Web Desk/AFP

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump alleged on Sunday that nuclear-armed countries, including Russia and Chin,a have conducted underground nuclear tests unknown to the public. &quot;Russia&#39;s testing, and China&#39;s testing, but they don&#39;t talk about it,&quot; he said in an interview with CBS&#39;s &quot;60 Minutes&quot; program, when asked about his surprise order on Thursday for the United States to test nuclear weapons. &quot;You don&#39;t necessarily know where they&#39;re testing... They test way underground where people don&#39;t know exactly what&#39;s happening with the test,&quot; he added. US President&rsquo;s announcement signaling a possible resumption of US nuclear testing after more than three decades has drawn mixed reactions from nuclear policy experts.&nbsp;Trump&rsquo;s decision came after Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow had successfully tested a nuclear-capable, nuclear-powered underwater drone, in defiance of Washington&#39;s warnings.&nbsp; In response to the US president&rsquo;s decision, the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi last week said that the US announcement was a threat to international peace.

Americas

US president’s announcement signaling a possible resumption of US nuclear testing has drawn mixed reactions from nuclear policy experts. Trump’s decision comes after Russian President Putin said Moscow successfully tested a nuclear-capable, nuclear-powered underwater drone, in defiance of Washington's warnings. 



Trump says Russia, China conduct nuclear tests but 'don't talk about it'

Asfandyar Yahya

Gold has shattered every record &mdash; crossing $4,000 an ounce and shaking the foundations of global finance. But this story isn&rsquo;t just about price&mdash;it&rsquo;s about power.&nbsp; As central banks from China to Pakistan quietly replace U.S. dollars with gold, the world&rsquo;s financial map is being redrawn.&nbsp;This explainer unpacks why nations are hoarding gold like it&rsquo;s the last lifeboat on a sinking ship, how America&rsquo;s financial weaponization sparked a global rethink, and what it all means for ordinary Pakistanis now paying record prices at home.&nbsp; From Wall Street to Saddar Bazaar, this is the story of trust, fear, and the world&rsquo;s search for a new currency of confidence.

Tell Me Why

Tell Me Why: Nations are ditching dollar for gold

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE: US President Donald Trump said Sunday he felt &quot;badly&quot; for the UK royal family after King Charles III revoked his brother Andrew&#39;s title of prince over his scandalous ties to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.&nbsp;&quot;I feel very badly. I mean, it&#39;s a terrible thing that&#39;s happened to the family,&quot; Trump said when asked by an AFP reporter aboard Air Force One about the recent saga.&nbsp;&quot;That&#39;s been a tragic situation, and it&#39;s too bad. I mean, I feel badly for the family.&quot;&nbsp;Trump, 79, has faced his own political woes in recent months over his own alleged relationship with Epstein, the New York financier and who died in prison in 2019.&nbsp;Trump&#39;s comments came&nbsp;as the British government said it would move to strip the former prince, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, of his honorary title of vice-admiral, his last remaining military rank.&nbsp;The US president has frequently expressed admiration for Britain&#39;s royal family, most recently when Charles hosted him for a lavish state visit in September.&nbsp;Trump received a full state dinner at Windsor Castle, military parades and a flyover during the visit.&nbsp;But the so-called Epstein files have been the focal point of a controversy engulfing the second presidency of Trump, who was a longtime friend of Epstein.&nbsp;In July, the Trump administration announced that it had discovered no new evidence justifying the release of additional documents or the opening of a new investigation into the matter.&nbsp;Epstein died while awaiting trial for alleged sex trafficking of underage girls recruited to provide him with sexual massages.&nbsp;Conspiracy theoriesAuthorities ruled his death a suicide, but it has fueled countless conspiracy theories among Trump&#39;s voter base that he was murdered to prevent him from implicating high-profile figures.&nbsp;Republican Trump has repeatedly denied any involvement with the Epstein affair, dismissing it as a &quot;hoax&quot; by rival Democrats.&nbsp;Former prince Andrew&#39;s ties to Epstein have sparked growing anger in Britain.&nbsp;Charles on Thursday removed all his younger brother&#39;s remaining royal titles and honors and ousted him from his long-term residence on the Windsor estate.&nbsp;Defense minister John Healey told the BBC on Sunday that &quot;guided again by the king, we are working now to remove that last remaining title of vice-admiral that he has.&quot;&nbsp;Andrew was stripped of his other honorary military titles by his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, in 2022 after he was sued by Virginia Giuffre, Epstein&#39;s main accuser.&nbsp;The king&#39;s younger brother was once feted for his role as a Royal Navy helicopter pilot in the 1982 Falklands War. He retired in 2001 after 22 years of service.&nbsp;Andrew has always denied that he sexually abused Giuffre, who said in her posthumous memoir published in October that she was trafficked to have sex with him on three occasions, twice when she was just 17.

