Reuters

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed a rare earths and critical minerals agreement on Monday aimed at ensuring a steady supply of the materials. As they met at the White House for their first summit, Trump said the deal had been negotiated over four or five months. Albanese described it as an $8.5 billion pipeline &quot;that we have ready to go.&quot;&nbsp;The full terms of the agreement were not immediately available. The two leaders said part of the agreement had to do with processing of the minerals. Albanese said both countries will contribute $1 billion over the next six months for joint projects.&nbsp;The United States has been looking for access to rare earths and critical minerals around the world as China tightens control over global supply.&nbsp;China has the world&#39;s largest rare earths reserves, according to US Geological Survey data, but Australia also has significant reserves.&nbsp;The two leaders also planned to discuss the A$368 billion AUKUS agreement, reached in 2023 under then-President Joe Biden, in which Australia is to buy US nuclear-powered submarines in 2032 before building a new submarine class with Britain.&nbsp;Navy Secretary John Phelan told the meeting the United States and Australia were working very closely to improve the original AUKUS framework for all three parties &quot;and clarify some of the ambiguity that was in the prior agreement.&quot;&nbsp;&#39;COOPERATIVE, PROFESSIONAL, HOPEFULLY WARM&#39; RELATIONSHIP&nbsp;Ahead of Monday&#39;s meeting between the two leaders, Australian officials have emphasized Canberra is paying its way under AUKUS, contributing $2 billion this year to boost production rates at US submarine shipyards, and preparing to maintain US Virginia-class submarines at its Indian Ocean naval base from 2027.&nbsp;The delay of 10 months in an official meeting since Trump took office has caused some anxiety in Australia as the Pentagon urged Canberra to lift defense spending. The two leaders met briefly on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month.&nbsp;Australia is willing to sell shares in its planned strategic reserve of critical minerals to allies including Britain, Reuters reported last month, as Western governments scramble to end their reliance on China for rare earths and minor metals.&nbsp;Top US officials last week condemned Beijing&#39;s expansion of rare earth export controls as a threat to global supply chains. China is the world&#39;s biggest producer of the materials that are vital materials for products ranging from electric vehicles to aircraft engines and military radars.&nbsp;Resource-rich Australia, wanting to extract and process rare earths, put preferential access to its strategic reserve on the table in US trade negotiations in April.

Americas

Europe

Trump and Australian PM Albanese signed a rare earth and critical minerals deal to secure supply, contributing $1 billion each, while discussing AUKUS submarine projects and strengthening US-Australia strategic ties.


Trump, Australia sign critical minerals agreement, discuss submarine deal

BEIJING: China&#39;s economic growth slowed to the weakest pace in a year in the third quarter, as a property crisis and trade tensions hurt demand, leaving policymakers with the daunting challenge of rebalancing GDP drivers towards greater consumption over time.&nbsp;Authorities have unveiled modest stimulus measures this year, supported by resilient exports and strong stock markets, but renewed US-China trade tensions pose risks. While there is room for additional support, analysts are divided over whether policymakers will act this year.&nbsp;Data on Monday showed gross domestic product (GDP) grew 4.8% in July-September, slowing from 5.2% in the second quarter and in line with analysts&#39; expectations in a Reuters poll for a rise of 4.8%.&nbsp;China is aiming for full-year growth of around 5%.&nbsp;&quot;The market understanding was that China is going to miss the target, no matter what. Even with stimulus, it was going to be below 5%,&quot; said Dan Wang, China director at Eurasia Group.&nbsp;&quot;But judging by the figure for the first three quarters, it&#39;s going to hit the target, suggesting China can withstand any pressure from the US, even with such levels of tariff threats and export restrictions. Beijing is sending the signal that it is capable of reaching its development goals and is strongly committed to its policies.&quot;&nbsp;Quarterly, GDP grew 1.1% in the third quarter, the National Bureau of Statistics data showed, compared with a forecast 0.8% increase and a revised 1.0% gain in the previous quarter.

Business

GDP grew 4.8% in July-September, slowing from 5.2% in the second quarter and in line with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a rise of 4.8%.

