ANKARA: Pope Leo XIV arrived in Turkiye on Thursday for a four-day visit where he will hold talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and meet Christian leaders on the first overseas trip of his papacy.&nbsp;The trip, which includes a second leg to Lebanon, begins in the Turkish capital Ankara, where the first American pope landed shortly after midday.&nbsp;&quot;I have very much been looking forward to this trip because of what it means for Christians, but it is also a great message to the whole world,&quot; he told reporters travelling with him on his plane, describing it as a &quot;historic moment&quot;.&nbsp;After paying his respects at the mausoleum dedicated to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkiye, Leo will head into talks with Erdogan, who is seen as a key player for peace efforts in a region fraught with conflict.&nbsp;Then he will address authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps before heading to Istanbul in the early evening.&nbsp;Leo&#39;s first steps abroad will be scrutinised by the world&#39;s media, with more than 80 journalists accompanying him on his papal plane.&nbsp;Since his election in May as the leader of the world&#39;s 1.4 billion Catholics, the pope has shown himself to be adept at handling the media, talking to reporters weekly.&nbsp;In a sign of his desire to reach a wide audience, Leo will deliver all his speeches during the trip in English, his native language, rather than the Italian he usually uses.&nbsp;His first address in Turkiye is expected to focus on dialogue with Islam in a country where Christians account for only 0.1 percent of the 86 million inhabitants -- most of them Sunni Muslims.&nbsp;On the doorstep of a conflict-ridden Middle East, the pope who upon his election called for &quot;unarmed and disarming&quot; peace, is expected to address the crises troubling the region.&nbsp;But between the colonnades of Ankara&#39;s monumental presidential palace, Leo will have to tread delicately if he plans to address the sensitive issue of human rights, the arrest of Erdogan&#39;s opponents, or the status of Turkey&#39;s Christians, who are struggling against inequality and exclusion.&nbsp;Promoting unityThe Holy See also acknowledges Turkiye&#39;s efforts in taking in more than 2.5 million mostly Syrian refugees, according to authorities.&nbsp;On the subject of refugees and migrants, Leo has followed in the footsteps of his predecessor Francis, most recently criticising the &quot;extremely disrespectful&quot; treatment of migrants by the government of US President Donald Trump.&nbsp;Friday&#39;s calendar will take on a more religious aspect with the celebration in Iznik of the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, a gathering of bishops in the year 325 that resulted in a creed, or statement of faith, still central to Christianity.&nbsp;Invited by the Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, leader of the world&#39;s Orthodox Christians, Leo will take part in a prayer on the shores of Lake Iznik that was initially to include former Pope Francis, who died in April.&nbsp;&quot;Bartholomew and I have already met several times, and I think this will be an exceptional opportunity to promote unity among all Christians,&quot; Leo told journalists late Tuesday.&nbsp;Catholics and Orthodox Christians have been divided since a schism in 1054.&nbsp;Catholics recognise the universal authority of the pope as the head of the Church, while Orthodox Christians are organised into local Churches with their own leaders.&nbsp;Leo&#39;s trip comes as the Orthodox world appears even more fragmented than ever, with the war in Ukraine accelerating the split between the Moscow and Constantinople patriarchates. The pope is the fifth pontiff to visit Turkiye, after Paul VI in 1967, John Paul II in 1979, Benedict XVI in 2006 and Francis in 2014.&nbsp;On Sunday, Leo will head to religiously diverse Lebanon, a nation that has been crushed by a devastating economic and political crisis since 2019 and which has been the target of repeated bombings by Israel in recent days, despite a ceasefire.&nbsp;

Europe

Middle East

Pope Leo XIV begins his first papal trip in Turkiye, holding talks with President Erdogan and Christian leaders, addressing regional conflicts, interfaith dialogue, refugees, and church unity before continuing to Lebanon amid ongoing political and humanitarian crises.

Pope lands in Turkiye to meet Erdogan on first overseas trip

PARIS: President Emmanuel Macron is to announce on Thursday that France is restoring military service on a voluntary basis in the face of the growing threat posed by Russia and the risk of a new conflict breaking out in Europe. Almost three decades after France scrapped conscription, the head of state is due to lay out the change in a speech from 1000 GMT on a visit to an infantry brigade stationed in the Alps in southeastern France, said a presidential official, asking not to be named. The announcement will come more than three and a half years into Russia&#39;s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with Macron and other French officials warning that Moscow risks not stopping at Ukraine&#39;s borders. France&#39;s top general, armed forces chief of staff Fabien Mandon, sparked uproar at home last week by warning that France must be ready &quot;to lose its children,&quot; adding that Russia is &quot;preparing for a confrontation by 2030 with our countries.&quot; Macron told RTL broadcaster he would announce a &quot;transformation of national service into a new form&quot; on Thursday, but did not provide further details. A source with knowledge of the matter, who asked not to be named, told AFP that the plan is to train 2,000 to 3,000 people in the first year, aiming to increase the number of sign-ups over time to 50,000 per year. &quot;It will start slowly,&quot; said the source. This &quot;new form of national service&quot; will be &quot;on a voluntary basis,&quot; said a presidential official. An adviser to Macron, also requesting anonymity, emphasized it would be launched at a time of tight budget constraints. Its implementation will therefore be &quot;phased in over time,&quot; said the adviser, promising a &quot;realistic&quot; project that &quot;takes into account our current resources.&quot; Not going to &#39;send our young&#39;&nbsp;While around a dozen states have some form of conscription, the use of military service is uneven across Europe. But France would join European countries like Baltic states Latvia and Lithuania, which have brought it back in recent years, while others, such as Denmark, have toughened its terms. So far, there is no suggestion that military service in France would be compulsory, as it was before then-president Jacques Chirac abolished conscription in 1997 as part of the army reform. Military service is seen as a way to bolster armies with recruits and to provide a large pool of potential reservists who could be called up in the event of a future war. The French armed forces have approximately 200,000 active military personnel and 47,000 reservists, numbers expected to increase to 210,000 and 80,000, respectively, by 2030. Accused of warmongering by the left, General Mandon has expressed no regret over his comments last week, saying the aim was to &quot;alert and prepare&quot; amid a &quot;rapidly deteriorating&quot; context. Mandon argued on Saturday that the reactions to his comments &quot;show that this is something that was perhaps not sufficiently perceived in our population.&quot; But ahead of Thursday&#39;s announcement, Macron and other officials have been at pains to douse the outcry caused by the general&#39;s forthright comments and fears that French youth were heading for the front lines. The president on Tuesday said he needed to dispel any notion &quot;we are going to send our young people to Ukraine.&quot;

