Web Desk/AFP

This live blog follows updates for Day 43 of the US-Israeli war on Iran. For a recap of Day 42, go <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/usisrael-war-on-iran-day-42" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">here.</a><hr><ul style="list-style-type: square;"><li id="isPasted" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stocks climb, oil steadies on guarded optimism over Iran war ceasefire</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">&nbsp;Hezbollah says it targeted Israel&#39;s Ashdod naval base with missiles</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">&nbsp;Iranian foreign relations council head Kharrazi succumbs to injuries</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">&nbsp;IMF to cut global growth forecast due to Mideast war</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Iran&#39;s supreme leader says does not seek war in written message</li></ul><hr> Lebanon presidency says Israel talks to take place Tuesday in WashingtonPublished: April 11, 2026 | 2:15 GMT | By AFP Lebanon&#39;s presidency said Friday that a meeting would be held with Israel in Washington next week to discuss a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war and the start of negotiations between the neighbors. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has repeatedly expressed readiness for direct talks with Israel. After a ceasefire was announced between the United States and Iran this week, Washington and Tehran have been at odds over whether it also applies to Lebanon, as Israel has kept up heavy strikes on the country and Hezbollah has responded with its own attacks. Trump says Strait of Hormuz will open &#39;fairly soon&#39;Published: April 10, 2026 | 21:20 GMT | By AFP&nbsp;US President Donald Trump vowed Friday to have the Strait of Hormuz open &quot;with or without&quot; Iran&#39;s cooperation, ahead of peace talks in Pakistan in which the key waterway will loom large.&nbsp;&quot;We&#39;re going to open up the gulf with or without them...or the strait as they call it. I think it&#39;s going to go pretty quickly, and if it doesn&#39;t, we&rsquo;ll be able to finish it off,&quot; Trump told reporters as he left Washington for a domestic trip.&nbsp;&quot;We will have that open fairly soon.&quot;

Middle East

US President Donald Trump vowed Friday to have the Strait of Hormuz open "with or without" Iran's cooperation, ahead of peace talks in Pakistan in which the key waterway will loom large.

LIVE: Trump says Hormuz will reopen, outlines Iran deal priorities

KHAN YUNIS: In southern Gaza, aid workers are meticulously assembling fiberglass homes meant to shelter thousands of Palestinians still displaced six months after a ceasefire started between Israel and Hamas. Nearly two million people in Gaza are living in makeshift shelters, and the humanitarian situation remains dire, according to aid agencies.The fiberglass units are designed to offer a modicum of relief &mdash; homes with slightly more comfort than a tent vulnerable to the coastal winds that hit Gaza. Alessandro Markic, head of the United Nations Development Programme office in Gaza, initiated the plan. He said families &ldquo;are facing extremely difficult conditions.&rdquo; Roughly 4,000 units are planned in the Al-Mohararat area, west of Khan Younis. Workers assemble walls, install small windows, and lay roofs for families who try to settle in with rugs and cushions inside. &ldquo;These are very basic and temporary solutions, while we continue to plan for recovery and reconstruction,&rdquo; Markic said. The homes, he added, &ldquo;provide more dignity, privacy, and protection during the winter.&rdquo; Some Gazans were visibly relieved to have an alternative to the tents where most displaced people continue to live. Nasma Sharab has moved into one unit with her sons, and affirmed it was &ldquo;better&rdquo; than a tent. The fiberglass homes &ldquo;don&rsquo;t constantly blow away in the wind,&rdquo; she said. But, she added, &ldquo;it&rsquo;s a temporary solution while we wait for reconstruction to begin and for people to be able to go back to their homes.&rdquo; Among those who remain in a tent is Ali Abu Nahl, in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, after being displaced to the center and south of the territory with his children and grandchildren. His house was destroyed during the devastating conflict that erupted with the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been half a year since the bombing stopped, but in Gaza, the war doesn&rsquo;t end when the strikes stop,&rdquo; he said.

Six months after a ceasefire, displaced Palestinians in Khan Younis are moving into fiberglass shelters built by aid workers, offering modest protection from harsh conditions while thousands still await reconstruction, stability, and a return to permanent homes.

