International News
RSF calls on democracies to step up pressure on China to end censorship
Five years after the passing of 2004 RSF Award laureate and 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Liu Xiaobo, who embodied the Chinese people’s fight for press freedom and died on July 13, 2017 of an untreated cancer while in detention, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) called on the international community to significantly step up pressure on the Chinese regime to put an end to its policy of censorship and media surveillance and to ensure the full exercise of press freedom, a right enshrined in Article 35 of its Constitution.
Liu Xiaobo, political commentator and writer, author of nearly 800 essays, was a long-time advocate of political reforms and human rights, including press freedom. During the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre, Liu had taken an active role as a pro-democracy protester and launched a hunger strike in support of the students.
In the following years, in retaliation for his writing and activism, he was imprisoned many times, sent to reeducation facilities and put in house arrest.
In 2009, Liu was sentenced to 11 years in prison for “inciting subversion of state power” for contributing to the Charter 08, a 19-point programme initially signed by 303 academics and intellectuals that called for greater political freedoms, including the enforcement of press freedom.
Liu died in 2017, six weeks after diagnosis that he was terminally ill and the regime’s refusal of overseas treatment.
The regime also persecuted Liu Xiaobo’s widow, poet and photographer Liu Xia, who was kept under house arrest from 2010 to 2018 until she was finally allowed exile in Germany.
In China, detained journalists are almost systematically subjected to mistreatment and denied medical care: in 2017, political commentator Yang Tongyan died from an untreated cancer while in detention. Kunchok Jinpa, a leading source of information about Tibet for journalists, died in 2021 as a result of ill-treatment in prison.
In 2021 RSF published an unprecedented investigative report which reveals the campaign of repression led by Beijing against journalism and the right to information worldwide.
International News
US failed to gain Iran’s trust during talks: Iranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf

Tehran, April 12: Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf said on Sunday that the US failed to gain Iran’s trust during recent negotiations, despite what he described as Tehran’s willingness to engage in “good faith”.
In a series of posts on X, Ghalibaf stated that the Iranian delegation raised “forward-looking initiatives”, however, the US failed to gain its trust. He mentioned that the US has to decide whether it can earn Iran’s trust and logic, as it has understood Tehran’s logic and principles.
“Before the negotiations, I emphasised that we have the necessary good faith and will, but due to the experiences of the two previous wars, we have no trust in the opposing side. My colleagues on the Iranian delegation raised forward-looking initiatives, but the opposing side ultimately failed to gain the trust of the Iranian delegation in this round of negotiations,” Ghalibaf posted on X.
In another post, he wrote: “America has understood our logic and principles, and now it’s time for it to decide whether it can earn our trust or not?”
His statement comes as high-level talks between US and Iranian officials in Pakistan failed to produce an agreement. The Speaker led the Iranian delegation during the negotiations with the US in Islamabad.
Ghalibaf also hailed the people of Iran for taking to the streets following the advice of the Supreme Leader and expressed gratitude to his colleagues for attending the 21-hour negotiations.
In a post on X, he stated: “We consider every mirror to be another method of authority diplomacy, alongside military struggle, for upholding the rights of the Iranian nation, and we will not for a moment cease our efforts to consolidate the achievements of the forty days of Iran’s national defence.”
“Iran is a body with 90 million souls, from all the heroic people of Iran who, following the advice of the Supreme Leader and by taking to the streets, supported their children and sent us on our way with their blessings—for this, I am grateful, and to my colleagues in these intense 21-hour negotiations, I say: well done, God strengthen you,” he posted on X.
The failed talks mark a setback in efforts to revive diplomatic engagement over Iran’s nuclear programme, which has long been a point of contention between Washington and Tehran. Previous negotiations have stalled over verification measures, sanctions relief and the scope of Iran’s enrichment activities.
Meanwhile, US Vice President J D Vance said negotiations with Iran failed to produce an agreement after more than 20 hours of talks in Islamabad, warning that Tehran’s refusal to accept Washington’s terms was “bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America”.
“We have been at it now for 21 hours, and we’ve had a number of substantive discussions with the Iranians. That’s the good news. The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement,” Vance told reporters at a press conference in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The Vice President said US negotiators had clearly outlined their position, but Tehran declined to accept the terms.
“We’ve made very clear what our red lines are, what things we’re willing to accommodate them on, and what things we’re not willing to accommodate them on, and we’ve made that as clear as we possibly could, and they have chosen not to accept our terms,” he said.
Vance emphasised that the core US objective remained preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons capability.
“The simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,” he said.
He added that Washington was seeking long-term assurances from Tehran, not temporary commitments.
“Do we see a fundamental commitment of will for the Iranians not to develop a nuclear weapon, not just now, not just two years from now, but for the long term. We haven’t seen that yet. We hope that we will,” Vance said.
He confirmed that Washington has put forward what it considers its final proposal.
International News
We have not forgotten US breaches: Iran hardens stand amid peace talks

