Friday, October 31, 2025

Bridges, Not Barriers: How Xi Jinping Redefined Diplomacy at APEC

Bridges, Not Barriers: How Xi Jinping Redefined Diplomacy at APEC
The eyes of the world turned to Busan this week as Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump met on the sidelines of the APEC Summit their first face to face meeting in six years. It was more than just a diplomatic encounter; it was a moment that carried the weight of history and the hope of renewal.

After years of distance, the two leaders sat across from each other once again, aware that their words could influence the course of the global economy and the tone of international politics. In an era of rising tensions and fractured communication, this meeting signaled that the door to dialogue is still open and that engagement remains the only path toward stability.


President Xi Jinping arrived in Busan with a message of confidence, balance, and long term vision. He once again outlined China’s enduring philosophy: cooperation over confrontation, dialogue over division, and shared prosperity over zero sum rivalry. His words reflected a deep conviction that development is not a privilege for the few, but a right for all nations.


The tone of the conversation between the two leaders was described as frank, calm, and forward looking. Both sides recognized that their countries’ destinies are intertwined economically, strategically, and globally. Discussions touched upon trade, climate, and the need to restore stability to a world facing economic headwinds. The emphasis was not on competition, but on responsibility.


For President Xi, this was more than a bilateral engagement. It was a reaffirmation of China’s role as a stabilizing force in uncertain times a country that seeks to build bridges even when global politics tests their strength. His approach was anchored in respect, patience, and the belief that cooperation is not weakness, but wisdom.


Under President Xi’s leadership, China has emerged as a pillar of consistency and confidence in a rapidly changing world. While others resort to protectionism or isolation, Beijing has chosen the path of openness and reform. Initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative embody a vision where prosperity is shared, where growth is inclusive, and where nations, big or small, move forward together.


It is this steady, principled diplomacy that has earned President Xi recognition as one of the most influential leaders of the modern era. His call for a community with a shared future for mankind is not a slogan, but a roadmap for cooperation one that has guided China’s foreign policy and inspired confidence in developing countries seeking equitable partnerships. Xi’s vision has transformed China from a participant in globalization to a driving force for peace, stability, and progress across continents.


The Busan meeting was, in every sense, a win win situation for China and President Xi. By engaging constructively with Washington, Beijing demonstrated maturity, foresight, and strength showing the world that China’s diplomacy is guided not by confrontation but by confidence. The meeting reinforced China’s position as a responsible global player, capable of managing great power relations with balance and dignity. It also underscored that dialogue, when led with wisdom and patience, can turn challenges into opportunities for cooperation.


The timing of the meeting carried its own significance. Six years have passed since their last direct conversation. In that time, the world has changed dramatically pandemics, trade disruptions, and shifting alliances have reshaped international relations. Yet, in Busan, the image of the two leaders shaking hands again sent a quiet but powerful message: that communication is still stronger than confrontation.


For the Asia Pacific region, the meeting also reaffirmed APEC’s central role as a platform for dialogue and shared progress. Amid global uncertainty, Busan became a symbol of continuity a place where two of the world’s most influential nations showed that diplomacy can still triumph over discord.
Observers noted that President Xi’s words carried a tone of steady leadership and strategic optimism. His vision of a “community with a shared future for mankind” once again found resonance reminding the world that peace and prosperity must be pursued collectively, not competitively.


As the summit concluded, one message echoed beyond Busan: when China and the United States talk, the world listens and when they cooperate, the world benefits.
The Xi–Trump meeting in Busan may not have resolved every issue, but it rekindled something essential the willingness to understand, to engage, and to believe that dialogue can shape a better tomorrow.
In a time of uncertainty, that is perhaps the most important outcome of all.

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

Netanyahu Orders Intensified Strikes in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday said he had instructed the military to launch “powerful strikes” in Gaza, accusing Hamas of breaching the ongoing ceasefire agreement in the enclave.

A statement from Netanyahu’s office did not provide specific details regarding the alleged violation.

However, an Israeli military official claimed Hamas had attacked Israeli forces in a zone under Israel’s control, calling it “another clear breach of the ceasefire.”

Earlier, Netanyahu had also accused Hamas of failing to return the correct remains during the process of transferring the bodies of Israeli hostages.

Hamas had initially announced that it would hand over the body of a missing hostage discovered in a tunnel in Gaza, but later postponed the handover, saying Israel had already violated the ceasefire terms.

Reports from Israeli media suggested clashes took place between Israeli troops and Hamas fighters in Rafah, though the Israeli military has not commented on those accounts.

Hamas, for its part, said it was adhering to the ceasefire agreement and accused Netanyahu of “seeking pretexts” to avoid fulfilling Israel’s commitments.

A U.S.-backed ceasefire is in force between Israel and Hamas, but each side has accused the other of violations.

Under the ceasefire terms, Hamas released all living hostages in return for nearly 2,000 Palestinian convicts and war-time detainees, while Israel pulled back its troops and halted its offensive.

Hamas has also agreed to hand over the remains of all dead hostages yet to be recovered, but has said that it will take time to locate and retrieve the bodies in the enclave, which has been devastated by two years of war. Israel says Hamas can access the remains of most of the hostages.

North Korea Tests Missile Just Hours Ahead of Trump’s Arrival in South Korea

North Korea test-fired sea-to-surface cruise missiles off its western coast,
North Korea test-fired sea-to-surface cruise missiles off its western coast, state media said Wednesday, only hours before U.S. President Donald Trump was set to arrive in South Korea.

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the vertically-launched missiles were fired from the Yellow Sea on Tuesday and remained airborne for over two hours.

The launch was supervised by senior military official Pak Jong Chon, who said the country was achieving “significant progress” in strengthening its nuclear capabilities as a deterrent to adversaries.

Pak said the purpose of the test was to verify “the reliability of various strategic offensive systems and demonstrate our capabilities to the enemies.”

He added that it was the military’s “duty to continuously reinforce our nuclear combat readiness.”

Notably, leader Kim Jong Un did not attend the launch, even though he is usually present for major weapons tests.

Trump, who has expressed willingness to meet Kim during his trip his first to the Korean Peninsula in his second term—has said he would “love to talk” if conditions allow.

Kim, however, has said discussions may only resume if Washington abandons what Pyongyang calls its “unrealistic” demand for the North to renounce its nuclear arsenal.

“This launch highlights Pyongyang’s stance on maintaining its nuclear deterrent ahead of Trump’s arrival, showing once again that denuclearization is not up for negotiation,” said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, speaking to AFP.

The two leaders last met in 2019 at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which has divided North and South Korea for decades.

North Korea has yet to respond publicly to the invitation.

Lim Eul-chul, a professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University, told AFP that Kim's absence was revealing.

"This is not an overt attempt to embarrass Trump," he said.

Kim was also not mentioned by KCNA in reporting of last week's test launch of several hypersonic missiles.

Monday, October 27, 2025

Trump hails Japan’s Takaichi during talks on trade, critical minerals

U.S. President Donald Trump lauded Japan’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi,
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday lauded Japan’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, during talks in Tokyo, welcoming her commitment to accelerate Japan’s military buildup and overseeing the signing of new agreements on trade and critical minerals.

Takaichi a close ally of Trump’s late friend and golfing partner, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reportedly told Trump she would nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize, according to White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.

Sources familiar with the discussions said the new Japanese leader is also expected to announce a $550 billion investment package, including shipbuilding projects and increased imports of U.S. soybeans, natural gas, and pickup trucks.

Analysts believe these commitments could ease potential U.S. pressure on Tokyo to spend even more on defense amid rising tensions with China.

Takaichi has already pledged to boost defense spending to 2% of GDP as part of her government’s long-term strategy.

“It’s a very strong handshake,” Trump remarked as the two leaders posed for photographs at the Akasaka Palace in central Tokyo.

“Everything I’ve heard from Shinzo and others tells me you’ll be one of Japan’s great prime ministers,” Trump said, congratulating Takaichi on becoming the country’s first woman to hold the office.

Takaichi gifted Trump Abe’s putter, a golf bag signed by Japanese major winner Hideki Matsuyama and a gold leaf golf ball, according to photos posted on X by Trump’s assistant Margo Martin.

DEAL ON CRITICAL MINERALS SIGNED

Trump also praised Japan’s efforts to purchase more U.S. defence equipment, while Takaichi said Trump’s role in securing ceasefires between Cambodia and Thailand, and Israel and Palestinian militants, were “unprecedented” achievements.

