If Tadej Pogacar wins Paris-Roubaix next weekend, he will join an elite band as just the fourth man to win all five Monuments

China's President Xi Jinping met Taiwan's opposition party leader Cheng Li-wun in Beijing on Friday, telling the visiting delegation he had "full confidence" that Taiwanese and Chinese people would be united.

Kuomintang (KMT) chairwoman Cheng is the party's first leader to visit China in a decade, but her trip has sparked debate in Taiwan with critics accusing her of being too pro-Beijing.

China severed high-level contact with Taiwan in 2016 after Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party won the presidency and rejected Beijing's claims that the self-ruled island is part of its territory.

Xi told Cheng as the two met on Friday that "the general trend of compatriots on both sides of the Strait getting closer, edging nearer and becoming united will not change".

"This is an inevitable part of history. We have full confidence in this," Xi said during the talks carried by Taiwanese media. 

He also said China was willing to strengthen dialogue with groups in Taiwan, including the KMT, on the "common political foundation of... opposing Taiwan independence".

The KMT supports closer relations with China, which claims Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to seize it.

Cheng echoed Xi's stance, telling a press conference after their meeting that by "opposing Taiwan independence, we can avoid war".

She also told Xi earlier that the Taiwan Strait would "no longer be a focal point of potential conflict" and "both sides should transcend political confrontation".

Beijing has sworn to take Taiwan and has not ruled out using force, ramping up military pressure around the self-ruled island in recent years.

China conducts near-daily deployments of fighter jets and warships near the island and regular large-scale military drills.

Taiwanese lawmakers have been at loggerheads over the government's plan to spend NT$1.25 trillion ($39 billion) on defence, which has been stalled for months in parliament, controlled by Cheng's KMT party.

- Defence spending -

Cheng's trip comes a month before US President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Beijing for a summit with Xi.

The United States has been piling pressure on Taiwanese opposition lawmakers to back a proposal for defence purchases, including US weapons, to deter a potential Chinese attack.

Cheng has railed against the government's proposal, insisting "Taiwan isn't an ATM" and instead backed a KMT plan to allocate NT$380 billion ($12 billion) for US weapons with the option for more acquisitions.

While KMT party members regularly fly to China for exchanges with officials, its last leader to visit was Hung Hsiu-chu in 2016.

Cross-strait relations have worsened in particular since the election of Tsai's successor, Lai Ching-te, who Beijing considers a separatist.

Lai said in a Facebook post on Friday that "China's... military threats in and around the Taiwan Strait and the island chain have severely undermined regional peace and stability".

Cheng landed in Shanghai on Tuesday evening, saying shortly after her arrival that "the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are not doomed to war, as the international community has feared".

The KMT leader also travelled to the eastern city of Nanjing, where she visited the mausoleum of revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen, one of the few Chinese historical figures revered in both Beijing and Taipei.

isk-mya-dhw/fox

Traffic in a seaside Australian town was briefly diverted on Friday when a local seal decided to take a nap on the road.

The dozy pinniped was spotted snoozing on a road in Dromana in the southern state of Victoria.

Local police placed cones around the seal -- known to some locals as Sammy -- who could be seen sunning himself with little concern for the traffic.

"You don't know where he will pop up next," local Laura Ellen, who spotted the slumbering animal, told AFP.

"He usually sleeps all day," she said.

"It made me laugh when I saw him on the road. Haven't seen him do that before."

The seal was later redirected back to the beach by wildlife rescuers and the lane was re-opened.

Seals are a common sight along Victoria's coast and it is illegal to touch or feed them, the state government says.

oho/djw/ane

While the Artemis II astronauts have been protected from the icy vacuum of space on their journey, their bodies have nonetheless been left exposed to possibly high levels of radiation -- a danger of space travel that NASA is anxiously waiting to study.

Their trip around the Moon has taken the four astronauts farther into space than any human before -- more than 1,000 times the distance from Earth to the International Space Station.

Earth's magnetosphere offers some protection against radioactive cosmic rays and solar particles to the orbiting ISS, but no such cover on the Moon. 

