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ISLAMABAD: Malaysia and the United States will facilitate a ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said on Tuesday. Mohamad said he hopes the ceasefire will be signed during the upcoming ASEAN leaders meeting in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur from October 26 to 28, Reuters reported. The Malaysian foreign minister said that US President Donald Trump would be in Malaysia on October 26.&nbsp; Five-day conflict&nbsp;Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia over undemarcated points along their 817-km (508-mile) land border erupted into a deadly five-day conflict in July. The worst fighting between the two countries in over a decade saw at least 48 people killed and hundreds of thousands temporarily displaced on both sides. US role&nbsp;On July 28, 2025, US President Donald Trump, in a post on social media, announced that both countries had reached a ceasefire.&nbsp; He stated: &quot;Just spoke to the Acting Prime Minister of Thailand and Prime Minister of Cambodia. I am pleased to announce that, after the involvement of President Donald J. Trump, both Countries have reached a CEASEFIRE and PEACE... I am proud to be the President of PEACE!&quot;&nbsp;<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: 873px; 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=1949852573063618656&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=a5f79aa1301ada6679a4d5a7cf4559c93101e530&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="1949852573063618656"></iframe></div></div>

Asia

Malaysian foreign minister says Malaysia and the United States will facilitate a ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia; says US President Donald Trump will be in Malaysia on October 26. 

Thailand, Cambodia to sign ceasefire at ASEAN summit: Malaysian minister 

TOKYO: Japan&#39;s top opposition parties were set to hold high-stakes discussions Tuesday, aiming to find a unified candidate for prime minister and oust the ruling party from power. The talks come after the ruling coalition collapsed last week, putting in peril Sanae Takaichi&#39;s bid to become the country&#39;s first woman premier. Japan was in political limbo over whether the opposition bloc would unite after junior partner Komeito quit its 26-year alliance with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). A union would give the opposition group enough votes to name a prime minister and block Takaichi, who was elected as LDP president just over a week ago but needs lawmakers&#39; approval to become premier. Yuichiro Tamaki, president of the Democratic Party for the People (DPP) -- the third largest opposition group in the lower house -- said the secretaries general of three main opposition parties will meet Tuesday evening to explore a possible union. However, he cautioned that their policies diverge significantly in crucial areas, including national defence and the use of nuclear energy. &quot;If we were to join together in a coalition government, alignment on fundamental policies would be essential,&quot; he told a press conference. &quot;If there&#39;s no alignment, the administration will be volatile,&quot; said Tamaki, who said last week he would be willing to stand as prime minister. DPP&#39;s secretary general was also expected to meet with his counterpart from the LDP and its former partner Komeito. The LDP named Takaichi as its new leader earlier this month, seemingly putting her on track to rise to the premiership. Although she could still win if opposition parties disagree on an alternative candidate, Komeito&#39;s exit from the coalition due to a slush fund scandal within the LDP has plunged Japan into a new political crisis. The LDP still occupies over 40 percent of the powerful 465-seat lower house but lacks the majority it needs to name a prime minister on its own. The largest opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) has said it was willing to name Tamaki or the leader of another opposition party as the premier in order to kick the LDP out of power. Yoshihiko Noda, head of the CDP, has said that &quot;this is a once-in-a-decade chance for a change of government&quot;.

Japan faces political turmoil as opposition parties meet to unite and block Sanae Takaichi’s premiership after the ruling coalition collapsed, threatening the Liberal Democratic Party’s hold on power amid deep policy divisions.

Japan in political uncertainty as opposition seeks to oust ruling party

ISLAMABAD: Left-arm spinner Noman Ali grabbed six wickets to put Pakistan firmly in command at lunch on day three of the first Test against South Africa at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on Tuesday.&nbsp;South Africa were bowled out for 269 in reply to Pakistan&rsquo;s 378, giving the hosts a 109-run first-innings lead before going into the break at 36-2 in their second innings, extending the overall advantage to 145 runs. <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=1977999388401418377&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2F&sessionId=f37eec23129ad603d10d8fd9bfb8b78d091d5c7a&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 1019px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>Noman finished with impressive figures of 6-112, claiming his ninth five-wicket haul in Test cricket. He wrapped up the South African innings early in the morning session, dismissing Tony de Zorzi for 104 after the opener completed a fighting second Test hundred.&nbsp;De Zorzi&rsquo;s 208-minute stay included 10 fours and two sixes before he holed out to Shaheen Shah Afridi at long-on. Off-spinner Sajid Khan provided strong support, taking 3-98, including the wickets of Senuran Muthusamy and Kagiso Rabada.&nbsp;In Pakistan&rsquo;s second innings, openers Imam-ul-Haq and Shan Masood fell cheaply &mdash; Imam stumped off Simon Harmer for 7 and Masood bowled by an arm ball for 9 &mdash; before Abdullah Shafique and Babar Azam steadied the innings.&nbsp;At lunch, Pakistan led by 145 runs with eight wickets in hand, as batting continues to look difficult on a turning Lahore surface.

