26/04/2026

theSun on Sunday APR 26, 2026

WORLD 7

Iran peace talks set to resume ISLAMABAD: US envoys headed to Pakistan yesterday to kickstart a new round of negotiations with Iran. The White House said Pakistan to mediate with negotiators emissaries Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would engage with Iranian representatives, but Iranian state media said direct negotiations were not on the cards. Despite President Donald Trump’s announcement on Thursday of a three-week ceasefire extension in Lebanon, Israeli strikes in the south of the country killed six people on Friday. While Trump expressed confidence at the prospect of a lasting peace in Lebanon, sealing a deal to end the wider Middle East war is a thornier proposition, even as urgency mounts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital trade conduit. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Witkoff and Kushner were headed to Pakistan. “The Iranians reached out, as the president called on them to do, and asked for this in-person conversation,” Leavitt said.

regional peace and stability” with Pakistani officials. An Iranian spokesman said Araghchi would visit Oman and Russia after the Pakistan stop to discuss efforts to end the war launched against the Islamic Republic by Israel and the United States on Feb 28. Since the last round of talks, efforts to bring the two sides back to the table have hit an impasse, with Iran refusing to take part as long as a US naval blockade remained in place. Iran has imposed a de facto blockade of its own on the Strait of Hormuz, allowing only a trickle of ships to pass through the vital waterway. European Council President Antonio Costa said on Friday that the strait “must immediately reopen without restrictions and without tolling”. – AFP

Leavitt said Vice-President JD Vance, who led a first round of negotiations in Islamabad two weeks ago, would not be joining for the time being, but was on “standby to fly to Pakistan if necessary”. Iranian state television said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has no plans to meet the Americans, and Islamabad would serve as a bridge to “convey” Iranian proposals to end the conflict. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Araghchi had arrived in Islamabad to discuss “efforts for

Araghchi (left) with Pakistan Army Chief and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir in Islamabad on Friday. – AFPPIC/ IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY HANDOUT

Indonesia pushes for UN probe JAKARTA: Indonesia yesterday condemned the death of another peacekeeper in Lebanon, reiterating its call for a UN investigation. crime,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Vahd Naby. Indonesia, he said, reiterates its call for the UN to do an “immediate, thorough and

measures in Unifil’s area of operations,” the spokesman said. The government extends its “deepest” condolences to the bereaved family, and expresses its highest respect for the deceased peacekeeper’s “dedication and sacrifice in maintaining international peace”, he said. Following the attack, he said, through “close and intensive” coordination with Unifil, the Indonesian government, the Lebanese government and medical teams in Beirut ensured optimum medical treatment was provided. However, due to the severity of Pramudia’s injuries, he died despite all efforts to save his life, the spokesman said. – Bernama protecting user privacy and security”. It said the ministry informed it that the registration requirement was administrative in nature. “With assurances that there would be no unlawful content takedown orders or data disclosure requirements that could put the Wikimedia community-led model at risk, the foundation is working constructively towards the administrative next steps,” the statement said. The ministry did not respond to a request for comment. – AFP

transparent investigation” to establish the facts, and stresses that full accountability must be ensured. “Safety and security of the UN peacekeepers is not negotiable. Therefore, the government of Indonesia also continues its coordination with the United Nations and other troop- and police-contributing countries to strengthen the protection of peacekeepers, including through a comprehensive evaluation of their safety and security, as well as enhanced risk mitigation PSEs to take down content deemed “causing public unrest and disturbing public order” as a free speech restriction. The Wikimedia Foundation, which owns and operates Wikipedia, had previously said the provision “departs from international human rights norms”. In a statement sent to AFP yesterday, the foundation said it had a “very constructive meeting” earlier in the week with the Communication and Digital Affairs Ministry, during which it explained its “non-profit mission” and “emphasised its commitment to

Corporal Rico Pramudia, 31, serving with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil), died in a Beirut hospital on Friday. He was critically injured in a “projectile explosion” on March 29. The latest casualty brings the number of Indonesian peacekeepers killed to four. “Indonesia again condemns the attack by Israel that resulted in the death of an Indonesian peacekeeper. Any attack against peacekeepers constitutes a serious violation of international law and may amount to a war Foundation said yesterday it has found a compromise with the Indonesian government, which had threatened to block Wikipedia over domestic registration rules the foundation feared were overly invasive. Under a 2020 regulation, all electronic system providers (PSEs) must register in Indonesia for what the government calls legal and user protection purposes before making their services available. Critics have pointed to a provision that requires registered

A helicopter drops water in Otsuchi. – REUTERSPIC

Wikimedia agrees to Jakarta registration rule JAKARTA: The Wikimedia

Firefighters battle Iwate blaze OTSUCHI: Firefighters were battling wildfires in the forests of northern Japan yesterday, as authorities urged more than 3,200 people to evacuate.

In Otsuchi, fire engines were spraying the forest near homes close to the fire. About a dozen helicopters and more than 1,300 firefighters as well as Japan Self-Defence Forces troops have been mobilised to battle the fires, the statement said. At least eight buildings had been burnt but all the residents had evacuated, it said. Increasingly dry winters have raised the risk of wildfires. A blaze that broke out in Ofunato early last year was Japan’s worst in more than half a century. – AFP

As of yesterday morning, blazes in the mountainous areas of Iwate region had burned about 700ha since breaking out three days ago, local officials said in a statement. A large column of smoke, which could be smelled 30km away, was seen rising up the valley near the town of Otsuchi as two helicopters dropped water on the burning forest.