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Elena Rybakina’s withdrawal from the WTA Finals on the eve of the season-ending championships is disappointing, but the world number one needs time to recover from the physical toll of a demanding year, tournament director ​Garbine Muguruza said.

Defending champion Rybakina pulled out of the tournament on Saturday, saying she was not physically ready to compete, leaving ‌Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk to take her place in the eight-player field at Indian Wells. Tournament organizers later said a viral illness was the official reason for the withdrawal.

Muguruza, the former world number one and two-time Grand Slam champion, said she had spoken with Rybakina and that the Kazakh had been unable to recover in time after struggling with physical ​problems late in the season.

“We love Elena and we know that she was feeling so-so in Tokyo as well,” Muguruza told Reuters. “I ​spoke to her today and she really couldn’t recover on time.

“What we want is for her to feel good, ⁠to go rest, to recover. We don’t want her to feel like she has to play — only if she’s ready to.”

Rybakina, who won two ​Grand Slam titles this year, also withdrew from the Tokyo quarter-finals last month because of a neck injury.

‘Amazing field’

Rybakina’s absence deprives the event of some ​star power, but Muguruza said the round-robin format and depth of the field would ensure a high-quality tournament.

“We have the best players,” said Muguruza, who triumphed at the WTA Finals in Guadalajara in 2021.

“I know our world number one is not going to be able to play, but we have an amazing field, the very best.

“Every match could be ​a Grand Slam final. You really need to be ready. You cannot give one inch.”

Kostyuk, who is making her WTA Finals debut after a ​breakthrough season that included the Madrid title and a rise into the top 10, was already in Indian Wells as an alternate and practicing when Rybakina withdrew.

Muguruza said ‌the Ukrainian, ⁠known for her signature post-match backflip celebrations, had earned her opportunity.

“Marta is great. She’s had a breakthrough year,” Muguruza said. “With this year, we have many first-time players in the Finals, and that’s very exciting. It’s very hard to qualify.”

Kostyuk has been outspoken about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and does not shake hands with Russian or Belarusian opponents. Muguruza said the tournament would support players in making their own decisions.

“They’re free to do whatever they feel,” she ​said. “We are open and supporting them.”

Opportunity for ​sabalenka

Rybakina’s withdrawal could create an ⁠opening for world number two Aryna Sabalenka to make inroads in the rankings.

Sabalenka, who won the Indian Wells title earlier this year, has the chance to reduce the gap with Rybakina at the top of the rankings, Muguruza ​said, while also highlighting Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva as a player comfortable in the California desert.

“Of course, ​Aryna might be thinking ⁠that this can be a good opportunity,” Muguruza said.

The WTA moved the Finals to Indian Wells from Riyadh, with Muguruza saying player safety had been the decisive consideration amid conflict in the region.

“It clearly felt no longer safe to be in a region where there is conflict,” she said. “Taking care of the players ⁠and looking ​ahead to what could be safe, comfortable and secure, relocating felt the best decision.”

Muguruza said ​players had responded positively to the switch to Indian Wells, where she competed regularly during her career.

“When we knew that Indian Wells could be the next venue, it was just a ​joy,” she said, adding that ticket sales have been strong. “The whole thing is just perfect.”

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PERTH: England white-ball coach Brendon McCullum is confident his batsmen will negate any short-ball challenge Australia present in the first one-dayer at Perth Stadium, having acclimatised to conditions ​with a warm-up game at the WACA Ground on Saturday.

England defeated Western Australia by ‌92 runs in their only hit-out before the three-match one-day international series begins on Friday.

“When you come here with the bigger boundaries, the short ball is always a weapon for a bowler. You’ve still got to find ​ways to score off it, you can’t just keep going under it,” McCullum told ​reporters.

“Our boys are all very good players of the short ball.”

England had been ⁠criticised last year for playing an intra-club practice match at the slow-and-low Lilac Hill, a suburban ​ground which bore no resemblance to the fast-and-bouncy Perth Stadium where they lost the Ashes opener ​inside two days.

The WACA Ground – now a boutique venue with grassy banks, community pools and gymnasiums – has retained its traditional seam-friendly characteristics though, and paceman Jofra Archer looked particularly menacing for the tourists with 3-34.

