Two trains collided south of the Egyptian capital on Sunday, derailing several carriages, killing four and injuring dozens, according to the authorities.
Egypt’s railway authority said a train travelling from Giza to Fayoum crashed into the rear of another service heading south from Cairo to the city of Aswan.
The health ministry said an initial count put the toll from the crash at four passengers killed, with 88 others currently being treated for injuries in hospitals around the Giza area.
State-owned media had earlier reported 120 people were wounded, without clarifying the degree of injury.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said he was following the accident “with great concern”, and had directed authorities to conduct an urgent investigation to “hold accountable anyone found to have been negligent”.
Emergency crews used cranes to remove the wreckage, the authority said.
Authorities said they had launched an investigation into the cause of the crash, which occurred in Giza’s Al-Ayyat area, the site of Egypt’s worst-ever rail disaster.
In 2002, more than 370 people were killed when a fire swept through a train carrying holiday travellers south of Cairo.
In 2009, multiple train crashes in the area killed dozens.
Egypt’s 110 million people depend heavily on rail transport, but the network — one of the largest in Africa — has suffered repeated deadly accidents.
Over the past decade, Egypt has poured billions of dollars into updating its transport infrastructure, including new highways and high-speed rail lines, but has yet to overhaul much of its ageing rail network.
US President Donald Trump’s decision to elevate loyalist Stephen Miller to run his White House indicates that he plans to ramp up confrontation in his final two years in office and block outside political and economic pressures, Trump administration officials and other Republicans say.
Voters delivered a historic rebuke to Republicans in Tuesday’s midterm election, but with Miller as White House chief of staff, the Trump administration is expected to continue its aggressive immigration crackdown, amplify cultural conflicts and give no ground to a Democratic-controlled Congress, say officials and experts who spoke to Reuters.
They say wavering Republicans will face increased pressure to stay in line, while businesses may have a harder time making their case to the White House.
“This signals the administration is going to have a fighting-from-a-bunker approach the last two years,” said Dan Eberhart, a Trump donor and energy executive.
Although Trump has said he can work with Democrats, he has shown a feisty approach since the midterm election results became clear.
On Saturday, he ordered the Justice Department to “look into” Democrats whom he accused of sending “threatening letters” to Republican donors and other Trump allies.
The president also offered the job of White House press secretary to combat sports promoter Dana White.
‘This man saved America’
Miller, 41, marks a sharp contrast with outgoing chief of staff Susie Wiles, a former lobbyist who ran Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.
Wiles lacked significant Washington experience but was seen as a deft manager of competing interests.
Miller, by contrast, is regarded by allies and foes alike as a combative ideologue with a deep knowledge of the levers of power and an unswerving loyalty to Trump.
“If it wasn’t for President Trump, the United States of America would not exist right now. This man saved America,” Miller said at an event at Trump’s Florida estate on Friday.
Miller joined Trump’s first presidential campaign in 2016 and served throughout his two terms in the White House. He is best known for driving Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown, which has galvanised Trump’s supporters but alienated many voters.
Only 37 per cent approve of Trump’s handling of immigration, according to an October Reuters/Ipsos poll, down from 50pc when he took office.
Still, four US immigration officials told Reuters that there have been no signs that the administration will let up. “Nothing is changing, same quotas,” said one official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska, an occasional Trump critic who is retiring, told Reuters that Miller “was in denial” as he and other Republican lawmakers tried to warn him before the election that Trump’s immigration and tariff policies were driving away voters.
“We said, ‘You’re going to give us a bad midterm election,’ and he rejected it,” Bacon said.
‘Doubling down on a failed strategy’
The White House said Miller will continue to deliver “historic successes” in his new role, but Bacon said most of his peers in the House view it as “doubling down on a failed strategy”.
“It’s going over like a lead balloon in most of Congress,” Bacon said of Miller’s appointment.
Miller has also overseen Trump’s executive orders, giving him an expansive understanding of the administrative tools available to the president.
Several people interviewed for this story said they expect the White House to rely on executive orders more extensively rather than working with lawmakers.
Republican legislators will face pressure to stick with Trump through Democratic-led investigations to come, even if they damage the party as a whole.
“Those on Capitol Hill looking to break away from the Trump administration will know that Stephen Miller is not going to sit idly by and watch that happen,“ said Republican strategist Ron Bonjean.
Ending the Mideast war?
As well as the domestic issues he has focused on for most of his career, Miller now will have a greater say in foreign affairs.
Miller opposes prolonging the war with Iran, according to three sources familiar with his thinking who spoke on condition of anonymity, but he strongly supports Israel — potentially putting him at odds with a president who has threatened to resume strikes on Iran and announced he will end aid to Jerusalem.
