KYIV:&nbsp;A temporary ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine for Orthodox Easter is set to begin on Saturday afternoon, as US-led diplomatic efforts to end the war falter. The Kremlin said it had ordered a temporary truce from Saturday at 4:00 pm (1300 GMT) until the end of Sunday, a 32-hour period. Russia&#39;s Defense Minister Andrei Belousov and army chief Valery Gerasimov have been instructed to &ldquo;cease hostilities in all directions during this period,&rdquo; the <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/russian-envoy-in-us-for-economy-talks-kremlin" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kremlin</a> said. <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/qatar-ukraine-sign-deal-on-countering-missiles-drones-qatari-defense-ministry" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ukrainian</a> President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Kyiv had &ldquo;repeatedly stated&rdquo; it was ready for a ceasefire over Easter, and was willing to reciprocate. The temporary ceasefire came as US-led talks on ending the four-year-old conflict have been derailed by the US-Israel war on Iran. The two sides also held a ceasefire for the Orthodox Easter last year. Authorities in Ukraine&#39;s central region of Poltava, and Sumy, a region in the north east, reported overnight Friday that one person had been killed and around 15 others wounded in two separate attacks, just hours before the ceasefire was set to begin. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched 128 drones against the country overnight Thursday. Slowdown in Russian military operations&nbsp;Several rounds of US-led talks have failed to bring the warring sides closer to an agreement and Washington&#39;s attention is now focused on Iran. The negotiations have become deadlocked, with Moscow demanding territorial and political concessions that Zelensky has ruled out as tantamount to capitulation. The Kremlin&#39;s spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied Russia had discussed the ceasefire with Ukraine or the United States in advance and said it was not linked to negotiations to end the war.&nbsp;Deadliest since WW IIThe war has cost hundreds of thousands of lives and forced millions to flee their homes, making it Europe&#39;s deadliest conflict since World War II. Over the past few years, fighting on the front has come to a near standstill.&nbsp; Russia has made small territorial gains at a high cost. But Kyiv recently managed to push back in the southeast and Russian advances have been slowing since late 2025, according to the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW). Apart from Ukrainian counter-attacks, analysts attributed the slowdown to Russia being banned from using SpaceX&#39;s Starlink satellites and Moscow&#39;s own efforts to block the Telegram messaging app. The situation is, however, unfavorable for Ukraine in the Donetsk region, towards the cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, according to the ISW. Moscow occupies just more than 19% of Ukraine, most of which was seized during the first weeks of the conflict.

Europe

The Kremlin says it has ordered a temporary truce from Saturday at 4:00 pm (1300 GMT) until the end of Sunday, a 32-hour period.

Russia and Ukraine set to begin Easter truce

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.

Middle East

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

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

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.

Israel approves 34 new West Bank settlements

BEIJING: China and North Korea should &quot;enhance coordination&quot; on international and regional issues, Beijing&#39;s Foreign Minister Wang Yi told North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during talks on Friday, according to Chinese state media. Wang is on a two-day trip to North Korea, his first visit since 2019, to step up ties between the East Asian neighbors following their resumption of transport links halted since the Covid-19 pandemic. China is North Korea&#39;s top trading partner and a vital source of diplomatic, economic and political support. &quot;China and North Korea should, while firmly safeguarding their respective sovereignty, security and development interests, further enhance communication and coordination in major international and regional affairs,&quot; Wang said during a meeting with Kim in Pyongyang on Friday, Xinhua reported. &quot;China is willing to work with North Korea to... maintain close communication and interaction, promote practical cooperation, and infuse new contemporary meaning into the traditional friendship between China and North Korea,&quot; Wang said. Wang&#39;s visit comes as the administration of US President Donald Trump mounts a push to revive high-level talks with Pyongyang, eyeing a potential summit this year, potentially during Trump&#39;s visit to Beijing in May.

This picture taken on April 9, 2026 and released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on April 10, 2026 shows Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) shaking hands with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui at the Geumsusan Guesth

Wang is on a two-day trip to North Korea, his first visit since 2019, to step up ties between the East Asian neighbors following their resumption of transport links halted since the Covid-19 pandemic.

