Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: &nbsp;The fourth T20 international between India and South Africa was abandoned without a ball being bowled on Wednesday due to smog in Lucknow, northern India.&nbsp;The toss, originally scheduled for 6:30 PM local time (1:00 GMT), never took place despite multiple pitch inspections at the Ekana Stadium. The umpires eventually called off the match at 9:30 PM, citing unsafe playing conditions. A statement said the game &ldquo;has been abandoned due to excessive fog, making playing conditions unsafe.&rdquo;&nbsp;T20 world champions India lead the five-match series 2-1 ahead of the final game, scheduled for Friday in Ahmedabad. The series serves as part of the build-up to the T20 World Cup, starting in February in India and Sri Lanka.&nbsp;Air quality concernsThe abandonment highlighted growing concerns over air pollution in northern India. Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya was seen wearing a mask on the field, prompting social media discussions about deteriorating air quality.&nbsp;According to monitoring organisation IQAir, PM2.5 levels in parts of Lucknow reached 78 micrograms per cubic metre, more than five times the World Health Organization&rsquo;s recommended daily maximum, AFP reported.&nbsp;The agency noted that smog levels across northern India have worsened in recent days, with Delhi recording PM2.5 microparticles more than 20 times WHO limits during football star Lionel Messi&rsquo;s visit on Monday.&nbsp;Player and fan experiencePlayers initially performed drills on the pitch before moving indoors for most of the inspections, while disappointed fans left the stadium amid dense haze. The BCCI faced criticism for scheduling the match in Lucknow during a period prone to poor air quality, with visibility issues contributing to the multiple inspections and eventual cancellation.&nbsp;With Ahmedabad&rsquo;s Air Quality Index (AQI) currently at 160, classified as &lsquo;Unhealthy,&rsquo; the fifth and final T20I scheduled for Friday is under close scrutiny, with officials closely monitoring conditions to determine whether the match can proceed safely. With input from wires.

Cricket

With Ahmedabad’s Air Quality Index (AQI) currently at 160, classified as ‘Unhealthy,’ the fifth and final T20I scheduled for Friday is under close scrutiny

Fourth T20I between India and South Africa abandoned due to smog in Lucknow

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has sought clarification from India over an &ldquo;abrupt variation&rdquo; in the Chenab River&rsquo;s flow, with the Foreign Office saying its Indus water commissioner has formally written to his Indian counterpart under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) procedures. In a weekly press briefing broadcast live on the ministry&rsquo;s social media account on Thursday, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi talked about the &ldquo;abrupt variation&rdquo; in the flow of the Chenab River.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2001539859375362539&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=a1ed9f1a960b94e8ad9472a6e71dc4c5cf066845&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 640px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&ldquo;Pakistan views these variations with extreme concern and seriousness. They allude to unilateral release of water into the Chenab River by India, without any prior notification,&rdquo; FO spokesperson said. &ldquo;Our Indus water commissioner has written a letter to his Indian counterpart seeking clarification on the matters in accordance with the procedures enshrined in the Indus Waters Treaty.&rdquo; Lives on the line&nbsp;Andrabi said, &ldquo;Any manipulation of river flow by India, especially at a critical time of our agricultural cycle, directly threatens the lives and livelihoods as well as food and economic security of our citizens.&rdquo; &ldquo;We call upon India to respond to the queries raised by the Pakistani Indus water commissioner, refrain from any unilateral manipulation of river flows and fulfil its obligations in letter and spirit under the Indus Water Treaty provisions,&rdquo; he said. The FO spokesperson further said that the IWT was a &ldquo;binding international agreement,&rdquo; which had been &ldquo;an instrument of peace and security and stability in the region.&rdquo; Existential rights &nbsp;Andrabi said that violating the treaty threatened the &ldquo;inviolability of international treaties and compliance with international law&rdquo; and also posed a serious threat to &ldquo;regional peace, principles of good neighborliness, and norms governing interstate relations&rdquo;. &ldquo;The international community must take notice of India&rsquo;s continued disregard of a bilateral treaty, and counsel India to act responsibly and in accordance with international law and established norms as well as its own obligations.&rdquo; He said, &ldquo;Pakistan remains committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes and issues with India but will not compromise on the existential water rights of the people of our country.&rdquo; Incident in Bihar condemned &nbsp;On the issue of the incident where Chief Minister of the Indian state of Bihar Nitish Kumar pulled the veil of a Muslim woman, Andrabi said: &ldquo;The forcible removal of the Muslim woman&rsquo;s hijab by a senior political leader and subsequent public ridicule of this act are deeply disturbing and warrant strong condemnation&rdquo;. &ldquo;The action risks normalizing the humiliation of Muslim women in India. The conduct also demonstrates public disrespect of India&rsquo;s religious minorities, particularly its Muslim citizens,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Such conduct reflects a broader and troubling pattern associated with Hindutva-inspired politics, namely the alarming rise of religious intolerance and Islamophobia,&rdquo; Andrabi added. &ldquo;We urge all responsible stakeholders and the Indian government to recognize the seriousness of this incident and to reaffirm their commitment to the protection of minority rights, respect for religious freedom, and the preservation of human dignity,&rdquo; the spokesperson said.

