Web Desk

<em style='box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; scroll-behavior: auto !important; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; background-color: oklch(0.985 0.002 247.839);' id="isPasted">This live blog follows updates for Day 50 of the US-Israel war on Iran. For a recap of Day 50, go <span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; scroll-behavior: auto !important; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; background-color: oklch(0.985 0.002 247.839);"><a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/live-usisrael-war-on-iran-day-50" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color:#0073e6;"><em style='box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; scroll-behavior: auto !important; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif;'>here</a><em style='box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; scroll-behavior: auto !important; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif;'>.<hr><ul id="isPasted" style="list-style-type: circle;"><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 2;">Iran&rsquo;s Qalibaf calls US naval blockade &lsquo;clumsy and ignorant&rsquo;</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 2;">Iran reports 3,468 dead in war with US, Israel: official</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 2;">Iran says reviewing &#39;new proposals&#39; from United States</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 2;">Trump says Iran cannot &#39;blackmail us&#39; with Strait of Hormuz threats</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 2;">Statement from supreme leader says Iran&#39;s navy &#39;stands ready&#39; to defeat US</li></ul><hr> Iran&#39;s speaker says negotiations with US have progressed but far from final agreement<p style='box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; scroll-behavior: auto !important; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: oklch(0.985 0.002 247.839); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 2;' id="isPasted"><span style='box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; scroll-behavior: auto !important; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);'><em style='box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; scroll-behavior: auto !important; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif;'>Published: April 19, 2026 | 00:15 GMT | by AFP Progress had been made in negotiations with the United States to end the war, Iran&#39;s parliamentary speaker said on Saturday night, but added the sides were still far from an agreement. &quot;We are still far from the final discussion,&quot; Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is also one of Iran&#39;s negotiators, said in a national televised address, adding &quot;we made progress in the negotiations, but there are many gaps and some fundamental points remain&quot;.

Iranian parliamentary leader Baqer Qalibaf. (File photo: Press TV)

Americas

Middle East

Iran's parliamentary speaker says progress had been made in negotiations with the United States to end the war, but added the sides were still far from an agreement.

Iran's speaker says negotiations with US have progressed but far from final agreement

WASHINGTON: Blue Origin, the US space company of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, on Sunday will reuse a booster for the first time to launch its massive New Glenn rocket. The novel approach comes amid fierce competition between Bezos&#39;s firm and fellow tech titan <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/after-artemis-ii-nasa-looks-to-spacex-blue-origin-for-moon-landings" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Elon Musk&#39;s SpaceX</a>, and a successful outing Sunday could up the pace and lower the cost of future Blue Origin launches. At nearly 100 meters (about 328 feet) tall, the New Glenn is slated for liftoff from Florida&#39;s Cape Canaveral sometime between 6:45 am (1045 GMT) and 8:45 am. It will carry a communications satellite for the company AST SpaceMobile. The company has launched the New Glenn twice before, but only with new rocket boosters. It has launched its far smaller New Shepard rocket, primarily used for suborbital space tourism, with reused components before in a less technically challenging operation. In November, Blue Origin recovered a New Glenn booster for the first time, succeeding in the complex technical challenge that culminated with a controlled vertical landing on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean. A previous attempt in January 2025 to recover the booster was unsuccessful after its engines failed to reignite during descent. The booster that will be used in Sunday&#39;s launch was refurbished after its previous flight. For this first reuse, the company replaced all of its engines and made a few other modifications. After liftoff, the rocket&#39;s two stages will separate at altitude. The upper stage will continue its journey carrying the satellite into space, while the booster will descend and attempt to land on a barge. The operation&#39;s performance will be closely watched, as the New Glenn is at the heart of Bezos&#39;s space ambitions. He is notably competing with Musk in NASA&#39;s Artemis lunar program, with their respective space companies both developing lunar landers for the US space agency. The United States is doubling down on efforts to return astronauts to the surface of the Moon in 2028, before the end of President Donald Trump&#39;s term and a deadline set by Chinese rivals.

This Blue Origin handout photo, obtained on April 17, 2026, shows Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket at Launch Complex 36 at the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida, on April 12, 2026. (File photo: AFP)

Gadgets

The novel approach comes amid fierce competition between Bezos's firm and fellow tech titan Elon Musk's SpaceX, and a successful outing Sunday could up the pace and lower the cost of future Blue Origin launches.