Cricket

South Africa bowled out for 269 in reply to Pakistan’s 378, giving the hosts a 109-run first-innings lead before going into the break at 36-2 in their second innings.

Pak-SA Test match: Noman’s six-for gives Pakistan control at lunch on Day 3

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday described the Gaza ceasefire agreement as a &ldquo;historic milestone&rdquo; towards peace in the Middle East, but reiterated that Pakistan&rsquo;s ultimate goal remains the creation of an independent Palestinian state.&nbsp;In a statement shared before departing Sharm el-Sheikh after attending the Gaza Peace Summit, the prime minister said Pakistan&rsquo;s foremost concern was to end the &ldquo;genocidal campaign&rdquo; in Gaza and secure an immediate halt to hostilities.&nbsp;&ldquo;Along with other brotherly nations, we consistently emphasized this priority. Our gratitude to President Trump is anchored in his promise to make it stop &mdash; and delivering on that promise,&rdquo; Sharif said, expressing appreciation for the US leader&rsquo;s role in brokering the ceasefire.&nbsp;<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=1977978658171011197&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2F&sessionId=f37eec23129ad603d10d8fd9bfb8b78d091d5c7a&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">As I board the plane to return home after the Gaza Peace Summit in Sharm el Sheikh, I want to share some reflections on the potentially transformational nature of what took place and why Pakistan has been so deeply involved. The most important priority for Pakistan was the&hellip;&mdash; Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) <a href="https://twitter.com/CMShehbaz/status/1977978658171011197?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="color: rgb(0, 115, 230);">October 14, 2025</a></blockquote>The premier noted that Pakistan&rsquo;s engagement in the summit reflected its enduring commitment to the Palestinian cause. &ldquo;The Palestinian people&rsquo;s freedom, dignity and prosperity remain a primary concern for Pakistan,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Reaffirming Islamabad&rsquo;s long-standing policy, Sharif stressed that the establishment of a strong, viable Palestinian state with pre-1967 borders and Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital &ldquo;remains the bedrock of Pakistan&rsquo;s Middle East policy and will remain so.&rdquo;&nbsp;PM hails Trump for Gaza peace dealThe remarks come a day after PM Sharif attended the signing of the Gaza ceasefire declaration at the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit for Peace in Egypt. Addressing the summit, Sharif said peace had been achieved after &ldquo;undying efforts led by President Trump, who is genuinely a man of peace.&rdquo;&nbsp;The Prime Minister recalled that Pakistan had earlier nominated President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in ending the conflict between India and Pakistan and announced his decision to &ldquo;nominate him once again for his extraordinary contribution in stopping the Gaza war.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;He has saved millions of lives. Mr President, I salute you. You are the man this world needed the most at this time,&rdquo; Sharif added.&nbsp;Smiling in response, Trump, sharing the podium with Sharif, added, &ldquo;Wow, I didn&#39;t expect that...that was very beautiful.&rdquo;&nbsp;Earlier, Trump and leaders from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey signed a declaration guaranteeing the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Under the agreement, Hamas freed the last 20 surviving captives in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.&nbsp;Trump called it &ldquo;a tremendous day for the Middle East and for the world,&rdquo; expressing confidence that the ceasefire &ldquo;is going to hold up.&rdquo;

Foreign Affairs

Says the Palestinian people’s freedom, dignity, and prosperity remain a primary concern for Pakistan.