Foreign Affairs

Foreign Office spokesperson says, ‘Our Indus water commissioner has written a letter to his Indian counterpart seeking clarification on the matter in accordance with the procedures enshrined in the Indus Waters Treaty.’

Pakistan seeks clarification from India over ‘abrupt variation’ in Chenab water flows

NEW DELHI: India tops the rankings of global sports drug cheats for a third straight year, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said, marking a dubious hat-trick for the country. India&#39;s National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) collected 7,113 urine and blood samples out of which 260 tested positive in 2024, the international watchdog said in its annual report published late Tuesday. The findings are a major blow to India, which is preparing to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, an event seen as a stepping stone for the country&#39;s ambition of hosting the 2036 Olympics. Athletics (76) had the highest number of doping cases last year followed by weightlifting (43) and wrestling (29). In July, under-23 wrestling champion and Paris Olympics quarter-finalist Reetika Hooda tested positive and was provisionally suspended. At India&#39;s University Games earlier this month, there were reports of just one athlete showing up for some track and field events after others fled because of the presence of anti-doping officials. India, the world&#39;s most populous country with 1.4 billion people, was also ranked number one doping offender in 2022 and 2023. French athletes accounted for the next highest number on the list in 2024 with 91 positive cases, while Italy were third with 85. Russia and the United States come next at 76 cases each followed by Germany (54) and China (43).NADA defended their fight against doping after the report. &quot;In recent years, India has witnessed a significant strengthening of its anti-doping framework,&quot; it said in a statement Wednesday. &quot;To tackle the menace of doping in sports, NADA India has not only increased the number of tests but also increased the emphasis on education and awareness.&quot; NADA added that up to December 16, the number of tests conducted this year had been 7,068 with 110 positive cases. The WADA report comes months after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) raised concerns about rampant use of performance-enhancing drugs in India and urged the country to set its house in order. The Indian Olympic Association in August formed a new anti-doping panel after the IOC flagged India&#39;s poor record. The government also passed a new national anti-doping bill to enhance enforcement, expand testing facilities and &quot;ensure the highest standards of integrity&quot; in sports.

Athletics

India's National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) collected 7,113 urine and blood samples out of which 260 tested positive in 2024.