China's Q3 GDP growth slows to one-year low

<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">JERUSALEM: The Israeli military launched an attack on Gaza on Sunday, Israeli media reported, dimming hopes that a week-old US-mediated ceasefire would lead to lasting peace in the enclave as Israel traded blame with Palestinian militant group Hamas.An Israeli military official said on Sunday that Hamas had carried out multiple attacks against Israeli forces inside Gaza, including a rocket-propelled grenade attack and a sniper attack against Israeli soldiers. &quot;Both of the incidents happened in an Israeli-controlled area...This is a bold violation of the ceasefire,&quot; the official said. Senior Hamas official Izzat Al Risheq said on Sunday that the Palestinian militant group remained committed to the ceasefire, which he accused Israel of repeatedly violating. Neither Al Risheq nor the Israeli military official made any mention of the reported Israeli strikes in Gaza. The government media office in Gaza said on Saturday that Israel had committed 47 violations after the ceasefire deal, leaving 38 dead and 143 wounded. The impact of the Israeli strikes on Sunday, the most serious test since an already fragile ceasefire took effect on October 11, was not immediately clear. Formidable obstacles to Trump&#39;s plan to end the war still remain. Key questions of Hamas disarming, the governance of Gaza, the make-up of an international &quot;stabilization force&quot;, and moves towards the creation of a Palestinian state have yet to be resolved. The US embassy in Jerusalem did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Israel returns 15 Palestinian bodies to Gaza AFP reported on Sunday that&nbsp;Israel returned the bodies of 15 Palestinians to Gaza on Sunday, bringing the total number handed over to 150, the health ministry&nbsp;said.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Under a ceasefire deal brokered by US President Donald Trump, Israel was to turn over the bodies of 15 Palestinians for every deceased Israeli returned.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Hamas returned the remains of two hostages late on Saturday -- Ronen Engel, an Israeli national, and Thai farmworker Sonthaya Oakkharasri.

File Photo - A still frame from video shows the moment before Nasser Hospital's eastern staircase was struck for a second time by Israeli military, killing several people, on August 25, 2025, in Khan Younis, in Gaza. (Alghad TV/Handout via Reuters)

Middle East

The Israeli military launched an attack on Gaza on Sunday, Israeli media reported, dimming hopes that a week-old US-mediated ceasefire would lead to lasting peace in the enclave as Israel traded blame with Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Israeli air strikes hit south Gaza: witnesses, Israeli media

REUTERS: Nvidia unveiled on Friday the first US-made Blackwell wafer, produced at TSMC&#39;s semiconductor manufacturing facility in Phoenix, as demand for AI chips accelerates. Companies have been racing to meet the broader AI industry&#39;s voracious appetite for computing power as they develop AI technology that meets or exceeds human intelligence. The move &quot;bolsters the U.S. supply chain and onshores the AI technology stack that will turn data into intelligence and secure America&#39;s leadership for the AI era,&quot; Nvidia said in a blog post. It also aligns with President Donald Trump&#39;s efforts to strengthen U.S. technology and manufacturing leadership. TSMC&#39;s Arizona facility will produce advanced technologies, including two-, three-, and four-nanometer chips, as well as A16 chips, that are essential for applications like AI, telecommunications, and high-performance computing, Nvidia said. There has recently been a flurry of mega deals between AI firms and chipmakers such as Nvidia, AMD, and Broadcom to build data center capacity. TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company), the world&#39;s biggest producer of advanced chips, raised its full-year revenue forecast on Thursday on a bullish outlook for AI spending after posting a record profit that blew past market estimates.

An NVIDIA logo appears in this illustration taken August 25, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Artificial Intelligence

The company unveiled on Friday the first US-made Blackwell wafer, produced at TSMC's semiconductor manufacturing facility in Phoenix, as demand for AI chips accelerates.