Blue Origin set to launch rocket with reusable booster for first time

LAGOS: Nigeria and Turkiye have struck a defence agreement to help Africa&#39;s most populous nation fight its 17-year-long insurgency, the Nigerian defense minister said on Saturday. &quot;We have agreed to move into training, production, and improving on our defence industry cooperation,&quot; Christopher Musa told Turkish media while on a trip to Antalya, according to the Anadolu agency. Musa specified that 200 members of the Nigerian army&#39;s special forces would be sent to Turkiye for training. Nigeria&#39;s longstanding security woes have drawn the ire of the United States in recent months, with President Donald Trump claiming that the country&#39;s Christians face &quot;persecution&quot;. Both the Nigerian government and experts have rejected that argument, pointing out that the multi-religious country&#39;s overlapping conflicts kill Christians and Muslims alike. Yet the west African country has still managed to find common ground with Washington on defence, with the US deploying around 200 soldiers to the country and launching Christmas Day airstrikes on the northern state of Sokoto last year. Besides radical Islamists from Boko Haram and its rival splinter group, the Islamic State West Africa Province, Nigeria is also plagued by gangs of armed criminals known as bandits who pillage, kill and kidnap in the northwest. The country also has to contend with the worsening security crisis across the Sahel -- the vast region bordering the southern Sahara desert -- which has allowed militants to expand across West Africa. In an attempt to reduce its reliance on the US, Nigeria has sought to diversify its security partners. Musa&#39;s Turkiye trip comes in the wake of President Bola Tinubu&#39;s visit in late January, the first by a Nigerian head of state in nine years. Turkiye is renowned for its inexpensive armed drones, which it exports in large numbers. &quot;Turkiye has improved dramatically regarding production of military hardware, and Nigeria is still developing,&quot; Musa said, adding that the two countries had agreed to produce some items together.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu witness the signing of nine agreements between Turkiye and Nigeria on January 27, 2026. (File photo: Anadolu Agency)

Africa

Nigeria and Turkiye sign a defence agreement to help Africa's most populous nation fight its 17-year-long insurgency, the Nigerian defence minister said on Saturday.

Nigeria strikes defense deal with Turkiye

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan joined 11 other countries in strongly condemning Israel&rsquo;s decision to appoint a diplomatic representative to Somalia&rsquo;s breakaway region of Somaliland, calling the move a violation of Somalia&rsquo;s sovereignty and territorial integrity.&nbsp;According to a joint statement shared by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-condemns-israeli-recognition-of-somaliland-presses-oic-on-kashmir" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pakistan&rsquo;s Foreign Office</a>&nbsp;on Saturday, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Bangladesh, Algeria, Palestine, Turkiye, Indonesia, Pakistan and Kuwait rejected Israel&rsquo;s announcement and termed it a &ldquo;flagrant violation&rdquo; of the unity and sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Somalia.<div><div style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 899px; 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=2045568971655811491&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=102cf827e7dfc0f36b6c5c110a72d2bc7c0238e7&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>Israel had announced on Wednesday the appointment of Michael Lotem as its first non-resident ambassador to Somaliland, marking a further step in its engagement with the self-declared republic.&nbsp;The joint statement said the ministers firmly opposed all unilateral measures that undermine the unity of states or infringe upon their sovereignty, while reaffirming their full support for Somalia&rsquo;s unity, territorial integrity and legitimate state institutions as the sole representatives of the Somali people.&nbsp;They warned that such actions violated international law, the United Nations Charter and the Constitutive Act of the African Union, and could create a dangerous precedent threatening stability in the Horn of Africa and wider regional peace and security.&nbsp;The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) had also condemned Israel&rsquo;s move earlier this week, reiterating support for Somalia&rsquo;s internationally recognised government and its legitimate institutions.

Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tahir Andrabi, speaking at the weekly briefing on Thursday, January 15, 2026. (File photo: MOFA)

Foreign Affairs

Joint statement says the countries oppose all unilateral measures that undermine the unity of states or infringe upon their sovereignty, while reaffirming their full support for Somalia’s unity and territorial integrity.

