LULA REVISITS STANCE ON PUTIN'S ARREST AND REVIEWS ICC MEMBERSHIP

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, on Monday, revisited his previous comments regarding Brazil's stance on arresting Russian President Putin for war crimes and expressed his intent to reevaluate Brazil's membership in the International Criminal Court. During a G20 meeting in India on Saturday, Lula had conveyed to a local interviewer that there was no possibility of Putin's arrest if he attended the upcoming summit in Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil, as a signatory to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, is bound to adhere to its arrest warrants. The ICC had issued a warrant for Putin's arrest in March, accusing him of the war crime of forcibly deporting hundreds of Ukrainian children. Notably, Putin has refrained from traveling abroad since the ICC issued the warrant.

Lula clarified on Monday, stating, "If Putin chooses to participate in next year's summit, it falls within the jurisdiction of the judiciary to decide on a possible arrest, and it is not a decision of my government." Furthermore, he expressed his intention to scrutinize Brazil's decision to join the ICC treaty, saying, "I am interested in understanding why countries such as the US, India, and China did not become signatories to the ICC treaty, and why Brazil chose to do so."

SPECULATION MOUNTS AS CHINA'S DEFENSE MINISTER REMAINS ABSENT FOR TWO WEEKS

China's Minister of National Defence, Li Shangfu, has been noticeably absent for the past two weeks, sparking conjecture regarding political instability in the nation. International media outlets have referenced news reports that suggest Li's absence may be indicative of actions such as removal from his position or detainment.

The rumors initially began circulating on Friday when US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel commented on social media, drawing parallels between President Xi's cabinet reshuffling and Agatha Christie's novel "And Then There Were None." He noted the disappearances of Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who has not been seen in public since June 25 and was subsequently replaced by Wang Yi in July, as well as the unexplained absences of the Rocket Force commanders and Defense Minister Li Shangfu.

Additionally, reports from Chinese media indicate that Gen Li Yuchao, the head of the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF), and his deputy Liu Guangbin were replaced and have not made public appearances for several months.

ARMS DEAL IN OFFING? KIM ON WAY TO RUSSIA FOR TALKS WITH PUTIN

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is en route to Russia on a special train, confirmed by both Pyongyang and Moscow. Kim's visit, at Putin's invitation, is expected to include discussions on potential arms deals to assist Russia in Ukraine and provide North Korea with economic support. There are concerns about increased military cooperation between Russia and North Korea. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that the talks would primarily focus on bilateral relations between the neighboring countries. Kim's departure occurred on Sunday, and the summit could happen as early as Tuesday near the North Korean-Russian border. Kim's rare international travels are known for their secrecy, with the leader utilizing a specially equipped, armored train for his journeys.

RUSSIA RULING PARTY ‘WINS’ IN OCCUPIED UKRAINE; KYIV & WEST CALL ELECTIONS ‘SHAM’

Russia’s central election commission said Monday that the country’s ruling party won the most votes in elections held in occupied Ukrainian regions, as Kyiv and the West denounced the ballots as a sham. The votes were held as Russian authorities attempt to tighten their grip on territories Moscow illegally annexed a year ago and still does not fully control. Voting for Russia-installed legislatures began last week. According to the commission, lawmakers from the ruling party, United Russia, came out on top in the four Ukrainian regions Moscow annexed in 2022 — Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia — and on the Crimean Peninsula, which the Kremlin annexed in 2014.

MOSCOW: EU BAN ON RUSSIANS BRINGING CARS OR GOODS ‘RACIST’

Russia said on Monday a EU ban on Russians bringing their cars and some personal goods into the bloc was racist. In a note to its rules on sanctions imposed over the Ukraine war, the European Commission said Russians were temporarily barred from bringing vehicles or personal goods, including toothpaste, deo, toilet paper and mobile phones, into the 27-nation EU. “It’s just racism,” a Russian spokeswoman said. REUTERS

RESCUERS RACE TO FIND SURVIVORS AS MOROCCO QUAKE TOLL NEARS 2,700

Imgdal : Rescuers raced against time on Monday to find survivors in the rubble more than 48 hours after Morocco’s deadliest earthquake in over six decades, with almost 2,700 killed in a disaster that devastated villages in the High Atlas Mountains. Search teams from Spain, Britain and Qatar are joining efforts to find survivors of the 6.8 magnitude quake that struck late on Friday 72 km southwest of Marrakech. France denied that Morocco was refusing its help because of frosty diplomatic ties, and said it was up to the Moroccan authorities to decide the timing and nature of any foreign aid.