Takaichi followed other world leaders to recommended Trump for the Peace Prize he has long said he is worthy of.

The leaders then signed an agreement to support the supply of critical minerals and rare earths, as the countries seek to wean reliance off China’s chokehold on the materials crucial for a wide range of products from smartphones to fighter jets.

The deal aims to jointly identify projects of interest in areas such as magnets and batteries over the next six months and work together to develop stockpiles of key minerals among other measures.

Trump was last at the palace, an ornate residence built in a European style, in 2019 for talks with Abe, who was assassinated in 2022.

After lunch with Takaichi there, Trump met with relatives of people abducted by North Korea in the 1960s and 1970s to train its spies and their relatives.

While some were later repatriated, Japan continues to press Pyongyang for a full accounting of all the abductees and the return of any who remain alive, a cause championed by Abe.

“The United States is with them all the way,” Trump said after greeting the families.

The U.S. leader began his visit on Monday with a meeting at the Imperial Palace with Japanese Emperor Naruhito .

VISIT U.S. NAVAL BASE

Takaichi’s gifts to Trump and repeated references to Abe are aimed at evoking memories of a close bond forged over hours the pair spent golfing together during Trump’s first term.

Abe was assassinated in 2022, with the trial of his assailant coincidentally beginning in the western city of Nara on Tuesday.

A similar close relationship with the leader of Japan’s key security and trade partner could help Takaichi bolster her weak political position at home.

Though she has seen a surge in public support since becoming prime minister, her coalition government is two votes shy of a majority in parliament’s lower house.

Trump and Takaichi will later visit the U.S. naval base in Yokosuka near Tokyo, which is home to the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, part of the U.S. military’s powerful presence in the region.

Trump will then meet business leaders in Tokyo, before travelling on Wednesday to South Korea.

In talks there with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said he hopes to seal a trade war truce between the world’s two biggest economies.

Meta AI launches Urdu version for Pakistani users

Meta AI
American multinational technology company Meta has officially launched Meta AI in Urdu for users in Pakistan, marking a major step toward making artificial intelligence tools more inclusive and locally accessible.

The launch took place during the event “Future in Focus: AI and Innovation,” organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT), according to a press release issued by the company.

"These initiatives aim to accelerate the process of digital transformation in the country," read the release, adding: "Pakistani users will now be able to interact with Meta AI not only in English but also in Urdu."

Speaking at the event, Federal IT Minister Shaza Fatima said: “Under the Prime Minister’s Digital Nation Vision, Pakistan is moving toward a future where technology empowers every citizen."

"Our partnership with Meta reflects this commitment, promoting AI education, digital transformation, and innovation within government and educational institutions. The inclusion of Urdu in Meta AI marks a milestone that makes technology more inclusive and accessible, ensuring no one is left behind in this digital transformation journey,” she added.

Meta’s Director of Public Policy for South and Central Asia, Sarim Aziz, said: “We aim to support public sector and educational institutions in driving digital transformation through effective use of AI."

"We are also delighted that Meta AI is now available in Urdu, giving the local community new opportunities to connect with technology in their own language,” he added.

Meanwhile, Meta also introduced a localised edition of the guide “Transforming Public Sector Innovation in Asia Pacific with Llama,” developed in collaboration with Deloitte and supported by the ministry.

The guide explains how Meta’s open-source AI model, Llama, can enhance government operations, improve public services, and strengthen data sovereignty. It also highlights best practices and successful case studies from various Asia-Pacific countries, including Pakistan.

Meta further announced the AI Literacy Program, launched in partnership with the Higher Education Commission (HEC), National Computing Education Accreditation Council (NCEAC), MoITT, and atomcamp.

Under this initiative, 350 non-computer science university teachers across Pakistan will receive training in basic AI skills to prepare students for the demands of the digital era.

Meta also unveiled the Government Digital Transformation Xperience (GDTX) 2025 program, which will provide Pakistan’s public institutions with access to Meta’s technologies, solutions, and best practices.

The programme seeks to unite public and private sector experts to exchange strategies and experiences for effective digital transformation, the press release concluded.

Australia takes Microsoft to court over ‘misleading’ AI claims

Australia’s competition watchdog has filed a lawsuit against Microsoft
Australia’s competition watchdog has filed a lawsuit against Microsoft, accusing the tech giant of misleading millions of users into paying more for its AI assistant, Copilot.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) announced Monday that it had taken legal action in the Federal Court against Microsoft Australia and its parent company, Microsoft Corp.

According to the regulator, Microsoft made “false or misleading” claims to about 2.7 million Australians subscribed to Microsoft 365 plans with automatic renewal.

The company allegedly implied that users faced two choices: either upgrade to new Microsoft 365 plans integrated with Copilot at a higher cost or cancel their subscriptions altogether.

However, the ACCC said a third, less obvious option existed allowing customers to remain on their existing “Classic” plans without Copilot at the original price.

This option reportedly became visible only after users initiated the cancellation process.

“Microsoft deliberately failed to mention the Classic plans in its communications and concealed their existence until after subscribers began to cancel,” said ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb.

“This practice was designed to push more consumers toward the higher-priced Copilot plans.”

Cass-Gottlieb added that Microsoft Office applications included in 365 subscriptions are “essential in many people’s daily lives,” and that limited alternatives make cancellation a difficult choice for consumers.

The watchdog claims Microsoft has been misleading personal and family plan subscribers since October 31, 2024.

Annual subscriptions for Microsoft 365 plans incorporating Copilot were between 29 and 45 percent higher than those without, the watchdog said.

The commission is seeking penalties, injunctions, consumer redress, and costs.

Microsoft could face penalties of Aus$50 million or more (US$30 million) for each breach.

Microsoft did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment.

Israel asserts control over Gaza despite ongoing truce

Israel reaffirmed on Sunday that it will retain full control of security inside Gaza
Israel reaffirmed on Sunday that it will retain full control of security inside Gaza, despite agreeing to a US-mediated ceasefire that envisions the deployment of an international peacekeeping force.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told cabinet ministers that Israel alone would decide when and where to strike its enemies and which nations would be permitted to send troops to oversee the truce.

“Israel is a sovereign nation. We will defend ourselves by our own means and continue to shape our destiny,” Netanyahu declared. “We seek no one’s approval for our actions. Our security remains in our hands.”

AFP footage showed an Egyptian convoy entering Gaza carrying rescue personnel and heavy machinery to assist in locating the remains of Israeli hostages reportedly buried under the rubble in the war-ravaged territory.

Trucks bearing the Egyptian flag and loaded with bulldozers and diggers were seen heading toward Al-Zawayda, where an Egyptian aid coordination committee is based.

Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian confirmed that Netanyahu personally authorized the Egyptian team’s entry.

“This is purely a technical team none of the members are military personnel,” Bedrosian clarified. “They have been permitted to cross the IDF’s Yellow Line into Gaza to conduct searches for the missing hostages.”

According to the terms of the US-brokered ceasefire, Israeli forces are to withdraw following two years of intense conflict with Hamas, while an international security contingent expected to consist largely of Arab and Muslim countries will assume responsibility for maintaining order in Gaza.

However, Israel has rejected any role for Turkey in the mission. Facing mounting pressure from hardliners within his coalition for agreeing to the truce, Netanyahu struck a defiant tone during the cabinet session in Jerusalem, emphasizing that Israel alone will dictate Gaza’s future security arrangements.

"We made clear with respect to international forces that Israel will determine which forces are unacceptable to us," he said, one day after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wound up the latest in a parade of high-level visits by Washington officials.

Later, Bedrosian put it more starkly: "The prime minister has said it's going to be done the easy way or the hard way, and Israel will have overall security control of the Gaza Strip."

"Gaza will be demilitarised and Hamas will have no part in governing the Palestinian people."

Child's dream is gone

Aid agencies complain that humanitarian convoys still do not have enough access to Gaza to alleviate the famine conditions in parts of the territory, and families there are still going hungry.

AFP journalists followed the family of 62-year-old grandmother Hiam Muqdad for a day in their Gaza City neighbourhood, where they live in a tent next to their ruined home and her barefoot grandchildren gather domestic waste and twigs to burn to heat water.

"When they said there was a truce, oh my God, a tear of joy and a tear of sadness fell from my eye," Muqdad told AFP. "The child's dream is gone. In the past they used to go to the park but today children play on the rubble."