Nvidia unveils first Blackwell chip wafer made with TSMC in US

WASHINGTON: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Friday he expects to meet next week with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Malaysia to try to forestall an escalation of US tariffs on Chinese goods that President Donald Trump said was unsustainable.&nbsp;Bessent announced this during a White House cabinet meeting and later confirmed plans for a meeting after a call with He on Friday evening. Bessent said on X that the two officials &quot;engaged in frank and detailed discussions regarding trade between the United States and China.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;We will meet in person next week to continue our discussions,&quot; Bessent wrote.<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=1979362198461006087&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=15568bb486c9b1c028da1e7de612ec7d28743b2f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 345px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>China state news agency Xinhua reported that He and Bessent had &quot;candid, in-depth, and constructive discussions on major issues in bilateral economic and trade relations&quot; in a video call and agreed to a new round of trade talks as soon as possible.&nbsp;The two officials previously met in four European cities over six months to hammer out a tariff truce that brought duties down from triple-digit levels for each country. That agreement expires on November 10.&nbsp;A meeting in Malaysia would shift the venue to a Southeast Asian exporter that trades heavily with both China and the US and whose goods are now subject to a 19% duty imposed by Trump. Malaysia also faces a threatened 100% US tariff on its semiconductors and derivative electronics devices under a national security trade review.&nbsp;Trump earlier on Friday blamed Beijing for the latest impasse, a dispute over China&#39;s sweeping new export restrictions on rare-earth minerals and magnets. He has threatened an additional 100% tariff on Chinese imports starting on November 1 unless Beijing scraps the restrictions.&nbsp;Asked whether such a high tariff was sustainable and what that might do to the US economy, Trump replied: &quot;It&#39;s not sustainable, but that&#39;s what the number is.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;They forced me to do that,&quot; he said in an interview with Fox Business Network that was broadcast on Friday.&nbsp;Trump also has threatened to impose new US export controls that would halt supplies of &quot;any and all critical software.&quot;&nbsp;The new trade actions were Trump&#39;s reaction to China dramatically expanding its export controls on rare-earth elements. China dominates the market for such elements, which are essential to tech manufacturing.&nbsp;Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Wednesday blasted the restrictions as a threat to global supply chains.&nbsp;Trump also confirmed he would meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in two weeks in South Korea and expressed admiration for the Chinese leader.&nbsp;&quot;I think we&#39;re going to be fine with China, but we have to have a fair deal. It&#39;s got to be fair,&quot; Trump said on FBN&#39;s &quot;Mornings with Maria,&quot; which was taped on Thursday.&nbsp;Later, as he was preparing to have lunch at the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to discuss efforts to end its war with Russia, Trump said: &quot;China wants to talk, and we like talking to China.&quot;&nbsp;The softening in tone and affirmation of his intent to meet with Xi helped stem Wall Street&#39;s early losses on Friday. Major US stock indexes, which have been rattled over the last week by Trump&#39;s abrupt re-imposition of steep levies on Chinese imports and by credit worries among regional banks, were up in afternoon trading.&nbsp;WTO urges de-escalation of trade spatsThe head of the World Trade Organization urged the US and China to de-escalate trade tensions, warning that a decoupling by the world&#39;s two largest economies could reduce global economic output by 7% over the longer term.&nbsp;WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told Reuters in an interview the global trade body was extremely concerned about the latest spike in US-China trade tensions and had spoken with officials from both countries to encourage more dialogue.&nbsp;But tensions continued to run high, even as Trump and Xi prepared to meet.&nbsp;Bessent took aim at China&#39;s state-driven economic practices in a statement to the IMF&#39;s steering committee on Friday, urging the IMF and World Bank to take a tougher stance on China&#39;s external and internal imbalances and industrial policies that US officials say have helped China build up excess manufacturing capacity that is flooding the world with cheap goods.&nbsp;And China&#39;s Commerce Ministry on Friday accused the US of undermining the rules-based multilateral trading system since the Trump administration took office in 2025, vowing to intensify its use of dispute settlement actions at the WTO.&nbsp;It also urged the US to roll back measures that breach non-discrimination rules and align its industrial and security policies with WTO obligations.&nbsp;Bessent earlier in the week had accused one of He&#39;s top aides of being &quot;unhinged&quot; in recent interactions with US trade negotiators. China said on Friday that Bessent&#39;s remarks &quot;seriously distort the facts.&quot;

Bessent says on X that the two officials "engaged in frank and detailed discussions regarding trade between the United States and China."

