Journalist
John Na
han@ajunews.com
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Pakistan PM Welcomes U.S. Extension of Iran Ceasefire, Hopes for Peace Deal in Second Talks Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan’s prime minister, welcomed the United States’ announcement extending a ceasefire with Iran and voiced hope for progress in follow-up talks. In a post Monday on X, Sharif thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for accepting Pakistan’s request to extend the ceasefire. He said he hoped both sides would continue to observe the truce and reach a comprehensive peace agreement in a second round of talks planned in Islamabad to permanently end the conflict. Pakistan’s government has taken the same line. In a briefing April 16, the Foreign Ministry said Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts led to the U.S.-Iran ceasefire and the resumption of negotiations. It said it was important for both sides to keep their ceasefire commitments and that Pakistan would continue to support dialogue and talks. Pakistan mediated the first round of talks in Islamabad on April 11-12, hosting delegations led by U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. The latest statements did not amount to a confirmed end to the war. While the United States announced an extension of the ceasefire, Iran has maintained that lifting a maritime blockade and ending pressure must come first. Sharif’s message was seen less as a declaration of an end to hostilities than a reaffirmation that Pakistan intends to keep the mediation framework in place, secure a second round of talks and link it to a final agreement.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 09:52:00 -
Trump Says He’ll ‘Remember’ Companies That Don’t Seek Tariff Refunds U.S. President Donald Trump said he would “remember” companies that do not apply for refunds of tariffs he imposed, comments that appeared to reward firms that forgo repayment while pressuring those that pursue it. Trump made the remarks in an interview with CNBC, Reuters reported Monday. He said of companies that do not seek refunds, “I’ll remember them.” He cited Apple, Amazon, Target and Walmart, saying he viewed it positively that they had not yet applied. He also used hostile language toward companies moving ahead with refund claims. The comments followed a February ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that found the Trump administration’s tariff measures illegal. After the decision, U.S. Customs and Border Protection activated an electronic refund system to allow companies to reclaim tariffs already paid. The total amount potentially eligible for refunds is estimated at up to $166 billion. Even with the system running, payments are expected to take time. Reuters reported refunds could take about 60 to 90 days, and legal review is continuing over claims involving firms that provided tariff bonds. Trump also signaled he does not intend to abandon his tariff policy even as the earlier tariffs were invalidated. He indicated he could impose tariffs again using Section 301 of the Trade Act, though that route is expected to involve more complex procedures and take longer. Markets have speculated that large companies are likely to file for refunds eventually, given the size of the potential repayments and pressure from shareholders and earnings expectations.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 09:21:37 -
OpenAI Unveils ChatGPT Image 2.0 With Stronger Text Handling and Editing OpenAI has released “ChatGPT Image 2.0,” a major upgrade to its image-generation tools that the company says better handles long text, complex layouts, multilingual content and detailed editing instructions. The update is aimed at practical uses such as advertising, marketing and content production. OpenAI said on the 21st (local time) that ChatGPT now includes the new image feature, “ChatGPT Image 2.0.” For developers, its application programming interface will also offer the “GPT Image 2” model. OpenAI described it as its latest flagship model, with broadly improved image generation and editing. The company said it supports high-quality image inputs and can produce outputs in multiple sizes. A key focus is stronger text rendering. OpenAI said the tool can more reliably place long sentences and complex visual elements inside images and follow user instructions more accurately. That could make it more useful for posters, ad banners, brochures and presentation visuals where text and design must work together. OpenAI also said it improved multilingual performance, including for Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Hindi, Bengali and English. Editing has been refined as well, the company said, allowing users to change specific elements while keeping backgrounds and overall composition intact. “Instruction-following and fine detail have improved overall,” OpenAI said. OpenAI also highlighted examples of generating sequential scenes while keeping a consistent style and character, a capability it said could help with advertising, promotional materials and series-style image production. OpenAI said basic image generation is available to ChatGPT users, while more advanced features are centered on paid subscribers. The model is also being applied to the developer API, which is expected to expand integration with outside services.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 09:00:13 -
