Faraz Saeed

Pakistan has received its first-ever shipment of US crude oil, arriving aboard the MT Pegasus at Cnergyico&rsquo;s offshore mooring facility in Balochistan. The delivery signals a major step toward diversifying Pakistan&rsquo;s energy imports beyond the Middle East, strengthening economic ties with the United States and enhancing the country&rsquo;s refining flexibility and energy security.

Shorts

Pakistan receives its first US crude shipment, signaling energy diversification, stronger Washington ties, and reduced Middle East dependence.

Pakistan receives first US crude shipment, marking energy shift

MUMBAI: At least nine people were crushed to death after a massive crowd surge at a Hindu temple in southern India&#39;s Andhra Pradesh on Saturday, the state&#39;s governor said. The stampede occurred at the Venkateswara temple in Kasibugga in Srikakulam district, where a crowd of devotees had gathered.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-5" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-5&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1984543456413565123&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=a4c48a7afdc9bb96e2b40ae5282ef97a063e419f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 745px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1984543456413565123"></iframe></div></div>Andhra Pradesh governor S. Abdul Nazeer expressed his &quot;profound grief on the death of nine pilgrims in the stampede.&quot; Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave his condolences to those &quot;who have lost their near and dear ones.&quot; &quot;I pray that the injured recover soon,&quot; Modi added. Deadly stampedes and crowd crushes are a common occurrence at big Indian gatherings and religious festivals. In September, at least 36 people were killed after a stampede broke out at a campaign rally of popular actor-turned-politician Vijay in Tamil Nadu state. And in June, a sudden crowd surge at a Hindu festival in the coastal state of Odisha triggered a stampede that killed at least three people and injured several others. The previous month, six people were crushed to death in the western state of Goa after thousands gathered for a popular fire-walking ritual. In January, at least 30 people were killed in an early morning crush at the Kumbh Mela, a Hindu mega-festival in the northern city of Prayagraj.

India

The stampede occurs at the Venkateswara temple in Kasibugga in Srikakulam district, where a crowd of devotees had gathered.

India temple stampede kills nine

GYEONGJU: Canadian Premier Mark Carney on Saturday called talks with China&#39;s leader Xi Jinping a &quot;turning point&quot; in relations, adding he had raised tricky topics like foreign interference with Beijing. Canada&#39;s relations with China have been among the worst of any Western nation, but both are at the sharp end of Donald Trump&#39;s tariff onslaught, even after Xi and the US leader&#39;s deal Thursday to dial back tensions. China and Canada on Friday held their first formal talks between their leaders since 2017 on Friday. &lsquo;Unlocked a path forward&rsquo;&quot;We have now unlocked a path forward to address current issues,&quot; Carney told journalists in the South Korean city of Gyeongju, referring to China.&nbsp;&quot;Our overall discussion was constructive,&quot; he added. Carney said Saturday he had accepted an invitation from Xi to visit &quot;in the new year&quot;. &quot;I directed our ministers and officials to work together to find solutions to current challenges and to identify areas for cooperation and growth,&quot; he said. Carney apologizes to Trump&nbsp;The US president last Saturday said he was hiking tariffs on Canadian goods by an additional 10% and terminated all trade talks. This followed what Trump called a &quot;fake&quot; anti-tariff ad campaign that featured the late ex-president Ronald Reagan. Carney said Saturday he had apologized to Trump for that ad. &quot;I did apologize to the president. The president was offended,&quot; he said.

Americas

Carney said Saturday he had accepted an invitation from Xi to visit "in the new year"; says ‘we have now unlocked a path forward to address current issues’, adding ‘our overall discussion was constructive.’