WADA names India worst doping offender for third straight year

ISLAMABAD: Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem to strengthen and expand the India-Israel strategic partnership across technology, economy, security, and regional cooperation, according to the minister&rsquo;s post on X on Wednesday. The Indian minister held high-level meetings to strengthen India-Israel&#39;s strategic partnership. The two leaders discussed expanding cooperation in technology, the economy, skills and talent, connectivity, and security, with Jaishankar expressing confidence that the partnership would grow from strength to strength. <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; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2001013884191433092&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=741e82a8fe7a6c467c50d8877f20d6ee6f0f8d0d&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 696px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Earlier, Jaishankar met President Isaac Herzog to convey greetings from Indian president Droupadi Murmu and prime minister Modi and to reaffirm India&rsquo;s support for enduring regional peace. He also met Israel&rsquo;s Minister of Economy and Industry, Nir Barkat, to advance investment and innovation cooperation, and expressed confidence in the early conclusion of the India-Israel Free Trade Agreement. In a meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa&rsquo;ar, Jaishankar discussed terrorism, regional developments, and the Gaza Peace Plan, reiterating India&rsquo;s commitment to combating terrorism and strengthening strategic ties across multiple domains. The Israeli foreign minister, Gideon Sa&rsquo;ar, also visited India last month. According to an Indian media report, the visit comes amid preparations for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu&rsquo;s proposed trip to India.&nbsp; Netanyahu was scheduled to travel to India earlier this month, but a phone call between him and prime minister Modi made it clear the visit would take place at a later date. Bilateral investment agreement&nbsp;Delhi and Tel Aviv signed a Bilateral Investment Agreement (BIA) in New Delhi on Sept. 8 during the Israeli finance minister&#39;s visit to India. According to India&rsquo;s state-run Press Information Bureau, the agreement is expected to provide greater certainty and protection for investors, facilitate the growth of trade and mutual investments by ensuring a minimum standard of treatment, and provide an independent dispute resolution mechanism through arbitration. India-Israel defense ties&nbsp;A meeting on defense cooperation, co-chaired by Defense Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Defense Maj Gen (Res) Amir Baram, took place in Tel Aviv on Nov. 4, according to PIB. An MoU on defense cooperation was signed during the meeting to provide a unified vision and policy direction to deepen the already strong defense cooperation between the two countries, it said.&nbsp;&nbsp;According to a Nov. 13 report published by a Washington-based think tank, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, in a deal reported last month to be worth $3.3 billion, the Indian Army is acquiring 425,000 carbine assault rifles from a joint Israeli-Indian venture. Pakistan-India conflict&nbsp;During the conflict with India, on May 8, the Pakistani military reported shooting down 25 Israeli-made drones used by India against Islamabad. &nbsp; &ldquo;The Pakistan Army, using their soft-kill (technical) and hard-kill (weapons) skills fully, has shot down 25 Israeli-made Harop drones,&rdquo; Pakistan military&rsquo;s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a press release issued on May 8.

India

India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar has held meetings with Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Herzog, and key ministers; discussions focused on strengthening strategic, economic, technological, and security partnerships, and finalizing a free trade agreement.

India seeks to deepen strategic partnership with Israel

ISLAMABAD: An India-based Russia Today (RT) account on X removed a post early Saturday after misstating the circumstances of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif&rsquo;s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Turkmenistan. The deleted post had claimed that PM Sharif &ldquo;waited over 40 minutes for President Putin before growing tired and gatecrashing&rdquo; the Russian leader&rsquo;s meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It further asserted: &ldquo;He left ten minutes later.&rdquo; Early Saturday, the same account acknowledged that its earlier message &ldquo;may have been a misrepresentation of the events,&rdquo; adding: &ldquo;We deleted an earlier post about Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif waiting to meet Vladimir Putin at the Peace and Trust Forum in Turkmenistan.&rdquo; No apology accompanied the clarification. The account, which is followed by more than 76,000 users, including RT&rsquo;s main handle, does not identify itself as a parody, commentary, or fan page. X&rsquo;s policies state that accounts &ldquo;must be authentic&rdquo; and that any non-authentic accounts must clearly disclose their status as Parody, Commentary, or Fan. Presenting itself as an official platform, the RT India account&rsquo;s post was subsequently carried by several Indian outlets, including The Times of India, NDTV, and India Today, amplifying the inaccurate portrayal of the meeting. In contrast, the Embassy of Russia in Pakistan confirmed that President Putin met PM Sharif in Ashgabat. The embassy released a video showing the two leaders warmly greeting each other in a hallway, contradicting the imagery circulated by the India-based RT account, which had depicted the prime minister seated and waiting.

Says deleted post “misrepresentation of the events,” retracting claim that PM Sharif waited for President Putin, after Russian embassy video shows the leaders’ cordial hallway meeting.