Israel has withdrawn its forces within Gaza to the so-called "Yellow Line" but remains in control of more than half the territory, approves every UN aid convoy going through its borders and has carried out at least two strikes since the ceasefire.

To underline Israel's independence of action, Netanyahu said it had pummelled Gaza with 150 tonnes of munitions on October 19 after two of its soldiers were killed, and had conducted a strike on Saturday targeting an Islamic Jihad militant.

The United States and allies have set up a truce monitoring centre in southern Israel -- the Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC) -- and dispatched a string of top officials from President Donald Trump's administration to promote the ceasefire.

The latest Israeli strike came just as Rubio was leaving Jerusalem, but Washington's top diplomat said he remained optimistic the ceasefire would broadly hold if Hamas agrees to disarm and hand over the rule of Gaza.

Rubio told reporters that Washington did not expect the Yellow Line to become Gaza's new border and that Israel would eventually pull back.

"I think, ultimately, the point of the stabilisation force is to move that line until it covers hopefully all of Gaza, meaning all of Gaza will be demilitarised," Rubio told reporters on his plane as he flew to Qatar.

The main Palestinian factions, including Hamas, have agreed to form a committee of technocrats to administer Gaza alongside the ceasefire and reconstruction effort.

But Hamas has resisted calls for its immediate disarmament and has launched a crackdown on rival Palestinian gangs and armed groups in Gaza.

Hostage recovery

In a statement on Sunday, Hamas's lead negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya said the militant group's weapons are "linked to the presence of the occupation and aggression".

He added: "If the occupation ends, these weapons will be transferred to the state."

Hamas has insisted it is serious about returning the remaining 13 hostage bodies.

They include 10 Israelis kidnapped during the group's attack on October 7, 2023 that triggered the conflict, one Israeli missing since 2014, a Thai and a Tanzanian worker.

Hamas has already returned the remaining 20 living hostages and 15 bodies of hostages.

But Hamas warns it will struggle to find the bodies of the others in the ruins of Gaza, where more than 68,500 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire, according to figures from the health ministry of the Hamas-run territory deemed reliable by the UN.

Bedrosian dismissed this, telling reporters: "Hamas knows where our hostages are," and adding the group needed to make more of an effort to retrieve the bodies.

Sunday, October 26, 2025

US, India hold talks to ease tensions as trade dispute lingers

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Monday as Washington and New Delhi seek to advance trade talks and ease tensions over recent US tariffs.

While few specifics were disclosed, the meeting marked the highest-level engagement between the two countries since the United States imposed sanctions last week on several Russian oil firms  a key source of India’s crude imports.

Jaishankar shared a photo on social media showing him shaking hands with Rubio, noting that he “appreciated the discussion on our bilateral ties, as well as regional and global developments.”

The talks were held on the sidelines of a Southeast Asian summit in Malaysia, which was attended in person by US President Donald Trump, while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined via video link.

Relations between Washington and New Delhi plummeted in August after Trump raised tariffs to 50 percent, with US officials accusing India of fuelling Russia's war in Ukraine by buying Moscow's discounted oil.

Trump, who spoke to Modi last week by telephone, has claimed that the Indian leader has agreed to cut Russian oil imports -- something New Delhi has not commented on.

Trump claims he can ‘easily resolve’ Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict

US President Donald Trump
US President Donald Trump on Sunday expressed confidence that he could “quickly resolve” the ongoing Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict, lauding Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir as “great people.”

Trump made the remarks while speaking at the signing ceremony of a Thailand–Cambodia peace accord, held on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur.

Border crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan have remained closed since October 11, following deadly clashes earlier this month the most intense since the Taliban’s 2021 takeover of Kabul which left dozens dead on both sides.

The skirmishes erupted after Islamabad urged Kabul to rein in militants launching cross-border attacks into Pakistan from Afghan territory.

A ceasefire brokered in Qatar and Turkiye last weekend has so far held, and during a follow-up round of talks in Istanbul, Pakistan reportedly handed over a comprehensive counterterrorism plan to the Afghan Taliban, according to diplomatic sources.

Addressing the recent escalation, Trump said he was “very confident” that he could help both nations achieve lasting peace.

“We’re averaging one [peace deal] a month. There’s only one left, although I’ve heard Pakistan and Afghanistan have started up again. But I’ll get that solved very quickly.

I know them both the Field Marshal and the Prime Minister are great people and I have no doubt we’ll get that done fast,” he said.

The US president emphasized that peacebuilding remained a cornerstone of his foreign policy.

“If I can take time and save millions of lives, that’s really a great thing,” he said, adding, “Unlike other presidents, I focus on ending wars, not starting them. I can’t think of any president who ever solved one war they start wars; they don’t solve them.”

Meanwhile, Trump witnessed the signing of an enhanced ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia a diplomatic breakthrough that has already earned him a Nobel Peace Prize nomination for mediating the decades-long border conflict between the two Southeast Asian nations.

The agreement builds on a truce signed three months ago after Trump called the then-leaders of the two countries, urging them to end hostilities, or risk their respective trade talks with Washington being put on hold.

Both sides blame each other for starting the five-day exchange of rockets and heavy artillery, which killed at least 48 people and temporarily displaced an estimated 300,000 people in their worst fighting in recent history.

Trump once again praises Field Marshal Asim Munir, calls him “a great man”

US President Donald Trump has once again lauded Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir
US President Donald Trump has once again lauded Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir, describing him as a “good man,” while also calling Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif a “great leader.”

Speaking at the ASEAN Summit 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, President Trump said he had received reports of possible tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan but praised Pakistan’s leadership for handling the matter “swiftly and peacefully.”

“I am an advocate for peace across the world,” Trump said during his address, adding that he has successfully helped halt eight wars so far.

“I stopped wars through trade,” he remarked, emphasizing that the United States prefers commerce over conflict. “I like stopping wars,” he reiterated, noting that economic cooperation is the true key to lasting global peace.

Earlier, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian counterpart Hun Manet signed an expanded ceasefire agreement at a ceremony witnessed by President Trump.

The signing, held under the banner “Delivering Peace,” built upon a truce reached three months earlier.

President Trump arrived in Malaysia to attend the ASEAN Summit and participate in a series of crucial trade talks on the sidelines.

“This declaration, if fully implemented, will provide the building blocks for a lasting peace, but more importantly, it will begin the process of mending our ties,” Hun Manet said.

“Our border communities have been divided by conflict, and innocent civilians have suffered immense losses.”

Saturday, October 25, 2025

Strong earthquake tremors felt in China

Strong earthquake tremors felt in China
China on Saturday reported a magnitude 5.5 earthquake in Jilin, a province that shares a border with North Korea, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

The earthquake struck the Chinese city of Hunchun at 7:45 p.m. local time (1145 GMT), with the epicentre at a depth of 560 kilometres (348 miles), according to Xinhua.

Two Australian women cricketers report harassment incident in India

Two Australian women cricketers were allegedly harassed in Indore
Two Australian women cricketers, currently in India for the ICC Women's World Cup, were allegedly harassed in Indore while walking from their hotel to a nearby café on Thursday, according to Indian media reports.

The players immediately sent out an SOS alert following the incident, prompting security personnel to rush to the scene.

Danny Simmons, the Australian team’s security manager, lodged a formal complaint at the MIG police station later that evening.

Acting on the complaint, police swiftly registered an FIR and arrested the suspect, identified as Aqeel, who was reportedly riding a motorcycle at the time of the incident.

The players, staying at the Radisson Blu Hotel along with their teammates, were targeted on Khajrana Road, where the accused allegedly followed them and inappropriately touched one of the players before fleeing, officials said.

According to Sub-Inspector Nidhi Raghuvanshi, the cricketers immediately contacted their team security officer, who coordinated with local authorities and dispatched assistance.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Himani Mishra later met the players, recorded their statements, and confirmed that a First Information Report had been registered under Section 74 (use of criminal force to outrage a woman’s modesty) and Section 78 (stalking) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The incident has raised concerns over player security during major international tournaments being hosted in India.

The official said that a bystander noted the suspect's motorcycle number, based on which the accused, Aqeel Khan, was apprehended.

"Khan has prior criminal cases registered against him, and an investigation is ongoing," she added.

Cricket Australia statement

Two members of Australia's Women's Cricket World Cup team have reportedly been "touched inappropriately" while walking in India.

In a statement, Cricket Australia said the duo were walking to a cafe in Indore when they were approached by someone on a motorcycle.