In Gaza, fiberglass homes aim to offer more ‘dignity’ for displaced

SAN FRANCISCO: The luxury San Francisco home of OpenAI boss Sam Altman was hit by a Molotov cocktail on Friday, the company said, as police announced the arrest of a suspect. No one was injured in the incident, and the firm behind the popular ChatGPT artificial intelligence chatbot would not confirm if the CEO was home at the time. The motive for the attack and subsequent threats to set fire to OpenAI&rsquo;s San Francisco headquarters &mdash; apparently by the same 20-year-old man &mdash; were not immediately known. But they come as Altman&rsquo;s profile has risen with the increasing use of AI, amid fears it could massively disrupt employment patterns and cause irreversible societal changes. Police in San Francisco responded after reports that someone had tried to set fire to a gate at the sprawling home. A statement from the San Francisco Police Department said officers were dispatched to the home just after 4:00 am (1100 GMT). &ldquo;At the scene, officers learned that an unknown male subject threw an incendiary destructive device at a home, causing a fire to an exterior gate. The suspect then fled on foot,&rdquo; SFPD said. A short time later they were called to the firm&rsquo;s offices where a man was making threats. &ldquo;When officers arrived on scene, they recognized the male to be the same suspect from the earlier incident and immediately detained him,&rdquo; the statement said of the unnamed 20-year-old suspect. A spokesman for OpenAI confirmed the attack on the chief executive&rsquo;s residence and the threats to the San Francisco headquarters.&ldquo;The individual is in custody, and we&rsquo;re assisting law enforcement with their investigation,&rdquo; the spokesman told AFP. AI for warAltman and OpenAI have become targets for people protesting AI as a threat to society. Detractors have been particularly troubled by OpenAI&rsquo;s decision to provide its technology to the US Department of Defense. In a rare post on his personal blog, Altman shared a photo of his husband and their baby &ldquo;in the hopes that it might dissuade the next person from throwing a Molotov cocktail at our house.&rdquo; The OpenAI chief defended his convictions and called for a de-escalation of rhetoric surrounding. &ldquo;I empathize with anti-technology sentiments and clearly technology isn&rsquo;t always good for everyone,&rdquo; Altman wrote. &ldquo;But overall, I believe technological progress can make the future unbelievably good, for your family and mine.&rdquo; OpenAI last month said it was valued at $852 billion after a funding round that raised $122 billion. The figure reflects the surging costs of computing power and came amid lingering questions about whether OpenAI and rival companies can generate sufficient revenue to cover expenses. ChatGPT claims the top position in consumer AI, with more than 900 million weekly active users and some 50 million subscribers. Use of ChatGPT&rsquo;s online search engine has tripled over the course of a year, according to OpenAI.

Artificial Intelligence

Attack targets Sam Altman’s San Francisco home as police arrest suspect after Molotov incident, raising concerns over growing backlash against OpenAI and the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence technologies worldwide.

OpenAI CEO’s California home hit by Molotov cocktail, man arrested

SAN DIEGO:&nbsp;The NASA spacecraft carrying four astronauts splashed down as planned Friday off the California coast, capping the US space agency&#39;s successful crewed test mission around the Moon, the first such flyby in more than 50 years.&nbsp;Mission commander Reid Wiseman reported that the crewmembers -- himself along with Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Jeremy Hansen -- were &quot;stable&quot; and &quot;green.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;They&#39;re in great condition, that&#39;s what that means,&quot; said Rob Navias, the NASA public affairs official who narrated their return on the agency&#39;s livestream.&nbsp;Following a brief but nerve-wracking communications blackout during their high-stakes re-entry, mission commander Wiseman&#39;s voice triggered relief that the astronauts were well on their way back home.&nbsp;&quot;Houston. Integrity. We have you loud and clear,&quot; he said following a voice check from mission control.&nbsp;NASA and the US military will now help them leave the bobbing capsule, after which they will be flown to a recovery ship off the Pacific coast near San Diego.&nbsp;As the astronauts returned to Earth their spacecraft reached maximum speeds more than 30 times the speed of sound, and faced searing temperatures around half as hot as the surface of the Sun. It was a key test of their heat shield, which in an earlier trial mission had faced complications.&nbsp;But the Artemis II re-entry went off without a hitch.&nbsp;&quot;This was a textbook entry and a textbook touchdown,&quot; said Navias.