RT India deletes post after misreporting Sharif–Putin meeting

ISLAMABAD: The Indian environment minister&rsquo;s clarification in the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) -- that widely cited global air-quality rankings are &quot;not conducted by any official [Indian] authority&quot; -- drew a sarcastic reaction from the Indian National Congress, which mocked the remarks in a post on X. India&rsquo;s major cities, including the capital Delhi, are frequently rated among the most polluted in global air quality indices.&nbsp; The Union government&rsquo;s clarification in the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) on Thursday regarding global air-quality assessments sparked renewed discussion over how India evaluates its pollution levels.&nbsp; Responding to questions from Communist Party of India MP V Sivadasan, Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party stated that no official global country-wise air-pollution ranking exists, and that widely quoted international indices, including the IQAir World Air Quality Report, WHO Global Air Quality Database, Environmental Performance Index and Global Burden of Disease metrics, are &ldquo;not conducted by any official authority.&rdquo; &#39;Only as guidance&#39;Singh noted that the World Health Organization&rsquo;s air-quality guidelines serve only as guidance, intended to help countries achieve better standards over time. He added that nations formulate their own air-quality benchmarks depending on geography, environmental factors, background levels, socio-economic conditions, and national circumstances.&nbsp; India follows its National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), notified in 2009, which specify limits for 12 pollutants; the ministry said that these are tailored to the country&rsquo;s specific conditions.&nbsp; The standards set the 24-hour permissible PM2.5 limit at 60 &micro;g/m&sup3;, which is four times the WHO&rsquo;s updated 2021 guideline. Delhi&rsquo;s air qualitySeparately, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav presented data on Delhi&rsquo;s air quality in response to another question.&nbsp; According to the government, &ldquo;Good to Moderate&rdquo; air-quality days (AQI &le;200) in the capital have actually risen from 110 days in 2016 to 200 days in 2025 (to date).&nbsp; The average AQI between January and November has improved from 213 in 2018 to 187 in 2025, and no day in 2025 has entered the &ldquo;Severe Plus&rdquo; category (AQI &gt;450), the ministry said.&nbsp; The ministry also reported that farm-fire incidents in Punjab and Haryana have fallen by around 90% in the 2025 paddy-harvesting season compared to 2022. The government said that it conducts the annual Swachh Vayu Survekshan, ranking 130 cities under the National Clean Air Programme based on the implementation of air-quality improvement measures. Congress&#39;s reaction&nbsp;The opposition quickly seized upon the government&rsquo;s responses.&nbsp; The Indian National Congress posted a sharp, sarcastic comment on X, mocking the minister&rsquo;s dismissal of global rankings: &ldquo;Our air is special kind of air. While other countries have only 20% Oxygen, we have 80% Oxygen and a little bit of Nitrogen and Carbon Dioxide. Same with our GDP, Exchange rate, and so on. Perks of electing an 8th fail as PM.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1999105178184872004&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=9c2e435bda59bbbac982e7528e199d336563d88f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 873px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>

The Indian government minister tells the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) that global air-quality rankings are unofficial and that India uses its own standards; opposition party Congress posted a sarcastic comment on social media mocking the minister’s stance.

Opposition mocks Indian minister’s remarks on global pollution rankings

ISLAMABAD: Bangladesh&rsquo;s Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Thursday said it is strategically possible for Dhaka to join a regional grouping with Pakistan without India, though such an arrangement would be difficult for Nepal or Bhutan, according to Bangladeshi media. &ldquo;It is possible for us strategically &hellip; but it is not possible for Nepal or Bhutan to form a grouping with Pakistan excluding India,&rdquo; he told reporters at the foreign ministry, according to state-run BSS News reported. His comments followed Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar&rsquo;s recent statement at the Islamabad Conclave that a new trilateral initiative involving Bangladesh, China and Pakistan had begun and could expand to other countries.&nbsp;Touhid said Dar &ldquo;has said something, and perhaps at some point this could see some progress,&rdquo; noting that he had only seen the information through the media. Improving Pakistan-Bangladesh tiesThe remarks come amid warming relations between Islamabad and Dhaka following the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5, 2024.&nbsp; In August this year, Foreign Minister Dar visited Bangladesh for the first time in 13 years. In September,&nbsp;Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Bangladesh&rsquo;s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly and the D-8 Summit, signaling a reset in ties. Bilateral trade also rose by about 20 percent in FY2024-25, from nearly $712 million to $865 million. Direct sea trade resumed for the first time in more than 50 years, and Bangladesh later cleared Pakistan&rsquo;s Fly Jinnah to begin direct Karachi-Dhaka flights. High-level military contacts also restarted, with exploratory talks on defense cooperation. The Yunus-led interim government has adopted a broader foreign policy approach, moving away from the Awami League&rsquo;s India-focused posture. This has created space for pragmatic engagement with Islamabad, though the unresolved legacy of the 1971 Liberation War remains a major hurdle.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain says such an arrangement, however, would be difficult for Nepal or Bhutan.