Canada PM says Xi talks 'turning point', apologizes to Trump

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Indian cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues, who powered India into the final of the Women&rsquo;s World Cup with a stunning unbeaten century against seven-time champions Australia, has become the latest target of online hate from Hindu right-wing accounts after publicly thanking Prophet Jesus in her post-match remarks. The 25-year-old batter, who was named Player of the Match, said in the presentation ceremony that she &ldquo;wanted to thank Jesus&rdquo; and &ldquo;could not do this on my own,&rdquo; describing how her faith helped her through anxiety and setbacks. &ldquo;Towards the end, I was just quoting a scripture from the Bible &mdash; to just stand still and that God will fight for me,&rdquo; she said. Her comments, however, triggered a wave of abuse from extremist social media users, who accused her of promoting Christianity and engaging in religious conversion, claims that have never been substantiated. Several right-wing accounts revived old videos of Rodrigues attending church events with her father, Ivan Rodrigues, who is reportedly involved in community outreach. Twitter user @Anshulspiritual wrote, &ldquo;I still stand by what I said. Jemimah Rodrigues used cricket as a tool for mass conversion. Show me one Indian who did such drama for religious conversion.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1984214679091302681&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=a4c48a7afdc9bb96e2b40ae5282ef97a063e419f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 1631px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Another account, @Tushar_KN, said, &ldquo;Just a few cricket match wins and this country forgets cricketers doing shady things,&rdquo; while @cric05949840 mocked Rodrigues as &ldquo;Pakistan ka Muhammad Rizwan ki sasti copy,&rdquo; adding that Hindu players never invoked &ldquo;Bhagwan or Bhagavad Gita&rdquo; after victories.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1984221824994119886&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=a4c48a7afdc9bb96e2b40ae5282ef97a063e419f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 921px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>User @imarpitmi alleged that Rodrigues&rsquo;s father had been &ldquo;actively involved in Christian missionary work using Khar Gymkhana premises,&rdquo; while @PanipatIV claimed, &ldquo;Jemimah Rodrigues has made clear she&rsquo;s first and foremost an evangelist and cynically using cricket to entice Hindus to convert to Christianity.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-3" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1984236095127871732&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=a4c48a7afdc9bb96e2b40ae5282ef97a063e419f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 321px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>User @Ashutosh1274 shared an old video of Rodrigues at a Christian gathering, alleging she was &ldquo;mimicking spiritual possession,&rdquo; captioning it with the slur &ldquo;rice bag par convert hue log.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-4" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-4&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1984115439216300281&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=a4c48a7afdc9bb96e2b40ae5282ef97a063e419f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 650px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>The vitriol underlines a rising trend of religious intolerance on Indian social media, where expressions of Christian or Muslim faith by public figures often draw targeted harassment from nationalist users. Despite the online abuse, many fans and journalists have defended Rodrigues, praising her resilience and humility. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s shameful that a player who just took India to the World Cup final is being attacked for her beliefs,&rdquo; one supporter posted. Neither Rodrigues nor the Indian cricket board has commented publicly on the trolling.

Cricket

Right-wing accounts revived old videos of Rodrigues attending church events with her father, Ivan Rodrigues, who is reportedly involved in community outreach.

Rodrigues faces online abuse after dedicating match-winning knock to Prophet Jesus

ISLAMABAD: Former Indian cricket captain Mohammed Azharuddin was sworn in as a member of the Council of Ministers of the Indian state of Telangana on Friday, according to a post by the governor of the state on X. The swearing-in ceremony was held at the official residence of the governor, Raj Bhavan, in Hyderabad.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1984202041280111068&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=d7e613f058618773e1833cfcaf8f16804971512c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="1984202041280111068">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Azharuddin, in his post on X, said he was &ldquo;honoured and humbled&rdquo;.&nbsp;He said, &ldquo;Honoured and humbled to be sworn in today as a Cabinet Minister in the Telangana Government by Shri Jishnu Dev Verma Garu, Hon&rsquo;ble Governor of Telangana.&rdquo; The former Indian cricket captain further said, &ldquo;My heartfelt gratitude to Shri Mallikarjun Kharge Ji, Smt Sonia Gandhi Ji, Shri Rahul Gandhi Ji, Smt Priyanka Gandhi Ji, and Shri KC Venugopal Ji for their trust and guidance. My sincere thanks to our Hon&rsquo;ble Chief Minister Shri A. Revanth Reddy Garu, Shri Mahesh Goud Garu, Smt Meenakshi Natrajan Madam, Shri P. Visshwanathan Sir, and my esteemed colleagues in the Council of Ministers for their support.&rdquo; &ldquo;Above all, I thank the people of Telangana for their love and faith. I remain deeply committed to serving you with dedication, integrity, and purpose,&rdquo; he added.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1984203975319859707&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=d7e613f058618773e1833cfcaf8f16804971512c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="1984203975319859707">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The Chief Minister of Telangana, Revanth Reddy, who attended the swearing-in ceremony, also extended his congratulations to the cricketer-turned-politician in a post on X.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 648px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1984171708186824783&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=d7e613f058618773e1833cfcaf8f16804971512c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="1984171708186824783"></iframe></div></div>

Azharuddin says, ‘I thank the people of Telangana for their love and faith. I remain deeply committed to serving you with dedication, integrity, and purpose’; Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy extends congratulations to the cricketer-turned-politician. 

