WORLD

Washington, Oct 29 (IANS) As Japan and the United States signed a critical minerals and rare earths agreement in Tokyo on Tuesday, experts in Washington believed that despite the agreement, Tokyo feared that the US President may “soften his stance on China” when he meets his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, later this week in South Korea.While addressing the media in Washington on Tuesday, Sayuri Romei, a Senior Fellow at the German Marshall Fund (GMF), argued that “Tokyo's main fear is that Trump may just soften his stance on China and will strike a deal with Beijing that could impact the regional balance.”Trump met Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo on Monday and signed multiple agreements, including a deal on critical minerals and rare earths.Both sides vowed to intensify...

Kathmandu, Oct 28 (IANS) The local administration in Nepal’s Myagdi district, located in western Nepal, has barred the entry of people to the famous tourist destination—Annapurna Base Camp (ABC)—until October 31, citing snowfall in the area that could put the lives of trekkers at risk.The District Administration Office (DAO), Myagdi, said in a statement that the move was taken as the ABC area has already experienced snowfall, and the high, hilly and mountainous regions of the district could see additional snow, posing risks to residents and trekkers.October is the peak tourist season in Nepal, and a large number of trekkers travel to mountain regions, including the Annapurna Base Camp. “As of Tuesday evening, over a dozen people who had reached ABC have not been in contact,” Senior Super...

New York, Oct 28 (IANS) An Indian student who lost his visa status allegedly went berserk on a flight to Germany and has been charged with stabbing two teenagers and slapping a woman, according to federal prosecutor Leah Foley in Boston.After meal service on the Chicago-Frankfurt flight, Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli (28) stabbed a 17-year-old boy on the shoulder and another 17-year-old in the back of the head with a metal fork, her office said on Monday.He also slapped a woman and tried to slap a flight crew, it said.The flight was diverted to Boston, where Usiripalli was arrested.“When flight crew members attempted to subdue Usiripalli, he allegedly raised his hand, formed a gun with his fingers, put it in his mouth and pulled an imaginary trigger,” according to the prosecutor’s office.It ...

Washington, Oct 28 (IANS) Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest Atlantic storms ever recorded, made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday, bringing catastrophic winds, torrential rain, and a massive storm, with the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) warning that it could devastate the island nation.“With storm surge up to 13 feet and rainfall up to 40 inches, there will be catastrophic flash flooding and landslides,” said Anne-Claire Fontan, a tropical cyclone specialist with the WMO. “For Jamaica, it will be the storm of the century for sure,” she told reporters in Geneva.Melissa is packing sustained winds of 185 miles per hour (295 kilometres per hour), making it a Category 5 hurricane. According to the WMO, it is the strongest storm to hit Jamaica in more than a hundred years.The Inte...

Dhaka, Oct 28 (IANS) As the political standoff in Bangladesh deepens ahead of next year’s election, the radical Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami on Tuesday stated that even if the Supreme Court ruling reinstates the caretaker government system, the polls cannot be held under it.Jamaat’s lawyer, Mohammad Shishir Monir, made the remarks following a hearing at the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on an appeal seeking the restoration of the election-time caretaker government system, which entered its fourth day on Tuesday, the local media reported."There is talk of forming a caretaker government within 15 days of the dissolution of parliament. Now there is no parliament. Parliament was dissolved more than a year ago. The interim government is running the country. Apart from that, there ...

Kuala Lumpur, Oct 28 (IANS) The ASEAN-India Summit provided a platform for Southeast Asian partners -- India foremost among them -- to contribute actively in building a more multipolar, inclusive, and sustainable regional dynamic, a report stated on Tuesday.It added that by moving away from unilateralism, the gathering in Kuala Lumpur sent a quiet, yet clear message that the region’s future will be defined by a network of engaged and mutually respectful actors, where collaborative successes outweigh any single protagonist."The ASEAN-India Summit in Kuala Lumpur stands as an essential axis in a rapidly changing global order, threading together the interests, challenges, and aspirations of Southeast Asia and its partners amid mounting economic uncertainty and geopolitical flux. With heads ...

Kabul, Oct 28 (IANS) Afghanistan issued a stern warning to Pakistan on Tuesday, vowing a strong response to any future military strikes after talks in Turkey collapsed following Islamabad's withdrawal.Citing sources, Afghan media outlet Ariana News reported that Pakistan withdrew from the negotiations after presenting what the Afghan delegation described as "unreasonable and unacceptable" demands, including a call for Kabul to recall and exert control over armed individuals allegedly operating against Pakistan — a demand the Afghan side rejected. It added that if Pakistan launches airstrikes on Afghan soil, Afghan forces stand ready to retaliate against Islamabad.While reiterating its commitment to dialogue, Kabul threatened that it would not tolerate further cross-border attacks.Speakin...

Almaty, Oct 28 (IANS) Kazakhstan's Energy Ministry and Foreign Affairs Ministry are working together to address the implications of US sanctions recently imposed on Russia's Lukoil energy corporation, the Kazinform news agency reported Tuesday, citing Kazakhstan's Deputy Energy Minister Sanzhar Zharkeshov.It was previously reported that the US Treasury Department had announced sanctions on Lukoil, one of Russia's largest oil producers, in an attempt to pressure Moscow into agreeing to an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. Following this, Lukoil announced that it would be selling its international assets.Zharkeshov said that a potential purchase of Lukoil assets in Kazakhstan is being worked out with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Xinhua news agency reported.Nurlan Zhakupov, chairman of th...

Minsk, Oct 28 (IANS) Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday warned that Western countries are openly gearing up for a large-scale conflict in Europe.During his speech at the 3rd Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security, Lavrov blamed Western nations for undermining arms control agreements and continuing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO's) eastward expansion despite earlier promises to the contrary, Xinhua News Agency reported.Lavrov said the conflict in Ukraine has destroyed the Euro-Atlantic security architecture, turning the European Union into an extension of NATO. He criticised proposals for a new European security system that deliberately exclude Russia and Belarus, citing France's European Political Community as an example of exclusionary tactics...

Tehran, Oct 28 (IANS) Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday expressed Tehran's readiness to mediate between Pakistan and Afghanistan to help resolve their differences., local media reported.Pezeshkian made the remarks during a meeting with Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on the sidelines of the 4th ECO Interior Ministers Meeting in Tehran on Tuesday, Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported.He stressed the need for efforts to reduce tensions and avoid conflicts in the region and expressed Iran's readiness to resolve disputes between Pakistan and Afghanistan. He further said, "Today, more than ever, it is essential for Muslim countries to stand together in unity and brotherhood against common enemies."Iranian President's remarks come as the latest round of talks be...