Announcement will come more than three and a half years into Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with Macron and other French officials warning that Moscow risks not stopping at Ukraine's borders.

Macron to announce France restoring voluntary military service

IRBIL: A drone strike on Wednesday targeted an Emirati-owned gas complex in Iraq&rsquo;s autonomous Kurdistan region, disrupting the gas supply to the region&rsquo;s power plants, local authorities said. &ldquo;At 11:30 p.m. (2030 GMT), a drone attacked the Khor Mor gas field facility, cutting off all gas supplies to power plants,&rdquo; the regional natural resources and electricity authorities said in a statement. AFP correspondents in Kurdistan reported power cuts across the region, including in the city of Sulaimaniyah. The Khor Mor gas field lies between the cities of Kirkuk and Sulaimaniyah, and supplies most of the Kurdistan region&rsquo;s power. Omed Ahmed, the regional electricity authority spokesperson, said the attack resulted in the loss of 2,600 megawatts of electricity, disrupting 80% of the region&rsquo;s power grid. Authorities said they were coordinating with the United Arab Emirates company Dana Gas to investigate the attack and restore operations. A local security source told AFP that the attack &ldquo;targeted gas storage tanks, causing a major explosion and large fire.&rdquo; It was unclear whether the attack resulted in any casualties, he added. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Long plagued by conflict, Iraq frequently suffers such attacks. Unclaimed Katyusha rocket and drone attacks have targeted the Khor Mor complex several times in recent years. In April 2024, four Yemeni workers were killed in a drone attack on the facility. Earlier this year, the Kurdistan region saw a spate of unclaimed drone attacks, mostly against oilfields.

A drone strike hit the Emirati-owned Khor Mor gas field in Iraqi Kurdistan, cutting power to the region and disrupting 80% of its electricity supply.

Drone strike hits Iraq gas complex, cuts supply: official

HONG KONG: The death toll from a huge blaze that ripped through a Hong Kong housing estate rose to 55, the city&#39;s fire department said on Thursday afternoon. Fire service officials told a news conference that 51 died at the scene, while four died in hospital. They added that blazes in four of the eight apartment blocks in the estate had been extinguished and that three fires were under control. One building was not affected. The inferno &mdash; the financial hub&#39;s worst in decades &mdash; took hold on Wednesday afternoon in an eight-building housing estate with 2,000 apartments, sending shockwaves through the city, which has some of the world&#39;s most densely populated and tallest residential blocks. Police said early on Thursday they arrested three men in connection with the fire, after flammable materials left during maintenance work caused the blaze &quot;to spread rapidly beyond control.&quot; Officers searched premises in a separate neighborhood on Thursday morning, taking away documents in binders in relation to the three people arrested, who police suspect &quot;acted with gross negligence&quot; by leaving foam packaging at the site of the fire. AFP journalists at the scene just after daybreak on Thursday saw some flats still burning, although the blaze had noticeably dimmed during the early hours of the morning. Intense flames first took hold on bamboo scaffolding on several 31-storey apartment blocks of Wang Fuk Court on Wednesday in the northern district of Tai Po, which was undergoing estate-wide repairs. An AFP reporter heard loud cracking sounds, possibly from the burning bamboo, and saw thick plumes of smoke billowing from the buildings as flames and ash reached high into the sky. A 65-year-old resident surnamed Yuen said he had lived in the complex for more than four decades and that many of his neighbours were elderly and might not be mobile. &quot;The windows were closed because of the maintenance, (some people) didn&#39;t know there was a fire and had to be told to evacuate via phone calls by neighbours,&quot; Yuen told AFP. &quot;I&#39;m devastated.&quot; Hong Kong&#39;s fire department raised the death toll to 44 on Thursday morning. Among the dead was a 37-year-old firefighter, who was found with burns on his face half an hour after losing contact with colleagues, according to the fire service director Andy Yeung. A government spokesman told AFP that 56 people were being treated in hospital. Sixteen were in a critical condition, 24 were in a serious condition, and 16 were stable. City leader John Lee said in the early hours of Thursday that 279 were unaccounted for, though firefighters said later that they had established contact with some of those people. Lee said more than 900 people sought refuge at temporary shelters. &#39;Unable to reach people who requested help&#39;&nbsp;Authorities said they will launch a probe into the fire and into the materials on the buildings&#39; exteriors that may have caused the blaze to spread faster than usual. A police officer at a temporary shelter told AFP it was unclear how many people were unaccounted for because residents were still trickling in late into the night to report missing family members. Sections of charred scaffolding fell from the burning blocks, and flames could be seen inside apartments, sometimes belching out through windows into the night sky, casting an eerie orange glow on surrounding buildings. &quot;The temperature at the scene is very high, and there are some floors where we have been unable to reach people who requested help, but we will keep trying,&quot; said Derek Armstrong Chan, the deputy director of fire service operations. He said the fire likely spread from one building to another due to the wind and drifting debris, although he added that authorities are investigating the cause of the blaze. Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed condolences to the victims, including &quot;the firefighter who died in the line of duty,&quot; according to state media. &quot;He offered sympathies to the families of the victims and those affected by the disaster, and called for making every effort to extinguish the fire and minimise casualties and losses,&quot; state broadcaster CCTV said. Lee, the city leader, said he was &quot;deeply saddened&quot; and that all government departments were assisting residents affected by the fire. &#39;Dare not leave&#39;&nbsp;A Tai Po resident surnamed So, 57, said the fire was &quot;heartbreaking.&quot; &quot;There&#39;s nothing that can be done about the property. We can only hope that everyone, no matter old or young, can return safely,&quot; So told AFP. An apartment owner in his 40s who did not want to give his name told AFP that the government needed to help those made homeless by the blaze. &quot;The fire is not yet under control, and I dare not leave, and I don&#39;t know what I can do,&quot; he said. Residents were seen being evacuated via large coaches, with local media reporting that adjacent blocks were also being cleared. Sections of a nearby highway were also closed by the firefighting operation. Deadly fires were once a regular scourge in densely populated Hong Kong, especially in poorer neighborhoods. However, safety measures have been ramped up in recent decades, and such fires are now much less common.