CA said the duo were harassed by a person on a motorcycle, and the team had alerted police.

"CA can confirm two members of the Australian Women's team were approached and touched inappropriately by a motorcyclist while walking to a cafe in Indore," CA's statement read.

"The matter was reported by team security to police, who are handling the matter."

Australia plays its final pool match of the tournament on Saturday against South Africa, before next week's semi-final.

Former Queen of Thailand, Sirikit, passes away at 93

Thailand’s former Queen Sirikit passed away
Thailand’s former Queen Sirikit, mother of the reigning King Maha Vajiralongkorn and wife of the country’s longest-serving monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, passed away late Friday at the age of 93, according to an official palace statement.

Revered as a national mother figure, Queen Sirikit was deeply admired across Thailand, where the royal family is regarded with near-divine respect.

Portraits of the late queen and her husband adorn countless public spaces and homes across the nation.

During her 66-year marriage to King Bhumibol, Sirikit earned international recognition as both a fashion icon and a symbol of grace and compassion.

Western media outlets once compared her elegance and influence to that of former US First Lady Jackie Kennedy.

“I knew she had been unwell for a long time, but it’s still heartbreaking,” said Bangkok resident Sasis Putthasit, 53. “She was like a mother to all Thais.”

According to the palace, Queen Sirikit had been suffering from multiple health issues since 2019 and was recently treated for a blood infection before her condition deteriorated. She passed away at Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok.

King Vajiralongkorn has declared a year-long period of mourning, with royal family members leading tributes to the late queen.

On Saturday morning, television anchors and government officials were seen wearing black, marking the beginning of the nation’s mourning period.

Her passing "marks a profoundly significant event for the Thai Royal Family and the entire nation, given her immense popularity and deep connection to the late king who remains deeply revered", Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a former Thai diplomat and academic who studies the monarchy, told AFP.

Mother of the Nation

King Bhumibol Adulyadej's remarkably lengthy reign from 1946 until 2016 was bookended by World War II and the first inauguration of US President Donald Trump.

Though Bhumibol's son inherited the throne about nine years ago, many still revere him as the nation's most steadfast figurehead -- and Sirikit as his constant companion.

She retired from the public eye in recent years as she suffered from ailing health, her privacy sealed by strict lese majeste laws that limit what can be reported about the royal family.

But in her glamorous heyday in the 1960s she mingled with US presidents and superstars such as Elvis Presley, while at home touring Thailand to visit villagers in rural areas.

She was referred to as the "Mother of the Nation" and her birthday was designated the country's Mothers' Day.

The reigning Chakri dynasty dates back to 1782 but the succession from King Vajiralongkorn is unclear as he has not formally named an heir.

He has seven children including five sons  four from an earlier marriage who have been officially disowned, and his 20-year-old son Dipangkorn Rasmijoti.

While the royal family is still held in very high regard by most Thais, it faced unprecedented public dissent during street protests in 2020.

Tens of thousands of young protesters took to the streets demanding widespread political reforms including changes to the monarchy a public challenge to the royals' status never seen in Thailand before.

Though Thailand's constitution places the monarchy above politics, Sirikit drew public attention when she attended the funeral of a royalist protester in 2008.

When her husband King Bhumibol died, Thailand observed a year-long mourning period.

Authorities ordered flags to fly at half-mast for 30 days, banned weddings and concerts, and instructed citizens to wear black.

Former Queen Sirikit's body will lie in state at the Grand Palace's Dusit Thorne Hall in the capital Bangkok, according to the palace.

Friday, October 24, 2025

Anthropic inks major AI chip deal with Google

Artificial intelligence company Anthropic announced that it is significantly expanding its use of Google Cloud and specialized chips
Artificial intelligence company Anthropic announced on Thursday that it is significantly expanding its use of Google Cloud and specialized chips in a deal valued at tens of billions of dollars.

As part of the arrangement, Anthropic will purchase up to one million Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), custom-designed integrated circuits developed by Google, according to the San Francisco-based startup.

The expansion is expected to bring more than a gigawatt of new computing power online by the end of 2026, enabling Anthropic to meet the “exponentially growing demand” for its Claude AI models, said Chief Financial Officer Krishna Rao.

Anthropic currently serves more than 300,000 business customers.

Founded in early 2021 by former OpenAI employees who believed their previous employer was not doing enough to mitigate the risks of its AI models, Anthropic quickly established itself among the leading generative AI companies following the launch of ChatGPT by OpenAI in November 2022.

Although it trails OpenAI in user base and brand recognition, Anthropic has been recognized as a top performer in generative AI for computer coding.

Meanwhile, Google continues to invest heavily in AI as it competes with OpenAI, Microsoft, Amazon, and others to lead the sector. The TPUs used in this deal compete with Nvidia’s highly sought-after GPUs.

“Anthropic's decision to significantly expand its use of TPUs reflects the strong performance and efficiency our teams have observed with TPUs over several years,” said Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian.

“We are continuing to innovate and drive further efficiencies and increased capacity of our TPUs."

New model

Anthropic last month launched its latest generative AI model, Claude Sonnet 4.5, which it says is the world's best for computer programming.

Anthropic's new release is also touted as the most sophisticated for applications that allow an AI assistant to use a computer as a human would.

Anthropic said early this month that it will open an office in India next year, as global generative AI players seek inroads into the world's most populous country.

Demand for AI tools and solutions has surged in India projected to have more than 900 million internet users by year's end driven by growing adoption by both businesses and individuals.

Anthropic is valued at $183 billion, while OpenAI's valuation has reportedly soared after a private share sale to $500 billion, which would make it the world's most valuable startup.

Thursday, October 23, 2025

US troops deploy toward Venezuela amid Trump’s opposition to Maduro

The United States has deployed B‑1 supersonic bombers to the Caribbean coast near Venezuela
The United States has deployed B‑1 supersonic bombers to the Caribbean coast near Venezuela, bolstering its military presence amid rising tensions with President Nicolás Maduro’s regime.

The Pentagon said the B‑1s launched from Dyess Air Force Base in Texas and flew over the Caribbean Sea toward Venezuela as part of routine training exercises.

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the flights occurred near Venezuelan shores but did not say whether the aircraft entered Venezuelan airspace.

The B‑1 Lancer capable of carrying the largest weapons payload in the U.S. Air Force, including long‑range cruise missiles joins a broader U.S. buildup in the region.

U.S. military activity has intensified since September, when American forces began striking vessels they say were used for drug trafficking near Venezuelan waters, an action President Donald Trump has cited publicly.

Last week, B‑52 Stratofortress bombers also patrolled the area, escorted by Marine Corps F‑35B stealth fighters based in Puerto Rico; the Pentagon described those flights as a demonstration of bomber strike capability.

When asked whether the B‑1 flights were intended to pressure Venezuela, President Trump replied: “It’s false, but we’re not happy with Venezuela for a lot of reasons. Drugs being one of them.”

Currently, eight U.S. warships are deployed in the Caribbean Basin, supported by a P‑8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, MQ‑9 Reaper drones, an F‑35 squadron and a submarine operating near South American waters.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said U.S. forces have conducted nine airstrikes as part of an anti‑narcotics campaign, resulting in at least 37 reported deaths. He compared the operations to the post‑9/11 war on terror, warning: “We will find you, we will map your networks, we will hunt you down, and we will kill you.”

US Southern Command, which oversees Latin America and the Caribbean, is forming a task force for drug interdiction in the Western Hemisphere. This group appears set to handle the situation in Venezuela.

Covert CIA operation

The Trump administration has secretly authorized the CIA to conduct covert action in Venezuela, according to US officials, stepping up a campaign against President Nicolás Maduro, the country’s authoritarian leader, reported News York Times on Friday.

The authorization is the latest step in the Trump administration’s intensifying pressure campaign against Venezuela.

For weeks, the US military has been targeting boasts off the Venezuelan coast it says are transporting drugs, killing 27 people.

American officials have been clear, privately, that the end goal is to driver Mr Maduro from power.

Trump acknowledged on Wednesday that he had authorized the covert action and said the United States was considering strikes on Venezuelan territory.

“We are certainly looking at land now, because we’ve got the sea very well under control,” the president told reporters hours after The New York Times reported the secret authorization.

Any strikes on Venezuelan territory would be a significant escalation. After several of the boat strikes, the administration made the point that the operations had taken place in international waters.

The new authority would allow the CIA to carry out lethal operations in Venezuela and conduct a range of operations in the Caribbean.

