US state department revokes green cards of three Iranian nationals it links to regime

• Taiwan's opposition leader has met with China's President Xi Jinping in what observers describe as a significant diplomatic engagement focused on reducing cross-strait tensions. • Both the Taiwanese delegation and Chinese leadership have publicly called for peaceful resolution of their longstanding disputes, signaling potential openness to dialogue amid broader global geopolitical instability. • The meeting occurs within the context of increased international focus on regional stability, with major powers seeking to prevent additional conflicts from erupting during the ongoing US-Iran crisis.

• A US fighter jet was shot down over Iranian airspace, marking a significant escalation in military confrontations amid ongoing US-Iran hostilities that began on February 28, 2026. • The incident occurred as tensions remain high following the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and subsequent Iranian retaliatory strikes against Israel and US bases across the region. • The downing of the aircraft raises concerns about potential further military escalations and complicates ongoing ceasefire negotiations between US and Iranian delegations.

• Fresh tensions have surfaced just as formal ceasefire negotiations between US and Iranian representatives commence in Pakistan, threatening to derail diplomatic efforts. • The timing of new military incidents and heightened rhetoric suggests both sides remain committed to military posturing even as they engage in peace talks, a pattern common in complex regional conflicts. • Diplomatic observers note that success will require both delegations to compartmentalize military operations from negotiation processes, a significant challenge given recent escalations including the downing of a US fighter jet.

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has authorized direct negotiations with Lebanese representatives, marking a potential diplomatic breakthrough in the broader Middle Eastern conflict landscape alongside US-Iran ceasefire talks. • The parallel diplomatic tracks suggest efforts to compartmentalize various conflicts within the region and create opportunities for broader de-escalation beyond direct US-Iran confrontation. • These negotiations involve coordination with US authorities, reflecting Washington's strategic interest in achieving regional stability across multiple conflict zones simultaneously.

• An Iranian diplomatic delegation has arrived in Pakistan to begin ceasefire talks with US representatives, signaling potential de-escalation efforts amid the ongoing conflict that began February 28, 2026. • The negotiations come as both sides seek to resolve tensions triggered by the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has caused the largest global oil supply disruption since the 1970s energy crisis. • US Vice President JD Vance has warned Iran not to "play" the US during planned negotiations, indicating the administration's determination to achieve concrete results from the talks.

• Iran has laid out preconditions for ceasefire negotiations with the United States, including a truce in Lebanon and the release of frozen Iranian assets before substantive talks can proceed. • The Iranian position reflects the broader regional conflict dynamics, with fighting extending beyond US-Iran direct confrontation to proxy conflicts in Lebanon and other Middle Eastern locations. • These conditions complicate already delicate negotiations in Pakistan, as the US and its allies assess whether such demands can be accommodated within broader regional security frameworks.

US and Iranian media report peace talks have begun in Islamabad, while Netanyahu says Israel remains committed to fighting IranUS and Iran hold talks in Islamabad as Pakistan seeks to broker peace dealUS officials claim Iran unable to find mines it laid in strait of HormuzThe UK will host a strait of Hormuz meeting next week, bringing together multiple countries aiming to restore free movement of ships through the strait, which has been blockaded by Iran since the beginning of the war and inflicted heavy damage on the global economy.A British official told AP that the meeting will oppose the idea of tolls being charged for passage through the waterway, as proposed by Iran as part of ceasefire negotiations. Continue reading...

Police rescued boy after neighbour reported sounds of a child coming from vehicle in Hagenbach in eastern FranceA malnourished nine-year-old boy was rescued after being locked in his father’s van since 2024 in eastern France, a prosecutor said.A neighbour alerted police to “sounds of a child” coming from a vehicle in the village of Hagenbach, near the borders of Switzerland and Germany. Continue reading...

JD Vance leads American delegation while Iran’s negotiators headed up by Iran’s parliamentary speakerPeace talks between Iran and the US began in Islamabad this afternoon, with senior negotiators from both countries meeting face to face at the highest level for the first time since 1979, in the presence of mediators from Pakistan.Pakistani state TV said US and Iranian officials were “sitting directly at the same table” – which was later confirmed by the White House – and discussions were beginning in a positive atmosphere, despite fighting ongoing in Lebanon. Continue reading...

After Calvin Duncan served 28 years for a murder he didn’t commit, he won an election to serve as criminal court clerk. But now the office might be shut downA man imprisoned for nearly 30 years before being exonerated won a landmark election in New Orleans promising to fix a judicial system that failed him. Now, Louisiana’s governor, Jeff Landry, and the Republican-controlled state legislature are racing to eliminate his job before he can be sworn in.Calvin Duncan won 68% of the vote last November to become the Orleans parish clerk of criminal court after pledging to reform the justice system based on his own experience fighting to access court records while in maximum security prison. Continue reading...

Witness described at least one person slashed with large knife and police with guns drawnA shooting and stabbing has left at least two people critically injured at New York City’s Grand Central subway station, according to reports.Citing information from New York’s fire department, the local news outlet WPIX reported two people were brought to a hospital in critical condition after a shooting and stabbing at about 9.50am at the subway station on the corner of East 42nd Street and Park Avenue in midtown Manhattan. Continue reading...