Tokyo, May 21 (IANS) Japanese Agriculture Minister Taku Eto resigned on Wednesday following backlash over a controversial remark about getting rice from supporters. Addressing a fundraising party over the weekend, Eto had said, “I’m not buying rice. Thanks to my supporters giving me plenty of it, I have so much of it in my house that I could sell it.”The comment drew public ire as the consumers in Japan face soaring food prices, local media reported.Eto submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru, hours before latter was set to face off in parliament with leaders of the opposition parties of the country. The Opposition was united in its demand for the removal of Eto from the Minister’s post, threatening a no-confidence motion against him.”I asked myself whether it is appropriate for me to stay at the helm (of the ministry) at a critical time for rice prices, and I concluded that it is not. I don’t think I can be the one implementing the government’s policy on rice at this time. Once again, I apologise to the people for making extremely inappropriate comments as Minister when they are struggling with surging rice prices,” Eto said, addressing reporters at the Prime Minister’s office after tendering his resignation.Eto’s controversial comments came when his ministry decided to release rice from emergency stockpiles to help curb prices that have roughly doubled from a year earlier due to a poor harvest, and the prices for the staple food remained high, Japanese news agency Kyodo News reported.The opposition lawmakers termed the comments as “insensitive” and “inappropriate,” while Ishiba apologised in an effort to control further damage as the regular Parliamentary session approaches.”I myself have to apologise deeply as someone who appointed him. The responsibility also lies with me,” Ishiba told reporters.Later on Monday, Eto told reporters that he was ready to step down if Prime Minister Ishiba wanted him to.”I retract my remarks fully and apologise,” said Eto, a lawmaker representing a constituency in Miyazaki Prefecture on Kyushu in Japan.According to a report of Kyodo News, the average price of rice sold at Japanese supermarkets between May 5 and 11 reached a record 4,268 yen ($29) per 5 kilograms, up from 4,214 yen between late April and early May, when it dropped for the first time in 18 weeks.–IANSint/scor/sd/

Seoul, May 21 (IANS) The top military officers of South Korea and the US vowed to further strengthen the allies’ trilateral security cooperation with Japan during their first video talks earlier this week, the South’s military said Wednesday.Adm. Kim Myung-soo, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), and his US counterpart, Gen. John Daniel Caine, held the talks Tuesday, which marked the first between the two sides since Caine took office last month.”Through the South Korea-US-Japan Trilateral Chief of Defense meeting set to take place in South Korea in July, (the two sides) agreed to further strengthen the momentum of trilateral security cooperation,” the JCS said in a release.The three countries have recently ramped up trilateral security cooperation through joint military drills amid growing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea, Yonhap news agency reported.Kim and Caine also stressed the importance of establishing the capabilities and posture to effectively respond to advancing North Korean threats in line with Pyongyang’s expanding cooperation with Moscow, according to the JCS.North Korea is suspected to have received military technology assistance from Russia in return for deploying troops in support of Moscow’s war against Ukraine.Earlier in March, 2025, South Korea, the US and Japan have conducted joint naval drills involving the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, Seoul’s defence ministry said, in efforts to better deter and counter North Korea’s chemical, biological and radiological (CBR) threats.The trilateral naval drills, was the first such exercise conducted this year and since US President Donald Trump returned to office in January — took place in international waters south of the southern resort island of Jeju.–IANSint/rs

United Nations, May 21 (IANS) While the Security Council was debating maritime security and expressing concern over terrorism on the seas, Pakistan tried to bring up a river issue, the Indus water.That was in keeping with Islamabad’s total obsession with matters relating to India, regardless of the topic of discussion, which often makes for a theatre of the absurd.Without directly naming India but referring to it as “one major country”, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said it “displayed a concerning propensity to usurp and weaponise shared natural resources — including transboundary rivers — in flagrant breach of treaty obligations and the principles of good neighbourliness”.After the terrorist group, The Resistance Front, based in and backed by Pakistan, massacred 26 people in Pahalgam last month, India put the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance.Smarting under the action, Ahmad said India was “leveraging geography” to “the detriment of the lower riparian state that is Pakistan”.By avoiding mentioning by name, and using innuendos, he tried to avoid India using the right of reply to expose the assertions.India’s Permanent Representative P. Harish, who spoke in the session, contemptuously ignored it.Ahmad pouted over Pakistan’s exclusion from the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), a 23-member group of nations that, besides cooperating on a range of maritime issues, also take a strong stand against terrorism.The “coercive diplomacy” of “the one major country” has led to “the systematic exclusion of neighbouring states from regional maritime security frameworks, including the Indian Ocean Rim Association”, he griped.India took the initiative to found the IORA and objects to Pakistan’s membership because of its terrorism links. As Pakistan is unable to afford an aircraft carrier and is dependent on the arms alms of China and Turkey, Ahmad also complained about what he called the “aggressive naval expansion” by the “one major country”.–IANSarul/dpb

