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Queen Mother’s Death Alters Thailand’s ASEAN Plans
Thailand’s Prime Minister has called off his planned visit to Malaysia before the ASEAN Summit on Saturday following the death of Queen Mother Sirikit, and may also miss the signing of a Cambodia ceasefire agreement that US President Donald Trump is expected to witness this weekend.
Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations were meeting on Saturday to start a weekend of global diplomacy in the Malaysian capital, with teams from the United States and China holding trade talks alongside the summit.
Trump’s First Asia Visit In Current Term
Trump is due to arrive in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday morning on the first stop of his trip through Asia, and was set to watch Cambodia and Thailand sign a broader ceasefire deal after he helped broker an end to a deadly five-day border conflict in July.
A Thai government spokesperson said there would be a discussion on how to proceed with the ceasefire ceremony and whether another official would sign the agreement after Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul cancelled his trip.
It was unclear whether Anutin would still travel to Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.
The Thai cabinet is scheduled to meet on Saturday morning to discuss the funeral arrangements.
New Member, Agenda
At its annual meeting, ASEAN plans to press for trade multilateralism and deeper ties with new partners, while managing the fallout from Trump’s global tariff offensive.
It will also welcome East Timor, Asia’s youngest nation, as its 11th member.
Alongside the regional talks, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will hold a round of trade talks with a Chinese delegation led by Vice Premier He Lifeng.
The world’s two biggest economies are looking to find a way forward after Trump threatened new 100% tariffs on Chinese goods and other trade curbs starting November 1 in retaliation for China’s vastly expanded export controls on rare earth magnets and minerals.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Argentine Farmers Bet On Milei, Reject Return Of Peronists
Argentine farmers, crucial for earning foreign currency, are once again backing President Javier Milei as midterm elections approach on Sunday.
Support from farmers in Argentina, a leading global food exporter, will be crucial for the radical libertarian president, who hopes to substantially increase his minority representation in Congress.
Since taking office almost two years ago, Milei has enjoyed broad support from the agriculture sector, which shares his vision of unrestricted and deregulated markets.
Popular Amongst Farmers
Milei’s government has moved in the direction of lowering unpopular export taxes. In July, the government reduced the export tax on soybeans and corn, the country’s two main crops, by 20%. Although the taxes remain high, 26% and 9.5% respectively, Milei has promised to eliminate them completely.
“We need to give this government a vote of confidence,” Martín Doffo, a 51-year-old farmer from the town of 25 de Mayo, in the province of Buenos Aires, told Reuters. “He wants to take the necessary path: tax reduction, lowering export taxes, and labour reform, all things we’ve been needing.”
The Peronist ‘Risk’
The main opposition force is the Peronist party led by former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who during her presidency clashed with the agriculture sector over protectionist export quotas and price controls.
“There are many producers who don’t want Kirchnerism to return,” said Horacio Deciancio, a 70-year-old cattle rancher from San Vicente, a rural town near Buenos Aires. He said that he is betting on Milei’s “market-based economic policies, where supply and demand can open markets to the world.”
Farmers whom Reuters spoke to also said they support labour reforms to increase the formal workforce that Milei has said he would push through the next Congress. They say that under the current system, there is too much bureaucracy involved in hiring workers.
Half of Argentina’s lower Chamber of Deputies, or 127 seats, as well as a third of the Senate, or 24 seats, are up for election on October 26.
The Peronist opposition movement currently holds the largest minority in both houses and has about half of its seats in the lower house up for reelection. Milei’s relatively new party, La Libertad Avanza, has only 37 deputies and six senators.
Political experts say that if Milei’s party clinches more than 35% of the vote, that would be seen as a positive sign of growing support.
(With inputs from Reuters)
UK Calls On Partners To Increase Ukraine Aid As Zelenskyy Arrives In London
Britain on Friday called on its international partners to finalize an agreement to use frozen Russian assets to bolster Ukraine’s position in any future peace negotiations. The appeal came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in London for discussions with allied leaders.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office said he would also press the “Coalition of the Willing” countries to take Russian oil and gas off the global market and give Kyiv more long-range missiles.
