NEW DELHI: India said Monday it had signed a &quot;significant&quot; deal that will see the United States supply nearly 10 percent of the Asian giant&#39;s liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) imports as it seeks to diversify its energy sources. Relations between Washington and New Delhi plummeted in August after President Donald Trump raised tariffs on India to 50 percent, with US officials accusing the country of fueling Russia&#39;s war in Ukraine by buying its discounted oil. Trump has claimed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has agreed to cut its Russian oil imports as part of a prospective trade deal &mdash; something New Delhi has not confirmed. India and the United States remain in talks despite disagreements over a range of issues including agricultural trade and the Russian oil purchases. Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said India had signed the one-year deal for 2.2 million tonnes per annum of LPG, sourced from the US Gulf Coast, providing &quot;close to 10 percent&quot; of India&#39;s annual imports of the fuel. Puri said it was &quot;the first structured contract of US LPG for the Indian market.&quot; &quot;In our endeavour to provide secure, affordable supplies of LPG to the people of India, we have been diversifying our LPG sourcing,&quot; Puri said in a statement, adding that &quot;one of the largest and the world&#39;s fastest growing LPG market opens up to the United States.&quot; In October, Indian state-backed refiner HPCL-Mittal Energy said it halted purchases of Russian crude after Washington imposed sanctions on Moscow&#39;s two largest oil companies. Reliance Industries, the privately owned main Indian buyer of Russian crude, has also said it is assessing the implications of the US restrictions, as well as those imposed by the European Union. India&#39;s economy, the fifth-largest in the world, grew at its fastest pace in five quarters in the three months ending June 30, helped by higher government spending and improved consumer sentiment. But US tariffs continue to overshadow the economy, with experts projecting that they could shave anywhere between 60 to 80 basis points off GDP growth this fiscal year if there is no relaxation soon.

FILE PHOTO - US President Donald Trump speaks during a swearing-in ceremony for the newly appointed Ambassador to India Sergio Gor in the Oval Office of the White on November 10, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP)

Americas

Asia

India said Monday it had signed a "significant" deal that will see the United States supply nearly 10 percent of the Asian giant's liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) imports as it seeks to diversify its energy sources.

India strikes US gas deal under Trump pressure

GAZA CITY: The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza confirmed Saturday it had received the bodies of 15 Palestinians the day before under the US-brokered ceasefire exchange deal.&nbsp;&quot;The Ministry of Health announces the receipt of 15 bodies of martyrs who were released yesterday, Friday, by the Israeli occupation through the Red Cross. This brings the total number of bodies received to 330&quot; as part of the deal, the ministry said, adding it had so far identified 97.&nbsp;They were returned in exchange for the remains of 73-year-old Israeli hostage Meny Godard, which Hamas returned via the Red Cross on Thursday.

Middle East

Gaza’s health ministry confirmed receiving 15 Palestinian bodies under a US-brokered ceasefire exchange, raising the total returned to 330.

