- 3 weeks ago
This edition of India Today Global covers the landmark 10-year defence framework agreement signed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his US counterpart Pete Hegseth in Kuala Lumpur, a major development in the Indo-Pacific.
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00:00Hello and welcome, I'm Geeta Mohan and you're watching India Today Global.
00:15The big story, a day after the historic and amazing meeting between U.S. President Donald
00:20Trump and Xi Jinping, President of China, India and the United States of America have
00:26signed a 10-year defense framework agreement. The agreement was signed by Defense Minister
00:31Rajnath Singh and his U.S. counterpart Pete Hegseth in Kuala Lumpur. The signing of the
00:37agreement is seen as a crucial move after U.S. and China agreed on major trade issues ranging
00:43from soybeans to fentanyl to rare earth minerals. It's also important as India was hit with 50%
00:50tariff for purchasing Russian oil. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense
00:56Minister's meeting and the meeting plus. The deal lays out a long road map for deeper military
01:03collaboration, capacity building and joint initiative across the Indo-Pacific region.
01:09The agreement comes at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to immediately
01:15test nuclear weapons.
01:22It's one of the most consequential U.S.-Indian relationship in the world. And our strategic
01:27alignment is built on shared interests, on mutual trust, and accountability. And the
01:35U.S.-Indian relationship is one of the most consequential U.S.-Indian relationship in the
01:39world. And our strategic alignment is built on shared interests, on mutual trust, and a kind of
01:43commitment to a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific, which is precisely the conversation we had.
01:50It was the world's oldest democracy and the world's largest. And this new 10-year defense
01:56framework which we signed is ambitious. It's a significant step for our two militaries, a roadmap
02:02for deeper and even more meaningful collaboration ahead. It underscores America's long-term commitment
02:08to our shared security and our strong partnership between our countries. We have a major defense
02:14partnership that is ongoing and made even more powerful by this agreement. So, sir, thank you very much.
02:21Well, Rohit Sharma, my colleague, joins me from Washington to discuss what he's been tracking all
02:29along the Indo-U.S. relations, whether it's trade or, for that matter, defense. Rohit, the
02:36China-U.S. major announcements and meeting took place. And right after that, we're looking at a
02:42defense agreement between the two countries. A renewal, nonetheless, a very important one at that.
02:48Yeah, this was on expected lines either. This was supposed to actually happen sometime in the summer.
02:54So it's been delayed by a few months. But it happens, so happens, that both the leaders,
02:59Raksha Mansi from India and Secretary of War, were in ASEAN and they used this opportunity
03:05to sign the 10-year framework, which provides, you know, a policy direction for both the nations
03:11to cooperate over the next decade. And then talking about coordination between military,
03:14military exercises, information sharing, and technology and cooperation. So, all in all,
03:19I think it's good news. You know, some people were raising eyebrows over why this was delayed.
03:23But I think it's a really important thing. And the messaging right after that, how both leaders
03:28said that this is an important, you know, aspect of the relationship. And they continue to do so
03:32by signing another 10-year plan.
03:35Okay. But Rohit, this also comes at a time when trade is not moving forward. The trade talks
03:40seem to be going downhill rather than uphill. Although we've heard statements from both
03:47sides saying that they are working towards President Trump saying that they are going
03:51to sign a deal. But that's not really happened. So we are opening the Indian markets when it
03:56comes to defence sector. But US remains closed for India when it comes to things that we
04:01want to export to America.
04:03Well, look, I think President Trump, you know, and Prime Minister Modi, when they met way back
04:10in February, they talked about, and the Indian side actually talked about, increasing our
04:14trade with the US up to $500 billion. So defence allows India, you know, to shorten that gap,
04:20right? And if India is able to purchase defence equipments that it needs from the US, it will
04:26definitely help. It will probably do both things. First, it will make President Trump happy.
04:31Second, you know, it reduces that trade gap. So we'll have to wait and watch how, you know,
04:35everything, you know, happens now that all, as I've said, I was talking yesterday, all eyes
04:40are on India right now and what we can offer the US in terms of the trade deal. But more
04:45likely, I think more than likely, now that we have this trade framework, I think we'll probably
04:49see India purchasing more military equipment from the US and then also trying to offset that
04:54trade balance.