European Union leaders agreed on Thursday to meet Ukraine’s “pressing financial needs” for the next two years but stopped short of endorsing a plan to use frozen Russian assets to fund a giant loan to Kyiv over Belgian concerns.
Zelenskyy Wants More Weapons
Zelenskyy had asked the EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday for long-range missiles and to use the frozen assets to provide it with more weapons.
He also welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to impose sanctions on Russia’s two biggest oil companies, a dramatic U-turn after last week announcing plans for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Starmer said Putin was not serious about ending the war.
“Time and again we offer Putin the chance to end his needless invasion, to stop the killing and recall his troops, but he repeatedly rejects those proposals and any chance of peace,” he said in a statement.
“We must ratchet up the pressure on Russia and build on President Trump’s decisive action.”
‘Painful Response’
Moscow has promised a “painful response” if the assets are seized. Putin also said the sanctions on oil companies were an unfriendly act, but would not significantly affect the Russian economy.
In another bid to starve Moscow of revenue, the EU approved a 19th package of sanctions, which includes a ban on imports of Russian liquefied natural gas.
Friday’s talks in London were due to be a mixture of in-person and virtual, with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen expected to join Starmer and Zelenskyy in London.
Zelenskyy began his visit by meeting King Charles at Windsor Castle. The king has frequently expressed his support for Ukraine, notably hosting Zelenskyy at his private residence shortly after the Ukrainian leader’s stormy meeting with Trump in February.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Connolly Emerges As Clear Favourite In Ireland’s Presidential Election
Ireland opened its polls on Friday to choose its next president, with Catherine Connolly, a longtime lawmaker from the far-left of the country’s political landscape, widely viewed as the frontrunner for the largely symbolic office.
The 68-year-old independent candidate, a long-time critic of the European Union in overwhelmingly pro-EU Ireland who has repeatedly denounced the bloc’s plans to boost military spending, holds a commanding lead over the sole government-backed candidate.
Her election would be a bruising rebuke to the centre-right coalition re-elected just 11 months ago and a potential future electoral boost to the previously divided left-wing opposition, led by Sinn Fein, which backed her candidacy.
Underestimated at the start of the campaign, when she was not a household name or considered among the favourites, Connolly had a lead of between 15 and 18 points over ex-Fine Gael cabinet minister Heather Humphreys in polling completed this week.
Her role as a leading pro-Palestinian voice in parliament – a stance shared by the government and most voters – helped galvanise support on the left, while attacks on government policy in areas such as housing have found wide appeal among younger voters.
Connolly’s Leftist Views
Connolly has also benefited from dire campaigns from the two governing parties. Humphreys was hastily selected after Fine Gael’s first choice candidate withdrew due to illness. Fianna Fail’s pick, former Gaelic football coach Jim Gavin, abandoned his bid after less than a week due to a financial scandal.
An Irish Times/Ipsos B&A poll last week showed that 49% of respondents said they did not feel represented by any of the candidates.
Many of her views – from questioning the trustworthiness of the United States, Britain and France over their stance on the war in Gaza to comparing German rearmament spending to that of the 1930s – are well to the left of the parties backing her, as well as outspoken incumbent Michael D Higgins.
The former deputy speaker of Ireland’s lower house has also faced criticism over a 2018 “fact-finding” trip she was part of to Syria, then led by Bashar al-Assad.
Ireland’s president is largely a figurehead, with seldom-used powers to test the constitutionality of legislation, but often speaks on the global stage.
While Connolly has accused the U.S. – a crucial source of foreign direct investment into Ireland – of enabling genocide in Gaza, she said she would welcome President Donald Trump to her residence, if elected.
Government ministers sought to attack Connolly’s record of opposing referendums to deepen Ireland’s integration with the EU, but it did not become a major issue.
The counting of votes begins at 9 a.m. (0800 GMT) on Saturday with a final result expected later in the day.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Czech Republic: ANO Close To Forming Coalition With Right-Wing Allies
A senior official said on Friday that Czech populist party ANO is nearing an agreement with far-right and right-wing allies to form a new government following its election win this month.
A government agenda is another step in the coalition talks as ANO, led by billionaire former Prime Minister Andrej Babis, seeks to return to power in the coming weeks.