Bessent, Chinese vice premier to meet to try to defuse US tariff hike

<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CAIRO/JERUSALEM: The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt will remain closed until further notice, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday, adding its reopening will depend on Hamas handing over the bodies of deceased hostages as the two sides continued to trade blame over ceasefire violations. <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;">Netanyahu&#39;s statement came shortly after the Palestinian embassy in Egypt announced that the Rafah crossing, the main gateway for Gazans to leave and enter the enclave, would reopen on Monday for entry into Gaza. <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;">Netanyahu&#39;s government and Hamas have been trading blame over violations of the US-mediated ceasefire for days. Late Saturday in Washington, the State Department said it had received &quot;credible reports indicating an imminent ceasefire violation by Hamas against the people of Gaza.&quot; <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;">The State Department said the planned attack against Palestinian civilians would be a &quot;direct and grave violation of the ceasefire agreement.&quot; <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;">&quot;Should Hamas proceed with this attack, measures will be taken to protect the people of Gaza and preserve the integrity of the ceasefire,&quot; the department said in a statement, without providing further details. <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;">Trump had said he would consider allowing Israeli forces to resume fighting in Gaza if Hamas fails to uphold its end of the ceasefire deal that he brokered. <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;">Hamas did not immediately respond to a request for comment. <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;">The militant group has launched a security crackdown in urban areas vacated by Israeli forces, demonstrating its power through public executions and clashes with local armed clans. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dispute over aid, return of bodies&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;">Hamas, in a statement late on Saturday, said Netanyahu&#39;s decision &quot;constitutes a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement and a repudiation of the commitments he made to the mediators and guarantor parties.&quot; <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;">It also said the continued closure of the Rafah crossing would prevent the entry of equipment needed to search for and locate more hostage bodies under the rubble, and would thus delay the recovery and handover of the remains. <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;">Israel said it received two more bodies late on Saturday, meaning 12 out of 28 bodies have been handed over under a U.S.-brokered ceasefire and hostage deal agreed between Israel and Hamas last week. <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;">The war has caused a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, with nearly all inhabitants driven from their homes, a global hunger monitor confirming famine and health authorities overwhelmed. <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;">The dispute over the return of bodies, and shipments of life-saving humanitarian aid, underlines the fragility of the ceasefire and still has the potential to upset the deal along with other major issues that are included in U.S. President Donald Trump&#39;s 20-point plan to end the war. <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;">As part of the deal, Hamas released all 20 living Israeli hostages it had been holding for two years, in return for almost 2,000 Palestinian detainees and convicted prisoners jailed in Israel. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Formidable obstacles to peace <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;">But Israel says that Hamas has been too slow to hand over the bodies of deceased hostages it still holds. The militant group says that locating some of the bodies amid the vast destruction in Gaza will take time. <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;">The deal requires Israel to return 360 bodies of Palestinian militants for the deceased Israeli hostages and so far it has handed over 15 bodies in return for each Israeli body it has received. <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;">Rafah has largely been shut since May 2024. The ceasefire deal also includes the ramping up of aid into the enclave, where hundreds of thousands of people were determined in August to be affected by famine, according to the IPC global hunger monitor. <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;">After cutting off all supplies for 11 weeks in March, Israel increased aid into Gaza in July, scaling it up further since the ceasefire. <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;">Around 560 metric tons of food had entered Gaza per day on average since the US-brokered truce, but this was still well below the scale of need, according to the UN World Food Programme. <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;">Formidable obstacles to Trump&#39;s plan to end the war still remain. Key questions of Hamas disarming and how Gaza will be governed, the make-up of an international &quot;stabilization force&quot; and moves towards the creation of a Palestinian state have yet to be resolved.

File Photo - Trucks carrying humanitarian aid enter the Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, following an agreement between Israel and Hamas on a ceasefire, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Mohamed Arafat)

The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt will remain closed until further notice, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday, adding its reopening will depend on Hamas handing over the bodies of deceased hostages as the two sides continued to trade blame over ceasefire violations.

