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Washington, Nov 12 (IANS) Indian American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal has vowed to pursue Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's impeachment next year and said House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries would have only a short window to deliver results when the new Congress convenes.

"Just because Republicans pulled a procedural move to stop Hegseth's impeachment last night, it does not mean he is off the hook. We will impeach him next year," the Washington Democrat wrote on X on Wednesday (local time).

Her pledge came as she clarified remarks about Jeffries in an interview with Talking Points Memo, conducted on Friday and published on Tuesday. She had said he would have "a relatively short rope" to demonstrate urgency.

"When I said, 'short rope', I meant a short window to act," Jayapal wrote on Wednesday.

"I'm appalled that anyone would twist my words to evoke the very real and horrific history of lynching and racial terror against Black Americans. I condemn that violence completely and the use of its imagery to intimidate anyone."

She did not identify the critics to whom she was responding.

In the TPM interview, Jayapal said Democrats needed to respond quickly to voters who had backed them in last week's midterm elections.

"We have to make sure that we respond with bold policies that really do address the urgency and the anger that they came to the polls with," she said.

Jayapal said she wanted progressives to be "the push force" within the Democratic Caucus. She argued that Jeffries would need to respond rapidly to demands for reform to succeed as Speaker.

She distinguished him from Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, whom she said should be replaced, and credited Jeffries for his handling of a government shutdown and opposition to immigration-enforcement funding.

Jayapal said no challenger to Jeffries had emerged and ruled out seeking the speakership herself.

"I'm focused on using my platform to push for the boldest possible change," she told TPM.

Her priorities include Medicare for All, campaign finance reform, a ban on congressional stock trading, ending the Iran war, protecting voting rights and reversing Medicaid cuts. She also wants expanded collective bargaining and living-wage legislation.

On immigration, she advocated requiring judicial warrants for arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. She also called for examining ways to redirect previously approved ICE funding towards healthcare and childcare.

Responding separately to President Donald Trump's comments about a possible immigration agreement, Jayapal wrote: "If Trump actually wants to work with us on humane immigration reform, then I look forward to seeing him sign it."

Despite her unequivocal pledge on Hegseth, Jayapal urged caution about pursuing a third impeachment of Trump without a realistic prospect of conviction in the Senate.

"If we pursue a third impeachment, we have to make sure the Senate will convict," she told TPM. "A third impeachment without a conviction, I think, undermines our case that we can hold an unaccountable president accountable."

She said Democratic-led committees should investigate issues including a Qatari jet and Trump's ties to Jeffrey Epstein, describing such inquiries as a possible "roadmap for a potential impeachment". She rejected suggestions that oversight would conflict with advancing legislation.

The House voted 211-204 on Tuesday to refer the Hegseth impeachment resolution to the Judiciary Committee, preventing an immediate floor vote on eight articles concerning the Iran war. Republican Congressman Thomas Massie had forced consideration of the resolution. All six Indian American House members opposed the referral motion.

Jayapal represents Washington’s 7th Congressional District and is the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement. She is also a chair emerita of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. The new Congress convenes on January 3.

--IANS

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New York, Nov 12 (IANS) Indian American astronaut Sunita Williams was honoured as Grand Marshal of the Veterans Day Parade, which pays tribute to former military members.

Williams, a retired Navy captain, led the parade of 20,000 people along Manhattan's Fifth Avenue on Wednesday (local time).

Being the Grand Marshal is "an incredible honour", she said and recalled, "My time in the Navy shaped who I am and prepared me for every challenge that followed".

"I'm proud to join New Yorkers and Americans from around the country in honouring the service, sacrifice, and commitment of veterans from every generation", she said.

Williams was a test pilot before she joined NASA, going on three missions for a total of 608 days in space and setting a record for the most spacewalks by a woman with nine for a total of 62 hours.

This was the 107th annual Veterans Day Parade, and it featured thousands of former military members and contingents from the armed services, local law enforcement, community groups and schools, with several bands.