Asia

Police say three men arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the fire; they give no details about what specifically they are accused of doing.



Hong Kong high-rise fire kills at least 55, 250-plus missing: fire dept

BERLIN: NASA has confirmed that it will contribute to Europe&#39;s Martian rover Rosalind Franklin, which is scheduled to launch in 2028 after repeated delays, the European Space Agency said on Wednesday.&nbsp;The rover aims to be the first on the red planet capable of drilling up to two metres (6.5 feet) below the surface to search for extraterrestrial life.&nbsp;However, the mission relies on several elements from NASA, which US President Donald Trump has targeted with steep budget cuts since returning to the White House in January.&nbsp;ESA director general Josef Aschbacher said he had received &quot;a letter from the NASA administration to confirm the contributions&quot; of the US space agency to the mission.&nbsp;&quot;That is good news,&quot; Aschbacher said on the sidelines of the ESA&#39;s ministerial council meeting being held this week in the German city of Bremen.&nbsp;The mission was originally intended to launch in 2020, but suffered several setbacks.&nbsp;In 2022, it was suspended after the ESA ended cooperation with Russia -- the agency&#39;s main partner for the mission -- following Moscow&#39;s invasion of Ukraine.&nbsp;The ESA then turned to the United States for help.&nbsp;Aschbacher said NASA was contributing to three of the mission&#39;s elements: the launcher, radioisotope heater unit and braking engine.&nbsp;The braking engine had been confirmed some time ago, but the other two elements will be a relief for the ESA.&nbsp;NASA is also providing &quot;one instrument to analyse traces of possible life on Mars,&quot; Aschbacher added.&nbsp;The rover, which is named after British scientist Rosalind Franklin, is planned to touch down on the Martian surface in 2030.

Artificial Intelligence

NASA will contribute key elements to Europe's Martian rover, Rosalind Franklin, launching in 2028. The rover aims to search for life by drilling 2 meters below Mars' surface. It suffered delays, including suspension in 2022 due to the war in Ukraine.

NASA confirms support for delayed European Mars rover: ESA

GAZA CITY: The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Israel returned the bodies of 15 Palestinian prisoners on Wednesday under the US-brokered ceasefire exchange deal.&nbsp;&quot;The Ministry of Health announces the receipt of 15 bodies of martyrs released today by the Israeli occupation via the International Committee of the Red Cross, bringing the total number of bodies received to 345,&quot; the ministry said in a statement.&nbsp;A medical source at Gaza&#39;s Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Yunis confirmed it had received 15 bodies via the Red Cross.&nbsp;Under the ceasefire deal, which came into effect on October 10, Israel was required to turn over the bodies of 15 Palestinians for every deceased Israeli returned.&nbsp;The 15 bodies returned on Wednesday were in exchange for the remains of Dror Or, one of the last three deceased hostages held in the Palestinian territory, whose body was handed over to Israel on Tuesday by militants, via the ICRC.&nbsp;Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said in a statement that the handover &quot;reflects Hamas&#39;s steadfast commitment to fully complete the exchange process and its ongoing efforts to finalize it despite significant difficulties.&quot;&nbsp;The last two hostages&#39; bodies still in Gaza are those of Israeli Ran Gvili and Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak.&nbsp;At the start of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, militants were holding 20 living hostages and 28 bodies of deceased captives.&nbsp;Hamas has since released all the living hostages and returned the remains of 26 dead hostages.&nbsp;In exchange, Israel has released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in its custody and returned the bodies of hundreds of dead Palestinians

Israel returned 15 Palestinian bodies to Gaza under a US-brokered ceasefire deal, exchanging them for the remains of Israeli hostage Dror Or, Hamas says it remains committed to completing the process, with two hostage bodies still in Gaza.

