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Aung Suu Kyi to skip UN General Assembly

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Aung Suu Kyi to skip UN General Assembly

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Rohingya issue forced her to escape embarrassment

To escape the mounting criticism by international community, Myanmar’s de facto leader, Noble Laureate State Councillor Aung San Suu Kyi has cancelled her participation in the forthcoming United Nations General Assembly session to be held between 19-25 September. She is facing stiff criticism for spiralling Rohingya crisis inside the country’s Rakhine state.

Instead of her, Myanmar’s Vice President is expected to attend the General Assembly who will address the world leaders on behalf of the Noble Laureate Suu Kyi.

Myanmar government spokesman for Suu Kyi, Zaw Htay, on Wednesday said “the State Councillor will not attend” the General Assembly, where she spoke last year.

The spokesperson for her party National League for Democracy (NLD) Aung Shin was quoted saying that “perhaps” Ms Suu Kyi has “more pressing matters to deal with.”

She further added, “She’s never afraid of facing criticism or confronting problems.” However she said that she was not aware of the reason for the Aung San Suu Kyi’s withdrawal from this year’s General Assembly.

During her first address at UN General Assembly, last year, Aung San Suu Kyi defended her government’s efforts to resolve the Rohingya crisis.

Myanmar’s envoy at UN has recently blamed Rohingya “insurgents” for the violence in Rakhine state and said that his government would never tolerate such atrocities.

The present Rohingya crisis began on august 25 when a ragtag militia attacked about 30 police posts and an army camp. This prompted a sweeping military counter offensive that refugees say it aimed at pushing Rohingyas out of the country.

There are reports from refugees and rights groups of widespread attacks on Rohingya villages in the north of Rakhine by the security forces and ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, who have reportedly set several Muslim villages on fire.

Meanwhile Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while speaking in Tehran on Tuesday, said that Myanmar’s crackdown on Rohingya Muslims marks the “death of the Noble Peace Prize”.

He was quoted saying, “A cruel government, at the top of which sits a cruel woman who was awarded a Nobel Prize, kills innocent people, sets fire to them, destroys their houses and displaces them and no tangible reaction is seen.”

Earlier on Monday, Iranian President Hasan Rouhani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, while speaking at the sidelines of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Summit on science and technology in Astana, Kazakhstan, had called for cooperation in offering aid to Rohingya Muslims living in Myanmar.

The two leaders stressed for taking action to put an end to the violence against Rohingya.  Rouhani said that the plight of Rohingya, along with other situations in the Muslim world, including Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Palestine, showed the need for unity. Iranian President said, “Iran’s humanitarian aid for the Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar will soon be shipped.”

On his arrival in Tehran, President Rouhani was quoted saying, “Although there was not much time for discussions, all the countries in attendance at the meeting agreed on the necessity of helping the displaced and applying pressure on Myanmar’s government to suspend the genocide.”

More than 370,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh to escape violence since August 25. United Nations says that an average of almost 20,000 have been fleeing every day.

Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein, the Chief of UN Human Rights organization has termed the actions of Myanmar’s armed forces as a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing.” However, Myanmar has denounced Hussein’s suggestion.

Some of Aung Saan Suu Kyi’s critics have called for stripping her of  Noble peace prize for failing to do more to address the crisis.

Donald Trump administration has called for protection of civilians while Bangladesh says that all refugees will have to go home in the proposed safe zones to be created in Myanmar. However China has supported Myanmar’s efforts to safeguard “development and stability”.

Myanmar’s military has ruled for almost 50 years until it began a transition to democracy in 2011. However army still holds important political powers and fully controls security of the country.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Trump rejects Iran’s 7-day peace plan, says deal can come after US polls

US President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s seven-day proposal to end hostilities and indicated that a deal could come after the US midterm elections in November.

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Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s latest proposal aimed at bringing an end to the ongoing conflict, while indicating that a possible agreement could come after the US midterm elections in November.

Iran had proposed a seven-day framework under which hostilities could be brought to an end, the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened and negotiations over its nuclear programme could resume.

Iran’s seven-day proposal

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had put forward the proposal through intermediaries. Under the plan, the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened by the end of the seventh day if specified conditions were met, while broader nuclear discussions would restart.

The proposal was based largely on an earlier understanding reached between Washington and Tehran, but Iran sought to implement the latest framework much faster. The earlier arrangement had provided a longer period for negotiations.

