UNITED NATIONS, Nov 01 Airstrikes carried out by the United States against alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean and Pacific have drawn sharp criticism from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, who said they “violate international human rights law” and must stop immediately.

More than 60 people have reportedly been killed in the continuing series of attacks since early September “in circumstances that find no justification in international law,” Volker Turk said in a statement.

He urged the US to halt its “unacceptable” operations and take measures to prevent the “extrajudicial killing of people aboard these boats, whatever the criminal conduct alleged against them.”

The United States has defended the operations as part of its ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking and terrorism, asserting that they fall within the framework of international humanitarian law.

Turk rejected that argument, stressing that countering illicit drug trafficking is a law-enforcement matter, governed by careful limits on lethal force set out in international human rights law.

He emphasized that the intentional use of lethal force is lawful only as a last resort when individuals pose an imminent threat to life.

“Based on the very sparse information provided publicly by the US authorities, none of the individuals on the targeted boats appeared to pose an imminent threat to the lives of others or otherwise justified the use of lethal armed force against them under international law,” Mr Türk said.

The High Commissioner called for prompt, independent and transparent investigations into the reported attacks.

While acknowledging the serious challenges posed by drug trafficking, Turk urged the US to ensure that all counter-narcotics operations respect international law, including the treaties to which it is a party.

“The United States should investigate and, if necessary, prosecute and punish individuals accused of serious crimes in accordance with the fundamental rule-of-law principles of due process and fair trial, for which the US has long stood,” he added.

BEIJING, Nov 01 Pakistan’s export of tools, implements, and cutlery made of base metals to China saw a modest but steady rise of two percent in the first nine months of 2025, totaling $5.67 million compared with $5.56 million during the same period last year, China’s customs data shows.

A closer look at the data shows a mixed performance across categories. According to data from the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC), Exports of pliers, including cutting pliers, pincers, and tweezers, led the sector with $2.66 million, up from $2.15 million last year impressive rise of 23%. In contrast, exports of scissors and tailor’s shears fell to $1.31 million from $1.43 million, while safety razor blades also declined slightly to $0.98 million.

Shipments of razors, including open-blade and safety types, stood at $0.52 million, marking a decrease from $0.63 million in 2024. Despite moderate overall growth, the trend reflects Pakistan’s continued competitiveness in China’s mid-range hardware and grooming tool markets reported by CEN.

Industry analysts suggest that enhancing design quality, introducing innovative product lines, and leveraging zero-tariff advantages under the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement could further boost Pakistan’s tool exports in the coming years.

Toronto, Canada, Nov 1 The Los Angeles Dodgers, fueled by a three-run third inning and another dominant pitching performance from Yoshinobu Yamamoto, beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 on Friday to force a decisive World Series game seven.
The defending champion Dodgers had to dig deep to thwart the Blue Jays’ ninth-inning rally bid and knot Major League Baseball’s best-of-seven championship series at three games apiece.
They kept their bid for the first title repeat in 25 years alive while the Blue Jays will be aiming to claim their first title in 32 years when they host game seven on Saturday.
Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow, scheduled to start game seven, stepped in with Blue Jays runners on second and third with no outs in the ninth.
He induced a fly out from Ernie Clement before Andres Gimenez hit into a game-ending double play.
“This is do or die,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of sending in Glasnow after closer Roki Sasaki got into trouble.
“You’ve got to leave it all out there and pick up the pieces. Right there I just felt Roki wasn’t as sharp and I felt right there Glas was a guy who had swing and miss stuff and I just wanted to bet on him.”
With their backs against the wall the Dodgers seized the lead in the third inning — finally making the Blue Jays pay for intentionally walking Shohei Ohtani.
Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman gave up a one-out double to Tommy Edman and with two outs walked Ohtani.
Will Smith smacked another double to score Edman and Mookie Betts delivered a hard-hit single to left field that plated another two runs.
It was sweet redemption for Betts, who was dropped to fourth in the order after hitting just .130 in the first five games of the series.
George Springer, back for the Blue Jays after missing two games with a muscle injury in his side, pulled back a run with a single in the bottom of the third that plated Addison Barger — who led off the frame with a double.
The Blue Jays threatened with two outs in the sixth when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. belted a double to left field.
Yamamoto then walked Bo Bichette on seven pitches — his first walk issued in 15-plus innings — but the Japanese ace struck out Daulton Varsho to escape the danger.
That pushed Yamamoto’s pitch count to 96, and Dodgers turned to their bullpen to preserve the lead, Yamamoto departing after giving up one run in six innings with six strikeouts and one walk.
Reliever Justin Wrobleski pitched a scoreless seventh and Sasaki squeaked through a tense bottom of the eighth, giving up a single to Springer and walking Guerrero.
But the Blue Jays couldn’t find a way back.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office has confirmed it has no plans to introduce a law to change the line of succession, a day after King Charles stripped his younger brother Andrew of his remaining royal titles.