Studying the impacts of radiation is essential as NASA hopes to eventually build a Moon base and send astronauts on the long trip to Mars.

The US space agency installed radiation sensors on the Orion capsule and took blood samples of the astronauts before takeoff to compare with samples post-trip. The crew's saliva samples are gathered throughout the journey and their health is monitored via smartwatches.

NASA has also placed state-of-the-art computer chips in the capsule that can replicate certain physiological functions, like that of an organ.

Mission planners chose to mimic bone marrow, which produces blood cells and is one of the tissues "most quickly affected by radiation and other stressors," NASA Human Research Program chief scientist Steven Platts told AFP.

With all of the data, Platts said his team hoped to better understand the variation between low earth orbit and deep space.

"It will be good research information for us to see the level of radiation, but also the type of radiation," he said.

"Our prediction is that we'll see a lot more galactic cosmic radiation... which is from supernovas and is everywhere," versus radiation coming from the Sun, he said.

- Mental health -

Platts said while most people associate radiation with cancer risk, it also can impact the central nervous system and blood circulation.

"It can lead to inflammation in the brain, and that's one of the things that can increase the risk of Parkinson's disease," he said.

With the Artemis II astronauts spending just 10 days in space, radiation is not a major concern, but the danger could rise dramatically with longer stays on the Moon.

Extensive health studies were conducted on the Apollo astronauts, but technology has advanced greatly in the 50 years since, said Bruce Betts, chief scientist at the Planetary Society, a space advocacy group.

"There will be a lot of information on the medical side of things," he said.

The other major focus is on psychological risks of spending long periods of time on the Moon or Mars.

With greater disconnection from home and tight living quarters, mental health could pose the greatest danger to astronauts on such missions, Platts said.

He compared the difference between the ISS and the tiny Orion capsule as like going from a "six-bedroom house, like a mansion... to a camper van."

cha/des/pnb/sla/hol

A mounting diplomatic row between Ecuador and Colombia intensified on Thursday, with Bogota recalling its ambassador after Quito announced 100 percent tariffs on imports from its South American neighbor.

The two countries have been engaged in a trade war for months, with Ecuador accusing Bogota of failing to combat drug trafficking and illegal mining along their shared border. 

"Our ambassador to Ecuador must return immediately," Colombian President Gustavo Petro said in an X post responding to Ecuador's leader Daniel Noboa, a staunch ally of US President Donald Trump.

"The next cabinet meeting will be held at a location on the border with Ecuador," Petro added.

The diplomatic tit-for-tat escalated after Petro referred to a jailed former Ecuadoran vice president as a "political prisoner" this week.

The left-wing Petro was referring to Jorge Glas, who was vice president under firebrand former socialist leader Rafael Correa and Correa's successor Lenin Moreno.

Glas was sentenced to 13 years in prison last year for corruption, his fourth conviction since 2017.

That prompted right-wing Noboa to recall his envoy from Colombia for consultations on Wednesday and announce the tariffs starting in May.

Petro earlier called the threat of a 100 percent tariff "a monstrosity" and threatened to withdraw Colombia from the Andean Community of Nations, a trade bloc which also includes Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru.

"It's just simply a monstrosity, but this signifies the end" of the grouping, "in which we already no longer participate," Petro earlier said on X.

Noboa responded that "it is not possible to reach agreements with someone who does not share the same commitment to fighting narco-terrorism."

"In the future, it will be possible to talk with a government that is truly committed to combating crime and drug trafficking," Noboa said.

The right-wing Ecuadorian leader kicked off a trade war with Colombia in January over the alleged lack of cooperation in combating drug trafficking.

From an initial 30 percent, he later increased tariffs on Colombia to 50 percent.

Colombia responded with 50-percent tariffs and by halting electricity sales to Ecuador, which has suffered chronic energy shortages.

Talks between the two countries failed to produce a breakthrough.

bur-aks/hol

© Agence France-Presse

Rocking her baby to soothe his searing pain and gasping breaths, 18-year-old Rubia Akhtar Brishti recounts how her son nearly died in Bangladesh's deadly measles outbreak.