Pakistan among 12 countries condemning Israel’s envoy appointment to Somaliland

BEIRUT: After the ceasefire in Lebanon took hold, Samah Hajoul headed back to her apartment in south Beirut -- but only long enough to grab fresh clothes, feeling safer in her tent as she wonders whether the truce will last.&nbsp;&quot;I am afraid to return to my home because the situation is not stable yet,&quot; the displaced mother of four told AFP from her campsite on the capital&#39;s seafront.&nbsp;The ceasefire, which entered its second day Saturday, has granted many people the chance to check on their homes. Hajoul found her apartment lightly damaged, with broken windows, but was only there to &quot;bathe the children and get summer clothes&quot; as temperatures started to rise.&nbsp;&quot;We do not feel safe to return, for fear that something might happen at night and I would not be able to carry my children and flee with them,&quot; she added.&nbsp;Like many other displaced residents, Hajoul was waiting to &quot;see what happens&quot; at the end of the 10-day truce before deciding whether to go back.&nbsp;&quot;If the ceasefire is consolidated, we will return to our homes,&quot; she said.&nbsp;In the heavily bombed suburbs, neighborhoods were still largely empty on Saturday, aside from those making quick visits to their homes, according to an AFP correspondent.&nbsp;Among them was Hassan, 29, who only picked up a few things before returning to a school turned government shelter.&nbsp;Hassan, who only gave his first name, pointed to &quot;tension&quot; surrounding Israeli strikes in the south and Iran&#39;s announcement it was again closing the Strait of Hormuz, rattling the ongoing ceasefire in the broader war.&nbsp;With both Israel and Hezbollah accusing each other of breaching the truce in Lebanon, Hassan said &quot;there is no indication that there is a solution&quot;.&nbsp;&quot;We are afraid that if we return to the suburbs we will lose our place in the school to which we were displaced.&quot;

After the ceasefire in Lebanon, displaced residents briefly returned to damaged homes for essentials but still feel unsafe. Many are waiting through the 10-day truce, fearing instability and possible renewed conflict before deciding to return permanently.

Displaced Lebanese hesitant to return home as lasting truce uncertain

TEHRAN: Iran&#39;s top national security body said Saturday that the country was reviewing &quot;new proposals&quot; received from the United States.&nbsp;&quot;In recent days, with the presence of the commander of the Pakistani army in Tehran as an intermediary and mediator in the negotiations, new proposals have been put forward by the Americans, which the Islamic Republic of Iran is currently reviewing and has not yet responded to,&quot; the Supreme National Security Council said in a statement carried by state media.&nbsp;It went on to say that Iran&#39;s negotiating delegation &quot;will not make even the slightest compromise, retreat or leniency, and will defend with all its strength the interests of the Iranian nation&quot;.&nbsp;Pakistan has emerged as the main mediator between the two foes, and hosted an initial round of talks last week that ended without an agreement.&nbsp;The disclosure of the new proposals came hours after Iran declared that it was reimposing its closure of the Strait of Hormuz over an ongoing US blockade of its ports, prompting a warning from US President Donald Trump not to try to &quot;blackmail&quot; Washington.&nbsp;The Supreme National Security Council said &quot;Iran is determined to enforce supervision and control over traffic through the Strait of Hormuz until the definitive end of the war&quot;, insisting the US blockade would preclude even a &quot;conditional and limited reopening&quot;.&nbsp;The council said such a reopening would involve Tehran issuing transit certificates to vessels, &quot;as well as requiring payment of fees related to services for security, safety and environmental protection&quot;.

Iran said it is reviewing new US proposals delivered via Pakistan’s army chief as mediator. Tehran insists no compromise in negotiations while also reimposing control over the Strait of Hormuz amid US blockade tensions.

Iran says reviewing 'new proposals' from United States

MADRID: Venezuela&#39;s opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said on Saturday &quot;I have no regrets&quot; about symbolically handing over her Nobel Peace Prize to US President Donald Trump back in January. &quot;There is a leader in the world, a head of state in the world who risked the lives of his country&#39;s citizens for Venezuela&#39;s freedom,&quot; she told a news conference in Madrid. Machado presented her Nobel prize to Trump when she met him in the White House just two weeks after he ordered US forces to attack Caracas and snatch Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Trump, who has long coveted the Nobel Peace Prize, is currently embroiled in the Middle East war he started with his ally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with airstrikes on Iran at the end of February. The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which awards the peace prize, made clear after Machado handed her 2025 Nobel medal to Trump that the actual honor it represents &quot;cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others&quot;. Machado said that Trump&#39;s military operation to snatch Maduro, who is currently detained in New York facing US drug charges, &quot;is something we Venezuelans will never forget&quot;. &quot;Consequently,&quot; she said, &quot;no, I have no regrets&quot; about gifting her Nobel medal to Trump. Machado, who was in hiding before leaving Venezuela in December to collect her Nobel prize in Oslo, said she was organizing her return to the country in coordination with Washington. &quot;I am speaking with the US government, and we are working in coordination, with mutual respect and understanding,&quot; she said. She added that she believed that Washington was &quot;key to advancing a democratic transition&quot; in Venezuela. Venezuela&#39;s opposition last week called for presidential elections. Machado, who has not yet said if she would run in a future poll, was banned from running for president in the 2024 election that resulted with Maduro claiming a reelection victory.

