New Delhi, India (DT) — In a key diplomatic engagement today, Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar met with Argentina’s Foreign Affairs Minister Diana Elena Mondino in New Delhi. The high-level talks, which also involved industry and business leaders from Argentina, focused on expanding bilateral trade and investment partnerships.
The two sides explored collaborative opportunities in vital sectors such as energy transition, minerals, health, agri-tech, defense, and technology. Both ministers emphasized the need for stronger cooperation, supported by robust market mechanisms and a well-established digital framework that can enhance economic growth.
During the discussions, Dr. Jaishankar and Minister Mondino underscored the potential for shared progress, particularly in areas like clean energy and digital innovation. The meeting signals an upward trajectory in India-Argentina relations, with both nations looking to leverage their mutual strengths to address global challenges and contribute to multilateral forums, including the G20.
The growing partnership between India and Argentina reflects a shared vision of economic prosperity and sustainable development, as both countries aim to strengthen ties across a wide range of industries.
New Delhi, India (DT) — The Foreign Minister of Argentina, Diana Mondino, began Monday her official visit to India to enhance bilateral trade, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
During her visit, Mondino is expected to meet Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar as well as other members of the Indian government.
Mondino, who arrived in the Asian country on Saturday, was scheduled to meet with Jaishankar on Monday in New Delhi to address a broad bilateral agenda, according to a statement by the Argentine foreign ministry.
The visiting minister is also expected to hold meetings with India’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, and Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to discuss “opportunities to further increase bilateral trade,” the statement said.
Discussions are expected to cover topics such as hydrocarbons, lithium development, agribusiness and machinery.
During the visit, Mondino and Jaishankar will co-chair the 7th Argentina-India Joint Commission Meeting, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
Mondino is scheduled to conclude her visit on Tuesday with two events with local entrepreneurs and investors, where she will offer a detailed overview of the economic reforms promoted by the Argentine government led by President Javier Milei, and business opportunities in the South American country.
Bilateral trade between India and Argentina stood at $4.16 million in the fiscal year 2022-2023, according to the Indian Government, with exports from the South American country amounting to $3.2 million.
India mainly imports from Argentina vegetable oils, finished leather, cereals, residual chemicals and related products and legumes, while exports include petroleum oils, agrochemicals, textiles, organic chemicals, pharmaceuticals and two-wheelers.
Karachi, Pakistan (DT) — A massive blast outside Karachi Airport in Pakistan on Sunday injured at least eight people and destroyed several vehicles, officials said.
Police and the provincial government said a tanker exploded outside the airport, which is Pakistan’s biggest.
But the provincial home minister, Zia Ul Hassan, told local TV station Geo that it was an attack targeting foreigners.
A Home Ministry official told the Associated Press that it was an attack on Chinese nationals, one of whom was injured. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.
Thousands of Chinese workers are in Pakistan, most of them involved in Beijing’s multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative that connects south and central Asia with the Chinese capital.
Videos showed flames engulfing cars and a thick column of smoke rising from the scene. There was a heavy military deployment at the site, which was cordoned off.
Police surgeon Dr. Sumayya Tariq said one of the casualties was in critical condition and that four of them were security guards.
Rahat Hussain, who works in the civil aviation department, said the blast was so big that it shook the airport’s buildings.
Las Vegas, USA (DT) — A Frontier Airlines flight heading to Las Vegas had a terrifying incident today when flames were seen erupting from one of its engines upon landing. The Flight 1326, which departed was on its way from San Diego to Las Vegas when “the pilots detected smoke and declared an emergency,” Frontier said in a statement.
There were reports of smoke in the cockpit before the Airbus 321 was able to make an emergency landing at Harry Reid International Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The airport was the flight’s intended destination.
Amanda Mazzagatti, the airport program administrator at Harry Reid International, stated that the Frontier flight “experienced a hard landing,” prompting an immediate response from the Clark County Fire Department.