China FM calls for closer ties with North Korea in Kim meeting

JERUSALEM: Israel said on Friday it had blocked Spain from participating in the work of a US-led center established to help stabilize post-war Gaza following the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) in Kiryat Gat was set up after the ceasefire took effect on October 10, with the goal of monitoring the truce and facilitating the flow of humanitarian aid into the Palestinian territory. As part of the CMCC, military personnel and diplomats from several other countries including France, Britain and the United Arab Emirates are also present and participate in meetings on security and humanitarian issues in Gaza, devastated by more than two years of Israeli siege. Representatives of Spain were also participating in the work of CMCC until now. But on Friday, Israel&#39;s foreign ministry announced it was preventing Spain from attending CMCC meetings. &quot;The Sanchez government&#39;s anti-Israel bias is so egregious that it has lost all capability to serve as a constructive actor in implementing President Trump&#39;s peace plan in the CMCC,&quot; Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said in a statement. &quot;Spain will not be permitted to participate in the CMCC in Kiryat Gat.&quot; Relations between Israel and Spain have deteriorated significantly since Madrid recognized a Palestinian state in 2024. Both countries have withdrawn their ambassadors. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has been one of the most vocal critics of Israel&#39;s war on Gaza. He had also opposed the US-Israeli military strikes on Iran that began on February 28. Sarr has previously accused the Spanish government of &quot;standing with tyrants&quot; by opposing the US-Israeli attacks on Iran. He also accused Spain of being &quot;complicit in inciting genocide against Jews and war crimes&quot; after it recognized a Palestinian state. Spain only established diplomatic ties with Israel in 1986 following the death of dictator General Francisco Franco in 1975. Under Franco, Spain avoided recognizing Israel and maintained closer diplomatic ties with Arab states.

Flames rise after a strike on the vehicle of Palestinian journalist Mohammed Washeha in southern Gaza City on April 8, 2026. (AFP)

Israel bars Spain from a US-led Gaza coordination center, citing Madrid’s pro-Palestinian stance, as tensions rise after Spain recognized Palestinian statehood and criticized Israel’s war on Gaza.

Israel blocks Spain from US-led center monitoring Gaza truce

BEIRUT: European and Arab states have pressured Israel to stop targeting Beirut, a Western diplomat told AFP on Friday, two days after deadly Israeli strikes on Lebanon that left more than 300 people dead. On Thursday afternoon, the Israeli military issued a warning of incoming strikes for large, densely populated areas of southern Beirut, but had not carried out the threat as of midday on Friday. The Western diplomat, who asked to remain anonymous in order to discuss sensitive matters, said on Friday &quot;There is ongoing diplomatic pressure from European states, Gulf states and Egypt on Israel to prevent renewed Israeli airstrikes on Beirut after &#39;Black Wednesday&#39;&quot;. More than 300 people, mostly civilians according to a Lebanese military source, were killed in the wave of simultaneous Israeli strikes on Wednesday on Beirut and other areas of Lebanon. The strikes were launched despite the announcement hours earlier of a truce between the United States and Iran, with Israel and the US saying it did not apply to Lebanon. Thursday&#39;s Israeli warning included areas home to major hospitals and the road to the country&#39;s only international airport. Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamni said, in a statement carried by the state-run National News Agency (NNA) on Thursday, that he had &quot;received assurances&quot; from foreign diplomats that the airport and the road leading to it would be spared. Meanwhile, Mohammad Zaatari, director of the country&#39;s largest public medical facility, Rafic Hariri Hospital, told AFP: &quot;We have received assurances, including from the International Committee of the Red Cross that the hospital would not be targeted.&quot; The World Health Organization on Thursday called on Israel to cancel its evacuation warning for the Jnah district of Beirut because around 450 patients were in the Rafic Hariri and Al-Zahraa hospitals in the district, including 40 in intensive care. In southern Lebanon, Israeli strikes hit several villages during the night and on Friday, the NNA reported. An AFP photographer saw firefighters extinguishing a fire in a building blown apart by a nighttime strike in the village of Habbouch, near Nabatiyeh.

Lebanese rescuers clear the rubble at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a building the day before in the Lebanese Beirut on April 9, 2026. (AFP)

European and Arab states pressure Israel to halt strikes on Beirut after attacks killed over 300 in Lebanon, as Israeli warnings continue and civilians and key infrastructure remain at risk.