Vance Pakistan Trip Put on Hold, Casting Doubt on Second U.S.-Iran Talks U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s planned trip to Pakistan has been put on hold, clouding prospects for a second round of U.S.-Iran talks that had been expected to take place there. With Iran not responding to Washington’s latest proposal, analysts say a diplomatic solution could slip further out of reach. CNBC reported that Vance had been expected to travel to Pakistan for the second round of peace talks with Iran, but the schedule was delayed. The New York Times, citing a U.S. official familiar with the matter, said the departure was postponed because Iran has not replied to the U.S. negotiating position. The uncertainty quickly rippled through markets. U.S. stocks fell and international oil prices rose on renewed concern that potential U.S. and Israeli military action against Iran may not be contained through diplomacy. Reuters quoted a senior Iranian official as saying Pakistan has not yet resolved what he described as a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports near the Strait of Hormuz. “Iran cannot accept negotiations under pressure or talks premised on surrender,” he said, while leaving open the possibility of meeting U.S. officials in Pakistan if Washington drops what he called its pressure-and-threat approach. The reports came as a two-week cease-fire, brokered on the night of the 7th, was nearing its end. The timing of the U.S. negotiating team’s departure for Islamabad also remained unclear. President Donald Trump said the U.S. delegation “is going now,” but CNBC later cited a source saying the team was “getting ready to leave soon.” In an interview with CNBC, Trump said he believed the United States would ultimately reach “a good deal” with Iran, but added that the chances of extending the cease-fire further were low. After the cease-fire took effect, Vance previously traveled to Islamabad with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for talks with Iranian representatives. That meeting ended without an agreement after 21 hours. The White House said Vance was attending an additional policy meeting on Monday. CNN reported that Vance’s motorcade was seen arriving at the White House later that afternoon. 2026-04-22 08:22:39 -
Wall Street closes lower as U.S.-Iran talks uncertainty lifts oil prices U.S. stocks ended lower as uncertainty over follow-up U.S.-Iran talks outweighed better-than-expected earnings. Major indexes opened higher on corporate results, but sentiment cooled quickly as signs mounted that momentum for negotiations was weakening ahead of a cease-fire’s expiration. On April 21 (local time), the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 293.18 points, or 0.59%, to 49,149.38. The S&P 500 dropped 45.13 points, or 0.63%, to 7,064.01, and the Nasdaq slid 144.43 points, or 0.59%, to 24,259.96. Energy shares held up relatively well on rising crude prices, but the broader market was pressured by Middle East risks. The main driver was concern that talks could be delayed. Reuters reported that Iran said it could discuss matters with the United States in Pakistan only if Washington drops what Tehran described as pressure and threats, and that negotiations would be difficult if those conditions are not met. Reports that the Pakistan meeting schedule was in doubt and that U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s trip was uncertain added to worries that tensions could rise again after the cease-fire ends. Oil prices jumped. Brent crude rose 3.14% to $98.48 a barrel, and U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate gained 2.81% to $92.13 a barrel, on renewed concerns about supply disruptions in the Middle East. Gold fell more than 2% as a stronger dollar and rising Treasury yields outweighed safe-haven demand. Investors also watched a Senate hearing for Kevin Warsh, a candidate to lead the Federal Reserve. Warsh said he would protect the Fed’s independence while also pointing to the need to overhaul the policy framework and communications. Treasury yields rose, and uncertainty over monetary policy returned to focus. After the close, another development emerged. President Donald Trump said he would extend the cease-fire until Iran’s leadership presents a unified proposal. The statement came from the U.S. side, and Iran did not immediately respond, limiting any immediate easing of market anxiety.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 08:07:11 -