Ceasefire a milestone, but Palestinian statehood remains core objective: PM Sharif

ISLAMABAD: Iran said on Tuesday that US President Donald Trump&#39;s call for a peace deal with Tehran was inconsistent with Washington&#39;s actions, referring to its strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June. &quot;The desire for peace and dialogue expressed by the US president is at odds with the hostile and criminal behavior of the United States towards the Iranian people,&quot; the foreign ministry said in a statement. 12-day war with IsraelIn mid-June, Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign on Iran, striking nuclear and military facilities as well as residential areas and killing more than 1,000 people. The 12-day war with Israel, during which the US struck the key nuclear facilities in Iran, derailed high-level nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks that killed dozens in Israel.&nbsp; A ceasefire between Iran and Israel has been in place since June 24. Ball in Tehran&rsquo;s courtDuring a Monday speech at the Israeli Knesset, Trump said he wanted a peace deal with Iran and that the ball was in Tehran&#39;s court for any agreement to come to pass. In its statement, Iran dismissed the call. &quot;How can one attack the residential areas and nuclear facilities of a country in the midst of political negotiations, kill more than 1,000 people, including innocent women and children, and then demand peace and friendship?&quot; the foreign ministry asked. &lsquo;Irresponsible and shameful&rsquo;Trump also said &quot;nothing would do more good&quot; for the region than for Iran&#39;s leaders to renounce terrorists, stop threatening their neighbors, quit funding their militant proxies, and finally recognize Israel&#39;s right to exist. Tehran struck back, calling the remarks &quot;irresponsible and shameful&quot; and accusing the United States of being &quot;a leading producer of terrorism and a supporter of the terrorist and genocidal Zionist regime&quot;. &quot;The United States ... has no moral authority to accuse others,&quot; Iran&#39;s foreign ministry said. Convincing Tehran&nbsp;Former president of Iranian American Council Trita Parsi, while commenting on Trump&#39;s call for peace deal, stated in a post on X: &quot;This is how he sounded in January and February &mdash; yet he still greenlit Israel&rsquo;s attack on Iran and later bombed Iran himself.&quot;&nbsp; &quot;Tehran is now wary that talk of diplomacy may simply be a fa&ccedil;ade meant to lull it into a false sense of security before another strike,&quot; he added. Parsi states: &quot;Trump may genuinely seek diplomacy, but convincing Tehran of that will be far harder given his perceived duplicity in May and June.&quot;<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" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 720px; 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=1977803558733910153&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=0960ec2515c71b17db7028d21dc6b23bb19343b5&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>&quot;Rejecting diplomacy won&rsquo;t improve its situation; it would only invite harsher sanctions and possibly another round of bombing,&quot; he added.

Middle East

The US president said that he would 'love to take the sanctions off [Iran] when they're ready to talk.' But in June, Israel’s bombing of Iran resulted in killing more than 1,000 people; the 12-day war with Israel, during which the US struck nuclear facilities in Iran, derailed high-level nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington.

