PARIS: The heatwave scorching Europe has the fingerprints of climate change all over it and is &quot;the latest price to pay for fossil fuel pollution baking our planet&quot;, UN climate chief Simon Stiell said Thursday. Europe has endured extreme heat this week, with record-breaking temperatures in France, Britain and Spain and other countries issuing high-level heat alerts. &quot;Europe&#39;s savage heatwave has the fingerprints of the climate crisis all over it it&#39;s the latest price to pay for fossil fuel pollution baking our planet,&quot; Stiell said in a statement. &quot;Until humanity stops burning colossal amounts of coal, oil and gas, extreme heat will keep getting worse,&quot; he said.

Children play in the water of a fountain during a heatwave in Lyon, southern France, on June 24, 2026.

Europe

UN climate chief Simon Stiell said Europe’s record-breaking heatwave bears clear signs of climate change, warning that continued fossil fuel use will make extreme heat increasingly severe.

Europe heatwave is 'price to pay for fossil fuel pollution': UN climate chief

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&#39;s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday expressed grief and solidarity with Venezuela following powerful earthquakes that caused widespread devastation and loss of life in the country.&nbsp; In a post on X, President Zardari conveyed his deep sorrow over the loss of precious lives and extensive damage caused by the earthquakes. He extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and expressed sympathies to the government and people of Venezuela during the difficult period.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2070018272280641902&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=c00813f4511170a1a25f4f35628ee4c258b29fc8&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 369px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" spellcheck="false">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&quot;The people of Pakistan stand in solidarity with the people of Venezuela and share their grief,&quot; Zardari said in a statement. He also prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured and for strength and resilience for all those affected by the disaster. The president expressed hope that the Venezuelan people would overcome the tragedy with courage and determination and that ongoing relief and rescue efforts would provide timely assistance to those in need. Prime Minister Sharif also expressed sadness over the devastation caused by the earthquakes, offering condolences on behalf of the Pakistani people. &quot;Deeply saddened by the devastation and loss of life caused by the earthquakes in Venezuela,&quot; Sharif said. &quot;On behalf of the people of Pakistan, I convey our heartfelt condolences to the Government and people of Venezuela, especially the families of the victims.&quot;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2070015998586163630&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=c00813f4511170a1a25f4f35628ee4c258b29fc8&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 369px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The prime minister said Pakistan was praying for those injured and stood in solidarity with all those affected by the disaster. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also conveyed his sympathies, saying he was deeply grieved by the loss of life and destruction caused by the earthquakes.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2070045641351577728&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=c00813f4511170a1a25f4f35628ee4c258b29fc8&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 417px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&quot;My deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved families. I also wish a speedy recovery to those injured,&quot; Dar said in a post on X. He reaffirmed Pakistan&#39;s support for Venezuela, saying the country stood in solidarity with the Venezuelan government and people during the challenging time.

Police and volunteers search for people in a damaged building following an earthquake in Catia La Mar, La Guaira state, some 30km north-west of Caracas, early on June 25, 2026.

Foreign Affairs

Pakistani leadership expresses hope that the Venezuelan people would overcome the tragedy with courage and determination and that ongoing relief and rescue efforts would provide timely assistance to those in need.

