PARIS: France captain Kylian Mbapp&eacute; will miss his team&#39;s World Cup qualifier against Iceland on Monday because of a right ankle injury, the French soccer federation said Saturday. The Real Madrid star scored in France&#39;s 3-0 victory over Azerbaijan on Friday but limped off the field in the 83rd minute. Just before the international break, he had hurt the same ankle while playing against Villarreal. France confirmed that its star forward would not make the trip to Reykjavik and that he would return to Real Madrid. France, runner-up at the 2022 World Cup, is off to a perfect start in the qualification process for the 2026 edition. It has won all three of its games in Group D.

Football

France captain Kylian Mbappé will miss Monday’s World Cup qualifier against Iceland due to a right ankle injury. He’ll return to Real Madrid after exiting late in Friday’s win over Azerbaijan.

Mbappé to miss France's World Cup qualifier vs. Iceland because of ankle injury

NEW YORK: Lawyers for Luigi Mangione asked a New York federal judge Saturday to dismiss some criminal charges, including the only count for which he could face the death penalty, from a federal indictment brought against him in the December assassination of UnitedHealthcare&rsquo;s chief executive. In papers filed in Manhattan federal court, the lawyers said prosecutors should also be prevented from using at trial his statements to law enforcement officers and his backpack where a gun and ammunition were found. They said Mangione was not read his rights before he was questioned by law enforcement officers, who arrested him after Brian Thompson was fatally shot as he arrived at a Manhattan hotel for an investor conference. They added that officers did not obtain a warrant before searching Mangione&#39;s backpack. Mangione, 27, has pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges in the fatal shooting of Brian Thompson on Dec. 4 as he arrived at a Manhattan hotel for his company&rsquo;s annual investor conference. The killing set off a multi-state search after the suspected shooter slipped away from the scene and rode a bike to Central Park, before taking a taxi to a bus depot that offers service to several nearby states. Five days later, a tip from a McDonald&rsquo;s about 233 miles (375 kilometers) away in Altoona, Pennsylvania, led police to arrest Mangione. He has been held without bail since then. Last month, lawyers for Mangione asked that his federal charges be dismissed and the death penalty be taken off the table as a result of public comments by US Attorney General Pam Bondi. In April, Bondi directed prosecutors in New York to seek the death penalty, calling the killing of Thompson a &ldquo;premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.&rdquo; Murder cases are usually tried in state courts, but prosecutors have also charged Mangione under a federal law on murders committed with firearms as part of other &ldquo;crimes of violence.&rdquo; It&rsquo;s the only charge for which Mangione could face the death penalty, since it&#39;s not used in New York state. The papers filed early Saturday morning argued that this charge should be dismissed because prosecutors have failed to identify the other offenses that would be required to convict him, saying that the alleged other crime &mdash; stalking &mdash; is not a crime of violence. The assassination and its aftermath has captured the American imagination, setting off a cascade of resentment and online vitriol toward US health insurers while rattling corporate executives concerned about security. After the killing, investigators found the words &ldquo;delay,&rdquo; &ldquo;deny&rdquo; and &ldquo;depose,&rdquo; written in permanent marker on ammunition at the scene. The words mimic a phrase used by insurance industry critics.

Americas

Luigi Mangione’s lawyers seek dismissal of key federal charges in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, arguing his rights were violated during arrest and questioning, and challenging the charge that carries potential death penalty eligibility.

Mangione seeks dismissal of death penalty charge in UnitedHealthcare CEO Killing

BEIRUT: Israel carried out intense airstrikes on southern Lebanon early Saturday, killing one person, wounding seven, and briefly cutting a highway that links Beirut with parts of south Lebanon, the Health Ministry said. The pre-dawn airstrikes on the village of Msayleh struck a place that sold heavy machinery, destroying a large number of vehicles. A vehicle carrying vegetables that happened to be passing by at the time of the strikes was hit, killing one person and wounding another, according to Hezbollah&rsquo;s Al-Manar TV. The Health Ministry later said that the one slain was a Syrian citizen, while the wounded were a Syrian national and six Lebanese, including two women. The Israeli military said it struck a place where machinery was stored to be used to rebuild infrastructure for the militant Hezbollah group. Since the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war ended in late November with a US-brokered ceasefire, Israel has carried out almost daily airstrikes killing dozens of people. Israel accuses Hezbollah of trying to rebuild its capabilities after the group suffered heavy losses during the war. Earlier this month, the UN human rights chief, Volker T&uuml;rk, called for renewed efforts to bring a permanent end to hostilities in Lebanon following the war. He said that until the end of September, they have verified 103 civilians killed in Lebanon since the ceasefire. The most recent Israel-Hezbollah war killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon, including hundreds of civilians, and caused an estimated $11 billion worth of destruction, according to the World Bank. In Israel, 127 people died, including 80 soldiers. The war started when Hezbollah began firing rockets across the border on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after a deadly Hamas-led incursion into southern Israel sparked the war in Gaza. Israel responded with shelling and airstrikes in Lebanon, and the two sides became locked in an escalating conflict that became a full-blown war in late September 2024.

Middle East

A pre-dawn Israeli strike hit a machinery site in Msayleh early Saturday, damaging infrastructure and civilian vehicles. The strikes targeted equipment allegedly tied to Hezbollah, amid ongoing post-war tensions that persist despite last year’s ceasefire.


Israel strikes south Lebanon, killing 1 and wounding 7

WASHINGTON: A food aid program that supports millions of low-income mothers and their young children received a $300 million infusion from the Trump administration this week, alleviating some anxiety that it would run out of money during the government shutdown. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children helps more than 6 million low-income mothers, young children, and expectant parents purchase nutritious staples, such as fruits and vegetables, low-fat milk, and infant formula. The program, known as WIC, was at risk of running out of money this month due to the government shutdown, which occurred just before it was slated to receive its annual appropriation. This week, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt posted on X that the White House had found &ldquo;a creative solution&rdquo; to use tariff revenues to keep the program afloat. By Thursday, at least some states were receiving WIC money. Alaska and Washington said they received enough federal funds to keep their programs running until at least the end of October. The Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada, which had closed its office on Thursday after running out of money, received money that allowed it to reopen on Friday, radio station KUNR reported. Officials from the US Department of Agriculture, which runs WIC, told congressional staffers they were using $300 million in unspent tariff revenue from the last fiscal year to keep the program afloat, two people briefed on the call told AP. The people declined to be named because they were not authorized to share details from the call. Tariff revenue supports many USDA programs. The law permits the administration to transfer money allocated for other programs to WIC. Without the additional money, state and local governments would have had to step in to pay for their WIC programs and later seek reimbursement from the federal government when funding was restored. Washington state, which is dealing with a massive budget shortfall, said it could not afford to use state money for the WIC program. In Alaska, the WIC program only had enough federal money to operate through Saturday, meaning the state would have had to step in with its own funding to keep the program running. But this week, officials learned they were receiving nearly $900,000, enough to fully fund the program through Nov. 8, according to Shirley Sakaye, a spokesperson with the state&rsquo;s health department. About half a million of that came from leftover funds from other programs, she said. The government has been shut down since Oct. 1, after Republicans and Democrats in Congress failed to pass a bill to continue funding the government. Congressional Democrats want to reverse cuts to Medicaid that were passed earlier this year as part of President Donald Trump&#39;s mega-bill. They also want to extend subsidies that cut the cost of Affordable Care Act insurance plans, which cover more than 24 million Americans. The White House and Republicans in Congress have hammered Democrats for the shutdown, highlighting the potential damage it could do to WIC. &ldquo;The Democrats are so cruel in their continual votes to shut down the government that they forced the WIC program for the most vulnerable women and children to run out this week,&rdquo; Leavitt posted on X. But House Republicans and the White House have also sought to cut the program. Trump&#39;s budget proposal and a budget bill passed by House Republicans last month would not have fully funded the program, meaning it would have to turn away eligible applicants. &ldquo;Since President Trump is now signaling he cares about the WIC program, he should finally get to the negotiating table to reopen the government,&rdquo; said Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington state. &ldquo;And he should immediately disavow his budget request to significantly cut benefits for millions of moms and kids &mdash; and tell House Republicans to back off their proposed cuts as well.&rdquo; ____

The Trump administration allocated $300 million in tariff revenues to keep the WIC food program running during the government shutdown, temporarily preventing service disruptions for millions of low-income mothers and children nationwide.