European, Arab pressure on Israel to stop strikes on Lebanese capital: diplomat 

Faraz Saeed

WAGAH, Lahore: Under the clear spring sky at the Wagah border, where flags and fences mark one of South Asia&rsquo;s most sensitive frontiers, Sikh pilgrims crossed into Pakistan on Friday, greeted with flower garlands, official receptions and visible warmth as Baisakhi celebrations began. The first batch of pilgrims from India entered through Wagah, a key crossing between Pakistan and India, to take part in one of Punjab&rsquo;s most significant seasonal gatherings. Pakistan issued around 2,800 visas for the festival, with officials confirming that 2,238 pilgrims arrived, while more than 600 did not travel. They were received by senior officials including Minister for Minority Affairs Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, Additional Secretary for Shrines Nasir Mushtaq and Lahore Commissioner Maryam Khan, alongside representatives of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. For many arriving pilgrims, the reception set the tone for their journey.&nbsp;&lsquo;Happy with your welcome&rsquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Our revered late Guru Ji has blessed us with such grace that we received such a warm welcome here. We are very happy with your welcome,&rdquo; one pilgrim told Pakistan TV Digital. The journey from Wagah leads into the fertile plains of Punjab, where wheat fields are nearing harvest and towns carry the rhythm of an agrarian season turning. Baisakhi, rooted in this landscape, marks the harvest cycle and the beginning of a new year in Punjab&rsquo;s traditional calendar. &ldquo;We have come with devotion, and we are satisfied with the arrangements here,&rdquo; another pilgrim said. The main ceremony will take place on April 14 at Gurdwara Panja Sahib, a revered site nestled at the foothills near Hasan Abdal.&nbsp;Birthplace of Guru NanakDuring their 10-day stay, pilgrims will also travel to Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak, moving across a geography that holds deep historical and cultural resonance. &ldquo;The facilities provided to us, including accommodation and food, are good,&rdquo; a third pilgrim noted. Officials say extensive arrangements have been made, including accommodation, langar, transport, and medical services to support the visitors throughout their stay. &ldquo;Everything is well managed, and we feel comfortable here,&rdquo; another pilgrim said. Additional Secretary Shrines Mushtaq confirmed that all preparations were in place and reiterated that the main ceremony would be held at Panja Sahib.&nbsp;The minority affairs minister framed the visit in broader terms, particularly in the context of strained relations following the May 2025 conflict between Pakistan and India.&nbsp;&lsquo;First home for Sikhs&rsquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Pakistan is not a second but the first home for Sikhs,&rdquo; Arora said. &ldquo;Pakistan is the first home for Sikhs, and we will continue to welcome them.&rdquo; He added that issuing thousands of visas despite tensions reflects Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to peace and people-to-people engagement. &ldquo;Our doors will remain open,&rdquo; he said. The minister also announced that 17 gurdwaras would become functional this year, with restoration work on 34 more sites expected to be completed within two years.&nbsp;Kartarpur Corridor&nbsp;He urged India to fully open the Kartarpur Corridor to facilitate easier access for pilgrims. Beyond India, pilgrims from Europe, Canada, Australia, and Malaysia are also expected, with special facilitation counters set up at airports across Pakistan. Leaders of Sikh groups welcomed the arrangements. Representatives from Indian gurdwara committees expressed appreciation for the hospitality and visa facilitation, describing the visit as both spiritual and cultural. &ldquo;We are thankful for the opportunity to visit and for the arrangements made,&rdquo; another pilgrim said. As the celebrations continue until April 19, the movement of pilgrims across borders and into Punjab&rsquo;s heartland reflects a seasonal rhythm that predates modern boundaries, one tied to harvests, journeys and shared spaces shaped by history and land.

Culture

Foreign Affairs

The first batch of pilgrims from India entered through Wagah, a key crossing between Pakistan and India, to take part in one of Punjab’s most significant seasonal gatherings.

Indian Sikh pilgrims arrive for Baisakhi, laud Pakistan’s warm hospitality

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;

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

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.

Articles by AFP

Russia and Ukraine set to begin Easter truce

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

Lebanon presidency says Israel talks to take place Tuesday in Washington

Israel approves 34 new West Bank settlements

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Latest News

Russia and Ukraine set to begin Easter truce

Indian Sikh pilgrims arrive for Baisakhi, laud Pakistan’s warm hospitality

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