US, China agree to open direct military hotline after Xi-Trump summit
The United States and China plan to establish military-to-military communications channels “to deconflict and deescalate” potential problems, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Saturday after talking with his Chinese counterpart. In a post on X, Hegseth said he had a “positive meeting” with Adm. Dong Jun, China’s minister of national defense, in the wake of President Donald Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. During their talk, the two defense leaders agreed that the best path forward for the U.S. and China involves “peace, stability, and good relations.” “Admiral Dong and I also agreed that we should set up military-to-military channels to deconflict and deescalate any problems that arise. We have more meetings on that coming soon. God bless both China and the USA!” Hegseth wrote, in part. TRUMP TOUTS ‘12 OUT OF 10’ MEETING WITH XI, DOWNPLAYS REPORTS OF VENEZUELA STRIKES Earlier Saturday, Hegseth attended a separate meeting in Malaysia with defense leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), where he urged them to push back against Beijing’s aggressive actions in the South China Sea. “China’s sweeping territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea fly in the face of their commitments to resolve disputes peacefully,” Hegseth said at the meeting, according to The Associated Press. “We seek peace. We do not seek conflict. But we must ensure that China is not seeking to dominate you or anybody else,” he added. OPINION: TRUMP SCORES FOUR BIG WINS WITH XI, BUT HAS ONE BIG MISS The South China Sea remains volatile with Beijing, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei all claiming overlapping territories. China’s maritime fleet has frequently clashed with the Philippines in the disputed waters, with Chinese officials recently describing the country as a “troublemaker” for staging naval and air drills with the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. Hegseth defended the U.S. ally during the Saturday meeting by saying Beijing’s designation of the Scarborough Shoal – a territory seized from the Philippines in 2012 – as a “nature reserve” was “yet another attempt to coerce new and expanded territorial and maritime claims at your expense.” The war secretary then urged ASEAN to finalize the Code of Conduct with China and proposed creating a “shared maritime domain awareness” network and rapid-response systems to deter provocations – measures he said would ensure that any member facing “aggression and provocation is not alone.” Hegseth also welcomed plans for an ASEAN-U.S. maritime exercise in December aimed at strengthening coordination and safeguarding freedom of navigation.
US military kills three in another strike on Caribbean vessel
BREAKINGBREAKING, Defence secretary says the strike was carried out on Trump’s orders and targeted ‘narco-terrorists’. Published On 2 Nov 20252 Nov 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth says that US troops have carried out another strike on a ship in the Caribbean, killing at least three men on board the vessel. In a post on X late on Saturday, Hegseth said the attack was carried out on the orders of President Donald Trump and targeted a vessel that “was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling”. He said no US forces were harmed in the strike. Adblock test (Why?)
Messi, Inter Miami beaten as Nashville level MLS Cup playoffs
Nashville snapped a two-and-a-half-year winless streak against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and forced a decisive Game 3. By News Agencies Published On 2 Nov 20252 Nov 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share An 89th-minute goal from Lionel Messi was too little, too late as Nashville SC defeated Inter Miami 2-1 on Saturday to stay alive in their Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup round one playoff series. It was Nashville’s first win over Inter Miami since May 2023, snapping a 10-match winless streak. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list First-half goals from Sam Surridge and Josh Bauer put Nashville in control at a rainy Geodis Park in Tennessee, and the Miami side, led by Argentinian superstar Messi, could not find a way to respond. Surridge converted a penalty in the ninth minute to put the hosts on top, slotting a low shot to the right of diving Miami goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo. Nashville were awarded the spot kick after Rios Novo hesitated coming off his line against a charging Surridge. Bauer put Nashville up 2-0 on the stroke of half-time, sliding in a left-footed shot off a corner floated in by Hany Mukhtar. Miami opened the second half in determined style, but Luis Suarez’s close-range shot in the 66th minute was parried by Nashville goalkeeper Joe Willis. Miami regained control of the ball, but Ian Fray’s quick attempt from inside the area was blocked. Messi stepped it up in the waning minutes, his awkwardly angled shot from the right in the 85th minute blocked, and a blast from the centre of the box saved in the 86th before he found the back of the net in the 89th. Rodrigo De Paul found Messi at the top right corner of the box, and the newly crowned MLS Golden Boot winner wrong-footed his defender and fired a left-footed shot into the top right corner to cut the deficit to one. Advertisement Miami had seized control of the series with a 3-1 Game 1 win, fuelled by a Messi brace, but now they will have to host a decisive third game in Florida on Saturday. It is an unwelcome reminder of last year, when Miami went into the playoffs, having posted the best record in the regular season, and won their opening game against Atlanta United, only for Atlanta to win the next two and send them packing. The winner of the series will play either Columbus or Cincinnati. Cincinnati take a 1-0 series lead into their Game 2 on Sunday. Nashville forward Sam Surridge, left, scores a goal on a penalty kick in the ninth minute of Game 2 against Inter Miami goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo [George Walker IV/AP] Adblock test (Why?)
