- 3 months ago
This edition of India Today Global focusses on a historic $550 billion trade and defence pact signed by US President Donald Trump and Japan's first female Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, aimed at countering China's influence.
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00:00Hello and welcome, I'm Geeta Mohan and you're watching India Today Global, the big story.
00:05It's being called a golden age for US-Japan relations.
00:08Trump and Prime Minister Sanayatakaichi sealed a $550 billion trade and defense pact,
00:14cutting tariffs, boosting investments and countering China's influence.
00:19But is this stability for Asia or a looming power showdown?
00:23Here's a report by Shaarik Saha.
00:30It's being called a golden age for US-Japan relations.
00:38In Tokyo, President Donald Trump and Japan's newly elected Prime Minister Sanayatakaichi
00:44have signed a historic set of trade and mineral agreements, worth a staggering $550 billion.
00:52At the glittering Akasaka Palace, the two leaders exchanged warm words and symbolic gifts.
00:58From a gold-leaf golf ball to a signed putter, once used by the late Shinzo Abe,
01:05Takaichi's mentor and Trump's close friend.
01:08And it's a great honor to be with you, especially so early in what will be, I think, one of the greatest Prime Ministers.
01:17I think you will be one of the great—everything I know from Shinzo and others, you will be one of the great Prime Ministers.
01:23I'd also like to congratulate you on being the first woman Prime Minister.
01:29That's a big deal.
01:30That's a big deal.
01:31And I want to congratulate you on that.
01:33I think that has to be called out.
01:35And you're going to do a fantastic job.
01:38And we're going to have a fantastic relationship.
01:40Thank you very much.
01:43Their message, continuity, camaraderie, and a stronger-than-ever alliance.
01:50The new accords slash U.S. tariffs on Japanese imports from 25 percent down to 15 percent,
01:57while Japan pledges massive investments in American manufacturing, AI, shipbuilding, and clean energy.
02:04Takai-chi called it a defining moment, her first big move on the world stage,
02:11and Trump's biggest foreign policy win since returning to the White House.
02:19I often heard from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about President Trump's dynamic diplomacy.
02:26You contributed to Asia's peace, including helping bring about a ceasefire deal between Thailand and Cambodia.
02:33And more recently, the agreement in the Middle East, which was an unprecedented historic achievement.
02:39In order to make Japan and the United States stronger and more prosperous,
02:43I want to work together with President Trump to build a new golden age of Japan-U.S. alliance.
02:52But there is more at stake.
02:56A second agreement on rare earths and critical minerals aims to reduce dependence on China.
03:04A clear signal is Washington and Tokyo tightened their grip on global supply chains.
03:12Beyond economics, the two reaffirmed their defense alliance.
03:16Japan will hike military spending to 2 percent of GDP, buy more U.S. defense gear,
03:23and even nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his ceasefire diplomacy.
03:28As Trump's Asia tour continues, which stops in South Korea and a high-stakes meeting with China's Xi Jinping,
03:36this Tokyo summit sets the tone.
03:38Trade, technology, Taiwan, and tension, all on the table in what could reshape the Indo-Pacific balance for years to come.
03:51From handshake diplomacy to hard-powered deals,
03:54Trump and Takayi's golden age might just be the dawn of a new era in the Pacific.
03:59The Taliban-Pakistan peace talks might have hit a roadblock following several rounds of negotiations mediated by Turkey and Qatar.
04:16This has really heightened tensions along the border.
04:19Both countries have launched blame and counter-blames with the fate of people hanging in the balance.
04:25Meanwhile, all border crossings between the two sides have remained shut for more than two weeks now,
04:32with trucks carrying goods stranded and waiting for the reopening of routes.
04:36Mahashweta Lala with this report.
04:41Turkey agreed to mediate in yet another conflict, this time between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
04:48Istanbul hosted both Kabul and Islamabad for peace talks.
04:52After three days of negotiations, peace talks collapsed with state medias of both countries blaming each other for failing to reach a deal.
05:01Pakistan has time and again claimed that Afghanistan has been a haven for terror outfit Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan,
05:07which Kabul has been denying.
05:10The talks in Istanbul are a part of a broader diplomatic push to ease tensions at the borders.
05:16Delegations from the two neighbours remain in Turkey, but it was not immediately clear whether a fourth day of talks would be held.
05:25Earlier rounds of negotiations were held in Doha, which was mediated by Qatar and Turkey.
05:32During the negotiations, the two sides agreed to an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of mechanisms
05:38to consolidate lasting peace and stability between the two countries.
05:43Both parties also agreed to hold follow-up meetings in the coming days
05:47to ensure sustainability of the ceasefire and verify its implementation in a reliable and sustainable manner.