Israel’s Katz Says Goal in Lebanon Is to Disarm Hezbollah, Pairing Military and Diplomatic Pressure Israel has again increased pressure on Lebanon, putting the disarmament of the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah at the center of its approach. Asharq Al-Awsat, a Saudi-owned pan-Arab outlet, reported on the 21st that Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the goal of Israel’s operation in Lebanon is “to disarm Hezbollah and remove the threat to northern Israel.” He said Israel is pursuing military and diplomatic steps in parallel. That stance has also been reflected in recent talks with Lebanon. Reuters reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in negotiations on the 15th that Israel’s two goals are dismantling Hezbollah and achieving long-term peace backed by military strength. He signaled that even if talks proceed, Israel will continue its military offensive in southern Lebanon and the establishment of a buffer zone. Israel has also tightened control on the ground. Reuters reported that Israel on the 20th released a map restricting residents’ access to 21 villages in southern Lebanon and parts of areas near the Litani River, and reinforced its troop presence. Israel described the move as part of creating a buffer zone to prevent Hezbollah from re-infiltrating. The United States is mediating negotiations between Israel and Lebanon to contain the clashes. Reuters reported the sides are set to hold a second ambassador-level meeting in Washington on the 23rd, though progress is expected to be difficult.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-21 18:10:52 -
NBC Poll: Trump Approval Hits Second-Term Low as Inflation, Iran War Weigh President Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to its lowest level since the start of his second term, according to a new NBC News Decision Desk poll. The survey, released Sunday, put Trump’s job approval at 37%. That was down 2 percentage points from early February and down 8 points from April last year. His disapproval rating was 63%. Views were more negative on inflation and the cost of living. On Trump’s handling of rising prices and living costs, 32% approved and 68% disapproved, including 52% who said they “strongly disapprove.” The results were seen as reflecting growing pressure from higher oil and gasoline prices. The Iran war also appeared to be weighing on public opinion. NBC reports citing the poll said the war and inflation together helped drive down Trump’s approval. Trump said Sunday that gasoline prices would fall immediately after the Iran war ends, but administration officials also suggested the drop could come later. Support among core Republican voters has largely held, though positive views within the party slipped 4 points from the previous survey. Reuters said the combination of higher gasoline prices, inflation and the war is adding to the White House’s political burden ahead of the midterm elections. NBC News Decision Desk conducted the online poll with SurveyMonkey from March 30 to April 13 among 32,433 U.S. adults. The margin of error was plus or minus 1.8 percentage points.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-21 17:51:47 -
Morgan Stanley Sees Agentic AI Boosting CPU, Memory Demand; Samsung, SK Hynix Among Beneficiaries Agentic AI — autonomous systems that plan and carry out multistep tasks — could broaden AI chip investment beyond graphics processing units to include central processing units and memory, Morgan Stanley said. According to Reuters, Morgan Stanley said in a report released the previous day that as AI moves beyond content generation toward autonomous execution, CPUs and memory, along with GPUs, are becoming key components that determine overall performance. The bank said the shift could change how data center servers are configured and lift demand for CPUs, while adding that GPU demand remains strong. Morgan Stanley estimated that agentic AI could add $32.5 billion to $60 billion to a data center CPU market expected to exceed $100 billion by 2030. As AI workloads are broken into multiple steps, the bank said, CPUs are likely to serve as a control layer and memory demand could also rise quickly. Companies operating in supply-constrained areas could gain greater pricing power, it said. Morgan Stanley listed Nvidia, AMD, Intel and Arm as potential beneficiaries in CPUs and accelerators; Micron, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix in memory; and TSMC and ASML in manufacturing and equipment. Reuters earlier reported, citing recent earnings outlooks from ASML and TSMC, that U.S. Big Tech companies are still expanding investment in AI infrastructure. 2026-04-21 16:07:19 -