“He looked like he ​was charging in nicely… he’s got skills at the top, in the middle and at the ​death so it was nice for him to get through some overs,” said McCullum, who has lost seamer ‌Josh Tongue ⁠to a left big toe injury.

“We love coming out here and playing against Australia. It’s always a great contest, albeit their side looks slightly different than it normally does, there’s never a weak Australian side.”

Australia are looking to bounce back from a multiformat drubbing in South Africa, while fresh ​debate over “Sandpapergate” comes as ​an unwelcome distraction after former ⁠opener Usman Khawaja claimed that knowledge of the 2018 ball-tampering incident extended beyond those sanctioned.

The hosts are resting veteran pace trio Pat Cummins, Josh ​Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.

ODI squad member Mahli Beardman went wicketless in the ​tour match ⁠while fellow seamer Lance Morris marked his return from a 20-month back injury with 3-29, at times hitting 145 kph.

Opener Ben Duckett top-scored with 59 for England, who were bowled out for 251, but the ⁠match ​highlight belonged to captain Harry Brook who landed a six ​in the WACA swimming pool. Spinner Adil Rashid took 4-35 as WA collapsed to 159 all out in reply.

The ODI ​series will be followed by five Twenty20 internationals.

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Usman Khawaja on Sunday denied that he had “thrown anyone under the bus”, a day after an excerpt from the former Australian cricketer’s autobiography ​claimed the entire team had been aware of ball-tampering during ‌a 2018 tour of South Africa.

The scandal, dubbed “Sandpapergate” over Australia’s scuffing of the ball with sandpaper in the March 2018 test in Cape Town, sparked a major integrity ​crisis for Cricket Australia.

However, only captain Steve Smith and batsmen David ​Warner and Cameron Bancroft, who was caught with the sandpaper ⁠in his pocket, were banned for their part in the scandal.

In a ​video posted on Instagram, Khawaja, who released the excerpt of his autobiography on ​Saturday, said he had wanted to “come clean” about the incident since 2018.

“I haven’t thrown anyone under the bus,” added the 39-year-old, who retired from international cricket in January.

“The guys ​that are currently in the team right now and the other people ​that were there on the South African tour, including me, we’re not the victims.

“These ‌three ⁠guys (Bancroft, Warner and Smith) took the blame for all of us, and they’re the victims.”

Khawaja said he had spoken with the three players involved in “Sandpapergate”, and that he had promised Warner he would share his side of ​the story.

Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja disputes findings in 2018 ball-tampering probe

“These three guys ​deserve justice. And ⁠I haven’t pointed fingers at anyone,” he added.

“I’m still searching for what I was searching all those years ​ago for us — me included — to take the blame ​together as ⁠a team so we can all move on from this once and for all.”

Australia’s test side returned to South Africa for the first time since 2018 ⁠last ​month and were beaten 2-1 by the hosts in ​the three-match series, which was overshadowed in part by discussions of the scandal and the upcoming ​release of Khawaja’s book.

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At least 33 people were killed and 39 wounded in what the Houthi-run Saba news agency said ​were Saudi airstrikes on a village near Yemen’s capital Sanaa ‌on Saturday, in one of the deadliest reported attacks since fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-aligned group resumed in July.

Reuters could not independently verify the account. ​Saudi Arabia’s Center for International Communication said it was investigating the report.

The ​renewed fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis has shattered ⁠a 2022 UN-brokered truce that largely halted attacks between the Saudi-led ​coalition and the group, which controls Sanaa.

Saudi civil defence gives all-clear after alerts in Eastern Province

The Houthis have since launched ​missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports and oil facilities, while Riyadh has carried out airstrikes in Yemen in support of its Yemeni allies.

The ministry said the strikes ​hit homes in the town of Bani Hushaysh, a Houthi stronghold ​east of Sanaa, and that most of those killed were women and children.

Abdul-Aziz al-Dailami, ‌director ⁠of Sehatuna Hospital in Sanaa, said many victims remained trapped under the rubble, including first responders.

“The strikes keep coming. Just as rescuers arrive, another strike hits. We have even lost some of our own medical responders, ​who have been martyred,” ​he told Reuters.

Loud booms heard in Saudi capital Riyadh after early warning alert issued

“We ⁠received a number of wounded individuals in very critical condition, with injuries to the head, chest and legs, ​as well as fractures,” al-Dailami added.