Miller’s elevation also has unnerved some corporate lobbyists, who worry he will not be as responsive to their issues as Wiles, who cultivated relationships with top executives.
“This will be a big change,” said a senior lobbyist at a Trump-aligned firm who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“Miller is there to focus on political priorities, like immigration and tariffs, stuff Trump cares about, and won’t have the same approach as Susie, who understood policies have unintended consequences.”
Miller’s appointment was met with praise from senior cabinet officials and political supporters, who described him as the fighter they will need in Trump’s final stretch.
“I think Donald Trump has found his wartime consigliere,” Trump ally Roger Stone told Reuters.
KARACHI: Wheeling its way between dining booths at a neon-lit restaurant in Pakistan’s Karachi megacity, a robot waitress drops off a fresh pizza to an awaiting family.
While global buzz is growing around agile humanoids made in the United States, China and elsewhere, robotic staff are a rare sight in the South Asian country.
“Welcome to Sicilian. My name is Robia,” the waitress says in an electronic voice, looking down at diners through blinking red LED eyes.
Robia and her colleague Jojo are the DIY creations of Pakistani engineer Syed Osama Aziz, who is bringing a sci-fi reboot to Karachi’s storied dining scene.
They have spherical white heads and dark visors, similar to a motorcycle helmet, and sport black shawls around their neck in the style of a dupatta worn by women in the region.
This photograph taken on October 2, 2026 shows Robia (R) and Jojo (2R), humanoid robot waitresses serving customers at The Sicilian restaurant in Karachi. Photo: AFP
Aziz, who also established The Sicilian restaurant, developed the machines using mostly locally manufactured parts, designing their circuit boards and programming them in his own lab.
“The equipment, the things needed to make robots, are not so easily available here, so we had to arrange them,” he told AFP.
The duo were developed through his robotics company, Cobot, with help from friends and some electronic components imported from abroad.
In China and other East Asian countries especially, robots are an increasingly common sight, shuttling food to customers in chain restaurants and taking on other jobs from cleaning to greeting hotel guests.
But they remain a novelty in Pakistan, where Aziz’s home-grown creations are attracting curious diners.
When they arrive at a table, the customers must either take the food off their serving tray themselves or wait for a human member of staff to assist them.
Excited customers
Aziz, whose workshop manufacturing the robots is located in Multan in Pakistan’s central Punjab province, hopes to make his creations more sophisticated in the future.
“Our plans are to add camera-based processing and image-processing features,” he said.
This photograph taken on October 2, 2026 shows Robia, a humanoid robot waitress serving customers at The Sicilian restaurant in Karachi. Photo: AFP
“That means the robot will also recognise you by looking at you, and it will remember what you ordered last time, and accordingly it will be able to give you better suggestions.”
For now, the robots are proving a hit with families, who flock to the restaurant to watch the machines in action.
“The best thing about it is that it introduces itself,” excited customer Ahmer Zameer told AFP, explaining the robot also “tells you what things you can order”.
Children reach out to touch the robots while their parents snap photographs and selfies.
Young customer Sonia Dilosker said she was impressed by the androids’ appearance and preferred their approach to serving customers, “because it is a machine and without any emotions”.
This photograph taken on October 2, 2026 shows a staff passing food orders to Robia, a humanoid robot waitress at The Sicilian restaurant in Karachi. Photo: AFP
Restaurant staff say the novelty has brought a surge in customers – some travelling from across the sprawling port city to meet the robots.
“Our business has grown. People are coming from far away for this. They have seen a robot for the first time here,” staff member Hellen told AFP.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthis said it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis group towards Riyadh on Sunday, after loud booms were heard in the Saudi capital.
Saudi Civil Defence had issued an alert in the Riyadh region shortly before the booms, a Reuters witness said. Authorities later announced that the risk of danger had passed.
Later, the coalition said it intercepted and destroyed two cruise missiles in Riyadh and the southern region.
Fighting between the sides has shattered a 2022 UN-brokered truce, after Saudi Arabia led a coalition of Arab states into Yemen in 2015 to restore the internationally recognised government following the Houthis’ seizure of the capital Sanaa.
The renewed fighting has become a front in the wider Middle East war triggered by US and Israeli attacks on Iran in February.
The Houthis have targeted Saudi airports, ports and oil facilities with missiles and drones since hostilities resumed in July, while Saudi Arabia has carried out airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.
The latest incident comes a day after Yemen’s Houthi-run health ministry said Saudi airstrikes killed at least 33 people near Sanaa. Saudi authorities said they were investigating.