Many companies had floats in the parade showcasing former military personnel working for them.

On the eve of the parade, Williams participated in the 251st anniversary of the Marine Corps’ founding on board the USS San Antonio.

She is the daughter of Deepak Pandya, a neuroanatomist, and Ursuline Pandya, who is from Slovenia.

She made headlines when an eight-day trip to the International Space Station (ISS) on the first crewed flight of the Boeing Starliner in 2024 turned into a nine-month odyssey because of technical problems with the Starliner.

Ultimately, a SpaceX Crew-9 brought her and another stranded astronaut, Butch Wilmore, back to Earth.

She took a copy of the Bhagavad Gita to the ISS in 2006 and the Upanishads in 2012.

--IANS

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Washington, Nov 12 (IANS) US President Donald Trump has said that the conflict with Iran would end soon but insisted Washington wanted "a total victory", offering no date for ending the campaign as he defended his administration's use of military force during a Veterans Day address.

Speaking at Arlington National Cemetery on Wednesday (local time), Trump claimed American forces had already won and portrayed the timing of an end to the conflict as a decision for Washington.

"We want to make sure we have a total victory, not a 93 per cent victory. It's going to be total," he said, according to a transcript circulated by the White House foreign press pool.

His remarks combined a prediction that the conflict would soon end with an insistence that the United States would not settle for an incomplete result.

He thanked American service members engaged in operations intended to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, presenting that objective as central to the campaign.

Trump also claimed Iran would need decades to recover from the destruction inflicted by American forces.

"It'll take them 25 years to rebuild back what we have destroyed, and hopefully, we won’t have to destroy any more of that country," he said.

He offered no supporting assessment for that reconstruction estimate in the foreign-policy portion of the address. The remarks did not announce a negotiated settlement or a new timetable for withdrawing American forces.

The president defended the campaign as a response to decades of Iranian hostility, arguing that previous administrations should have confronted Tehran earlier.

"This should have been taken care of a long time ago," he said.

Trump compared the campaign with earlier American wars in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, emphasising their duration and human cost. He argued that those conflicts had delivered little in return for the United States.

Trump said the world would be safer once the conflict ended. He praised the bravery and skill of American forces while leaving unresolved when Washington would regard its objectives as fully achieved.

Trump recognised veterans from several generations and pledged continued support after their time in uniform.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth received loud cheers when Trump introduced him. Trump praised his performance before continuing his tribute to those assembled at the cemetery.

--IANS

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United Nations, Nov 11 (IANS) United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday demanded "climate justice" for developing nations, calling for international framework arrangements to ensure industrialised countries bear proportional responsibility for escalating global warming.

"Polluters must pay," Guterres declared, addressing the summit during the UN Climate Change Conference in Antalya, Turkey.

"We need a new Climate Justice Compact, based on shared responsibility, shared security and shared benefits," Guterres said. "The principle of common but differentiated responsibilities must apply, and all countries must do their part."

He emphasised that the level of responsibility must correspond to historical greenhouse gas emissions, noting that those who derived the greatest economic profits from fossil fuels must help bear the financial burden of climate damage.

Criticising the fossil fuel industry directly, the UN Chief highlighted that the nine largest oil companies generated $95 billion in profits during the last quarter alone.

Guterres' statements reinforced the call made by India on Tuesday for heightened international accountability to mitigate climate impacts.

Speaking at the summit, Narendra Bhooshan, Secretary of India's Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, urged a fair, equitable, and ambitious outcome at the conference, formally known as COP.

Bhooshan stressed that public financing from developed nations remains vital to enable climate adaptation and address vulnerabilities across developing countries.

Elaborating on the responsibilities of developed nations, Guterres stated that industrialised countries must ensure developing nations receive massive financial support to adapt to climate challenges.

"Developed countries must lead in delivering at least $300 billion a year by 2035, and set out concrete plans with clear milestones to at least triple adaptation finance by then," he said. "The $1.3 trillion goal must become real finance flowing to developing countries, and this demands that every source of finance pull its weight."