United Kingdom

Trump's comments come as the British government said it would move to strip the former prince, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, of his honorary title of vice-admiral, his last remaining military rank.

Trump says feels 'badly' for UK royal family over Andrew-Epstein saga

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: The first batch of Hangor-class submarines under a China-Pakistan cooperation project is expected to enter operational service with the Pakistan Navy in 2026, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, chief of the Naval Staff of the Pakistan Navy, told a Chinese media publication, the Global Times, in an exclusive interview published on Sunday.&nbsp; He stated that the Hangor-class submarine program is progressing smoothly, and that the successful launch of the second and third submarines in China earlier this year marks a major milestone in naval collaboration between China and Pakistan. Advanced submarinesPakistan signed a contract with China to procure eight Hangor-class conventional submarines in 2015, with the first four to be constructed by China and the rest to be assembled by Pakistan, so as to improve Pakistan&#39;s technical capabilities, according to the Chinese publication.&nbsp; According to the plan, Pakistan will acquire eight advanced submarines between 2022 and 2028.&nbsp; The first Hangor-class conventionally powered submarine was launched in China in April 2024, while the second and third vessels were consecutively launched this year. &nbsp; China-Pakistan cooperationAshraf spoke highly of this China-Pakistan cooperation project.&nbsp; He said that the project is not only significant for the advancement of the Pakistan Navy&#39;s submarine force capabilities but will also contribute toward self-reliance through the transfer of technology and skill development at Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works.&nbsp; It reflects professionalism and close naval equipment collaboration between China and Pakistan. &nbsp; Besides the submarine project, the Type 054A/P frigates mark another major achievement in China-Pakistan naval equipment cooperation.&nbsp; &lsquo;Most advanced surface combatants&rsquo;This type of multirole frigates is already in service with the Pakistan Navy, with Ashraf saying that they are &quot;among the most advanced surface combatants.&quot; He said that these Chinese-made frigates have greatly strengthened the Pakistan Navy&#39;s multi-mission capability, particularly in air defense, anti-submarine warfare, and maritime surveillance. Critical for global economy&quot;These platforms are playing a key role in ensuring maritime security in the North Arabian Sea and the broader Indian Ocean region, which is critical for global economy,&quot; he said, noting that by securing vital sea lines of communication, including those linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the Pakistan Navy is playing a significant role in sustaining trade, investment and economic activity that benefit not only Pakistan but the entire region. Talking about the performance of Chinese-made equipment, Ashraf said that Chinese-origin platforms and equipment have been reliable, technologically advanced, and well-suited to the &nbsp;Pakistan Navy&#39;s operational requirements.&nbsp; He said that the Pakistan Navy&#39;s experience with them has been very positive, both in terms of performance and technical support. Emerging technologiesAs modern warfare evolves, emerging technologies such as unmanned systems, AI, and advanced electronic warfare systems are becoming increasingly important.&nbsp; The Pakistan Navy is focusing on these technologies and exploring collaboration with China, which has the leading industries in emerging technologies, Ashraf said. In recent years, the navies of China and Pakistan have maintained frequent exchanges and cooperation.&nbsp; The two sides have conducted multiple joint exercises and training activities in China and Pakistan, as well as at high seas.&nbsp; The content covers subjects such as joint counter-terrorism, anti-piracy, maritime replenishment, formation maneuvering, communication liaison, and joint search and rescue.&nbsp; Sea Guardians&nbsp;In particular, the Sea Guardians series of exercises has become an important brand for joint naval exercises between the two countries. Ashraf said that the Sea Guardians series of exercises represents the growing depth and maturity of Pakistan-China naval cooperation.&nbsp; He said that these exercises enhance interoperability, tactical coordination, and professional exchanges between the two navies and help us learn from each other&#39;s experiences in diverse warfare domains, including counter terrorism, anti-piracy, and maritime security operations. &lsquo;Shared resolve&rsquo;&nbsp;&quot;Most importantly, such engagements demonstrate our shared resolve to promote peace, stability, and freedom of navigation in the region,&quot; he said. On the topic of China-Pakistan naval cooperation in the future, Ashraf said that the Pakistan Navy&#39;s partnership with China is built on deep-rooted friendship, mutual respect, trust, and shared strategic interests. &quot;In the coming decade, we expect this relationship to grow stronger, encompassing not only shipbuilding and training, but also enhanced interoperability, research, technology sharing, and industrial collaboration,&quot; he said. &quot;There is immense potential for cooperation in advanced technologies, unmanned systems, marine scientific research, and maritime industry development. Together, we aim to ensure a secure and stable maritime environment that supports regional peace and prosperity,&quot; said the Pakistani admiral. &lsquo;Trusted partner&rsquo;&nbsp;&quot;China has been a trusted partner in the Pakistan Navy&#39;s modernization journey,&quot; Ashraf said.&nbsp; He noted that the introduction of advanced frigates and submarines has significantly enhanced the Pakistan Navy&#39;s operational reach, multi-domain war-fighting capabilities, and deterrence posture.&nbsp; These modern platforms, coupled with joint training and exercises with the PLA Navy, have deepened the two sides&#39; professional synergy and strengthened interoperability at sea, Ashraf said, noting that &quot;this cooperation goes beyond hardware; it reflects a shared strategic outlook, mutual trust, and a long-standing partnership.&quot; International maritime expoFrom Monday to Thursday, the Pakistan Navy is organizing a second edition of Pakistan International Maritime Expo and Conference (PIMEC) in Karachi, Pakistan.&nbsp; The event is being organized with the aim to jump-start the development of Pakistan&#39;s maritime sector and establish a platform to spur the blue economy and provide a platform for government-to-government and business-to-business engagements, according to the Pakistan Navy. Ashraf said that PIMEC is a platform that showcases and leverages the country&#39;s strategic maritime assets, including Gwadar port and the opportunities presented by the CPEC, promoting investment in critical infrastructure to support trade and economic growth.&nbsp; He noted that with PIMEC, the Pakistan Navy aims to promote the blue economy and technological advancements, as well as address emerging maritime threats through international cooperation.