The agency would be able to take covert action against Mr Maduro or his government either unilaterally or in conjunction with a larger military operation.

It is not known whether the CIA is planning any specific operations in Venezuela.

But the development comes as the US military is planning its own possible escalation, drawing up options for President Trump to consider, including strikes inside Venezuela.

The scale of the military buildup in the region is substantial: There are currently 10,000 U.S. troops there, most of them at bases in Puerto Rico, but also a contingent of Marines on amphibious assault ships. In all, the Navy has eight surface warships and a submarine in the Caribbean.

The new authorities, known in intelligence jargon as a presidential finding, were described by multiple US officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the highly classified document.

'No crazy war, please!'

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday launched a plea in English as tensions mount between Washington and Caracas: "No crazy war, please!"

Maduro's comment came after US President Donald Trump said he had authorized covert action against the South American nation, and amid an escalating US military campaign against alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean and Pacific.

"Yes peace, yes peace forever, peace forever. No crazy war, please!" Maduro said in a meeting with unions aligned with the leftist leader, a former bus driver and union leader.

The United States has deployed stealth warplanes and Navy ships as part of what it calls anti-narcotics efforts, but has yet to release evidence that its targets eight boats and a semi-submersible were smuggling drugs.

The US strikes, which began on September 2, have killed at least 37 people, according to an AFP tally based on US figures.

Regional tensions have flared as a result of the campaign, with Maduro accusing Washington of seeking regime change.

Late Thursday, the government in Trinidad and Tobago located just off Venezuela's coast announced that a US warship would dock in its capital from October 26-30.

The Trinidadian foreign ministry said a unit of US Marines would conduct joint exercises with its defense forces.

Two of those killed in the US strikes were from Trinidad and Tobago.

Last week, Trump said he had authorized covert CIA action against Venezuela and was considering strikes against alleged drug cartels on land.

The Republican billionaire president accuses Maduro of heading a drug cartel, a charge the Venezuelan leader denies.

"We know the CIA is present" in Venezuela, the country's defense minister Vladimir Padrino said Thursday.

"They may deploy -- I don't know how many -- CIA-affiliated units in covert operations...and any attempt will fail."

Padrino was overseeing military exercises along Venezuela's coast in response to the US military deployment in the Caribbean.

Experts have questioned the legality of using lethal force in foreign or international waters against suspects who have not been intercepted or questioned.

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Trump Tightens Pressure on Putin, Imposes Sanctions on Major Russian Oil Companies; EU Bans LNG

Trump Tightens Pressure on Putin, Imposes Sanctions on Major Russian Oil Companies; EU Bans LNG
US President Donald Trump imposed Ukraine-related sanctions on Russia for the first time in his second term, targeting oil companies Lukoil and Rosneft as his frustration grows with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war. The move came after EU countries on Wednesday approved a 19th package of sanctions on Moscow for its war against Ukraine that included a ban on Russian liquefied natural gas imports. Trump’s measures also followed Britain’s sanctioning last week of Rosneft and Lukoil.

The US Treasury Department said it was prepared to take further action as it called on Moscow to agree immediately to a ceasefire in Russia’s war in Ukraine, which began in February 2022.

“Given President Putin’s refusal to end this senseless war, Treasury is sanctioning Russia’s two largest oil companies that fund the Kremlin’s war machine,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. “We encourage our allies to join us in and adhere to these sanctions.”

Oil prices jumped more than $2 a barrel after the US measures, with Brent crude futures extending gains after settlement, rising to about $64. The sanctions are a major policy shift for Trump, who had not put sanctions on Russia over the war and instead relied on trade measures. Trump earlier this year imposed additional 25% tariffs on goods from India in retaliation for its purchasing discounted Russian oil.

The US has not imposed tariffs on China, another major buyer of Russian oil. A $60 price cap on Russian oil imposed by Western countries after Russia’s invasion has shifted Russia’s oil customers in recent years from Europe to Asia.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday he had cancelled a planned summit in Hungary with Putin because it didn’t feel like it was the right time. Trump also said he hopes the sanctions on Russian oil companies will not need to be in place for a long time. Trump said last year that he likes to remove sanctions quickly because of the risks to the dominance of the dollar in global transactions that the measures can bring. Russia has often asked for payments for oil in other currencies.

‘Can’t be one and done’
Analysts said the measures were a big step and long overdue.

“This can’t just be one and done,” said Edward Fishman, a former US official who is now a senior research scholar at Columbia University. He said the question was whether the US now threatens sanctions on anyone doing business with Rosneft and Lukoil.

Jeremy Paner, a former sanctions investigator at the Treasury Department and now a partner at law firm Hughes Hubbard & Reed, said the absence of banks and Indian or Chinese oil purchasers in Wednesday’s sanctions means they “will not get Putin’s attention.”

A senior Ukrainian official, however, said the step was “great news” and that the two Russian energy companies were among US sanctions targets proposed by Kyiv in the past.

The Treasury also sanctioned dozens of Rosneft and Lukoil subsidiaries. The measures block US assets of those designated and prevent Americans from doing business with them.

The Russian embassy in Washington and the Russian mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the sanctions.

EU targets Russia’s shadow fleet
The EU’s LNG ban will take effect in two stages: short-term contracts will end after six months, and long-term contracts from January 1, 2027. The full ban comes a year earlier than the Commission’s proposed roadmap to end the bloc’s reliance on Russian fossil fuels.

The new EU package also adds new travel restrictions on Russian diplomats and lists 117 more vessels from Moscow’s shadow fleet, mostly tankers, bringing the total to 558. The listings include banks in Kazakhstan and Belarus, the presidency said.

EU diplomatic sources told Reuters that four entities linked to China’s oil industry will be listed, but the names will not be made public until the official adoption on Thursday. These include two oil refineries, a trading company and an entity which helps in the circumvention of oil and other sectors.

OpenAI Launches ‘Atlas’ Search Browser, Taking on Google

ChatGPT creator OpenAI
ChatGPT creator OpenAI announced on Tuesday its new “Atlas” search browser, leveraging artificial intelligence in a direct challenge to Google Chrome.

“This is an AI-powered web browser built around ChatGPT,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said during a streamed presentation.

OpenAI has been intensifying its competition with Google, which has responded by rapidly adding AI features across its search engine and other platforms.

According to Reuters, shares of Alphabet, the parent company of Chrome, fell 2.6% in afternoon trading.

Atlas is the latest entrant in the growing market of AI-powered browsers, which includes Perplexity’s Comet and Opera’s Neon, as companies add tools that can summarise pages, fill out forms, and even draft code to attract users.

The browser allows users to open a ChatGPT sidebar in any window to summarise content, compare products, or analyse data from any website.

In the agent mode in Atlas, ChatGPT interacts with sites for users, who can use it to do tasks from start to finish, like researching and shopping for a trip.

The browser is now available globally on Apple's macOS. It will soon be made available on Windows, iOS and Android.

Reuters had in July reported the AI startup, backed by Microsoft, was close to releasing an AI-powered web browser that will challenge Alphabet's market-dominating Google Chrome.

Tuesday, October 21, 2025

Trump Warns Modi: “War with Pakistan Must Not Happen”

US President Donald Trump
US President Donald Trump said that he had told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi there should be no war with Pakistan, emphasizing that he had helped avert several conflicts through diplomacy and trade pressure.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office during Diwali celebrations, Trump extended his “warmest wishes to the people of India” and said he had “just spoken to your Prime Minister today.” He described the conversation as “great” and added, “We talked about trade... He's very interested in that.”

Trump also discussed preventing conflict, stating, “Although we did talk a little while ago about let's have no wars with Pakistan.” He highlighted commerce as a tool to ease tensions: “The fact that trade was involved, I was able to talk about that.”

He emphasized the outcome, saying, “And we have no war with Pakistan and India. That was a very, very good thing,” and praised Modi personally: “He's a great person, and he's become a great friend of mine over the years.”

Trump claimed he had prevented eight wars so far through “deals and trade,” including one between Pakistan and India. He recalled, “During the Pakistan-India conflict, seven planes were shot down.

I called both countries and told them that if they went to war, the United States would stop trading with them. Within 24 hours, they called back and said they didn’t want to fight.”

Trump has previously taken credit for helping defuse tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, who have fought three wars since independence and remain at odds over the disputed territory of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

In May, Pakistan and India engaged in a military showdown, the worst between the two nations in decades, sparked by a terrorist attack on tourists in IIOJK’s Pahalgam area, which New Delhi alleged was backed by Pakistan.