Pakistan president, PM express condolences to Venezuela after deadly earthquake

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan authorities arrested the son of a former justice minister on Thursday for allegedly accepting a bribe to secure the release of a suspected drug kingpin extradited from Madagascar. Rakitha Rajapakshe was taken into custody by the main anti-graft body for negotiating a 500 million rupee ($1.5 million) bribe to free the drug suspect, who was brought back in 2023 with the help of Interpol. Officials said the transaction took place when Rakitha&#39;s father, Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, was minister of justice and prison reforms. The release was not carried out, as the government of the time lost the 2024 elections. By then, however, Rajapakshe had taken 120 million rupees ($350,000) of the bribe money, the Bribery Commission said in a statement. The drug suspect, Nadun Chinthaka, also known as Harak Kata, is described by police as one of the most dangerous drug dealers, heading an underworld criminal network. He is currently facing prosecution and remains in judicial custody. Rajapakshe is the latest high-profile individual to be arrested in connection with corruption, since leftist President Anura Kumara Dissanayake came to power in September 2024. Rajapakshe is not related to the once-powerful Rajapaksa political dynasty, which dominated Sri Lankan politics from 2005 to 2022 several of whose members are facing prosecution over allegations of money laundering and abuse of power.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan authorities arrested Rakitha Rajapakshe, son of former justice minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, over allegations that he accepted part of a $1.5 million bribe to secure the release of alleged drug kingpin Nadun Chinthaka, who remains in custody.

Sri Lanka arrests ex-justice minister's son for alleged bribe

CARACAS: The death toll from Venezuela&#39;s devastating earthquakes has risen to at least 164, with 971 people injured, interim president Delcy Rodriguez said on Thursday. Around 30 aftershocks have been recorded following the two strongest quakes on Wednesday, according to Rodriguez. Authorities initially reported 32 dead and more than 700 injured. On Wednesday, Rodriguez declared a state of emergency as two massive earthquakes caused buildings in the capital to crumble and forced the closure of the country&#39;s main airport, prompting US President Donald Trump to offer aid. Delcy Rodriguez said 20 aftershocks had followed the earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, which struck the same area of Venezuela, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The quakes triggered panic in the capital and drove people into the streets, AFP journalists saw. &quot;The stairs came away, the whole wall cracked. Things fell from the ceiling. It was horrible,&quot; said 54-year-old bank employee Odalis Escalona. It remained unknown if there were fatalities, but some people were injured, and buildings had collapsed, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said. Trump said late Wednesday that &quot;the two major earthquakes that just hit the great people of Venezuela are both massive in scale and have left a devastating number of deaths.&quot; &quot;The U.S.A. stands ready, willing, and able to help! I have instructed all agencies of our government to get ready to move quickly,&quot; the American president wrote on his Truth Social platform. &quot;We will be there for our new and great friends. Early reports are not good!!!&quot; An AFP journalist saw a 22-story building destroyed in the capital&#39;s Altamira neighborhood, where people cried out relatives&#39; names as volunteers climbed over the rubble. &quot;We need flashlights,&quot; one of them said. The first quake, with an epicenter 21 kilometers (13 miles) west of the coastal town of Moron, occurred at 2204 GMT, USGS said. Within a minute, a 7.5-magnitude quake struck about 45 kilometers away. &quot;This earthquake was the second event in a doublet. This magnitude 7.5 mainshock was preceded by 39 seconds by a 7.2 foreshock,&quot; USGS said. Cabello asked people to leave their homes, adding that gas supplies had been cut to several buildings as a precaution. &quot;We have some damaged structures and we don&#39;t want any kind of accident involving gas to occur,&quot; he said. The Maiquetia International Airport, located near Caracas, was closed due to &quot;serious damage&quot; to its infrastructure, Rodriguez said, with social media posts showing its severely damaged facilities. &#39;We couldn&#39;t get out&#39;The tremors struck at a depth of 22 kilometers and 10 kilometers, respectively. They prompted screams of panic at a shopping center in Caracas, an AFP journalist observed. &quot;It was unbelievable, I don&#39;t even know how long it lasted,&quot; said shopkeeper Heidi Romero, who was on the top floor when the quake struck. &quot;We went out through the emergency stairs; that&#39;s how they got us out,&quot; the 42-year-old told AFP. Dozens more in the capital exited buildings and waited outside before returning to their offices and homes. Carmen Guedez, 69, was in the same room as her bedridden sister when she felt the jolt. &quot;It kept getting stronger,&quot; said the administrator, who lives in a hilly middle-class neighborhood above the capital. &quot;I started to see the windows begin to move and then everything shook.&quot; She described how she &quot;huddled together&quot; with her sister and a neighbor, adding that &quot;we couldn&#39;t get out. The neighbors are still out on the street.&quot; The states of Trujillo, Carabobo, Miranda and La Guaira were the hardest hit, according to Cabello. Further afieldThe quake was felt as far away as the Colombian capital of Bogota, where alarms sounded and some residents evacuated buildings as a precaution. Freddy Tovar, coordinator of Colombia&#39;s National Seismological Network, said they had received more than 200 reports of tremors nationwide. &quot;The conditions of this seismic event mean that some aftershocks may occur, which could also be widely felt across Colombian territory,&quot; he said in a video posted on X. The Colombian disaster management agency UNGRD ruled out the possibility of a tsunami taking place in the aftermath. &quot;NO tsunami, NO danger from a recent earthquake,&quot; the US National Tsunami Warning Center said in an X post. The strongest tremors in earthquake-prone Venezuela&#39;s recent history occurred in the northeast in 1997, killing 73 people, and in Caracas in 1967, when 236 people died. Shortly after the twin quakes on Wednesday, a 7.2-magnitude tremor hit northern Japan, the country&#39;s weather agency said, with no casualties or material damage reported.

