
From The Hindu, June 20, 1975: Japan allays Soviet fears on pact with China
Tokyo, June 19: The statement issued two days ago by the official Soviet news agency, Tass, which in effect warned the Japanese Government against agreeing to China's demand for inclusion of an anti-hegemony clause in concluding the Sino-Japanese peace agreement has placed Japan on the horns of a dilemma. The Russian Government's statement asked Japan to 'give a proper rebuff to any actions of third States to create obstacles in the improvement of the Soviet-Japanese relations' which is interpreted by diplomatic observers as a clear warning to Japan of unfavourable consequences from Moscow, should the Miki Government acquiesce in China's adamant demand. Officially the Japanese Government has reacted rather coolly to the Soviet warning and Government spokesmen from Premier Miki downward have sought to give the impression that they are not unduly concerned over the Soviet statement. The Japanese Government's reply to the statement is expected to be conveyed to the Soviet Government in a few days and it is expected to point out 1) that Japan has worked consistently for promotion of the Soviet-Japanese friendship ever since the resumption of relations in 1956 and will continue to do so; 2) that the Soviet Union shall be fully aware of this and Japan finds it difficult to understand the reasons for the Soviet Government's statement.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
33 minutes ago
- Time of India
Russia signs investment deal with Myanmar, sees offshore oil and gas prospects
Russia signed an investment agreement with Myanmar on Friday that it said could open up new opportunities for Russian energy companies in the south Asian country. "We especially note the readiness of the Myanmar side to attract Russian companies to the development of offshore oil and gas fields," Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov said after signing the agreement in St Petersburg with Kan Zaw, Myanmar's minister of investment and foreign economic relations. Russia said the deal would help accelerate projects including in Myanmar's Dawei special economic zone , where a 660 MW coal-fired thermal power plant is being developed. Russia has been building closer ties with Myanmar's military junta, which seized power in 2021 by toppling the elected government of Nobel peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi. The country is struggling with internal conflict, an economy in tatters, widespread hunger and a third of the nation's 55 million people in need of aid, according to the United Nations. Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing met Russian President Vladimir Putin in March and signed an agreement on construction of a small-scale nuclear plant in Myanmar. A month earlier, the two countries signed a memorandum on construction of a port and oil refinery in the Dawei economic zone. Friday's agreement will also facilitate cooperation in areas including transport infrastructure, metallurgy, agriculture and telecommunications, the Russian government said.


Time of India
42 minutes ago
- Time of India
Russian drones slam into 2 Ukrainian cities, killing at least 1 person in nighttime attack
Russian drones slam into 2 Ukrainian cities, killing at least 1 person in night-time attack (Image: AP) KYIV: Russian drones slammed into two Ukrainian cities, killing at least one person in night time attacks, authorities said Friday, as a Kremlin official said he expected an announcement next week on dates for a fresh round of direct peace talks. Russia's overnight drone assault targeted the southern Ukraine port city of Odesa and the north-eastern city of Kharkiv, hitting apartment blocks, officials said. The barrage of more than 20 drones injured almost two dozen civilians, including girls aged 17 and 12, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. "Russia continues its tactics of targeted terror against our people," Zelenskyy said on messaging app Telegram, urging the United States and the European Union to crank up economic pressure on Russia. Russia has shown no signs of relenting in its attacks, more than three years after it invaded its neighbour. It is pressing a summer offensive on parts of the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line and has kept up long-range strikes that have hit civilian areas. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that the date for the next round peace talks is expected to be agreed upon next week. Kyiv officials have not recently spoken about resuming talks with Russia, last held when delegations met in Istanbul on June 2, though Ukraine continues to offer a ceasefire and support U.S.-led by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting. The two rounds of brief talks yielded only agreements on the exchange of prisoners and wounded soldiers. Ukraine and Russia's Defence Ministry announced the latest swap Friday, although they did not specify how many troops were involved. Zelenskyy said most of those returning home had been in captivity for more than two years. A fire caused by Russia's nighttime strike on Odesa engulfed a four-story residential building, which partly collapsed and injured three emergency workers. A separate fire spread across the upper floors of a 23-story high-rise, leading to the evacuation of around 600 residents. In Kharkiv, at least eight drones hit civilian infrastructure, injuring four people, including two children, according to Ukraine's Emergency Service. Russia launched 80 Shahed and decoy drones overnight, Ukraine's air force said, claiming that air defences shot down or jammed 70 of them.