Gaza ministry confirms received bodies of 15 Palestinians under truce deal

WASHINGTON: The United States and Israel on Friday accused Iran of trying to kill Israel&#39;s ambassador to Mexico, with Tehran rejecting the claim as a &quot;big lie&quot; and the Mexican government saying it was unaware of the plot. The purported assassination attempt came as tensions soared to new highs between Israel and Iran, which have each attacked the other&#39;s territory. &lsquo;Received no information&rsquo;&nbsp;Israel said Mexican authorities had intervened to stop the attempt to kill its ambassador, Einat Kranz-Neiger, but Mexico&#39;s foreign ministry later said it had &quot;received no information&quot; on the alleged incident. Without naming the United States or Israel, Mexico&#39;s Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection, which oversees intelligence, said it was open to &quot;respectful and coordinated cooperation, always within the framework of national sovereignty, with all security agencies that request it.&quot; Kranz-Neiger, when asked by Mexican media about the conflicting statements, said she was &quot;unaware of the reasons&quot; of Mexico&#39;s denial. &lsquo;A great big lie&rsquo;&quot;Those who acted to neutralize this threat were the Mexican security and intelligence authorities,&quot; she told Radio Formula. Iran&#39;s embassy in Mexico meanwhile called the alleged plot &quot;a great big lie.&quot; The objective &quot;is to damage the friendly and historic relations between both countries (Mexico and Iran), which we categorically reject,&quot; the embassy in Mexico posted on X.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1986891336268607836&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=573f2936ea17d6b6d8659866035da40d90bb8df9&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 344px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1986891336268607836"></iframe></div></div>Mexico historically seeks non-intervention in international affairs and has taken a more cautious stance on the Gaza war than other leftist-led Latin American countries. Mexico has backed an investigation into allegations of Israeli war crimes but has also maintained diplomatic relations with Israel, which were established decades ago and have been largely cordial. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">Alleged Venezuela connection&nbsp;</h2>A US official alleged the Revolutionary Guards&#39; elite Quds Force initiated the plot in late 2024 and that it was disrupted this year. The plot allegedly included recruiting operatives out of Iran&#39;s embassy in Venezuela, whose leftist president, Nicolas Maduro, has a tactical alliance with Tehran. &quot;This is just the latest in a long history of Iran&#39;s global lethal targeting of diplomats, journalists, dissidents and anyone who disagrees with them, something that should deeply worry every country where there is an Iranian presence,&quot; the US official claimed on condition of anonymity. The official did not provide detailed evidence or say how the plot was contained. Attack on Iranian embassy&nbsp;The alleged plot would have taken place after Israel&#39;s April 1, 2024 attack on the Iranian embassy complex in Damascus, then a close ally of Tehran. The attack killed several top Revolutionary Guards officers and prompted vows of revenge by Tehran, which fired missiles and drones against Israel. A year later Israel carried out a much more extensive bombing campaign in Iran, which killed more than 1,000 people.&nbsp; The United States, Israel&#39;s main ally, joined by bombing key sites of Iran&#39;s contested nuclear program. Israel&rsquo;s war on Gaza has left most of the territory in rubble and Israel has also expanded its military offensive across the region, hitting Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Qatar, and Yemen. Israeli intelligence has accused the Quds Force of plotting against Israeli and Jewish targets overseas. Iran remains home to a historic Jewish community.

Israel said Mexican authorities had intervened to stop the attempt to kill its ambassador, Einat Kranz-Neiger, but Mexico's foreign ministry later said it had "received no information" on the alleged incident.