Israel says Rafah crossing will stay closed until further notice

The opening game of New Zealand&#39;s three-match Twenty20 series with England was abandoned due to heavy rain in Christchurch on Saturday, with the hosts denied the opportunity to chase down a modest total for victory.&nbsp;Play was called off following a long delay after England&#39;s innings, in which the tourists scored 153-6 in 20 overs on a difficult wicket, with Sam Curran (49 not out) finishing well after Jos Buttler (29) failed to build on a good start. The second match takes place at the same venue on Monday before the finale in Auckland on Thursday,&nbsp;as both teams step up their preparations for next year&#39;s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, likely to be held in February-March.&nbsp;New Zealand fast bowlers Matt Henry (1-26) and Jacob Duffy (1-45) made full use of early swing and bounce at Hagley Oval to restrict England to only 44-2 in the opening six powerplay overs before Harry Brook (20) looked to cut loose.&nbsp;Jimmy Neesham (1-20) conceded a couple of huge sixes to the England skipper in the eighth over but gained revenge by getting through his defense, and the tourists&#39; momentum ground to a halt again when Mitch Santner (1-20) removed Tom Banton for nine.&nbsp;The dangerous Buttler also fell to spin shortly afterwards, holing out in the deep while looking to attack Michael Bracewell (1-10),&nbsp;before rain halted play in the 17th over with England on 110-5 and seeking a late charge to boost their total.&nbsp;Kyle Jamieson (1-27) removed Jordan Cox for 16 after the break, but Curran persevered, benefiting from a dropped catch and surviving a loud appeal for lbw to take England to a respectable total with 19 runs in the final over.

Cricket

The second match takes place at the same venue on Monday before the finale in Auckland on Thursday, as both teams step up their preparations for next year's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

New Zealand v England T20 series opener abandoned due to rain

<p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-pan-x: ; --tw-pan-y: ; --tw-pinch-zoom: ; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-gradient-from-position: ; --tw-gradient-via-position: ; --tw-gradient-to-position: ; --tw-ordinal: ; --tw-slashed-zero: ; --tw-numeric-figure: ; --tw-numeric-spacing: ; --tw-numeric-fraction: ; --tw-ring-inset: ; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-blur: ; --tw-brightness: ; --tw-contrast: ; --tw-grayscale: ; --tw-hue-rotate: ; --tw-invert: ; --tw-saturate: ; --tw-sepia: ; --tw-drop-shadow: ; --tw-backdrop-blur: ; --tw-backdrop-brightness: ; --tw-backdrop-contrast: ; --tw-backdrop-grayscale: ; --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: ; --tw-backdrop-invert: ; 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text-decoration-color: initial;" id="isPasted"><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-pan-x: ; --tw-pan-y: ; --tw-pinch-zoom: ; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-gradient-from-position: ; --tw-gradient-via-position: ; --tw-gradient-to-position: ; --tw-ordinal: ; --tw-slashed-zero: ; --tw-numeric-figure: ; --tw-numeric-spacing: ; --tw-numeric-fraction: ; --tw-ring-inset: ; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-blur: ; --tw-brightness: ; --tw-contrast: ; --tw-grayscale: ; --tw-hue-rotate: ; --tw-invert: ; --tw-saturate: ; --tw-sepia: ; --tw-drop-shadow: ; --tw-backdrop-blur: ; --tw-backdrop-brightness: ; --tw-backdrop-contrast: ; --tw-backdrop-grayscale: ; --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: ; --tw-backdrop-invert: ; --tw-backdrop-opacity: ; --tw-backdrop-saturate: ; --tw-backdrop-sepia: ; --tw-contain-size: ; --tw-contain-layout: ; --tw-contain-paint: ; --tw-contain-style: ; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit;">ANTANANARIVO:<span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-pan-x: ; --tw-pan-y: ; --tw-pinch-zoom: ; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-gradient-from-position: ; --tw-gradient-via-position: ; --tw-gradient-to-position: ; --tw-ordinal: ; --tw-slashed-zero: ; --tw-numeric-figure: ; --tw-numeric-spacing: ; --tw-numeric-fraction: ; --tw-ring-inset: ; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-blur: ; --tw-brightness: ; --tw-contrast: ; --tw-grayscale: ; --tw-hue-rotate: ; --tw-invert: ; --tw-saturate: ; --tw-sepia: ; --tw-drop-shadow: ; --tw-backdrop-blur: ; --tw-backdrop-brightness: ; --tw-backdrop-contrast: ; --tw-backdrop-grayscale: ; --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: ; --tw-backdrop-invert: ; --tw-backdrop-opacity: ; --tw-backdrop-saturate: ; --tw-backdrop-sepia: ; --tw-contain-size: ; --tw-contain-layout: ; --tw-contain-paint: ; --tw-contain-style: ; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 18px; line-height: inherit; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">&nbsp;Madagascar&#39;s coup leader Colonel Michael Randrianirina was sworn in as president on Friday to cheers, blaring trumpets and raised swords, days after taking control of the island nation in the wake of youth-led protests that forced out his predecessor.Ex-leader Andry Rajoelina, whom lawmakers impeached after he fled abroad at the weekend, has condemned the takeover and refused to step down while in exile, despite widespread defections in the security forces and the High Constitutional Court ratifying the army takeover within hours of it happening. The African Union and the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have condemned the coup, which came after weeks of &quot;Gen Z&quot; protests initially triggered by severe, chronic power and water shortages. <span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;" id="isPasted">Military-led committee to rule for up to two years&quot;I will fully, completely, and justly fulfil the high responsibilities of my position as President of the Republic of Madagascar,&quot; Randrianirina said in a ceremony at the High Constitutional Court, a colonial-era red-brick building of French windows, segmental arches and stone balustrades. &quot;I swear that I will exercise the power entrusted to me and dedicate all my strength to defending and strengthening national unity and human rights,&quot; he added, before military officers raised swords and trumpets blared to mark the handover. While many of the youths cheered the demise of Rajoelina&#39;s administration, which came to office in a 2009 coup, some are already expressing misgivings about the swiftness with which the army stepped in to fill the power vacuum. Randrianirina had said earlier that the military had taken power and dissolved all institutions except the lower house of parliament, or National Assembly. He also said that a committee led by the military would rule for up to two years alongside a transitional government before organising new elections. Elite Army UnitRandrianirina was a commander in the elite CAPSAT army unit that played a role in the 2009 coup that brought Rajoelina to power but broke ranks with him last week, urging soldiers not to fire on protesters. Madagascar&#39;s population of about 30 million people has an average age of less than 20 years. Three-quarters of the people live in poverty, and the average income is barely $600 a month while prices of basic goods such as the staple rice have spiralled. Between its independence in 1960 and 2020, GDP per capita plunged 45%, according to the World Bank, one of the few countries to have become worse off over that period.