The plane landed safely, and all passengers and crew were evacuated via airstairs before being transported to the terminal by bus. Both the airline and airport confirmed that no injuries were reported.
The incident took place around 4:20 p.m. local time, and a ground stop was implemented at the airport until 7 p.m., according to the FAA.
Footage posted on social media shows the aircraft rolling down the tarmac, with flames and smoke appearing near its wheels. A thick trail of smoke followed as fire trucks approached and extinguished the fire once the plane had stopped.
The cause of the incident is currently under investigation, with the FAA leading the inquiry.
Astana, Kazakhstan (DT) — In a historic decision, more than 12 million Kazakh citizens cast their votes today in a nationwide referendum to decide the future of nuclear energy in Kazakhstan.
The referendum focuses on whether to approve the construction of the country’s first nuclear power plant, a project aimed at meeting growing energy demands and reducing reliance on coal.
A total of 10,323 polling stations are open for the vote, including 74 abroad in 59 countries.
“Do you agree with the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan?” is the question posed to those participating in the vote.
For the referendum result to be considered valid, more than half of the registered voters must participate. Voting is to be monitored by around 500 international observers, though the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is not involved.
Kazakhstan’s energy dependency and the push for nuclear power
Kazakhstan’s President, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who supports a “yes” vote to reduce dependence on fossil fuels—specifically coal—and electricity imports from Russia, cast his vote early in the capital, Astana.
The country relies on coal mines for 80% of its electricity generation—a highly polluting sector—compared to the 15% generated by hydroelectric plants.
All polls published in recent days favor the government, which controls the vast majority of media outlets. According to these surveys, the “yes” vote is expected to win by a wide margin, in some cases with more than two-thirds of the vote.
Historical echoes: The shadow of Semipalatinsk
Nuclear power is a sensitive issue in this country, where thousands still suffer the consequences of radiation from the notorious Semipalatinsk testing ground. Nearly 500 Soviet atomic tests were carried out there in northeastern Kazakhstan.
Opponents of the project argue against it on ecological grounds, citing the historical trauma of Soviet nuclear tests, the potential for Western sanctions if Russia builds the plant, and the precedent of military coercion involving the Russian and Ukrainian nuclear plants at Zaporizhzhia and Kursk.
According to official data, in recent years the number of cancer patients has risen by 25-30%, reaching 36,000 annually. Furthermore, the average age of those affected has significantly decreased.
International involvement: competing for Kazakhstan’s nuclear Future
In any case, analysts believe the decision to build the plant near Lake Balkhash has already been made. They say the referendum is merely a means of legitimizing it.
The same is likely true for the winner of the international tender, Russian consortium Rosatom, which is competing against China’s CNNC, South Korea’s KHNP, and France’s EDF.
Tokayev’s role and the political landscape
When announcing the referendum, Tokayev referred to the “listening state” program. However, according to human rights organizations, at least 26 activists opposed to the nuclear plant have been arrested or detained, some allegedly for planning protests and street disturbances. EFE
Tapachula, Mexico (DT) — An 11-year-old Egyptian girl and her 18-year-old sister were among those killed after Mexican army troops opened fire on a truck carrying migrants earlier this week, an official said Friday.
The sisters, and four other migrants from countries including Peru and Honduras, were killed on Tuesday in the southern state of Chiapas.
An official in the state’s prosecutors office confirmed the identification of the two sisters and said their father was wounded in the shooting, but survived. The official was not authorized to be quoted by name, but a second federal official confirmed that information on the same basis.
Federal officials, including newly inaugurated President Claudia Sheinbaum, again refused Friday to confirm the ages or genders of the six migrants killed in the shooting, which occurred on Sheinbaum’s first day in office.
The Egyptian embassy in Mexico and the Egyptian foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Soldiers claimed they heard shots and returned fire and officials have studiously avoided saying the migrants were killed by army gunfire. However, that appears to be the case, and two soldiers have been relieved of duty and turned over to civilian prosecutors for questioning.