Security

Says the first batch of Hangor-class submarines under a China-Pakistan cooperation project is expected to enter operational service in 2026, adding ‘China has been a trusted partner in the Pakistan Navy's modernization journey’.

First Hangor-class submarines to enter service in 2026: Pakistan Navy chief

ISLAMABAD: Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, while stating US President Donald Trump &ldquo;entered promising to put an end to Netanyahu&#39;s bamboozling of Obama and Biden&rdquo;, stressed &ldquo;it&rsquo;s not too late to reverse course&rdquo;.&nbsp; In a post on X on Monday, the Iranian top diplomat said, &ldquo;Iran did not kill diplomacy. Those who blew up the negotiating table did.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Israel targeted diplomacy because its real fear is the failure of its &lsquo;Iran Demonization Project&rsquo;&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-4" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" 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-4&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1985065286085624188&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=4ce46ae6fd8f4ced8a0fb11acb2b65c6496c0477&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>Araghchi said, &ldquo;POTUS entered office promising to put an end to Netanyahu&#39;s bamboozling of Obama and Biden. It&#39;s not too late to reverse course.&rdquo; &lsquo;Thoroughly debunked&rsquo;&nbsp;The Iranian foreign minister said, &ldquo;In the past 48 hours, the heinous lie that the unlawful Israeli and US bombing of Iran was motivated by an imminent nuclear threat has been thoroughly debunked by&nbsp; - The International Atomic Energy Agency Chief, who has explicitly stated that Iran &quot;is not and was not&quot; developing nuclear weapons.&nbsp; - My Omani counterpart, H.E. AlBusaidi, an intermediary trusted by both Iran and the U.S., who has made clear that there was never any Iranian &quot;nuclear threat&quot;.&rdquo;&nbsp; &#39;Stronger than before&#39;Earlier, Iran said on Sunday that it would rebuild nuclear sites damaged by Israeli and US strikes &quot;stronger than before&quot;, as mediator Oman urged Tehran and Washington to revive stalled diplomacy, according to AFP. US President Donald Trump has said the strikes obliterated Iran&#39;s nuclear program, but the full extent of the actual damage remains unknown. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in a visit to the country&#39;s nuclear organization, said Tehran &quot;will build (the destroyed sites) stronger than before&quot;. &lsquo;Not be set back&rsquo;&quot;By destroying buildings... we will not be set back,&quot; he said in a video posted to his official website, adding that Iranian scientists still had the necessary nuclear know-how. Pezeshkian did not elaborate. In similar remarks in February before the strikes, he said Tehran would rebuild its sites if they came under attack.Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran in June, kicking off a 12-day war that saw it target nuclear and military facilities -- as well as residential areas -- and kill many top scientists. Iran retaliated with ballistic missile barrages aimed at Israel. &lsquo;Serious and severe&rsquo;Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in July, after the United States announced a halt in fighting, that the damage in Iran was &quot;serious and severe&quot;. Pezeshkian&#39;s comments came as Oman, Iran&#39;s traditional intermediary, urged the two countries on Saturday to resume talks. &quot;We want to return to the negotiations between Iran (and) the United States,&quot; Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said at the IISS Manama Dialogue conference in Bahrain. Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said Sunday that Tehran &quot;has received messages&quot; on resuming diplomacy, without providing further details. &lsquo;Snapback&rsquo; mechanismOman hosted five rounds of US-Iran talks this year. Just three days before the sixth round, Israel launched its strikes against Iran&#39;s nuclear facilities. Iran has since faced the return of UN sanctions after Britain, Germany, and France triggered the &quot;snapback&quot; mechanism over Tehran&#39;s alleged non-compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, AFP reported.