Israel returns 15 Palestinian bodies to Gaza under US-brokered ceasefire deal

LONDON:&nbsp;The co-founder of activist group Palestine Action will on Wednesday challenge a UK government ban under anti-terror laws that has led to mass arrests, sparking free speech and civil liberties concerns. United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk has said the ban &ldquo;appears disproportionate and unnecessary,&rdquo; while Europe&rsquo;s human rights watchdog, the Council of Europe, criticised &ldquo;excessive limits&rdquo; on the right to protest. The UK government proscribed the pro-Palestinian group in July, days after activists protesting the war in Gaza broke into an air force base in southern England. Prosecutors have said they caused an estimated &pound;7 million ($9.3 million) of damage to two aircraft at the base. The legal action brought by the group&rsquo;s co-founder, Huda Ammori, at London&rsquo;s High Court is expected to last from Wednesday to Thursday, with a third day to be set at a later stage. The ban &mdash; which makes being a member of the group or inviting support for it a serious criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison &mdash; has resulted in at least 2,300 arrests, according to protest organizers Defend Our Juries. Those arrested include students, teachers, pensioners, and even an 83-year-old retired vicar, with many carried away from the protests by police. According to London&rsquo;s Met Police, so far 254 people have been charged with a lesser offence that carries a sentence of up to six months. The proscription under the Terrorism Act 2000 means the group has been added to a list that also includes al-Qaida and Hezbollah. The interior ministry, or Home Office, has accused Palestine Action of conducting an &ldquo;escalating campaign&rdquo; involving &ldquo;sustained criminal damage,&rdquo; including to Britain&rsquo;s national security infrastructure. It also accuses the group of &ldquo;intimidation, alleged violence, and serious injuries.&rdquo; &#39;Not non-violent&#39;At a court hearing on Thursday, prosecutors alleged a Palestine Action activist struck a police officer with a sledgehammer at an Israel-based defence firm&rsquo;s UK site after breaking into the factory in western Bristol in August. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, defending the ban in August, said some supporters of the group &ldquo;don&rsquo;t know the full nature of this organisation because of court restrictions on reporting while serious prosecutions are underway.&rdquo; &ldquo;But it&rsquo;s really important that no one is in any doubt that this is not a non-violent organisation,&rdquo; she said, adding the government had received &ldquo;clear security assessments and advice&rdquo; before opting for a ban. Set up in 2020, the group&rsquo;s stated goal on its now-blocked website is to end &ldquo;global participation in Israel&rsquo;s genocidal and apartheid regime.&rdquo; It has mainly targeted weapons factories, especially those belonging to the Israeli defence group Elbit. Since the ban came into force on July 5, protesters have held a string of rallies at which they have held up signs saying: &ldquo;I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.&rdquo; Award-winning British film director Ken Loach has called the ban on Palestine Action &ldquo;absurd&rdquo; and accused the government of being complicit in Israel&rsquo;s &ldquo;incredible crimes&rdquo; in Gaza. &ldquo;This level of political repression is not what we expect in a democracy &mdash; it&rsquo;s the kind of tactic typically associated with authoritarian regimes around the world,&rdquo; a spokesperson for Defend Our Juries said. Areeba Hamid, co-executive director of Greenpeace UK, said the government had broken past pledges that the Terrorism Act would not be used to prosecute people taking direct action. &ldquo;Classifying a protest group as a &lsquo;terrorist organisation&rsquo; should send a chill down your spine,&rdquo; Hamid said. &ldquo;Progressive change is rarely made by any government without pressure from the public, and removing our right to protest is an erosion of democracy,&rdquo; she said.

A protester is escorted away by police officers for taking part in a demonstration in support of "Defend Our Juries" and their campaign against the ban on Palestine Action, outside Britain's Ministry of Justice in London on November 20, 2025. (Photo by Ch

United Kingdom

The co-founder of activist group Palestine Action will on Wednesday challenge a UK government ban under anti-terror laws that has led to mass arrests, sparking free speech and civil liberties concerns.

Palestine Action launches court bid to overturn UK government ban

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: source-sans-pro, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;" id="isPasted">MOSCOW: The Kremlin confirmed Wednesday that US envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Moscow next week to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as Washington presses negotiations on a plan to end the Ukraine conflict. &quot;A preliminary agreement has been reached on (Witkoff&#39;s) visit to Moscow next week,&quot; Putin&#39;s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said on Russian TV. Several other officials from President Donald Trump&#39;s administration will accompany Witkoff, Ushakov said. Trump first announced the trip Tuesday, saying Witkoff would meet with Putin in Moscow and may be joined by Jared Kushner, the US president&#39;s son-in-law. The confirmation comes after news agency Bloomberg reported that Witkoff had coached Ushakov on how Putin should talk to Trump about a potential plan to end the conflict in Ukraine. &quot;I speak fairly often with Witkoff, but the content of those conversations is confidential,&quot; Ushakov said in his comments to Russian TV. He said such reports risked damaging US-Russian ties, which &quot;are being built, with difficulty&quot;, notably through phone calls.