WIC food program receives $300M to keep running during government shutdown

WASHINGTON: The US military is moving forward with plans to build a dedicated facility in Idaho to train pilots from Qatar, an important US ally in the Middle East, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Friday. Hegseth, who made the announcement during a visit by Qatar&#39;s defense minister, said the facility to be built at the Mountain Home Air Force Base would &ldquo;host a contingent of Qatari F-15s and pilots to enhance our combined training, increase the lethality, and interoperability.&rdquo; The arrangement is not unusual. Pentagon officials noted that similar facilities have been set up for other allies for decades, and the Idaho base already hosts a fighter squadron from Singapore. But the news drew a sharp rebuke from close Trump ally and right-wing influencer Laura Loomer, who called the plan &ldquo;an abomination&rdquo; and accused the Qataris of being associated with Islamic terror organizations. &ldquo;No foreign country should have a military base on US soil. Especially Islamic countries,&rdquo; Loomer wrote in one of several social media posts just hours after Hegseth&#39;s announcement. Although Loomer holds no formal position within the Trump administration, her online complaints have a history of achieving results. Her criticisms have led to the firing of officials on the National Security Council, Dr. Vinay Prasad, the Food and Drug Administration&rsquo;s vaccine chief, and Gen. Tim Haugh, the head of the National Security Agency. Qatar, which hosts the biggest US military base in the Middle East, made clear that it will not have a base on US soil and that it will cover the costs of building the training facility. &ldquo;This will not be a Qatari air base,&rdquo; the spokesman for the embassy in Washington said in a statement posted on X. &ldquo;Rather, Qatar has made an initial 10-year commitment to construct and maintain a dedicated facility within an existing US air base, intended for advanced training and to enhance interoperability in defending and advancing our shared interests around the world.&rdquo; The statement said the project will create hundreds of jobs for Americans and noted that the planning began several years ago, and it received local approval. When asked for more details about the future facility, Hegseth&rsquo;s office said it had nothing to offer beyond the secretary&rsquo;s remarks. The announcement comes just days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order vowing to use all measures, including US military action, to defend Qatar. Loomer also criticized that decision, writing, &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to die for Qatar. Do you?&rdquo; on social media. However, she was not alone. The Wall Street Journal&rsquo;s editorial board also questioned the pledge, writing that &ldquo;this is a decision that can be and should have been debated.&rdquo; &ldquo;Instead, it comes out of the blue &mdash; an executive order following no public debate,&rdquo; the board wrote. The small, gas-rich country played a key role in negotiating the most recent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas aimed at ending the war in Gaza, as well as in several other key negotiations. Doha, the capital of Qatar, came under surprise attack from Israel last month as members of Hamas were in the city last month to discuss a ceasefire. Qatar also lavished a $400 million jumbo jet on Trump for use as Air Force One. However, the Qataris&#39; connection with US military aviation predates these more recent developments. In 2020, the US Air Force announced it had signed a deal with Qatar for the sale of more than 35 F-15 fighter jets. An Air Force environmental study, completed two years later, revealed that Mountain Home Air Force Base was proposing to build a facility that would house 12 Qatari F-15 jets and about 300 additional Qatari and US Air Force personnel. While the US military has a long history of training pilots for allied countries, the practice received scrutiny in 2019 following a deadly mass shooting at Pensacola Naval Air Station that killed three US service members and wounded several others. The shooter, Mohammad Saeed Al-Shamrani, was a Saudi Air Force officer who was training at the Pensacola base. The FBI said he was linked to the al-Qaida extremist group and had been in contact with it before the shooting. In the wake of the shooting, the US sent home 21 other Saudi military students after an investigation revealed each had expressed jihadist or anti-American sentiments on social media pages or had &ldquo;contact with child pornography,&rdquo; including in internet chat rooms, according to officials at the time. However, the US continued to train Saudi pilots. Loomer referenced the incident in her social media posts on Friday. &ldquo;Why are we trying to train more Muslims how to fly planes on US soil? Didn&rsquo;t we already learn our lesson?&rdquo; she wrote on social media.

The US plans to train Qatari pilots in Idaho, sparking backlash from critics citing past security concerns, though officials stress Qatar will fund the project, creating more American jobs.