The change in power is set to shift policy from higher fiscal spending and reduced aid for Ukraine’s defence against a Russian invasion to stronger opposition to European Union migration and climate policies.
ANO has been in talks with the right-wing, eurosceptic Motorists and the far-right, anti-EU and anti-NATO SPD parties, which combined would hold 108 out of the 200 seats in parliament’s lower house.
Karel Havlicek, helping to lead ANO’s government-forming talks, said on Friday about 95% of the prospective coalition’s programme had been agreed, with remaining parts to be discussed over the weekend.
ANO To Update President On Talks
The three parties must agree on nominees for ministerial roles next month.
“In the coming weeks … the personnel composition will be discussed, which will be presented to the president,” Havlicek said.
President Petr Pavel, who by law appoints prime ministers and ministers, has urged parties not to rush talks. He and Babis will meet on Monday for an update.
Parliament meets on November 3. The first session will elect a new speaker before the resignation of the current cabinet – the earliest time a new prime minister can be appointed.
Anchoring In EU, NATO Remains
Babis, a Donald Trump fan and ally of Hungary’s Viktor Orban, has flagged more focus on domestic and EU affairs and no support for Ukraine from the national budget, a change from the outgoing centre-right government of Petr Fiala.
It might scrap a foreign-funded programme shipping artillery ammunition to Kyiv which Pavel and Fiala have championed. Babis has called it overpriced and non-transparent.
Havlicek said on Friday the war in Ukraine was addressed in the parties’ joint agenda but did not give details.
He said the country’s anchoring in the EU and NATO was explicit and “unquestionable” in the agenda. The SPD had campaigned demanding a law allowing a referendum on those issues.
The new government will try to push through a law allowing referendums on issues not related to EU and NATO membership.
This would need the support of the opposition to pass.
Havlicek said possible referendums could touch on questions of other international commitments.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Seoul Urges Trump To Meet Kim Jong Un During His Asia Visit
South Korea’s unification minister on Friday urged US President Donald Trump to hold talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his upcoming Asia visit, calling it a valuable opportunity to promote peace, Yonhap news agency reported.
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, who is Seoul’s top policymaker on ties between the divided Koreas, said Trump’s trip to South Korea was an “opportunity from the heavens” that could help boost North Korea’s global standing and its economy.
‘Must Not Miss This Chance’
“The leaders of North Korea and the US must not miss this chance,” Chung was quoted by Yonhap as telling South Korean media. “They need to make a bold decision.”
Trump met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un three times during his previous term as president but failed to reach agreement on ending Pyongyang’s nuclear programme because of differences on lifting sanctions and over how to scrap the North’s nuclear facilities.
Seoul Sceptical
Officials in Seoul, including South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, have been sceptical that a new meeting could take place next week but welcomed the prospect of a breakthrough in diplomacy with Pyongyang if it were to happen.
Trump leaves Washington on Friday night for a five-day trip spanning Malaysia, Japan and South Korea — his first to the region since taking office in January.
Chung’s Pitch
Chung said the visit was a chance to bypass preparations and coordination normally required for a meeting between the leaders of the two old foes that would otherwise make it very difficult for them to see each other.
“It would help North Korea’s international standing and improve its people’s lives … and for that, peace and stability need to be guaranteed and that’s only possible by meeting President Trump,” Chung was quoted as saying.
Trump met Kim at the Panmunjom truce village straddling the inter-Korean border in 2019 in a hastily arranged trip immediately following his visit to Japan for a global summit.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Over 4,000 Abused By Italy’s Catholic Priests, Group Finds
A victims’ group in Italy claimed on Friday that almost 4,400 people have suffered abuse by Catholic priests since 2020, increasing pressure on church leaders to address the long-running crisis within the world’s largest Christian community.
The unofficial tally by Rete l’Abuso, Italy’s largest church abuse victims’ group, is based on victims’ accounts, judicial sources and cases reported by the media, the founder of the association Francesco Zanardi said.
Rete l’Abuso did not say how far back the alleged abuse cases occurred.
The Italian Bishops Conference (CEI), which was criticised by the Vatican’s child protection commission last week, had no comment on the findings, a spokesperson said.