Trump's call for peace 'at odds' with US actions: Iran 

Reuters

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump, a self-proclaimed peacemaker who has campaigned for a Nobel Prize, finally got a camera-ready diplomatic victory on Monday as world leaders flew to Egypt for the signing of the ceasefire and hostage-release deal he brokered between Israel and Hamas.&nbsp;But if lasting peace is to take root, analysts and diplomats say, Trump will have to maintain pressure on the man whose support he&#39;ll need in the next phases of his plan: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.&nbsp;US presidents from Bill Clinton to Joe Biden have found the strong-willed Israeli leader difficult to work with, and even Trump administration officials have been frustrated by some Israeli military strikes they see as undermining US policy.&nbsp;But this month, Trump managed to push Netanyahu into accepting his framework for a broader peace deal while persuading other Middle Eastern countries to convince Hamas to return all the Israeli hostages, its key leverage in the war.&nbsp;The work could get harder from here, however.&nbsp;Israel and Hamas remain sharply divided over many aspects of Trump&#39;s 20-point plan, and, as Israel prepares for next year&#39;s elections, Netanyahu&#39;s approach may shift as he attempts to keep his right-wing coalition together.&nbsp;&quot;We&#39;re entering a political year where everything is related to campaigns, and Netanyahu&#39;s calculations may flip from caving to pressure to trying to ensure his political survival,&quot; said Nimrod Goren, the president of Mitvim, an Israeli foreign policy think tank.&nbsp;The strength of Trump&#39;s peace plan, said the diplomats and analysts, is also its weakness.&nbsp;The document at the heart of the deal leaves much undefined, and neither side actually agreed to the fine print of each term. That vagueness was key to getting both sides to sign on, but it also means some of the most difficult diplomatic work is just beginning.&nbsp;Among the potential sticking points of Trump&#39;s peace plan is an agreement that Hamas disarm and play no role in Gaza&#39;s future administration. While Hamas agreed to Trump&#39;s plan generally, the group&#39;s official response made no mention of those specific terms, and Hamas leaders have indicated that they do, in fact, see a role for themselves in governing a post-war Gaza.&nbsp;&quot;There are any number of ways this could go sideways,&quot; said Jon Alterman, a Middle East expert at Washington&#39;s Center for Strategic and International Studies and a former State Department official.&nbsp;&quot;It&#39;s hard to remember an international agreement that left so much to be worked out later.&quot;&nbsp;The Israeli embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.&nbsp;A senior US official suggested that Trump had gained influence with Netanyahu in part by strongly supporting Israel on other important matters.&nbsp;Trump&#39;s first administration formally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the disputed Golan Heights as part of the country, two things long sought by the Israeli government.&nbsp;&quot;One thing President Trump&#39;s done with Israel ... is that he&#39;s not trying to be a middle-of-the-roader,&quot; the US official said. &quot;He&#39;s basically stood shoulder to shoulder with Israel 100%. But because of that, he&#39;s been able to help guide them in the right direction.&quot;&nbsp;A sterner TrumpTrump has a mixed record when it comes to applying political pressure on Netanyahu.&nbsp;In July, Israel bombed the Syrian defense ministry in Damascus even as the US had made a point of expanding ties with the new Syrian government. The US president gave political cover in Gaza to Netanyahu for months amid mounting humanitarian concerns among European and Arab allies.&nbsp;But in recent weeks, a sterner Trump has emerged. He forced Netanyahu to call the leader of Qatar to apologize after a failed bombing raid targeting Hamas negotiators in that country in September. Ultimately, he muscled Netanyahu into signing onto his 20-point plan despite the Israeli leader&#39;s misgivings.&nbsp;At the moment, said Alterman, the Middle East expert, Trump can likely exert leverage over Netanyahu given the US president&#39;s significant popularity in Israel.&nbsp;&quot;Trump&#39;s greatest leverage is he&#39;s much more politically popular in Israel than Netanyahu,&quot; Alterman said, &quot;and he can either support Netanyahu&#39;s political future or sabotage it.&quot;&nbsp;At the speech before the Israeli parliament on Monday, Trump playfully poked at the Israeli leader in ways that indicated he did not feel the need to treat Netanyahu with special deference.&nbsp;&quot;Well, see, now you can be a little bit nicer, Bibi, because you&#39;re not at war anymore,&quot; Trump said to laughs.&nbsp;But next year&#39;s elections could change Netanyahu&#39;s political calculations in ways that are difficult to predict.&nbsp;Supporters of right-wing politicians Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich could, in theory, threaten Netanyahu&#39;s governing coalition if they are sufficiently angered by the decision to halt military operations against Hamas.&nbsp;Analysts warn that foot-dragging by the Palestinian group over disarming could lead right-wing elements of the coalition to pressure Netanyahu to resume military operations in Gaza, effectively scuttling Trump&#39;s deal.&nbsp;&quot;We are troubled with the fact that Hamas still, today, declares it will stay in power in Gaza,&quot; Simcha Rothman, a member of the Religious Zionism party and of Netanyahu&#39;s governing coalition, told Reuters on Monday.&nbsp;&quot;We are not happy with any deal that is not a total surrender of Hamas ... We will not accept any partial victory.&quot;&nbsp;Another issue that could prove an irritant: a provision in the peace plan that admits the possibility of a future Palestinian state, which analysts say most Israelis would struggle to accept after Hamas&#39; cross-border attack of October 7, 2023.&nbsp;Dan Shapiro, a former US ambassador to Israel, said that if government and opposition politicians&#39; campaign heavily against the creation of such a state, it could limit the willingness of Arab countries to push Hamas to fulfill its obligations under Trump&#39;s deal.&nbsp;&quot;That was a very important inclusion to get the support of the Arab states to do their part,&quot; Shapiro said.&nbsp;&quot;If the political discourse is a full-on rejection of a Palestinian state for all time, I think that could color the enthusiasm of the Arab parties to play the parts that they need to play.&quot;

Secures a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, but analysts warn that vague terms, Netanyahu's political pressures, and Hamas' disarmament could jeopardize lasting peace.

Trump convinced Netanyahu to take a deal. Can he keep him onboard?