NASA’s Artemis II astronauts re-entered Earth’s atmosphere after a 10-day Moon mission, testing their heat shield. The crew experienced a brief communication blackout before an expected splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

Artemis II astronauts return to Earth, capping historic Moon mission

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is set to host talks between Iran and the United States in a bid to turn a fragile two-week ceasefire into a lasting end to a war that has left thousands dead and roiled global energy markets.&nbsp;Here are five things to know about the Islamabad talks:&nbsp;The war behind the talksOn February 28, the United States and Israel launched deadly coordinated strikes that killed supreme leader Ali Khamenei and struck Iran&rsquo;s military and nuclear infrastructure.&nbsp;More than 3,000 people were killed in Iran in five weeks, according to Iranian media and US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).&nbsp;Tehran responded by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf waterway through which about a fifth of global oil and gas passes, sending energy prices soaring and disrupting trade worldwide.&nbsp;On April 8, Washington and Tehran agreed to a two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan. The ceasefire is expected to expire April 22.&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s unlikely starring rolePakistan&rsquo;s value as a mediator rests on an unusually broad diplomatic network.Iran was the first country to recognize Pakistan&rsquo;s statehood following independence in 1947, with the two neighbors sharing a 900-kilometer (560-mile) border and deep historical, cultural and religious ties.&nbsp;Pakistan is also home to more than 20 million Shia Muslims, the second-largest such population in the world after Iran.&nbsp;Islamabad has cultivated strong ties with Washington, Riyadh and Beijing.&nbsp;Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar visited Beijing at the end of March for talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who backed Islamabad&rsquo;s mediation efforts as &ldquo;in keeping with the common interests of all parties.&rdquo;&nbsp;Trump himself told AFP that China helped bring Iran to the negotiating table, an account backed by Pakistani officials.&nbsp;&ldquo;On ceasefire night, hopes were fading, but China stepped in and convinced Iran to agree to a preliminary ceasefire,&rdquo; a senior Pakistani official familiar with the negotiations told AFP on condition of anonymity.&nbsp;What&rsquo;s on the table?The gap between the two sides remains vast.&nbsp;Washington&rsquo;s reported 15-point proposal centers on Iran&rsquo;s enriched uranium and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.&nbsp;Tehran has countered with a 10-point plan demanding control over the strait, a toll for vessels crossing the strait, an end to all regional military operations and the lifting of all sanctions.&nbsp;Lebanon is also a major sticking point.Israel has continued its strikes in the country targeting Hezbollah &mdash; after the ceasefire came into force &mdash; with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejecting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif&rsquo;s assertion that the truce included Lebanon.&nbsp;US Vice President JD Vance appeared to take a softer tone, saying there may have been a &ldquo;legitimate misunderstanding&rdquo; from Iran that Lebanon would be included.&nbsp;Iran&rsquo;s President Masoud Pezeshkian warned on X that Israel&rsquo;s strikes on Lebanon rendered the negotiations &ldquo;meaningless.&rdquo;&nbsp;Iran has also long refused to concede to Washington&rsquo;s demands on its nuclear program.&nbsp;Iranian sources have also told Iranian media that Tehran won&rsquo;t attend the talks unless a ceasefire is in place in Lebanon.&nbsp;Who are the negotiators?Vance will lead the American team, joined by special envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner.&nbsp;It marks the most senior US engagement with Iran since Secretary of State John Kerry negotiated the 2015 nuclear deal.&nbsp;Witkoff held multiple rounds of Oman-mediated talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi before the war cut the process short.&nbsp;Araghchi and Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, along with other security and economic officials, have arrived in Pakistan, Iranian state television and the Pakistani government confirmed.&nbsp;Reporting their arrival, state broadcaster IRIB reiterated Tehran&rsquo;s position that talks will not begin unless its conditions are met, including a ceasefire in Lebanon.&nbsp;Islamabad on lockdownThe talks are being held in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.&nbsp;The government has kept its cards close to its chest, not confirming the venue, but the Serena Hotel &mdash; located next to the foreign ministry in the capital&rsquo;s high-security Red Zone &mdash; asked its guests to clear out on Wednesday.&nbsp;Authorities in the capital announced a two-day public holiday on Thursday and Friday.&nbsp;The streets of Islamabad are flooded with armed security personnel in military fatigues, traffic diversions are in place and police checkpoints are set up.&nbsp;The talks are expected to be indirect: the two delegations sitting in separate rooms with Pakistani officials shuttling proposals between them, mirroring the format used in earlier Oman-mediated rounds.