Hamza Zahoor produced a match-winning unbeaten century as Pakistan Under-19 defeated arch-rivals India by three wickets in a thrilling Group ‘A’ encounter of the ACC Men’s Under-19 Asia Cup at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Muscat on Sunday.
Chasing 209, Pakistan reached the target in 48.1 overs, finishing on 211 for seven, with Hamza holding his nerve under pressure to steer his side home.
The wicket-keeper-batter remained unbeaten on 100 off 108 balls, striking 10 fours and three sixes, and was named Player of the Match.
Pakistan’s chase, however, was far from straightforward as India’s bowlers made early inroads to reduce them to 61 for five. Hamza then joined Hasnain Abbas Dar, who contributed 38, to revive the innings with a crucial partnership.
With wickets falling at the other end, Hamza showed remarkable composure, combining caution with timely aggression to keep Pakistan on course. He eventually guided the lower order across the finish line with 11 balls to spare, completing a memorable century in the process.
Earlier, India, after electing to bat, were bowled out for 208 in 46.3 overs. Their innings got off to a disastrous start when captain and opener Lakshya Rajesh Raichandani was dismissed for a duck off the second ball.
India slipped further to 22 for three, leaving their middle order under considerable pressure.
Arjun Rajput then mounted a spirited recovery with an outstanding 107 off 85 deliveries, hitting 11 fours and five sixes.
However, the right-hander received little support from the other end as Pakistan’s bowlers maintained pressure and regularly picked up wickets to restrict India to a modest total.
Ali Raza, Rizwanullah and Niqab Shafiq shared the spoils with three wickets apiece, while Mohammad Sayyam claimed one.
The victory takes Pakistan to the top of Group ‘A’ with four points from two matches, having registered back-to-back wins.
India, meanwhile, have two points from as many games, with one victory and one defeat.
Both teams have one group fixture remaining, with the top two sides advancing to the semi-finals.
SYLHET: Kavem Hodge hit an unbeaten 140 to extend West Indies’ lead to 315 on the fourth day of the second Test against Bangladesh in Sylhet on Sunday.
West Indies reached 345-3 in their second innings when bad light halted play, with Hodge hitting 17 fours and a six off 189 balls and Amir Jangoo also unbeaten on 20.
Hodge, who scored his third Test century and passed his previous highest score, was backed by opener Brandon King, who made 61, and debutant Kevin Wickham, who scored 78 for his second half-century of the match.
West Indies resumed the day on 7-0, trailing by 23 runs.
King and Joshua Da Silva put on 85 for the opening wicket, before Taijul Islam trapped Da Silva lbw for 36.
King continued to attack, reaching his half-century off 62 balls.
He was dropped by Towhid Hridoy on 56 off Taijul before Mehidy Hasan Miraz dismissed him for 61 off 84 balls, caught by Najmul Hossain Shanto at first slip.
West Indies went to lunch on 128-2, with Hodge and Wickham at the crease and their lead at 98.
‘Chaseable’
Hodge reached his half-century off 78 balls, while Wickham needed 68 deliveries to bring up his second fifty of the match. The pair took West Indies to tea at 259-2, with their lead extended to 229.
Hodge completed his century after the break, reaching the milestone off 142 balls with 11 fours and a six.
Hodge said he was pleased to contribute after failing to convert a start in the first Test in Dhaka, adding that the West Indies would assess conditions before deciding when to declare.
“It’s always nice to contribute to the team,” he said. “We just have to come tomorrow and assess … play it by ear and keep going moment by moment.”
Taijul broke their 165-run partnership, dismissing Wickham for a career-best 78 off 107 balls after he chipped the ball back to the bowler. West Indies were 284-3 when Wickham departed.
Bangladesh missed another chance to remove Hodge when captain Shanto dropped him off Nayeem Hasan on 117.
Jangoo, who scored a century in the first innings, joined Hodge and helped push the West Indies lead beyond 300.
Hridoy was confident Bangladesh had a strong chance on the final day, saying the pitch remained good for batting.
“If we can get a good start, 350 is chaseable, in my opinion,” he said. “But as I said, the start is very important.”
Polling for by-elections in two Punjab constituencies — Gujranwala’s NA-77 and Sahiwal’s PP-203 — concluded on Sunday.
Both seats had fallen vacant after the deaths of their respective lawmakers in September. Polling began at 8am and continued till 5pm, with those present inside the polling stations at that time allowed to cast their votes.