The killings placed in doubt Sheinbaum’s statements over her first days in office that human rights will be at the forefront of her administration’s policies.
Asked about her immigration policy Friday, Sheinbaum said only that the killings were under investigation and doubled down on earlier claims that the government doesn’t violate human rights.
“First of all, human rights are respected,” Sheinbaum said. “That is very important, that is why it is called a humanistic immigration policy, because human rights are at the forefront.”
Three of the dead were from Egypt, and one each from Peru and Honduras. The other has apparently not yet been identified.
“It is really impossible that these people would have been shooting at the army,” Mujica said. “Most of the time, they get through by paying bribes.”
If the deaths were the result of army fire, as appears likely, it could prove a major embarrassment for Sheinbaum.
The new president has followed the lead of former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador in giving the armed forces extraordinary powers in law enforcement, state-run companies , airports, trains and construction projects.
It is not the first time Mexican forces have opened fire on vehicles carrying migrants in the area, which is also the object of cartel turf battles.
In 2021, the quasi-military National Guard opened fire on a pickup truck carrying migrants, killing one and wounding four. The Guard officers initially claimed some of those in the migrants’ truck were armed and had fired shots, but the governmental National Human Rights Commission later found that was not true.
Peshawar, Pakistan (DT) — Militants killed six Pakistani soldiers in a shootout, the army said Saturday, the latest unrest in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan where armed groups including the Pakistani Taliban are active.
The troops died in an overnight operation in North Waziristan district on Saturday, according to an army statement. It said six militants also were killed.
The army said a separate operation killed two militants in Swat, also in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. One of them was said to be involved in an attack on a convoy of foreign ambassadors in the area earlier this month.
Also Saturday, cellphone services remained suspended in Islamabad as it entered a second day of a lockdown aimed at thwarting rallies in support of ex-leader Imran Khan. He is in prison on multiple charges.
Police officers stand guard next to shipping containers set up by authorities to block a road leading to important government buildings in an attempt to prevent supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan from holding a rally in Lahore, Pakistan, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
Shipping containers blocked off the city’s entry and exit points, but videos from Khan’s PTI party showed supporters piled into vehicles and attempted to head toward Islamabad.
The chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur, and others in the convoy worked throughout the night to remove shipping containers from the road, according to the party.
The PTI later said that security forces arrested Gandapur for entering Islamabad in defiance of a ban on rallies. Police and officials did not immediately confirm the arrest.
Clashes broke out between Khan supporters and security forces in D-Chowk, which is close to several key government buildings including Parliament and the Supreme Court.
The PTI also said it planned to hold a rally in Lahore.
As well as grappling with political instability arising from confrontations with Khan’s party, Pakistani authorities are struggling to contain violence in southwestern Balochistan province, where a blast killed three security personnel and injured four others on Saturday.
Shipping containers set up by authorities block a road, preventing the supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan from holding a rally to demand his release in Lahore, Pakistan, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
Police official Habib ur Rahman said members of the Frontier Corps were on a routine patrol in Kalat district, around 160 kilometers (44 miles) south of the provincial capital Quetta, when a homemade bomb was remotely detonated.
Bosnia declares state of emergency after at least 21 killed in flooding
Bosnia-Herzegovina (DT) — Flash floods and landslides in central Bosnia-Herzegovina have left at least 16 people dead, with towns and villages cut off and reports in some places of homes being almost submerged.
Some of the worst scenes were in the area around Jablanica, a town on the main route between the cities of Mostar and the capital, Sarajevo, about 70km (40 miles) to the north-east.
A number of other people have been reported missing and a state of emergency has been declared.
Development minister Vojin Mijatovic said the country had witnessed a terrible disaster and appealed for calm.
Officials from the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton said 13 deaths had been confirmed in the area, rather than 16 as earlier reported.
In the town of Fojnica, three other deaths were confirmed.