04:55Okay, one important aspect of that agreement, again, Rohit, is co-production, joint production.
05:02How will the two countries align making India with making America? Because Trump has made
05:08it very clear, especially with the Defence Production Act, that whatever needs to be made
05:13will have to be made in America.
05:15And that's where the challenge is, right? I mean, if you look at the framework, the tenure
05:20framework at that, you know, it does talk about co-production and R&D, but how will that
05:25happen, right? I mean, we did see, you know, Indian officials meeting with some military contractors
05:30in the US. For example, the Indian ambassador recently met with Lockheed Martin's CEO. So there
05:37is some talk about tech transfer and making sure that both countries can build. But I think with
05:43President Trump's, you know, mandate, we'll have to wait and watch how they can overcome
05:46this challenge. But the framework does include co-production and joint R&D.
05:50And we'll have to wait and see how that really works out. Because Prime Minister Modi, when
05:55he took office, had very, very, had been very insistent that defence production will have
06:00to move to India. 21st century India will not depend on other countries. But Trump, and
06:06Trump 2.0 particularly, is creating a lot of challenges, Rohit, for India. But we'll keep
06:13it at that for now. Thank you so much for joining. Keep tracking the stories from D.C.
06:18and we'll keep coming to you. Now, the US Department of Labor has released a new advertisement highlighting
06:26the H-1B visa abuse faced by Americans that President Donald Trump seeks to now stop. The
06:34ad says that the American dream of millions of Americans was stolen by people on H-1B visa and
06:40highlights the countries that benefit the most from it, leading with India. The ad also shows
06:47a pie chart of countries with the most H-1B visa approvals. On top is India with 72%, followed
06:55by China with 12%, Canada and the Philippines with 1% each and other 14%. The ad comes around
07:04the launch of Project Firewall rolled out by the Labor Department in September to audit H-1B
07:09visa compliance. The project also aims to prevent companies from replacing American workers
07:16with low paid foreign professionals. Meanwhile, elected members of the Congress, which includes
07:21Indian American Representative Ami Bera, Representative Jimmy Panetta and Congressman Salud
07:28Carbajal, Representative Julie Johnson and Representative Derek Tran have urged Trump in a letter to reconsider
07:36the H-1B visa proclamation. Trump and his administration have repeatedly villainized the legal and official
07:43H-1B visa, the companies that offer it and the people who receive it. Weeks after raising H-1B visa fees
07:51to $100,000, making it practically unaffordable, the U.S. authorities announced the end of automatic
07:59extension of employment authorization documents, that's EAD, for foreigners, a move likely to affect
08:06a large number of Indian immigrants and workers. The U.S. State Department of Homeland Security said
08:12the decision aims to prioritize proper screening and vetting of foreigners before extending the validity
08:19of their employment authorizations or work permits. According to the new rule, foreigners who file to
08:25renew their EAD on or after the 30th of October this year will no longer receive an automatic extension,
08:31the DHS had said in a release. Through Project Firewall, we're taking action to hold companies
08:38accountable for H-1B abuse and ensure they prioritize Americans in the hiring process.
08:46Now, the Trump administration is restricting number of refugees admitted annually to the United States
08:52to 7,500 and mostly they're white South Africans. This move is a dramatic shift in the Trump policy
09:03towards immigration, which perceives illegal migrants as aliens and deems risk to the nation's security
09:10or threat to U.S. jobs. No reason was given for this shift in policy published in a notice on the Federal
09:17Register and are a steep decrease from last year's ceiling of 125,000 set under Democratic President Joe Biden.
09:27The notice said the admission of the 7,500 refugees during the 2026 budget year, which began October 1st,
09:34was justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest.
09:39It made no mention of any other specific groups to be admitted besides white South Africans,
09:45known also as Afrikaners.
09:48Trump has claimed Afrikaners face persecution based on their race in the black majority country,
09:54allegations the South African government has completely denied.
09:59Trump paused all U.S. refugee admissions when he took office in January,
10:03saying they could only be restarted if they were established to be in the best interests of the U.S.
10:09Weeks later, he launched an effort to bring in Afrikaners, sparking criticism from refugee supporters.