SYDNEY: Australia will make a second billion-dollar payment to boost US nuclear submarine shipyards soon, Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said in Washington on Tuesday, ahead of an official visit by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese next week. The AUKUS agreement to transfer nuclear-powered submarines to Australia is being reviewed by the Pentagon, although Australia has expressed confidence the deal, which also includes Britain, will proceed. In its first phase, Australia has pledged $3 billion to boost US submarine production rates, to later allow the sale of three Virginia-class submarines to Canberra, with a 2025 deadline for the first $2 billion. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve made a billion dollars. The plan is to provide another billion dollars shortly,&rdquo; Conroy told reporters in Washington, where he said he is meeting with Trump administration and defence industry officials. Albanese will travel to Washington next week for an official visit and his first formal meeting with US President Donald Trump, with the AUKUS defence partnership expected to be a focus of talks. Defence Minister Richard Marles told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday that Australia was contributing to a Pentagon review of AUKUS and had &ldquo;a sense of when this will conclude,&rdquo; without disclosing the timing. Australia is shifting to a model of defence co-development and co-production with the United States, including for the manufacture of guided weapons, and Albanese would highlight this to Trump, Conroy said. Australia expects to manufacture up to 4,000 Lockheed Martin guided missiles annually from a new factory to begin production by the end of the year, including supplying US&nbsp;defence needs, he said in a television interview with Sky News Australia. Australia is also working with the United States and Lockheed Martin to develop a longer-range Precision Strike Missile reaching &ldquo;in excess of a thousand kilometres,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;This is one example of us shifting to a co-design, co-development, co-production, co-sustainment model where we work in partnership with the United States and deepen the industrial base of both countries,&rdquo; he said.

Australasia

Australia will make a second billion-dollar payment to boost US nuclear submarine shipyards soon, Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said in Washington on Tuesday, ahead of an official visit by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese next week.

Australia to make next billion-dollar AUKUS payment 'shortly', says minister

BEIJING: &nbsp;The United States and China on Tuesday will begin charging additional port fees on ocean shipping firms that move everything from holiday toys to crude oil, making the high seas a key front in the trade war between the world&#39;s two largest economies.&nbsp;China said it had started to collect the special charges on US-owned, operated, built, or flagged vessels, but clarified that Chinese-built ships would be exempted from the levies.&nbsp;In details published on Tuesday by state broadcaster CCTV, China spelled out specific provisions on exemptions, which also include empty ships entering Chinese shipyards for repair.&nbsp;The China-imposed extra port fees would be collected at the first port of entry on a single voyage or for the first five voyages within a year, following an annual billing cycle beginning on April 17.&nbsp;Early this year, US President Donald Trump&#39;s administration announced plans to levy the fees on China-linked ships to loosen that country&#39;s grip on the global maritime industry and bolster US shipbuilding. An investigation during former President Joe Biden&#39;s administration concluded China uses unfair policies and practices to dominate the global maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors, clearing the way for those penalties.&nbsp;The US is also scheduled to begin collecting fees on October 14. Analysts expect China-owned container carrier COSCO 601919.SS to be the most affected, shouldering nearly half of that segment&#39;s expected $3.2 billion cost from those fees in 2026.&nbsp;China hit back last week, saying it would impose its own port fees on US-linked vessels from the same day. Jefferies analyst Omar Nokta noted that 13% of crude tankers and 11% of container ships in the global fleet would be affected.&nbsp;&quot;This tit-for-tat symmetry locks both economies into a spiral of maritime taxation that risks distorting global freight flows,&quot; Athens-based Xclusiv Shipbrokers Inc said in a research note.&nbsp;A Shanghai-based consultant advising global companies on trade with China noted that the new fees may not significantly disrupt the industry, and higher prices would likely offset any rising costs.&nbsp;&quot;What are we going to do? Stop shipping? Trade is already pretty disrupted with the US, but companies are finding a way,&quot; the consultant said, asking to remain anonymous as he was not authorised to speak with the media.&nbsp;In a reprisal against China for curbing exports of critical minerals, Trump on Friday threatened to impose additional 100% tariffs on goods from China and implement new export controls on &quot;any and all critical software&quot; by November 1.&nbsp;Administration officials, hours later, warned that countries voting in favor of a plan by the United Nations&#39; International Maritime Organization to reduce planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from ocean shipping this week could face sanctions, port bans, or punitive vessel charges. China has publicly supported the IMO plan.&nbsp;&quot;The weaponisation of both trade and environmental policy signals that shipping has moved from being a neutral conduit of global commerce to a direct instrument of statecraft,&quot; Xclusiv said.&nbsp;Shares in Shanghai-listed COSCO rose more than 2% in early trading on Tuesday. The company said its board had approved a plan to buy back up to 1.5 billion yuan ($210.3 million) worth of its shares within the next three months to maintain corporate value and safeguard shareholder interest.&nbsp;The shipping firm did not immediately respond to Reuters&#39; queries about the potential impact of the port fees.&nbsp;($1 = 7.1337 Chinese yuan)

Business

China says it has started to collect the special charges on US-owned, operated, built, or flagged vessels, but clarifies that Chinese-built ships would be exempted from the levies.