Many survivors spent a third night outside, their homes destroyed or rendered unsafe by Morocco’s most powerful earthquake since at least 1900. The death toll has climbed to 2,681 with 2,501 people injured, the state news agency reported on Monday. With much of the quake zone in hard-to-reach areas, the full impact has yet to emerge. The authorities have not issued any estimates for the number of people still missing. In some villages, where homes are made of mud bricks, as many as half of the houses were flattened. People have been salvaging possessions from the ruins of their homes and describing desperate scenes as they dug with their bare hands to find relatives.

Many survivors were still without power and phone service, fuelling criticism on social media about the government response. Morocco has deployed the army as part of response and has said it is reinfo rcing search-and-rescue teams, providing water and distributing food, tents, blankets. It is the nation’s deadliest quake since 1960 when a tremor claimed 12,000 lives.

PAK, AF TRADE BLAME FOR GUN BATTLE THAT LED TO CLOSURE OF BORDER CROSSING

Islamabad : Pakistan and Afghanistan blamed each other for the recent skirmishes that led to the closure of the volatile border town of Torkham — the busiest trade crossing between the two countries — in Khyber tribal district, on the disputed Durand Line. The Torkham border crossing — a key point of transit for travellers and goods between Pakistan and landlocked Afghanistan — remained shut a sixth consecutive day on Monday. It has been sealed several times in recent years, including last month when thousands of people and goods were stranded on both sides of the border for days. Pakistan blamed the Taliban authorities for the construction of a new structure on Pakistani territory and accused Afghan troops of indiscriminate firing at Pakistan’s military posts. A day earlier, Kabul had accused Pakistani forces of opening fire at Afghan forces fixing an old security outpost near the border.

U.S., VIETNAM WARN AGAINST ‘THREAT’ IN SOUTH CHINA SEA

The US and Vietnam issued a joint warning on Monday against the use of force in the disputed South China Sea following a recent clash involving Chinese vessels. President Joe Biden and Vietnam's Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong emphasized the need to resolve competing claims in the region according to international norms. China claims a significant portion of the sea, disregarding an international court ruling against its assertion. The leaders expressed strong support for peaceful dispute resolution under international law and called for freedom of navigation, overflight, and lawful commerce in the South China Sea. This statement follows an agreement between Biden and Trong to enhance cooperation as a response to China's growing assertiveness in the region. Vietnam, with historical concerns about China, is among the nations with claims in the South China Sea. Last week, the Philippines accused Chinese vessels of harassing its coast guard ships near the Second Thomas Shoal, where they grounded a ship in 1999 to deter China's advances. China deploys numerous vessels for patrols and activities in the South China Sea.

NO ELECTORS FOR NEXT PAK PREZ, ALVI OVERSTAYS

Islamabad : Pakistan's President Arif Alvi remains in office beyond his five-year term's completion on September 9 due to the absence of an electoral college to select his successor. A member of Imran Khan's PTI party and a dentist by profession, Alvi was elected in 2018 along with Imran Khan as PM. Even after Imran's removal as PM via a no-confidence vote in April 2022, Alvi maintained his loyalty to PTI and declined to sign bills against his party's interests.

Legal experts suggest that Alvi can continue until the formation of the electoral college after the next general election and the election of his successor. Pakistan's president is elected by lawmakers from the National Assembly, Senate, and provincial assemblies. If Alvi were to leave before then, Senate chairman Sadiq Sanjrani would assume the presidency until a new president is elected. In this scenario, both the president and PM would be from the pro-military Balochistan Awami Party.

This month also sees the completion of tenures for two other key figures: Pakistan Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and ISI chief Lt General Nadeem Anjum. Justice Bandial, accused of bias by the previous Shehbaz Sharif-led coalition government, is set to retire and is expected to announce important verdicts related to changes made during the Shehbaz government's tenure.

Lt-Gen Anjum, the ISI chief, whose term has witnessed increased military pressure on media critical of the government, completes his four-year term this month. It remains uncertain whether he will receive an extension or retire as scheduled.

U.K. RESISTS CALLS TO LABEL CHINA A THREAT FOLLOWING SPYING CLAIMS

LONDON: The British government resisted calls to label China a threat to the U.K. following the revelation that a researcher in Parliament was arrested earlier this year on suspicion of spying for Beijing. U.K. Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch said Britain should avoid calling China a “foe” or using language that could “escalate” tensions.

ISRAELI DELEGATION MAKES FIRST OPEN VISIT TO SAUDI ARABIA TO FIX RELATIONS

RIYADH: An Israeli delegation attended a UNESCO meet in Riyadh, marking the country’s first publicly announced visit to Saudi as speculation grows about a potential normalisation of ties. According to reports, a Palestinian delegation visited Riyadh last week to discuss the way forward if Saudi Arabia and Israel were to formalise relations.