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado poses with Madrid Mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida after receiving the Golden Key to the City, in Madrid, on April 17, 2026. (AFP)

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado defended giving her Nobel medal to Donald Trump, praising his role in former Venezuelan President Maduro’s capture, and expressing no regrets in gifting him her Nobel Peace Prize. 

Venezuela's Machado doesn't regret gifting Nobel Peace Prize to Trump

KARACHI: Pakistan included four uncapped players in their squad announced Saturday for next month&#39;s two Test matches against Bangladesh, and also appointed Sarfaraz Ahmed as head coach.&nbsp;The matches, part of the World Test Championship (WTC) will be played in Dhaka (May 8-12) and Sylhet (12-16).&nbsp;Top-order batter Shan Masood will lead the Test side, which has promising new players in Azan Awais, Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt and Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, selected on their good performances in domestic cricket.&nbsp;Spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan remain Pakistan&#39;s main strength with the pace attack including Shaheen Shah Afridi and Hasan Ali.&nbsp;The players will undergo a camp in Karachi and are scheduled to fly to Bangladesh on May 2.&nbsp;Pakistan Cricket Board also appointed Sarfaraz as head coach to the post that was vacant after Azhar Mahmood resigned last year.&nbsp;&quot;PCB also confirms the appointment of red-ball coaches for the Bangladesh tour, with former Test captain Ahmed appointed as head coach with Asad Shafiq and Umar Gul working as batting and bowling coaches, respectively, on the tour,&quot; the PCB said in a statement naming the 16-member squad.&nbsp;Shafiq and Gul are both former Pakistan players.&nbsp;Pakistan are fifth on the Test Championship table after drawing their two-match series 1-1 at home against South Africa last year.&nbsp;Squad: Shan Masood (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Azan Awais, Babar Azam, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Cricket

Pakistan included four uncapped players in their squad announced Saturday for next month's two Test matches against Bangladesh, and also appointed Sarfaraz Ahmed as head coach.

Pakistan include four uncapped players for Bangladesh Tests

ISLAMABAD: India&#39;s Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said the country&rsquo;s Prime Minister Narendra Modi was compromised through the Epstein files on Saturday, accusing him of signing deals that surrendered India&#39;s energy security, farming sector and data to foreign interests. The Indian Opposition Leader delivered his sharpest attack on the Indian prime minister yet as he campaigned across Tamil Nadu ahead of the state&#39;s April 23 assembly election, with his speeches shared on Indian National Congress&#39;s official YouTube channel.&nbsp; &quot;He controls him through the Epstein files,&quot; Rahul Gandhi told a rally in Ranipet, referring to US President Donald Trump&#39;s alleged&nbsp;leverage over Modi. &quot;He controls him because he knows Narendra Modi&#39;s financial system.&quot; &quot;He [Modi] signed a deal between India and the United States that sold our country out,&quot; Rahul&nbsp;Gandhi told the crowd. &quot;He handed out our energy security. He gave away our data. He sold our farmers. He sold our small and medium industry.&quot; The 55-year-old, who is the&nbsp;parliamentary face of the opposition Congress party, addressed rallies in Ponneri, Ranipet and Thuraiyur across Tamil Nadu on Saturday. He framed the Epstein claim within a broader argument: that Modi, having been compromised at the national level, now seeks to impose the same model of externally controlled, proxy governance on Tamil Nadu through his alliance with the regional AIADMK party. &quot;The same way Modi has been compromised, they want a compromised chief minister to run Tamil Nadu,&quot; he said at Ponneri. Rahul also pointed to Modi&#39;s demeanor in Parliament on Friday as evidence of a leader operating under pressure. &quot;Yesterday you saw the face of Prime Minister Modi &mdash; completely lacking confidence,&quot; he said at Ranipet. &quot;He could not even face the opposition. He was sitting sideways.&quot; The parliamentary session Rahul referenced saw the opposition defeat a government bill it said disguised a redrawing of India&#39;s electoral map (a process known as delimitation) behind the cover of women&#39;s political representation. &quot;Hidden behind that bill was a diabolical idea,&quot; he said at Ranipet. &quot;They wanted to change the number of seats that each state gets. They wanted to weaken the South Indian states, the North Eastern states and the smaller states.&quot; He called the attempt &quot;an anti-national act&quot; and said the Opposition &quot;stood like a rock&quot; to defeat it. Tamil Nadu, a state of roughly 70 million people on India&#39;s southeastern tip, votes on April 23 in a single-phase election across all 234 assembly constituencies, according to the Election Commission of India. Votes will be counted on May 4. There are 56.7 million registered voters, including 28.9 million women and 27.7 million men, as per the Chief Electoral Officer of Tamil Nadu. The BJP, which dominates India&#39;s national politics under Modi, has historically failed to win significant ground in Tamil Nadu. It has allied this cycle with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), a Dravidian regional party rooted in Tamil identity, socialism and secularism. Gandhi&#39;s Congress is allied with the rival Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which governs the state under Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. Rahul Gandhi was unsparing on the AIADMK alliance. &quot;The BJP has hollowed out and destroyed the AIADMK,&quot; he said at Ponneri. &quot;There is nothing known as the AIADMK. It has been eaten up from the inside by Narendra Modi and Amit Shah [Indian Home Affairs Minister]. It is a hollow shell.&quot; He told AIADMK workers directly that their party&#39;s leadership had been &quot;fully captured&quot; and was now functioning as an instrument for BJP to enter Tamil Nadu. He said the BJP&#39;s agenda was an assault on Tamil language and identity. &quot;They want to attack Tamil language, they want to distort Tamil history, they want to twist Tamil culture,&quot; he said. &quot;The BJP and RSS are ignorant people. They do not understand who the Tamil people are.&quot; He accused the central government of withholding $216 million in education funds owed to Tamil Nadu and of blocking construction of a federal medical institute in Madurai. The Indian Opposition Leader closed with a cultural pledge that drew the loudest response of the rally. &quot;There is no force on this planet that can touch Tamil Nadu or its language,&quot; he told the Ponneri crowd, according to the Indian National Congress&#39;s official Facebook post. The DMK-Congress alliance outlined six economic guarantees: ₹2,000 ($21.6) per month to every woman in the state; equal amounts for senior citizens and people with disabilities; ₹2,000 ($21.6) monthly college scholarships; ₹2,500 ($27) per month in food security transfers; free property registration for first-time women buyers; and a commitment to fill all government vacancies within 300 days. Modi held his own rally in Coimbatore on Saturday, as reported by The Hindu.

