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India, China reach pact to resolve border conflict, Indian foreign minister says
This comes on the eve of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia for an Oct. 22-24 summit of the BRICS regional grouping
India and China have reached a deal on patrolling their disputed frontier to end a four-year military stand-off, the Indian foreign minister said on Monday, paving the way for improved political and business ties between the Asian giants.
The news came on the eve of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Russia for an Oct. 22-24 summit of the BRICS regional grouping, during which he could hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian officials said.
Relations between the world's two most populous nations - both nuclear powers - have been strained since clashes between their troops on the largely un-demarcated frontier in the western Himalayas left 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead in 2020, Reuters reported.
The two sides had since stopped patrolling several points along the border in the Ladakh region to avoid new confrontations, while moving tens of thousands of new troops and military equipment closer to the freezing highlands.
"We reached an agreement on patrolling, and with that we have gone back to where the situation was in 2020 and we can say ... the disengagement process with China has been completed," Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said at a NDTV media conclave.
The "understanding was reached only today," he said, adding: "We always said that if you disturb the peace and tranquility how can the rest of the relationship go forward?"
To avoid clashes, the two militaries will patrol contested points along the border according to an agreed schedule, a senior Indian military officer aware of the details told Reuters.
Both sides will monitor the area in Ladakh to ensure that there are no violations, the officer added.
Authorities in Beijing offered no immediate response to India's remarks.
Officials in New Delhi said the pact clears the path for a likely bilateral meeting between Modi and Xi on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, which will be their first since 2020.
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Netanyahu claims he and Trump see ‘eye to eye’ on Iran after holding 3 calls within days
Netanyahu said Trump’s historic return to the White House offers a ‘powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America’
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a voice message on Sunday night that he and US President-elect Donald Trump have spoken on the phone three times in the past few days and that both are on the same page about Iran.
“In recent days, I have spoken three times with US President-elect Donald Trump. These were very good and important talks designed to further enhance the steadfast bond between Israel and the US.
“We see eye-to-eye on the Iranian threat in all its aspects, and on the dangers they reflect.
“We also see the great opportunities facing Israel, in the area of peace and its expansion, and in other areas,” he said.
Iran has vowed a “punishing” reprisal for unprecedented Israeli airstrikes against it on October 26, which Jerusalem said took out the Islamic Republic’s air defenses and missile production capabilities.
Israel’s strikes were in retaliation for Iran’s October 1 barrage of 200 ballistic missiles, which forced most of the country to take shelter and killed a Palestinian man in the West Bank.
Days earlier, Israel killed Hassan Nasrallah, the longtime head of Hezbollah. Israel also killed Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas in Tehran.
Trump will take control of the US in January and has a record of anti-Iran actions.
In his first term, Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and Western powers and later re-imposed sanctions on Tehran.
He also ordered the killing of Iranian commander, Qasem Soleimani, who led the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps’ foreign operations arm, the Quds Force.
The IRGC is a US-designated terrorist organization.
Trump and Netanyahu also worked closely together during the former’s presidency.
Last week, Netanyahu stated Trump’s victory was “history’s greatest comeback!”
In a message on X he wrote: “Dear Donald and Melania Trump, Congratulations on history’s greatest comeback!
“Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America.”
He went on to say that “this is a huge victory!”
Signing off he wrote: “In true friendship, yours, Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu.”
Israeli media has meanwhile reported that Trump has made it clear to Netayahu that he wants the wars in Gaza and Lebanon to be wrapped up by his inauguration on January 20.
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Iran foreign minister denies plot to kill Trump
Iranian analysts and insiders have not dismissed the possibility of a detente between Tehran and Washington under Trump, although without restoring diplomatic ties, read the report.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi denied U.S. charges that Tehran was linked to an alleged plot to kill Donald Trump and called on Saturday for confidence-building between the two hostile countries, Reuters reported.
"Now ... a new scenario is fabricated ... as a killer does not exist in reality, scriptwriters are brought in to manufacture a third-rate comedy," Araqchi said in a post on X.
He was referring to the alleged plot which Washington said was ordered by Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards to assassinate Trump, who won Tuesday's presidential election and takes office in January.
"The American people have made their decision. And Iran respects their right to elect the President of their choice. The path forward is also a choice. It begins with respect," Araqchi said.
"Iran is NOT after nuclear weapons, period. This is a policy based on Islamic teachings and our security calculations. Confidence-building is needed from both sides. It is not a one-way street," he added.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said earlier that the claim was a "repulsive" plot by Israel and the Iranian opposition outside the country to "complicate matters between America and Iran".
Iranian analysts and insiders have not dismissed the possibility of a detente between Tehran and Washington under Trump, although without restoring diplomatic ties, read the report.
"Iran will act based on its own interests. It is possible that secret talks between Tehran and Washington take place. If security threats against the Islamic Republic are removed, anything is possible," Tehran-based analyst Saeed Laylaz said this week.
While facing off against arch-foe Israel, Iran’s clerical leadership is also concerned about the possibility of an all-out war in the region, where Israel is engaged in conflicts with Tehran's allies in Gaza and Lebanon.
Regional
At least 21 killed, over 50 injured in Pakistan railway station bomb blast
At least 21 people were killed and more than 50 injured in a bomb blast at a railway station in Quetta in southwestern Pakistan on Saturday, local media reported.
The blast occurred on the platform as passengers gathered for the departure of the Jaffar Express, scheduled to depart for Peshawar at 9am, Express News reported.
"The blast took place inside the railway station when the Peshawar-bound express was about to leave for its destination," said the senior superintendent of police operations, Muhammad Baloch, Reuters reported.
Among the victims are women and children, according to the Medical Superintendent at Civil Hospital, who reported that 46 of the wounded were brought to the hospital for urgent treatment.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti condemned the attack, ordering an immediate investigation and labeling the incident as "a horrific act targeting innocent civilians."
No group has claimed responsibility for the blast.
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