International

US to propose new Pacific island initiative

AFP

The United States plans to propose a new initiative to address Pacific island issues next week as it scrambles to offset China’s thrust into the region, a top White House official said Thursday.

Washington is “stepping up across the board” its engagement with Pacific island nations to address their concerns over everything from relations with Washington to illegal fishing, climate change and regional security, said Kurt Campbell, a senior official for Asia in the National Security Council.

“This is an area of enormous strategic importance. We have historical and moral responsibilities, both from the Second World War and, subsequent, the nuclear age,” Campbell told a forum held by the Center for a New American Security, a Washington think-tank.

“We are trying to meet the Pacific where they live,” he said. “Not only are we doing this on a bilateral basis, we will be launching next week an initiative to work with a variety of like-minded countries on an open, very detailed set of engagements.”

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The new initiative will allow those involved, including the 18-member Pacific Island Forum, Japan and major Western powers, “to make clear our desire to keep a Pacific environment that’s open, that’s healthy, that’s productive, and free from coercion,” said Campbell.

The announcement came after China was dealt a setback when 10 Pacific island states in late May rebuffed a proposal for a regional pact that would have pulled them into Beijing’s orbit.

China had offered extensive economic assistance in exchange for a pact that would deepen its role in the regional’s security and economy.

But David Panuelo, president of the Federated States of Micronesia, warned the offer was “disingenuous” and would “ensure Chinese influence in government” and “economic control” of key industries.

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Central America

U.S. extradites Iranian man over alleged sanctions evasion scheme

The United States has extradited from Panama an Iranian national accused of evading economic sanctions against Iran by illegally exporting U.S. technology. He is scheduled to appear this Monday before a court in Seattle.

Reza Dindar, 44, was extradited on April 17 after being detained in Panama since July 2025 on charges related to export control violations between 2011 and 2012, allegedly carried out through companies based in China.

The defendant appeared before a U.S. district court in Seattle, where he faces charges of violating sanctions imposed by the United States on Iran in 1995 during the administration of Bill Clinton. These sanctions prohibit the unauthorized export, re-export, or supply—directly or indirectly—of U.S. goods, technology, or services to Iran or its government.

According to the indictment, between 2010 and 2014, Dindar led the company New Port Sourcing Solutions in Xi’an, China, which allegedly concealed the procurement of U.S. products for shipment to clients in Iran.

International

Elon Musk skips French court appearance over X investigation

Billionaire Elon Musk did not appear this Monday before French authorities, who had summoned him for a voluntary statement as part of an investigation into his social media platform X, prosecutors told AFP.

The platform has been under investigation since early 2025 following complaints from lawmakers alleging bias in its algorithms, which may have altered its functioning and interfered in politics in France.

The probe has since expanded to include other alleged offenses, such as complicity in the distribution of child sexual abuse material, as well as the role of Grok in spreading denialist content and sexually explicit fake images.

In early February, investigators raided X’s offices in Paris. The company has denied any wrongdoing, describing the searches as “political” and “abusive.”

At that time, the Paris prosecutor’s office summoned Musk and former CEO Linda Yaccarino to provide voluntary testimony as those responsible for the platform during the period under investigation.

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Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau also stated that X employees were called to testify as witnesses between April 20 and April 24.

International

Four injured in shooting at Teotihuacán archaeological site in Mexico

Four more people were injured by gunfire during the ആക്രമ attack at Teotihuacán, one of the most emblematic archaeological complexes in Mexico, authorities confirmed.

The Secretary of Security of the State of Mexico, Cristóbal Castañeda, reported that the victims include two Colombian nationals, one Russian, and one Canadian. Additionally, two other individuals were injured due to falls, according to a statement from local authorities.

President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed concern over the incident, stating on social media that “what happened today in Teotihuacán deeply pains us.”

Federal authorities recovered a firearm, a knife, and ammunition at the scene, which remains under the protection of state police and the Guardia Nacional, according to the federal Security Cabinet.

Located about 50 kilometers from Mexico City, Teotihuacán is a major tourist destination frequently visited by both domestic and international travelers.