Madagascar's new military ruler, Colonel Michael Randrianirina, reacts as he takes a seat after being sworn in as president on Friday, taking over from Andry Rajoelina following a coup that ousted him, at the constitutional court in Antananarivo, Madagasc

Africa

Madagascar's coup leader Colonel Michael Randrianirina was sworn in as president on Friday to cheers, blaring trumpets and raised swords, days after taking control of the island nation in the wake of youth-led protests that forced out his predecessor.

Madagascar coup leader Randrianirina sworn in as president

Euro zone government bond yields fell to multi-month lows on Friday as US-China trade tensions and signs of credit stress in the US banking system weighed on risk sentiment, driving investors into safe-haven assets. China on Thursday accused the US of stoking panic over its rare earth controls and rejected a White House call to roll back the curbs. US bank stocks, including Zions Bancorporation, Jefferies and Western Alliance, fell sharply on Thursday as investors grew uneasy about risk in the sector, which has been shaken by exposure to two auto bankruptcies. Germany&rsquo;s 10-year Bund yields, the euro zone&rsquo;s benchmark, were down 4 basis points to 2.53%, after hitting 2.524%, their lowest since June 25. &ldquo;Risk sentiment remains fragile, with US regional banks leading the move lower,&rdquo; said Mohit Kumar, an economist at Jefferies. &ldquo;Investors are long in risk assets, and there are enough reasons to be concerned short term &mdash; valuations, AI bubble, politics. This makes investors sensitive to any negative headlines,&rdquo; he added. Money markets raised bets on European Central Bank rate cuts. They priced in about an 80% chance of a 25-basis-point cut by July EURESTECBM7X8=ICAP, up from around 65% the day before. The key rate is seen at 1.78% in December 2026 EURESTECBM10X11=ICAP from the current 2%. Germany&rsquo;s two-year yields DE2YT=RR, more sensitive to ECB rate expectations, dropped 5 bps to 1.87%, after hitting 1.869%, their lowest since July 24. The yield gap between safe-haven Bunds and 10-year French government bonds DE10FR10=RR &mdash; a market gauge of the risk premium investors demand to hold French debt &mdash; widened 4 bps to 78.50. It hit 87.96 bps earlier this month, the highest since Jan. 13, on concerns about the French fiscal outlook, but fell below 75 bps after French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu survived two no-confidence votes in parliament on Thursday.