US accuses Iran in plot to kill Israeli ambassador in Mexico

Damascus: President Ahmed al-Sharaa will become Syria&#39;s first leader to pay an official visit to the White House on Monday, a crowning achievement for the ex-jihadist who, since taking power, has ended his country&#39;s isolation. Sharaa, whose rebel forces ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad late last year, will meet President Donald Trump during the unprecedented visit. US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said earlier this month that Sharaa will &quot;hopefully&quot; sign an agreement to join the international US-led alliance against the Islamic State (IS). The United States plans to establish a military base near Damascus &quot;to coordinate humanitarian aid and observe developments between Syria and Israel,&quot; a diplomatic source in Syria told AFP. Just days before the visit, the United Nations Security Council voted on Thursday to lift sanctions on Sharaa, who until now had needed a UN exemption for every trip abroad. The resolution was drafted by the US, whose ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, said Sharaa&#39;s government was &quot;working hard to fulfill its commitments on countering terrorism and narcotics.&quot; In May, the interim leader met Trump for the first time in Riyadh during the US president&#39;s regional tour. Formerly affiliated with Al-Qaeda, Sharaa&#39;s group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), was delisted as a terrorist group by Washington as recently as July. Since taking power, Syria&#39;s new leaders have sought to break from their violent past and present a moderate image more tolerable to ordinary Syrians and foreign powers. &#39;Big statement&#39;&nbsp;Sharaa&#39;s trip to Washington will be &quot;the first in modern Syrian history for a Syrian president to the White House&quot;, historian Sami Moubayed told AFP. It will also be Sharaa&#39;s second visit to the United States after a landmark trip in September, where he became the first Syrian president in decades to address the UN General Assembly. &quot;Sharaa&#39;s visit to the White House is a declaration of a new chapter in US policy on the Middle East,&quot; said Nick Heras, an analyst at the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy. &quot;Trump is bringing Sharaa to the White House to make a big statement that Sharaa is not a terrorist anymore,&quot; he said. &quot;The Trump team sees Sharaa as a pragmatic and, importantly, pliable leader who, under American and Saudi guidance, will secure Syria as a strategic bulwark in the region for decades to come.&quot; Sharaa, for his part, is expected to seek funds for Syria. &quot;Sharaa wants Trump&#39;s blessing to unlock billions of dollars... both to kickstart the rehabilitation of Syria and to cement his control over the country indefinitely,&quot; Heras said. Reconstruction is one of the most significant challenges facing Syria&#39;s new Islamist authorities after 13 long years of brutal civil war. In October, the World Bank put a &quot;conservative best estimate&quot; of the cost of rebuilding Syria at $216 billion. &#39;Israeli influence&#39;&nbsp;A diplomatic source in Syria told AFP that the United States &quot;intends to establish a military base at the Mazzeh military airport near Damascus to coordinate humanitarian aid and observe developments between Syria and Israel.&quot; Another Syrian diplomatic source said, &quot;The question of Syria joining the anti-jihadist coalition will be at the top of the agenda&quot; for the White House meeting. The majority of US troops deployed in Syria are based in areas controlled by Kurdish forces in the northeast. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) played a vital role in the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria, which ultimately led to the jihadist organization&#39;s territorial defeat in the country in 2019. The SDF are currently negotiating their integration into Syria&#39;s military. Trump and Sharaa will also discuss the direct negotiations that Syria and Israel, which remain technically at war, opened after Assad&#39;s overthrow. Trump has expressed hope that Syria will join other Arab countries that have normalized ties with Israel under the so-called Abraham Accords. In September, Sharaa said he hoped for a security deal to ease tensions with Israel but played down the prospect of recognition. Since December, Israel has deployed troops in a UN-patrolled buffer zone that separates the countries&#39; forces and has launched hundreds of strikes in Syria. Damascus has not retaliated. For Heras, &quot;Trump&#39;s vision for Syria includes significant Israeli influence over a strategic swath of the country for years to come.&quot;&nbsp;&nbsp;

President Ahmed al-Sharaa will become Syria's first leader to pay an official visit to the White House, a crowning achievement for the ex-jihadist who since taking power has ended his country's isolation