Asia

Pakistan will host Iran-US talks in Islamabad to turn a fragile two-week ceasefire into a lasting end to war. Key issues include the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions, Lebanon, and indirect negotiations under tight security.

Five things to know about the planned Iran-US talks in Islamabad

Faraz Saeed

ISLAMABAD: A statement from Islamabad moved S&amp;P 500 futures. Now, as Pakistan prepares to host US-Iran talks, global markets are reacting, Asia down, Europe in red, oil up nearly 7%.&nbsp; Markets aren&rsquo;t just watching Islamabad, they&rsquo;re moving with it, explains Pakistan TV Digital&rsquo;s Faraz Saeed.

Shorts

A statement from Islamabad moved S&P 500 futures. Now, as Pakistan prepares to host US-Iran talks, global markets are reacting, Asia down, Europe in red, oil up nearly 7%. Markets aren’t just watching Islamabad, they’re moving with it, explains Pakistan TV Digital’s Faraz Saeed.

Global markets shift as Islamabad prepares US-Iran talks

Ayesha Mir

ISLAMABAD: JD Vance is en route to Islamabad to lead high-stakes peace talks with Iran, a rare diplomatic role for a US vice president that could shape the outcome of negotiations and signal renewed US engagement in the region.

Dossier with Ayesha

JD Vance is en route to Islamabad to lead high-stakes peace talks with Iran, a rare diplomatic role for a US vice president that could shape the outcome of negotiations and signal renewed US engagement in the region.

Anti-war JD Vance leads Iran peace talks in Islamabad

BEIRUT: Lebanon&#39;s presidency said Friday that a meeting would be held with Israel in Washington next week to discuss a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war and the start of negotiations between the neighbors.&nbsp;Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has repeatedly expressed readiness for direct talks with Israel.&nbsp;After a ceasefire was announced between the United States and Iran this week, Washington and Tehran have been at odds over whether it also applies to Lebanon, as Israel has kept up heavy strikes on the country and Hezbollah has responded with its own attacks.&nbsp;A statement from Aoun&#39;s office said that a first telephone call was held on Friday between the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to Washington and the US ambassador to Lebanon, who was also in the American city.&nbsp;&quot;During the call, it was agreed to hold the first meeting next Tuesday at the State Department to discuss declaring a ceasefire and the start date for negotiations between Lebanon and Israel under US auspices,&quot; the presidency statement said.&nbsp;A Lebanese government official told AFP on Thursday that Lebanon wants a ceasefire before starting any negotiations with Israel.&nbsp;Earlier Friday, Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem urged the Lebanese government to stop giving &quot;free concessions&quot; to Israel and vowed that &quot;the resistance will continue until the last breath&quot;.&nbsp;Hezbollah has rejected direct talks between the two countries, instead calling for Israel&#39;s army to withdraw from Lebanon.

Lebanon and Israel will meet in Washington to discuss a ceasefire and possible negotiations. Lebanon seeks a truce first, while Hezbollah opposes talks, urging continued resistance and demanding Israeli withdrawal despite ongoing clashes.