Pentagon to build a training facility for Qatari pilots in Idaho

LIMA: Peruvians woke up to their seventh president in less than a decade on Friday, as 38-year-old Jos&eacute; Jer&iacute; took the reins of the shaken nation after Congress ousted widely loathed President Dina Boluarte in a lightning overnight impeachment. The young lawyer with scarce political experience, who just became president of the Congress in July, said shortly after being sworn in early on Friday that he would seek &ldquo;reconciliation,&rdquo; tackle Peru&rsquo;s runaway crime and ensure &ldquo;neutrality&rdquo; in elections when Peruvians elect a new president in April. Lawmakers had set up a debate and impeachment trial late on Thursday in the 130-member unicameral Congress after voting to accept four requests for a vote to remove Boluarte from office over what they said was her government&rsquo;s inability to stem crime. They requested that Boluarte come before them shortly before midnight to defend herself, but when she did not appear they immediately voted to oust her. In short order, 124 lawmakers voted just past midnight to impeach Boluarte. There were no votes against the effort, the ninth attempt to remove her. The shocking turn of events came just hours after a man open fired at a concert in the capital, injuring five and inflaming anger over crime roiling the country. Jer&iacute;&#39;s rapid ascension was all the more surprising because in August he gave a lengthy interview to Peruvian newspaper El Comercio in which he said he wouldn&#39;t replace Boluarte if she were impeached because he believed in &ldquo;presidential institutionality and we&#39;re so close to the end of her term.&rdquo; Boluarte&#39;s presidencyBoluarte, Peru&rsquo;s first female president, took office in December 2022 after Parliament used the same mechanism to impeach her predecessor. Then-President Pedro Castillo was removed from office just two years into his five-year term after attempting to dissolve the legislature to avoid his own removal. Boluarte had served as Castillo&rsquo;s vice president before becoming president, so there was no vice president to take her place when she was removed on Friday. Next in line was the president of the Congress, Jer&iacute;. After Friday&#39;s vote, Boluarte spoke on national television, recounting her administration&rsquo;s achievements. &ldquo;I have not thought of myself, but rather of Peruvians,&rdquo; she said. Minutes into her speech, the broadcast was interrupted to show Jer&iacute;&rsquo;s swearing in. On Friday, the Attorney General&#39;s Office asked a judge to prohibit Boluarte from leaving the country while it investigates two cases, one alleged money laundering and the other alleged corruption. The judge did not immediately rule. In a statement, investigators said that they are looking at money allegedly funneled through Boluarte before her presidency to the fugitive leader of a political party. The other case has to do with Boluarte using her influence as president to do favors for friends, in particular the plastic surgeon who gave her a secret nose job in 2023. She eventually confirmed that she had undergone the procedure. Jer&iacute;&#39;s ascent to the presidencyJer&iacute; obtained his seat in the Congress in 2021 as a substitute for ex-President Mart&iacute;n Vizcarra, who was from the same political party and electoral district, when Vizcarra was barred from holding public office. Ironically, Jer&iacute; became the Congress&#39; president in July with support of the same coalition of parties that had supported Boluarte in power. Earlier this year, the Attorney General&rsquo;s Office confirmed that it had opened a preliminary investigation into an accusation of rape against Jer&iacute;. Months later, the office announced the investigation was shelved without further explanation. Jer&iacute; denied the accusations in the interview with El Comercio in August. Jer&iacute; will serve out Boluarte&#39;s term as interim president. Elections are scheduled for next April and Boluarte&#39;s term was to end July 28, 2026. A controversial presidencyThere were more than 500 protests demanding Boluarte&#39;s resignation in the first three months of her presidency. Plagued by scandals, her administration&rsquo;s inability to address Peru&rsquo;s incessant crime proved to be her undoing. On Wednesday, she partially blamed the situation on immigrants living in the country illegally. &ldquo;This crime has been brewing for decades and has been strengthened by illegal immigration, which past administrations haven&rsquo;t defeated,&quot; she said during a military ceremony. &ldquo;Instead, they&rsquo;ve opened the doors of our borders and allowed criminals to enter everywhere... without any restrictions.&rdquo; Official figures show that 6,041 people were killed between January and mid-August, the highest number during the same period since 2017. Meanwhile, extortion complaints totaled 15,989 between January and July, a 28% increase compared to the same period in 2024. On Friday, Boluarte&#39;s lawyer Juan Portugal told local radio station RPP that Boluarte was at her home in Lima and had no desire to seek political asylum elsewhere.

Attorney General's Office asks judge to prohibit Boluarte from leaving country while it investigates two cases; investigators said that they are looking at money allegedly funneled through Boluarte before her presidency to the fugitive leader of a political party.


Peru wakes up to 7th president in less than a decade after President Boluarte ousted by Congress

MEXICO CITY: Flooding caused by heavy rains in central and southeastern Mexico has set off landslides, damaged homes and highways, and left at least 22 people dead, authorities said on Friday. One of the hardest hit areas was the central state of Hidalgo, where 16 deaths have been reported, according to state Interior Secretary Guillermo Olivares Reyna. At least 1,000 homes, 59 hospitals and clinics, and 308 schools have suffered damage in the state because of landslides and rivers topping their banks. Some 17 of the states 84 municipalities were without electricity, he said. In neighboring Puebla state, three people died and 13 were missing, according to Gov. Alejandro Armenta. He requested help from the federal government to rescue 15 people, including some children, who were stranded on rooftops by floodwaters. He estimated some 80,000 people were affected by the heavy rains and said a gas pipeline was ruptured by a landslide. In the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, two people died, including a police officer, Gov. Roc&iacute;o Nahle said. The city of Poza Rica was one of the hardest hit by river flooding. Authorities cut electricity as a precaution. Earlier, authorities in the central state of Queretaro confirmed that the child had died after being caught in a landslide.

Gov. Alejandro Armenta requests help from government to rescue 15 people, estimates some 80,000 people affected by heavy rains.