Apple Names John Ternus as Next CEO as Tim Cook Moves to Chairman Role Apple has chosen John Ternus to succeed Tim Cook as CEO. Cook, who has led the company since 2011 after succeeding Steve Jobs, will step down as CEO on Sept. 1 and move to board chairman. Ternus is Apple’s senior vice president in charge of hardware engineering. Apple said the move follows a long-term succession plan. According to Apple and Reuters on April 20 local time, Ternus joined Apple’s product design team in 2001, became vice president of hardware engineering in 2013 and was promoted to senior vice president in 2021. He has overseen development across Apple’s core lineup, including the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and AirPods. He studied mechanical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania and previously worked as a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems. The appointment is widely seen as an internal succession that preserves Apple’s operating approach. Bloomberg last month identified Ternus as a leading contender to succeed Cook. Apple highlighted Cook’s record. The company said its market value rose during his tenure to $4 trillion from about $350 billion, and annual revenue increased to more than $416 billion in fiscal 2025 from $108 billion in fiscal 2011. The number of countries operating Apple Stores more than doubled, and active devices topped 2.5 billion. Cook expanded Apple beyond an iPhone-centered business into a platform company spanning services, semiconductors and wearables. Wall Street’s reaction was largely muted. Rick Meckler, a partner at Cherry Lane Investments, told Reuters that “Cook has done an amazing job,” adding that he is expected to keep playing a role in major strategy as chairman. Jacob Bourne of eMarketer said the plan for Cook to remain CEO through September before moving to chairman should provide investors some reassurance. Still, Apple faces a tougher environment as Ternus takes over. While the company remains highly profitable with strong brand loyalty, it is seen as trailing rivals such as OpenAI and Google in artificial intelligence. In Ternus’ first year, Apple is expected to face simultaneous demands to revamp Siri, refresh the iPhone lineup and strengthen AI features. Reuters described the choice as a signal that Apple intends to maintain its consumer-hardware identity even as AI competition intensifies. Bourne said Ternus’ hardware engineering background “shows that Apple’s commitment to consumer hardware isn’t going away.” Even so, AI is likely to be the defining test of Ternus’ leadership. Reuters noted Apple is dealing with delays in its Siri overhaul and controversy over reliance on outside AI. Early judgments are expected to hinge on how smoothly Apple integrates AI into the iPhone, Mac and wearables, and whether it can build a stronger presence in AI platforms beyond its hardware strengths. The stock reaction was limited. Reuters reported Apple shares fell less than 1% in after-hours trading following the announcement. In regular U.S. trading on April 20, the stock closed up 1.04% at $273.05. 2026-04-21 15:19:49 -
Adobe, Nvidia CEOs say AI race is shifting from generative tools to execution Adobe is shifting its artificial intelligence push from generating content to executing real business tasks, unveiling an enterprise system designed to bring together brand assets, customer data and marketing channels. Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said in an Adobe Summit keynote that the next battleground in AI will be execution and control, not just creation. At the opening-day keynote of Adobe Summit in Las Vegas on April 20 (local time), Adobe introduced “Adobe CX Enterprise.” The system is designed to let companies manage personalization and execution by linking customer data, brand assets and multiple customer touchpoints. Adobe also said more than 20,000 brands worldwide run their businesses on its platform. The company’s pitch is that AI is moving from providing “answers” to taking “actions.” Adobe’s “CX Enterprise Coworker” is built to coordinate AI functions and tools around goals set by a company, create plans, support execution after approval, and monitor results. Adobe said the process operates under human oversight and control. Narayen said corporate competitiveness will depend less on how quickly a company adopts general-purpose large language models than on how precisely it reflects its own data, content and brand standards in AI. Adobe said it is offering features that apply brand guidelines while also helping tailor experiences based on customer responses, signaling a shift beyond creative tools toward broader brand operations and customer experience management. Huang said generative AI is the stage where systems produce sentences and images, while agent-based AI is the stage where systems receive goals and carry out actual work. He said enterprise software interfaces and usage will increasingly shift toward AI agents, aligning with Adobe’s execution-focused strategy. Adobe also outlined its partnership with Nvidia, saying it plans to connect its system to Nvidia’s AI development tools, runtime environment and open models. Nvidia said it is building an agent-based marketing foundation through cooperation with Adobe and advertising company WPP. 2026-04-21 14:22:07