Islamabad denied involvement in the attack, which killed 26 people and was the worst assault on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

After the incident, India killed several innocent civilians in unprovoked attacks on Pakistan for three days before the Pakistan Armed Forces retaliated in defence with the successful Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos.

Pakistan downed six IAF fighter jets, including three Rafale, and dozens of drones. After at least 87 hours, the war between the two nuclear-armed nations ended on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the US.

Trump added that energy was also part of the discussion, saying Modi assured him that India would be limiting its oil purchases from Russia.

"He's not going to buy much oil from Russia. He wants to see that war end as much as I do," Trump said.

India and China are the two top buyers of Russian seaborne crude exports.

Trump has recently targeted India for its Russian oil purchases, imposing tariffs on Indian exports to the US to discourage the country's crude buying as he seeks to pressure Moscow to negotiate a peace deal in Ukraine.

Trump reiterated on Sunday that Modi told him India will stop buying Russian oil, while warning that New Delhi would continue paying "massive" tariffs if it did not do so.

"I spoke with Prime Minister Modi of India, and he said he's not going to be doing the Russian oil thing," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Asked about India's assertion that it was not aware of any conversation between Modi and Trump, Trump replied: "But if they want to say that, then they'll just continue to pay massive tariffs, and they don't want to do that."

Russian oil has been one of the main irritants for Trump in prolonged trade talks with India - half of his 50% tariffs on Indian goods are in retaliation for those purchases. The US government has said that petroleum revenue funds Russia’s war in Ukraine.

India has become the biggest buyer of seaborne Russian oil sold at a discount after Western nations shunned purchases and imposed sanctions on Moscow for its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Trade talks between India and the US are going on in a "congenial" manner, an Indian government official said on Saturday, declining to be identified due to the sensitivity of talks.

An Indian delegation, which was in the US earlier this month for talks, has returned, the official said, declining to share further details.

An email to India's trade ministry was not immediately answered on Monday, which was a public holiday.

Trump on Wednesday said Modi had assured him that day that India would stop its Russian oil purchases.

India's foreign ministry said it was not aware of any telephone conversation between the leaders that day, but said that New Delhi's main concern was to "safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer."

A White House official said on Thursday that India has halved its purchases of Russian oil, but Indian sources said no immediate reduction had been seen.

The sources said Indian refiners already placed orders for November loading, including some slated for December arrival, so any cut may start showing up in December or January import numbers.

India's imports of Russian oil are set to rise about 20% this month to 1.9 million barrels per day, according to estimates from commodities data firm Kpler, as Russia ramps up exports after Ukrainian drones hit its refineries.

Japan appoints China hawk Takaichi as its first woman PM

Japan made history by appointing Sanae Takaichi as its first female prime minister
Japan made history on Tuesday by appointing Sanae Takaichi as its first female prime minister. A China hawk and social conservative, Takaichi secured the position after striking an 11th-hour coalition deal.

She becomes Japan’s fifth premier in as many years and will lead a minority government with a packed agenda, including a scheduled visit by US President Donald Trump next week.

Parliament voted Takaichi into office after she unexpectedly won a majority in the first round. She is set to formally take office following a meeting with the emperor.

Takaichi, a former heavy metal drummer, became head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on October 4.

The LDP, which has governed almost continuously for decades, has been losing support, and six days later, the Komeito party left the coalition due to Takaichi’s conservative views and an LDP slush fund scandal.

This prompted Takaichi to form a last-minute alliance with the right-leaning Japan Innovation Party (JIP), which supports lowering the consumption tax on food to zero, abolishing corporate and organizational donations, and reducing the number of MPs.

Takaichi pledged to “make Japan’s economy stronger and reshape the country for future generations.”

“She’s a strong-minded person, regardless of being a woman,” said 76-year-old pensioner Toru Takahashi in Takaichi’s hometown of Nara. “She’s not like Trump, but she’s clear about what’s right and wrong.”

Nordic

Takaichi has promised a cabinet with “Nordic” levels of women, up from two under outgoing premier Shigeru Ishiba.

These could include the right-wing Satsuki Katayama in charge of finances and the half-American Kimi Onoda as economic security minister, local media said.

Japan ranked 118 out of 148 in the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Global Gender Gap Report. Around 15 percent of lower house MPs are women and corporate boardrooms are overwhelmingly male.

Takaichi, 64, has said she hopes to raise awareness about women’s health struggles and has spoken candidly about her own experience with menopause.

But she opposes revising a 19th-century law requiring married couples to share the same surname, and wants the imperial family to stick to male-only succession.

In Nara, company worker Keiko Yoshida, 39, told AFP she hopes Takaichi will “make Japan a more liveable place for women”.

“I’d be happy if we saw more policies from a woman’s perspective: support for childcare, and help for women returning to work after having children,” agreed student Nina Terao, 18.

Abenomics

Details of a trade deal between Washington and Tokyo remain unresolved, and Trump also wants Japan to stop Russian energy imports and boost defence spending.

“I’d like her to be a Prime Minister who can clearly say ‘No’ when needed,” Satoshi Sakamoto, 73, another Nara pensioner, told AFP.

Beyond Trump, Takaichi’s many challenges include reversing the decline of Japan’s population and injecting some vim in the flatlining economy.

Being in a minority in both houses of parliament, the new coalition will need support from other parties to push through legislation.

Takaichi has in the past backed aggressive monetary easing and expanded government spending, echoing her mentor, former premier Shinzo Abe.

Despite walking back on these “Abenomics” calls in the LDP leadership contest, her victory has boosted Japanese stocks to record highs.

She previously said that “Japan is completely looked down on by China”, and that Tokyo must “address the security threat” posed by Beijing.

But she has since toned down her rhetoric on China, and stayed away last week from a festival at the Yasukuni shrine — she has been a regular visitor before — honouring Japan’s war dead.

Takaichi will also be under pressure to restore the fortunes of the LDP after a string of poor election results that cost Ishiba his job.

Smaller parties gaining support include the populist Sanseito, which calls immigration a “silent invasion”.

“Prices have gone up, and it’s tough,” Nara pensioner Satoe Tominaga, 77, told AFP, saying she was “50-50” about Takaichi.

“Honestly, I mostly shop at 100-yen ($0.66) stores now.”

Sunday, October 19, 2025

OpenAI’s massive chip purchases currently outweigh its revenue

OpenAI is placing orders worth hundreds of billions of dollars for advanced chips
OpenAI is placing orders worth hundreds of billions of dollars for advanced chips in the artificial intelligence race, prompting investors to question how the startup will finance such purchases.

In less than a month, the San Francisco-based company behind ChatGPT has committed to acquiring roughly 26 gigawatts of sophisticated data processors from Nvidia, AMD, and Broadcom more than 10 million units, consuming power equivalent to 20 standard nuclear reactors.

“They will need hundreds of billions of dollars to live up to their obligations,” said Gil Luria, managing director at financial consulting firm D.A. Davidson.

The challenge is significant: OpenAI does not expect to be profitable until 2029 and is forecasting billions in losses this year, despite generating approximately $13 billion in revenue.

OpenAI declined to comment on its financing strategy.

However, in a CNBC interview, co-founder Greg Brockman acknowledged the difficulty of building enough computing infrastructure to meet the “avalanche of demand” for AI, noting that creative financing mechanisms will be necessary to support the expansion.

Creative financing

Nvidia, AMD, and Broadcom all declined to discuss specific deals with OpenAI.

Silicon Valley-based Nvidia has announced plans to invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI over several years to build the world's largest AI infrastructure.

OpenAI would use those funds to buy chips from Nvidia in a game of "circular financing," with Nvidia recouping its investment by taking a share in OpenAI, one of its biggest customers and the world's hottest AI company.

AMD has taken a different approach, offering OpenAI options to acquire equity in AMD a transaction considered unusual in financial circles and a sign that it is AMD that is seeking to seize some of OpenAI's limelight with investors.

"It represents another unhealthy dynamic," Luria said, suggesting the arrangement reveals AMD's desperation to compete in a market dominated by Nvidia.

Crash or soar?

The stakes couldn't be higher.

OpenAI co-founder and CEO Sam Altman "has the power to crash the global economy for a decade or take us all to the promised land," Bernstein Research senior analyst Stacy Rasgon wrote in a note to investors this month.