Guterres stressed that private investments must complement government funding and multilateral development institutions to support the green transition in developing economies. He further called for enhanced South-South cooperation to broaden access to technology and capital.

Warning against global division, Guterres cautioned that trade barriers, technology monopolies, and geopolitical rivalries continue to hinder effective global climate action.

While 197 countries are represented at the Antalya conference, the United States, historically the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, is boycotting the event following decisions by President Donald Trump, who has dismissed climate change initiatives.

--IANS

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Bangkok, Nov 11 (IANS) The collapse of a protective bund at Pakistan’s Tarbela-5 hydropower project, involving Chinese construction company Power Construction Corporation of China Limited (PCCCL), marked the second major construction mishap since 2025, triggering a sudden surge of reservoir water and forcing authorities to suspend work, a report has stated.

Following Monday's incident, an emergency was declared, construction activities were suspended, and workers were directed to move to safer locations.

The latest incident comes after an earlier cofferdam collapse at the project in July this year, for which Pakistan’s Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) was held responsible, according to a report in Thailand's daily Page 3 News.

Citing a 15-page report accessed by Pakistani newspaper 'Dawn', it said the three-member independent inquiry committee identified unauthorised modifications to the cofferdam design after the contract was awarded as a key factor behind that collapse.

The committee attributed the incident to several actions undertaken outside the scope of the contract and contractual violations involving all three stakeholders.

“It found that the contractor had proposed a cofferdam design alteration that was not permitted under the contract, while the engineer conditionally accepted a design deficiency without ensuring technical compliance. WAPDA subsequently approved the change when construction was nearing completion, without examining its contractual validity or technical shortcomings,” the report in 'Page 3 News' mentioned.

The inquiry found that the parties had failed to honour their respective obligations under the civil works and consultancy contracts, contributing to the construction of a structurally vulnerable cofferdam. Its subsequent failure resulted in flooding, project delays and financial losses to the project, the report highlighted

“The stakeholders sought to link the collapse to flooding. However, the committee found that water flows were within annual levels, were not unusual and should have been taken into account in the original design,” it added.

The findings revealed that PCCCL had proposed replacing the original cofferdam design with a rock-filled structure, considered a weaker alternative, across the project, including the channel. The modified structure eventually collapsed, while WAPDA approved the change without assessing its contractual validity.

“Although WAPDA blamed flooding for the incident, the committee said the flows remained within Tarbela’s historical record and were considerably below the cofferdam’s designed capacity. It attributed the failure to inadequate protective layers and filter arrangements,” the report stated.

The earlier collapse delayed the project by at least two years and drove up its estimated cost by more than 285 per cent, from Pakistani rupees (PKR) 82.36 billion to PKR 317 billion, it noted.

--IANS

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Muscat, Nov 11 (IANS) Indian Navy and the Royal Navy of Oman on Wednesday concluded the 15th edition of their bilateral maritime exercise, Naseem Al Bahr (Sea Breeze) aimed at enhancing interoperability, strengthening professional cooperation and promoting mutual understanding between the two navies.

According to the Indian Navy, during the harbour phase, Subject Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEE) were conducted between specialist teams of the two navies. The exchanges covered key areas of mutual interest, including Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), Mine Countermeasure Operations and Hydrography. These interactions facilitated the exchange of professional knowledge and operational experience in specialised maritime domains.

The sea phase featured joint operational activities between Indian Naval Ship Surat and Royal Navy of Oman Vessel Al-Mu’azzar. These included joint Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) drills and cross-deck operations, providing opportunities for personnel of both navies to practise coordinated procedures and enhance operational interoperability.

"Exercise Naseem Al Bahr (Sea Breeze) reflects the close maritime partnership between India and Oman and the shared commitment of the two navies to strengthening maritime cooperation. The exercise also reinforces the Indian Navy’s engagement with regional maritime partners in furtherance of the Government of India's vision of MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions)," read a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence.