 Ex-Indian cricket captain Azharuddin sworn in as minister in Telangana cabinet 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s star batter Babar Azam has etched his name in the record books, becoming the leading run-scorer in Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) after overtaking India&rsquo;s Rohit Sharma. Babar achieved the milestone in his 123rd innings, amassing 4,234 runs, just ahead of Rohit&rsquo;s 4,231 scored in 151 innings. India&rsquo;s Virat Kohli sits third on the list with 4,188 runs from 117 innings.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1984324118561636419&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=a4c48a7afdc9bb96e2b40ae5282ef97a063e419f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 827px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>The former Pakistan captain reached the landmark during his team&rsquo;s nine-wicket victory over South Africa, a result that levelled the series at 1-1. Babar&rsquo;s consistency and graceful stroke play once again underlined why he is regarded among the finest batters in modern T20 cricket, boasting both a higher average and a superior strike rate than many of his contemporaries. Earlier, Pakistan&rsquo;s bowlers bundled out South Africa for 110, before Saim Ayub&rsquo;s unbeaten 71 guided the hosts to an emphatic win inside 14 overs. With the series now tied, Babar will aim to build on his record-breaking feat in the decisive third T20 as he continues to redefine batting excellence across formats. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">Most runs in T20Is </h2><div class="fr-embed"><table style="border-collapse: collapse; text-align: center; width: 100%;"><thead style="background-color: #f2f2f2;"><tr><th>No.</th><th>Player</th><th>Country</th><th>Mat</th><th>Inns</th><th>Runs</th><th>HS</th><th>Ave</th><th>SR</th><th>100</th><th>50</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">1</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">Babar Azam</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">PAK</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">130</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">123</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">4234</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">122</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">39.57</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">128.77</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">3</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">36</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>Rohit Sharma</td><td>IND</td><td>159</td><td>151</td><td>4231</td><td>121*</td><td>32.05</td><td>140.89</td><td>5</td><td>32</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>Virat Kohli</td><td>IND</td><td>125</td><td>117</td><td>4188</td><td>122*</td><td>48.69</td><td>137.04</td><td>1</td><td>38</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>Jos Buttler</td><td>ENG</td><td>144</td><td>132</td><td>3869</td><td>101*</td><td>35.49</td><td>148.97</td><td>1</td><td>28</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>Paul Stirling</td><td>IRE</td><td>153</td><td>150</td><td>3710</td><td>115*</td><td>26.69</td><td>134.86</td><td>1</td><td>24</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>Martin Guptill</td><td>NZ</td><td>122</td><td>118</td><td>3531</td><td>105</td><td>31.81</td><td>135.70</td><td>2</td><td>20</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">7</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">Mohammad Rizwan</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">PAK</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">106</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">93</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">3414</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">104*</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">47.41</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">125.37</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">1</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">30</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>David Warner</td><td>AUS</td><td>110</td><td>110</td><td>3277</td><td>100*</td><td>33.43</td><td>142.47</td><td>1</td><td>28</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>Muhammad Waseem</td><td>UAE</td><td>91</td><td>91</td><td>3184</td><td>112</td><td>37.02</td><td>151.76</td><td>3</td><td>25</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>Aaron Finch</td><td>AUS</td><td>103</td><td>103</td><td>3120</td><td>172</td><td>34.28</td><td>142.53</td><td>2</td><td>19</td></tr></tbody></table></div> Stats: Cricinfo

Achieves the milestone in his 123rd innings, amassing 4,234 runs, just ahead of Rohit’s 4,231 scored in 151 innings.