The fighting, a spillover ​from the ⁠wider US-Iran conflict, has revived a complex 12-year war in Yemen that has caused one of the worst humanitarian crises globally and fragmented the Arab world’s most ⁠impoverished ​country.

The number of people displaced since the ​latest round of fighting began has climbed to more than 200,000, the International Organization for Migration said ​in October.

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WELLINGTON: New Zealanders faced weeks of uncertainty on Sunday over who ‌will govern the country after their general election, with the current coalition holding a slim majority but a potentially decisive slice of votes still to count.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s National Party and its partners ACT and New Zealand First were on track for 67 of the currently projected 131-seat parliament, Electoral Commission preliminary results of Saturday’s vote showed. Sixty-six seats are needed ​for a majority.

But special votes, around 14% of the total, remain to be counted, the commission said. These — including ballots from overseas New Zealanders ​and people voting outside their electorates — have historically favoured the left. They will be announced with the final count on ⁠November 27.

Until a coalition to govern New Zealand for the next three years is formed, Luxon will head a caretaker government.

Centrist opportunity party may play key ​role

Neither the prime minister nor opposition leader Chris Hipkins of the Labour Party claimed victory in their speeches following the election, which has been dominated by talk ​of a soft economy and the cost of living.

“I’ve been saying it’s going to be a very tight election — it has definitely proven to be that. We unfortunately don’t know what that means for another three weeks,” Luxon told a press conference but added that on current numbers it was “quite feasible” that National could build a government with its current partners.

If ​the National-led coalition loses its majority at the official count, either it or a left-leaning coalition would require the support of the centrist Opportunity Party, which looks ​likely to enter parliament for the first time.

Luxon, who had repeatedly ruled out working with Opportunity, softened his stance on Sunday, refusing to again rule the party out and instead ‌saying it ⁠would be entirely appropriate to build a relationship with Opportunity, without defining it.

Mona Krewel, a senior political science lecturer at Victoria University of Wellington, said she believed it was possible the two parties could work together.

New Zealand Parliament dissolved ahead of tight November vote

“I actually would take them (Opportunity) for very centrist, very pragmatic, and so I do think they could make it work with National,” she said.

National, labour support hits low

New Zealand adopted a mixed-member proportional system in 1996, in which people vote for both a party and a ​local constituency candidate. There are 71 constituency, ​or electorate, seats, and the Electoral ⁠Commission now projects there will be 60 party list seats.

National and a minor party, Te Pati Maori, each won a disproportionately high share of constituency seats relative to their popular vote support due to tactical voting, reshaping the balance of ​seats in parliament and sparking debate about the electoral system, said political commentator Ben Thomas.

“It certainly looks as if ​we’re on track for ⁠the least-proportional parliament that we’ve had, as a result of the vagaries of the rules around how electorate seats interact with the parliament as a whole,” Thomas said.

The popular vote shares for National and Labour were each below 30%, their lowest since the new system was introduced, signalling voters’ frustration with the slow pace of economic growth ⁠under Luxon ​and a lack of trust in Hipkins’ promise to turn things around.

National’s low popular vote means ​the party is set to lose several senior lawmakers in the next parliament, including Finance Minister Nicola Willis. Willis remains in the role for the next four weeks.

Simeon Brown, a National lawmaker, said ​the party had lost some significant people, making the result “bittersweet”.

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KRAKOW: A Polish gunman likely influenced by far-right ideology killed six ​people in the main square of the southern city of Krakow before police shot and arrested him, officials said on Saturday, adding that three more bodies were found in his home.

The scenes of ‌blood and bodies strewn across the historic heart of one of Poland’s main tourist attractions shocked a nation that has long viewed itself as safer than western European neighbours that have witnessed such attacks in the past.

The mass shooting of unprecedented scale adds to the sense of unease built by a string of school stabbings in October which authorities said was influenced by violent and extremist content online.

“Everything points to the fact that the shooter was influenced by far-right ideology, a matter that will also be subject to investigation,” Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski ​told a news briefing.

“Police officers are on-site, as are agents from the Internal Security Agency, both here at the scene and at the individual’s family home.”

Polish authorities have said four women and two men were ​killed in the attack in the city centre. Seventeen others, including two police officers and the assailant, were wounded.

Police said one of the dead people identified so far was a ⁠British citizen.