The Kremlin confirmed that US envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Moscow next week to meet President Vladimir Putin, with additional Trump administration officials joining as Washington pushes negotiations on a plan to end the Ukraine conflict, adviser Yuri Ushakov said.

Kremlin confirms US envoy Witkoff will visit Moscow next week

JERUSALEM: The Israeli military on Wednesday announced a new &quot;counterterrorism&quot; operation in the north of the occupied West Bank. The military and internal security service said in a joint statement that they &quot;began operating as part of a broad counterterrorism operation in the area of northern Samaria&quot;, using the Israeli biblical term for part of the West Bank. The operation was new and not part of its counterterrorism operation launched in January 2024, which primarily targets Palestinian refugee camps, the Israeli army told AFP.

Israel’s military launched a new counterterrorism operation in the northern occupied West Bank, separate from its 2024 campaign. A joint statement with internal security services said the broadened operation targets “northern Samaria,” using Israel’s biblical term for the area.

Israeli army announces new operation in northern West Bank

WASHINGTON: Donald Trump said on Tuesday he is sending his envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow next week as the US president seeks to close out a deal to end the war in Ukraine. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that there were &quot;only a few remaining points of disagreement,&quot; but European leaders were skeptical, and Russian missiles continued to rain down on Ukraine. He also expressed hope to meet &quot;soon&quot; with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, &quot;but ONLY when the deal to end this War is FINAL or, in its final stages.&quot; Trump later told journalists aboard Air Force One that Witkoff may be joined in Moscow by the president&#39;s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. An initial US plan, which was heavily weighted in Russia&#39;s favor, has been replaced by one taking in more of Ukraine&#39;s interests, and an official familiar with the new version told AFP it was &quot;significantly better.&quot; However, US officials acknowledged that &quot;delicate&quot; issues remain. French President Emmanuel Macron threw cold water on the idea of a rapid solution, stating there is &quot;clearly no Russian willingness&quot; for a ceasefire or to discuss the new, more Ukraine-friendly proposal. Frantic discussions have been underway since the weekend when Ukrainian and US representatives huddled in Geneva to discuss Trump&#39;s controversial, initial 28-point plan for settling the bloody conflict. The latest talks, including US and Russian delegates, were taking place in Abu Dhabi, US media reported. Leaders of a group of 30 countries supporting Ukraine also met by video on Tuesday. US negotiator Dan Driscoll emerged upbeat from meeting with Russian counterparts, with his spokesperson saying: &quot;The talks are going well and we remain optimistic.&quot; The White House cited &quot;tremendous progress,&quot; while cautioning that &quot;there are a few delicate but not insurmountable details that must be sorted out.&quot; But the war, which began with Russia&#39;s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, continued unabated. On Tuesday night, Russia launched a major attack on Zaporizhzhia that damaged at least seven high-rise buildings and caused 12 people to be hospitalized, the head of the regional military administration said. The night before, powerful explosions rocked Kyiv beginning around 1 am local time, as Russian drones and missiles rained down, setting fires in apartment buildings. City officials said seven people were killed. Thick smoke, turning red and orange in the blizzard of Ukrainian air defense fire, rose over the capital as residents fled underground into metro stations, according to AFP reporters. &#39;Tough road ahead&#39; Trump, who long boasted he could negotiate an end to the Ukraine war within 24 hours, announced last week that he wanted his proposal approved by Kyiv by this Thursday &mdash; the US Thanksgiving holiday. But the initial plan, pushing numerous Russian war aims, sparked alarm in Ukraine and Europe. Among its points were prohibitions on Ukraine ever joining NATO and the surrender of swaths of new territory to Russia. The updated plan clearly pleases Kyiv more. The official familiar with the text told AFP that one key improvement was raising a proposed cap on the country&#39;s future military forces from 600,000 to 800,000 members. Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov said on Tuesday there was &quot;common understanding on the core&quot; of the deal between Ukraine and the United States. However, remaining details should be hammered out in direct talks &quot;at the earliest suitable date,&quot; he said. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned: &quot;There&#39;s still a long way to go and a tough road ahead.&quot; Russia&#39;s military occupies around a fifth of Ukraine, much of it ravaged by fighting. Tens of thousands of civilians and military personnel have been killed and millions have fled the east of the country. Ukrainian army Sergeant Ivan Zadontsev said negotiating was &quot;healthy.&quot; &quot;We also are getting tired of war. We need a break,&quot; he told AFP. But the proposals by both Washington and the European Union &quot;do not serve Ukraine&#39;s national interests,&quot; he said.

Americas

US president says "only a few remaining points of disagreement," expresses hope to meet "soon" with Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, "but only when the deal to end this war is final or, in its final stages."