Middle East

Says, “Iran did not kill diplomacy…Israel targeted diplomacy because its real fear is the failure of its “Iran Demonization Project”; Iran said on Sunday that it would rebuild nuclear sites damaged. 

‘Not too late to reverse course’, Iran FM tells US President Trump   

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 600; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: capitalize; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: nowrap; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;" id="isPasted">MAZAR-i-SHARIF:&nbsp;A strong earthquake killed at least 20 people in northern Afghanistan, authorities said Monday, just months after another deadly tremor that left the country reeling. The 6.3-magnitude quake struck overnight at a depth of 28 kilometers (17 miles) with the epicentre near the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, according to the US Geological Survey.<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" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 248px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" 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=1985085925416661097&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=4ce46ae6fd8f4ced8a0fb11acb2b65c6496c0477&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="1985085925416661097"></iframe></div></div>More than 20 people were killed and around 320 were injured in the provinces of Balkh and Samangan, health ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman told journalists on Monday morning, stressing that this was a preliminary toll. He did not provide a province-wide breakdown of the casualties. Residents of Mazar-i-Sharif, one of Afghanistan&#39;s largest northern cities, scrambled into the streets due to fears their homes would collapse, an AFP correspondent observed. Blue Mosque damaged The city&#39;s famed Blue Mosque, a 15th-century landmark known for its vibrant tiles, was also damaged, an AFP journalist witnessed. Pieces of the structure, particularly from one of its minarets, broke off and lay scattered across the mosque&#39;s grounds, one of the country&#39;s few remaining tourist spots. Correspondents in the capital Kabul, around 420 kilometres to the south, also said they felt shaking. Poor communication networks and infrastructure in mountainous Afghanistan have hampered disaster responses in the past, preventing authorities for hours or even days from reaching far-flung villages to assess the extent of the damage. Major earthquakes It is the latest natural disaster for the Taliban government, which has faced three major deadly earthquakes since taking over Afghanistan in 2021, even as the foreign aid that formed the backbone of the country&#39;s economy has dramatically dropped. In August, a shallow 6.0-magnitude quake in the country&#39;s east wiped out mountainside villages and killed more than 2,200 people. Large tremors in western Herat, near the Iranian border, in 2023, and in eastern Nangarhar province in 2022 killed hundreds and destroyed thousands of homes. Rising hunger The United Nations and aid agencies have warned that hunger is rising among the Afghan population. Earthquakes are common in Afghanistan, particularly along the Hindu Kush mountain range, near where the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates meet. Many homes in the predominantly rural country -- devastated by decades of war -- are shoddily built. It often takes hours or days to travel by steep roads and paths to remote villages, which are often cut off from help during disasters or poor weather.

Afghanistan

The city's famed Blue Mosque, a 15th-century landmark known for its vibrant tiles, was also damaged; pieces of the structure, particularly from one of its minarets, broke off and lay scattered across the mosque's grounds, one of the country's few remaining tourist spots.