Flooding in central, southeast Mexico kills 22, damages homes, hospitals

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said on Friday that he&rsquo;s placing an additional 100% tax on Chinese imports starting on November 1 or sooner, potentially escalating tariff rates close to levels that in April fanned fears of a global recession.&nbsp;The president said on his social media site that he is imposing these new tariffs because of export controls placed on rare earth elements by China. The new tariffs built on an earlier post Friday on Truth Social in which Trump said that &ldquo;there seems to be no reason&rdquo; to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping as part of an upcoming trip to South Korea.&nbsp;Trump said that &ldquo;starting November 1st, 2025 (or sooner, depending on any further actions or changes taken by China), the United States of America will impose a Tariff of 100% on China, over and above any Tariff that they are currently paying.&rdquo;&nbsp;The announcement came after financial markets closed on Friday and risked throwing the global economy into turmoil. Not only could the global trade war instigated by Trump be rekindled, but import taxes being heaped on top of the 30% already being levied on Chinese goods could, by the administration&#39;s past statements, cause trade to break down between the US and China in ways that could cause growth worldwide to slump.&nbsp;While Trump&#39;s wording was definitive, he is also famously known for backing down from threats. Some investors began engaging in what The Financial Times called the &ldquo;TACO&rdquo; trade, which stands for &ldquo;Trump Always Chickens Out.&rdquo;&nbsp;The prospect of tariffs this large could compound the president&#39;s own political worries inside the US, potentially pushing up inflation at a moment when the job market appears fragile and the drags from a government shutdown are starting to compound into layoffs of federal workers.&nbsp;The president also said that the US government would respond to China by putting its own export controls &ldquo;on any and all critical software&rdquo; from American firms.&nbsp;The United States and China have been jostling for advantage in trade talks, after the import taxes announced earlier this year triggered a trade war between the world&#39;s two largest economies. Both nations agreed to ratchet down tariffs after negotiations in Switzerland and the United Kingdom, yet tensions remain as China has continued to restrict America&#39;s access to the difficult-to-mine rare earths needed for a wide array of US technologies.&nbsp;Trump did not formally cancel the meeting with Xi, so much as indicating that it might not happen as part of a trip at the end of the month in Asia. The trip was scheduled to include a stop in Malaysia, which is hosting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit; a stop in Japan; and a visit to South Korea, where he was slated to meet with Xi ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.&nbsp;&ldquo;I was to meet President Xi in two weeks, at APEC, in South Korea, but now there seems to be no reason to do so,&rdquo; Trump posted.&nbsp;Trump&rsquo;s threat shattered a monthslong calm on Wall Street, and the S&amp;P 500 tumbled 2.7% on worries about the rising tensions between the world&rsquo;s largest economies. It was the market&#39;s worst day since April when the president last bandied about import taxes this high. Still, the stock market closed before the president spelled out the terms of his threat.&nbsp;China&#39;s new restrictionsOn Thursday, the Chinese government restricted access to the rare earths ahead of the scheduled Trump-Xi meeting. Beijing would require foreign companies to get special approval for shipping the metallic elements abroad. It also announced permitting requirements on exports of technologies used in the mining, smelting and recycling of rare earths, adding that any export requests for products used in military goods would be rejected.&nbsp;Trump said that China is &ldquo;becoming very hostile&rdquo; and that it&#39;s holding the world &ldquo;captive&rdquo; by restricting access to the metals and magnets used in electronics, computer chips, lasers, jet engines and other technologies.&nbsp;The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment.&nbsp;Sun Yun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center, said Beijing reacted to US sanctions of Chinese companies this week and the upcoming port fees targeting China-related vessels but said there&rsquo;s room for de-escalation to keep the leaders&#39; meeting alive. &ldquo;It is a disproportional reaction,&rdquo; Sun said. &ldquo;Beijing feels that de-escalation will have to be mutual as well. There is room for maneuver, especially on the implementation.&rdquo;&nbsp;The US president said the move on rare earths was &ldquo;especially inappropriate&rdquo; given the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza so that the remaining hostages from Hamas&#39; October 7, 2023, attack can be released. He raised the possibility without evidence that China was trying to steal the moment from him for his role in the ceasefire, saying on social media, &ldquo;I wonder if that timing was coincidental?&rdquo;&nbsp;There is already a backlog of export license applications from Beijing&rsquo;s previous round of export controls on rare earth elements, and the latest announcements &ldquo;add further complexity to the global supply chain of rare earth elements,&rdquo; the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China said in a statement.&nbsp;Gracelin Baskaran, director of the Critical Minerals Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC, said China signaled it is open to negotiations, but it also holds leverage because to dominates the market for rare earths with 70% of the mining and 93% of the production of permanent magnets made from them that are crucial to high-tech products and the military.&nbsp;&ldquo;These restrictions undermine our ability to develop our industrial base at a time when we need to. And then second, it&rsquo;s a powerful negotiating tool,&rdquo; she said. And these restrictions can hurt efforts to strengthen the US military in the midst of global tensions because rare earths are needed.&nbsp;Trump&#39;s trade warThe outbreak of a tariff-fueled trade war between the US and China initially caused the world economy to shudder over the possibility of global commerce collapsing. Trump imposed tariffs totaling 145% on Chinese goods, with China responding with import taxes of 125% on American products.&nbsp;The taxes were so high as to effectively be a blockade on trade between the countries. That led to negotiations that reduced the tariff charged by the US government to 30% and the rate imposed by China to 10% so that further talks could take place. The relief those lower rates provided could now disappear with the new import taxes Trump threatened, likely raising the stakes not only of whether Trump and Xi meet but also of how any disputes are resolved.&nbsp;Differences continue over America&#39;s access to rare earths from China, US restrictions on China&#39;s ability to import advanced computer chips, sales of American-grown soybeans and a series of tit-for-tat port fees being levied by both countries starting on Tuesday.&nbsp;Nebraska Republican Rep. Don Bacon said &ldquo;China has not been a fair-trade partner for years,&rdquo; but the Trump administration should have anticipated China&rsquo;s restrictions on rare earths and refusal to buy American soybeans in response to the tariffs.&nbsp;How analysts see moves by US and ChinaWendy Cutler, senior vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute, said Trump&rsquo;s post shows the fragility of the d&eacute;tente between the two countries and it&rsquo;s unclear whether the two sides are willing to de-escalate to save the bilateral meeting.&nbsp;Cole McFaul, a research fellow at Georgetown University&#39;s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, said that Trump appeared in his post to be readying for talks on the possibility that China had overplayed its hand. By contrast, China sees itself as having come out ahead when the two countries have engaged in talks.&nbsp;&ldquo;From Beijing&rsquo;s point of view, they&rsquo;re in a moment where they&rsquo;re feeling a lot of confidence about their ability to handle the Trump administration,&rdquo; McFaul said. &ldquo;Their impression is they&rsquo;ve come to the negotiating table and extracted key concessions.&rdquo;&nbsp;Craig Singleton, senior director of the China program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a think tank, said Trump&#39;s post could &ldquo;mark the beginning of the end of the tariff truce&rdquo; that had lowered the tax rates charged by both countries.&nbsp;It&#39;s still unclear how Trump intends to follow through on his threats and how China plans to respond.&nbsp;&ldquo;But the risk is clear: Mutually assured disruption between the two sides is no longer a metaphor,&rdquo; Singleton said. &ldquo;Both sides are reaching for their economic weapons at the same time, and neither seems willing to back down.&rdquo;

China

Trump has not formally cancel the meeting with Xi; trip was scheduled to include a stop in Malaysia.



Trump threatens tech export limits, new 100% tariff on Chinese imports starting Nov. 1 or sooner

BRUSSELS: NATO will hold its major annual nuclear exercise next week, the alliance&rsquo;s chief announced Friday, with an important part of the drill to focus on protecting the weapons before they&#39;re ever used. The long-planned &ldquo;Steadfast Noon&rdquo; exercise, which starts on Monday, is taking place amid heightened security around military facilities in Europe due to a series of mysterious drone incidents, some of them blamed on Russia. Steadfast Noon will run for about two weeks. It will be led by the Netherlands and involve 71 aircraft from 14 NATO countries. The exercise has been held at roughly the same time each year for over a decade. &ldquo;We need to do this because it helps us to make sure that our nuclear deterrent remains as credible, and as safe, and as secure, and as effective as possible,&quot; NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said in a video statement. &quot;It also sends a clear signal to any potential adversary that we will and can protect and defend all allies against all threats,&rdquo; he said. Bomber aircraft and fighter jets that can carry nuclear warheads are taking part, but no nuclear weapons or live munitions will be used. The bulk of the exercise is being held in the North Sea, far from Russia and Ukraine. It will involve military bases in Belgium, Britain, Denmark, and the Netherlands. The United States and Britain, with their nuclear forces, are key to NATO&rsquo;s strategic deterrence. France also has nuclear weapons, but is not a part of the organization&rsquo;s nuclear planning group. NATO officials would not say what kind of scenarios would be used to test the 32-nation alliance&#39;s nuclear readiness, but they insisted that it is not directed toward any particular country, nor does it relate to current international events. The United States is providing F-35 jets capable of carrying conventional or nuclear weapons, refueling planes, and other support aircraft. Finland and Poland are sending fighter jets. Electronic warfare equipment and reconnaissance and intelligence systems will also be used. A big part of the exercise will focus on protecting nuclear weapons on the ground, said Col. Daniel Bunch, Chief of NATO Nuclear Operations at the alliance&rsquo;s military headquarters in Mons, Belgium. Bunch said there are &ldquo;a variety of different threats that we assess and that we must defend against because these are highly protected assets that require the utmost security and safety.&rdquo; Asked whether drones are a particular concern given the recent incidents, notably near military facilities in Belgium and Denmark, he said: &ldquo;Drones are not a new threat to us. Drones are something we understand.&rdquo; &ldquo;The more frequent incursions are something we&rsquo;re obviously keeping an eye on,&rdquo; Bunch acknowledged, but he added: &ldquo;Ultimately, we&rsquo;re going to stay one step ahead of the adversary.&rdquo; The Washington Summit declaration agreed by the alliance&rsquo;s leaders last year states that &ldquo;the fundamental purpose of NATO&rsquo;s nuclear capability is to preserve peace, prevent coercion and deter aggression.&rdquo; &ldquo;As long as nuclear weapons exist, NATO will remain a nuclear alliance,&rdquo; it said. James Stokes, the head of NATO&rsquo;s Nuclear Policy Directorate, told reporters that despite the Kremlin&rsquo;s continued and heated rhetoric, the allies &ldquo;haven&rsquo;t seen any change in Russia&rsquo;s nuclear posture&rdquo; recently. He underlined that Russia is not a focus of the exercise, but said that NATO continues to monitor Russian military activities, including its use of dual-capable missiles in Ukraine, which could be fitted to carry nuclear warheads.