Trump sends Witkoff to Moscow in hopes of finalizing Ukraine deal

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Artificial intelligence (AI) has become the latest weapon in a years-long disinformation campaign targeting Muslims in India and Pakistan internationally, with AI-generated images now spreading hatred globally at unprecedented speed and scale across social media platforms. A September 2025 report by the Washington-based&nbsp;nonprofit Center for the Study of Organized Hate documented how 297 accounts created 1,326 AI-generated images and videos between May 2023 and May 2025 that dehumanized India&#39;s approximately 200 million Muslims. The posts accumulated 27.3 million total engagements across X, Facebook, and Instagram, with activity surging after January 2024 as AI tools became more accessible. The AI-generated content follows four patterns: sexualizing Muslim women, portraying Muslims as subhuman, promoting conspiracy theories, and glorifying violence. Images depict Muslims as snakes wearing skullcaps, show fabricated scenes of Muslims celebrating terror attacks, and create pornographic content featuring Muslim women without consent. &quot;This represents the acceleration of hate speech practices through content with greater credibility and precision at scale,&quot; the report said. <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-6" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 802px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-6&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1928845624885076458&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F2451%2F&sessionId=b7f57312e8b4bb5dae91c4d445484d177aedce35&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> The synthetic images reinforce long-standing conspiracy theories. &quot;Love Jihad&quot; falsely claims that Muslim men systematically seduce Hindu women for forced conversion. &quot;Rail Jihad&quot; baselessly attributes train accidents to Muslim sabotage. Following a January 2025 train accident in Jalgaon that killed 11 people, caused by passengers fleeing what they thought was a fire, Hindu nationalist outlet Sudarshan News circulated AI-generated images showing a Muslim man holding an axe near a train as supposed proof of a deliberate attack. The report stated how&nbsp;Hindu nationalist media outlets OpIndia, Sudarshan News, and Panchjanya have emerged as primary producers and amplifiers of AI-generated hate. OpIndia&#39;s network alone produced 262 posts generating 1.1 million engagements. When researchers reported 187 posts for violating platform guidelines, only one was removed. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-5" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 1042px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-5&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1916168793027444787&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F2451%2F&sessionId=b7f57312e8b4bb5dae91c4d445484d177aedce35&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> The AI-driven hate campaign is built&nbsp;on infrastructure exposed years earlier. In December 2020, Brussels-based EU DisinfoLab revealed a network of over 750 fake local media outlets operating in 116 countries, as well as more than 10 sham NGOs accredited to the UN Human Rights Council. The operation, primarily targeting Pakistan, resurrected defunct NGOs, impersonated European Union institutions, and used a deceased international law professor&#39;s identity to manufacture credibility. Asian News International, an Indian news agency, amplified content from these fake outlets globally, according to the report. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-4" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 849px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-4&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1992066818165617029&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F2451%2F&sessionId=b7f57312e8b4bb5dae91c4d445484d177aedce35&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div> More recently, a temporary location feature on X revealed several accounts claiming to be Israeli or Zionist were actually operating from India, showing a coordinated identity deception across the network. The tactics parallel those of Western far-right movements. After the 2024 Southport stabbings in Britain, AI-generated images spread Islamophobic claims about the attacker&#39;s identity.</div> In Italy, opposition parties filed complaints against Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini&#39;s League party for distributing AI-generated images depicting men of color assaulting women. The Center for the Study of Organized Hate describes this as &quot;slopaganda&quot;: deliberate use of cheap, abundant synthetic content to seed hate across digital spaces. In India, the consequences extend beyond digital harassment. Following the April 2025 Pahalgam attack in Indian-occupied Kashmir, civil rights groups documented 184 anti-Muslim and anti-Kashmiri hate crimes between April 22 and May 8. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 849px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1970417210247291132&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F2451%2F&sessionId=b7f57312e8b4bb5dae91c4d445484d177aedce35&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> A February 2025 Center for the Study of Organized Hate report found that of 1,165 hate speech events recorded in 2024, 995 were first shared or livestreamed on social media platforms. The spike in AI-generated content coincides with rising religious tensions. A 2019 Indian Supreme Court verdict awarded the disputed Ayodhya site (formerly the 16th-century Babri Mosque, later demolished) to Hindus for temple construction. The 1992 Babri Mosque destruction sparked riots that killed thousands, mainly Muslims. AI-generated images now depict that demolition in romanticized animation styles. Hindu nationalist groups claim numerous historical mosques were originally Hindu temples, including promoting a debunked theory that the Taj Mahal was a Hindu temple named &quot;Tejo Mahalaya.&quot; In 2021, Meta whistleblower Frances Haugen revealed that the company knew users in India were being flooded with hateful propaganda against Muslims, fueling violence. Platform failures to moderate AI-generated hate content persist as synthetic media proliferates faster than enforcement mechanisms adapt. With low-cost ChatGPT subscriptions now available in India for less than $5 a month, the report warns that conditions exist for exponential growth in AI-generated hateful material threatening religious minorities with psychological harm and physical violence.

