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JOHANNESBURG: A world record run of 18 consecutive victories has set up Achraf Hakimi-inspired Morocco perfectly for their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign on home soil. The streak began in June 2024 when they edged Zambia 2-1 in a 2026 World Cup qualifier, with the most recent a 4-0 hammering of Uganda last month in a friendly. Spain had held the record since 2009 with 15 wins – a mark Morocco overtook by defeating Congo Brazzaville 1-0 two months ago in another World Cup qualifier. Morocco have scored 55 goals in the 18 matches and conceded just four,…

SAPPORO: A big quake off Japan injured at least 30 people, authorities said Tuesday, damaging roads and knocking out power for thousands in freezing temperatures. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the magnitude 7.5 quake at 11:15 pm on Monday (1415 GMT) – downgraded from its first reading of 7.6 – raised the chances of similar or larger tremors in the coming days. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said 30 people were injured in the quake off the coast of the northern Aomori region, which triggered tsunami waves up to 70 centimetres (28 inches). Daiki Shimohata, 33, a civil servant in Hashikami on Honshu…

BEIJING: China’s Premier Li Qiang said on Tuesday the “mutually destructive consequences of tariffs have become increasingly evident” over 2025, in remarks at a “1+10 Dialogue” including the heads of the IMF, World Trade Organization and World Bank. Without naming US President Donald Trump, China’s second-highest ranking official told the meeting in Beijing that greater effort was needed to reform global economic governance due to the trade barriers. China’s trade surplus topped $1 trillion for the first time in November, trade data showed on Monday, which economists say is linked to Trump’s tariffs diverting shipments from the world’s second-largest economy…

WhatsApp has started testing a new chat history sharing feature, allowing new members joining a group to view previous conversations. Reports said new members will have access to up to 24 hours of recent chat history, with a maximum message limit of 1,000 to ensure optimal performance. Group administrators will have the option to enable or disable this feature, allowing them to decide whether chat history should be shared based on group policies. WhatsApp ensures that all shared chat history will remain end-to-end encrypted, meaning that as soon as new members join, the messages will automatically be re-encrypted and delivered…

BRUSSELS : Meta’s (META.O) proposal to use less personal data for targeted advertising in its pay-or-consent model that will be rolled out next month won the approval of EU antitrust regulators on Monday, signaling the company will not face daily fines after all. The Meta investigation underscores Europe’s continued crackdown on Big Tech despite U.S. criticism, and its willingness to settle cases rather than levy hefty fines when possible to avoid escalating trans-Atlantic tensions. The U.S. tech giant has been locked in discussions with the European Commission after getting hit with a 200 million euro ($233 million) fine in April…

RAWALPINDI : Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has issued a sharp warning to India, declaring that Pakistan’s future response to any aggression would be “even more swift and intense.” The remarks came during his address to officers from all three armed services at General Headquarters following a guard of honour marking his appointment as Pakistan’s first Chief of Defence Forces. He said India must not remain under any illusions, adding that Pakistan’s reply in the event of hostilities would surpass previous responses in severity. His comments echoed the warning issued earlier…

Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto on Monday was given a red-carpet welcome upon his arrival in Islamabad on a two-day official visit from December 8 to 9. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received President Subianto upon his arrival at Nur Khan Airbase. Accompanied by a high-level delegation including key ministers and senior officials, Indonesian president will discuss a wide-ranging agenda aimed at further strengthening bilateral relations with Pakistan. During his stay, the Foreign Office said, President Subianto will hold delegation-level talks with PM Shehbaz. He will also meet President Zardari, and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal…

THAILAND : Fighting has reignited between Thailand and Cambodia in multiple areas at their disputed border, with both sides blaming the other and Thailand carrying out air strikes on what it said were Cambodian military installations. The latest flare-up will be a major test of a ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump in July. WHAT IS THE CURRENT SITUATION? Conflict erupted before dawn on Monday, with clashes in five border locations, according to Thailand’s army. Cambodia’s defence ministry said its forces came under attack but had not retaliated and were respecting the ceasefire after “numerous provocative actions” by Thailand.…

Benin President Patrice Talon said on Sunday that the West African nation’s government and armed forces had thwarted a coup attempt by a group of soldiers and vowed to punish them. Talon’s announcement on Sunday evening came about 12 hours after gunfire first rang out in several neighbourhoods of Cotonou, the country’s biggest city and commercial hub, and soldiers went on state television to say they had removed Talon from power. Forces loyal to Talon “stood firm, recaptured our positions, and cleared the last pockets of resistance held by the mutineers,” Talon said in his own televised statement. “This commitment…

After the results of the election of the eighth-term Legislative Council (LegCo) of China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) were unveiled early on Monday, a spokesperson from the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council lauded the election as an important achievement of milestone significance in further consolidating and developing high-quality democracy that aligns with the “One Country, Two Systems” principle, complies with the Constitution and the Basic Law and suits Hong Kong’s actual circumstances. The election process was safe, smooth and orderly. Voter turnout in the Election Committee constituency, functional constituencies and geographical constituencies all…