"The boy had high fever and found it hard to breath," Brishti told AFP, mopping the fevered brow of one-year-old Minhaz, cradled in her arms. "His whole body had rashes."

At least 143 people have died in the outbreak since March 15, the vast majority children, with more than 12,000 suspected cases -- the worst in the South Asian nation for 20 years.

Brishti, like dozens of others, rushed from her village seeking help in the capital Dhaka, where the DNCC Hospital in Mohakhali, set up originally for Covid-19, is flooded with cases.

The ward is filled with the sounds of coughing and cries of pain, as mothers hold nebulisers over their children's mouths to help their little lungs gulp for air, their tiny bodies marked by a searing rash.

Measles is one of the world's most contagious diseases, according to the World Health Organization, and spreads via coughs or sneezes.

While it can affect people of any age, it is most common among children and can cause complications, including brain swelling and severe breathing problems.

"Both of my children are sick now," said Nusrat Jahan, who had lost her vaccination cards and therefore missed getting her infants a shot. "Both the babies are suffering."

Her children were in different wards in the hospital.

"One is admitted on first floor and another is on second floor," she said. "I am caught in between, as both the children cry for me."

- Vaccine drive -

Bangladesh has made significant advancements in vaccinations to tackle infectious diseases.

But a measles drive due in 2024 was delayed by the deadly uprising that toppled the autocratic government of Sheikh Hasina.

Many of the families with sick children in the ward say they come from areas where vaccine coverage was limited.

Yasmin Khatun, grandmother of one-year-old Safwan, said she had tried to get the baby protected.

"We took him to the centre but there were no vaccines available for measles," she said.

Health authorities are scrambling to stop the spread and roll out vaccination campaigns.

Health authorities launched an emergency measles-rubella campaign on April 5, alongside UN agencies, aiming to protect more than 1.2 million children.

Vaccines work the best when all are covered.

Government health services spokesperson Zahid Raihan said that among the affected children, 17 percent had received a single dose, while 11 percent had received two doses.

"In the absence of herd immunity, children can still get infected even after vaccination," Raihan said, saying 95 percent coverage of children was needed to ensure that.

"Last year, the coverage was only 59 percent," he said.

Golam Mothabbir, from Save the Children Bangladesh, said the hardest hit places included the crowded capital Dhaka, as well as the densely packed refugee camps of Cox's Bazar, home to more than a million people.

"We know that if not enough vaccines are administered or if the vaccine campaign isn't sustained, the outbreak will continue to spread, and paediatric wards will continue to fill," Mothabbir said.

sa/pjm/ane

In India's West Bengal state, the beloved fish has leapt from the kitchen table to the campaign trail, becoming an unexpected flashpoint in a fiercely contested election.

For Bengalis, fish is not merely food. It is intrinsic to the Bengali identity and pride. Its aroma drifts from roadside fryers, and it is a must at wedding feasts and festival spreads.

Now, as the state of over 100 million people gears up for polls on April 23 and 29, the slippery staple has also become political ammunition.

In tea shops and markets, where mounds of fish glisten on beds of crushed ice, the chatter has centred around whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party will ban fish if it takes power.

Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has sometimes promoted vegetarianism as part of its Hindu nationalist agenda, and has imposed limited dietary restrictions in other states.

It is waging an aggressive bid to dislodge West Bengal's chief minister Mamata Banerjee, the firebrand leader of the opposition All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) which has been in power in the state since 2011.

But the fuss over fish has given the state premier an early opening.

At a recent rally, Banerjee warned that the BJP would "ban fish, meat and even eggs" if it came to power in West Bengal.

At another event, she portrayed the BJP as blind to the state's gastronomic soul, saying: "They are not aware of the traditions and culture of West Bengal... It's a party of outsiders."

The BJP has denied it intends to ban fish in the state. 

But for many voters, Banerjee's claims have tapped into a deep local sentiment.

- 'Celebrated delicacy' -

"I cannot imagine Bengalis without a preparation of fish during lunch or dinner," said Sumita Dutta, 59, a teacher at a state-run school.

"If any restriction is imposed on the sale of fish, people in the state will revolt."