India

India's AI-driven anti-Muslim disinformation network spans the globe

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to advancing ties with Bahrain during meetings in Manama with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Crown Prince and Prime Minister <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" id="isPasted">H.E. Sheikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif&rsquo;s official visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At Al-Qudaibiya Palace, the prime minister invited Bahraini investors to explore opportunities in food security, information technology, construction, mines and minerals, healthcare, renewable energy, and tourism, Radio Pakistan reported.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He also proposed enhanced port-to-port connectivity between Karachi, Gwada,r and Khalifa Bin Salman Port, describing the expanded link as a key driver for trade and logistical cooperation.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In a post on X, Sharif said the meeting with the crown prince was &ldquo;warm and most cordial&rdquo; and that both sides reviewed the full range of bilateral relations and agreed to deepen cooperation across political, economic, and defence areas.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Prime Minister Sharif said both countries aim to translate &ldquo;excellent political goodwill into meaningful and tangible outcomes,&rdquo; with the discussions expected to elevate Pakistan&ndash;Bahrain cooperation further.<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-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 726px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1993882486024061337&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard&sessionId=07432a2de99e7fec841b199edda31e7e338b7b5d&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar also met Bahrain&rsquo;s Minister of Finance and National Economy, H.E. Sheikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, during this visit. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening Pakistan-Bahrain relations, with a particular focus on expanding economic cooperation.<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=1993938644466585884&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F2448%2F&sessionId=8741f748336569ac057f0bfb67f6fd1cc77dc1ce&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 750px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Both ministers highlighted significant potential in fintech, banking, and financial services and agreed to intensify collaboration in these sectors. They also discussed possibilities for central bank-level cooperation, including the creation of joint working teams to develop a comprehensive roadmap for enhanced economic engagement. Pakistan and Bahrain underscored that deeper economic ties would help unlock new opportunities for investment, innovation, and sustainable growth, reinforcing the long-standing partnership between the two countries.

Foreign Affairs

The two sides reaffirm their commitment to further strengthening Pakistan-Bahrain relations, with a particular focus on expanding economic cooperation.

Pakistan, Bahrain reaffirm commitment to deepen economic partnership

ISLAMABAD: Apple has mounted a major legal pushback against India&rsquo;s updated competition penalty framework, filing a petition in the Delhi High Court to contest the 2024 amendment that lets regulators levy fines based on a company&rsquo;s global turnover, Indian media reported.&nbsp;According to Indian news outlets, including India Today, the case could set a benchmark for how India regulates multinational tech giants.&nbsp;Apple calls India&rsquo;s new penalty rule unconstitutionalIndian media reports say Apple&rsquo;s 545-page petition asks the Delhi High Court to declare the 2024 amendment &ldquo;illegal&rdquo; and &ldquo;unconstitutional.&rdquo; &nbsp;The rule empowers the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to calculate fines using a firm&rsquo;s worldwide turnover, not just its Indian revenue.&nbsp;Apple argues the method is &ldquo;manifestly arbitrary&rdquo;, &ldquo;grossly disproportionate&rdquo; and could result in fines of up to $38 billion.&nbsp;The challenge comes amid a CCI investigation triggered by complaints from Match Group and Indian startups, alleging Apple restricts third-party payments and charges up to 30% commission on in-app purchases. &nbsp;Apple denies the allegations, saying iOS is a secure platform and that Android dominates India&rsquo;s market.&nbsp;Apple fears the law may be applied retroactivelyAs per media reports, Apple cited a recent case where the CCI applied the global-turnover principle to conduct from almost a decade ago. &nbsp;Apple says this forced it to file the constitutional challenge to avoid similar treatment in its ongoing case.&nbsp;To illustrate, Apple compared it to penalizing the entire turnover of a stationery shop for a violation committed only by its toy business.&nbsp;Regulators and legal experts defend the amendmentAccording to experts quoted in Indian media, Apple faces a difficult legal fight. &nbsp;Competition lawyers say the amendment clearly authorizes the CCI to consider global turnover, aligning India with EU-style antitrust practices. &nbsp;Government officials argue the law is designed to prevent global corporations from escaping proportionate penalties.&nbsp;Apple&rsquo;s rising footprint in India increases scrutinyIndian media reports cite research showing Apple&rsquo;s smartphone base in India has quadrupled in five years, boosted by local manufacturing and premium demand. &nbsp;With Apple increasingly important in India&rsquo;s digital economy, regulators are watching it more closely.The Delhi High Court will hear Apple&rsquo;s plea on December 3. &nbsp;If the company loses, it could face one of India&rsquo;s largest-ever corporate fines and set a precedent allowing global turnover to become the new penalty benchmark for tech multinationals operating in India.

Gadgets

According to Indian news outlets, the case could set a benchmark for how India regulates multinational tech giants.

Apple challenges India’s antitrust law that could cost it $38B fine: reports

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday bade farewell to Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza at a ceremony held at Joint Staff Headquarters in Rawalpindi, marking the completion of his 40 years of service, the military&rsquo;s media wing said in a statement. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the event was attended by former CJCSCs and senior officers from all three services. A &ldquo;Guard of Honor&rdquo; was presented to the outgoing chairman by a smartly turned-out tri-services contingent, ISPR said. In his farewell remarks, General Mirza expressed gratitude to the Almighty God for granting him the &ldquo;strength to perform his duties with dedication, professionalism, and selfless devotion.&rdquo; He also paid tribute to Pakistan&rsquo;s security forces, honoring &ldquo;the martyrs and their families whose sacrifices safeguard our nation,&rdquo; the statement added. A day earlier, General Mirza paid a farewell call on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir at General Headquarters (GHQ). ISPR said the army chief commended the CJCSC for his &ldquo;exemplary leadership, strategic foresight, and dedicated service to the armed forces.&rdquo; The field marshal praised General Mirza&rsquo;s &ldquo;pivotal role in enhancing tri-services synergy, strengthening joint operational preparedness, and advancing Pakistan&rsquo;s national security objectives at the strategic level.&rdquo; He also highlighted the outgoing chairman&rsquo;s contributions to regional stability, military diplomacy, and Pakistan&rsquo;s defense partnerships with friendly states. ISPR said General Mirza expressed appreciation to the COAS and the armed forces for their &ldquo;unwavering support throughout his career.&rdquo; Upon his arrival at GHQ, the CJCSC laid a floral wreath at Yadgar-e-Shuhada and was presented another Guard of Honor by a Pakistan Army contingent, the statement added.