"Right now, we don't know which is in the cards."

Even selling stakes in OpenAI at its current $500 billion valuation won't cover the startup's chip commitments, according to Luria, meaning the company will need to borrow money.

One possibility: using the chips themselves as collateral for loans.

Meanwhile, deep-pocketed competitors like Google and Meta can fund their AI efforts from massive profits generated by their online advertising businesses a luxury OpenAI doesn't have.

The unbridled spending has sparked concerns about a speculative bubble reminiscent of the late 1990s dot-com frenzy, which collapsed and wiped out massive investments.

However, some experts see key differences. "There is very real demand today for AI in a way that seems a little different than the boom in the 1990s," said Josh Lerner, a Harvard Business School professor of investment banking.

CFRA analyst Angelo Zino pointed to OpenAI's remarkable growth and more than 800 million ChatGPT users as evidence that a partnership approach to financing makes sense.

Still, Lerner acknowledges the uncertainty: "It's a real dilemma. How does one balance this future potential with the speculative nature" of its investments today?

Trump threatens to maintain hefty tariffs on India until Russian oil imports stop

President Donald Trump on Sunday reiterated that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured him India would halt Russian oil purchases
US President Donald Trump on Sunday reiterated that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured him India would halt Russian oil purchases, warning that New Delhi would face “massive” tariffs if it did not comply.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said, “I spoke with Prime Minister Modi of India, and he said he’s not going to be doing the Russian oil thing.”

When asked about India’s denial of any such conversation, Trump responded, “But if they want to say that, then they’ll just continue to pay massive tariffs, and they don’t want to do that.”

Russian oil has been a key sticking point in prolonged trade talks with India about half of Trump’s 50% tariffs on Indian goods are in retaliation for these purchases. The US government has said that petroleum revenues fund Russia’s war in Ukraine.

India has become the largest buyer of discounted seaborne Russian oil after Western nations shunned purchases and imposed sanctions on Moscow following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

On Wednesday, Trump had said Modi assured him that India would stop buying Russian oil. India’s foreign ministry, however, stated it was unaware of any telephone conversation between the leaders that day, emphasizing that New Delhi’s main priority is “safeguarding the interests of the Indian consumer.”

A White House official said on Thursday that India has halved its purchases of Russian oil, but Indian sources said no immediate reduction had been seen.

The sources said Indian refiners already placed orders for November loading, including some slated for December arrival, so any cut may start showing up in December or January import numbers.

India's imports of Russian oil are set to rise about 20% this month to 1.9 million barrels per day, according to estimates from commodities data firm Kpler, as Russia ramps up exports after Ukrainian drones hit its refineries.

Israel launches fresh air raids on Rafah, violating ceasefire terms again

Israel, which has reportedly breached the Gaza ceasefire
Israel, which has reportedly breached the Gaza ceasefire agreement 47 times so far, carried out fresh airstrikes on Rafah on Sunday, sparking concerns over possible casualties.

Earlier in the day, an Israeli tank shell struck a bus in northern Gaza, killing 11 Palestinians.

Meanwhile, Hamas has firmly denied the U.S. allegations that it was plotting attacks on civilians, calling the claims baseless and politically motivated.

Hamas said it did not violate the ceasefire accord.

Saturday, October 18, 2025

Over 70 Militants Killed in Precision Airstrikes in Paktika

Over 70 Militants Killed in Precision Airstrikes in Paktika
More than seventy Khwarij belonging to Gul Bahadur group, including key Khwariji leader Farman alias Al-Karamah, have been killed during effective precision strikes on terrorist hideouts of Khwariji Gul Bahadur group in the areas of Paktika.

According to credible intelligence sources, these strikes were carried out in the night of 17th of October.

According to security officials, the Khwariji Gul Bahadur group is involved in major and numerous acts of terrorism in Pakistan while infiltrating from Afghanistan.

On October 17, the same group also carried out a failed VBIED attack in Khadi area of North Waziristan, in which three women, two children and a jawan were martyred.

Moreover, other Khwariji leaders Gulab alis Deewana, Rehmani, Adil,Siddiqullah Dawar, Ghazi Maddah Khel, Muqarrab, Qismat Ullah and Fazal-ur-Rehman were also killed in the attacks.

Khwariji Fazal-ur-Rehman is the close relative of Gul Bahadur. Similarly, Khwariji Ashiq Ullah alias Kausar and Younus were also killed in these strikes. 

The security officials termed the killing of important Khwarji leaders as a significant and big success

Meta announces closure of Messenger desktop apps

Meta has announced plans to discontinue Messenger’s desktop app
Meta has announced plans to discontinue Messenger’s desktop apps for both Windows and Mac starting December 15. From December 16, users will need to use Facebook.com or Messenger.com to continue chatting on their computers, according to a report by CNET.

The report adds that Meta will issue in-app notifications to inform users as it begins winding down the desktop versions.

Messenger users will have a 60-day grace period before access is completely blocked. After that, users “will be unable to use the Mac Messenger app,” the platform’s help page states.

Meta has also urged users to enable secure storage in Messenger to preserve their chat history. Those who haven’t done so can activate it and set a PIN through the desktop app before it’s phased out.

After the transition, chat histories will remain accessible across all platforms via Facebook.com or Messenger.com.

Users who use Messenger without a Facebook account will still be able to log in directly at Messenger.com, without needing to create one.

Meta removed Messenger from Facebook in 2014, aiming to make it a separate messaging platform.

The company was also working to develop a platform that would have connected Messenger and Instagram Direct Messaging.

However, the tech company shelved the idea in 2023 for reasons unknown.

Apart from working on new technologies and features, Meta has also been focusing on improving its safety and privacy protocols.

In September, the company introduced its Teen Accounts feature across the world, including Pakistan, to provide a safer and more age-appropriate experience for teenagers.

The feature automatically limits who teens can interact with, filters the content they see, and promotes healthier screen time.

UN aid chief says rebuilding Gaza will be a 'massive challenge' after tour of devastation

Humanitarian chief on Saturday assessed the enormous challenge of restoring essential services across the war-ravaged Gaza Strip
The United Nations’ humanitarian chief on Saturday assessed the enormous challenge of restoring essential services across the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, as Israel received the remains of another hostage from the October 7 attack, marking the second week of the ceasefire.

In a small convoy of white UN vehicles, relief coordinator Tom Fletcher and his team navigated through the wreckage of demolished buildings to inspect a wastewater treatment facility in Sheikh Radwan, north of Gaza City.

“I drove through here seven or eight months ago when most of these buildings were still standing. To see this level of destruction vast stretches of the city turned into wasteland it’s absolutely heartbreaking,” Fletcher told AFP.

Once densely populated with over two million Palestinians, Gaza’s cities now lie in ruins after two years of relentless bombardment and fierce clashes between Hamas and the Israeli army.

A little over a week after U.S. President Donald Trump helped broker the truce, the main border crossing with Egypt remains closed, though hundreds of aid trucks continue to enter daily through Israeli checkpoints to distribute relief supplies.

Hamas has returned the last 20 living hostages in its custody and has begun transferring the remains of 28 others who died during captivity.

On Friday night, it handed over the body of Eliyahu Margalit, 75, who was killed in the October 2023 attack that triggered the Gaza war.

Digging latrines

Surveying the damaged pumping equipment and a grim lake of sewage at the Sheikh Radwan wastewater plant, Fletcher said the task ahead for the UN and aid agencies was a "massive, massive job".

The British diplomat said he had met residents returning to destroyed homes trying to dig latrines in the ruins.

"They're telling me most of all they want dignity," he said. "We've got to get the power back on so we can start to get the sanitation system back in place.

"We have a massive 60 day plan now to surge in food, get a million meals out there a day, start to rebuild the health sector, bring in tents for the winter, get hundreds of thousands of kids back into school."

According to figures supplied to mediators by the Israeli military's civil affairs agency and released by the UN humanitarian office, on Thursday some 950 trucks carrying aid and commercial supplies crossed into Gaza from Israel.

Relief agencies have called for the Rafah border crossing from Egypt to be reopened to speed the flow of food, fuel and medicines, and Turkey has a team of rescue specialists waiting at the border to help find bodies in the rubble.
- Hostage remains -
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the ceasefire but is under pressure at home to restrict access to Gaza until the remaining bodies of the hostages taken during Hamas's brutal attacks have been returned.

