21/06/2026

theSun on Sunday JUNE 21, 2026

WORLD 8

Israel strikes south Lebanon despite truce

Peruvians call for polls transparency LIMA: Peruvian left-wing presidential candidate Roberto Sanchez led a march in the capital Lima on Friday night, joined by hundreds of supporters in demanding transparency in the runoff election he is narrowly trailing against conservative candidate Keiko Fujimori. Sanchez alleged irregularities when Fujimori’s lead widened to 43,000 votes with 99.51% of ballots counted. Fujimori has 50.11% of the vote and Sanchez has 49.88%, according to data from the National Office of Electoral Processes website. “The vote is not for sale! The vote must be defended!” protesters chanted in Lima’s streets. “The people have chosen Roberto Sanchez, we do not recognise Keiko Fujimori, the people are not going to respect the vote validated by the electoral authorities,” said protester Yuri Guerra, 52. Before declaring a winner, election officials will need to review contested tally sheets of more than 120,000 votes, a process that could take at least two weeks. Peru held its runoff election on June 7. The Together for Peru party has also claimed that there were irregularities in the chain of custody of postal ballots sent from the United States and Argentina. The Peruvian Foreign Ministry has rejected any allegations of switching votes in favour of Fujimori. Fujimori defended the vote of those living outside Peru, telling reporters they “are valid and must be respected”. – AFP Cubans greet reforms with hope HAVANA: Cubans in Havana reacted with a mix of hope, scepticism and exhaustion on Friday after the government approved its biggest market-oriented reforms in decades, opening parts of the island’s tightly controlled economy to private and foreign capital. For many on the Caribbean island, the announcement was notable not only for its scale, but for what it implied: that one of the world’s last Soviet-style economies may be edging towards a model closer to China or Vietnam. Lawmakers approved a package of 176 measures after the Communist Party endorsed the plan earlier in the week. The proposals include expanding private enterprise, attracting more foreign investment, allowing private participation in banking and opening some state companies to private shareholders. Authorities say the reforms are meant to preserve socialism. On Havana’s streets, however, the reaction was cautious. “First, let’s see whether these measures are actually implemented,” said Olian Valdes, 50. Omara Oliva, 53, said: “If new measures, even capitalist ones, help people eat better and improve their lives, then they are welcome.” Still, officials have provided few details on how quickly the measures will take effect, how they will be regulated or who will benefit first. – Reuters

BEIRUT: Israel carried out deadly strikes in south Lebanon yesterday and Hezbollah maintained it had the right to respond, hours after the United States announced a renewed ceasefire in fighting that had strained a fledgling deal with Iran. US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian this week signed a preliminary agreement to halt the Middle East war on all fronts, including Lebanon – a key demand of Tehran’s. But follow-up talks scheduled for Friday in Switzerland were indefinitely postponed as Israel launched a wave of strikes in Lebanon that left dozens of people dead after four of its soldiers were killed in combat, sparking a furious reaction at home. On Friday afternoon, a US official announced a new ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah brokered by US and Qatari mediators, with Israel’s ambassador to Washington saying it would respect the truce if Hezbollah did. But yesterday an Israeli military official said it was conducting fresh attacks against the movement, which it accused of having “launched more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon” on Friday night. Hezbollah has not officially claimed any attacks on Israel or its troops in Lebanon since the ceasefire was announced. Lebanese state media reported Israeli air raids on around 20 locations, with the country’s civil defence agency saying 16 people were killed in Nabatieh. Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said yesterday that his group insisted “that the enemy fully and comprehensively respects the ceasefire”. Swiss talks postponed, no new date announced The crash occurred late afternoon near Bedford, a town 90km north of the UK capital, and involved two London-bound trains on the same track, according to East Midlands Railway. “One person was pronounced dead at the scene. He is the driver of one of the trains,” transport police said in a statement. In total, 33 people were taken to hospital, including 11 in serious condition. Another 56 people were treated for injuries. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said it was “too early to speculate” on the cause of the crash. “We will make sure that there’s a thorough investigation to establish how this collision happened and to ensure that lessons are learnt so that we don’t have an incident like this ever again,” Alexander said. A passenger on one of the trains, Paul Cavin, told the BBC: “We had stopped and suddenly we were hit from behind pretty bad.”

Israel bombing Nabatieh, southern Lebanon. – REUTERSPIC

US envoy Steve Witkoff headed to Switzerland to get the talks back on track, American media outlets reported, with fellow Trump emissary Jared Kushner also expected there. Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Iran yesterday for meetings with officials including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. – AFP

“The resistance has the full right to confront this enemy when it attacks us,” he said. Talks scheduled to take place between the US and Iran in Switzerland to build on the preliminary deal and work towards a lasting settlement were postponed on Friday, with no new date announced.

Driver killed in UK train collision LONDON: British Transport Police said yesterday a train driver had been killed when two trains collided north of London on Friday, an accident that also left 11 people seriously injured.

Emergency workers at the crash site near Bedford on Friday. – REUTERSPIC

the trains, described a “sudden crash” with one carriage off the rails and said he had sustained minor injuries. Train collisions are relatively rare in the United Kingdom. In September 2023, several people were injured after two trains collided at Aviemore station in Scotland. – AFP/Reuters

His train was heading for London’s St Pancras station. “There were people injured on my carriage,” he said, adding he could see many wounded people walking away from the trains, some with “smashed up noses”. Peter Knapp, a doctor who said on social media site Bluesky he was on board one of