From the sacred "hilsa" offered during festivities to the carp served at wedding rituals to symbolise fertility and prosperity, fish is woven intricately in Bengali life. 

"Fish is important to Bengali culture and cuisine, serving both as a daily staple and a celebrated delicacy," said Sabyasachi Basu Ray Chaudhury, former vice-chancellor of a state-run university.

"Fish and rice make a Bengali," he told AFP.

Hindus are a majority in India and widely eat meat and fish, though some communities follow vegetarian traditions.

Given the sensitivities in West Bengal, the BJP has been striving to show its appetite for the catch of the day.

One video of BJP candidate Sharadwat Mukhopadhyay canvassing with a fish dangling from his hand has gone viral, prompting both amusement and debate on social media.

The aim of the campaign was to "counter the TMC" and "address the debate on food habits", BJP state chief Samik Bhattacharya told AFP.

"Most people in (West) Bengal eat non-vegetarian food, and even BJP leadership consumes non-vegetarian food," he said.

He insisted the party had no intention of imposing dietary restrictions if elected.

- Angling for votes -

The fear of a fish ban has stemmed from some Indian states where BJP and its affiliates have pushed restrictions on meat, especially during Hindu festivals.

In 2024, the BJP government in the northeastern state of Assam announced a complete ban on serving or consuming beef in restaurants, hotels, public functions, and public spaces, expanding earlier local restrictions into a statewide policy.

And in Bihar state, where the BJP is part of a ruling coalition, the sale of fish and meat near schools and religious sites was banned in February, with the deputy chief minister saying it was meant to maintain "social harmony".

The news of the ban quickly travelled across state borders into neighbouring West Bengal's charged political atmosphere, tapping into anxieties around culture and autonomy.

"Emotions and identity are becoming a part of the political campaign," Ray Chaudhury said.

"Food choices are likely to influence voting in this election."

str-pzb/abh/mjw

Thousands of fans have gathered in the California desert for the hotly anticipated Coachella Festival, which kicks off Friday with pop princess Sabrina Carpenter in the headliner spotlight.

The star-studded line-up -- which also includes headliners Justin Bieber and Colombia's Karol G -- will grace the stage in Indio on two consecutive weekends, kicking off the US music festival circuit for 2026.

Friday's acts include standout emerging talent Teddy Swims and girl group KATSEYE, as well as established artists like Moby.

But the highlight of the opening night will be Carpenter, who promised "the most ambitious show" of her career in an interview with Perfect Magazine.

The "Manchild" singer made her Coachella debut in 2024, the year she released her catchy summer hit "Espresso."

Closing out the first day will be Italian DJ Anyma, who is set to premiere his new production, "ÆDEN," which promises to be an immersive audiovisual experience that will hit the road after Coachella for a tour including stops in Milan, London and Seoul.

- Bieber Fever -

The party continues across Coachella's nine stages on Saturday, with the highly anticipated appearance of Bieber, who will close out the night.

"Bieber fever" seems to have returned after a decade and already spread across the Coachella Valley, after the singer made a comeback at the Grammy Awards this year.

Fans of the 32-year-old artist posted videos on social media this week of what appear to be rehearsals that included hits such as "Sorry" and "Where Are U Now."

The night will also feature performances by techno stalwarts like Armin van Buuren and Adam Beyer, K-pop stars such as Taemin and British dance sensation PinkPantheress.

French DJ and producer David Guetta returns to the desert in Indio, and David Byrne, the legendary co-founder of Talking Heads, will make an appearance.

Another highly anticipated act is Nine Inch Noize -- a collaboration between the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails and German producer Boys Noize -- which has just announced a joint album. 

As a testament to the diversity of genres on display at Coachella, the festival's main stage will host influencer-turned-singer Addison Rae, as well as New York rockers The Strokes.

Led by Julian Casablancas, the band returns with a new album slated for June, following a six-year hiatus. 

- 'Tropicoqueta' - 

The cherry on top for Sunday will be reggaeton star Karol G, the first Latina to headline the festival.