On Saturday, his office confirmed that the latest body, returned by Hamas via the Red Cross on Friday night, had been identified as Margalit, the elderly farmer who was known to his friends at the Nir Oz kibbutz as "Churchill".

"He was a cowboy at heart, and for many years managed the cattle branch and the horse stables of Nir Oz," said the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a support group founded by relatives of the hostages.

"He was connected to the 'Riders of the South' group whose members shared a love of horseback riding for over 50 years. On October 7, he went out to feed his beloved horses and was kidnapped from the stable."

Margalit had been married with three children and three grandchildren. His daughter Nili Margalit, also taken hostage, was freed during the war's first brief truce in November 2023.

In a statement confirming he had been identified and his remains returned to his family, Netanyahu's office said "we will not compromise ... and will spare no effort until we return all of the fallen abductees, down to the last one".

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said on Friday that the group "continues to uphold its commitment to the ceasefire agreement... and it will continue working to complete the full prisoner exchange process".

Under the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, negotiated by Trump and regional mediators, the Palestinian militant group has returned all 20 surviving hostages and the remains of 10 out of 28 deceased ones.

Samsung to produce 8nm chips for Hyundai’s next-generation vehicles

Hyundai Motor Company
After landing chip manufacturing contracts from Apple and Tesla, South Korean tech giant Samsung has reportedly secured yet another major deal this time with Hyundai Motor Company to produce semiconductor chips for its upcoming vehicle lineup.

According to a report by ZDNet Korea, Samsung Foundry has won the order to manufacture 8nm automotive chips designed by Hyundai for its future models.

The new chip, developed in-house by Hyundai, is reportedly part of the company’s push toward autonomous driving technology.

Development is expected to conclude by 2028, while mass production is planned to begin in 2030.

Although earlier reports suggested Hyundai was working with Samsung on 5nm self-driving chips, that project has been delayed until next year.

The upcoming 8nm chip will reportedly debut in premium vehicles, particularly under Hyundai’s luxury brand Genesis.

Sources indicate that Hyundai opted for the 8nm process because it strikes a balance between performance and cost-efficiency, offering near-5nm capabilities at a lower expense.

The chips are expected to be used across multiple brands  Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis  while the 5nm variant will be reserved for top-tier models.

This deal marks a strategic win for Samsung Foundry, which has long sought to close the gap with Taiwan’s TSMC. After losing major clients like Nvidia and Qualcomm in recent years, Samsung is now regaining ground with a growing list of high-profile customers in the automotive and tech sectors.a

With a new strategy, the company is aiming to attract brands for its 2nm process node.

It has reportedly sent a sample chip to Qualcomm.

If Qualcomm is satisfied with the performance and stability of Samsung’s version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, it could be mass-produced next year and used in some Galaxy phones.

However, the company does not want to rely solely on smartphone chips. Recently, it has been working to secure chip orders from various companies, including AI chip makers (Preferred Networks (PFN), Rebellions, and Tenstorrent), automotive parts manufacturers (Valens Semiconductor), and automakers (Hyundai and Tesla).

Friday, October 17, 2025

Solving the Pakistan-Afghanistan Conflict Is Easy for Me: Says Trump

US President Donald Trump
US President Donald Trump described the ongoing Afghanistan-Pakistan conflict as “an easy one” for him to resolve, emphasizing his pride in saving lives and preventing wars.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Washington on Saturday, Trump said, “This is pretty much the last one, although I understand Pakistan is involved in an attack with Afghanistan.

That’s an easy one for me to solve if I have to. In the meantime, I have to run the USA, but I love solving wars.”

Trump highlighted his track record, saying, “I like stopping people from being killed. I’ve saved millions and millions of lives, and I think we’re going to have success with this war.”

He also referenced Pakistan’s Prime Minister, noting that his mediation during the recent Pakistan-India conflict saved tens of millions of lives, avoiding a confrontation between two nuclear-armed nations.

Trump added that he has helped defuse eight global conflicts in the past eight months, including Pakistan-India tensions and the Gaza conflict, asserting, “All of these wars had nothing to do with us, but I saved tens of millions of lives.”

Last week, Trump had said that he was aware of the escalating tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, claiming he would address the situation once he returned from the Middle East, as he described himself as “good at solving wars.”

“This (Gaza) will be my eighth war that I have solved, and I hear there is a war now going on between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

I said, I'll have to wait till I get back. I am doing another one. Because I am good at solving wars,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he began a flight from Washington to Israel.

The US president’s statement came as Islamabad and Kabul mutually agreed to extend the temporary truce until the conclusion of planned talks in Doha.

Scientists develop computers powered by human mini-brains

Human brains are used as livinf computer processors
Inside a research lab nestled in the scenic Swiss town of Vevey, scientists are keeping small clusters of human brain cells alive in a nutrient-rich solution — not for medical study, but to power computers.

These “mini-brains” must remain healthy at all times, as they serve as living computer processors and unlike laptops or servers, once they die, there’s no restarting them.

The emerging field, known as biocomputing or “wetware,” seeks to tap into the extraordinary and still largely mysterious computing potential of the human brain.

During a tour of the Swiss start-up FinalSpark, co-founder Fred Jordan told AFP that he envisions a future where biological processors replace the silicon chips driving today’s artificial intelligence revolution.

Currently, the supercomputers that power AI systems like ChatGPT rely on semiconductor chips designed to imitate neurons and brain networks.

“Instead of mimicking the brain, why not use the real thing?” Jordan said.

One of the biggest promises of biocomputing lies in its energy efficiency. As AI’s growing power demands strain energy grids and push emissions higher, biological processors could provide a sustainable alternative.

“Biological neurons are up to a million times more energy efficient than artificial ones,” Jordan explained, noting that they can also be cultivated indefinitely in the lab unlike the increasingly scarce AI chips made by companies like Nvidia.

For now, however, wetware remains in its infancy far from rivaling the raw computational strength of today’s hardware-driven world, but potentially pointing the way toward the next frontier in computing.

And another question lingers: could these tiny brains become conscious?

Brain power

To make its "bioprocessors," FinalSpark first purchases stem cells. These cells, which were originally human skin cells from anonymous human donors, can become any cell in the body.

FinalSpark's scientists then turn them into neurons, which are collected into millimetre-wide clumps called brain organoids.

They are around the size of the brain of a fruit fly larvae, Jordan said.

Electrodes are attached to the organoids in the lab, which allow the scientists to "spy on their internal discussion," he explained.

The scientists can also stimulate the organoids with a small electric current. Whether they respond with a spike in activity or not is roughly the equivalent of the ones or zeroes in traditional computing.

Ten universities around the world are conducting experiments using FinalSpark's organoids -- the small company's website even has a live feed of the neurons at work.

Benjamin Ward-Cherrier, a researcher at the University of Bristol, used one of the organoids as the brain of a simple robot that managed to distinguish between different braille letters.

There are many challenges, including encoding the data in a way the organoid might understand -- then trying to interpret what the brain cells "spit out," he told AFP.

"Working with robots is very easy by comparison," Ward-Cherrier said with a laugh.

"There's also the fact that they are living cells and that means that they do die," he added.

Indeed, Ward-Cherrier was halfway through an experiment when the organoid died and his team had to start over.

FinalSpark says the organoids live for up to six months.

At Johns Hopkins University in the United States, researcher Lena Smirnova is using similar organoids to study brain conditions such as autism and Alzheimer's disease in the hopes of finding new treatments.

Biocomputing is currently more "pie in the sky," unlike the "low-hanging fruit" use of the technology for biomedical research but that could change dramatically over the next 20 years, she told AFP.

Do organoids dream of electric sheep?

All the scientists AFP spoke to dismissed the idea that these tiny balls of cells in petri dishes were at risk of developing anything resembling consciousness.

Jordan acknowledged that "this is at the edge of philosophy," which is why FinalSpark collaborates with ethicists.

He also pointed out that the organoids which lack pain receptors have around 10,000 neurons, compared to a human brain's 100 billion.

However much about our brains, including how they create consciousness, remains a mystery.

That is why Ward-Cherrier hopes that beyond computer processing biocomputing will ultimately reveal more about how our brains work.

Back in the lab, Jordan opens the door of what looks like a big fridge containing 16 brain organoids in a tangle of tubes.

Lines suddenly start spiking on the screen next to the incubator, indicating significant neural activity.

The brain cells have no known way of sensing that their door has been opened, and the scientists have spent years trying to figure why this happens.

"We still don't understand how they detect the opening of the door," Jordan admitted.