Afghanistan quake kills at least 20 people, injures over 300: health ministry

Faraz Saeed

LAHORE: On a late afternoon in Lahore, as the sun dipped behind Gulberg&rsquo;s glass storefronts, 23-year-old Meerab settled into her favorite corner of a crowded caf&eacute;. A cappuccino steamed in front of her, laptop open, tote bag slouched at her feet. Outside, the city felt rushed and unpredictable, but inside the caf&eacute; she found something steady. &ldquo;I think coffee gives me a way to breathe,&rdquo; she told Pakistan TV Digital, her hands wrapped around the warm ceramic cup. &ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t just a drink. It was a pace, a rhythm, a space to think.&rdquo; Meerab was part of a generation that had shaped Lahore&rsquo;s fast-growing caf&eacute; culture, a shift that had turned coffee houses from occasional hangouts into daily anchors for studying, working, and gathering. Across the city, cappuccinos accompanied homework sessions, cold brews fueled freelance deadlines, and flat whites spilled into long after-hours conversations. For decades, Pakistan had been a tea country, its identity steeped in dhaba culture and shared cups of doodh patti. But today&rsquo;s urban youth, nearly 60% of whom were under 30, had leaned toward coffee not just for taste, but for identity. &ldquo;It became a lifestyle,&rdquo; Meerab said. &ldquo;A caf&eacute; was where friendships lived, where work happened, where ideas started.&rdquo; Culture brewing beyond the cupThe rise of Lahore&rsquo;s coffee scene had not happened overnight. Global chains like Tim Hortons and Second Cup had amplified the trend, but the groundwork had been laid earlier. First with Dunkin&rsquo; Donuts in the early 2000s, then Espresso in 2006, and later a wave of locally founded caf&eacute;s. What defined today&rsquo;s trend was not novelty, but cultural expression. Among those shaping the shift was Third Culture Coffee, a Pakistani caf&eacute; brand that became closely associated with Lahore&rsquo;s young creative crowd. &ldquo;Pakistan was predominantly a tea-drinking nation,&rdquo; Suleiman Ghaznavi, co-founder of Third Culture Coffee, told Pakistan TV Digital. &ldquo;But in recent years, the younger generations shifted to coffee, maybe because it was cooler, at least that was the perception. And since nearly 60% of Pakistan&rsquo;s population was under 30, that shift in taste was only going to grow.&rdquo; For many like Meerab, the caf&eacute; became less of a beverage stop and more of an extension of self. Finding identity in a cupEven the name Third Culture Coffee reflected that evolution. &ldquo;The term third culture was originally used to describe children who grew up outside their home culture, adapting to different worlds,&rdquo; Ghaznavi explained. &ldquo;We applied that to coffee,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;In coffee, there were waves, and we were in the third wave, which focused on specialty coffee: high-quality beans, freshly roasted, and knowing where they came from.&rdquo; &ldquo;That was what Third Culture stood for.&rdquo; His co-founder, Suleiman Khan, said the caf&eacute; boom had been inevitable.&ldquo;There were a lot of caf&eacute;s that had been successful in Lahore and Karachi,&rdquo; Khan told Pakistan TV Digital. &ldquo;When the success rate was high, the business naturally attracted more clones.&rdquo; He added that caf&eacute;s had economic appeal too. &ldquo;At a restaurant, you might spend Rs5,000 [$17.80] per person. In a caf&eacute;, you might spend Rs1,100 [$3.92], even Rs700 [$2.49] with discounts, and still get the same social experience.&rdquo; Third Culture&rsquo;s own growth mirrored demand: established first as a roastery in 2019, the brand opened its first caf&eacute; in 2022. Within three years, it expanded to multiple branches across Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi, and even Hunza. Meerab&rsquo;s story: coffee as communityMeerab first walked into Third Culture as a college student trying to find purpose and direction. &ldquo;One day, I wanted to hold a small fundraiser for my NGO,&rdquo; she recalled. &ldquo;The owners didn&rsquo;t just agree, they helped me make it happen.&rdquo; The collaboration led to something unexpected: &ldquo;Eventually, I ended up doing a summer internship at the very caf&eacute; I was a regular at.&rdquo; For her, the caf&eacute; was never just a place to drink coffee. &ldquo;Coffee shops were where ideas lived,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;You could come alone, or with everyone. Coffee fit every mood.&rdquo; Tea continued to have its rooted place in Pakistan, familiar, shared, deeply emotional. Coffee was not replacing it. But it was creating a parallel cultural track: one shaped by urban youth, digital connectivity, and global taste. Ignore the trend, and Pakistan risked missing a growing economic and cultural opportunity. Support it, and coffee could become something more than a drink, a contribution to the country&rsquo;s evolving identity.