Lebanon presidency says Israel talks to take place Tuesday in Washington

Muhammad Ibrahim

ISLAMABAD: High-stakes Iran&ndash;US negotiations are set to begin in Pakistan&rsquo;s capital, where delegations have started arriving and initial engagements are underway in what Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described as a &ldquo;make or break&rdquo; moment for peace. &ldquo;In response to my sincere invitation, the leaderships of both countries are coming to Islamabad. There, negotiations will be held for the establishment of peace,&rdquo; Sharif said in a televised address.&nbsp;The talks follow a fragile two-week ceasefire brokered through Pakistan&rsquo;s diplomatic efforts, positioning Islamabad at the center of global attempts to de-escalate a conflict that has unsettled the region and global markets. Iranian delegation in Pakistan&nbsp;An Iranian delegation of more than 70 members, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, arrived first in Islamabad under tight security, according to the Pakistan Foreign Office. The delegation includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, senior military official Ali-Akbar Ahmadian, and politician-economist Abdolnasser Hemmati, underscoring Tehran&rsquo;s high-level representation. <div class="fr-embed youtube-embed"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8rciV8diBiY" title="YouTube Shorts video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" style="width: 100%; height: auto; aspect-ratio: 16 / 9; max-width: 100%; display: block;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </iframe>&nbsp;</div>&nbsp;&ldquo;We have good intentions but we do not trust,&rdquo; Ghalibaf said upon arrival, according to Iranian state television. &ldquo;Our experience in negotiating with the Americans has always been met with failure and broken promises.&rdquo; Vance heads to Pakistan&nbsp;On the US side, Vice President JD Vance is en route to Pakistan to lead Washington&rsquo;s delegation, which also includes Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff, marking a rare diplomatic role for a sitting US vice president.&nbsp;Before departing Washington for Islamabad, JD Vance expressed cautious optimism about the upcoming negotiations, saying the United States would pursue a constructive outcome while remaining firm in its approach. <div class="fr-embed youtube-embed"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UJzt6VgDsI8?si=xHzSSRp7Bo3Lujpl" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="" style="width: 100%; height: auto; aspect-ratio: 16 / 9; max-width: 100%; display: block;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe>&nbsp;</div>&nbsp;&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to try to have a positive negotiation,&rdquo; he told reporters, adding, &ldquo;If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we&rsquo;re certainly willing to extend the open hand&hellip; but if they try to play us, the negotiating team is not going to be receptive.&rdquo;&nbsp;The talks come after weeks of intense fighting that began late February, when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, triggering a wider regional conflict as Tehran retaliated against US and allied targets. Now in its second month, the war has spread across the Middle East, disrupted global energy flows, and raised fears of a broader escalation, even as a fragile ceasefire attempts to halt hostilities. &lsquo;Islamabad Talks&rsquo;Pakistan has moved to facilitate participation, offering visa-on-arrival for delegates and journalists.&nbsp;&ldquo;Pakistan has extended visa-free travel to delegates and journalists&hellip; for the duration of the talks,&rdquo; Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said.&nbsp;Security and logistical preparations have been reinforced. <div class="fr-embed youtube-embed"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1pv2tF5LTFk?si=18Ta_81UIxY7OTi6" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="" style="width: 100%; height: auto; aspect-ratio: 16 / 9; max-width: 100%; display: block;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe>&nbsp;</div>&nbsp;Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi chaired a high-level meeting reviewing arrangements, assuring &ldquo;foolproof security measures&rdquo; for visiting delegations.&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s civil and military leadership reviewed the evolving situation. Pakistan Chief of Defense Forces and Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir met Sharif, with both stressing the need to &ldquo;maintain peace and a ceasefire by all parties,&rdquo; according to the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office.&nbsp;&ldquo;The two leaders expressed satisfaction over the de-escalation achieved so far&hellip; and reiterated Islamabad&rsquo;s commitment to facilitate a negotiated settlement,&rdquo; the statement said, adding that arrangements for delegations had been finalized with &ldquo;highest consideration and support.&rdquo; <div class="fr-embed youtube-embed"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xesegfdX-Qg?si=xg7meWloYAWRXE1d" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="" style="width: 100%; height: auto; aspect-ratio: 16 / 9; max-width: 100%; display: block;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe>&nbsp;</div>&nbsp;International backing for Pakistan&rsquo;s mediation continues to grow.&nbsp;Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held calls with counterparts from the Netherlands and France, who commended Islamabad&rsquo;s role in securing the ceasefire and advancing a diplomatic pathway.&nbsp;&ldquo;Both sides underscored the importance of full implementation of the ceasefire to achieve sustained peace,&rdquo; the Foreign Office said. &lsquo;Indispensable role&rsquo;Beijing-based global affairs expert Victor Gao said Pakistan has played an &ldquo;indispensable role&rdquo; in bringing the United States and Iran to the negotiating table, calling the current ceasefire a critical breakthrough. &ldquo;I think mankind should give a lot of credit to Pakistan for the important and indispensable role&hellip; leading towards this two-week-long truce,&rdquo; Gao told Pakistan TV Digital, warning that continued conflict risked triggering a wider economic crisis. &ldquo;Otherwise this ongoing energy crisis will lead to a major economic crisis&hellip; one of the most important financial crises in human history.&rdquo; He said Pakistan&rsquo;s sustained diplomatic engagement had been key in preventing further escalation and expressed hope that the ceasefire would hold. <div class="fr-embed youtube-embed"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LSF7P0yi-Yk?si=SC2LjYFwG__w0WJv" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="" style="width: 100%; height: auto; aspect-ratio: 16 / 9; max-width: 100%; display: block;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe>&nbsp;</div> &ldquo;Pakistan has been doing great&hellip; engaged in hectic negotiation and good offices between Washington and Tehran,&rdquo; he said, adding that Beijing and Islamabad were aligned in seeking an immediate end to the war. &ldquo;China and Pakistan share the same desire to see an end to this war immediately,&rdquo; Gao added.&nbsp;At the same time, concern is mounting over continued violence in Lebanon, where Israeli strikes have intensified despite the truce.&nbsp;Dar, in conversations with international partners, stressed the need for &ldquo;full respect and implementation of the ceasefire.&rdquo; Deadly strikes in Lebanon Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has called for an immediate end to attacks, while the United Nations condemned the escalation.&nbsp;&ldquo;The United Nations strongly condemns the strikes&hellip; that resulted in significant civilian casualties,&rdquo; spokesman Farhan Haq said.&nbsp;Despite these challenges, Pakistan has intensified diplomatic outreach, with Sharif thanking global leaders for supporting what he described as Islamabad&rsquo;s &ldquo;sincere efforts&rdquo; to advance peace.&nbsp;&ldquo;I earnestly and sincerely urge all parties to exercise restraint&hellip; so that diplomacy can take a lead role,&rdquo; he said earlier.&nbsp;With delegations arriving and global attention fixed on Islamabad, the talks are expected to test whether the ceasefire can hold and evolve into a broader framework for lasting regional peace. - This story was first published on April 11 at 01:26 AM and is being continuously updated with the latest developments. Please refresh the page for real-time updates.