Europe

NATO will launch its annual nuclear exercise next week, involving 14 nations and 71 aircraft. The drill will focus on nuclear security, with no live weapons used, amid increased drone-related security concerns.

NATO Plans annual nuclear drill as security tightens in Europe

ISLAMABAD: Abu Dhabi carrier Etihad said Friday it is launching flights to Kabul, making it the latest airline to offer direct routes to the Afghan capital. Etihad, which announced a record $476 million profit in 2024, said the new service responded to &ldquo;growing demand&rdquo; for travel between the United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan and that the three weekly flights starting in December would support &ldquo;trade, travel, and community ties.&rdquo; &ldquo;The UAE hosts one of the largest Afghan communities in the Gulf, with around 300,000 Afghans living and working in the country, according to the Afghan Business Council,&rdquo; the airline said in a statement. &ldquo;The new flights will further strengthen these economic and social ties while enhancing connectivity through Abu Dhabi.&rdquo; Other international carriers flying direct to Kabul include Turkish Airlines and FlyDubai. India reopens embassy&nbsp;Even though the Taliban are largely isolated from the West, due to their restrictions on women and girls, they have successfully established bilateral relations with regional powers. In July, Russia became the first country to recognize them as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. And, on Friday, India said it was upgrading its technical mission in Kabul to a full embassy.

Asia

Etihad Airways will launch flights to Kabul, citing growing demand and strong UAE-Afghan ties. The move enhances trade and travel, despite Afghanistan’s political isolation under Taliban rule.

Abu Dhabi carrier Etihad launches direct flights to Kabul

DOHA: The United Arab Emirates edged past Oman 2-1 in the fourth round of Asian qualifying for the 2026 World Cup on Saturday. UAE now needs a draw against host Qatar on Tuesday to reach the finals for the first time since 1990.&nbsp;The loss ended Oman&rsquo;s chances of winning the three-team Group A and securing automatic qualification for a first World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. But the team can still finish second and advance to the fifth round.&nbsp;Oman, who drew 0-0 with Qatar on Wednesday, took the lead in the 12th minute when an Amjad Al Harthi shot was deflected in by defender Kouame Autonne at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha.&nbsp;After holding on for most of the match, Oman&rsquo;s defense was finally opened up in the 76th minute when Marcus Meloni headed in an Ali Saleh cross at the far post.&nbsp;Seven minutes later, Caio Lucas delivered a cross from the left that eluded everyone to give the UAE the lead to the delight of 5,000 traveling fans.&nbsp;In Group B, Iraq defeated Indonesia 1-0 to move level on points with Saudi Arabia ahead of their meeting on Tuesday.&nbsp;Former Manchester United youth player Zidane Iqbal scored the only goal on 76 minutes with a low shot from the edge of the area.&nbsp;Iraq must defeat group leader Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on Tuesday to qualify for a first World Cup since 1986, as the host has scored more goals, having beaten Indonesia 3-2 on Wednesday.&nbsp;The two losses mean Indonesia cannot qualify.

The United Arab Emirates defeated Oman 2-1 in Doha, moving within a draw of qualifying for their first World Cup since 1990. Marcus Meloni and Caio Lucas scored late to overturn Oman’s early lead.



UAE on verge of first World Cup appearance since 1990

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: A brilliant century from captain Nat Sciver-Brunt powered England to a commanding 89-run victory over Sri Lanka in their ICC Women&rsquo;s Cricket World Cup 2025 clash at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Saturday.&nbsp;Opting to bowl first, Sri Lanka&rsquo;s decision proved costly as England posted a formidable 253 for 9 in their allotted 50 overs.&nbsp;Sciver-Brunt led from the front with a superb 117 off 117 balls, studded with nine fours and two sixes. Tammy Beaumont (32) and Heather Knight (29) provided valuable support in building England&rsquo;s total.&nbsp;For Sri Lanka, Inoka Ranaweera stood out with impressive figures of 3 for 33, while Sugandika Kumari and Udeshika Prabodhani chipped in with two wickets apiece.&nbsp;In reply, Sri Lanka&rsquo;s chase never gained momentum as they were bowled out for 164 in 45.4 overs. Hasini Perera (35) and Harshitha Samarawickrama (33) offered brief resistance, but England&rsquo;s disciplined bowling attack proved too strong. Sophie Ecclestone was exceptional, claiming 4 for 17 in her 10 overs, while Charlie Dean and Sciver-Brunt picked up two wickets each.&nbsp;The emphatic win lifted England to the top of the World Cup standings with six points from three matches, moving past Australia. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, remained in seventh place with just one point from their three outings.

Cricket

England posted 253/9 as Nat Sciver-Brunt smashed 117 (117), while Sri Lanka managed just 164 in reply. Sophie Ecclestone starred with 4/17, sealing England’s 89-run win and top spot in the standings.

England crush Sri Lanka by 89 runs in Women’s World Cup

BELGRADE: Serbia coach Dragan Stojkovic announced late Saturday he was quitting after his team lost to Albania 0-1 in their World Cup qualifier at home.&nbsp;&quot;This defeat should not have happened, and I accept responsibility. I&#39;m here to face the consequences,&quot; Stojkovic told a press conference after the match played in the southern town of Leskovac.&nbsp;&quot;I spoke with the president and secretary general of the Serbian Football Association.&nbsp;&quot;I have offered my resignation, they will make an announcement also, but I will not travel to Andorra and lead the team,&quot; he said, quoted by the state-run RTS broadcaster.&nbsp;He referred to Serbia&#39;s next World Cup qualifier against Andorra on Tuesday.&nbsp;Saturday&#39;s result was &quot;really poor, I did not expect this&quot;, the 60-year-old said, blaming himself for the loss.&nbsp;&quot;I have also spoken to the players and told them everything. It&#39;s not a tragedy when a coach leaves, and Serbia will always have a great supporter in me. I have led my country more than 50 times.&quot;&nbsp;The former midfielder, nicknamed Piksi, took over as Serbia coach in 2021.&nbsp;As a player he made 84 appearances for the former Yugoslavia between 1983 and 2001, and was one of the first top-tier European players to venture into Japanese football.&nbsp;Stojkovic was with J-League side Nagoya Grampus Eight between 1994 and 2001.&nbsp;After retiring as a player, Stojkovic was briefly chairman of Red Star Belgrade, before turning to coaching first Nagoya, and later Chinese side Guangzhou.&nbsp;Serbia are third in their group K, with England on top and Albania second.&nbsp;Meanwhile, Serbian media reported that Stojkovic could be replaced by former player and football manager Veljko Paunovic.&nbsp;Saturday&#39;s match has been moved from the capital Belgrade to Leskovac upon Serbia&#39;s request to UEFA over security fears.

Serbia coach Dragan Stojkovic resigned after a 1-0 home defeat to Albania in a World Cup qualifier, accepting responsibility for the loss. The 60-year-old will not lead the team against Andorra on Tuesday.

