International news brief: Trump rape accuser plans suit under new NY 'survivors' law and more

Washington, Sep 21: A writer who accused former President Donald Trump of raping her in a department store dressing room intends to file another lawsuit against him under a new New York law letting sexual assault victims sue over attacks that happened decades ago.

A lawyer for the columnist, E. Jean Carroll, notified a federal judge of her intent to sue in an August letter entered in the public record Tuesday. The suit would allege sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

In the letter, the lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, also said she plans to depose Trump in the defamation case that Carroll already had pending against the former president. The deposition would have to occur by October 19, when discovery in the case must be completed for a planned February trial.

PM Modi was right when he said this is not time for war: French Prez Emmanuel Macron at UNGA

French President Emmanuel Macron told world leaders at the UN General Assembly session that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was right when he told Russian President Vladimir Putin that this is not the time for war.

Modi, who met Putin last week on the sidelines of the 22nd meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Uzbekistan's Samarkand, had told the Russian leader that ''today's era is not of war''. He has spoken to Putin several times over the phone regarding this issue and underlined the importance of democracy, diplomacy and dialogue.

Biden looking to move beyond old model of free trade agreements: NSA Jake Sullivan

US President Joe Biden is looking to move beyond the old model of free trade agreements and is more geared to today's economic realities and to lessons of the last 30 years, his National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has said.

Sullivan was responding to a question on visiting British Prime Minister Liz Truss's comment that a free trade agreement (FTA) with the US will take time.

''He (Biden) is looking to move beyond the old model of FTA to a model that is more geared to today's economic realities and the lessons of the last 30 years,'' Sullivan told reporters at a White House news conference on Tuesday. ''On a US-UK trade deal, I didn't hear her say that but it's not a surprise to me because free trade agreements take a long time to negotiate. It would be a fair statement of reality about the sheer level of details into which one must go to complete a comprehensive free trade agreement,'' he said.

Biden expected to raise issue of UNSC reforms at UN General Assembly session: NSA Sullivan

US President Joe Biden while attending the annual session of the UN General Assembly this week is expected to raise the issue of reforms in the United Nations Security Council, his National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Tuesday.

He, however, sidestepped queries related to Russia's permanent membership in the UN Security Council (UNSC).

''It is not something that he (Biden) is going to raise tomorrow although I think the world can see that when a permanent member acts in this way, it strikes at the heart of the UN Security Council. That should lead everyone collectively to put pressure on Moscow to change course,'' Sullivan said.

Musk to seek exemption from Iran sanctions for Web access

Elon Musk's hope to operate his satellite internet firm in Iran requires permission from the Treasury Department, which said Tuesday it welcomes applications to support internet freedom in the country that is largely isolated from western economies.

The Tesla CEO tweeted Monday that his satellite internet firm Starlink would seek permission to operate in Iran. National security adviser Jake Sullivan said it's up to Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control to decide on Starlink's next steps. ''We have of course, in the past, provided for various forms of exemptions for the Iranian people's ability to communicate with each other and with the world,'' Sullivan said during a White House press briefing Tuesday.