on charges of using classified information for &quot;personal gain, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and engaging in an unlawful monetary transaction.&quot;&nbsp;The Department of Justice said the information was tied to a mission known as &quot;Operation Absolute Resolve&quot; to place bets on the outcome and timing of Maduro&#39;s apprehension in Venezuela through Polymarket, a prediction platform. &quot;Our men and women in uniform are trusted with classified information&hellip; and are prohibited from using this highly sensitive information for personal financial gain,&quot; said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.&nbsp; &quot;Widespread access to prediction markets is a relatively new phenomenon, but federal laws protecting national security information fully apply,&quot; he said. According to authorities, Van Dyke placed 13 bets totaling about $33,000 between late December 2025 and January 2026, predicting that US forces would be deployed in Venezuela and that Maduro would be removed from power by the end of January.&nbsp; In early January, the US apprehended Maduro and his wife at a residence in Caracas, Venezuela, with the President of the United States announcing the successful operation hours later. &quot;Prediction markets are not a haven for using misappropriated confidential or classified information for personal gain,&quot; said US Attorney in the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton. &quot;That is clear insider trading and is illegal under federal law,&quot; CBS News reported. While this is a first arrest for US authorities, two Israeli soldiers were charged with the suspected use of classified information to place bets on Polymarket in February, according to CBS News. FBI Director Kash Patel warned t<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;" id="isPasted">hat no one is above the law, and the FBI will do whatever it takes to defend the homeland.&nbsp; &ldquo;Any clearance holders thinking of cashing in their access&hellip; will be held accountable,&rdquo; he said. Prosecutors said Van Dyke attempted to conceal his activity after the operation, including transferring funds through cryptocurrency accounts and requesting the deletion of his trading account. The Department of Justice says Van Dyke faces up to 20 years in prison on the most serious count.

FBI Director Kash Patel speaks alongside Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche during a news conference at the at the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice building on April 21, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AM

Americas

The Department of Justice said the information was tied to a mission known as "Operation Absolute Resolve" to place bets on the outcome and timing of Maduro's apprehension in Venezuela through Polymarket, a prediction platform.

US soldier charged with insider trading to profit from bets on Maduro operation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan military, in an operation conducted on 21 April in the northwest of the country, killed 22 terrorists, said a press release issued by the military&rsquo;s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Friday. &ldquo;On 21 April 2026, a joint intelligence-based operation was conducted by security forces and law enforcement agencies in Khyber District on reported presence of khwarij (terrorists).&rdquo; During the conduct of the operation, after intense exchange of fire and skillful engagements by forces, 22 terrorists, belonging to Indian-sponsored Fitna-al-Khwarij, were killed, the press release said. &ldquo;Due to cowardice and fear of getting apprehended alive, terrorists resorted to indiscriminate firing, which resulted in martyrdom of a ten years old innocent child,&rdquo; the statement added. &ldquo;Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from killed Indian-sponsored terrorists, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area.&rdquo; Sanitization operation is being conducted to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area as relentless Counter Terrorism campaign under vision &ldquo;Azm e Istehkam&rdquo; (as approved by Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan) by security forces and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign sponsored and supported terrorism from the country and such sacrifice of our innocent civilians further strengthen our resolve, the press release said.

Security

ISPR press release says, ‘Due to cowardice and fear of getting apprehended alive, terrorists resorted to indiscriminate firing which resulted in martyrdom of a ten years old innocent child.’

22 Indian-sponsored terrorists killed in Khyber operation: Pakistan military 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has urged the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to call on India to fully restore the implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), warning that its suspension carries &ldquo;grave implications&rdquo; for regional peace, security, and humanitarian conditions. This was conveyed in a letter from the country&rsquo;s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to the president of the UN General Assembly, delivered by Pakistan&rsquo;s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Asim Iftikhar, according to a post shared on X by the ambassador on Friday.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 852px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2047500206766170494&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=0afcd94fa3858bd744249f4b0c1d5eb6a66c5e49&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2047500206766170494"></iframe></div></div>According to the message, Islamabad raised concerns over India&rsquo;s illegal suspension of the 1960 water-sharing agreement, describing it as unlawful and urging international attention. The communication specifically stated that &ldquo;It urges the Security Council to call upon India to fully restore the implementation of the IWT in all respects, in line with its international obligations.&rdquo; Pakistan argued that disruption of the treaty could have serious humanitarian consequences and destabilize regional relations, while framing the issue as one with implications beyond bilateral ties.&nbsp;&lsquo;Baseless propaganda campaign&rsquo;The Pakistani envoy also briefed the President of the Council on the &ldquo;baseless propaganda campaign&rdquo; by India against Pakistan, arguing it was being conducted while Islamabad is engaged in mediation efforts aimed at supporting international peace and security. In addition, Pakistan reiterated that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute remains central to long-standing tensions in South Asia. It noted that the issue is already on the Security Council&rsquo;s agenda and maintained that lasting peace in the region would not be possible without its resolution in accordance with relevant UN resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

Foreign Affairs

FM Dar’s letter to the UNGA president highlights the 'grave implications of India’s illegal suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) for regional peace and security, as well as its serious humanitarian consequences.'