INS Surat arrived at Muscat on November 8 to participate in the November 8–11 maritime exercise.

Last month, India and Oman held the 8th edition of their Navy Staff Talks in New Delhi, with focus on deepening bilateral naval cooperation and enhancing coordination to address shared maritime security challenges.

The talks, held from October 27 to 28, were co-chaired by Commodore Kartik Srimal, Commodore (Foreign Cooperation), Indian Navy, and Commodore Ahmed Juma Salim Al Khatri, Director General of Operations and Plans, Royal Navy of Oman.

The discussions also explored avenues to strengthen operational engagements, training, information exchange and hydrographic cooperation.

"Indian Navy and Royal Navy of Oman held the 8th edition of Staff Talks at New Delhi from 27–28 Oct 26. Co-chaired by Cmde Kartik Srimal, Cmde (FC), and Cmde Ahmed Juma Salim Al Khatri, DG Ops & Plan, the talks focused on enhancing operational engagements, training, information sharing and hydrographic cooperation, with an emphasis on strengthening interoperability and addressing shared maritime security challenges," the Indian Navy posted on X

Earlier, Indian Navy's three-masted sail training ship INS Sudarshini departed Salalah in Oman after a four-day port call, as part of its historic transoceanic deployment Lokayan-2026, the Ministry of Defence said.

The ship visited Salalah from October 14 to 17, during which professional interactions and sporting engagements with the Royal Navy of Oman fostered camaraderie and strengthened people-to-people ties, the Ministry said.

--IANS

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Cairo/New Delhi, Nov 11 (IANS) Indian Naval Ship (INS) Trishul has concluded its port call at Safaga Naval Base in Egypt as part of ongoing operational deployment, the Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday.

The port call further reinforced the growing India–Egypt defence and maritime partnership , in the backdrop of the 11th India–Egypt Joint Defence Committee (JDC) meeting held in Cairo in April 2026.

The 11th JDC meeting provided an institutional framework for advancing defence commitments under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Defence Cooperation signed in September 2022, following the elevation of bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership in 2023.

"During the visit, the Commanding Officer of INS Trishul called on RAdm MD Abd El Maksoud, Commander, Red Sea Naval Base, Egypt. Discussions covered maritime security in the Gulf of Suez and the strategic significance of the Red Sea. The ship's crew also visited Egyptian Naval Ship ENS Port Said (976), gaining insights into its operational capabilities and the best practices followed by the Egyptian Navy," read a statement issued by the ministry.

"The visit further featured reciprocal interactions between personnel of the Indian and Egyptian navies, along with joint diving training activities. These professional engagements provided opportunities for exchange of operational experience, sharing of Best Practices and furthering mutual understanding between the two navies," it added.

The port call reaffirmed the longstanding defence ties between India and Egypt and their shared commitment to maritime security and regional stability. Following completion of the engagements, INS Trishul proceeded for the next phase of her operational deployment.

Last week, INS Trishul had concluded its port call at Souda Bay in Greece as part of her ongoing deployment in the Mediterranean Sea. The visit, Indian Navy stated on Friday, provided an opportunity to further strengthen maritime engagement between the Indian Navy and the Hellenic Navy through professional interactions, operational discussions and cultural engagements.

During the port call, the Commanding Officer of INS Trishul called on senior functionaries of the Hellenic Navy, as well as the heads of the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre (NMIOTC) and US Naval Support Activity (NSA), Souda Bay.

"The interactions focussed on operational logistics requirements, cooperation and mutual support amongst partner navies. The discussions provided an opportunity to exchange views on areas of common interest and explore avenues for facilitating operational support and cooperation," the Indian Navy mentioned.

"Professional engagements between Indian and Hellenic Naval personnel included cross-visits and interactions. Hellenic Naval personnel also visited INS Trishul and were familiarised with the ship and its capabilities through an onboard tour. These interactions provided an opportunity for personnel of both navies to gain insights into each other's professional practices and exchange experiences," it added.