Americas

Interim president says 20 aftershocks followed the earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, which struck the same area of Venezuela, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Death toll from Venezuela quakes jumps to 164, nearly 1,000 injured: President

MONTERREY, MEXICO: South Africa beat South Korea 1-0 on Wednesday to reach the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time in their history -- an astonishing turnaround after a dismal opening defeat. The Bafana Bafana, playing in a World Cup for the first time since they hosted it in 2010, were widely written off after their 2-0 loss to Group A winners Mexico in the tournament&#39;s curtain-raiser. But they battled to a draw against the Czech Republic and came out on top of what was effectively a shootout with South Korea for second place in Monterrey, thanks to Thapelo Maseko&#39;s second-half strike. South Africa coach Hugo Broos said it was difficult to put his side&#39;s achievement into words. &quot;We scored that goal, and it was 20 minutes of heartbeating and hoping that the game would be finished as soon as possible,&quot; said the Belgian. &quot;So yes, we are in the second round. It&#39;s historic. But I&#39;m very happy for the guys. I&#39;ve worked with them for five years. And what we did in those five years is amazing.&quot; South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo made a shock call by leaving captain Son Heung-min -- considered by many to be Asia&#39;s greatest-ever player -- out of the starting line-up. The Asian team started strongly, with stand-in captain Kim Min-jae&#39;s powerful header blocked on the goalline by Aubrey Modiba before Lee Kang-in flashed wide. South Africa quickly settled, playing with hunger and adventure, but their finishing was wasteful. They seemed certain to take the lead in the 30th minute when the ball fell to Evidence Makgopa after South Korean goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu parried Thalente Mbatha&#39;s shot. But Makgopa could only tamely poke the ball straight at the goalkeeper from close range. Son came on at the start of the second half, one of three changes made by coach Hong as he sought to change the script. Early in the second period, Maseko squandered another good position while South Korea forward Oh Hyeon-gyu tested goalkeeper Ronwen Williams at the other end. As news filtered through from Mexico City that the host nation were leading against the Czech Republic, there was an added sense of urgency. South Africa seized their moment with Tshepang Moremi crossing to Maseko, who this time kept his cool, firing home inside the near post in the 63rd minute. South Korea pushed hard in the closing stages but ran out of time, meaning South Africa will face co-hosts Canada in Los Angeles on June 28. Co-hosts Mexico topped the group with nine points after winning all three of their matches.

South African players celebrate the 1-0 victory in the 2026 World Cup Group A football match between South Africa and South Korea at the Monterrey Stadium in Guadalupe, Mexico, on June 24, 2026. (Photo: AFP)

Football

South Africa beat South Korea 1-0 on Wednesday to reach the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time in their history -- an astonishing turnaround after a dismal opening defeat.