The winner of eight Latin Grammy Awards made her Coachella debut in 2022 with a performance that paid tribute to Latin music icons such as Selena, Celia Cruz, and Daddy Yankee.

For this year's show, the "Provenza" singer is expected to embrace the "Caribbean showgirl" aesthetic of her latest project, "Tropicoqueta."

Sunday also promises the festival debut of K-pop kings BIGBANG, who are celebrating their 20th anniversary with a highly anticipated return to the international stage. 

Also appearing will be the godfather of punk, Iggy Pop, and Fatboy Slim -- the British DJ and producer who dominated the electronic music scene in the 1990s. 

Other acts include Major Lazer, indie-pop band Foster the People and British singer, dancer, and visual artist FKA twigs.

The festival will close with a screening under the stars of the first episode of the third season of "Euphoria," the HBO high school drama series starring Zendaya, returning to television after four years.

Coachella will also be streamed live on YouTube.

pr/hg/aks/hol

Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing was sworn in as president on Friday, continuing his rule from a civilian post five years after snatching power in a military coup.

As the nation's armed forces chief, Min Aung Hlaing ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021 -- detaining the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and triggering a civil war.

After a half-decade of ruling by diktat, he organised an election concluding in January excluding her party and securing a walkover win for military allies in civilian politics who backed him into the top office.

"Myanmar has returned to the path of democracy and is heading toward a better future," the 69-year-old said in a speech, after reading aloud the presidential oath to start his five-year term at a triumphant parliamentary ceremony in the capital, Naypyidaw.

Min Aung Hlaing has resigned as top general to take over as president of the new government ahead of Myanmar's Thingyan holiday starting Monday, which celebrates the new year with water-splashing ceremonies of renewal and rejuvenation.

- Rebranding military rule -

Democracy watchdogs deride the transition as a rebranding of military rule in an unconvincing civilian disguise.

More than two-thirds of Min Aung Hlaing's 30 ministers, also sworn in Friday, are either retired or serving members of the military.

A similar proportion served in the post-coup junta leadership, while more than ten have been subject to international sanctions.

AFP reporters saw bomb squads patrolling Naypyidaw hotels ahead of the ceremony, and parliament was sequestered by rings of checkpoints.

The lead-up to Min Aung Hlaing's swearing-in has seen some political prisoners from Suu Kyi's administration pardoned and government workers blacklisted for quitting in protest over the coup invited to return to their jobs.

Critics likewise dismissed those steps as cosmetic measures, but Min Aung Hlaing said his government will "grant appropriate amnesties to support social reconciliation, justice and peace".

He did not mention Suu Kyi -- held incommunicado since the putsch, serving a 27-year sentence on charges that rights groups dismiss as politically motivated.

More than 22,000 others have also been locked up in Myanmar's jails since the coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, while thousands have perished in the civil war.

- 'Restore normal relations' -

The junta trumpeted the election as a return of power to the people and a chance for reconciliation in the civil war.

Myanmar's post-coup leaders have been considered pariahs by many nations abroad.

Analysts say another aim of the election was to normalise their image with a veneer of legitimacy, unfreezing foreign engagement -- including investment projects.

Min Aung Hlaing said his government will "work to restore normal relations" with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regional bloc which has ostracised Myanmar's leaders since the coup.

Friday's ceremony was attended by representatives from the neighbouring nations of China, India and Thailand -- as well as 20 other countries, according to parliamentary officials.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul this week sent a congratulatory message, according to Myanmar state media, saying that under Min Aung Hlaing's "able leadership" the nations' relations would "grow from strength to strength".

However, China was the election's biggest backer, analysts say, and discussions over stalled Beijing-backed infrastructure projects are now being revived.

Myanmar's military has ruled the country for most of its post-independence history.

A rare decade-long interlude starting in 2011 saw the top brass loosen their grip and Suu Kyi's civilian government tentatively take the reins in a burst of optimism and reform.

Analysts say the military snatched back power out of anxiety about their waning influence after her landslide victory over pro-military parties in 2020 elections.

The junta-organised re-run of the vote excluded parties that won more than 90 percent of seats in 2020, according to the Asian Network for Free Elections, and punished protest or criticism of the poll with prison time.

