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Top US officials to skip Hyderabad Summit with Ivanka Trump-led delegation

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US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with Ivanka Trump (centre), daughter and senior advisor to US President Donald Trump. Photo credit: Agencies

Frosty ties between US president Donald Trump and Tillerson threaten to take sheen off Ivanka Trump’s first high-profile event outside of America

It appears that the continued frosty relationship between US president Donald Trump and his Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, could take much of the sheen off Ivanka Trump’s first high-profile event outside of America – the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) to be hosted by India in Hyderabad between November 28 and 30.

While the Indian government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is busy drawing out plans to bowl over the daughter of and senior advisor to US President Donald Trump with its hospitality, reports have emerged regarding Tillerson’s diktat to his top officials in the US State Department to opt out of the high-powered delegation that Ivanka was supposed to lead at the GES, 2017.

If the reports are true, then they do not bode well for the Indian establishment which had hoped to bill the Summit as a major endorsement by the US of Modi’s initiatives on making India a key destination for entrepreneurial investment.

The Indian government had hoped that since Ivanka would herself be leading the US delegation, the attendance of the most influential US government officials at the event was a given.

President Trump’s daughter had been billed by the Indian government as the ‘star attraction’ at the event. However, various departments under the Centre had hoped that top US officials accompanying her to the summit would endorse Modi’s economic agenda and unwittingly deflate the criticism being hurled at the Prime Minister on this front by his opponents domestically.

But the Modi government perhaps did not gauge the machinations within the labyrinthine White House camp politics – especially the ongoing cold war of sorts between US president Donald Trump and Secretary Tillerson – well enough.

According to a report by CNN, the US Secretary of State “isn’t sending a high-level delegation to support her (Ivanka) amid reports of tensions” between him and the White House.

The CNN report claimed that multiple US State Department officials, as well as a source close to the White House, had confirmed Tillerson’s decision to not send senior State Department officials to the GES, 2017. The CNN report added that Tillerson’s decision “is not related to his key project of slashing the Department’s budget” – an order given to him earlier this month by US president Donald Trump – and “is more to do with the fact that Ivanka Trump is leading the US delegation this year.”

The CNN report quoted a senior State Department official as saying: “No one higher than the deputy assistant secretary is allowed to participate. The secretary (Tillerson) and his top staff have insisted on approving all travel – even the most minute details.”

The decision by Tillerson – if true – is being viewed in the American corridors of power as one meant to deflate efforts by President Trump to give her daughter the aura of an important player in the US administration. The Secretary of State’s decision is even being viewed by some observers as politically suicidal since President Trump isn’t likely to take the rather personal slight lightly and could show Tillerson the door from his team, much like he has already done with over half a dozen of his top appointees since assuming office of the President earlier this year.

Meanwhile, it now remains to be seen how Narendra Modi and the Indian establishment will recalibrate their plans according to these latest machinations in White House politics.

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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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