Apple said on Monday that Tim Cook will step down as CEO after nearly 15 years, with John Ternus, the company’s head of hardware engineering, set to take over the role on September 1, according to Al Jazeera report.

Tim Cook, 65, assumed  office after late Steve Jobs. During Cook’s reign, the company’s market value soar by more than $3.6 trillion in an iPhone-fuelled era of prosperity.

Wile turning over the CEO duties John Ternus, on September 1, Cook will remain involved with the Cupertino, California, company as executive chairman. That is similar to the transitions made by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Netflix’s Reed Hastings after they ended their highly successful tenures as CEO.

Although he never shook the perception that he lacked Jobs’s vision, Cook leveraged the popularity of the iPhone and other breakthroughs orchestrated by his predecessor to lift Apple to heights that seemed unfathomable when it was on the brink of bankruptcy in the mid-1990s.

“It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple and to have been trusted to lead such an extraordinary company,” Cook said in a letter posted on the company’s website.

Cook joined Apple in 1998. He became CEO in 2011 and has overseen the introduction of numerous products and services, including new categories like Apple Watch, AirPods, and Apple Vision Pro, as well as services ranging from iCloud and Apple Pay to Apple TV and Apple Music.

Under Cook’s leadership, Apple has grown from a market capitalisation of approximately $350bn to $4 trillion, representing a more than 1,000 percent increase, and yearly revenue has nearly quadrupled, from $108bn in fiscal year 2011 to more than $416bn in fiscal year 2025.

Ternus, 50, an Apple veteran, became senior vice president of hardware engineering in 2021. He was instrumental in the introduction of multiple new product lines, including iPad and AirPods, as well as many generations of products across iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch.

“John Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and with honor. He is a visionary whose contributions to Apple over 25 years are already too numerous to count, and he is without question the right person to lead Apple into the future,” Cook said in a statement.

As executive chairman, Cook will assist with certain aspects of the company, including engaging with policymakers around the world.

Mexico City, Apr 21: An armed man standing atop one of the historic Teotihuacan pyramids opened fire on tourists, killing one Canadian and leaving at least 13 people injured at the archaeological site north of Mexico’s capital, authorities said.

The shooter later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said, and security officials found a gun, a knife and ammunition.

The local government said seven people were wounded by gunshots on Monday. How the other people were injured was not disclosed, but those taken to hospitals for treatment were six Americans, three Colombians, one Russian, two Brazilians and one Canadian, the local government said.

Video and photos published by local media showed a man standing with a gun on top of a pyramid while people ducked for cover. A number of gunshots rang out in the videos.

The shooting took place shortly after 11:30 am when dozens of tourists were at the top of the Pyramid of the Moon. A man standing on the structure’s platform began firing upward, according to a tour guide who was at the scene and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity for safety reasons.

“Some people, because they were scared … threw themselves face down on the ground, and the rest of us started to go down,” the guide said, recounting how the shooter, upon seeing the tourists descending the pyramid’s steps, began firing.

Another group of visitors lay motionless on the pyramid’s platform to avoid being targeted by the shooter, who authorities have not yet identified.

Brenda Lee, of Vancouver, British Columbia, said she was waiting to buy a souvenir when she and others in her group thought they heard firecrackers.

“Before we knew it, someone said, No, that’s gunfire, run,’ and we saw people coming off the top,” she told CTV News, one of Canada’s national television broadcasters.

“There were thousands of people there and there were a lot of gunshots that just kept coming,” Lee said.

The scene quickly turned chaotic as people tried to escape, Lee said.

“And then a fellow jumped,” she said. “It was someone trying to get away, and he dropped to the next level, but he fell on his back, and it was … it just was awful.”

In past years, staff at the archaeological site carried out security scans before people entered the area but have since stopped.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on social media that the shooting would be investigated and that she was in touch with the Canadian Embassy.

“What happened today in Teotihuacán deeply pains us. I express my most sincere solidarity with the affected individuals and their families,” she wrote.

Anita Anand, Canada’s foreign affairs minister, said on X that as a “result of a horrific act of gun violence, a Canadian was killed and another wounded in Teotihuacán” and that her “thoughts are with their family and loved ones. ”

The Teotihuacán pyramids are a series of massive structures on the outskirts of Mexico City built by three different ancient civilizations. As one of Mexico’s most important touristic destinations, the site drew more than 1.8 million international visitors last year, according to government figures.