Sacramento, May 21 (IANS) US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday a $175 billion missile defence system dubbed the “Golden Dome,” appointing US Space Force General Michael Guetlein to lead what Trump described as a “Manhattan Project-scale” initiative.During the Oval Office announcement, flanked by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Guetlein, Trump revealed that the project would be completed within three years and would protect the entire continental United States, including Canada, from aerial threats, Xinhua news agency reported.”It is a great day for America,” Trump declared, seated beside a poster showing the continental US painted gold with artistic depictions of missile interceptions. “This design for the Golden Dome will integrate with our existing defense capabilities and should be fully operational before the end of my term.”The ambitious system is designed to create a comprehensive network of satellites capable of detecting, tracking, and intercepting incoming missiles. Trump touted the system would be “capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from other sides of the world and even if they are launched from space.”The project represents a substantial evolution from what was initially announced as the “Iron Dome for America” in the administration’s first week, before being renamed “Golden Dome” by the Pentagon in February, possibly due to trademark concerns with Israel’s existing Iron Dome system.Guetlein previously served as the vice chief of space operations with the US Space Force and has extensive experience in missile defense and space-based capabilities.In March, Guetlein described the project’s scope, calling it “on the order of magnitude of the Manhattan Project” and saying it would “take concerted effort from the very top of our government” and “national will to bring all this together.”The $175 billion price tag announced by Trump fell significantly below earlier Congressional Budget Office estimates, which suggested the system could cost between $161 and $542 billion over 20 years, according to a Bloomberg report on May 5.A National Research Council study from 2012 estimated that the total cost of a space-based, boost-phase missile defense system could be as much as $831 billion (in 2025 dollars).Separately, Senator Tim Sheehy, Republican of Montana, who is heading a “Golden Dome caucus,” recently told a crowd, “It will likely cost in the trillions if and when Golden Dome is completed,” according to Space News.Defence analysts have also raised questions about the project’s technical feasibility, citing the difficulty of scaling up Israel’s Iron Dome to protect a landmass approximately 400 times larger. The Israeli system primarily defends against short-range rockets and artillery, while the American system would need to counter advanced ballistic and hypersonic missiles.Leading contractors vying for key satellite-based components include SpaceX, Palantir, and Anduril, which propose launching a constellation of hundreds to thousands of low Earth orbit satellites to provide continuous three-dimensional tracking and intercept capability.On Capitol Hill, congressional Republicans have moved to include 27 billion dollars for Golden Dome in a 150 billion dollar defense package attached to Trump’s tax-cut reconciliation bill.According to Space Force officials quoted in various news reports, the technology would rely heavily on space-based sensors and interceptors to provide early detection and rapid response capabilities. Proponents argue that modern technology would make this concept more viable, unlike previous missile defence concepts such as the Strategic Defence Initiative of former US President Ronald Reagan.Opponents caution that weaponising space risks a new arms race and undermines decades-old arms-control treaties.Union of Concerned Scientists research director Laura Grego described the plan as “fantasy,” in a statement released This January, warning that adversaries could develop countermeasures to defeat a space-based shield.The group said those previous proposals to get around weaknesses of Ground-Based Midcourse Defence system by building space-based missile defenses had repeatedly been abandoned “because they are expensive, very technically challenging, and readily defeated.””Trump’s idea of a space-based missile defence is a bad investment,” it concluded.–IANSint/rs

New Delhi, May 20 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday held a telephone conversation with Friedrich Merz on Tuesday evening and congratulated him on assuming office as the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany.

