Politics
Iran’s FM Araghchi expected in Islamabad today ahead of potential talks with US

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to arrive in Islamabad on Friday night, sources said, without providing details about who he was likely to meet.
Islamabad has been gearing up for an anticipated second round of talks between the United States and Iran, but it was not clear whether Araghchi and the delegation accompanying him would meet any US officials to discuss the Middle East war.
Iranian state media reported that Araghchi will depart on Friday for a tri-nation tour that includes visits to Islamabad, Muscat and Moscow, Iranian.
“The purpose of this visit is to hold bilateral consultations, and discuss current developments in the region, as well as the latest situation in the war imposed by the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran,” the state news agency IRNA said.
Meanwhile, a US official told Reuters on Friday that President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner will travel to Pakistan soon for talks with Iran’s foreign minister.
Vice President JD Vance is not currently planning to attend but he will be on standby to travel to Islamabad if negotiations progress, according to CNN, which first recorded the travel plans.
A US logistics and security team is already present in the federal capital ahead of the potential second round of peace talks, sources said.
They said that the development was the result of pivotal conversations conducted by Pakistan’s mediation team.
The development emerged shortly after Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar urged continued dialogue and engagement to resolve disputes between the US and Iran, saying the diplomatic process was essential for advancing regional peace and stability.
DPM Dar made the remarks during a phone call with Araghchi, in which they also discussed the ongoing US-Iran ceasefire, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office.
DPM Dar and Araghchi also exchanged views on the ongoing diplomatic efforts being pursued by Islamabad in the context of US-Iran engagement.
The Iranian FM lauded Pakistan’s consistent and constructive role in facilitating peace talks between the US and Iran.
A second round of talks between Tehran and Washington faced ambiguity after both sides failed to agree on their respective measures in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran blocked the waterway after the US and Israel launched attacks across Iran on February 28. Apart from closing Hormuz, Tehran also launched strikes against Israel and US bases across the Middle East.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif mediated a two-week ceasefire between the two sides on April 8 and then facilitated the first round of talks in Islamabad on April 11.
However, the talks concluded without a deal on a permanent end to the conflict.
Following an inconclusive first round of talks, US President Donald Trump announced a US naval blockade of Iranian ports.
Iran declared Hormuz open on April 17, citing a ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel. However, it closed the strait the following day due to the US blockade of Iranian maritime trade, a measure Tehran considers an act of war.
Despite the hostilities on both sides, Islamabad continued its diplomatic outreach to bring Tehran and Washington back to the table and extend the two-week ceasefire.
Hours before the expiry of the ceasefire on April 22, US President Donald Trump announced extending the truce until an Iranian proposal was submitted and discussions were concluded.
In a post on Truth Social, the US president said he was acting at the request of Pakistan to hold off attacks until Iranian leaders and representatives could come up with what he called a unified proposal.
Politics
French teen faces jail in Singapore for licking vending machine straw

A French teenager has been charged with mischief and public nuisance in Singapore for licking a straw and putting it back in an orange juice vending machine, court documents showed Monday.
Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, 18, allegedly filmed himself “licking a straw and placing it back at the vending machine”, uploaded the video on Instagram knowing that it “would or would probably cause annoyance to the public”, according to the documents.
The teenager is studying in Singapore, according to court records.
The public nuisance offence carries a jail term of up to three months and a fine.
A second charge of committing mischief said Maximilien knew that he was “likely to cause wrongful loss or damage” to iJooz, the company operating the vending machine which had to replace all 500 straws in the dispenser.
The mischief offence carries a punishment of up to two years in jail on conviction and a fine, according to the charge sheet.
Both offences were allegedly committed on March 12.
The charges were lodged before a district court last Friday, and the next hearing will be on May 22.
The Straits Times newspaper said the video “quickly went viral, sparking shock and concern among netizens”.
Politics
Araghchi arrives in Russia for close consultations on regional, international issues

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has arrived in Russia to continue close consultations between Tehran and Moscow on regional and international issues, and to enhance bilateral relations.
Speaking upon arrival at Pulkovo International Airport in St. Petersburg on Monday, Araghchi noted that due to the recent US-Israeli aggression against the country, there had been a gap in meetings with Russian counterparts.
“We have tried to use the available opportunity, following our trips to Pakistan and Oman, to travel to Russia,” he said.
Araghchi added that Monday’s meeting would be a good opportunity to discuss developments in the war and review the latest situation, expressing confidence that consultations and coordination between the two countries would be of particular importance.
Constructive consultations held in Pakistan
Regarding his trips to Islamabad and Oman over the past three days, the foreign minister emphasized the bilateral nature of the visits.
Pointing to Pakistan’s role as a mediator in Iran-US negotiations, Araghchi said it was necessary to review the latest situation with Pakistani officials.
“Previous negotiations, despite some progress, did not achieve their goals due to American approaches, their excessive demands, and their wrong policies. Therefore, we needed to hold consultations with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest developments,” Araghchi explained.
He stressed that Iran’s position in the negotiations is very important.
“We must secure the rights of the Iranian people after 40 days of resistance and protect the country’s interests,” he added.
Iran-Oman expert-level consultations on Strait of Hormuz to continue
Referring to his meetings with senior Omani officials, Araghchi noted that Iran and Oman are both littoral states of the Strait of Hormuz, and it is necessary for them to consult each other, especially as safe passage through the strait has become a globally significant issue.
“It is natural that as two coastal countries of this strait, we must talk to each other to secure our common interests and coordinate any action taken in this regard, because the interests of Iran and Oman are directly involved in this matter,” Araghchi said.
He confirmed that there is a broad consensus between Iran and Oman, and it was agreed during the visit that consultations would continue at the expert level.
Iran closed the waterway to the enemies and their allies following the launch of the US-Israeli aggression against Iran on February 28, with the assassination of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and several top military commanders.
On April 8, forty days into the war, a temporary Pakistan-brokered ceasefire took effect. Talks ensued in Islamabad but stopped short of an agreement amid the United States’ maximalist demands and insistence on unreasonable positions.
Iran announced the reopening of the chokehold to commercial traffic following the announcement of a ceasefire by US President Donald Trump on April 7.
The country, however, imposed a total closure on the waterway on April 18 after Trump said the US was continuing an unlawful blockade it had imposed on Iran in continuation of unlawful aggression towards the country.
Politics
India names Modi party colleague envoy to Bangladesh as ties thaw

India named veteran politician Dinesh Trivedi as its next high commissioner to Bangladesh on Monday, in a rare appointment of a non–foreign service officer as New Delhi seeks to reset ties with its eastern neighbour.
Ties between the countries soured after a popular uprising forced Bangladesh’s long‑serving Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to New Delhi in 2024, where she remains. Trivedi’s appointment highlights India’s push to rebuild trust with Bangladesh as it faces stiff competition from China for influence and business.
Trivedi, 75, a former railways and health minister, joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party in 2021 from a regional party in West Bengal, a border state that plays a key role in India’s ties with Bangladesh and where Modi has been seeking to expand his party’s influence in ongoing local elections.
“He is expected to take up the assignment shortly,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement about Trivedi.
Relations between the two countries began improving only after an election in February brought Tarique Rahman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party to power, replacing an interim government that had veered strongly towards China.
Bangladesh’s foreign minister visited Delhi this month seeking increased fuel and fertiliser supplies, closer energy cooperation and eased travel restrictions, but one of the biggest sticking points remains India’s refusal so far to extradite Hasina.
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