US ‘to set up base near Damascus’ as Syrian President visits

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, while stating US President Donald Trump &ldquo;entered promising to put an end to Netanyahu&#39;s bamboozling of Obama and Biden&rdquo;, stressed &ldquo;it&rsquo;s not too late to reverse course&rdquo;.&nbsp; In a post on X on Monday, the Iranian top diplomat said, &ldquo;Iran did not kill diplomacy. Those who blew up the negotiating table did.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Israel targeted diplomacy because its real fear is the failure of its &lsquo;Iran Demonization Project&rsquo;&rdquo;, he added.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-4" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-4&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1985065286085624188&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=4ce46ae6fd8f4ced8a0fb11acb2b65c6496c0477&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>Araghchi said, &ldquo;POTUS entered office promising to put an end to Netanyahu&#39;s bamboozling of Obama and Biden. It&#39;s not too late to reverse course.&rdquo; &lsquo;Thoroughly debunked&rsquo;&nbsp;The Iranian foreign minister said, &ldquo;In the past 48 hours, the heinous lie that the unlawful Israeli and US bombing of Iran was motivated by an imminent nuclear threat has been thoroughly debunked by&nbsp; - The International Atomic Energy Agency Chief, who has explicitly stated that Iran &quot;is not and was not&quot; developing nuclear weapons.&nbsp; - My Omani counterpart, H.E. AlBusaidi, an intermediary trusted by both Iran and the U.S., who has made clear that there was never any Iranian &quot;nuclear threat&quot;.&rdquo;&nbsp; &#39;Stronger than before&#39;Earlier, Iran said on Sunday that it would rebuild nuclear sites damaged by Israeli and US strikes &quot;stronger than before&quot;, as mediator Oman urged Tehran and Washington to revive stalled diplomacy, according to AFP. US President Donald Trump has said the strikes obliterated Iran&#39;s nuclear program, but the full extent of the actual damage remains unknown. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in a visit to the country&#39;s nuclear organization, said Tehran &quot;will build (the destroyed sites) stronger than before&quot;. &lsquo;Not be set back&rsquo;&quot;By destroying buildings... we will not be set back,&quot; he said in a video posted to his official website, adding that Iranian scientists still had the necessary nuclear know-how. Pezeshkian did not elaborate. In similar remarks in February before the strikes, he said Tehran would rebuild its sites if they came under attack.Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran in June, kicking off a 12-day war that saw it target nuclear and military facilities -- as well as residential areas -- and kill many top scientists. Iran retaliated with ballistic missile barrages aimed at Israel. &lsquo;Serious and severe&rsquo;Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in July, after the United States announced a halt in fighting, that the damage in Iran was &quot;serious and severe&quot;. Pezeshkian&#39;s comments came as Oman, Iran&#39;s traditional intermediary, urged the two countries on Saturday to resume talks. &quot;We want to return to the negotiations between Iran (and) the United States,&quot; Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said at the IISS Manama Dialogue conference in Bahrain. Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said Sunday that Tehran &quot;has received messages&quot; on resuming diplomacy, without providing further details. &lsquo;Snapback&rsquo; mechanismOman hosted five rounds of US-Iran talks this year. Just three days before the sixth round, Israel launched its strikes against Iran&#39;s nuclear facilities. Iran has since faced the return of UN sanctions after Britain, Germany, and France triggered the &quot;snapback&quot; mechanism over Tehran&#39;s alleged non-compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, AFP reported.

Says, “Iran did not kill diplomacy…Israel targeted diplomacy because its real fear is the failure of its “Iran Demonization Project”; Iran said on Sunday that it would rebuild nuclear sites damaged. 

‘Not too late to reverse course’, Iran FM tells US President Trump   

ISLAMABAD: US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and India&rsquo;s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh took to social media on Friday to announce the signing of 10 10-year &ldquo;Framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership.&rdquo; Hegseth, in a post on X, said: &ldquo;I just met with @rajnathsingh to sign a 10-year U.S.-India Defense Framework.&rdquo; &ldquo;This advances our defense partnership, a cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence. We&#39;re enhancing our coordination, info sharing, and tech cooperation. Our defense ties have never been stronger,&rdquo; Hegseth added. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-4" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-4&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1984118246497243478&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=27d9da0f00a26766fae5b90dac22e51889054815&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 720px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Defense Minister of India Rajnath Singh, in his post on X, stated: &ldquo;Had a fruitful meeting with my US counterpart @SecWar Peter Hegseth in Kuala Lumpur. We signed the 10 years &lsquo;Framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership&rsquo;.&rdquo; &ldquo;This will usher in a new era in our already strong defence partnership,&rdquo; he added. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-5" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-5&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1984135415876739237&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=27d9da0f00a26766fae5b90dac22e51889054815&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Providing details of the defense framework, he said: &ldquo;This Defence Framework will provide policy direction to the entire spectrum of the India-US Defence Relationship. It is a signal of our growing strategic convergence and will herald a new decade of partnership.&rdquo; &ldquo;Defence will remain as a major pillar of our bilateral relations. Our partnership is critical for ensuring a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific region,&rdquo; he added. Hegseth and Singh are in Kuala Lumpur and met on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers&#39; Meeting (ADMM-Plus).

​Defense Minister of India Rajnath Singh, in a post on X, said: 'Had a fruitful meeting with my US counterpart @SecWar Peter Hegseth in Kuala Lumpur. We signed the 10-year "Framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership."'