10:18According to Reuters, only 138 South Africans had entered the U.S. by early September.
10:28Now, after failed diplomatic talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Istanbul, which was mediated by Qatar and Turkey,
10:37a fresh salvo was launched by Afghanistan's Interior Minister Sir Rajdin Haqqani.
10:42Haqqani, during a speech at firefighting directorate training seminar, accused Pakistan of exporting its internal conflicts across the Durand line.
10:52He said, and I quote,
10:53people of Afghanistan may have internal problems, but they are united against foreign aggression.
10:59He also warned Pakistan that if you bring, and I quote him, if you bring your problems into Afghanistan and create turmoil here, this mistake will cost you dearly.
11:09The statement comes amid rising tensions between both the countries and skirmishes along the border.
11:14Islamabad has accused Kabul of providing shelter to Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, a terror organization designated by Pakistan, which Taliban now vehemently denies.
11:27While Haqqani stressed for peace, he said, and I quote,
11:31no one will suffer problems originating from Afghanistan because of us.
11:35He warned that further provocations could alter regional balance.
11:44Now, Afghanistan's former Taliban envoy to Pakistan, Abdul Salam Zaif,
11:49he spoke to me in an interview and has in no uncertain terms said Pakistan's military dictatorship must end.
12:01Watch this explosive interview, an excerpt over here, full interview on India Today Global's YouTube channel.
12:08Let's begin with the talks itself. Why do you think the two sides that have for many, many years, in the sense at least the Taliban with Pakistan administration worked or had a working relationship or had ties, suddenly we see a complete collapse and breakdown. Why?
12:29I think this is something not now, but the problem of Pakistan was always with the central government.
12:42That's what I was believing.
12:44When Indian colleagues asked me that the Taliban, they are not independent, I told them, no, this is not true.
12:54When they come to the power, when they come to the government, any Afghan, they will be independent towards Afghanistan.
13:02And they will be protecting the benefit of Afghanistan. And the interest of Afghanistan will be forced for anyone.
13:11So the Pakistan, right now, the problem is in the Pakistan, not in the Taliban.
13:17Because as a neighbour, we want a good relationship with anyone, with Pakistan, because we have the Jordan Line, it's almost 1,200 kilometres.
13:30And that's necessary to be stable outside. But we want that to be stable.
13:37But in the same time, we want respect to Afghanistan, to the idea of Afghanistan, to the sovereignty of Afghanistan. That's as important.
13:47The Pakistan, they have a problem inside. That's, they aren't secure right now.
13:54And they have no stability politically and economically. And they are thinking that the Taliban, they have a role in that.
14:03They are ignoring the people that they are not able to bring security and stability to Pakistan.
14:12They are putting their responsibility on the other's shoulder. That's their problem, not our problem.
14:18Always we are, because we know the fruit of peace, that's a long term, more than 45 years, we will retain.
14:31And right now, we are enjoying the fruit of stability. We know the value of the security and stability in Afghanistan.
14:43We don't want to destroy this kind of thing. But the Pakistan must understand, they must respect Afghanistan and the sovereignty of Afghanistan. This is the problem.
14:54Right. Ambassador Zaif, you've known Pakistan very well. You've served there. Is the Pakistan of that time very different from the Pakistan of today? And how have they changed? How has their viewpoint changed towards Kabul?
15:09I think that the Pakistan, they misunderstood from the previous time. When the Americans, they were in Afghanistan. Before that, when the Soviet Union, they were in Afghanistan, they were fighting. The refugees from Afghanistan, they were in Pakistan. And they took a lot of benefit from this situation. They became a power. They got the weapons. They got the nuclear weapons.
15:38And the nuclear weapons also. And the other progress in Pakistan came. And they are thinking that Afghanistan must listen to us. And the last time, you know, that's when the Russian, the Soviet Union, they leave Afghanistan.
15:56But there were negotiations. But there were negotiations between some parties. Pakistan were participating instead of the Mujahideen and Geneva. But still, the Afghan people, they didn't know what's happened there, what was the contract there.
16:13But this time, the Taliban, the Taliban, the Taliban used that they didn't give any chance to Pakistan to decide about the political situation of Afghanistan. The Taliban, they did by itself.