South Africa stun South Korea to make World Cup history

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a meeting with foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council Member States during his visit to the Middle East to discuss the interim deal between the US and Iran with Arab Gulf allies, in Manama on June

Middle East

Says Iran cannot charge toll or fee for Hormuz; promises Gulf allies that Washington would protect their interests in talks with Iran; Ghalibaf says agreement reached with the help of Pakistani mediation was the result of the resistance, authority of the "brave Iranian nation."





Iran deal won't undermine Gulf security, Rubio tells GCC

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday underscored the need for concrete measures to safeguard children in conflict zones, urging sustained investment in rehabilitation, reintegration, and psycho-social support programs to restore dignity, rebuild futures, and prevent cycles of re-recruitment. According to a statement issued on the X account of Pakistan&rsquo;s Permanent Mission to the UN, the statement called for vigilant oversight and ending impunity for violators; protection of schools from attacks and military use; and reinforcement of safe education systems in conflict zones. The statement, quoting Pakistan&rsquo;s Deputy Permanent Representative of the UN, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, said that compliance must be ensured with International Humanitarian Law, Convention on the Rights of Child, and the principles of international law.&nbsp; &ldquo;The rapid surge in armed conflicts all over the world has exposed them to a host of grave violations ranging from killing and maiming, and attacks on schools and hospitals, to denial of humanitarian access,&rdquo; the ambassador said, according to the statement. Citing Israel&rsquo;s more than 12,000 incidences of grave violations against children in occupied Palestinian territory in one year, the ambassador said that plight of children in situations of foreign occupation continues to worsen.&nbsp; The ambassador said that to comprehensively redress the plight of children, there was a need to focus on eliminating root causes and prioritizing preventive diplomacy, conflict resolution and dispute settlement by peaceful means. The ambassador said that Pakistan would continue to work constructively to ensure that collective efforts translate into a safe and prosperous future for children.

Pakistan at UNSC stress protection for children in conflict zones, investment in rehabilitation

CARACAS: Two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck the same area of Venezuela on Wednesday evening, causing buildings to collapse, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and AFP journalists. The quakes sowed panic in the capital, Caracas, driving people into the streets. It was unknown if there were fatalities, but some buildings collapsed and roofs crumbled, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said. &quot;The stairs came away, the whole wall cracked. Things fell from the ceiling. It was horrible,&quot; said 54-year-old bank employee Odalis Escalona in Caracas. An AFP journalist saw a 22-story building completely destroyed in the capital&#39;s Altamira neighborhood. People outside shouted out the names of relatives as volunteers climbed over the rubble. &quot;We need flashlights,&quot; one of them said. The first quake, with an epicenter 21 kilometers (13 miles) west of the coastal town of Moron, occurred at 2204 GMT, USGS said. Within a minute, a 7.5-magnitude quake struck about 45 kilometers away. &quot;This earthquake was the second event in a doublet. This magnitude 7.5 mainshock was preceded by 39 seconds by a 7.2 foreshock,&quot; USGS said. Cabello asked people to leave their homes, adding that gas supplies had been cut to several buildings as a precaution. &quot;We have some damaged structures and we don&#39;t want any kind of accident involving gas to occur,&quot; he said. At a depth of 10 kilometers, the second tremor prompted screams of panic at a shopping center in Caracas, an AFP journalist observed. The epicenter of the first quake was a depth of 22 kilometers. &quot;It was unbelievable, I don&#39;t even know how long it lasted,&quot; said shopkeeper Heidi Romero, who was on the top floor of the shopping center when the quake struck. &quot;We went out through the emergency stairs; that&#39;s how they got us out,&quot; the 42-year-old told AFP. &#39;Huddled together&#39;&nbsp;Dozens more in the capital exited buildings and waited outside before returning to their offices and homes. Carmen Guedez, 69, was in the same room as her bedridden sister when she felt the jolt. &quot;It kept getting stronger,&quot; said the administrator, who lives in a hilly middle-class neighborhood above the capital. &quot;I started to see the windows begin to move and then everything shook.&quot; She described how she &quot;huddled together&quot; with her sister and a neighbor, adding that &quot;we couldn&#39;t get out. The neighbors are still out on the street.&quot; The quake was felt as far away as the Colombian capital of Bogota, where alarms sounded and some residents evacuated buildings as a precaution. Freddy Tovar, coordinator of Colombia&#39;s National Seismological Network, said they had received more than 200 reports of tremors nationwide. &quot;The conditions of this seismic event mean that some aftershocks may occur, which could also be widely felt across Colombian territory,&quot; he said in a video posted on X. The Colombian disaster management agency UNGRD ruled out the possibility of a tsunami taking place in the aftermath. &quot;NO tsunami, NO danger from a recent earthquake,&quot; the US National Tsunami Warning Center said in an X post.