Culture

Ignore the trend, and Pakistan risks missing a growing economic, cultural opportunity; support it, and coffee could become something more than a drink, a contribution to the country’s evolving identity.



From Chai to Cappuccinos: Lahore’s youth fuel a new coffee identity

BARCELONA: Lamine Yamal and Marcus Rashford struck for Barcelona as they earned a 3-1 win over Elche in La Liga on Sunday to bounce back from last weekend&#39;s Clasico defeat. Ferran Torres was also on target for the Catalan giants, who moved back into second place to trail leaders Real Madrid by five points. Barca continued to struggle in defence and Elche had chances to cause an upset, scoring through Rafa Mir, with the striker also twice hitting the woodwork. Hansi Flick&#39;s Barca have failed to keep a clean sheet in six consecutive league games, in the midst of an injury crisis. The champions were missing Pedri, Gavi, and Joan Garcia among others, but were able to bring on Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo following spells out of action. Teenage star Yamal underwhelmed in last week&#39;s defeat by Real Madrid after coming back from a groin issue, but looked more spritely against Elche. &quot;We found our spirit and intensity,&quot; Torres told DAZN. &quot;I think we&#39;re finding last year&#39;s Barca, from the first minute to last we gave everything, and we&#39;ll keep doing that.&quot; Coached by Eder Sarabia, a former Barcelona assistant coach under Quique Setien, the ninth-placed visitors came to play and impressed. Barca took the lead after nine minutes when Alejandro Balde drove forward and fed Yamal in the area. The winger took a touch to set himself and then whipped a clinical finish past former Barca goalkeeper Inaki Pena, a team-mate of his last season. Three minutes later Torres doubled the hosts&#39; advantage, tapping home after Fermin Lopez broke into space down the left and provided an inch-perfect cross. The striker revealed a t-shirt paying tribute to Valencia, his home region, a year on from the deadly flooding which hit Spain&#39;s east coast. Lopez and Rashford fired narrowly off-target while Pena saved from Torres as Barca squandered some presentable chances. Mir, who in October was indicted for sexual assault allegations dating back to 2024, pulled a goal back shortly before half-time. Barca tried to catch the forward offside but he was in his own half when he was played in. Mir bent a shot past Ronald Araujo and Barca goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny and in at the far post. Torres might have scored again before the interval but Pena produced a superb save to tip his strike to safety.&nbsp;&#39;Our identity&#39;Early in the second half Mir clipped the top of the crossbar with a curling effort as Elche battled well. Rashford sealed Barca&#39;s victory with a superb finish after Lopez picked him out with a cross, for his second league goal of the campaign. Veteran goalkeeper Szczesny pushed a Mir effort onto the post to save Barca sweating over their advantage in the final stages. &quot;We have our identity and we show it against all teams. That work has taken us to here and giving that up wouldn&#39;t be good,&quot; said Elche defender Alvaro Nunez, explaining his side&#39;s attacking gameplan. &quot;We were ourselves and the fans are proud of how we played,&quot; said Elche coach Sarabia. &quot;We know that it&#39;s normal that they score goals against us, but we could have got some too.&quot;

Football

Barcelona beat Elche 3-1 with goals from Yamal, Torres and Rashford, bouncing back from their Clasico loss. Despite defensive issues and injuries, Barca climbed to second, while Elche threatened through Rafa Mir, who scored and hit the woodwork.

Barca beat Elche to recover from Clasico loss

WEST PALM: President Donald Trump said Xi Jinping understands the consequences if China invades Taiwan, while refusing to specifically say the United States would defend the island, according to an extract of a CBS News interview broadcast Sunday.&nbsp;Trump said Taiwan &quot;never even came up as a subject&quot; when he met the Chinese president in South Korea on Thursday for their first face-to-face meeting in six years.&nbsp;Asked on CBS&#39;s &quot;60 Minutes&quot; whether he would order US forces into action if China moved militarily on Taiwan, Trump said: &quot;You&#39;ll find out if it happens, and he understands the answer to that.&quot;&nbsp;But Trump declined to spell out what he meant in the interview conducted Friday at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, adding: &quot;I can&#39;t give away my secrets. The other side knows.&quot;&nbsp;The US president claimed that Xi and those close to him had &quot;openly said&quot; that &quot;&#39;we would never do anything while President Trump is president,&#39; because they know the consequences.&quot;&nbsp;China claims self-governing Taiwan as its territory. Under longstanding policy, the United States recognizes only Beijing but provides weapons for the island&#39;s self-defense.&nbsp;The issue continues to provoke tensions, which Trump and Xi appeared to have avoided at their summit, focusing instead on easing the trade war between Washington and Beijing.