News18
an hour ago
- News18
Iran's Nuclear Programme, Regime Change, Or Both? Decoding What Israel Is Really After
Last Updated: The Israel-Iran-US developments over seven days, which have left the world wary and confused, have given rise to one question – What is Israel's endgame? On June 13, Israel launched its Operation Rising Lion, claiming it wanted to destroy Iran's nuclear programme. Amid Israel's attempts to get the US involved came US President Donald Trump's barrage of boastings — how Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is a small target, how he stopped Israel from killing Khamenei and how Iran did not take the deal offered to it and 'big things" were happening. Meanwhile, Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu on June 17 insisted that a regime change could be a byproduct of the conflict. In all this, Iran remains defiant. By June 20, Trump said he would decide if he should participate in the strikes in two weeks; while Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesperson Dmitri Peskov said the talk of a regime change in Iran is 'unimaginable" and even the 'talk should be unacceptable". Israel officially started with the goal to dismantle key components of Iran's nuclear and ballistic-missile capabilities. On June 13, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a televised address, called it a 'decisive moment in Israel's history" and vowed the strikes would continue 'as long as needed" to dismantle Iran's nuclear threat. He emphasised the war is against Iran's regime, not its people, and thanked Trump for support. Billions & Counting: How Much Are Gaza, Iran Wars Costing Israel? Explained However, Defense Minister Israel Katz later publicly said that Iran's Supreme Leader 'cannot continue to exist", which went beyond nuclear deterrence. Soon, Netanyahu went a step further to suggest that a regime change in Iran could be an unintended 'byproduct" of military action. He also said that Israel can strike Iran's fortified Fordow nuclear site without U.S. assistance. On June 19, Netanyahu warned that Israel was 'close to the final result", asserting 'nobody in Iran has immunity" and commending U.S. support while criticizing the Biden administration's hesitation. Analysts say Israel's political and military messaging signal a possible strategic escalation, from sabotage to systemic regime weakening. Moreover, if the US, which has sought a two-week diplomatic window, opts in, Israel's limited air campaign could expand dramatically. IRAN'S POSTURE OF DEFIANCE Despite the pressure, Khamenei has emphatically refused to back down or negotiate surrender. Following Israeli airstrikes, Khamenei condemned them as criminal, warning the 'Zionist regime" faces a 'bitter and painful fate". In a televised address on June 18, Khamenei rejected Trump's call for 'unconditional surrender," declaring Iran will not yield and warned U.S. action would have 'irreparable consequences". President Masoud Pezeshkian publicly urged restraint saying Iran doesn't seek war but will respond 'appropriately." Privately, he cautioned that going to war could collapse the economy and destabilise the country. Although backchannel talks have reportedly occurred between U.S. and Iranian officials, no concessions have been made. Iran's foreign minister has now reiterated that the US asked them to negotiate, but they refused. WHAT ARE ISRAEL's OPTIONS? Weaken the regime enough for internal fracturing or power realignment within the IRGC. Khamenei's potential elimination, which could shock political structures – but Iran has institutional succession plans in place, making the collapse unlikely to be immediate. Moments ago, Israel launched Operation 'Rising Lion", a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel's very survival. This operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat. —— Statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: — Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) June 13, 2025 CAN NETANYAHU CAUSE AN UPRISING IN IRAN? Netanyahu did make an appeal to the Iranian people to provoke public backlash, but experts feel it could backfire, instead unifying Iranians against foreign aggression. BREAKING: Iran's foreign minister says that the country's ballistic missile program is not negotiable— The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) June 