05:55Pakistani media reported that Turkish officials and several other countries
05:59are working to uphold the ceasefire agreed on October 19 in Doha,
06:03after the first round of negotiations.
06:06Pakistani Defence Minister Khwaja Asif has warned of an open war if peace talks failed.
06:16I saw in them that they wanted some peace.
06:19So if their conditions regarding us are met, then God willing, there will definitely be an agreement.
06:24If we cannot reach an agreement, then there is the option of open war against them.
06:28According to Pakistani officials, the Taliban delegation was not fully willing to accept Pakistan's proposals.
06:38Similar accusations were made by Afghan-controlled media RTR against the Pakistani side,
06:43saying Kabul made every effort to hold constructive talks,
06:47but that the Pakistani side does not seem to have this intention.
06:51Meanwhile, Taliban First Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Interior,
06:55Mohammed Nabi Omari, has said that a war is imposed on Afghanistan again,
07:00Kabul will defend itself and give a tooth-breaking response.
07:06Meanwhile, as peace deal is awaited,
07:08all border crossings between the two sides have remained shut for more than two weeks,
07:13however, with trucks carrying goods stranded and waiting for the reopening of key trade routes.
07:18US President Donald Trump has pledged to resolve the crisis,
07:21adding yet another accolade to his efforts to stopping wars.
07:26Mahashwet Alala, Bureau Report, India Today.
07:31Now, two US Navy aircraft, an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter and an F-18 Super Hornet fighter jet,
07:39crashed in separate incidents in the South China Sea on Sunday within a span of 30 minutes.
07:45The US Navy has acknowledged the crashes, but has not disclosed what the aircraft were doing
07:51in the geopolitically sensitive South China Sea at the time.
07:55However, China's Foreign Ministry said the aircraft crashed during a military exercise.
08:01Chinese Foreign Ministry also said it would be willing to provide humanitarian assistance
08:05to the US following the crashes.
08:08The US Navy has launched investigations to determine the cause of the crashes.
08:13The incident occurred as the USS Nimitz, one of the Navy's oldest aircraft carriers
08:19and also the world's largest warship operated in the South China Sea.
08:25USS Nimitz, one of the largest warships in the world and the oldest aircraft carrier,
08:31is set to be retired by 2026.
08:34The crashes come at a sensitive time, coinciding with US President Donald Trump's visit to Asian countries,
08:41where he's expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss trade and other issues.
08:55Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif is on a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia.
09:00This is his fourth visit this year.
09:02It also comes following the signing of a mutual defense agreement
09:06between Shahbaz Sharif and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
09:09Shahbaz Sharif and Salman bring along a high-level delegation
09:15and the two sides are also attending the ninth edition of the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh,
09:24hosted by none other than Crown Prince Salman.
09:28The visit also comes after the Saudi delegation's visit to Pakistan weeks earlier,
09:34during which several deals were inked.
09:36Pakistani Premier hosted the delegation at the Prime Minister's office.
09:41As part of the mutual defense pact,
09:43Saudi Arabia plans to increase bilateral trade with Pakistan
09:47from $5 billion to $15 billion annually across all sectors.
09:53Now, French police have made new progress into their recent theft at the Louvre Museum,
10:04detaining two people for questioning, according to local media reports.
10:07According to a statement from the Paris Prosecutor's Office,
10:11authorities apprehended several suspects linked to the Louvre jewelry theft.
10:16One suspect was arrested at Paris Airport as he prepared to board an international flight.
10:22Nine pieces of French crown jewels kept at the world-renowned Louvre Museum in Paris
10:28were stolen by four burglars.
10:30During their escape, the gang abandoned one of the stolen items,
10:34which was later found damaged near the museum.
10:37Around 100 investigators have been mobilized to track down the perpetrators
10:41and recover the missing pieces.
10:43According to the Paris Prosecutor's Office,
10:45the estimated financial loss from the robbery amounts to €88 million.
10:55Now, a U.S. YouTuber is facing online outrage for posting a video
11:00in which he participated in a festival in Karnataka,
11:04in a village in Karnataka,
11:06during which people throw cow dung at each other
11:09to mark the end of the Pavali.
11:11The video, which has garnered 5 million views on X,
11:15drew criticism from social media users
11:18who accused Tyler Oliveira of mocking a tradition
11:22and ignoring its religious significance.
11:25As outrage grew online,
11:26the 25-year-old claimed his video was being censored
11:30and mass-reported by Indian users.
11:33Responding to the criticism,
11:35he defended himself, saying,
11:36and I quote,
11:37it isn't racist to film a poop-throwing festival.