Babar Azam becomes leading run-scorer in T20Is

BEIJING: China said Saturday it will exempt some Nexperia chips from an export ban that has alarmed European businesses, days after trade talks between the leaders of the world&#39;s two largest economies. Anxiety over chip shortages began when Dutch officials invoked a Cold War-era law in late September to effectively take control of Nexperia, whose parent company Wingtech is backed by the Chinese government. China in response banned any re-exports of Nexperia chips to Europe and accused the United States of meddling in Dutch legal procedures to remove Nexperia&#39;s Chinese CEO. &quot;We will comprehensively consider the actual situation of enterprises and grant exemptions to exports that meet the criteria,&quot; a Chinese commerce ministry spokesperson said in a statement. The resumption of some Nexperia shipments was part of a trade deal agreed by Chinese President Xi Jinping and his American counterpart Donald Trump after talks in South Korea on Thursday, the Wall Street Journal reported citing unnamed sources. Chinese and European Union officials were also to discuss Nexperia while meeting in Brussels the same day, EU spokesman Olof Gill had said. Nexperia produces relatively simple technologies such as diodes, voltage regulators and transistors that are nonetheless crucial, as vehicles increasingly rely on electronics. The chips are mainly found in cars but also in a wide range of industrial components as well as consumer and mobile electronics like refrigerators. The company makes them in Europe before sending them to China for finishing and then re-exporting them back to European clients. Automaker anxiety&nbsp;European carmakers and parts suppliers had warned of chip shortages supplied by Nexperia that would force stoppages at production lines in Europe. The chipmaker supplies 49 percent of the electronic components used in the European automotive industry, according to German financial daily Handelsblatt. The European auto lobby ACEA warned last month that production would be seriously hit. &quot;Without these chips, European automotive suppliers cannot build the parts and components needed to supply vehicle manufacturers and this therefore threatens production stoppages,&quot; the group said. Nexperia&#39;s chips, while widely used, are not &quot;unique&quot; in terms of technology and therefore &quot;easily substitutable&quot;, French parts maker OPmobility said. But suppliers must get the new products approved by automakers, which takes time. Beijing suggested on Saturday some shipments would resume. Companies who were experiencing difficulties could contact the ministry or local commerce authorities, the Chinese ministry spokesperson said.

China

China announced it will allow limited exemptions to its export ban on Nexperia chips, easing tensions with Europe amid fears of automotive supply disruptions and following trade talks between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump.

China to exempt some Nexperia orders from export ban

WEST PALM BEACH: US President Donald Trump&#39;s administration on Friday banned reporters from accessing a core part of the White House press office without an appointment, citing the need to protect &quot;sensitive material.&quot; Journalists are now barred if they do not have prior approval to access the area in the West Wing known as Upper Press &mdash; which is where Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt&#39;s office is located. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung defended the move, saying without providing evidence that reporters had been &quot;ambushing&quot; cabinet secretaries in the area and secretly recording video and audio. &quot;This memorandum directs the prohibition of press passholders from accessing ... &#39;Upper Press,&#39; which is situated adjacent to the Oval Office, without an appointment,&quot; said a memo from the White House National Security Council (NSC). The memo, addressed to Leavitt and Cheung, said the aim was &quot;protecting sensitive material from unauthorized disclosure in Upper Press.&quot; The policy comes amid wider restrictions on journalists by the Trump administration, including new rules at the Pentagon that major outlets including AFP refused to sign earlier this month. White House reporters have until now been able to freely visit the area, often wandering up to try to speak to Leavitt or senior press officers to seek information or confirm stories. Media are still allowed to access the area known as &quot;Lower Press,&quot; next to the famed White House briefing room, where more junior press officers have their desks, the memo said. &#39;Eavesdropping&#39;&nbsp;The memo said the new restrictions were triggered by &quot;recent structural changes to the National Security Council&quot; that meant White House press officers were dealing with more sensitive material. Republican Trump has effectively absorbed the once powerful NSC into the White House, putting it under the control of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, after former National Security Advisor Mike Waltz was reassigned in May following a scandal over the use of the Signal app to plan strikes on Yemen. But Cheung later went further, saying on X that &quot;some reporters have been caught secretly recording video and audio of our offices, along with pictures of sensitive info, without permission.&quot; &quot;Cabinet Secretaries routinely come into our office for private meetings, only to be ambushed by reporters waiting outside our doors,&quot; he added, also accusing reporters of &quot;eavesdropping on private, closed-door meetings.&quot; Cheung, a Trump veteran who is known for his combative social media approach, did not provide evidence for the claims. US media said Democratic president Bill Clinton&#39;s administration also sought to limit access to the Upper Press area, before rescinding the decision. Trump&#39;s administration has made a major shake-up to access rules for journalists since his return to power in January. Many mainstream outlets have seen their access to areas like the Oval Office and Air Force One reduced, while right-wing, Trump-friendly outlets have been given more prominence. The White House also banned the Associated Press news agency from key areas where Trump speaks after it refused to recognize his order changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

White House communications director defends the move, says without providing evidence that reporters had been "ambushing" cabinet secretaries in the area and secretly recording video and audio.