Stojkovic quits as Serbia coach after World Cup qualifier defeat

Muhammad Imad Abbas

ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan&rsquo;s interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is on an official seven-day visit to India, emphasizing the potential of Iran&rsquo;s Chabahar Port as a vital trade link between India and Afghanistan.&nbsp;The visit, delayed earlier due to visa clearance issues, marks the first official trip by an Afghan interim minister to India since the Taliban takeover. Previously, India&rsquo;s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval visited Kabul in January 2021 during former president Ashraf Ghani&rsquo;s tenure.&nbsp;Addressing a press conference at the Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi, Muttaqi underlined the significance of Chabahar Port, calling it a &ldquo;good option for trade.&rdquo; He urged both India and Afghanistan to &ldquo;remove obstacles&rdquo; to its full utilization, noting that &ldquo;US sanctions have complicated operations.&rdquo;&nbsp;Chabahar is not a new trade idea for Afghanistan. Successive governments have explored it as an alternative route connecting Afghanistan to global markets through Iran, bypassing Pakistan. Yet, questions remain over whether it can become a reliable trade corridor that benefits Afghan traders and strengthens regional ties.&nbsp;Why Chabahar matters for India?Located along Iran&rsquo;s southeastern coast on the Gulf of Oman, Chabahar holds strategic importance for India. It lies just 550 nautical miles from Gujarat&rsquo;s Kandla port and offers New Delhi a direct trade corridor to Afghanistan, Central Asia, and Europe, circumventing Pakistan.&nbsp;Since 2016, India has invested heavily in the project, spending nearly half of its allocated 4 billion Indian rupees. A year ago, India signed a 10-year agreement with Iran&rsquo;s Ports and Maritime Organization to manage and develop the port through India Ports Global Limited (IPGL).&nbsp;The initiative is part of India&rsquo;s broader vision to integrate Chabahar into the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), linking India to Russia via Iran. Originally proposed in 2003 as a counterbalance to Pakistan&rsquo;s Gwadar Port, developed under China&rsquo;s Belt and Road Initiative, the Chabahar project has faced repeated delays due to sanctions and bureaucratic hurdles.&nbsp;Challenges facing the projectDespite India&rsquo;s commitment, challenges persist. Afghan experts say Kabul remains skeptical of India&rsquo;s reliability as a partner.&nbsp;&ldquo;Afghanistan continues not to see India as a dependable ally because New Delhi has traditionally remained distant from Kabul,&rdquo; said Zia Ur Rehman, a Pakistan-based expert on Afghan affairs, speaking to Pakistan TV Digital.&nbsp;He added, &ldquo;India&rsquo;s renewed interest in Afghanistan is driven by geopolitical signaling aimed at maintaining influence along Pakistan&rsquo;s western border.&rdquo;&nbsp;India&rsquo;s caution stems from its fraught history with the Taliban. The hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane to Kandahar in 1999 and the 2008 Kabul embassy bombing, both linked by India to Taliban elements, continue to shape New Delhi&rsquo;s approach.&nbsp;Meanwhile, Afghan traders remain reluctant to abandon the shorter and cheaper trade routes through Pakistan. &ldquo;Chabahar increases transport costs, and those dealing in perishable goods cannot afford delays of several days,&rdquo; said Qudrat Ullah, a local trader speaking to Pakistan TV Digital.&nbsp;Sanctions and strategic setbacksComplicating matters further, the Trump administration&rsquo;s decision to revoke the US sanctions waiver on Chabahar has disrupted India&rsquo;s plans. The exemption, granted in 2018, allowed India to operate freely at Iran&rsquo;s Makran coast despite broader sanctions on Tehran.&nbsp;&ldquo;This move will disrupt New Delhi&rsquo;s strategic and economic ambitions in Iran and Central Asia,&rdquo; said Rehman, adding that the decision exposes Indian operators at Chabahar&rsquo;s Shahid Beheshti terminal to punitive action under the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act (IFCA).&nbsp;As Afghanistan&rsquo;s acting foreign minister pushes for renewed cooperation, India faces a delicate balancing act, navigating strained regional dynamics, economic sanctions, and a skeptical Kabul, all while striving to keep its Chabahar ambitions afloat. NOTE: $1 was equal to ₹88.72 (Indian Rupees) at the time of publishing of this article.

India

Experts warn India’s Chabahar ambitions face major setbacks after the Trump administration revoked sanctions waivers, exposing Indian operators to punitive action and disrupting New Delhi’s strategic trade and connectivity plans in Iran and Central Asia.

New Delhi’s Chabahar ambitions face hurdles amid Afghan FM’s India visit

TALLINN: Italy beat Estonia 3-1 in Saturday&#39;s 2026 World Cup qualifier in Tallinn before a Group I fixture with Israel which will be flanked by pro-Palestinian demonstrations.&nbsp;Goals from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui and Pio Esposito were enough for Italy to move three points ahead of Israel in second place, which offers a play-off spot for qualification to the finals in the USA, Canada and Mexico.&nbsp;Gennaro Gattuso&#39;s team are on 12 points, six behind group leaders Norway who have a goal difference which is 19 superior to Italy&#39;s and are all-but guaranteed a place at the World Cup.&nbsp;Estonia, who scored through Rauno Sappinen in the 76th minute thanks to Gianluigi Donnarumma dropping a cross at his feet, have three points and cannot qualify.&nbsp;&quot;I&#39;m very pleased, we&#39;re on the right track. The boys showed desire and professionalism,&quot; said Gattuso.&nbsp;&quot;We&#39;re progressing match after match, but often the second game (in the international break) is the one which causes us more difficulty.&quot;&nbsp;The Azzurri might be without Kean for Tuesday&#39;s match with Israel as the Fiorentina striker hobbled off the field with an ankle problem shortly after curling in his sixth goal in four games for his country in the the fifth minute.&nbsp;Kean&#39;s striker partner Retegui doubled Italy&#39;s lead in the 38th minute, making up for failing to score from the penalty spot on the half-hour mark.&nbsp;And Inter Milan forward Esposito made sure of the points two minutes before Donnarumma&#39;s howler with his first international goal, drilling home Leonardo Spinazzola&#39;s cross from the left.&nbsp;Italy have a game in hand on both third-placed Israel and Norway and can effectively secure second in the group in Udine next week, but the match is destined to be a sideshow.&nbsp;Only 5,000 tickets have been sold for the fixture, meaning that the Bluenergy stadium is set to have huge patches of empty seats while potentially thousands more protest elsewhere in the city.&nbsp;The demonstrations will be in response to Israel&#39;s military operation in the Gaza Strip. During massive strike action in support of the Palestinians earlier this month, demonstrators went to the Italian national team&#39;s training centre in Florence to demand the match be called off.&nbsp;Udine&#39;s mayor Alberto Felice De Toni has also asked for the match to be postponed over fears of potential violence in the small city, in Italy&#39;s far north-east.

Italy defeated Estonia 3-1 in a World Cup qualifier with goals from Kean, Retegui, and Esposito. The win moved Italy to second place before their next match against Israel, set amid planned demonstrations in Udine.

