A rare chemistry.

"US President Donald Trump has arrived in Asia for a whirlwind week of diplomacy, which includes a much-anticipated meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping." "Trump landed in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, as a summit for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, begins on Sunday. He will then visit Japan and finally South Korea, where the White House says he will meet Xi." BBC. In a problem for India, "Trump...hailed Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Asim Munir as 'great people'," because Sharif "said beautifully that the President (Trump) saved millions of lives," a remark made in reference to the US President's claim of 'stopping' the India-Pakistan conflict in May this year." HT. India has been hit with 50% tariffs on goods exports to the US, due to which, "September 2025 shipments fell to $5.5 billion, down 20.3% from August, marking the fourth consecutive monthly decline and erasing over $3.3 billion in monthly trade since May, according to a report from GTRI." Exports were $8.8 billion in May. TOI. In July, Trump signed an executive order imposing 50% tariffs on Brazil for prosecuting former President Jair Bolsonaro. CNN. Equal tariffs created great friendship between India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. In July, following a Brics Summit, Mr Modi embarked on a state visit to Brazil during which he exchanged hugs with President Lula at Alvorada Palace and was presented with a guard of honor comprised of 114 horses. TOI. Unfortunately, though Mr Modi decided to skip the UN General Assembly where he was scheduled to deliver a speech on 26 September (ET), Lula attended and "was pleasantly surprised by his first-ever encounter with US President Donald Trump at the United Nations General Assembly, describing it as having 'some chemistry' despite months of tension between the two largest economies in the Americas." "I saw him, he saw me, and we embraced," Trump told the assembly." (TOI). Eyes meet among hundreds of people, a sudden chemistry of brain chemicals and two men fall into each other's arms, an explosion of bromance! This could be the 'most unkindest cut of all' (Dictionary) for Mr Modi and for India. In a video chat on 6 October, "Lula asked Trump to remove most of the duties. Trump said on social media they had a 'very good telephone call'." BBC. Mr Modi also skipped the ASEAN summit to avoid meeting Trump (India Today) but Lula can't seem to stay away from Trump. Just this morning, "Lula said at a briefing on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Malaysia that his discussions with Trump had gone well and that an agreement would be reached 'faster than anyone thinks'." ET. But, "India will not accept limits on its trading choices or rush to sign agreements, Trade Minister Piyush Goyal said." Reuters. As in any romance, Lula has a gift irresistible to Trump. Brazil's "subsoil is rich in rare earth minerals coveted by manufacturers in a sector dominated by China." ET. What can we woo Trump with?