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Dhaka, Nov 11 (IANS) Religious preacher Mufti Tariq Masood, who enjoys immense popularity in Pakistan, has repeatedly used social media to defend child marriage, challenge modern age-of-consent frameworks and encourage people to view young girls through the prism of marital readiness, a report has detailed.

"Over the years, this immensely popular preacher has repeatedly used his platform to defend child marriage, challenge modern age-of-consent frameworks, and encourage audiences to view young girls through the prism of marital readiness. What is often presented as religious guidance increasingly resembles the normalisation of ideas that place children within the domain of adult sexuality," a report in Sri Lanka's 'Daily Mirror' stated.

In one of the videos shared on a social media platform, Masood joked that if someone could not find a 16-year-old bride, he could provide them a bride of two-year-olds and perhaps four-year-olds. His remarks sparked an outrage, with critics accusing him of promoting child marriage and normalising the sexualisation of minors. He dismissed the criticism and termed it a misunderstanding. His supporters said that his remarks had been taken out of context and was only an ill-conceived joke.

Critics have alleged that controversial clips from Masood's speeches frequently disappear from online platforms following copyright complaints and takedown requests, resulting in people facing difficulty to access his words directly.

"This creates a peculiar dynamic: critics are accused of misrepresenting his views, while attempts to reproduce the original material for scrutiny frequently risk removal. Consequently, the debate becomes less about what was actually said and more about competing narratives. Whenever criticism emerges, it is routinely dismissed as part of a secular, liberal, or Western agenda rather than engaged with on its merits," the report in Daily Mirror stated.

The problem here does not lie in a joke or viral moment. However, it lies in a world view reflected in speeches, lectures and sermons. The four-year-olds comment might be rejected as a humour if it existed in isolation but it does not, according to the Daily Mirror report.

The comment seen along with years of statements defending underage marriages, opposing statutory age restrictions and promoting marriage shortly after puberty and discussing the physical sustainability of nine-year-olds and 10-year-olds for marital ties, the jokes may seem less accidental and more symptomatic of a deeper ideological position.

Earlier this month, a leading minority rights organisation expressed serious concern over the abduction, forced conversion and marriage of a minor Hindu girl in Pakistan, highlighting the vulnerability of minority children amid escalating atrocities across the country.

According to the Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM), 14-year-old Bindiya Kumari, a ninth-grade student, should be attending school rather than being caught up in allegations of abduction, forced religious conversion and child marriage.

The rights body said that her case has exposed the gap between Pakistan’s assurances of minority protection and the ground reality, with her family seeking intervention even as lawmakers question the authorities’ failure to act.

It cited minority representatives who have alleged that Bindiya was abducted from Sibi in Pakistan's Balochistan province and taken to Sindh, where her conversion and marriage were reportedly facilitated through arrangements linked to Mian Abdul Haq, popularly known as 'Mian Mithu'.

“Authorities must establish the facts through a fair investigation. But fairness does not require silence, and an investigation should never become an excuse to leave a child without protection,” the VOPM stated.

The rights body said Bindiya’s case was raised in the Balochistan Assembly on October 19 and subsequently taken up by the Senate Minority Caucus on October 29. Lawmakers called for her immediate recovery, questioned the police response and stressed the need for coordination between Sindh and Balochistan.

--IANS

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Islamabad, Nov 11 (IANS) Pakistan is witnessing deepening poverty and a human development crisis, a report has detailed. The national poverty rate in Pakistan increased from 22 per cent in 2018-19 to 29 per cent in 2024-25, implying that about 70 million poor people in the country live below the national poverty line, a report in leading Pakistani daily Dawn mentioned citing the World Bank's Pakistan Poverty and Equity brief.

The Gini index in Pakistan has risen from 28.4 per cent to 32.7 per cent. According to the World Bank, Pakistan's reversal in poverty reduction has been caused due to economic shocks driven by Covid-19 pandemic, the floods in 2022, high inflation, and currency depreciation.