US, China to roll out tit-for-tat port fees, threatening more turmoil at sea

BEIJING: China&#39;s leading state-backed semiconductor association said Tuesday it &quot;firmly opposes&quot; Dutch authorities intervening over a European subsidiary of Chinese chip firm Wingtech. The Netherlands invoked the Goods Availability Act to take control of Dutch-based chip maker Nexperia in late September, citing national security concerns, a statement published by the Dutch government said Sunday. Blocked or reversed&nbsp;This means that while the company -- based in the Dutch city of Nijmegen -- can continue regular production, its decisions can be blocked or reversed by the Dutch government. The move was because of &quot;recent and acute signals of serious governance shortcomings and actions&quot; within Chinese-owned Nexperia, the statement said. The China Semiconductor Industry Association (CSIA) on Tuesday said it supported its member Wingtech in safeguarding its rights and interests, slamming the Dutch authorities&#39; latest moves. &quot;We oppose the practice of abusing the concept of &#39;national security&#39; and imposing selective and discriminatory restrictions on overseas branches of Chinese enterprises,&quot; the CSIA said in a statement. &lsquo;Discriminatory measures&rsquo;&nbsp;&quot;Discriminatory measures targeting specific enterprises will undermine the open, inclusive, and collaborative global semiconductor ecosystem, and we firmly oppose such measures,&quot; it added. Once part of Dutch electronics giant Philips and its semiconductor spin-off NXP, Nexperia was eventually bought by China&#39;s Wingtech Technology in 2018. It makes chips for everyday goods such as cars and refrigerators. A European Commission spokesman said Monday that the Dutch government had intervened in Nexperia to &quot;ensure security of supply in a strategically sensitive sector&quot;. &quot;The Dutch government is addressing a potential risk to both Dutch and wider European economic security,&quot; he said. &lsquo;Relevant countries&rsquo;&nbsp;When asked about the case, China&#39;s foreign ministry urged &quot;relevant countries&quot; to &quot;earnestly adhere to market principles and refrain from politicizing economic and trade issues&quot;. &quot;China consistently opposes generalizing the concept of national security and discriminatory practices against firms from specific countries,&quot; spokesman Lin Jian told reporters at a new briefing Monday. Semiconductors have become a key battleground between China and the West. Washington&#39;s &lsquo;entity lists&rsquo;The United States and the Netherlands are among the powers that have imposed restrictions on exporting advanced chip-making equipment to China, fearing Beijing could use it to make cutting-edge weapons. Wingtech was put on one of Washington&#39;s &quot;entity lists&quot; in December, meaning it had been determined by the government to be acting contrary to the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States.

Says it supported its member Wingtech in safeguarding its rights; The Netherlands invoked the Goods Availability Act to take control of Dutch-based chip maker Nexperia in late September, citing national security concerns. 

China's semiconductor body slams Dutch intervention of Wingtech

Gold prices climbed to a record high on Tuesday (October 14) as renewed US-China trade tensions exacerbated broader uncertainty, bolstering safe-haven demand, while the prospects of US rate cuts lent support, with silver also reaching an all-time peak.&nbsp;Spot gold was up 0.4% at $4,124.79 per ounce, as of 0029 GMT, after having hit an all-time high of $4,131.52 earlier in the session.&nbsp;Safe-haven gold has surged 57% year-to-date, surpassing the crucial $4,100 milestone for the first time on Monday (October 13), bolstered by geopolitical and economic uncertainties, rate-cut expectations, strong central bank buying, and strong ETF inflows.&nbsp;Spot silver was up 0.3% at $52.49 per ounce, after hitting $52.70 earlier in the day, supported by factors driving gold and tightening in the spot market.&nbsp;Bank of America and Societe Generale analysts now forecast gold to hit $5,000 by 2026, while Standard Chartered raised its 2026 average forecast to $4,488.

Spot gold comes down to $4,124.79 per ounce, as of 0029 GMT, after having hit an all-time high of $4,131.52 earlier in the session.

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Trump convinced Netanyahu to take a deal. Can he keep him onboard?