Bangladesh open to joining regional bloc with Pakistan excluding India

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on Wednesday said the country &ldquo;confronts and eliminates the enemy openly, not from the shadows,&rdquo; while addressing the National Scholars and Sufi Saints Conference in Islamabad, according to a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). &ldquo;We do not strike from the shadows; we confront and eliminate the enemy openly,&rdquo; he said, stressing that terrorism &ldquo;is not Pakistan&rsquo;s problem but India&rsquo;s.&rdquo; &ldquo;In the battle of truth, we achieved victory with the help of Allah,&rdquo; the field marshal added. Highlighting the role of religious leaders, he said the Ulema must &ldquo;keep the nation united&rdquo; and help broaden the country&rsquo;s vision. He warned that nations distancing themselves from learning risk internal division, stating: &ldquo;Any nation that abandons knowledge and the pen becomes vulnerable to discord and corruption.&rdquo; &ldquo;Honor and strength are not gained through division, but through hard work and knowledge,&rdquo; he emphasized. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also addressed the conference, echoing the field marshal&rsquo;s call for unity. In remarks shared on his official Facebook page, the prime minister said the &ldquo;entire world was astonished&rdquo; by Pakistan&rsquo;s victory over India, adding that friendly states consider it &ldquo;their own victory&rdquo; and are honoring Pakistan. &ldquo;It is our collective responsibility to defend the army that has sacrificed its blood for the defense of Pakistan and inflicted a defeat on the eternal enemy, one it will remember until the end of time,&rdquo; he said. PM Sharif said Pakistan&rsquo;s progress depends on national cohesion and continued sacrifice. &ldquo;Our elders migrated for this country and made countless sacrifices. The entire nation must stand united on national matters,&rdquo; he said. Commenting on economic recovery, he noted that Pakistan&rsquo;s economy is &ldquo;rapidly moving toward growth&rdquo; and credited joint political-military efforts with preventing bankruptcy. Warning that development and terrorism cannot be fought simultaneously, he said, &ldquo;If this country is to progress, eliminating terrorism is absolutely essential.&rdquo;

Security

In his address at the National Scholars and Sufi Saints Conference, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir said that terrorism “is not Pakistan’s problem but India’s,” while emphasizing unity, knowledge, and defeating threats for national progress.

Pakistan confronts enemies openly, not from shadows: CDF Munir

BRUSSELS: European Union countries and lawmakers reached a final deal Wednesday on an ambitious target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, allowing carbon credits bought outside the continent to help reach the goal. A number of countries, led by Italy, had expressed concern at the target of reducing the 27-nation bloc&rsquo;s emissions by 90% from 1990 levels by 2040.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1998540028562280579&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=a56c84d1349c2ce33f4f9df3bd5228288bc9bdcc&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 898px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>The final deal allows for five percent of cuts to be accounted for through carbon credits acquired for projects outside Europe.&nbsp; &lsquo;Sending campaign offshore&rsquo;Activist groups have accused the EU of simply sending the climate change campaign offshore. Further down the road, the EU could if needed eventually allow member states to make up a further five percent of their targets via credits from international carbon markets. Under pressure from Poland and Hungary, the deal also put back by one year to 2028 an emissions trading system for road transport and heating buildings. Most committed&nbsp;Behind only China, the United States and India in terms of emissions, the EU has been the most committed of the major polluters to climate action and has already cut emissions by 37% compared to 1990 levels. The deal still has to be given formal approval by the 27 EU states and by the EU parliament.