Indian Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi addressing the public at a rally in Ranipet on April 18, 2026, ahead of the Tamil Nadu assembly election. (Indian National Congress/YouTube)

India

Rahul Gandhi stated Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was compromised via Epstein files and accused him of selling national assets, as he campaigned in the southern state of Tamil Nadu ahead of a closely contested state election.

Rahul Gandhi: Modi compromised by Epstein files, sold India out

Web Desk/AFP

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&#39;s prime minister concluded his trip to Turkiye on Saturday, he said in a social media post, ending a three-country diplomatic blitz as Islamabad pushes for an end to the US-Israeli war on Iran. &quot;I leave Antalya, with fond memories and a renewed commitment to further strengthening the enduring fraternal bonds between our two nations, and to continuing our close cooperation to advance dialogue and diplomacy for lasting peace and stability in the region,&quot; Shehbaz Sharif said.<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-5" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-5&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2045385343789092971&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=9eba5fae7b8021885d4040a30d196f03084a559e&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 554px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>In a separate post on X, Pakistan&#39;s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar stated: &quot;We have just concluded the last leg of our engagements following productive and fruitful visits, accompanying Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif @CMShehbaz&nbsp;to Saudi Arabia and Qatar, where we held meaningful bilateral discussions aimed at strengthening cooperation across key areas.&quot; &quot;At the #AntalyaDiplomacyForum, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif also had an excellent interaction with the President of T&uuml;rkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and engaged meaningfully with other leaders on the sidelines of the forum,&quot; the foreign minister said.<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-6" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-6&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2045387103098335388&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=9eba5fae7b8021885d4040a30d196f03084a559e&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 345px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>&quot;I also held a series of important engagements and exchanges.&quot; &#39;Global space for dialogue&#39;Dar said, &quot;This platform has truly evolved into a global space for dialogue, bringing together diverse perspectives in support of peace, stability, and cooperation.&quot; He extended his appreciation to the government and people of T&uuml;rkiye for their warm hospitality and excellent arrangements. Trilateral meeting&nbsp;Earlier, Pakistan&#39;s prime minister had a trilateral meeting with T&uuml;rkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, on the sidelines of the Fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum, according to a post on X by the Pakistani premier.<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-7" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-7&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2045377599359095159&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=9eba5fae7b8021885d4040a30d196f03084a559e&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 707px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2045377599359095159"></iframe></div></div>

Says, 'I leave Antalya, with fond memories and a renewed commitment to further strengthening the enduring fraternal bonds between our two nations, and to continuing our close cooperation to advance dialogue and diplomacy for lasting peace and stability in the region.'

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