New Delhi, Apr 21: With a fragile truce set to expire on April 22, US President Donald Trump has doubled down on his administration’s hardline position, declaring that Washington will not ease its naval blockade of Iran until a comprehensive deal is reached with Tehran.

In a series of posts on his platform Truth Social, Trump said the blockade, imposed after failed negotiations earlier this month, was already having a decisive impact.

“The US will not lift its blockade on Iranian ports until a deal has been reached with Tehran,” he wrote, adding that the measures were “absolutely destroying Iran” and that the United States was winning the conflict “by a lot”.

The comments come at a moment of deep uncertainty. A temporary ceasefire agreed earlier in April is due to end tomorrow, on Wednesday, while a proposed second round of talks remains in doubt. Security has been tightened in Islamabad, but Vice President JD Vance has yet to depart Washington, and Iranian officials say they have not decided whether to attend.

Trump used his posts to push back against suggestions that he is being rushed into a diplomatic settlement. “I’m not going to let them rush the United States into making a Deal that is not as good as it could have been,” he wrote, insisting: “I am under no pressure whatsoever… Time is not my adversary.”

In a lengthy message, he framed the confrontation in sweeping historical terms, comparing it to major 20th-century conflicts. Listing the durations of the two world wars, Korea, Vietnam and Iraq, Trump argued critics were wrong to question the pace of his campaign against Iran.

“They like to say that I promised 6 weeks to defeat Iran,” he wrote. “Actually, from the Military standpoint, it was far faster than that.” He added that the outcome would “happen, relatively quickly,” but stressed that only a “RIGHT” deal would be acceptable after “47 years” of what he described as failed policies by previous administrations.

Trump also turned his fire inward, accusing domestic opponents of undermining US leverage. “The Democrats are doing everything possible to hurt the very strong position we are in,” he said, calling them “weak and pathetic… TRAITORS ALL”.

At the same time, he praised the US military campaign and its execution. “This is being perfectly executed… just a bigger, more complex operation,” he wrote, comparing it to previous US interventions.

He reiterated that military strength built during his first term, “including adding Space Force,” was now being used “properly and judiciously” to resolve the crisis.
Oil, shipping and blockade pressure

Trump also claimed that Iranian actions were indirectly benefiting the United States. “The Iranian leadership has forced hundreds of Ships toward the United States… to get their Oil, Thank you very much!” he wrote, pointing to increased energy flows toward American ports.

On the ground, the blockade appears to be tightening. According to US Central Command, American forces have already forced at least 27 vessels to turn back since operations began earlier this month.

The US has also escalated enforcement. Over the weekend, American forces seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship attempting to breach the blockade,  the first such interception of the conflict, a move that Tehran condemned as a violation of the ceasefire.

The wider standoff has affected shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil supply. Many ships have begun turning back due to confusion and growing security concerns.

Donald Trump has already indicated that if no agreement is reached, the blockade will continue, and military action could also restart. At present, his message is very clear: no deal means no relief.

As the deadline approaches, strong statements, military pressure, and the lack of progress in talks suggest that the chances for peace may be decreasing rather than increasing.

Washington, Apr 21: President Donald Trump offered mixed messages on Monday about the path ahead for the U.S. war against Iran, declaring that he was in no rush to end the conflict while also expressing confidence that further negotiations with Tehran will soon take place in Pakistan.

With the 14-day ceasefire to expire Wednesday, Trump whipsawed in telephone interviews and social media posts between measured optimism that a deal could soon be reached and warning that “lots of bombs” will “start going off” if there’s no agreement before the ceasefire deadline.

Trump indicated that he still expects to dispatch his negotiating team, led by Vice President JD Vance, to Pakistan’s capital of Islamabad for a second round of talks, even as Iran insisted it would not take part until Trump dialed back his demands.

Iran’s chief negotiator and parliament speaker, Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf, accused the United States of wanting Iran to surrender and added that on the contrary, Iran has been preparing “to reveal new cards on the battlefield.”

“We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats,” Qalibaf wrote in a post on X early Tuesday.