Europe

Behind only China, the US and India in terms of emissions, the EU has been the most committed of the major polluters to climate action and has already cut emissions by 37% compared to 1990 levels.

EU agrees deal for 90% emissions cut by 2040

MUMBAI:&nbsp;US and Indian trade negotiators begin two days of talks Wednesday as they try to reach a deal amid geopolitical turbulence after Washington hit New Delhi with huge tariffs over its purchases of Russian oil. The 50% levies on most goods was imposed in August, with US officials arguing the imports of discounted Russian crude effectively bankroll Moscow&#39;s war in Ukraine. Deputy US Trade Representative Rick Switzer&rsquo;s visit comes a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi embraced Russian President Vladimir Putin in New Delhi. India&rsquo;s foreign ministry described Switzer&#39;s meetings as a &ldquo;familiarization&rdquo; trip. India was among the first countries to begin trade talks after President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs on most US trade partners in April. But it is one of the few major economies still without an agreement, raising risks for jobs, economic growth and markets. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">A serious blow&nbsp;</h2>India is the world&rsquo;s fastest-growing major economy and recorded a $45.8 billion goods trade deficit with the United States in 2024. Large export categories such as smartphones and generic drugs are exempt from Trump&#39;s tariffs, but many labor-intensive industries are not. That&rsquo;s a serious blow for a country already struggling to generate well-paid jobs for millions of young graduates, and the turmoil threatens Modi&#39;s ambition to lift the country into high-income status. Fall in exports&nbsp;Exports fell nearly 12% year-on-year in October, driven by a plunge in US-bound shipments. The Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) estimates that labour-heavy sectors -- gems and jewelery, textiles and seafood -- saw export drops of 37&ndash;60% between May and September. Foreign investors have dumped more than $16 billion in Indian equities this year, helping push the rupee to a record low past 90 per dollar. Cut in growth forecast&nbsp;The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has also cut India&rsquo;s 2026-27 growth forecast from 6.4% to 6.2%, assuming &ldquo;prolonged 50% US tariffs&rdquo;. Exports could shrink to about $49.6 billion this fiscal year, from $86.5 billion last year, potentially knocking up to 80 basis points off growth, according to the GTRI. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">Severe sanctions &nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>India enthusiastically bought discounted Russian crude after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine as Moscow was hammered with severe sanctions including on its sale of oil. But Trump&#39;s decision to link trade policy to geopolitics upended US-India relations in August, with roughly half of the tariff burden stemming from Washington&#39;s attempt to penalize those purchases. No comment&nbsp;The US president has repeatedly claimed India either plans to stop, or has already mostly stopped, buying Russian oil -- a claim&nbsp;New Delhi has neither confirmed nor denied. But when in the Indian capital, Putin offered to &ldquo;continue uninterrupted shipments of fuel&rdquo;.&nbsp; Modi did not comment directly on oil flows. &lsquo;Notable dip&rsquo;However, top buyer Reliance Industries said in November it stopped importing Russian oil for its export-focused refinery, while smaller refiners like HPCL-Mittal Energy have said they have stopped entirely. Analysts at trade intelligence platform Kpler expect a &ldquo;notable dip&rdquo; in India&#39;s December&ndash;January imports. Whether that decline will sway Washington is unclear. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">Rice &lsquo;dumping&rsquo;&nbsp;</h2>Talks also stalled over agriculture, with India resisting pressure to cut tariffs on staples like rice and wheat -- wary of angering its farmers, a politically powerful constituency. A senior Indian commerce ministry official told AFP that these issues are &ldquo;largely resolved&rdquo;, although Trump on Monday also criticized the country for &ldquo;dumping&rdquo; rice into the United States. Negotiating a trade pact is complicated by the need to address Trump&rsquo;s so-called reciprocal tariffs, though both tracks are linked, officials say. &ldquo;These are two separate, parallel negotiations that are going on, but one will feed into another,&rdquo; Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal told an industry event last week. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">Is a breakthrough likely?</h2>Relations have improved since August, with several smaller deals advancing. That includes US approval in November for two arms sales worth nearly $93 million, and New Delhi&#39;s &ldquo;significant&rdquo; deal for the United States to supply nearly 10% of its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) imports. Energy commitments have anchored past US trade deals, and experts say the LPG contract may help convince Washington that India is reducing its reliance on Russia.

