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China blocks terrorist tag for Jaish chief Masood Azhar, again

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Masood Azhar

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Move by the Dragon comes at a time when India’s relations with the Communist regime are witnessing arguably the worst turbulence in decades owing to Chinese aggression and incursions in Doklam, Barahoti.

In a setback for India, China has once again extended by three months its technical hold on the US, France and UK-backed proposal of having Masood Azhar, chief of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad, designated as a terrorist by the United Nations.

The move by the Communist regime comes as another sign of its growing proximity to Pakistan at a time when its relations are witnessing major turbulence with India in the backdrop of the Doklam stand-off and transgressions by Chinese troops on Indian soil at common borders in Barahoti in Uttarakhand and in Arunachal Pradesh.

China had, in February this year, blocked the US move to designate Azhar as a global terrorist at UN. The deadline for China to take action on its technical hold was till August 2.

Azhar’s terror outfit, Jaish-e-Mohammad, has already been designated by the Security Council as a terrorist organization. However, the Jaish chief who masterminded the June 2016 terror strike at the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot and is known for openly spewing venom against India in Pakistan, continues to be shielded by China – a fact that defence experts say is a sign of China’s support to Pakistan’s aggression against India, albeit to serve its own political and tactical ends.

Sources say, if China had not extended the technical hold, Masood Azhar would have automatically been designated by the United Nations as a terrorist. However, news agency PTI reported that hours before the deadline lapsed, China once again sought a three-month extension, until November 2, on its technical hold on the proposal for designating the Jaish chief as a terrorist.

A veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has repeatedly blocked India’s move to put a ban on Azhar at the Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the Council. Had Azhar been put on the designated terror list, it would have subjected him to a global assets freeze and travel ban.

Last year in March, China was the only member in the 15-nation United Nations Security Council to put a hold on India’s application with all other 14 members of the Council – including the veto-wielding US, UK and France – supporting New Delhi’s bid to place Masood Azhar on the 1267 sanctions list.

The six-month validity of that technical hold lapsed in September but Beijing extended it by three more months. Then again, in December 2016, China blocked India’s proposal to list the Jaish-e-Mohammed chief. Indian diplomats at the United Nations had then said that the pursuit of terrorism was not a “one-shot affair” for India and that it will continue to pursue issues of terrorism “through all available mechanisms”.

Sources had said that the block would not prevent India from pursuing at the world body issues of terrorism and sanctioning of leaders of terror outfits.

Earlier on Wednesday, Geng Shuang, spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry in Beijing had reportedly said, “At present, some members still have a disagreement over the listing matter.”[/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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