An interior ministry spokesperson said that the five foreign nationals injured in the shooting came from Austria, Germany, Portugal, Russia and Britain.

A spokesperson for the Lesser Poland Voivodeship office, the southern region where Krakow lies, told Reuters shortly after ​midnight local time that the injured police officers were in stable condition after undergoing surgery, and the justice minister called for blood donations for one of the wounded officers.

The spokesman also said the shooter was in “stable but very critical condition” ​after multiple surgeries. Videos posted online had shown the assailant falling to the ground during a close-range shootout with police officers firing handguns.

Bodies found at gunman’s house

Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that the bodies of two women and one man had been found at the shooter’s home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, just under 200 kilometres north of Krakow.

“There are strong indications that they are members of his immediate family,” Tusk told a crisis meeting.

He said a drone had been used to look inside the gunman’s home due to potential security threats.

“We know ​that a significant amount of weaponry may be inside the house,” he said.

Local media in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski reported that residents had been evacuated from the building where the gunman lived and that counterterrorism officers had entered the building.

Speaking along ​with the prime minister, Tomasz Siemoniak, the minister coordinating special services, said Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) and Military Counterintelligence Service (SKW) are supporting the investigation.

Military-style clothes

Katarzyna Cislo, a local police spokesperson, said: “The shooter was wearing military-like clothes and used military weapons. Many … weapons and ‌ammunition were found ⁠in his vehicle too.”

Police spokesperson Andrzej Fijolek told private broadcaster TVN 24 that the assailant used an AR-15 rifle and that he had a firearms licence.

According to police, the alleged gunman was a 24-year-old Polish citizen. “The only known perpetrator of the incident is in police custody,” they added in a post on X. They did not mention a motive for the shootings.

Police said they started to receive reports at around 3 p.m. (1400 GMT) that an assailant had opened fire from a car and had shot randomly at people in the square in Poland’s second-largest city, a popular tourist destination.

Unverified footage shared on social media showed people fleeing the scene as shots rang out and police sirens blared. Other video showed two people ​lying on blood-spattered paving stones and bystanders trying to ​resuscitate them. A third person lay motionless on the ⁠ground nearby.

Saudi civil defence gives all-clear after alerts in Eastern Province

“I saw shots being fired from the driver’s side window, and smoke was coming out. I ran to the police station in the main market square; when I burst inside, it was full of people hiding on the floor,” a man who gave his name only as Konrad, and witnessed the shooting, told news website Interia.

A 67-year-old man called ​Julek told Reuters that he saw a dark car appear suddenly before the driver started shooting at a group of people and drove off.

“If we had been two ​minutes earlier, we might have ⁠been shot,” he said.

Unverified footage on social media showed shooting in the Main Market Square as traditional horse-drawn carriages, popular with tourists, passed through or were parked nearby.

A man could be seen taking cover in one of the many restaurants and cafes that line the elegant square.

National mourning

Kierwinski praised the heroism of officers who apprehended the suspect.

“The police prevented a much larger massacre that could have otherwise occurred,” he said. “They fired shots at the attacker just three minutes after receiving the report.”

A spokesperson for President ⁠Karol Nawrocki said ​he would declare a period of national mourning on November 8 and 9.

“My thoughts are with the victims, those injured, and their families,” Nawrocki ​wrote on X.

Expressions of shock and condolence flooded in from around Europe.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called the shooting “shocking.” “On behalf of the Ukrainian people, and personally, I extend my sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims,” he wrote on X.

European foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called ​it “a tragedy that will be felt far beyond Poland.”

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Tesla will add an extra production shift to try to complete ​outstanding Cybertruck orders before dismantling the line next ‌year for a planned expansion of Cybercab production, CEO Elon Musk said on Saturday.

“The Cybertruck order backlog is currently far more ​than Tesla can make before dismantling the line ​for Cybercab expansion around June/July next year,” Musk ⁠said in a post on X.

“We will add ​an extra shift to try to get all orders done ​in time,” he added.

The comments come a day after Musk said Tesla would wind down Cybertruck production at its Texas factory and ​shift resources toward the Cybercab, a two-seat robotaxi that ​he has made central to the automaker’s autonomous-vehicle ambitions.

The Cybercab is ‌one ⁠of Musk’s key bets in his push to turn Tesla into an AI and robotics company rather than just an automaker.