Futures-options traders work on the floor at the American Stock Exchange (AMEX) at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., October 2, 2025. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

Banking

Euro zone government bond yields fell to multi-month lows on Friday as US-China trade tensions and signs of credit stress in the US banking system weighed on risk sentiment, driving investors into safe-haven assets.

Euro zone bond yields hit multi-month lows amid US, China trade tensions

PARIS/UNITED NATIONS: France and Britain, in coordination with the United States, are working to finalise a UN Security Council resolution in the coming days that would lay the foundation for a future international force in Gaza, France said on Thursday. With a shaky US-mediated ceasefire between Israel and Hamas holding, planning has begun for an international force to stabilize security in the Palestinian enclave, two senior US advisers said on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters in Paris, French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux said such a force needed a UN mandate to provide a strong foundation in international law and ease the process of getting potential contributions from countries. &quot;France is working closely with its partners on the establishment of such an international mission, which must be formalised through the adoption of a UN Security Council resolution,&quot; he said. &quot;Discussions, notably with the Americans and British, are ongoing to propose this resolution in the coming days.&quot; US President Donald Trump&#39;s administration is speaking with many countries interested in contributing to the force, a White House official said on Thursday. &quot;We are also in conversations about a potential UN Security Council resolution to support this effort,&quot; the White House official said. STABILISATION FORCE &#39;WILL TAKE SOME TIME&#39;, SAYS BRITAIN Paris hosted talks with other European and Arab powers on October 10 to flesh out ideas for Gaza&#39;s post-war transition, including how an international force could take shape. Diplomats said the stabilisation force would not be a formal United Nations peacekeeping force paid for by the world body. Instead, a Security Council resolution could mirror action taken by the 15-member body to back the deployment of an international force to combat armed gangs in Haiti. That resolution spells out and authorizes the mission and states contributing to the force to &quot;take all necessary measures&quot; &ndash; code for the use of force &ndash; to carry out the mandate. &quot;The stabilisation force will take some time,&quot; British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told parliament on Tuesday. &quot;The terms of reference are still being drawn up. There is a United Nations Security Council resolution on the establishment of the force, or I hope there will be, but the wider terms of reference are not yet agreed.&quot; INDONESIA PREVIOUSLY OFFERED 20,000 TROOPS Among the countries the US is speaking to about contributing to the force are Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Qatar, and Azerbaijan, the advisers said on condition of anonymity. There are also currently up to two dozen US troops in the region to help set up the operation, serving in a &quot;coordination, oversight&quot; role, they said. Italy has publicly said it was willing to take part. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto told the United Nations General Assembly on September 23 that if there was a UN resolution, Indonesia was prepared to deploy 20,000 or more troops in Gaza to help secure peace. The 193-member UN General Assembly last month overwhelmingly voted to endorse a declaration that aimed to advance a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, which supports the deployment of a temporary international stabilization mission mandated by the UN Security Council.

 Palestinians walk past the rubble of destroyed buildings, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City, October 16, 2025.

United Kingdom

France and Britain, in coordination with the United States, are working to finalise a UN Security Council resolution in the coming days that would lay the foundation for a future international force in Gaza, France said on Thursday.

France and Britain refine plans at UN for Gaza force resolution

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;

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

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

The AI-generated content follows four patterns: sexualizing Muslim women, portraying Muslims as subhuman, promoting conspiracy theories, and glorifying violence. 

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

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

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

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

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.

Trump calls Afghanistan ‘hell hole’ after Afghan man shoots two soldiers near White House

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.

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.

Articles by Reuters