Trump's White House restricts reporters' access to press office

Port Sudan: Sudan&#39;s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces said they had arrested several fighters accused of abuses during the capture of El-Fasher, with the United Nations demanding an investigation on Friday into the &quot;horrendous accounts&quot; of atrocities emerging from the city.&nbsp;At war with the army since April 2023, the RSF seized El-Fasher on Sunday, dislodging the army&#39;s last stronghold in the western Darfur region after an 18-month siege marked by bombardment and starvation.&nbsp;Survivors who reached the nearby town of Tawila told AFP of mass killings, children shot before their parents, and civilians beaten and robbed as they fled.&nbsp;The RSF said late on Thursday it had detained several men accused of &quot;violations... during the liberation&quot; of El-Fasher, including one known as Abu Lulu who appeared in multiple TikTok videos committing summary executions.&nbsp;In one clip verified by AFP, he is seen shooting unarmed men at close range. Another shows him standing among fighters celebrating near dozens of bodies and burnt vehicles.&nbsp;The RSF released footage appearing to show Abu Lulu behind bars in what they claimed to be a North Darfur prison.&nbsp;It pledged to ensure &quot;military discipline during wartime,&quot; and promised a fair trial for those detained.&nbsp;Since El-Fasher&#39;s fall, videos circulating online have purportedly shown men in RSF uniforms carrying out summary executions around the city, which has been cut off from all communications.&nbsp;Emtithal Mahmoud, a US-based Sudanese poet from El-Fasher, told AFP she recognized her cousin, Nadifa, in a video shared by RSF accounts, lying dead on the ground.&nbsp;The UN said the death toll could reach the hundreds, while army allies have accused the RSF of killing over 2,000 civilians.&nbsp;&nbsp;&#39;Horror is continuing&#39;On Friday, the United Nations voiced alarm at emerging details of executions, gang rapes and abductions in El-Fasher.&nbsp;&quot;We have received horrendous accounts of summary executions, mass killings, rapes, attacks against humanitarian workers, looting, abductions and forced displacement,&quot; said UN rights office spokesperson Seif Magango.&nbsp;Magango called for &quot;independent, prompt, transparent and thorough investigations&quot; into all alleged breaches of international law.&nbsp;The World Health Organization, meanwhile, said it had verified that at least 460 patients and others were killed on Tuesday in attacks on the Saudi Maternity Hospital &mdash; one of the last still functioning in El-Fasher.&nbsp;On Thursday, UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told the Security Council that &quot;the horror is continuing&quot; in El-Fasher, and questioned the RSF&#39;s commitment to investigating violations amid the &quot;appalling news&quot; from North Darfur.&nbsp;RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo had earlier vowed accountability for &quot;anyone who has made a mistake&quot;, while an RSF-led coalition maintained many incriminating videos were &quot;fabricated&quot; by the army.&nbsp;Satellite imagery analyzed by Yale&#39;s Humanitarian Research Lab showed clusters in the city &quot;consistent with adult human bodies,&quot; and discoloration that may indicate &quot;pools of blood,&quot; its director told AFP.&nbsp;Sudanese analyst Kholood Khair said she was skeptical that the purported arrests would bring an end to the violence.&nbsp;&quot;We expect these atrocities to continue, particularly against non-Arab groups,&quot; she told AFP, citing communities such as the Zaghawa, Fur, Berti and Masalit in Darfur.&nbsp;In 2023, the RSF &mdash; descended from the Janjaweed Arab militias accused of genocide in Darfur two decades ago &mdash; was blamed for massacres against the Masalit tribe in West Darfur capital El-Geneina, killing up to 15,000 people.&nbsp;&quot;Overall, these patterns reflect a disturbing repetition of ethnic tensions from 20 years ago, now compounded by disputes over resource control and political power in the country,&quot; Khair said.&nbsp;More than 62,000 people have fled El-Fasher between Sunday and Wednesday, according to the UN&#39;s migration agency, while the fate of tens of thousands of civilians still trapped in the city remains unknown.&nbsp;Bloodshed in KordofanFletcher warned that the bloodshed was spreading beyond Darfur, with atrocities reported in the neighboring Kordofan region.&nbsp;According to UN figures, between Sunday and Wednesday, more than 35,000 people fled five localities in North Kordofan state, including Bara, which lies north of state capital El-Obeid on a key route to Darfur and which was overrun by paramilitaries on Saturday.&nbsp;Martha Pobee, the assistant UN secretary-general for Africa, highlighted &quot;reports of large-scale atrocities perpetrated&quot; by the RSF in Bara, including &quot;ethnically motivated&quot; reprisals.&nbsp;At least 50 civilians were killed there in recent days, both in fighting and executions, including five Red Crescent volunteers, according to the UN.&nbsp;Kordofan is &quot;clearly going to be the next area of military escalation&quot;, analyst Khair said.&nbsp;The RSF on Thursday accused the army of launching a drone attack on a school in eastern North Kordofan, claiming dozens of students and teachers were killed or injured &mdash; an allegation the army denied.&nbsp;AFP could not independently verify the attack.&nbsp;Both the army and the RSF have faced war crimes accusations over the course of the conflict.&nbsp;According to UN reports, the RSF has received weapons and drones from the UAE. Abu Dhabi has denied giving any support to the paramilitary group.&nbsp;Meanwhile, the army has drawn on support from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Turkey.&nbsp;The US has previously determined that the RSF committed genocide in Darfur.&nbsp;El-Fasher&#39;s fall to the RSF gave it full control over all five state capitals in Darfur, effectively splitting Sudan along an east-west axis. The paramilitaries have established a self-declared rival government in Darfur.&nbsp;The army holds Sudan&#39;s north, east, and center.