US, India sign 10-year defense partnership framework 

Gaitty Ara Anis

WASHINGTON: Nearly 950,000 workers have been laid off across the United States (US) this year, the highest total since the pandemic era, according to a recent report by the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray &amp; Christmas. The firm warned that the total is on track to reach one million job cuts before the end of 2025, intensifying uncertainty for new graduates, especially foreign students whose stay in the US depends on employment authorization. The steepest losses are in the technology sector. Major firms, including Amazon, Microsoft, and Intel, have collectively eliminated more than 170,000 jobs this year, the report said. &ldquo;The often-used term &lsquo;learn to code&rsquo; is a crueler reminder of a career choice than a phrase of encouragement,&rdquo; Syed Murtaza Hussain, a recent computer science graduate from the University of Texas at Austin, told Pakistan TV Digital. Hussain, who is originally from Lahore and holds an F-1 student visa, said the collapse in hiring has altered expectations dramatically. &ldquo;Everything has changed, especially how the foreign students envisioned their future,&rdquo; he said. His visa expires in three months. Despite offering some of the highest starting salaries in the US labor market, about $80,000 a year for new graduates, tech has become increasingly inaccessible to entry-level workers. Companies are relying more heavily on generative AI systems to perform work once assigned to junior programmers. &ldquo;I had to restructure my company,&rdquo; said Dale Steen, CEO of a tech firm based in the Bay Area. &ldquo;Why should I pay anyone for the services I am getting at a much cheaper rate?&rdquo; Steen said that sponsoring work visas for new graduates is &ldquo;almost out of the question.&rdquo; Recent labor data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York shows that computer science graduates now face a 6.1% unemployment rate, more than double the rate for students who majored in philosophy. Enrollment, however, continues to surge. More than 680,000 students were enrolled in computer science programs across the US. last year, including approximately 278,000 international students. Pakistan sent nearly 11,000 students to US universities during the same period, and more than half pursued science and technology degrees, according to the US State Department. Hussain said he spent more than $130,000 completing his degree. &ldquo;I thought it was worth it, that I would earn it back in a year&rsquo;s time. But I have failed to land a decent entry-level job so far,&rdquo; he said. He now works at a fast-food restaurant while applying for positions and trying to expand his professional network. Industry hiring has also shifted. &ldquo;Fresh graduates lack the expertise that is now required by the industry,&rdquo; said Mansoor Qureshi, head of a staffing firm in Virginia. &ldquo;Companies are replacing basic roles with automated systems, and that gap is expanding.&rdquo; Steen said that while companies no longer need entry-level workers, they desperately need senior engineers and decision-makers. &ldquo;Who will replace them when the current professionals retire?&rdquo; he asked. &ldquo;We have cut off the ladder that leads to expertise.&rdquo; To address that gap, Qureshi has launched an internship and certification program backed by the state of Virginia, designed to help new graduates gain hands-on experience. But he acknowledged that foreign students may not have enough time under their visas to benefit. &ldquo;I find it disheartening, but I am still trying,&rdquo; Hussain said.

Business

Massive US tech layoffs exceeding 950,000 jobs have devastated opportunities for foreign graduates. Automation and visa hurdles worsen unemployment, leaving international computer science students struggling to find entry-level roles and secure their futures

