New York, Sep 29: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar says that the US’s lack of sensitivity to India’s concerns about terrorism emanating from Pakistan is a problem for Washington-New Delhi relations.

He did name Pakistan, but made it amply clear he was referring to it by ascribing the terrorism to “a neighbour” that uses it as a policy, and it was criticism directed at President Donald Trump for developing close relations with Pakistan, ignoring its role as a purveyor of terror.

“Perhaps there are very few countries which have been subjected to the kind of terrorism that we have from a neighbour as part of a deliberate conscious policy over many, many decades”, he said on Monday.

Therefore, the terrorism issue is “particularly important” for India, he said.

“Now, if something which matters so deeply to us, there isn’t enough understanding or appreciation or empathy of that, I think that creates a problem”, He said.

If “one of my primary concerns is not fully appreciated by my partner, then clearly there is a impact on that on the relationship”, he said.

He made these comments during an event in New York when he was asked about factors hindering better U.S. relations.

He said that besides trade, this insensitivity to terrorism was a factor.

Trump has entirely walked away from the issue of terrorism when it comes to Pakistan, in a change from the policies of the previous administrations.

Previously, the US recognised Islamabad’s role in backing global terrorism, which reached its height with the 2001 attacks by al-Qaida on the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon outside Washington.

Pakistan’s role as an accessory to the attacks was exposed when al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden was found to be living under Pakistan’s protection.

Kathmandu, Sep 29: At least 27 people have been killed and seven injured across Nepal in natural disasters, including floods, landslides, inundation, strong winds and lightning triggered by incessant rainfall across Nepal since September 24 till Monday evening, Nepal’s Prime Minister’s Office said.

In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Secretariat said four people were also reported missing during the period, while 1,065 families were affected by 513 monsoon-related incidents, citing the latest government figures.

The disasters completely damaged 225 houses and partially damaged 137 others. Twenty-seven cattle sheds and 114 livestock were also affected.

The government said it has intensified rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts while mobilising its agencies to repair damaged infrastructure and restore normal life.

Floods and landslides damaged 147 locations along highways and major roads across the country. Of these, 125 locations have already been repaired and reopened, according to government statistics.

Traffic has also been disrupted along the Kaligandaki Corridor in western Nepal due to landslides, road subsidence and damage to bridge approaches in parts of Beni-Jomsom, Palpa, Baglung and Nawalparasi districts. Authorities estimate that it could take more than three days to fully restore the road.

Electricity supply has also been affected by the floods. A total of 1,013.2 megawatts of electricity supply through the national transmission system was disrupted in the Kaligandaki, Marsyangdi and Seti-Madi river corridors.

About a dozen hydropower projects along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river corridors were also badly damaged following the deadly flooding on August 26, which claimed more than 1,400 lives and left around 5,000 people missing, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.

The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), the state-owned power utility, said it plans to import more than 1,100 MW of electricity from India during the upcoming winter season, when domestic generation is expected to decline by around 70 percent as run-of-the-river hydropower projects generate less electricity.

Domestic electricity generation after January is expected to remain around 1,218 MW against projected demand of 2,293 MW, the NEA said.

“That’s why we have planned to import 1,155 MW of electricity from India during the upcoming dry season to manage the power supply,” Dirghayu Kumar Shrestha, managing director of the NEA, said on Monday.

Washington, Sep 28: Iran has offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on the sixth day of a proposed seven-day plan and resume nuclear negotiations with the United States on the seventh, but Washington rejected the proposal because it demanded sanctions relief and access to frozen assets at the outset.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would open the vital shipping passage if the United States ended the conflict, removed its blockade, released Iranian assets and allowed the country to sell oil.

“Our proposal is very clear. We are ready to open the Strait if certain things are done by the US,” Araghchi told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.

“We want our moneys, our assets, which are illegally frozen, to be released. We want, you know, to be able to sell our oil,” he said.

Araghchi said the steps sought by Iran could be completed within four or five days.

“If they want — if they are serious that they want a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, now there is the possibility,” he said. “We have offered this seven-day plan.”

The strait would reopen on day six, with negotiations on a broader agreement beginning the next day, he said.

President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he was rejecting the Iranian offer.

“They want to make a deal where they open the strait immediately because they’re losing so badly,” Trump said. “But we’re winning tremendously. We have total control of the Hormuz Strait.”

US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said the proposal required Washington to make extensive concessions before substantive negotiations began.

“They were asking for everything up front,” Waltz told CNN’s “State of the Union”.

Waltz said Iran wanted relief from US and UN sanctions and access to billions of dollars in frozen assets.

“The bottom line is, they were asking for everything up front with a promise that they would then talk,” he said.

Waltz accused Iran of violating an earlier memorandum of understanding by attacking international shipping. Tehran disputes the US account and says Washington violated previous agreements.

“The president’s just not confident that the Iranians are coming in good faith and that we will truly negotiate the end of their nuclear programme,” Waltz said.

Araghchi said Iran was still waiting for an official response delivered through mediators despite Trump’s public rejection.

“At the same time, we are ready for diplomacy,” he said. “But, and now there is a very reasonable plan on the table. If they reject it with no reason, this is their fault.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian separately told CBS’s “Face the Nation” that Tehran was prepared to proceed in stages under a framework based on the earlier memorandum.

“Obviously, we will abide by whatever we commit to,” Pezeshkian said.

He also indicated that Iran could negotiate limits and inspections for its nuclear programme but blamed the United States and Israel for attacking Iranian nuclear sites.

“Within the framework of the NPT and the other existing frameworks, all of these issues are matters that can be agreed upon,” Pezeshkian said.

Araghchi said Iran remained prepared for renewed military action while keeping diplomacy available.

“We are fully prepared for the war to be resumed,” he said. “But at the same time, we are ready, we stand ready for diplomacy. It is up to President Trump to choose.”