The area worst hit by flash floods and landslides was around Jablanica. Photo : Reuters
Search and rescue work continues, with ten people still unaccounted for in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton.
Rivers burst their banks after an overnight storm and aerial photos showed many towns and villages left inundated.
Roads, bridges and railway tracks were washed away or blocked by debris, while landslides left houses buried in rocks and earth as high as their upper storeys.
Members of the mountain rescue service and civil defence conduct search and rescue operations in the area destroyed by a landslide in Donja Jablanica, October 4, 2024. Photo : AP/Armin Durgut
Rescue services in the towns of Jablanica and Kiseljak said the power was off overnight and mobile phones lost their signal.
The Jablanica fire station said that the town was completely inaccessible because roads and trainlines were closed.
“The police informed us that the railroad is also blocked,” the state rescue service said in a statement. “You can’t get in or out of Jablanica at the moment. Landline phones are working, but mobile phones have no signal.”
President of the Central Election Commission, Irena Hadžiabdić, said on Friday that discussions were underway with local electoral commissions in the hardest-hit areas to postpone forthcoming municipal elections.
Around the Europe
Heavy rains and strong winds were also reported in neighbouring Croatia, where several roads were closed and the capital Zagreb prepared for the swollen Sava River to burst its banks.
It’s a similar picture in Slovenia where heavy rain has caused the Sava, Krka and Kolpa rivers to overflow, flooding several houses in the central village of Kot.
The national meteorological agency ARSAO has warned that more rain is expected and said there is a danger of landslides.
And floods caused were also reported in Montenegro, south of Bosnia, where some villages were cut off and roads and homes flooded.
England (DT) – UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has strongly defended Britain’s position on the Falkland Islands after Argentina’s government vowed to retake the disputed territory. In a heated diplomatic exchange, Buenos Aires renewed its claim over the islands, sparking tensions between the two nations more than four decades after the Falklands War.
Speaking in Parliament, Starmer reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, stating, “The Falkland Islands are British, and their people have the right to self-determination. We will not waver in our duty to protect them.”
The Prime Minister has defended a new agreement with Mauritius regarding the remote Chagos Archipelago, stating that it will secure the “single most important goal” of protecting the long-term future of the joint US-UK military base on Diego Garcia, the largest island in the chain.
However, critics have raised concerns that the deal could open the door for China to establish a military presence in the Indian Ocean, potentially shifting the strategic balance in the region. Additionally, there are growing worries about the implications for the future of other UK overseas territories, with some suggesting that this agreement may set a risky precedent.
The debate over the agreement has sparked intense political discussion, with supporters focusing on the strategic importance of maintaining US-UK defense operations on Diego Garcia, while opponents warn of potential long-term risks to regional stability.
Office of Her Excellency the Governor, supporting the people of the Falkland Islands post on X on 3 October : Statement to the #Falklands by Her Excellency the Governor regarding the political agreement between the UK and Mauritius;
US President Joe Biden welcomed the “historic” agreement and said it secures the “effective operation of the joint facility on Diego Garcia into the next century”.
Argentina’s foreign minister, Diana Mondino, also welcomed the decision by the UK Government towards ending “outdated practices”
“Mauritius is one of only two countries in Africa that’s not a member of China’s Belt and Road (Initiative). So this notion that we’ve somehow given the Chagos Islands to an ally of China is rubbish, and anyway the negotiations were started by the previous Tory government.”
Chagossians were forced to leave the central Indian Ocean territory by 1973 to make way for the military base.
The expulsions are regarded as one of the most shameful parts of Britain’s modern colonial history and Chagossians have spent decades fighting to return to the islands.
The United Nations’ highest court, the International Court of Justice, previously ruled the UK’s administration of the territory was “unlawful” and must end.
Talks between the UK and Mauritius to reach an agreement began under the previous Conservative government in 2022.