Decades-Long Problem
The global Catholic Church has been shaken for decades by scandals involving paedophile priests and the cover-up of their crimes, but local church leaders in Italy have been less forthcoming in confronting the issue.
New Pope Leo, who met survivors of sexual abuse by clergy for the first time this week, has told the Church’s newest bishops not to hide misconduct allegations. His predecessor, the late Pope Francis, made addressing the issue a priority of his 12-year papacy, but with mixed results.
Over 1,200 Suspected Cases
In an unusually critical report on the issue published on October 16, the Vatican’s child protection commission said only 81 of Italy’s 226 dioceses responded to a questionnaire about safeguarding practices it had drafted.
Rete l’Abuso said it had documented 1,250 suspected cases of abuse – some with multiple victims – including 1,106 allegedly committed by priests, with the rest attributed to nuns, religion teachers, lay volunteers, educators and scout members.
Its report contained cases related to 4,625 victims – or survivors, as the association calls them – including 4,395 abused by priests.
The report said 4,451 of the survivors were under 18, and an almost equally large number – 4,108 – were male, Rete l’Abuso said, adding that five nuns, 156 vulnerable adults and 11 people with disabilities were also among the victims.
According to the association, out of the 1,106 suspected predator priests, only 76 were subjected to church trials, with 17 temporarily suspended, seven moved to other parishes and 18 were defrocked or resigned from the priesthood. Five died by suicide, it added.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Castelion’s Blackbeard To Join US Army’s HIMARS Platform
US defence startup Castelion announced on Friday that it has secured contracts to integrate its Blackbeard hypersonic strike weapon with existing US Army systems — marking an important step towards deploying these powerful and almost impossible-to-intercept weapons worldwide.
The US and China are engaged in an arms race to develop the most lethal hypersonic weapons, which travel in the upper atmosphere at more than five times the speed of sound and are designed to evade traditional defences.
HIMARS-Blackbeard Collaboration
Castelion will work with the Army to incorporate the Blackbeard weapon system onto operational platforms like the Army’s High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).
HIMARS is now a widely recognized weapon after footage from the war in Ukraine showed the launchers in action.
US companies like Castelion, Stratolaunch, RTX’s Raytheon unit and Lockheed Martin are all working to develop hypersonic arms, which could translate to large contracts.
Edge Over Legacy Players
Terms of the integration contracts with both the Army and Navy were not disclosed in a statement from Castelion. US President Donald Trump’s 2026 budget request to Congress – yet to be enacted – earmarked $25 million for future similar integration.
Blackbeard, Castelion’s first hypersonic strike weapon, is designed for mass production and rapid fielding at a fraction of the cost of legacy weapons.
The company aims to produce thousands of the weapons annually at full rate production, with a target cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars per unit.
Bolstering Pentagon’s Options
The contracts are a significant step in broadening the hypersonic weapon options for the Pentagon which seeks to field more affordable strike capabilities.
China and Russia both have competitive hypersonic weapons programmes in what has become a geopolitical race to develop and field missiles that can change direction while traveling at several times the speed of sound.
(With inputs from Reuters)
UN@80: India Stresses Need For Reforms, Focus On Terror
India on Thursday marked the 80th anniversary of the United Nations with a call for renewed multilateralism, stronger institutional reform, and a collective global commitment to peace and equity.
The occasion was commemorated in New Delhi with the release of a special postage stamp symbolising “peace in an era of conflict”, unveiled by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
Speaking at the event, Jaishankar said the credibility of international institutions was being tested as the world confronted multiple crises—from wars and terrorism to widening economic disparities. He noted that while the United Nations remains indispensable, it “neither reflects its membership nor addresses global priorities”, emphasising that reform of its structures was long overdue.
“The UN’s response to terrorism remains one of its most telling failures,” the minister said, pointing to instances where permanent members of the Security Council have blocked efforts to sanction extremist groups. “When a sitting member protects those responsible for barbaric terror attacks such as at Pahalgam, what does it do to the credibility of multilateralism?” he asked, in an apparent reference to China’s repeated vetoes shielding Pakistan-based militants.
Jaishankar warned that when the world equates victims and perpetrators of terrorism, it undermines the moral basis of the international system. Selective approaches to peace and security, he added, weaken the foundation of the UN and erode global trust.