Foreign Affairs

US Vice President JD Vance, an outspoken critic of war, heads to Islamabad to lead high-stakes Iran talks, as a senior Iranian delegation arrives; analysts say both sides appear ready for peace.

Iran delegation in Islamabad ahead of high-level US talks

RAMALLAH: Israel has approved the establishment of 34 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to Israeli media reports and the watchdog Peace Now, which said the decision was taken &quot;secretly&quot; in early April. &quot;The security cabinet secretly decided to establish 34 new settlements,&quot; Peace Now said in a statement released late on Thursday.The 34 settlements come on top of 68 others already approved since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&#39;s right-wing government came to power in 2022. The decision has not been officially published by any government body, and the defence ministry, in charge of settlements in the occupied West Bank, declined to respond to AFP&#39;s questions. &quot;We are not addressing this issue,&quot; a spokesperson for the ministry told AFP. According to news channel i24News, 10 of the 34 settlements are already existing outposts, which are illegal under Israeli law, but will now be retroactively legalised under the decision. The remaining 24 are yet to be built. All settlements are illegal under international law. News website Ynet reported that military chief Eyal Zamir warned during the security cabinet meeting that took place on April 1 that the army could &quot;collapse&quot; because of increasing demands on its manpower. That included the legalisation of dozens of outposts, granting them official settlement status and therefore for protection from Israeli troops. Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. Excluding east Jerusalem, more than 500,000 Israelis now live there in settlements, among some three million Palestinians. Settlement expansion has been a policy under successive Israeli governments since 1967, but has accelerated significantly under the current Netanyahu-led coalition, widely regarded as one of the most right-wing in Israel&#39;s history. Rights groups say approvals of new settlements, land seizures and settler violence have further increased since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023.

Israel has approved the establishment of 34 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to Israeli media reports and the watchdog Peace Now, which said the decision was taken "secretly" in early April.

LIVE: Trump says Hormuz will reopen, outlines Iran deal priorities

Latest News

In Gaza, fiberglass homes aim to offer more ‘dignity’ for displaced

OpenAI CEO’s California home hit by Molotov cocktail, man arrested

LIVE: Trump says Hormuz will reopen, outlines Iran deal priorities

Artemis II astronauts return to Earth, capping historic Moon mission

Five things to know about the planned Iran-US talks in Islamabad