Tehran, April 12: Iran has taken a firm stance amid ongoing negotiations with the US, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei declaring that the country “has not forgotten and will not forget” past breaches of promise by the United States, underscoring deep mistrust even as talks continue in Islamabad.
In a detailed post on X, Baqaei stated, “Diplomacy for us is the continuation of the sacred jihad of the defenders of the Iranian land. We have not forgotten and will not forget the experiences of America’s breaches of promise and malicious acts. Just as we will not forgive the heinous crimes committed by them and the Zionist regime during the course of the second and third imposed wars.”
He described the negotiations as intense and prolonged, noting, “Today was a busy and long day for the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Islamabad. The intensive negotiations that began from the morning of Saturday with Pakistan’s benevolent efforts and mediation have continued without interruption until now, and numerous messages and texts have been exchanged between the two sides.”
Highlighting the determination of the Iranian delegation, Baqaei added, “The Iranian negotiators are employing all their capabilities, experience, and knowledge to safeguard Iran’s rights and interests. The heavy loss of our great elders, dear ones, and fellow countrymen has made our resolve to pursue the Iranian nation’s interests and rights firmer than ever before.”
Reaffirming Iran’s broader stance, he said, “Nothing can or should deter us from pursuing our great historical mission toward our beloved homeland and noble Iranian civilization. The Islamic Republic of Iran is determined to utilize all tools, including diplomacy, to secure national interests and protect the country’s well-being.”
According to Baqaei, discussions over the past 24 hours covered key issues including the Strait of Hormuz, the nuclear programme, war reparations, sanctions relief, and ending ongoing regional conflicts. He stressed, “The success of this diplomatic process depends on the seriousness and good faith of the opposing side, refraining from excessive demands and unlawful requests, and the acceptance of Iran’s legitimate rights and interests.”
At the conclusion of the latest round of talks, negotiations between Iran and the United States have been extended for another day at Pakistan’s proposal, with both sides agreeing to continue discussions. The talks, which began at 1 p.m. local time on Saturday, lasted over 14 hours and involved continuous exchanges of messages and draft texts.
According to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency, the extension comes amid continued disagreements, particularly over the Strait of Hormuz and other critical issues. The report noted that while some initial progress had been made, “serious” differences persist, largely due to what Iran describes as “illogical and excessive demands” from the US side.
International News
Trump backs ‘final offer’ after Iran talks fail

Washington, April 12: US President Donald Trump was closely involved in high-stakes nuclear talks with Iran and has backed a “final and best offer” to Tehran after negotiations in Islamabad collapsed without agreement, Vice President J D Vance said.
“We leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding that is our final and best offer. We’ll see if the Irans accept it,” Vance told reporters after 21 hours of negotiations .
The Vice President underscored Trump’s direct role in the talks, describing constant communication between the negotiating team and the White House.
“We were talking to the president consistently. I don’t know how many times we talked to him. A half dozen times, a dozen times over the past 21 hours,” Vance said.
He said the President had instructed negotiators to pursue a deal in good faith but with clear limits.
“The president told us, you need to come here in good faith and make your best effort to get a deal. We did that,” Vance said .
Despite intensive engagement, the talks failed to bridge differences over Iran’s nuclear programme.
“We have been at it now for 21 hours… we’ve had a number of substantive discussions with the Iranians. That’s the good news. The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement,” he said .
Washington, he added, had clearly laid out its negotiating boundaries.
“We’ve made very clear what our red lines are… and they have chosen not to accept our terms,” Vance said .
At the core of the impasse is the US demand for a long-term guarantee that Iran will not pursue nuclear weapons capability.
“We need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon and they will not seek the tools that would enable ’em to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,” he said .
Vance emphasised that Washington is seeking durable assurances, not temporary pledges.
“Do we see a fundamental commitment of will for the Iranians not to develop a nuclear weapon? Not just now, not just two years from now, but for the long term. We haven’t seen that yet,” he said .
He also highlighted the broader national security coordination behind the negotiations, noting that the team remained in touch with senior officials throughout.
“We obviously also talked to… the entire national security team… because we were negotiating in good faith,” Vance said .
While declining to disclose specific sticking points, Vance maintained that the US side had shown flexibility.
“I think that we were quite flexible. We were quite accommodating… and unfortunately we weren’t able to make any headway,” he said.
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