20, 2025 ISRAEL'S OCTOPUS LOGIC Former Defense Minister Naftali Bennett introduced the idea: Israel had been fighting only the tentacles, but now aims to suffocate the head— Iran —by weakening its central power and disrupting its regional network. Netanyahu echoed this metaphor, stating: 'Iran is the head of the octopus, and you see its tentacles all around—from the Houthis to Hezbollah to Hamas." What the tentacles represent, according to Israel: Hezbollah in Lebanon Hamas in Gaza Houthis in Yemen Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria These groups are viewed as extensions of Iranian influence—armed, financed, and strategically coordinated from Tehran. Israel has engaged in direct operations targeting Iranian proxies (tentacles) and covert internal strikes inside Iran. The overarching goal: Force Tehran to refocus inward, drain its resources and weaken its ability to project power regionally. CAN ISRAEL OUST THE REGIME? In several media reports, military and intelligence circles in Israel have privately acknowledged that removing Iran's regime would be 'very hard", entailing ground invasion or U.S. boots on the ground, which Israel lacks. Eliminating senior IRGC figures has shaken Iran's establishment, but it remains institutionally strong. The IRGC is enshrined as the cornerstone of the regime, and losing top leaders doesn't equate to regime collapse. Increasingly unpopular opinion: Israel does not want regime change. Those who think so should explain why Israel didn't even *try* to go after the supreme leader. They want a hardliner state who tries to retaliate and make Israel the victim, but fails to inflict much damage.— Maryam Alemzadeh (@MaryamAlemzadeh) June 14, 2025 WHAT IF KHAMENEI IS ELIMINATED? Reuters had reported that Israel had a plan to kill Khamenei, which vetoed by the White House, but power in Iran is institutionalized and not concentrated in one man. His death would be a blow, but succession mechanisms are in place. Iran has been preparing for life post-Khamenei amid ongoing talks. A POST-CONFLICT IRAN: EXPERTS' VERSION In various media reports, experts have suggested what a post-conflict Iran may look like: A democratic transition may be unlikely with the possibility of sectarian civil war, IRGC coup, or inertia. It may not be a pluralistic democracy. A power vacuum may emerge, but it's more likely that the IRGC or other ruling elites would fill it—not civilian or democratic groups. Playing out 4 cautionary paths for advocates of regime change in Iran: 1. Iran breaks out North Korea style out and becomes globally sanctioned, nuclear-armed pariah-militarily untouchable but economically and diplomatically ostracized leaving an entrenched hardline regime 1/— Sanam Vakil صنم وكىل (@SanamVakil) June 14, 2025 STRATEGIC LOGIC Netanyahu has viewed Iran as Israel's primary threat for two decades, but historically preferred containment over direct confrontation—thanks in part to previous U.S. administrations. Since October 7, internal calculation has shifted: Israel's ultimate practical goal is to weaken the regime and hope for domino effects, not full regime overthrow. How Long Does It Take For Iran's Ballistic Missiles To Reach Israel? The Weapon Explained Analysts say while Israel is publicly calling for regime destabilisation now, it might not be the preferred endgame. Some like Maryam Alemzadeh argue that Israel actually wants a hardliner government that tries to retaliate yet fails, preserving the 'straw-man enemy" essential to its security narrative . top videos View all Israel is clear on one thing — a weakened Iran would mean weakened proxies, less Hamas, less Hezbollah, fewer threats on Israel's borders. With inputs from agencies About the Author Manjiri Joshi At the news desk for 17 years, the story of her life has revolved around finding pun, facts while reporting, on radio, heading a daily newspaper desk, teaching mass media students to now editing special copies ...Read More Get Latest Updates on Movies, Breaking News On India, World, Live Cricket Scores, And Stock Market Updates. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : israel iran Israel Iran tension news18 specials Location : Mumbai, India, India First Published: June 20, 2025, 14:47 IST News explainers Iran's Nuclear Programme, Regime Change, Or Both? Decoding What Israel Is Really After