The Strait of Hormuz is a strategically important waterway for global energy shipments, making its reopening a key element of any effort to ease the wider conflict.

Trump points to US midterm elections

Trump, speaking at the United Nations, showed no indication that he was ready to immediately resume negotiations on the terms proposed by Tehran.

He called for the economic isolation of Iran and said he believed a deal could be reached after the US midterm elections in November. Trump also said Iran was waiting to see how he performed in the midterm elections.

The remarks came as Iranian officials signalled that they remained open to diplomacy and described the UN General Assembly as an opportunity to revive negotiations.

Nuclear talks remain part of Iran proposal

Iran’s latest plan links the easing of hostilities with the resumption of negotiations over its nuclear programme.

The proposal follows the collapse of an earlier US-Iran arrangement. According to reporting on the latest proposal, the new framework is intended to compress the timeline for implementing commitments that had previously been discussed by the two sides.

For now, Trump’s remarks indicate that Washington is not accepting Tehran’s seven-day framework as presented, while Iran continues to put diplomacy and negotiations forward as part of its proposal.

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Iranian President Pezeshkian at UN says Iranians have been victims of US terrorism

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said at the UN General Assembly that Iranians had been victims of US terrorism and insisted that Iran had acted in self-defence.

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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States of subjecting Iranians to what he described as terrorism while addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.

Pezeshkian said Iran had defended itself against attacks and rejected the characterisation of the country as a terrorist actor. His remarks came during a rare wartime appearance at the UN as tensions between Iran and the United States remain high.

Pezeshkian accuses US and Israel of attacks

Speaking at the General Assembly, Pezeshkian said Iranian civilians had been targeted by attacks and described the actions against his country as aggression.

“We have only defended ourselves. We are not terrorists,” he said, according to the report.

Pezeshkian also accused the United States and Israel of attacking Iran, while maintaining that Tehran’s response was an act of self-defence.

The Iranian president displayed photographs of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and more than 150 schoolchildren who, according to his account, were killed during the early days of the conflict.

Iran’s message at the UN

Pezeshkian’s address came against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States and heightened tensions in the region.

Iranian officials had indicated ahead of the UN visit that they intended to highlight what Tehran considers attacks against its people and raise concerns over the international response to the conflict.

The Iranian delegation’s visit to New York also comes amid restrictions imposed by the United States on the delegation’s movement and other aspects of its stay, according to reporting ahead of the address.

Pezeshkian says Iran defended itself

Pezeshkian’s central message at the UN was that Iran’s military actions should be viewed as a response to attacks rather than terrorism.

His description of the conflict and the allegations against the United States and Israel represent the Iranian government’s position. They should therefore be attributed to Pezeshkian rather than presented as independently established facts.

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PM Modi’s Canada visit could help wrap trade talks, says Canada PM Mark Carney

Canadian PM Mark Carney said he is looking forward to hosting PM Narendra Modi, with both countries aiming to conclude their ongoing trade negotiations.

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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he is looking forward to hosting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as India and Canada continue efforts to advance their bilateral relationship and conclude ongoing trade negotiations.

The two countries have been working towards a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), with both sides previously setting a target to conclude the negotiations in 2026.

Carney and Modi have held discussions on strengthening economic ties between India and Canada, including trade and investment. Their engagement has gained momentum following Carney’s visit to India earlier this year.

India-Canada trade talks

India and Canada formally resumed efforts towards a broader trade agreement after a period of strained bilateral ties. The two sides have committed to advancing negotiations on a CEPA covering their economic relationship.

In June, Carney and Modi reviewed progress in bilateral economic cooperation during their meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France. They expressed satisfaction with the progress in CEPA negotiations and reaffirmed their shared objective of concluding the talks in 2026.

During Carney’s visit to India in March, the two leaders had also agreed to accelerate negotiations on the CEPA and work towards finalising the agreement during 2026.

Modi’s proposed Canada visit

Carney had invited PM Modi to visit Canada in 2026, and the two leaders agreed to remain engaged through diplomatic channels to work towards a mutually convenient date for the visit.

The proposed visit comes as New Delhi and Ottawa seek to build on renewed diplomatic and economic engagement, with trade negotiations remaining a key part of the relationship.

The focus on completing the trade talks comes as both countries look to expand commercial ties and establish a broader economic framework through the proposed CEPA.

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