NA-77 fell vacant following the death of five-time MNA Chaudhry Mehmood Bashir Virk on Sept 11 after a prolonged illness. His son, Rashid Basheer Virk, is among the candidates contesting the by-election.
Rashid and 17 other candidates have filed nomination papers to contest the constituency, but opposition parties, including the PTI, PPP and Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), have not opted for the by-election.
While the polling was under way, notices, copies of which are available with Dawn, were issued to Punjab MPA Qudsia Batool, MNA Saira Afzal Tarar and Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Culture Shazia Rizwan for alleged violation of the Code of Conduct after reports emerged on social media that the three had visited various polling stations within NA-77, a statement issued by the office of the provincial election commissioner said.
Notices were also issued over alleged violations of the Code of Conduct to MNA Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar and MPA Hina Arshad Warraich for allegedly visiting polling stations.
The officials were directed to appear at the Election Complex in Gujranwala for an explanation at 3pm.
Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja also visited the provincial election chief’s office, where he was briefed on the polling process in both constituencies, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said.
Meanwhile, PML-N leader and Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari claimed in a post on X that supporters of Markazi Muslim League (PMML) candidate Qazi Ibrahim Gujjar were caught “openly stamping ballots” with the election commission staff present.
On Saturday, ECP took notice of an alleged violation of the Code of Conduct by Information Minister Attaullah Tarar during by-election campaigning in NA-77.
According to the ECP, the minister visited the constituency by helicopter and addressed a campaign event for Rashid, violating a provision in the Code of Conduct, which bars public office holders from participating in campaign activities.
The commission has sought a report from the district monitoring officer and the district returning officer to inquire into the matter. It has also directed the minister to appear before the commission in person.
The ECP also said that the result of the constituency could be withheld until a final decision is made on the matter.
PP-203
In Sahiwal’s PP-203, the by-poll was held following the death of PML-N MPA Chaudhry Muhammad Hanif Jutt. This is the second time that a by-election was held in the constituency after the 2024 general elections.
The seat was initially won by independent candidate Rai Murtaza Iqbal, backed by the PTI, with 55,874 votes against Jutt, who polled 35,163 votes.
However, Iqbal, along with four other PTI-backed parliamentarians, was disqualified and denotified by the ECP following their conviction by an anti-terrorism court in Faisalabad on July 31.
Subsequently, the ECP scheduled a by-election for Nov 23, 2025, which was won by Jutt with 46,820 votes. His closest rival, independent candidate Falik Sher, secured 10,975 votes.
Jutt died of cardiac arrest on Sept 17 this year, necessitating Sunday’s by-election in the constituency.
Around 1,370 polling personnel, including 574 women and 796 men, were deputed at 185 polling stations across the constituency.
Meanwhile, District Police Officer Usman Tipu said 1,100 personnel had been deployed to ensure security during the by-election.
A total of 185 polling stations had been established in the constituency, including 11 in Category A, 37 in Category B and 137 in Category C.
A comprehensive traffic management plan had also been devised, with more than 65 personnel assigned duties.
Pakistan revived their semi-final hopes in the SAFF Championship with a commanding 3-0 victory over Maldives in their second Group B fixture at the National Football Stadium in Dhaka on Sunday.
A first-half brace from Najeebullah Bettani, alongside an early penalty converted by McKeal Aroon Abdullah, helped Pakistan register their first victory of the tournament and put themselves in a strong position to qualify for the last four.
Pakistan made an aggressive start and took the lead in the fourth minute when they were awarded a penalty.
McKeal Abdullah stepped up and calmly converted from the spot to give the Green Shirts an early advantage.
Pakistan continued to press forward and doubled their lead through Najeebullah, who produced a well-timed finish after Junaid Shah delivered an excellent cross from the left.
Najeebullah made a perfectly timed run into the box, got ahead of his marker and poked the ball home.
The forward then completed his brace with a superb individual effort. With Pakistan defending deep in their own half, the ball was cleared upfield, where Najeebullah brought it under control on the right before unleashing a powerful strike past the helpless Maldives goalkeeper.
Pakistan’s three-goal advantage at half-time reflected their attacking efficiency, with the side making the most of their opportunities to put the contest beyond their opponents.
Despite enjoying slightly more possession, Maldives struggled to translate it into meaningful attacking opportunities.
Pakistan, meanwhile, were more threatening in front of goal, registering 15 shots, including five on target, compared to Maldives’ seven attempts, only one of which tested the goalkeeper.
Both sides pushed for more goals after the interval, but neither could find the breakthrough as the second half ended goalless, leaving Pakistan with a convincing 3-0 victory.
The result marked a significant response from Pakistan following their 3-2 defeat against arch-rivals India in their opening Group B encounter on November 5.