Pakistan urges UNSC to call upon India to restore Indus Waters Treaty 

BEIJING: Chinese startup DeepSeek released &quot;preview&quot; versions of a new artificial intelligence model Friday, more than a year after it stunned the world with a low-cost reasoning model that matched the capabilities of US rivals. The long-awaited DeepSeek-V4 &quot;features an ultra-long context of one million words, achieving leadership in both domestic and open-source fields across agent capabilities, world knowledge, and reasoning performance&quot;, the company said in a statement on social media. A &quot;preview version&quot; is now available, the company said. The new DeepSeek-V4 model is released as two versions, DeepSeek-V4-Pro and DeepSeek-V4-Flash, with the latter being &quot;a more efficient and economical choice&quot; because it has smaller parameters. &quot;In world knowledge benchmarks, DeepSeek-V4-Pro significantly leads other open-source models and is only slightly outperformed by the top-tier closed-source model, (Google&#39;s) Gemini-Pro-3.1,&quot; the statement added.

The photo taken on April 12, 2026 shows founder of one-person company SoloNest Karen Dai (C) sharing her experience with participants during a coffee chat at a conference room in Shanghai.

DeepSeek unveiled preview versions of DeepSeek-V4 models, highlighting ultra-long context and strong reasoning performance rivaling top systems like Gemini‑Pro‑3.1.

China's DeepSeek releases long-awaited new AI model

Web Desk/Reuters

Middle East

'It is in everyone's interest for stability to return as soon as possible and for the world's economies to be reassured,' Macron said as he arrived at an European Union summit in Nicosia, where talks with Middle East leaders are also scheduled.

Mideast's swift return to stability 'in everyone's interest': Macron

ISLAMABAD: Eight Muslim countries, including Pakistan, condemned the &ldquo;repeated violations&rdquo; by the Israeli occupation authorities on Jerusalem&#39;s Islamic and Christian holy sites, particularly the &ldquo;continued incursions by Israeli settlers and extremist ministers&rdquo; into the Al-Aqsa Mosque under Israeli police protection.&nbsp; Earlier this week, Pakistan condemned the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and the raising of the occupying power&#39;s flag within its courtyard by illegal Israeli settlers. The settlers on Tuesday stormed the compound of the holy site in occupied East Jerusalem amid escalation across the West Bank. In a separate joint statement, issued by Pakistan, Egypt, T&uuml;rkiye, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, the foreign ministers reiterated that provocative actions at the mosque constituted a &ldquo;flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law,&rdquo; representing an unacceptable provocation to the Muslim community around the world. According to the statement issued on X, the ministers reaffirmed their &ldquo;categorical rejection of any attempts to alter the historic and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites,&rdquo; stressing preservation while recognizing the special role of the historic custodianship in this regard.&nbsp; The ministers condemned the accelerating illegal settlement activity, including Israel&#39;s decision to approve over 30 new settlements, which constitutes a flagrant violation of international law, including United Nations Security Council resolutions and the 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice.&nbsp; They condemned the continued and escalating settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including recent attacks on Palestinian schools and children, and called for those responsible to be held accountable.&nbsp; While emphasizing that Israel has no sovereignty over the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the ministers &ldquo;categorically rejected any attempts to annex the Occupied Palestinian Territory or to displace the Palestinian people.&rdquo; They stressed that actions constituted a deliberate and direct attack on the viability and the implementation of the two-State solution. They said that the move would &ldquo;increase tensions, undermine peace efforts, and hinder ongoing initiatives aimed at de-escalation and the restoration of stability.&rdquo; Addressing the international community, the ministers said that they should &ldquo;take clear and decisive steps to halt these violations.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;They also called on the international community to intensify all regional and international efforts to advance a political solution that achieves a comprehensive peace based on the two-State solution,&rdquo; the statement said. &nbsp;&ldquo;The Ministers reiterated their unwavering support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, particularly their right to self-determination and to realize the independent Palestinian state.&rdquo;

Foreign ministers say provocative actions at the mosque constituted a “flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law,” representing an unacceptable provocation to the Muslim community around the world; ministers condemned the accelerating illegal settlement activity.

Pakistan completes repayment of $3.45B deposits to UAE: State bank

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Latest News

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US soldier charged with insider trading to profit from bets on Maduro operation

Pakistan completes repayment of $3.45B deposits to UAE: State bank