Planned Kim summit narrowed down to 'three or four' locations: Trump
Washington, Oct 10 : US President Donald Trump has said that planning for his next summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is advanced and that "three or four locations" have been short-listed.
Trump said on Tuesday at the White House that the meeting would "probably" not be in Singapore, where their historic first talks took place in June.
The pair discussed ending the reclusive state's nuclear weapons program and hostilities between Washington and Pyongyang.
Trump said that in terms of timing, the summit "won't be too far away," later telling reporters it would take place after the November 6 midterm elections.
He also said that there could "eventually" be a meeting on US soil. "On their soil also," Trump added. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Kim on Monday in Pyongyang to discuss the next summit.
"I returned late last night from North Korea from a trip where we made real progress. While there is still a long way to go and much work to do, we can now see a path to where we'll achieve the ultimate goal which is the full and final verified denuclearization of North Korea," Pompeo told reporters at the White House.
"We will, in short order, be able to talk about when the president will get to meet with him at what will be the second summit." Trump talked of "incredible progress," hailing the absence of missile or nuclear tests this year and the recent return of remains of US service members killed during the Korean War.
"You have no nuclear tests, you have no rockets, and we have a very good relationship with Chairman Kim, which is very important," Trump said.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