Italy beat Estonia in World Cup qualifier before Israel clash

LOS ANGELES: Actress Diane Keaton, known for her Oscar-winning performance in 1977&#39;s &quot;Annie Hall&quot; and her role in &quot;The Godfather&quot; films, has died at age 79.&nbsp;Details were not immediately available and Keaton&#39;s loved ones have asked for privacy, a family spokesperson told People, which confirmed that the actress died on Saturday in California.&nbsp;Keaton was a frequent collaborator of director Woody Allen, portraying the titular character in &quot;Annie Hall,&quot; the charming girlfriend of Allen&#39;s comic Alvy Singer.&nbsp;The film also garnered Oscars for best picture, best director and best original screenplay, cementing Keaton&#39;s place as one of the industry&#39;s top actresses and an offbeat style icon as well.&nbsp;The actress made her mark co-starring in eight Allen movies, from &quot;Play It Again, Sam&quot; (1972) to &quot;Manhattan&quot; (1979) and &quot;Manhattan Murder Mystery&quot; (1993).&nbsp;In &quot;The Godfather&quot; films, she played Kay Adams, the girlfriend and eventual wife of Al Pacino&#39;s Michael Corleone.&nbsp;Apart from the Allen cannon, fans adored her portrayal as Steve Martin&#39;s wife in 1991 comedy &quot;Father of the Bride,&quot; as the nervous and doting couple plan an extravagant wedding for their daughter.&nbsp;Late in her career, Keaton starred in two movies about aging women: &quot;Book Club&quot; (2018), with its message that love has no age, and &quot;Poms&quot; (2019), the story of a terminally ill woman who moves to a retirement community to die, but winds up forming a cheerleading squad.&nbsp;A BAFTA and Golden Globe winner, Keaton scored Oscar nominations three other times for best actress, for &quot;Reds,&quot; &quot;Marvin&#39;s Room&quot; and &quot;Something&#39;s Gotta Give.&quot;&nbsp;In 2017, she was honored with a Life Achievement Award by the American Film Institute, which called Keaton &quot;unconventional, iconoclastic and left-of-center.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;I feel so lucky to have spent any time with this marvelous woman, and I&#39;m heartbroken that she is gone,&quot; said actress Andie MacDowell, who starred in &quot;Unstrung Hero&quot; (1995), one of a handful of films Keaton directed.

Film & TV

Oscar-winning actress Diane Keaton, famed for “Annie Hall” and “The Godfather,” has died at 79 in California. The versatile star earned multiple Oscar nominations and a Life Achievement Award for her iconic career.

Oscar-winning actress Diane Keaton dead at 79

GAZA CITY: A top Hamas official told AFP Saturday that the release of 48 mostly Israeli hostages held by Palestinian in Gaza would begin on Monday morning. &quot;According to the signed agreement, the prisoner exchange is set to begin on Monday morning as agreed, and there are no new developments on this matter,&quot; Osama Hamdan said in an interview with AFP. Hamas on the ground have not yet notified the movement&#39;s leadership about the logistics of the hostages&#39; handover, Hamdan added. Following the return of the captives from Gaza, Israel will proceed with the release of about 2,000 Palestinian detainees from its prisons, according to the terms of the first stage of a ceasefire deal signed by the two parties under US mediation. Hamdan said that the list of Palestinian prisoners slated for release was still under negotiation. Hamas&#39;s &quot;prisoners office has said that, so far, the process has not been finalized. Israel is still refusing to release certain names. However, the negotiating delegation is making every effort to secure their release,&quot; the official said, adding that the final list would be ready on Saturday night or by Sunday morning &quot;at the latest&quot;. Hamdan further highlighted that under the agreement, five entry points for humanitarian aid are expected to be opened, and said that the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt will reopen &quot;for individuals in both directions starting next Wednesday&quot;. Italy said that the Rafah crossing would reopen on Tuesday under the supervision of an EU monitoring mission, with a police presence from Italy, Spain and France.

Hamas official Osama Hamdan said the hostage-prisoner exchange will begin Monday, involving 48 hostages and about 2,000 Palestinian detainees. Negotiations continue over final names, and Rafah crossing is set to reopen next week.

Hamas official says hostages release to begin on Monday morning

Muhammad Usman Amin

Mariam Ellahi

ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI/PESHAWAR: Afghanistan has requested Pakistan to halt its &ldquo;heavy counteraction&rdquo; after the Pakistan Army launched a strong and sustained response to unprovoked cross-border firing from Afghan forces, security sources told Pakistan TV Digital.&nbsp;According to the sources, Afghan troops carried out unprovoked firing late Saturday night across multiple points along the Pak-Afghan border, including Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir, Chitral in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baramcha in Balochistan, allegedly to facilitate the infiltration of Khawarij formations, a faction Islamabad identifies as Indian-sponsored proxies of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).&nbsp;Pakistan Army positions responded with full force using artillery, tanks, and aerial assets, effectively targeting Afghan military posts and militant hideouts.&nbsp;&ldquo;A strong and decisive response from the Pakistan Army against Afghan forces is ongoing. Afghan forces are in a state of panic due to the intense retaliation,&rdquo; security sources said. &ldquo;Several Afghan posts have been abandoned as a result of heavy losses.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Afghan soldiers fled, leaving behind multiple bodies at their posts following Pakistan&rsquo;s effective and intense response.&rdquo;&nbsp;Security sources confirmed that Afghanistan has formally requested Pakistan to halt its counteraction, as Pakistani forces continue to target positions linked to Khawarij and Daesh elements operating from Afghan territory.&nbsp;The sources further revealed that Pakistani forces employed a combination of precision artillery and drone strikes to destroy multiple Afghan posts. &ldquo;The Army&rsquo;s timely and decisive action has neutralized key militant hideouts under the protection of Afghan authorities,&rdquo; one official added.&nbsp;District administration officials confirmed that several missiles were fired from the Afghan side targeting civilian areas across the border, prompting Pakistan&rsquo;s &ldquo;measured but powerful&rdquo; military response to protect its citizens.&nbsp;Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned Afghanistan&rsquo;s unprovoked firing, calling it a &ldquo;blatant violation of international law.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Pakistan&rsquo;s brave forces have shown, with an immediate and effective response, that any provocation will not be tolerated,&rdquo; Naqvi said.&nbsp;&ldquo;Our forces are vigilant, and Afghanistan is being answered brick for brick. The fire and blood being played out from Afghanistan have links to our perennial enemy,&rdquo; he added, referring to India.&nbsp;&ldquo;Afghanistan will be given a strong, decisive response, just as India was, so it will not dare cast a covetous eye toward Pakistan,&rdquo; the minister warned.&nbsp;Defence analyst Hassan Khan told Pakistan TV that the current Afghan behavior reflected a deep betrayal of Pakistan&rsquo;s long-standing support.&nbsp;&ldquo;Pakistan hosted millions of Afghans for decades. Now, their behavior has completely changed,&rdquo; Khan said. &ldquo;Afghanistan is harbouring and providing hideouts to groups like the TTP, BLA, and Majeed Brigade. Their forces are now giving cover to Fitna al-Khawarij to harm Pakistan.&rdquo;&nbsp;Another analyst, Agha Iqrar, stressed that Pakistan must reassess its Afghan strategy.&nbsp;&ldquo;The Afghan Taliban are not only hosting, harbouring, and funding TTP and Fitna al-Khawarij, but more than 42 militant groups are operating from Afghan soil,&rdquo; he noted. &ldquo;Pakistan must take decisive action and redefine its Afghan policy.&rdquo;&nbsp;Taliban officials in Kunar, Nangarhar, Paktia, Khost, and Helmand confirmed to AFP that clashes were ongoing along several points of the border.&nbsp;The escalation follows two days after a deadly terrorist attack on the Police Training School in Dera Ismail Khan, in which six policemen, including trainees, embraced martyrdom. According to ISPR, the members of &ldquo;Fitna al-Khawarij&rdquo; rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the facility but were eliminated after an intense firefight.&nbsp;In the wake of the rising tensions, Saudi Arabia and Iran have both called for restraint and dialogue.&nbsp;The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in a statement by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said:&nbsp;&ldquo;The Kingdom is following with concern the tensions and clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. We urge both sides to exercise self-restraint, avoid escalation, and prioritize dialogue and wisdom to preserve regional stability.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Saudi Arabia reaffirms its support for all regional and international efforts aimed at strengthening peace and prosperity for the two brotherly Pakistani and Afghan peoples.&rdquo;&nbsp;Meanwhile, Iran&rsquo;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed similar concern, urging both countries to resolve their differences peacefully.&nbsp;&ldquo;Iran is closely monitoring developments and calls on both sides to engage diplomatically to prevent further escalation,&rdquo; an Iranian spokesperson said in Tehran. &ldquo;Peace and cooperation must prevail over confrontation.&rdquo;&nbsp;Security officials in Islamabad reiterated that Pakistan remains resolute in defending its sovereignty.&nbsp;&ldquo;Any future aggression or attempt to aid terrorist infiltration will be met with a strong and immediate response,&rdquo; one senior source emphasized.