Trump insisted he feels no pressure to end the war until Iran agrees to his terms.

“I am under no pressure whatsoever,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform, “although, it will all happen, relatively quickly!”

Pakistani officials moved ahead with preparations for a new round of talks between the U.S. and Iran as the tenuous ceasefire was further strained over the weekend by renewed conflict around the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump told Bloomberg News he was “highly unlikely” to renew the ceasefire.

Iran holds out on resuming negotiations

Tensions flared after the U.S. Navy attacked and seized a ship on Sunday that it said was trying to evade its blockade of Iranian ports. On Saturday, Iran fired at vessels and abruptly stopped traffic in the strait, abandoning its promise to allow some ships to pass and claiming the U.S. was not holding up its side of the ceasefire.

The U.S. actions are “incompatible with the claim of diplomacy,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Monday in a social media post.

He gave no indication what Iran will do after the ceasefire expires or whether Iran will return to a second round of negotiations with the U.S.

Over the weekend, Iran said it had received new proposals from the U.S. but suggested that a wide gap remains between the sides. Issues that derailed the last round of negotiations included Iran’s nuclear enrichment program, its regional proxies and the strait.

Iran has throttled traffic through the strait, which connects the Persian Gulf to the open seas, since shortly after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28 to start the war. The U.S. has also instituted a blockade of Iranian ports. Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil trade normally passes through the strait.

Trump swipes at war critics, seeks to calm investors

The U.S. president lashed out at war critics at home who are urging him to wrap up the conflict that began more than seven weeks ago.

“How bad is it that when you are in the middle of negotiations and you have got the Iranians in a perfect position, including being militarily defeated, and you have Democrats and some Republicans asking to settle it now?” Trump told the New York Post.

Even as Trump bristled at his detractors, he sought to soothe jittery investors as U.S. stocks slipped modestly Monday, following the chaotic weekend in the Persian Gulf.

The president found himself remonstrating his energy secretary, Chris Wright, who on Sunday said American motorists might not see gas prices fall back into the USD3 per gallon range until late this year or next year.

“I disagree with him totally. I think it’ll come roaring down if it ends,” Trump told PBS. “If we end it, if Iran does what they should do, it will come roaring down.”

Israel-Lebanon talks to resume, official says

Meanwhile, historic diplomatic talks between Israel and Lebanon were set to resume Thursday in Washington, an Israeli, a Lebanese and a U.S. official said. All three spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the behind-the-scenes negotiations.

The Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors met last week for the first direct diplomatic talks in decades. Israel says the talks are aimed at disarming Hezbollah and reaching a peace agreement with Lebanon.

A 10-day ceasefire began Friday in Lebanon, where fighting between Israel and Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants broke out two days after the U.S. and Israel launched their war on Iran. Fighting in Lebanon has killed more than 2,290 people.

In two separate encounters on Monday, the Israeli air force struck and killed Hezbollah militants that the military said approached its troops in a threatening way. Israel has carried out several airstrikes since the ceasefire went into effect.

Hezbollah said it detonated explosives Sunday in an Israeli convoy inside Lebanon.

Iran says more than 3,000 have been killed in the country so far

Since the war started, at least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran, according to a new toll released Monday in official Iranian media by Abbas Masjedi, the head of Iran’s Legal Medicine Organization.

He did not break down casualties among civilians and security forces, saying instead that 2,875 were male and 496 were female. Masjedi said 383 of the dead were children 18 years old and younger.

Additionally, 23 people have died in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 U.S. service members throughout the region have been killed.

Oil prices on the rise again after renewed conflict in Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s grip on the strait has sent oil prices skyrocketing and given rise to one of the worst global energy crises in decades.

Oil prices were up again Monday, with Brent crude, the international standard, at just over USD95 a barrel — up from about USD70 a barrel before the war started.

Iran said it had reopened the strait to ships Friday, but traffic halted after Trump refused to lift the U.S. blockade.

Sunday’s U.S. seizure of the Iranian cargo was the first such interception under the blockade. Iran’s joint military command called the armed boarding an act of piracy and a ceasefire violation.

Trump said the blockade will remain “in full force” until Tehran agrees to a deal. The U.S. military said on Monday that it has directed 27 ships to return to Iranian ports since the blockade began last week.