Tech layoffs worsen US job market for foreign students, jeopardize futures

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE: &nbsp;US President Donald Trump said he had clinched a deal with China&rsquo;s President Xi Jinping on rare earths aboard Air Force One on Thursday. The US president told reporters China rare earths deal was for one year and was extendable. He also said that the US and China would &lsquo;work together&rsquo; on the Ukraine war. US President Donald Trump described his meeting with China&#39;s leader Xi Jinping was a &quot;great success&quot; and said he would head to China in April for new talks.<div class="fr-embed youtube-embed"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I2hY2qJYtj0" title="President Trump Gaggles with Press on Air Force One, Oct. 30, 2025" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="" style="width: 100%; height: auto; aspect-ratio: 16 / 9; max-width: 100%; display: block;"></iframe>&nbsp;</div>&quot;I&#39;ll be going to China in April and he&#39;ll be coming here sometime after that, whether it&#39;s in Florida, Palm Beach or Washington, DC.&quot; &quot;A lot of things we brought to finalisation&quot; at Thursday&#39;s talks in Busan, South Korea, added Trump, praising Xi as a &quot;tremendous leader of a very powerful country&quot;. &nbsp;He also said that he did not discuss Taiwan with President Xi. Trump also said he was too &#39;busy&#39; to meet North Korea&#39;s Kim Jong Un, adding he could &quot;come back&quot;. &nbsp; &#39;Consensus reached&#39;President Xi Jinping said China has reached a consensus with the United States on economic and trade issues, state media reported, after meeting Thursday with US leader Donald Trump. On Thursday, Xi told Trump that the two countries &quot;should have positive interactions on the regional and international stage&quot;, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported. Xi said that teams from both sides had &quot;exchanged in-depth views on important economic and trade issues and reached a consensus on resolving them&quot;, according to the Xinhua readout which offered no details on specific agreements reached. &quot;Both teams should refine and finalise follow-up work as soon as possible, maintain and implement the consensus and provide tangible results to set minds at ease about the economies of China, the United States and the world,&quot; he added. Earlier, Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump wrapped up their meeting on Thursday without making any official comments as Trump departed from South Korea. Trump, Xi meeting The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. Sitting opposite each other, each leader was flanked by senior officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury chief Scott Bessent, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Xi&#39;s team, which arrived from Beijing shortly before -- the US side was already in South Korea -- included Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, and Vice Premier He Lifeng. Trump and Xi opened their first face-to-face meeting in six years, seeking a truce to end a trade war that has roiled the world economy. Both countries need to work together: XiBefore the meeting, Xi told Trump that while the two countries did not always see eye to eye, they should strive to be &quot;partners and friends.&quot; &quot;China and the US can jointly shoulder our responsibility as major countries and work together to accomplish more great and concrete things for the good of our two countries and the whole world,&quot; Xi said. The US president, who minutes before the meeting said he had ordered the Pentagon to start nuclear weapons testing on a level with China and Russia, complimented a smiling Xi as a &quot;very tough negotiator&quot; as they shook hands. &quot;We&#39;ll have a great understanding,&quot; Trump said, predicting a &quot;fantastic relationship for a long period of time.&quot; The US leader&#39;s latest missive on nuclear weapons testing broadened the stakes for his talks with Xi. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">&#39;Even in five years&#39;&nbsp;</h2>Minutes before meeting Xi, Trump wrote on Truth Social that &quot;because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis.&quot; Trump added that in terms of nuclear weapons stockpiles, China was a &quot;distant third&quot; behind the United States and Russia, &quot;but will be even in 5 years.&quot; The comments came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow had successfully tested a nuclear-capable, nuclear-powered underwater drone, in defiance of US warnings. No response&nbsp;Trump did not provide details or respond to a journalist&#39;s question about his surprise nuclear announcement before the crucial meeting with Xi. The world&#39;s two top economies&#39; trade tussle -- encompassing&nbsp;everything from rare earths to soybeans and port fees -- has rocked markets and gummed up supply chains for months. Following productive preparatory talks by top officials, Trump had said on Wednesday, on his way to South Korea, that &quot;a lot of problems are going to be solved&quot; in a &quot;great meeting.&quot; Export controls on rare earths &nbsp;Trump indicated that the agreement would include lowering 20% tariffs on Chinese goods related to fentanyl, which has killed tens of thousands of Americans. Of particular importance to Trump -- with an eye on US farmers -- is whether China will resume purchases of American soybeans. Another major issue is Beijing&#39;s export controls on rare earths announced this month, which prompted Trump to question the Xi summit. Beijing holds a virtual monopoly on these materials, which are essential for sophisticated electronic components across a range of industries. &quot;The easiest wins could include removing port fees for ships or lifting some fentanyl-related tariffs, which fall fully under presidential authority. China, in turn, could agree to purchase more US commodities to show goodwill,&quot; Yue Su at The Economist Intelligence Unit told AFP. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">Crowning achievement&nbsp;</h2>The Xi-Trump meeting took place on the sidelines of the APEC summit, attended by leaders of 21 countries, including Japan, Australia, and Canada. South Korea is the final stop on an Asia tour that saw Trump showered with praise and gifts, including a replica of an ancient Korean golden crown. In Japan, new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said she would nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize and gave him a putter and a gold-plated golf ball. &lsquo;Not too distant future&rsquo;However, Trump&#39;s hopes of a re-run of his 2019 meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the Demilitarized Zone frontier appear to have dashed. Trump said that they would meet in the &quot;not too distant future&quot; and that he would like to &quot;straighten out&quot; tensions between North and South Korea. On Thursday, he hailed the military alliance with South Korea as &quot;stronger than ever&quot; and said he had given the green light for Seoul to build a nuclear-powered submarine.

