UN-PALESTINE-ISRAEL
The United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and Portugal officially recognised the Palestinian state yesterday, and six other countries, including France, will do so today at the opening of the UN General Assembly debate on the Franco-Saudi initiative for a two-state solution, which provides for an internationally guaranteed Palestinian administration with Hamas excluded from the government. Israeli leaders reacted harshly: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the birth of a Palestinian state “will never happen”, while far-right minister Ben Gvir is pushing for the immediate annexation of the West Bank in response to this political act.
INDIA
In a 19-minute address to the nation on the eve of the entry into force of a number of tax reforms today, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for strengthening “swadeshi” (national self-sufficiency). Modi emphasised the increased savings capacity that will be offered by the extension of the no tax area on income tax and the reduction in goods and services tax (GST) rates, which he called for to be allocated to the purchase of “Made in India” products. However, he did not directly mention the heavy trade tariffs imposed by the United States or President Donald Trump's recent decision to introduce a $100,000 fee on H-1B visas, which are most commonly used by highly skilled Indian workers to operate in the US.
NORTH KOREA-UNITED STATES
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he has ‘good memories’ of US President Donald Trump and that Pyongyang is open to talks with Washington, provided the United States renounces its demand for the denuclearisation of the North. Kim's words, delivered in a speech to parliament in Pyongyang, come after Trump, during last month's summit with President Lee Jae Myung, expressed hope of meeting the North Korean leader within the year. The US president will travel to South Korea at the end of October for the APEC summit, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
TAIWAN-JAPAN
Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te praised the establishment of a research centre in Taipei named after the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, calling it an important platform for the development of cooperation between Taiwan and Japan. The centre was inaugurated at the College of International Affairs of National Chengchi University (NCCU) in Taipei. ‘We owe the peace we enjoy today in Taiwan, instead of war, to Abe's foresight,’ Lai said.
INDONESIA
The Indonesian Ministry of Defence published a full-page advertisement in the country's leading newspaper, explaining and defending the main non-military programmes run by the armed forces, in response to criticism of the growing role of the military under President Prabowo Subianto. Since being elected president last year, Prabowo has increased the number of government posts entrusted to military personnel and involved the armed forces in the implementation of his government programme.
ARMENIA
Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan announced that Armenia has become a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, a decision that ‘fully corresponds to its ambitious political vision,’ as confirmed by the Court's secretary, Marcin Czepelak of Poland, with the great significance of ‘making the mechanism for resolving investment disputes effective and developing national projects in the global economy.’
RUSSIA
In October, the new Russian Orthodox messenger Zosima, named in honour of the saint who founded the Solovki Islands monastery, will be presented as a platform for exchanging information on churches in Russia as part of the restoration and construction project Spasi i sokhrani, “Save and Preserve”, where pages can be created for churches in need of repair, funds can be raised, information can be provided and links to other applications can be shared.