11:41The video posted on the 23rd of October
11:44was filmed in Gumatapura village
11:46during the Gorehabha festival.
11:49According to local belief,
11:51the village's deity,
11:53Bereshwara Swami,
11:54was born from cow dung
11:56and the festival honors this legend
11:58by having residents throw cow dung at one another.
12:01He then shared another video titled,
12:03and I quote,
12:04Many social media users accused the YouTuber
12:19of disrespecting traditions and culture
12:21and saying his portrayal of the festival
12:24carried racist undertones.
12:26Meanwhile, many even suggested
12:28that his video might have been AI-generated.
12:31To this,
12:32Oliveira responded,
12:33and I quote,
12:34This is 100% real.
12:35I can't wait to show you
12:37a 30-minute version of it,
12:39traveling 10,000 miles
12:40and spending thousands of dollars.
12:42Two nations under sanctions,
12:57one railway defining the West,
12:59or defying the West,
13:01to be precise,
13:01from Iran to Russia.
13:03The Rashid-Astara line
13:05isn't just steel,
13:07it's strategy.
13:08In today's street craft,
13:09we ask,
13:10is this the dawn
13:11of a new anti-Western world order
13:13being created by Russia and Iran?
13:17Watch the full episode
13:18on Statecraft
13:19on India Today Global's YouTube channel.
13:31They were sanctioned,
13:33they were cornered,
13:34but now they're building a new road,
13:36not through diplomacy or peace,
13:38but steel and defiance.
13:40Iran and Russia are about to connect
13:41their fates through the Rashid-Astara Railway,
13:45a 162-kilometer line
13:47that could change global trade forever.
13:50A link in the International
13:52North-South Transport Corridor,
13:54or the INSTC,
13:55designed to slice through continents,
13:58bypass the Suez Canal,
13:59and shatter the economic chokehold
14:02of the West.
14:03It's more than a railway,
14:04it's a rebellion,
14:06engineered in iron,
14:08fueled by sanctions,
14:09and aimed straight at Washington.
14:12So the question is,
14:14is this how Iran and Russia
14:16are fighting back against America
14:18and the West's sanctions?
14:20Hello and welcome.
14:21You're watching Statecraft
14:22with me, Geeta Mohan.
14:31As the US doubles down on sanctions,
14:34Iran and Russia are striking back
14:35with rails, ports, and pipelines.
14:38Tehran calls it a turning point
14:40for regional connectivity.
14:41Moscow calls it
14:42a declaration of independence
14:44from Western roots.
14:46And together,
14:46they're reviving a trade artery
14:48that predates empires,
14:50from the Persian Gulf
14:51to the Baltic.
14:53But here's the twist.
14:54Is this defiance just survival
14:56or the start of a new
14:57anti-Western economic bloc
14:59backed by China?
15:01Let's break it down.
15:03This 162-kilometer stretch
15:05between Rasht and Astara
15:07isn't just concrete and steel.
15:09It's the missing link
15:10in a geopolitical jigsaw.
15:12Once completed,
15:13trains will roll uninterrupted
15:15from Iran's southern ports
15:17all the way to Moscow,
15:18St. Petersburg,
15:20and beyond into Northern Europe.
15:22The route forms the beating heart
15:24of the International
15:25North-South Transport Corridor,
15:27the INSTC,
15:29a 7,200-kilometer network
15:31that slashes trade costs by 30%
15:34and cuts travel time
15:35from 37 days to just 19.
15:38That's almost half the time
15:40of the Suez Canal route.
15:42For Tehran and Moscow,
15:43that's not just logistics.
15:45It's liberation.
15:48Two sanctioned economies
15:49both forced to the periphery,
15:51now building a corridor
15:53that runs right through
15:54the heart of Eurasia.
15:56This isn't cooperation.
15:58This is confrontation
15:59by construction.
16:01The railway doesn't just move cargo.
16:03It moves power.
16:05Russia's not only paying,
16:07it's building.
16:08It's engineers,
16:09it's expertise,
16:10it's strategic hand
16:11guiding every kilometer
16:13of the track.
16:13Four years of work
16:15to finish what history
16:16once paused.
16:18Because this route
16:19isn't new,
16:20it's ancient.
16:22So yes,
16:23this is Iran and Russia
16:24fighting back.
16:25But it's more than retaliation,
16:27it's reinvention.
16:28A land bridge between
16:29the Indian Ocean
16:30and the Arctic Circle.
16:32One that rewires
16:34how goods,
16:35gas,
16:35and geopolitics flow.
16:37The corridor
16:38transforms both nations
16:39from pariahs to pillars,
16:41not of the Western order,
16:42but of a parallel one.