Tesla raises prices of Cybertrucks in the US

The Cybertruck, which began reaching customers in ​late 2023, has ​struggled to ⁠meet Musk’s early expectations. US sales fell to about 20,000 vehicles last year from ​nearly 39,000 in 2024, according to Kelley ​Blue ⁠Book, far below Musk’s initial prediction of 250,000 annual sales.

The stainless steel pickup has also faced repeated recalls and ⁠quality ​concerns since launch, while its unconventional ​design limited prospects in overseas markets including Europe.

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ISLAMABAD: The government has allocated Rs300 billion exclusively for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) exporting under the Export Finance Scheme (EFS). The move aims to improve SMEs’ access to concessional financing, reduce their cost of doing business and strengthen the country’s export competitiveness.

Khurram Schehzad, Adviser to the Finance Minister, announced the initiative, saying that the entire Rs300 billion financing allocation, equivalent to around USD1.1 billion, would now be dedicated to eligible SME exporters through the Pakistan Export-Import Bank (Pak EXIM).

He said the allocation had previously been shared with other categories of borrowers but had now been exclusively earmarked for SMEs to facilitate their access to export financing.

The initiative is part of the government’s broader agenda to expand access to finance for SMEs and promote export-led economic growth.

According to the announcement, the dedicated financing facility will be complemented by tax relief measures introduced in the federal budget for FY2026-27, including reductions in export-related taxes and Super Tax, to ease the financial burden on exporters.

READ ALSO: What holds SMEs back?

Pak EXIM has also directed participating banks to ensure the effective implementation and utilisation of the dedicated allocation, Schehzad said.

The move is expected to provide SMEs with improved access to working capital, enable them to fulfil export orders, expand production capacity and explore new international markets.

SMEs constitute a significant segment of Pakistan’s business sector but continue to face constraints in accessing affordable credit, particularly for working capital and export expansion.

The government believes that ring-fencing the financing allocation for SME exporters, alongside tax concessions, will help improve their competitiveness and encourage greater participation in international trade.

The initiative is being pursued under the Prime Minister’s vision and the Finance Minister’s leadership as part of the Ministry of Finance’s broader agenda to improve access to finance and promote export-led growth.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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KARACHI: Muhammad Naseer, CEO of the Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company (PHDEC), visited the head office of the Green Pakistan Initiative (GPI) on October 29, 2026.

During the visit, Asif Khan, Project Director, GPI, briefed participants on horticultural processing and storage facilities being developed across Balochistan.

The project covers 22 locations across 20 districts and will support the processing of major fruits and vegetables, including dates, apples, tomatoes, onions, pomegranates, grapes, plums and cherries. Each location will have a cold storage capacity of 1,000 tonnes, with processing capacities ranging from 1 to 5 tonnes per hour. Eight locations are expected to become operational within the next few months.

Naseer commended the infrastructure development, highlighting its potential to strengthen horticultural value chains and support the production of high-quality, traceable products at commercial scale. He proposed prioritising date syrup, date paste, dried onions, apple cider and tomato pulp for export through collaboration with Pakistani exporters and trade missions. Mr. Khan endorsed the proposal.

GPI will showcase its value-added products at FoodAg, scheduled for November 23–26 in Karachi. Its participation will encourage exporter engagement in product development and introduce international buyers to the quality and scale of horticultural products available from Pakistan.

Naseer reaffirmed PHDEC’s commitment to strengthening market linkages for regional produce and facilitating local producers’ participation in the upcoming exhibition.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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ISLAMABAD: India’s leading newspaper The Times of India on Saturday acknowledged the improvement in Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves, reporting a USD110 million weekly increase to USD26.864 billion despite continuing geopolitical tensions and disruptions in global energy markets triggered by the West Asia crisis.

In its November 7 edition, the Indian newspaper highlighted the upward trajectory of Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves, noting that the country’s total holdings had increased from USD26.754 billion in the preceding week, according to the latest figures released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).

READ ALSO: SBP-held foreign exchange reserves rise $39mn to $21.56bn

The report also noted that SBP-held reserves had increased by USD5 billion since the West Asia conflict began in February, rising from USD16.568 billion to USD21.568 billion as of October 30.

The newspaper further highlighted that the improved reserve position had helped stabilise the Pakistani rupee and strengthened exporters’ confidence in repatriating their earnings without delays.

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