Pakistan had trailed 3-0 at half-time in that match before producing a spirited late comeback.
Najeebullah and Alamgir Ghazi scored in stoppage time to reduce the deficit, but India held on to secure all three points.
The 2026 SAFF Championship, running from Nov 5 to 17 in Bangladesh, features six participating teams divided into two groups. Group ‘B’ comprises Pakistan, India and Maldives, while hosts Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan are in Group ‘A’.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals.
With their victory over Maldives, Pakistan have moved into a stronger position in the qualification race but must now wait for the outcome of the remaining Group ‘B’ fixture between India and Maldives, scheduled for Nov 11.
Maldives will need a substantial victory over India to overtake Pakistan in the group standings and secure qualification.
Otherwise, Pakistan and India will progress to the semi-finals.
For Pakistan, the emphatic win provides a timely boost after their opening defeat and puts them within touching distance of a place in the last four.
An Aramco building in Riyadh was targeted in an “attempted attack”, the Saudi energy ministry said on Sunday, with eyewitnesses telling AFP the skyscraper sustained damage, after the Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthis said it had intercepted missiles launched by the group.
Aramco facilities and infrastructure have been repeatedly struck by the Houthis rebels in Yemen in recent months, with tankers, refineries, storage areas and the company headquarters all targeted by the group.
The energy ministry said in a statement that “an administrative building belonging to Saudi Aramco in Riyadh was subjected to an attempted attack today”.
“The incident resulted in falling shrapnel that caused minor damage to the building, with no injuries or fatalities reported, thankfully.”
“Aramco tower in KAFD has been targeted, that’s the sure thing,” an eyewitness told AFP, referring to the King Abdullah Financial District. Two other witnesses confirmed seeing damage to the building.
The Houthis seized the Yemeni capital Sanaa in 2014.
A 2022 truce that had paused fighting in the long-running conflict fell apart in July, and Saudi Arabia has since traded blows with the Houthis, who have struck Saudi airports, energy infrastructure and military sites.
KAFD is one of the most visible manifestations of the kingdom’s ongoing economic and social reforms drive, with towering glass skyscrapers, high-end retail outlets and green spaces dotting the area.
The area is home to some of the kingdom’s biggest homegrown companies and blue-chip international firms like Goldman Sachs.
The headquarters of the kingdom’s influential sovereign wealth fund — the Public Investment Fund — and the Saudi stock exchange are also located in the heart of the district.
Targeting the area, which is also home to residential housing and a large metro station with heavy commuter traffic during the morning rush hour, would mark a major escalation in the kingdom’s fight with the Houthis.
Loud explosions heard
The attack came hours after the kingdom’s education ministry announced, late on Saturday, the return of in-person schooling after weeks of remote learning in Riyadh following an earlier wave of strikes.
Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki, in a Sunday morning social media post, said that “air defences intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi terrorist militia towards Riyadh”, as loud explosions were heard in the Saudi capital.
The kingdom has been pressing allies for help as it comes under daily fire from the Houthis that recently seized swathes of the Red Sea coastline from the Yemeni government.
Islamabad, which has two mutual defence pacts with Riyadh, has condemned Houthi attacks multiple times, terming them a grave violation of the kingdom’s sovereignty.
Under the Makkah Defence Alliance, Pakistani, Saudi and Turkish leaders met in Riyadh and agreed to deploy military forces and capabilities rapidly in the kingdom.
Pakistan is providing “whatever support is needed” to defend Saudi Arabia amid the Houthi attacks, the military’s spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said in mid-October.
However, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) director general also clarified that all members of the Makkah Defence Alliance were “absolutely clear […] that this alliance has no offensive intent; it is purely defensive”.
The United Nations says more than 1,600 people have been killed and more than 300,000 displaced since fighting resumed in impoverished Yemen.
The fragile 2022 truce fell apart after the Houthis allowed an Iranian plane to land in Yemen’s capital Sanaa in defiance of Saudi control over Yemeni airspace, setting off a spate of attacks.
Later, the Houthis declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and began hitting its ships, territory and oil facilities, before seizing Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast in a lightning campaign.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday met Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif at Jati Umra in Lahore to discuss the country’s political situation, economic affairs and other key issues.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Shehbaz briefed Nawaz on the law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and recent government initiatives aimed at promoting the province’s development and prosperity.
The prime minister also updated the PML-N leader on ongoing government reforms, particularly economic reforms, the challenges facing the country and measures being taken to address them.
The two leaders held detailed discussions on national political affairs and steps to improve the economy.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif also attended the meeting.