16:45Let's talk about timing.
16:46The Rashid-Astara deal
16:48comes as Iran and Russia
16:50begin implementing
16:51their 20-year
16:52Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty
16:54signed in January 2025.
16:57That's not just paperwork,
16:59it's policy.
17:00Trade,
17:01energy,
17:02defense,
17:02infrastructure,
17:03all bound together
17:04in one long-term alliance.
17:07When Moscow and Tehran
17:08talk about strategic depth,
17:10this is what they mean.
17:11Rails that connect economies,
17:14roads that bypass sanctions,
17:15roads that never sleep.
17:19And here's the irony.
17:20The more the US
17:21tightens sanctions,
17:22the faster this corridor moves.
17:24The message is clear.
17:25Every time Washington
17:26tries to isolate them,
17:28they build another bridge.
17:30The INSTC itself isn't new.
17:32It was envisioned
17:33back in 2000
17:34by India,
17:35Iran,
17:36and Russia
17:36as a way to link
17:38Mumbai to Moscow
17:39via Tehran
17:40and the Kaskin Sea.
17:42But it languished
17:43in bureaucracy
17:44and geopolitics
17:45for two decades.
17:47Now sanctions
17:47have breathed life into it.
17:50What began as a trade route
17:51has turned into
17:52a geopolitical weapon.
17:54And every kilometer
17:55of new rail
17:55tightens its grip
17:56on Eurasia's future.
17:59But here's where
17:59the story widens.
18:01China
18:01Beijing's support for the north-south corridor
18:05within the framework
18:06of its Belt and Road Initiative
18:08carries enormous weight.
18:10After pouring billions
18:11into Pakistan's Gwadir port
18:13to bypass the Strait of Hormuz,
18:15China now sees this corridor
18:17as the perfect complement
18:18to its own trade network.
18:20It's not just about logistics,
18:22it's about leverage.
18:23For Beijing,
18:25linking the INSTC
18:27with the BRI
18:28means building
18:28a seamless land bridge
18:30from the South China Sea
18:31to the Baltic.
18:32And in doing so,
18:33it brings together
18:34three heavyweights,
18:36China,
18:36Russia,
18:37and maybe India
18:38if BRI
18:39is not a part of it
18:41since it's a very sensitive
18:42issue for India.
18:45But each
18:45with different ambitions,
18:48one shared goal,
18:49to escape the chokehold
18:50of Western sanctions.
18:53This convergence
18:54could blunt
18:55the impact of
18:55US and EU restrictions
18:57on Iran,
18:58reshaping
18:59Eurasian trade flows
19:00beyond Washington's control.
19:02How far
19:03will the West
19:04let this partnership go
19:05before it strikes back?
19:07And let's not forget,
19:09while the US
19:09tries to isolate
19:10Iran and Russia,
19:12Beijing welcomes them
19:13into BRICS,
19:14into the SCO,
19:16into shared platforms
19:17that reject
19:17Western sanctions
19:18as illegitimate.
19:19It's a silent revolt,
19:21one railway at a time.
19:23But there's another
19:24piece of the puzzle,
19:25Afghanistan.
19:27Russia's early recognition
19:29wasn't about ideology,
19:30it was about infrastructure.
19:32A stable,
19:33cooperative Afghanistan
19:34means uninterrupted
19:36transit routes
19:37for Moscow's
19:38Eurasian dream.
19:39And Iran?
19:40It's already building
19:41roads and energy links
19:43to Afghanistan,
19:44hoping to anchor
19:45the country's trade
19:46eastward,
19:47not westward.
19:47If Kabul joins
19:49the INSTC,
19:50it won't just be
19:51a passenger,
19:52it'll be a pivotal junction.
19:55And let's be clear,
19:56this isn't just about trade,
19:58this is about
19:59power projection.
20:00The US built
20:01its empire
20:02on oceans,
20:03Iran and Russia
20:04are now building
20:04theirs on land.
20:06The corridors
20:07they're constructing
20:08redefine connectivity
20:09and sovereignty.
20:10A ship can be sanctioned,
20:14a bank can be frozen,
20:16but a railway
20:16that runs from Tehran
20:18to Moscow?
20:19That's a lifeline
20:20no aircraft carrier
20:21can blockade.
20:22The US sanctions regime,
20:25the so-called
20:25maximum pressure policy,
20:27revived by Donald Trump,
20:29was designed
20:29to cripple economies.
20:31Instead,
20:32it's forging alliances.
20:34Iran's oil exports
20:35may have dropped,
20:36Russia's tech imports
20:37may have slowed,
20:38but together
20:39they're building
20:40something sanctions
20:42can't stop,
20:43infrastructure.
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