China

Says meeting with China's leader Xi Jinping was a 'great success'; China rare earths deal is for one year and is extendable; and US and China to ‘work together’ on the Ukraine war; President Xi said China has reached a consensus with the United States on economic and trade issues.

Clinched deal with China's Xi on rare earths: Trump

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump embarks on a major trip to Asia this week with all eyes on a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping that has huge implications for the global economy. Trump said Wednesday he was making a &quot;big trip&quot; to Malaysia, Japan and South Korea, his first visit to the region since he returned to the White House in a blaze of tariffs and geopolitical brinkmanship. The highlight will be his talks with Xi in South Korea, which Trump&#39;s spokeswoman confirmed would take place on October 30 on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. Trump had previously threatened to scrap the meeting amid a flare-up in the trade war between Washington and Beijing, but he said Wednesday he now hoped for a &quot;deal on everything.&quot; The host nations are meanwhile set to roll out the red carpet to ensure they stay on the right side of the unpredictable 79-year-old, and win the best deals they can on tariffs and security assistance. Malaysia and Japan&nbsp;Trump will leave Washington on Friday and arrive on Sunday in Malaysia for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit -- a meeting Trump skipped several times in his first term. He is set to ink a trade deal with Malaysia -- but more importantly to oversee the signing of a peace accord between Thailand and Cambodia, as he continues his quest for a Nobel Peace Prize. &quot;President Trump is keen to see the more positive results of the peace negotiations between Thailand and Cambodia,&quot; Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said. The US leader may also meet Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on the sidelines of the summit to improve ties after months of bad blood, officials from both countries told AFP. Trump&#39;s next stop will be Tokyo on Monday and he will meet conservative Sanae Takaichi, named this week as Japan&#39;s first woman prime minister, on Tuesday. Japan has escaped the worst of the tariffs Trump slapped on countries around the world to end what he calls unfair trade balances that are &quot;ripping off the United States.&quot; Trump and Xi in South Korea&nbsp;The climax of the trip is expected to be South Korea, with Trump due to land in the southern port city of Busan on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. Trump will then meet South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, address an APEC lunch with business leaders and meet US tech bosses for dinner, the White House said, on the sidelines of the APEC summit in the city of Gyeongju. The next day Trump will meet Xi for the first time since his return to office. Global markets will be watching closely to see if the two men can halt the trade war between the world&#39;s two biggest economies, especially after a recent row over Beijing&#39;s rare earth curbs. Trump initially threatened to cancel the meeting and imposed fresh tariffs, before saying he would go ahead after all. He said on Wednesday that he hoped to make a deal with Xi on &quot;everything&quot; and also hoped the Chinese leader could have a &quot;big influence&quot; on getting Russia&#39;s Vladimir Putin to end the Ukraine war. Analysts warned not to expect any breakthroughs. &quot;The meeting will be a data point along an existing continuum rather than an inflection point in the relationship,&quot; said Ryan Hass, a senior fellow at Brookings Institution. South Korea, seeking its own trade deal, is reportedly considering the rare step of awarding Trump the Grand Order of Mugunghwa -- the country&#39;s highest decoration -- during his visit. North Korea will also be on the agenda. The country fired multiple ballistic missiles on Wednesday, just days before Trump was due to visit. South Korea has halted tours in parts of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, officials said Thursday, fueling speculation of a new meeting between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump has said he hopes to meet Kim again following several meetings during the US president&#39;s first term, but there has been no confirmation of reports that the White House was looking at a new meeting this time.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) and US President Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump begins an Asia trip to Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea, highlighted by a high-stakes meeting with China’s Xi Jinping aimed at easing trade tensions and addressing global economic and security issues.

