Morning news wrap: Pakistan PM offers peace talks with India, Trump urges Apple to make iPhones in US

US President Donald Trump urged Apple CEO Tim Cook to shift iPhone production from India to the US, while Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif expressed readiness for peace talks with India amid heightened tensions. US military strategist Michael Rubin criticised the Trump administration for supporting a $1 billion IMF bailout to Pakistan, alleging it indirectly aids China. In legal updates, the Supreme Court announced it will hear arguments on May 20 regarding the Waqf (Amendment) Act to consider an interim order. Meanwhile, a UK court denied fugitive Nirav Modi bail for the eighth time, citing flight risk and potential witness interference.


Trump urged Apple CEO to shift iPhone production from India to US

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump said that he had asked Apple CEO Tim Cook to move iPhone production from India to the United States. Currently, Apple manufactures most of its iPhones in China, with Indian facilities producing about 40 million units annually, making up around 15% of the company’s total output. Cook had earlier mentioned that Apple planned to source most iPhones sold in the US from India during the June quarter, while China would continue to supply devices for other global markets. Read full story

Pakistan's PM Shehbaz Sharif offered to engage in peace talks with India

Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday expressed his willingness to engage in peace talks with India, despite ongoing tensions after recent military clashes between the two nuclear-armed nations. "We are ready to engage in talks for peace," Sharif said during his visit to the Kamra air base in Punjab, Pakistan. Read full story

US strategist criticises Trump administration for approving IMF aid to Pakistan

Michael Rubin, a military expert at the American Enterprise Institute, criticised the Trump administration for helping Pakistan get a $1 billion IMF bailout, saying it also benefits China. He pointed out that Pakistan is deeply in debt to China through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Rubin also said India won in its limited conflict with Pakistan, saying that it was Islamabad that “went running like a scared dog with its tail between its legs.” Read full story

Supreme Court to decide on interim order in Waqf case

The Supreme Court will hear a limited number of advocates on May 20 regarding the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, to decide on any interim orders. SG Tushar Mehta stated that the government has filed a detailed affidavit addressing the issues raised in the court’s April 17 order, nomination of non-Muslims to Central Waqf Council and boards, validity of waqf-by-user without valid documents, and the process for identification of government land under waqf. Read full story

UK court denies Nirav Modi bail for 8th time

On Thursday, a London high court judge denied bail to fugitive Indian businessman Nirav Modi for the eighth time. Justice Fordham stated there were strong reasons to believe that Modi would flee or interfere with witnesses if released. Modi has been in UK custody since March 2019, following his arrest on an extradition warrant, charged with defrauding Punjab National Bank of over $1 billion. Read full story