“Spoke to Chancellor Friedrich Merz and congratulated him on assuming office. Reaffirmed our commitment to further strengthen the Strategic Partnership between India and Germany. Exchanged views on regional and global developments. We stand united in the fight against terrorism,” PM Modi posted on X after the phone call.According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the two leaders noted the “excellent progress” in the India-Germany Strategic Partnership over the past 25 years and agreed to work closely to further strengthen bilateral ties, including in the areas of trade and investment, defence and security, and innovation and technology.”Both leaders noted the positive contribution made by the Indian diaspora in Germany. They also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. The leaders reiterated their shared commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms. Prime Minister invited Chancellor Merz to visit India. The leaders agreed to remain in touch,” read a statement issued by the MEA.Prime Minister Modi had also extended warm congratulations to the Chancellor of Germany on his election triumph, earlier this month.”Heartiest congratulations to Friedrich Merz on assuming office as the Federal Chancellor of Germany. I look forward to working together to further cement the India-Germany Strategic Partnership,” PM Modi posted on his X handle.Merz from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) was elected German Chancellor after a total of 325 members of Germany’s Bundestag, the country’s lower house of parliament, voted for him, surpassing the 316 seats needed.Born in 1955 in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, Merz studied law and served as a judge at the district court in Saarbrucken, capital of Saarland, from 1985 to 1986.He served as a member of the European Parliament from 1989 to 1994 and a member of the German Bundestag, or lower house of parliament, from 1994 to 2009. He led the CDU/CSU parliamentary group from 2000 to 2002.After leaving active political life in 2009, Merz announced his return in 2018 following then-Chancellor Angela Merkel’s decision not to seek re-election, Xinhua news agency reported. He became chairman of the CDU and leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group.–IANS/as

Moscow, May 20 (IANS) As India and Russia continue to deepen defence cooperation, the effectiveness…

Hanoi, May 20 (IANS) The holy relics of Lord Buddha sent from India enshrined at the famous Buddhist temple Tam Chuc Pagoda in Ha Nam province of Vietnam witnessed a large number of devotees on Tuesday who lined up from early morning to worship pay their respects amidst the sacred atmosphere. As the exposition entered the fourth day, the number of pilgrims to Tam Chuc Pagoda is still increasing.”Reverence for the Sacred Buddha Relics from India at Tam Chuc Pagoda from May 17-20, has been enormous and heartwarming, as it has been in other cities of Vietnam. Yet another testament to the warmth and friendship between the people of India and Vietnam,” the Embassy of India in Hanoi posted on X.On Sunday, thousands of people had gathered at Tam Chuc Pagoda to welcome the holy Sarnath relics of Buddha in a sacred moment as devotees waited since dawn to witness the profound spiritual event.The sacred relics of Lord Buddha were enshrined at Tam Chuc Pagoda with ceremonial prayers and procession on Saturday. The event saw participation of the Chairman of Ha Nam Provincial People’s Committee, Standing Vice President of Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, former Vice President of Vietnam, Indian Ambassador to the country, and venerable monks. A large number of people across Vietnam also gathered to pay respect to the sacred relics.The holy relics were brought from India on May 2 by an Indian delegation led by Union Minister of Parliamentary and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju which also included Andhra Pradesh Minister Kandula Durgesh and senior monks and officials.The holy relics will remain in Vietnam until May 21 as part of the UN Day of Vesak celebrations. The relics were earlier displayed at Thanh Tam Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, and then in Ba Den Mountain in Tay Ninh province and were in Quan Su Pagoda in Hanoi till Friday.Last week, the Indian Embassy in Vietnam shared information on relics of Lord Buddha and upcoming projects with the local media.Terming it as a “national treasure” of India, the Embassy stated that the visit of Lord Buddha’s relics to Vietnam is the result of the cooperation between both governments, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha and other organisations.India’s sending of the holy relics to Vietnam had been appreciated by Vietnamese President Luong Cuong as a gesture that further strengthened the strong spiritual and cultural ties between both countries.–IANSint/scor/as

Islamabad, May 20 (IANS) The Supreme Court of Pakistan has upheld the death sentence of culprit Zahir Jaffer, son of a wealthy industrialist, who was found guilty in the murder case of 27-year-old Noor Mukadam, daughter of Shaukat Mukadam, a Pakistani diplomat who served as Ambassador to South Korea and Kazakhstan, who was attacked and killed by Jaffer in his residence in Islamabad, four years ago.

A three-member bench, led ed by Justice Hashim Kakar and comprising of Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, announced their decision in the high-profile case, dismissing Jaffer’s appeal against his conviction under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which pertains to a premeditated murder.The decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan today, marks closure of a major case, which many thought may suffer to the powerful influence of Jaffer’s family, and justice may be denied to the family of Noor Mukadam. The delay in the case sparked widespread outrage and debate about the justice system in the country, and the overall safety of women in the country.”This was our last resort, and it’s hard to put into words what this outcome means to us,” said childhood friend of Noor Mukadam, Shafaq Zaidi.While the court upheld the death sentence of Zahir Jaffer in the case, the court converted his death sentence under Section 376 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which pertains to ‘rape’ to life imprisonment. And overturned his conviction for kidnapping Noor Mukadam, declaring the sentence as void.The court also reduced the sentence of the co-accused with Zahir Jaffer, who were the household staff at his residence at the time of the murder. His gardener and watchman were released as the court maintained that both had already served their punishments during the course of the case.Zahir Jaffer, during the year 2021, attacked Noor Mukadam at his residence in Islamabad, torturing her with a knuckleduster and using a sharp-edged weapon to behead her. Mukadam reportedly made several attempts to escape the night she was killed. However, she was blocked by the gardener and the watchman of the house, who were the co-accused in the case.–IANSint/hamza/as