Africa

UN says death toll can reach the hundreds, army allies have accused the RSF of killing over 2,000 civilians.

Sudan's RSF claims arrests as UN warns of 'horrendous' atrocities in Darfur

SANTIAGO DE CUBA: Hurricane Melissa was finally leaving the Caribbean on Friday after battering communities there for days, leaving a trail of devastation that killed around 50 people. The ferocious storm was expected to become a &quot;powerful post-tropical cyclone&quot; as it moved north, and a brief period of heavy rain and wind gusts was possible in eastern Canada, the US National Hurricane Center said in its latest and final advisory. &quot;After Melissa becomes post-tropical, a brief period of heavy rain and gusty winds is possible over the southern Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland tonight,&quot; the NHC added. Flooding was expected to subside in the Bahamas, although high water could persist in Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, and the neighboring Dominican Republic, the agency said. The storm, one of the most powerful ever recorded, was made four times more likely because of human-caused climate change, according to a study by Imperial College London. Melissa smashed into both Jamaica and Cuba with enormous force, and residents were assessing their losses and the long road to recovery. Jamaica&#39;s Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon told a briefing that authorities had &quot;quite credible&quot; reports of a potential five additional deaths, but had not yet been able to confirm. &quot;We&#39;re still at 19 confirmed, but we do expect that will change today,&quot; she said. Kingston&#39;s international airport, which re-opened on Thursday, has already received 13 cargo relief flights, Transportation Minister Daryl Vaz said, and expects at least 20 more to arrive on Friday. &quot;I would say to all of those persons who are still out here waiting and looking up in the sky that you will start to see&quot; and &quot;hear a lot of activity,&quot; Vaz said. &quot;You probably are feeling that you are forgotten. You are not forgotten.&quot; In impoverished Haiti, the country&#39;s civil defense agency said on Thursday that the death toll had risen to 30, with 20 people injured and another 20 missing. It said more than 1,000 homes have been flooded, with some 16,000 people in shelters. In the east of the communist island of Cuba, battling its worst economic crisis in decades, people struggled through inundated streets lined with flooded and collapsed homes. The storm smashed windows, downed power cables and mobile communications, and tore off roofs and tree branches. Cuban authorities said about 735,000 people had been evacuated &mdash; mainly in the provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Holguin, and Guantanamo. &#39;Everything is gone&#39;The United States, meanwhile, has mobilized disaster assistance response teams and urban search and rescue personnel, and the teams were currently on the ground in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and the Bahamas, according to a State Department official. Teams were en route to Haiti, too. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also included ideological foe Havana, saying the United States is &quot;prepared to offer immediate humanitarian aid to the people of Cuba affected by the Hurricane.&quot; The UK government announced &pound;2.5 million (about $3.3 million) in emergency funding for the region, and also said it was chartering &quot;limited&quot; flights to help British nationals leave. Hurricane Melissa tied the 1935 record for the most intense storm ever to make landfall when it slammed Jamaica on Tuesday, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In Seaford Town, farmer and businessman Christopher Hacker saw his restaurant and nearby banana plantations flattened. &quot;Everything is gone,&quot; he told AFP. Such mega-storms &quot;are a brutal reminder of the urgent need to step up climate action on all fronts,&quot; said UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell.