Highlighting the unequal burden borne by developing nations, Jaishankar said the Global South continued to suffer the most from conflict, disrupted supply chains, and uneven economic recovery. “While the more developed have often insulated themselves from consequences, the Global South has borne the brunt,” he said. He called for more equitable cooperation and faster progress toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Despite these challenges, the minister reaffirmed India’s enduring faith in the UN’s founding ideals. “However difficult, the commitment to multilateralism must remain strong. However flawed, the United Nations must be supported in this time of crisis,” he said.
The commemorative UN@80 postage stamp was the result of a nationwide design competition jointly organised by the Department of Posts and the Ministry of External Affairs. More than 740,000 entries were submitted by students from schools and colleges across the country under the theme “UN@80 and India’s leadership in building our future through multilateralism, global leadership and stewardship.”
The winning design, Jaishankar said, reflects “the need for peace in this era of conflict”, embodying both India’s vision for global harmony and the aspirations of its younger generation. A special first-day cover released alongside the stamp also recognised India’s longstanding contribution to UN peacekeeping missions, which the minister described as “a fundamental obligation of a conscientious member.”
As a founding member of the United Nations, India has issued commemorative stamps marking major UN milestones, including its 9th, 40th, 50th, and 75th anniversaries. The new UN@80 release continues that tradition, reaffirming India’s commitment to peace, development, and inclusive global governance while underscoring its call for urgent and representative reform of the UN system.
India Builds Ties With Taliban As Afghan-Pakistan Equation Sours
Afghanistan’s Taliban regime has taken a leaf from India’s Pakistan playbook: supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has ordered the construction of dams on the Kunar River “as fast as possible”.
The intention is clear: to reduce or restrict the flow of water into Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where it is used for irrigation and drinking water supply. In the long term, such restrictions could also impact the flow of the Indus and affect farming in Punjab province.
The order from the Taliban supremo comes within days of armed clashes with Pakistan that have taken hundreds of lives and saw Kabul being bombed.
It also comes in the wake of the first ever visit by a Taliban leader to India last week. Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi had extensive discussions with his Indian counterpart Dr S Jaishankar and the joint statement issued provides food for thought:
“Both sides underscored the need for sustainable water management and agreed to cooperate on hydroelectric projects with a view to addressing Afghanistan’s energy needs and supporting its agricultural development.”
India’s former ambassador to Afghanistan Jayant Prasad, in an interview to StratNewsGlobal, put it in simple and stark terms:
“For India to take out an insurance policy by engaging the Taliban is a good thing because we have to ensure that the current regime continues to adhere to the principle that it will not allow its territory to be used … against India because we have a security problem created by terrorist groups,” he said.
Prasad was India’s envoy in Kabul when the Indian Embassy came under terrorist attack twice in 2008 and in 2009 that led to the death of senior diplomats. India and Afghanistan, then under President Hamid Karzai, held Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) responsible for orchestrating the attacks in coordination with the Taliban.
That is in the past and not forgotten as India still does not recognise the Taliban regime. But it has upgraded what was operating in diplomatic parlance as a “technical mission” in Kabul to a full fledged embassy, albeit with a CdA (Charge de Affaires) holding charge, not an ambassador.
Prasad believes India must move quickly to restart the four consulates that India had in Afghanistan, in Kandahar, Herat, Jalalabad and Mazar-e-Sharif.
India had shut down its Embassy in Kabul on 15 August, 2021 when the Taliban entered the capital. The embassy staff along with then envoy Rudrendra Tandon was evacuated to Delhi by a special air force flight on 17 August 2021.
There was the justifiable concern that the Taliban posed a security threat to the embassy. There was also the fact that the Haqqani network, which carried out the twin attacks on the Indian embassy, is part of the Taliban.
“I think our diplomats will have to be careful. They have been careful in the past, but now they’ll have to be particularly careful. I don’t think in the changed circumstances, Siraj Haqqani and his group of fighters will create a particular problem for us. Our equations have changed,” said Prasad, adding that Pakistan continues to have influence in Afghanistan.
He said this is because the Afghan Taliban is also “divided” and that there are groups within Afghanistan who can “act at Pakistan’s behest and pose a threat to India.”