Voting did not take place in swathes of the country which have been seized by rebels battling the military and rejecting the vote, further undermining Min Aung Hlaing's mandate according to rights monitors.

bur-jts/fox

Exiled Iranian cartoonist Mana Neyestani has a huge following back home for his biting humour.

And one of his recent sketches sums up the "dilemma created by the regime" over the US-Israel bombing of his homeland and how it divides Iranians.

Two men hold a banner with the words "No to war". But one is in a balaclava and is also holding a gallows with a man hanging from it.

"It's difficult to work right now," said the Paris-based artist. "You either get labelled as a lover of the war or of the Islamic Republic."

Three exiled Iranian cartoonists who talked to AFP said they were walking the same thin line, with Sanaz Bagheri -- who has been working from Amsterdam for the last seven years -- insisting that they "are doing everything we can to be the voice" of those who cannot speak back home.

Artists have used satire throughout Iran's turbulent history to circumvent the threat of persecution.

- Khamenei and women -

Another of Neyestani's drawings -- taking a dig at Tehran's internet ban -- shows Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi sitting on the head of a man tied up below a no WIFI sign while declaring, "I am the voice of Iranians."

"Social media is the only way I can communicate with my audience," said the 52-year-old cartoonist, who has close to a million followers on Instagram alone.

"It's one of the only ways people inside Iran can stay informed. All official news sources inside Iran only present the government's narrative." 

But that audience is now effectively cut-off by a near total internet shutdown since the start of the war in February, keeping roughly 90 million Iranians in digital darkness.

In a central Paris gallery a selection of Neyestani's works currently hangs alongside another award-winning Iranian cartoonist, Kianoush Ramezani, who works from exile in Helsinki.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, killed on February 28 at the start of the US-Israel bombing, is a frequent target of their satire.

Women feature prominently, inspired by the "Women, Life, Freedom" demonstrators sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in state custody in 2022. 

Sketches include a woman with long flowing hair standing on Khamenei's burning turban, while another shows hijab-less schoolgirls ripping his portrait from their classroom wall.

"This system is built on sanctifying the supreme leader and other figures within it. They have invested enormous effort and resources to construct this sense of sanctity, and a simple cartoon can undermine it," Ramezani said.

- 'Dangerous' -

"Iranians are sarcastic and are good with humour, but they take political cartoons extremely seriously and that is a problem for us because when they take it too seriously," he said. "Then it becomes dangerous for us."

After periods of repression under the Shah's feared Savvak intelligence services in the 1970s, and the "sacred defence" era declared by the Islamic authorities during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, satire enjoyed a brief respite with a proliferation of reformist newspapers in the 1990s.

But the election of hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2005 turned the tide, with a wave of cartoonists leaving the country after mass protests against Ahmadinejad in 2009, and again with the crackdown on the Women, Life, Freedom Movement.

- Nightmare -

In a tale of Kafkaesque irony, it was a cockroach that drove Neyestani into exile in 2006. 

An award-winning author of eight works, he told the story of his nightmarish fall from grace in a graphic novel, "An Iranian Metamorphosis", including his time in Tehran's notorious Evin prison over a cartoon of a young boy talking to a cockroach.

Interpreted as a slur to the Iranian Azeri community, from which Neyestani ironically hails, the drawing sparked massive riots and forced him to leave the country.

Picking up a pen has gotten no less riskier since.

Ramezani feels the threat of Tehran's long arm 4,000 kilometres (2,500 miles) away from his hometown of Rasht on the Caspian Sea.

"They spend a lot of money to make this kind of cyber army and they systematically attack you, harass you," he said, reporting cartoonists to social media platforms, claiming their content was insulting or inappropriate.

It is designed to put you in "a shadow ban to decrease your visibility," he said.

ja/dp/fg

As Iranian and US envoys prepare to hold talks in Islamabad to end the Middle East war, official sources and experts say Beijing helped pave the way for the negotiations and will be a crucial component in securing a permanent truce.

Pakistan has received praise – and some surprise - on the global stage for its last-ditch clinching of a temporary ceasefire between the warring sides.