According to BBC, Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne and it would take an act of Parliament to formally remove him, despite being stripped of his “prince” title.It said that Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesperson said the “government does not intend to go down that road.” Charles stripped Andrew of his title of prince and evicted him from his mansion in the grounds of Windsor Castle on Thursday.

The action against the former Duke of York was initiated in response to the outrage that had built around the royal over years of damaging headlines about his behaviour.

Buckingham Palace said the censures were needed even though Andrew has continued to deny the allegations made against him.

Meanwhile, in the US. the king’s move led to more calls for Andrew to reveal all he knows about Jeffery Epstein, particularly in the light of the expression of sympathy for victims of abuse in Thursday’s statement from the palace.

The BBC said at least four Democrat members of the House Oversight Committee investigating the US government’s handling of the Epstein case had renewed calls for Andrew to testify.

South Korea and China signed seven agreements including cooperation on innovation, online crime prevention, and elderly care industries during meeting

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to assist in restarting stalled talks with nuclear-armed North Korea.

Lee hosted Xi following an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) highlighting the significance of renewed dialogue on the Korean Peninsula.

“I am very positive about the situation in which conditions for engagement with North Korea are being formed,” Lee noted, highlighting recent high-level exchanges between Beijing and Pyongyang.

Lee called Xi, who visited South Korea after 11 years, for closer strategic communication with China to “take advantage of these favourable conditions” to resume peace talks.

Xi, in remarks ahead of the summit, described South Korea as an “inseparable cooperative partner,” stressing Beijing’s desire to “jointly tackle challenges” and “widen cooperation.”

Adding to the conversation related to the improving ties between South Korea and North Korea, Chinese state media later confirmed that Xi proposed mutual respect for each country’s systems and increased collaboration in technology, green industries, and aging population initiatives.

The visit reflects the complex balance South Korea intends to maintain between its security alliance with the US and its economic dependence on China.

During the meeting, both countries agreed on “seven” agreements including a won-yuan currency swap and accords on innovation, online crime prevention, and elderly care industries.

Earlier, North Korea refused to engage with Seoul by swiftly dismissing its denuclearization plan. Furthermore, despite having strong ties with China and Russia, North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un, maintained the stance of “dialogue with the South is off the table.”

After two decades, the Grand Egyptian Museum officially opens on Saturday, November 1, becoming the world’s largest museum dedicated to a single civilization.

The museum displays ancient Egyptian artefacts including complete treasures of King Tutankhamun for the first time.

The remarkable landmark is built near iconic pyramids of Gaza, the billion-dollar colossus spans an area equivalent to 70 football pitches.

The construction of the museum has been completed after two-decades marred by financial crises, political turmoil, and ultimately Covid-19 pandemic.

The Egyptian presidency marked the opening of the museum as an “exceptional event in the history of human culture and civilization.”

The main attraction of the museum is the entire 5,000-piece collection from the tomb of the boy-king “Tutankhamun,” displayed together for the first time since its discovery.

British archaeologist and Egyptologist, Howard Carter, discovered the tomb for the first time in 1022. During the discovery, the team found spectacular burial goods providing insights into the material culture of wealthy ancient Egyptians.

Tutankhamum became one of the best-known pharaohs, and some artefacts of his tomb including his “golden funerary mask” which is considered as the best-known artworks from ancient Egypt.

For decades, only a fraction of the artefacts including the legendary gold mask were on display at the older crowded Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

“Why this museum is so important, and everyone is waiting for the opening?” said Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s renowned former antiquities minister. “Because of Tutankhamun.”

In addition to the golden mask, a monumental 11-meter-high statue of Ramesses II is also placed at the museum entrance with a grand staircase lined with dozens of ancient statues.

The museum’s 12 main galleries house a total of 50,000 artefacts, narrating 7,000 years of history from pre-dynastic times to the Greco-Roman era.

The opening is more than a cultural milestone, it is a strategic bid to boost the Egyptian tourism sector.

The Government of Egypt hopes that GEM will attract up to 8 million visitors annually, providing a crucial source a foreign currency for the economy.

With the museum opening, calls of repatriation of key artefacts from abroad have been reignited including Rosetta stone from the British Museum, the Dendera Zodiac form the Louvre, and the Bust of Nefertiti from Berlin.