US president claims President Xi and those close to him had "openly said" that they would never do anything while he is president, "because they know the consequences."



Trump says Xi understands 'consequences' if China invades Taiwan

ISLAMABAD: Indian television news is facing a &ldquo;large-scale credibility crisis&rdquo; driven by sensationalism and hyper-nationalist rhetoric, which analysts and journalists say is now damaging India&rsquo;s image across South Asia.&nbsp;In the latest episode of Al Jazeera&rsquo;s The Listening Post released on Sunday, journalist Smita Sharma said the credibility decline stems from Indian television news increasingly drifting away from objectivity. &nbsp;&ldquo;Whether it is sensationalizing a bunch of issues or trying to sound patriotic and hyper-nationalist, the media ends up losing objectivity in its coverage,&rdquo; she said, adding that Indian television news has increasingly become a &ldquo;liability&rdquo; to India&rsquo;s regional interests.&nbsp;She noted that the crisis &ldquo;has spilled over as a larger image problem in the neighborhood, where Indian channels are followed closely.&rdquo;&nbsp;Roman Gautam, editor of Himal Southasian, said this is especially visible in Nepal.&nbsp;&ldquo;If there is one media that should know Nepal better, it is India, because of the depth of the relationship, government to government, people to people,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;&ldquo;Yet Indian media tends to pay close attention to Nepal only at moments of great crisis, without the nuance or understanding required. When events move fast, it becomes very difficult to report well or make sense of what is happening.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed youtube-embed"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NLR9D4o2pqc" title="Indian journalists caught in a credibility war in Bangladesh and Nepal | The Listening Post" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="" style="width: 100%; height: auto; aspect-ratio: 16 / 9; max-width: 100%; display: block;"></iframe>&nbsp;</div>&nbsp;During recent protests in Nepal, Indian journalists were sometimes &ldquo;heckled, chased, even assaulted,&rdquo; as many protesters viewed them as promoting a political agenda on behalf of &ldquo;a larger, more powerful neighbor.&rdquo;&nbsp;Analysts said Indian channels attempted to frame protests as evidence that Nepalese citizens wanted &ldquo;a leader like Modi&rdquo; or a return to a Hindu state, narratives described as &ldquo;completely off the mark&rdquo; compared to realities on the ground.&nbsp;A similar reaction emerged in Bangladesh during the political turmoil that led to the fall of Sheikh Hasina&rsquo;s government.&nbsp;Filmmaker Deepak Kumar Goswami said, &ldquo;As soon as Hasina&rsquo;s regime fell, Indian media started saying Bangladesh had collapsed, that it no longer exists, that its economic foundations have disappeared.&rdquo;&nbsp;He said Indian channels portrayed the protests as driven mainly by &ldquo;extremists, Islamists or reactionary groups,&rdquo; ignoring the role of ordinary citizens. This approach, observers said, appeared patronizing and reinforced perceptions of a &ldquo;political big brother attitude.&rdquo;&nbsp;Analysts argue that the problem originates at home, where media ownership has tightened and critical journalists have been sidelined. Critics say many Indian channels have embraced &ldquo;more noise and less information,&rdquo; relying on aggressive panel debates and nationalist theatrics.&nbsp;One analyst noted that some channels even make false claims during conflict coverage, such as announcing the capture of Pakistani cities. &ldquo;When the media behaves like that, you turn yourself into a circus,&rdquo; they said.&nbsp;The overall effect, analysts warn, is strategic harm. If Indian media is functioning as &ldquo;a propaganda arm or strategic extension of government policy,&rdquo; then it is &ldquo;actually hindering Indian interests in the region.&rdquo;&nbsp;Instead of projecting influence and goodwill, the media now risks &ldquo;alienating the very audiences it seeks to influence.&rdquo;

Asia

Indian TV news faces a credibility crisis driven by sensationalism and hyper-nationalism, analysts say, damaging India’s image in Nepal and Bangladesh. Critics warn this domestic media shift now harms regional relationships and undermines India’s strategic influence.

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