Ferocious storm expected to became a "powerful post-tropical cyclone" as it moves north, a brief period of heavy rain and wind gusts possible in eastern Canada.

Nearly 50 dead after Hurricane Melissa thrashes Caribbean

Gaitty Ara Anis

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump&rsquo;s announcement signaling a possible resumption of US nuclear testing after more than three decades has drawn mixed reactions from nuclear policy experts, who warned of legal hurdles and global security risks.&nbsp;Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump told reporters the United States would conduct nuclear tests if other nations do.&nbsp;&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to do some testing, yeah, and other countries do it,&rdquo; Trump said in response to a question from AFP. &ldquo;If they&rsquo;re going to do it, we&rsquo;re going to do it.&rdquo;&nbsp;He did not clarify whether he was referring to warhead tests, missile tests, or subcritical experiments.&nbsp;The statement came ahead of Trump&rsquo;s meeting with Chinese Premier Xi Jinping in South Korea, where both leaders were expected to discuss tariffs.&nbsp;Dr. Kelly Voss Coletti, a nuclear nonproliferation expert at the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology, told Pakistan TV Digital that it was &ldquo;too early to call this announcement official.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;It is still a statement, not a policy,&rdquo; she said, noting that any resumption of nuclear explosive testing in the United States would require congressional approval and a lengthy authorization process.&nbsp;Miles Pomper, a senior fellow at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Washington, said the president&rsquo;s wording left critical questions unanswered.&nbsp;&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not clear whether he meant testing missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads or the warheads themselves,&rdquo; he said. Pomper noted that &ldquo;missiles are routinely tested in all nuclear states, including Pakistan.&rdquo;&nbsp;Dr. Coletti cautioned that US moves carry global ripple effects.&nbsp;&ldquo;The international system tends to look to the United States for leadership on nuclear nonproliferation,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;If the US begins the long process of resuming nuclear weapons testing, other countries will likely follow.&rdquo;&nbsp;Pomper acknowledged that the US deterrence strategy plays a political role.&nbsp;&ldquo;Testing is the only way to know how aging plutonium pits perform,&rdquo; he said, adding that deterrence remains central to US strategic policy.&nbsp;Coletti urged Washington to honor its moratorium and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty to &ldquo;demonstrate the US&rsquo; commitment to global peace.&rdquo; Pomper, meanwhile, suggested such a move would signal a shift back into &ldquo;an already ongoing arms race.&rdquo;&nbsp;Russia and China, both considered strategic competitors, have recently expanded their advanced weapons testing capabilities. Moscow recently announced tests of the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile and the Poseidon underwater torpedo.&nbsp;Since 1992, the United States has relied on the Stockpile Stewardship and Management Program, using simulations and non-detonating experiments, to ensure the reliability of its arsenal without live testing.&nbsp;Coletti also emphasized that the president does not hold exclusive authority in approving nuclear explosive tests.&nbsp;&ldquo;The power lies with Congress,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Even if proposed, the decision will take time to implement.&rdquo;&nbsp;On regional implications, experts said US testing would not immediately alter deterrence dynamics between Pakistan and India. However, Pomper noted it could &ldquo;provide Iran and North Korea with talking points,&rdquo; ahead of the 2026 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty review conference.&nbsp;Environmental risks also remain contentious. While Pomper argued underground testing is &ldquo;not hazardous,&rdquo; Coletti warned of long-term groundwater contamination, pointing to the US National Cancer Institute&rsquo;s fallout risk assessments from Cold War&ndash;era tests.&nbsp;&ldquo;Even underground, radioactive materials can escape through cracks caused by the explosion,&rdquo; she said. With additional inputs from AFP

President Donald Trump signaled the US could resume nuclear testing if rivals do, prompting nonproliferation experts to warn of legal hurdles, environmental risks, and a potential renewed arms race, though some argue testing may support deterrence credibility.