According to United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) 2025 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, 38.3 per cent of Pakistan's population is multidimensionally poor. As many as 32 million people are vulnerable to multidimensional poverty.

The depreciation also showcased in the 2026 Global Hunger Index, which placed Pakistan at the 106th spot among 122 nations. Pakistan has the highest hunger score in South Asia. Increase in food price in Pakistan is driven by declining household purchasing power and constrained access to food. According to the report, undernourishment in Pakistan rose from law in 2018 to medium while child wasting increased towards the 'high' threshold.

"All these reports reflect the severity of the crisis. A nationally representative mental health survey (2018-22), published in the British Medical Journal, revealed distressing facts. The survey found that every third Pakistani lives with a diagnosable mental or behavioural disorder; one in five meets the criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder," Naseer Memon, senior adviser, water governance, at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute, wrote in Dawn.

"A shocking 6 per cent reported suicidal thoughts, and more than one in 10 had depression. Such staggering rates of mental disorders have been linked to lower income and poor education, unemployment, age, and disrupted family circumstances," Memon added.

In October, Pakistan was ranked second-worst in South Asia on the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2026 with a score of 25.5, trailing only Afghanistan, showcasing the country's deteriorating food insecurity and malnutrition challenges, local media reported.

The report published on the GHI website stated, "With a 2026 Global Hunger Index score of 25.5, Pakistan has a serious level of hunger," Pakistan's Geo News reported. Pakistan was only behind Afghanistan, which had a score of 28.6 on the GHI.

Pakistan was placed at the 106th position out of 122 countries globally on the GHI. Pakistan's score dropped from 36.2 in 2002 to 25.5 in 2026, showing some improvement, as per the report. The GHI score of Pakistan is based on four components: child stunting, undernourishment, child wasting and child mortality.

--IANS

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Vientiane, Nov 11 (IANS) The Lao government has endorsed a National Action Plan for 2026-2030 aimed at strengthening migration management, protecting migrant workers' rights and promoting safe, orderly and legal migration.

The plan was officially endorsed at a ceremony in Lao capital Vientiane on Tuesday, co-chaired by Lao Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Anoupharb Vongnorkeo and Tanja Pacifico, chief of Mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Laos and Thailand. More than 70 representatives from government agencies, United Nations organizations, international organizations, and other relevant sectors attended the event.

As a country of origin, transit and destination for international migrants, Laos faces growing challenges and opportunities associated with cross-border migration, particularly as people seek employment and better livelihoods abroad, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The new action plan aims to ensure that migration takes place through safe, orderly and legal channels while safeguarding migrant workers' rights, according to a report from the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday.

Developed with support from IOM, the plan outlines nine strategic areas covering cross-cutting and sector-specific priorities. Its overarching vision is to make migration a choice rather than a necessity, while ensuring that all workers have access to decent work and social protection.

Speaking at the ceremony, Anoupharb highlighted the long-standing contribution of migration to Laos' socio-economic development. He emphasized that effective migration management is essential to strengthening human resource development and supporting sustainable economic growth.

In October, the Lao government officially released the results of the 2025 Population and Housing Census, revealing that the working-age population has grown to 65 per cent of the country's total population, creating an opportunity to accelerate economic growth.

The findings, released Tuesday, show that Laos has an estimated combined resident and non-resident population of 7.55 million, including 7.24 million people living in the country and 313,766 Lao citizens residing abroad. Among the resident population, females account for 49.2 per cent, while males make up 50.8 per cent.

People aged 15-64 represent 65 per cent of the resident population, offering Laos an opportunity to benefit from a demographic dividend through job creation, skills development, and investment in human capital.

In terms of education, the overall literacy rate for individuals aged six and above has risen to 83.6 per cent.

For the first time, the census employed modern technologies, including electronic maps to define survey areas, digital devices for data collection through computer-assisted personal interviewing, and real-time data monitoring to improve efficiency and accuracy.

--IANS

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