Tokyo, May 20 (IANS) The Indian Pavilion ‘Bharat’ at the Expo 2025 in Osaka on Tuesday buzzed with visitors exploring the country’s rich textiles, vibrant culture, iconic architecture, and cutting-edge technological advancements that showcase tradition and innovation.

The pavilion also witnessed a refreshing yoga session, inviting visitors to embrace India’s timeless wellness traditions.”Ahinsa Silk of Meghalaya, with its eco-friendly charm, and Chandrayaan Zone, demonstrating India’s space capabilities, continue to inspire visitors of all ages, at the India Pavilion-Bharat, World Expo 2025, Osaka,” the Embassy of India in Japan posted on X.Visitors also enjoyed a mesmerising musical performance by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) troupe Nadateertha, in a celebration of India’s cultural heritage. Blending rhythm, tradition, and storytelling, Nadateertha further captivated audiences with a dynamic performance at the North Pop-up Stage of Expo in Osaka, showcasing the rich cultural tapestry of India.Later, the visitors also explored the unique Black Clay Pottery, and enjoyed a vibrant presentation on the art, culture, and music of Meghalaya, celebrating the essence of Northeast India.On Monday, the visitors had flocked to the interactive session on Meghalaya’s textiles at the India Pavilion, exploring vibrant weaves, traditional techniques, and the rich cultural heritage behind every fabric.Earlier, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal had expressed confidence that the Osaka expo will provide a big boost to trade and tourism in India and further cement India’s role as the world’s trusted partner.“The India Pavilion – Bharat, at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, a remarkable representation of India’s cultural richness and commercial successes, welcomed its 5000th visitor today. This space is a stunning display of India’s growing international presence and the giant strides that the country has taken in the last decade, under PM Narendra Modi’s leadership,” the minister posted on X.“One of the highlights of the pavilion has been the display of the Chandrayaan-3 landing on the moon’s south pole and India’s advances in space technology. Path Breaking initiatives like Make in India, Digital India and achievements in sectors like energy, IT, infrastructure, health, and tourism are also being showcased at the six-month-long Expo,” the post further added.–IANSint/scor/as

Moscow, May 20 (IANS) Moscow is ready to continue contacts with Kyiv and will propose to work on a memorandum about a potential peace deal, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Tuesday.

Zakharova said Russia has “once again affirmed its desire to achieve a final, fair settlement of the crisis,” adding that progress towards a resolution of the conflict cannot be achieved without tackling the root causes.She said it is necessary to agree on many aspects, including the main principles of the settlement, the timing of the potential peace agreement and details regarding a possible ceasefire if relevant agreements are reached.Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier on Tuesday that Moscow and Kyiv must now prepare for contacts on the development of the joint memorandum regarding the peace treaty and ceasefire, Xinhua news agency reported. He welcomed the renewed contacts between Russia and Ukraine, saying there is no deadline for the completion of the memorandum.On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump held a telephone conversation on the Ukraine crisis and recent Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul.Ceasefire negotiations between Russia and Ukraine “will begin immediately,” said Trump after his two-hour call with his Russian counterpart, noting that “the tone and spirit of the conversation were excellent.”Right after his phone call with Putin, Trump posted on his social media Truth Social that Russia and Ukraine will “immediately start negotiations toward a ceasefire,” and work to end the conflict.He said Russia is eager to pursue major trade deals with the United States once the conflict ends. “There is a tremendous opportunity for Russia to create massive amounts of jobs and wealth. Its potential is UNLIMITED. Likewise, Ukraine can be a great beneficiary on Trade, in the process of rebuilding its Country.”He added that the ceasefire conditions will be negotiated between Russia and Ukraine, “as it can only be, because they know details of a negotiation that nobody else would be aware of.”However, when speaking to reporters later, Trump warned that he could back out of the negotiation process. “Big egos involved, but I think something’s going to happen. And if it doesn’t, I just back away, and they’re going to have to keep going again,” he said.–IANSint/as