US, China agree to set up military-to-military channels, Hegseth says
The United States and China have agreed to set up military-to-military channels to “deconflict and deescalate any problems” following the “historic” meeting between the countries’ leaders, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, according to the US defence secretary. In a statement on X on Saturday, Pete Hegseth said he and his Chinese counterpart, Minister of National Defence Dong Jun, made the decision following a phone call the night before. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list There was no immediate comment from Beijing. Hegseth said the pair, who also met in Malaysia following the Trump-Xi summit in South Korea, “agree that peace, stability, and good relations are the best part for our two great and strong countries”. “Admiral Dong and I also agreed that we should set up military-to-military channels to deconflict and deescalate any problems that arise,” he added. Experts have long advocated direct military contacts between the two superpowers, whose navies operate extensively in the Asia Pacific, saying the hotlines were the best way to avoid unintentional escalation. However, such contacts have remained irregular as tensions between the two nations ebb and rise. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a US-based think tank, said in May that most of the more than 90 communications channels between the US and Chinese governments went dormant during Trump’s first term as US president, from 2017 to 2021. China went on to cut the few links with the US military in 2022, under the administration of the US’s then-president, Joe Biden, when the then-speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, visited Taiwan, the self-governed island that Beijing claims as its province. Advertisement The development was followed by a series of close encounters between the Chinese and US militaries in the contested South China Sea as well as in the Taiwan Strait. These included the US military accusing a Chinese fighter jet of crossing in front of a US surveillance flight over the South China Sea in May 2023, in what it called an “unnecessarily aggressive maneuver”. Days later, in June that year, the US military said a Chinese Navy destroyer sailed across the path of a US destroyer in another “unsafe” manoeuvre. Beijing, at the time, said the US was to blame, and accused its rival of deliberately “provoking risk” by sending vessels near its shores. The tensions eased following a meeting between Biden and Xi in November 2023, with the two leaders also agreeing to resume high-level military-to-military communications. The CSIS said in May that such communications have been “limited” since Trump’s return to office in January this year. It also noted that the US and China have no crisis management channels, further increasing the risk of escalation, as Trump also ratcheted up a trade war against Beijing. Trump and Xi, in their meeting in South Korea on October 30, took several steps to lower the temperature, including the US president easing the tariff rate on Chinese goods from 57 percent to 47 percent. Trump also said that China had agreed to keep the supply of rare earth metals flowing. However, no deal was announced on the sale of TikTok to US investors or on possible plans to sell Nvidia’s advanced semiconductor chips. Trump also announced that he would travel to China in April, and said Xi would come to the US soon after. Hegseth met Dong, the Chinese defence minister, the day after the Trump-Xi summit, on the sidelines of the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Malaysia. “I highlighted the importance of maintaining a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific and emphasized U.S. concerns about China’s activities in the South China Sea, around Taiwan, and towards U.S. allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific,” he said in a post on X following the meeting. The “United States does not seek conflict, it will continue to stoutly defend its interests and ensure it has the capabilities in the region to do so”, he added. The Chinese Ministry of National Defence said that Dong had told Hegseth that the reunification of China and Taiwan is an “unstoppable historical trend” and urged the US to exercise caution in both words and actions on the Taiwan issue. Advertisement It quoted Dong as saying that China was committed to peaceful development while resolutely safeguarding its national security interests. “It possesses the full capability to respond calmly to any infringements or provocations,” the statement added. Adblock test (Why?)
Earthquake of 4.1 magnitude strikes Leh, second major tremor in three weeks
The news comes roughly two weeks after another earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter Scale had struck Leh, according to the NCS. That quake had also originated at a shallow depth of 10 km. Tremors were felt across Leh as well as adjoining regions.
PM Modi issues BIG statement during Chhattisgarh visit: ‘That day is not far when…’
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DNA TV Show: India to launch Operation Sindoor 2.0? Pakistan issues high alert due to…
In a coordinated effort, the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force, are conducting a major tri-service operation alongside the Pak border. On Friday, i.e., October 31, India extended the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) further in the Arabian Sea.
Why is Sanjay Raut advised by doctors to stay away from public gatherings? Shiv Sena leader says THIS on his health
Senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut has announced that he will be taking two months off from public life due to ‘medical reasons.’ As per reports he has been hospitalized.
THIS city is named UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, becomes 2nd from India to gain the recognition
The city becomes only the second from India to be added to UCCN’s gastronomy category, after Hyderabad was named in 2019, as per an official press release. Union Minister of Culture and Jodhpur MP Gajendra Singh Shekhawat shared the news on X.
Indore: 2 women charred to death in fire at chemical factory; one injured
Thick smoke and hazardous conditions posed significant challenges to the rescue operation. Once the fire was subdued, emergency personnel entered the charred remains of the godown and discovered the bodies of two women who had been trapped inside.