Colombo, Sri Lanka (AP) — India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar met Sri Lanka’s newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake Friday in the first such visit of a dignitary since a new government took office in the island nation last month, amid questions over how Dissanayake would balance between regional powers China and India. The two men discussed ways to deepen bilateral ties.
Sri Lanka is located on one of the world’s busiest shipping routes in what India considers part of its strategic backyard. China too has exerted influence in the country in recent years by including it in its Belt and Road project.
“Appreciate his warm sentiments and guidance for the India-Sri Lanka relations. Discussed ways to deepen ongoing cooperation and strengthen India-Sri Lanka ties for the benefit of people of two countries and the region,” Jaishankar said in a post on the social media site X.
On October 4, 2024, Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar engages in discussions with former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe during his visit to Colombo, Sri Lanka. Photo : DrSJaishankar X account
The support of the two regional rivals is crucial for Sri Lanka to emerge from its worst economic crisis in decades, which led to a political calamity and finally paved the way for Dissanayake’s party to come to power.
Beijing was once widely seen as having an upper hand with its free-flowing loans and infrastructure investments. But Colombo’s economic collapse in 2022 provided an opportunity for India, as New Delhi stepped in with massive financial and material assistance including food, fuel and medicines.
At the same time, China’s support to restructure its infrastructure loans to Sri Lanka is vital for Sri Lanka to emerge from its dire economic crisis.
On Friday, India’s top diplomat also met his counterpart Vijitha Herath and “assured him of India’s continued support to Sri Lanka’s economic rebuilding,” in a separate post on his account on X.
Sri Lanka’s foreign ministry said the main objective of Jaishankar’s visit was to congratulate the new president and the government and also “to demonstrate India’s commitment in moving forward with the strong bilateral partnership.”
Jaishankar has extended an invitation to Dissanayake to visit India at a mutually convenient date, the ministry said in a statement.
Traditionally, Sri Lankan leaders undertake their maiden official trip to India.
China has lent Sri Lanka billions of dollars for development projects, some of which have been criticized as having little practical use. They include the Hambantota port, built with Chinese money in former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s home region, despite the plan having been rejected by an expert panel.
Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar meets with his counterpart, Sh. Vijitha Herath, during his visit to Colombo, Sri Lanka, on October 4, 2024. Photo : DrSJaishankar X account
When the port failed to generate enough revenue to pay back the loan, Sri Lanka in 2017 was forced to hand the facility and thousands of acres of surrounding land to Beijing for 99 years — giving China a key foothold in the country directly opposite India’s coastline.
Both India and China have separately agreed on terms with Sri Lanka for restructuring its debt, which would enable the country to come out from bankruptcy and rebuild the tattered economy.
It declared bankruptcy in April 2022 with more than $83 billion in debt — more than half of it to foreign creditors.
China accounts for about 10% of Sri Lanka’s loans, trailing Japan and the Asian Development Bank.
Sri Lanka last year agreed to a $2.9-billion bailout package from the International Monetary Fund. Over the past year, Sri Lanka’s severe shortages of essentials like food, fuel and medicine have largely abated, and authorities have restored power supplies.
But public dissatisfaction has grown over the government’s efforts to increase revenues by raising electricity bills and imposing heavy new income taxes on professionals and businesses.
Dissanayake won last month’s election over his predecessor Ranil Wickremesinghe and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa as Sri Lankans rejected the old political guard whom they blamed for pushing the country into an unprecedented economic crisis.
Wickremesinghe, however, had warned that any move to alter the basics of the agreement could delay a fourth tranche of nearly $3 billion from the IMF, which is crucial for economic stability. Days before the election Wickremesinghe’s administration also agreed in principle to restructure Sri Lanka’s foreign debt.
Separately on Friday, Dissanayake met the visiting IMF officials.
According to a statement from the president’s office, Dissanayake told the IMF officials that he would agree with the objectives of the IMF program, but at the same time, his government expects to provide relief to the masses. No further details on the meeting were immediately available.