16:35But the Pakistan became angry because they didn't want, they didn't want, they didn't want the Taliban to come to the power. And they wanted, that's like Mujahideen, the Taliban fight, and they will take advantage from that.
16:49True.
16:50True.
16:51True.
16:52True.
16:53True.
16:54True.
16:55True.
17:20True.
17:21True.
17:22True.
17:23I will tell you, that's was agreed.
17:24Afghanistan will not drugs against them. And Afghanistan will be not supporting anyone, anyone, to, to do that or something dangerous in Pakistan. Yes. But the Pakistan will do the same. Because if someone targeting Afghanistan from inside Pakistan, they have a guarantee.
17:46For example, the American, they are coming, their airplane is coming and they are bombing
17:54Afghanistan through Pakistan.
17:56They have responsibility for that.
17:57They have to stop it, for example.
18:00And other activities like Daesh, they are supported by them.
18:04They have to stop and they have to guarantee that they are not interfering in the internal
18:09issue of Afghanistan, not supporting anyone.
18:12This will be respect from both sides, but they were not accepting responsibility and
18:17they want guarantee from Afghanistan.
18:19That was the reason, the feeling of negotiation.
18:22Right.
18:23But are there any guarantees, because Pakistan now claims that they have evidence about TTP
18:30being given safe havens on Afghan soil, and that Afghanistan is not committing to acting
18:37against or reigning in the TTP?
18:41I think this is the claim only.
18:43But the evidence, I don't think they have.
18:47They targeted four times during the fighting.
18:50They are targeting the places in Kabul and Kandahar and Paktia, and they said we targeted the TTP.
18:57But this was not true.
18:59They killed the Syrian people and they destroyed the house of the people of Afghanistan.
19:04That means their claim is different from their evidence.
19:07They have no evidence.
19:09But anyway, that's some issue is that the Taliban, Afghanistan, they claim the Daesh is inside
19:16Pakistan.
19:17And they are supporting.
19:18They have evidence for that.
19:19Showing the evidence there is a claim, they are the support here.
19:24These people are the support here.
19:25That shows clear evidence, but they are not accepting that.
19:28Okay.
19:29And finally, before I let you go, I saw some of your comments, Ambassador Zahid, you're saying
19:34that the interlocutor of Pakistan should change.
19:37What's the problem there?
19:39The Pakistan problem, internal problem, they have to resolve their problem.
19:46This is one.
19:47Secondly, the military dictatorship, that's the problem inside Pakistan.
19:55And I know that the people, the population, the politicians, all they want, they don't want
20:03fighting with Afghanistan.
20:04They don't want any kind of problem with Pakistan.
20:07The only military, they want the problem.
20:10I think the people of Pakistan, if they want to stay secure with the people, and they want
20:19to stay in stability with our neighbor, they must do something to finish the dictatorship
20:27of military power in Pakistan.
20:30This is the only way to resolve it.
20:32I wrote something about that, because the military people, they didn't know how to negotiate.
20:40And they didn't know how to respect.
20:42They didn't know the diplomacy.
20:45And they are proud, and they are attacking by some kind of unlogic.
20:51That's, I said, there must be a change, and the people to know, respect, who are in negotiation,
21:01to have experience about that.
21:06And let's take a look at some other stories from across the world, in World at a Glance.
21:19President Donald Trump has urged congressional Republicans to unilaterally and the government
21:28shut down by eliminating the Senate filibuster, urging them to take an unprecedented step that
21:35GOP leaders have firmly opposed until now.
21:38The Buckingham Palace announced that Andrew would lose all his royal titles and leave his
21:4730-room mansion in Windsor.
21:49After losing title, Andrew, brother of King Charles, will now be known as Andrew Mountbate
21:54in Windsor.
21:55But according to sources, he won't leave the royal lodge immediately.
21:58In a posthumous memoir, Virginia Giffray repeated allegations that, as a teenager, she had sex
22:05with Andrew on three separate occasions at Jeffrey Epstein's mansion.
22:10Andrew has always denied the claims.
22:16According to news agency ANP, Dutch centrist party D66 won the most votes in the general election.
22:23Victory makes 38-year-old leader Job Jetten on course to become the youngest ever prime minister
22:29in the Netherlands.