Security

General Mirza pays homage to the martyrs and their families; COAS Munir lauds CJCSC’s pivotal role in enhancing tri-services synergy, strengthening joint operational preparedness, and advancing country’s national security objectives at the strategic level


Pakistan honors outgoing top military official after four decades’ service

Web Desk/AFP

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that an Afghan man who fled the Taliban was the suspect in the shooting of two National Guardsmen near the White House, calling it an &quot;act of terror.&quot; American media reported that the&nbsp;shooting suspect worked with the US military in Afghanistan.&nbsp; US Citizenship and Immigration Services said in a post on X that the processing of all immigration cases related to Afghan immigrants &ldquo;is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols.&rdquo; &ldquo;The protection and safety of our homeland and of the American people remains our singular focus and mission,&rdquo; the agency said. &#39;Flown in on those infamous flights&#39;Briefing the media, Trump stated that the suspect in custody is a &quot;foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan, a hellhole on Earth. He was flown in by the Biden administration in September 2021, on those infamous flights that everybody was talking about.&quot; The announcement in a brief video message signaled the intertwining of three politically explosive issues &mdash; Trump&#39;s controversial use of the military at home, immigration, and the legacy of the US war in Afghanistan. According to US media reports, Rahmanullah Lakanwal is an Afghan national who entered the United States under a Biden-era policy allowing Afghans to enter after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.&nbsp; Who is the suspect?Lakanwal was paroled into the United States through the Operation Allies Welcome program, which the Biden administration initiated to resettle afghan refugees.&nbsp; Lakanwal applied for immigration in 2024 and was granted asylum earlier this year, US media reported.&nbsp; The incident, which left two Guardsmen critically wounded, was &quot;an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror,&quot; Trump said. &quot;It was a crime against our entire nation.&quot; Before the press briefing, Trump posted an update on the injured officers on Truth Social, saying: &ldquo;The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen, with both being critically wounded, and now in two separate hospitals, is also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price.&quot; <div class="fr-embed" style="line-height: 2;"><iframe src="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/115617866419112089/embed" class="truthsocial-embed" style="max-width: 100%; border: 0;" width="600" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div> He confirmed that the man taken into custody after the daylight shooting two blocks from the White House was &quot;a foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan.&quot; The suspect had arrived in the United States in 2021 &quot;on those infamous flights,&quot; Trump said, referring to the evacuations of Afghans fleeing as the Taliban took over the country in the wake of the US retreat after 20 years of war. The shocking attack, carried out next to a metro station at a time when the streets and offices of downtown Washington were bustling, also puts a new focus on Trump&#39;s controversial militarization of an anti-crime push around the country. Trump has deployed troops to several cities, all run by Democrats, including Washington, Los Angeles, and Memphis. The deployments have prompted multiple lawsuits and protests from local officials who accuse the Republicans of seeking authoritarian powers. Trump&#39;s statement also indicated that his equally controversial drive to root out migrants in the country illegally &mdash; the core of his domestic agenda &mdash; will get new impetus. &quot;We must now reexamine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan&quot; under former president Joe Biden, said Trump. &quot;We must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here, or add benefit to our country if they can&#39;t love our country, we don&#39;t want them.&quot; &#39;Ambushed&#39;&nbsp;Jeffery Carroll, assistant chief of the Washington police, said the gunman &quot;ambushed&quot; his victims. He &quot;came around the corner, raised his arm with a firearm and discharged at the National Guard members.&quot; FBI Director Kash Patel said the two Guard members were in &quot;critical condition.&quot; Trump earlier said on social media that the suspect was &quot;also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price.&quot; An AFP reporter near the scene heard several loud pops and saw people running. Dozens of bystanders were caught up in the chaos. &quot;We heard gunshots. We were waiting at the traffic light, and there were several shots,&quot; said Angela Perry, 42, who was driving home with her two children. &quot;You could see National Guard running toward the metro with their weapons drawn.&quot; Soon after the shootings, security agents flooded the area. Officers carrying rifles stood guard behind yellow tape at the perimeter, and a helicopter circled overhead. An AFP reporter saw emergency crews running toward the metro with a wheeled stretcher and shortly after emerging with a casualty wearing camouflage, whom they loaded into an ambulance. Troops controversy&nbsp;Washington&#39;s government buildings are heavily guarded, but much of the city has suffered from years of sometimes serious street crime. Trump made Washington a showcase for his decision to order National Guard soldiers &mdash; in camouflage and occasionally carrying rifles &mdash;&nbsp;to do law enforcement in Democratic-run cities. In the wake of Wednesday&#39;s shooting, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that 500 more troops would deploy to Washington, bringing the total to 2,500. Last Thursday, a federal judge ruled that Trump&#39;s deployment of thousands of National Guard troops in the US capital was unlawful.

US authorities suspend all immigration case processing for Afghan nationals after the arrest of an Afghan suspect in the Washington shooting. President Donald Trump calls for a nationwide re-screening of all undocumented immigrants from Afghanistan and other countries as part of a broader security review.

Articles by AFP

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