But Pakistani officials say Beijing's quieter role would now prove to be as essential as it was in striking the down-to-the-wire agreement that had looked set to fail on Tuesday night.  

"On ceasefire night, hopes were fading, but China stepped in and convinced Iran to agree to a preliminary ceasefire," said a senior Pakistani official source familiar with the negotiations.

"While our efforts were central, we were falling short of a breakthrough, which was ultimately achieved after Beijing persuaded the Iranians," said the source, who requested anonymity to speak openly on a sensitive diplomatic matter. 

That echoed President Donald Trump, who shortly after announcing the two-week ceasefire on social media, told AFP that China had been key to getting Iran to the negotiating table.

The planned talks had raised fragile hopes of an end to the war that has claimed thousands of lives and jolted the global economy since Israel and the United States launched strikes on February 28 and Iran responded with attacks on the Gulf as well as Israeli cities.

Pakistan, which has deep cultural and religious ties with neighbouring Iran and whose leaders share close personal rapport with Trump, will facilitate both sides.

To get a lasting agreement, it will need to steer the rival sides through fractious issues, including on the opening of the strategic Strait of Hormuz and the continuation of Iran's nuclear programme.

"Pakistan has formulated a team of experts to facilitate the two sides in negotiations, on navigation, nuclear and other related matters," said a second diplomatic source familiar with the matter, requesting anonymity as they were not authorised to speak publicly. 

The second source, along with several experts and former officials, told AFP that as Pakistan sets the negotiating table, all eyes were on China's role.

"China was requested to be a guarantor. Iran wants a guarantor," said the source.

The main alternative, Russia, which is fighting a war in Ukraine, would not have been accepted by Western players, especially the European Union, meaning China was "best placed".

- 'Ironclad brothers' -

Beijing shares close ties with Islamabad and Tehran, and has been Iran's largest trading partner during years of crippling US-led sanctions.

China has also invested billions into infrastructure projects in Pakistan as part of President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road initiative and the two governments call themselves "ironclad brothers."

"As close partners and neighbours, Pakistan and China have been coordinating closely from day one to end hostilities," said Mushahid Hussain Sayed, a former Pakistan senator and head of the upper chamber's defence and foreign affairs committees.    

"China's role would remain indispensable in clinching any final peace agreement as the ultimate guarantor, given the fact that Iran doesn't trust the Trump/Netanyahu duo," he added, in reference to Israel's prime minister.

After Pakistan's foreign minister quickly flew to Beijing last month following de-escalation discussions with Saudi, Turkish and Egyptian counterparts, China said it backed Pakistan's efforts to mediate.

It then launched talks to help ease Pakistan's own spiralling armed conflict with Afghanistan, hosting Afghan government delegates and Pakistani officials in Urumqi in China after weeks of fighting.

China, with Russia, also took a key step likely to be warmly received in Tehran hours before the ceasefire, vetoing a UN Security Council resolution on reopening the Strait of Hormuz where Iran has imposed an effective blockade since the war began. 

- 'Uphill battle' -

China has not sought the limelight in peace building efforts, reiterating only that it has been mediating and encouraging an end to hostilities.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had held 26 calls with counterparts from relevant countries while Beijing's Middle East envoy had "shuttled across" the war-torn region, a foreign ministry spokesperson said. 

Analysts and officials said the prospect of China openly stepping in to a formal guarantor role in coming weeks was also uncertain. 

"They have their own considerations, they do not want to be dragged into this conflict" publicly, the second source told AFP, in a nod to Beijing's strong behind-the-scenes role.

Talks face an uphill battle in resolving the vast differences in the warring sides' positions.

A major sticking point is over Lebanon, which Pakistan's prime minister and Iran have insisted is included in the ceasefire and Israel has denied.

Israel, which Pakistan does not formally recognise, has continued to launch deadly strikes it says target Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, though the United States has said it will host its separate talks in Washington between Israeli and the Lebanese officials next week. 

"Negotiations are very complicated, sensitive...to reach consensus all sides will have to make painful compromises and concessions," the source added. 

bur-ceg-abs/hmn