Security

Islamabad’s security sources say Pakistan Army’s strong and coordinated retaliation destroyed multiple Afghan border posts, forcing Afghan troops to flee amid mounting casualties. The clashes follow recent militant attacks in Dera Ismail Khan linked to Afghan-based groups.

Afghanistan urges Pakistan to halt ‘heavy counteraction’: security sources

KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Donald Trump to broker peace in Ukraine like in &quot;the Middle East&quot; during a phone call Saturday, saying if Trump could stop one war, &quot;others can be stopped as well&quot;. The call came a day after Russia launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine&#39;s energy grid, knocking out power to parts of the capital Kyiv and nine other Ukrainian regions. Diplomatic efforts to end Russia&#39;s invasion of Ukraine have slowed in recent months, in part because global attention has shifted to Israel&#39;s two-year war with Palestinian group Hamas, Kyiv says. Trump, who announced the first phase of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas on Wednesday, met Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks in August but failed to extract any kind of peace deal. &quot;I had a call with US President Donald Trump. A very positive and productive one,&quot; Zelensky said on Facebook, congratulating Trump for his &quot;outstanding&quot; ceasefire plan in the Middle East. &quot;If a war can be stopped in one region, then surely other wars can be stopped as well, including the Russian war,&quot; Zelensky added, calling for Trump to pressure the Kremlin into negotiations. Relations between the two leaders have warmed dramatically since February, when they sparred during a now infamous televised meeting at the White House. Trump has since grown more hostile towards Moscow while expressing sympathy for Ukraine. In September, he wrote on Truth Social that Kyiv should try to &quot;take back&quot; all its occupied territory with Europe&#39;s and NATO&#39;s help. US First Lady Melania Trump said Friday she had secured the release of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia after establishing an extraordinary back channel of communication with Putin. Strikes cut powerRussian attacks on Ukraine killed at least five people on Saturday and cut power to parts of Ukraine&#39;s southern Odesa region, according to Ukrainian officials. Two of the people died inside a church in Kostyantynivka when it was hit by a strike, according to local authorities. In Russia&#39;s border region of Belgorod, a truck driver was killed by a Ukrainian strike, according to local officials. Moscow has targeted Ukraine&#39;s energy grid each winter since it invaded in 2022, cutting power and heating to millions of households and disrupting water supply in what Kyiv says is a brazen war crime. Russia denies targeting civilians and says Ukraine uses the energy sites to power its military sector. Ukrainian drone attacks meanwhile killed two people in Russia, according to regional officials. Both countries have accused each other of frustrating progress towards a peace deal in recent months. Russia blames Kyiv and its European allies for the impasse, accusing them of undermining peace negotiations with Washington. Ukraine and Europe accuse Russia of playing for time so it can seize more Ukrainian territory. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, describing it as a &quot;special military operation&quot; to demilitarise the country and prevent the expansion of NATO. Kyiv and its European allies say the war is an illegal land grab that has resulted in tens of thousands of civilian and military casualties and widespread destruction. Millions of Ukrainians have been forced to leave their homes since 2022, while Russia now occupies around a fifth of Ukrainian territory -- much of it ravaged by fighting.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Donald Trump to mediate peace with Russia after major strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid, praising Trump’s Middle East ceasefire plan and calling for similar efforts to end the Ukraine war

Zelensky urges Trump to end Ukraine war like in 'the Middle East'

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has expressed &ldquo;strong reservations&rdquo; over elements of the India-Afghanistan Joint Statement issued on October 10 in New Delhi and the accompanying remarks by the Afghan Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mutaqqi, the foreign office said, terming them contrary to international law and regional stability.&nbsp;According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Pakistan conveyed its strong objections to Afghanistan&rsquo;s diplomat in Islamabad, Sardar Ahmad Shekib, through the additional foreign secretary.&nbsp;The ministry said that the reference to Jammu and Kashmir as part of India in the joint statement was &ldquo;a clear violation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions&rdquo; and disregarded &ldquo;the legal and internationally recognized disputed status of the territory.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;The statement is highly insensitive to the sacrifices and sentiments of the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir in their just struggle for the right to self-determination,&rdquo; MOFA said.&nbsp;Pakistan also strongly rejected the Afghan interim foreign minister&rsquo;s remarks suggesting that &ldquo;terrorism was Pakistan&rsquo;s internal problem.&rdquo; The foreign office termed the statement misleading and contrary to ground realities.&nbsp;It emphasized that Islamabad has repeatedly shared credible evidence with Kabul regarding the presence of Fitna-e-Khawarij and Fitna-e-Hindustan, factions identified as Indian-sponsored proxies of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), operating from Afghan soil with external support and conducting cross-border attacks inside Pakistan.&nbsp;The development comes amid heightened tensions following a deadly terrorist assault on the Police Training School in Dera Ismail Khan on the night of October 10&ndash;11. The attack, claimed by elements linked to Fitna al-Khawarij, resulted in the martyrdom of six policemen and injuries to several others. Pakistani security agencies have since reiterated their stance that such groups receive facilitation from across the border.&nbsp;&ldquo;It was underscored that deflecting the responsibility of controlling terrorism towards Pakistan cannot absolve the Interim Afghan Government of its obligations to ensure peace and stability in the region,&rdquo; the statement read.&nbsp;MOFA further noted that Pakistan has hosted nearly four million Afghans for over four decades out of goodwill and humanitarian concern. With improving conditions in Afghanistan, Islamabad reiterated its stance that unauthorized Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan should return to their homeland, while emphasizing that Pakistan continues to issue medical and study visas on humanitarian grounds.&nbsp;Reaffirming its commitment to regional peace and cooperation, Pakistan said it remains desirous of a &ldquo;peaceful, stable, regionally connected, and prosperous Afghanistan.&rdquo; However, the statement concluded that Islamabad &ldquo;expects the Interim Afghan Government to take concrete steps to prevent its territory from being used by Fitna-e-Khawarij and Fitna-e-Hindustan terrorist elements against Pakistan.&rdquo;

Foreign Affairs

Islamabad says it has shared evidence with Kabul on Indian-sponsored militant groups operating from Afghan soil and reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir’s disputed status, reaffirmed by UN resolutions, cannot be altered by political statements or alliances.

Articles by AP