22:30D66 is now expected to take the lead in a first round of talks to form a coalition government,
22:36a process which usually takes months.
22:43NASA's rejected reality star Kim Kardashian claimed that the 1969 space mission to land
22:49the first man on the moon was faked.
22:51Kardashian's comments came on the latest episode of her long-running TV series,
22:56The Kardashians.
22:57She told co-star Sarah Paulson she thought the moon landing did not happen.
23:04Still becoming the first gay...
23:09Alright, she's not praying for love anymore.
23:11She's lighting a cigarette instead.
23:14Lily Allen's West End Girl isn't just another break-up album,
23:17it's a confessional wrapped in smoke and sin.
23:20Here's how she turned heartbreak into a holy rebellion.
23:24There are no saints after heartbreak, and Lily Allen isn't pretending to be one.
23:41In the visuals of a surprise album, West End Girl, Allen takes a smoke break from sainthood.
23:47A wavered nun in black and white, half sinner, half saint.
23:52Released last Friday, the album is being read as a confessional, a play-by-play of the collapse of a five-year marriage to actor David Harbour.
24:15The couple's love story began with a Vegas elopement in 2020 after meeting on the celebrity dating app Raya.
24:26Now fans are decoding lyrics against years of rumours and interviews, like detectives at a pop culture crime scene.
24:34And now we're all here, we've moved to New York, we've found a nice little rent on it, a sweet little school.
24:43Even their architectural, digest home tour, once a fan favourite, is being re-read as foreshadowing.
24:49Throughout the album's imagery, Lily toys with Catholic iconography, Madonna one moment, her own heretic the next.
25:05She isn't the scorned wife or the untouchable saint.
25:10She's a woman caught between faith and fury, between self-doubt and desire.
25:15You don't touch me, you don't touch me, still so needy, and I don't know if you do it intentionally, somehow you make it.
25:32Pop has long borrowed the nun's veil, from Gaga to fashion front rose, but Lily's version feels raw, even repentant.
25:40For Lily Allen, this isn't a scandal, it's scripture.
25:54Western Girl is a sermon of heartbreak, sin and self-awareness.
25:59Vrishitja Gosavi, Bureau Report, India Today.
26:07Well that's all in this edition of India Today Global.
26:09But before I go, here is yet another interesting story, known for Train to Busan and Eternals.
26:15Dawn Lee will reportedly take on a pivotal role in the Telugu film Spirit, directed by Sandeep Redivanga and starring Prabhas.
26:25However, despite the widespread reports, there has been no official announcement from the film's production team regarding Lee's casting.
26:33Take a look at this report. Goodbye and take care.
26:36Take care.
26:43When power meets power, you know something explosive is about to unfold on the big screen.
26:49Korean actor Dawn Lee, also known as Ma Dong Seok, has reportedly been cast in the upcoming Telugu-language film Spirit, directed by Sandeep Redivanga and led by Prabhas.
27:07News of Lee's involvement surfaced in Korean entertainment media, which described his role as the primary antagonist in the film.
27:14The production is expected to bring Lee into direct conflict with Prabhas's character, marking Lee's first foray into the Indian film industry.
27:24The casting reports have attracted attention due to Lee's international profile, built on his performances in Train to Busan and Marvel's Eternals.
27:43Korean media highlighted the significance of his joining an Indian production, noting the growing cross-cultural collaborations in global cinema.
28:02Rumours about Don Lee's participation intensified when he shared social media posts depicting his travel to India.
28:12However, despite the widespread reports, there has been no official announcements from the film's production team regarding Lee's casting.
28:20Meanwhile, Spirit is described as a cop-action film with Prabhas starring alongside Thripti Dimri, Prakash Raj and Vivek Obroy.
28:31The film's director Sandeep Redivanga is credited for his previous works such as Animal,
28:37and Arjun Redi.
28:51And Arjun Redi.
29:05And has gained a reputation as one of the most controversial commercial directors in recent times.
29:12Produced on a massive scale, Spirit is slated for a global theatrical release in 2026.
29:19Entertainment Bureau, India Today.
29:35Executive Director of Outdoctor of the World of
29:38Public Media
29:53The Coca-Cola-Cartel of the World of
29:57World of
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