Sep 23, 2019

Trump at Howdy Modi rally: India and U.S. must protect our borders

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump attend the "Howdy, Modi!" rally at NRG Stadium in Houston Sunday. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

President Donald Trump declared in front of a 50,000-strong crowd at a Houston event honoring Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, "India and the United States understand that to keep our communities safe, we must protect our borders."

Why it matters: Trump's comments at the "Howdy Modi" rally that border security is "vital" to the U.S. and India come weeks after India sent thousands of troops to the Indian-administered Kashmir and erased the special status of the majority-Muslim state — escalating tensions with Pakistan in the disputed region.

As Bloomberg notes, Trump's remarks risk being perceived as supporting India over Pakistan's in a dispute that he's offered to help mediate, a proposal India rejected.

The big picture: Kashmir has been a source of conflict between India and Pakistan since partition in 1947 and is now effectively split between the countries.

Per Axios' Dave Lawler, "Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan has repeatedly compared India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to the Nazis and warned without evidence of an 'impending genocide' in Kashmir."
The Houston Chronicle notes 2 Kashmiri citizens are suing Modi in federal court in Texas for alleged human rights abuses in Kashmir.

In photos: "Howdy Modi" rally

Protesters outside the Texas rally. Photo: Sergio Flores/Getty Images

Modi's supporters inside the stadium. Photo: Thomas B. Shea/AFP/Getty Images

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz with Modi. Photo: Thomas B. Shea/AFP/Getty Images

Dancers perform at the stadium. Photo: Thomas B. Shea/AFP/Getty Images

Audience members listen to Modi at the event. Photo: Thomas B. Shea/AFP/Getty Images

Go deeper: Pakistan struggles to rally the world against India's Kashmir crackdown

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Dave Lawler

Kashmir crackdown: A warning of nuclear war between India and Pakistan

Daily life in locked-down Srinagar. Photo: Tauseef Mustafa/AFP/Getty Images

India and Pakistan are sliding toward potential nuclear war, according to the president of Pakistani-controlled Kashmir. The warning comes as Pakistan attempts to rally global outrage against its neighbor and rival.

Catch up quick: On Aug. 5, India revoked the constitutional autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir — the state it controls within the disputed Himalayan territory — while instituting a communications blackout and a curfew enforced by hundreds of thousands of troops.

Go deeperOct 4, 2019

Rebecca Falconer

In photos: A tale of 2 cities on 70th anniversary of Communist China

The Tiananmen Square parade in Beijing marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Photo: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

China showed off a new hypersonic ballistic nuclear missile, the DF-17, as it displayed its military might during a grand parade in Beijing marking the 70th anniversary of Communist Party rule, AP reports. But clashes between police and protesters in Hong Kong cast a shadow over celebrations.

The big picture: Hong Kong authorities had tried to thwart protesters as Chinese President Xi Jinping oversaw the Beijing parade that showcased some 15,000 soldiers and 100,000 performers, per the New York Times. Hong Kong went into unprecedented lockdown, Reuters notes. But tens of thousands of protesters defied a ban on marches and attended rallies throughout the city, per Bloomberg.

See photosUpdated Oct 1, 2019

Rebecca Falconer

In photos: The aftermath of deadly Typhoon Hagibis in Japan

Japan Defense Forces evacuate residents from the Typhoon Hagibis-devastated Marumori in Miyagi prefecture Monday. Photo: Jiji Press/AFP via Getty Images

A massive search and rescue operation involving 110,000 people was underway in Japan Monday after deadly Typhoon Hagibis lashed the country over the weekend, the BBC reports.

The big picture: The storm that triggered floods and landslides Saturday has killed at least 40 people and injured scores more, according to Japanese news outlets. "About 38,000 people across 17 prefectures had evacuated their homes" so far, the Japan Times reports. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said there were concerns for the "impact on lives and economic activities," per the Japan Times.

See photosOct 14, 2019