Business

The 50% levies on most goods was imposed in August, with US officials arguing Indian imports of discounted Russian crude effectively bankroll Moscow's war in Ukraine; India’s foreign ministry described Switzer's meetings as a “familiarization” trip.

US, India start fresh trade talks seeking elusive deal

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan condemned India&rsquo;s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, and urged renewed global cooperation to protect shared natural resources and uphold international law.&nbsp;The Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, was speaking at the UN Security Council Briefing on &ldquo;Environmental Impact of Armed Conflict and Climate-Driven Security Risks&rdquo;, according to a statement posted on the mission&rsquo;s X account on Friday.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 655px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1986531648650027281&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=3235ea982858a4eff3e5c68d29efe49e8d726ece&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Ambassador Ahmad said that deliberate weaponization of shared natural resources is of great concern, adding, &ldquo;A textbook example is the unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty by India earlier this year.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;He said, &ldquo;For more than six decades, this treaty has stood as a model of cooperation, ensuring equitable and predictable sharing of the Indus Basin waters between Pakistan and India, even in times of war.&rdquo;&nbsp;Endangering millions of lives&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;India&#39;s unlawful unilateral decision to suspend this framework undermines the letter and spirit of this treaty, threatens ecosystems, disrupts data sharing and endangers the lives of millions who depend on the Indus River water system for food and energy security for their very survival.&rdquo;&nbsp;The Pakistani envoy emphasized, &ldquo;Such acts do not just harm one country. They weaken confidence in international water law and set a precedent for resource-based and driven coercion elsewhere.&rdquo;&nbsp;Ambassador Ahmad said, &ldquo;This should be of grave concern for every member of this council and for the international community as a whole.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;Court of Arbitration&#39;s award&ldquo;Pakistan has consistently maintained that no provision of the Indus Waters Treaty permits unilateral suspension or modification,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Speaking about the continuing validity of the treaty, Ambassador Ahmad said: &ldquo;The Court of Arbitration&#39;s 2025 award reaffirmed the continuing validity of the treaty and its dispute settlement mechanisms, upholding Pakistan&#39;s position that all issues must be resolved within its legal framework.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;We therefore expect full respect for the treaty and an early return to compliance and normal functioning through the established channels,&rdquo; he stressed.&nbsp;&lsquo;Uphold international law&rsquo;&nbsp;In his address, the ambassador highlighted the grave environmental and security consequences of armed conflict.&nbsp;&ldquo;The Security Council must fulfill its charter responsibility to address threats to international peace and security at their very inception.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Second, environmental considerations could be integrated into UN peace operations and political missions where relevant.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Third, uphold international law, especially international humanitarian law,&rdquo; Ambassador Ahmad said.&nbsp;&ldquo;Pakistan stands ready to work with all partners at all relevant forums to uphold international law, advance environmental recovery in conflict-affected areas, and ensure that shared natural resources serve as avenues for cooperation and not contention,&rdquo; he added.

Pakistan has consistently maintained that no provision of the Indus Waters Treaty permits unilateral suspension or modification; expects full respect for the Treaty and an early return to compliance and normal functioning through the established channels.

Articles tagged with "India,"

Fourth T20I between India and South Africa abandoned due to smog in Lucknow

Pakistan seeks clarification from India over ‘abrupt variation’ in Chenab water flows

WADA names India worst doping offender for third straight year

India seeks to deepen strategic partnership with Israel

RT India deletes post after misreporting Sharif–Putin meeting

Opposition mocks Indian minister’s remarks on global pollution rankings

Bangladesh open to joining regional bloc with Pakistan excluding India

Pakistan confronts enemies openly, not from shadows: CDF Munir

EU agrees deal for 90% emissions cut by 2040

US, India start fresh trade talks seeking elusive deal

Fourth T20I between India and South Africa abandoned due to smog in Lucknow