Trump’s Asia tour builds toward high-stakes meeting with Xi 

HONG KONG: Equity markets rose Monday after conciliatory comments from Donald Trump at the weekend eased worries about China-US trade tensions, while Tokyo stocks surged to a record on news of a deal to end political turmoil in Japan. Investors also took heart from data showing China&#39;s economy grew on par with expectations in the third quarter, with the gains building on the positive mood from Wall Street, where all three main indexes bounced back from Thursday&#39;s losses. Sentiment took a hit last week from a fresh flare-up in the trade standoff between Washington and Beijing when the US president threatened to hammer China with 100% tariffs in response to its latest controls on rare earth exports. That led to another round of tit-for-tat measures and Trump warning that a meeting with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping planned for next week might not go ahead.&nbsp;&lsquo;Constructive exchanges&rsquo;However, tempers appeared to have cooled at the weekend, with the two sides agreeing Saturday to hold more trade talks. Chinese state media said Vice Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had held &quot;candid, in-depth and constructive exchanges&quot; during a call, and that both sides agreed to hold a new round of negotiations &quot;as soon as possible&quot;. Hours before the call, Fox News released excerpts of an interview with Trump in which he said he would meet Xi at the APEC summit after all, and added that the 100% tariff was &quot;not sustainable&quot;. Markets across Asia rose on the softer tone, with Hong Kong up more than two percent and Shanghai also well up as data showed China&#39;s economy grew in line with expectations in the third quarter, though at its slowest pace in a year. &lsquo;Catalyzed by Trump&#39;s remark&rsquo;The data was released just hours before the start of a closely watched four-day meeting in Beijing with top Communist Party officials focused on long-term economic planning. Sydney, Seoul, Wellington, Taipei, Mumbai, Bangkok and Manila also rallied with London, Paris and Frankfurt. &quot;Catalyzed by Trump&#39;s remark... markets appear priced for a positive or at least less-bad outcome,&quot; said Chris Weston at Pepperstone. &quot;The market&#39;s base case now seems to be that China will offer concessions on its rare-earth export controls, paving the way for the US to extend the current 30 percent &#39;tariff truce&#39; by another 90 days beyond its 10 November deadline.&quot; Tokyo led gains&nbsp;Tokyo led the gains, surging more than three percent to a new peak, as Japan&#39;s ruling party said it was set to sign a new coalition deal on Monday, paving the way for Sanae Takaichi to become the country&#39;s first woman prime minister. Stocks were sent into a spin last week when her bid to become premier -- having won her party&#39;s leadership earlier in the month -- was derailed after its alliance partner withdrew its support. Traders also took heart from a bounce back for US regional bank stocks Friday, which had been pummeled Thursday following disclosures from two mid-sized players of expected losses tied to problem loans. The recovery Friday in those banks -- Salt Lake City-based Zions Bancorp and Phoenix-based Western Alliance Bancorporation -- and other lenders suggested investors were less fearful of systemic problems.&nbsp;Key figures at around 0715 GMT&nbsp;<ul class="decimal_type"><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 2;">Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 3.4 percent at 49,185.50 (close)</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 2;">Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 2.3 percent at 25,838.94</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 2;">Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.6 percent at 3,863.89 (close)</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 2;">London - FTSE 100: UP 0.3 percent at 9,382.39</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 2;">Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1664 from $1.1670 on Friday</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 2;">Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3423 from $1.3433</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 2;">Dollar/yen: UP at 150.59 yen from 150.50 yen</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 2;">Euro/pound: DOWN at 86.87 percent from 86.88 pence</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 2;">West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.9 percent at $57.01 per barrel</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 2;">Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.9 percent at $60.77 per barrel</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 2;">New York - Dow: UP 0.5 percent at 46,190.61 (close)</li></ul>

Investors also took heart from data showing China's economy grew on par with expectations in third quarter, with gains building on positive mood from Wall Street, where all three main indexes bounced back from Thursday's losses.

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