It was unknown if there were fatalities, but some buildings collapsed and roofs crumbled, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said.



Twin earthquakes in Venezuela destroy buildings, sow panic

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky &mdash; whom he previously said lacked the &quot;cards&quot; to win &mdash; is doing well in the war against invading Russian forces. &quot;He&#39;s doing pretty well. He&#39;s holding his own, at least. A lot of people dying on both sides, but I think he&#39;s doing pretty well,&quot; Trump said of Zelensky in remarks to journalists in the Oval Office. &quot;You have to say he&#39;s courageous, he&#39;s got great equipment, but he&#39;s got great men, he&#39;s got fighters.&quot; Analysts say Ukraine is increasingly holding up well on the battlefield but its cities are still the target of deadly Russian attacks in a conflict that has now lasted longer than World War I. Trump and Zelensky most recently met during the G7 summit in France, where leaders agreed to intensify pressure on Russia to end more than four years of war with Ukraine. Afterward, Zelensky posted to Twitter that he was &quot;grateful to President Trump for his attention to Ukraine and his readiness to help bring peace closer.&quot; Trump came out of the meeting voicing a renewed interest in reimposing sanctions on Russian oil. Prior to the G7, Washington had imposed and then extended a sanctions waiver for Russian oil cargoes already at sea, troubling European allies.

Analysts say Ukraine is increasingly holding up well on the battlefield but its cities are still the target of deadly Russian attacks in a conflict that has now lasted longer than World War I.

Trump says Ukraine's Zelensky doing 'pretty well' against Russia

GENEVA: The first global regulations for fully autonomous vehicles were adopted on Wednesday, a UN agency said, establishing uniform international safety requirements that could pave the way for large-scale rollouts of self-driving cars. Safety concerns and the cost of developing next-level systems have long slowed progress on autonomous vehicles. As self-driving cars have begun to hit the road in a growing number of cities, the fragmented national approaches to regulation have spurred manufacturer fears that vehicles developed for one market could be blocked from others. In a bid to address that issue, a meeting of the World Forum for Harmonisation of Vehicle Regulations at the United Nations in Geneva decided to introduce a global regulatory framework for vehicles equipped with fully Autonomous Driving Systems (ADS). The forum brings together dozens of countries, carmakers, and technology giants. &quot;The global regulatory landscape has reached a decisive milestone,&quot; said the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the forum&#39;s umbrella organization that counts 56 member states in Europe, North America, and Asia. &#39;Really big step&#39;The new regulatory framework, which does not cover assisted systems, comes at a time when the market is heating up especially for so-called &quot;robotaxis&quot;, driverless cars loaded with sensors. In China and the United States combined, private robotaxi fleets more than doubled in 2025 to reach 8,000 vehicles across more than two dozen major cities, according to a May report by the International Energy Agency (IEA). By 2035, the IEA forecasts there will be between 700,000 and three million robotaxis in 40 to 80 major cities. The global regulations aim to &quot;to strengthen trust among governments, industry and the public by ensuring that automated systems everywhere meet rigorous ... safety standards&quot;, UNECE said. &quot;This is a really big step,&quot; said Richard Damm, chair of the UNECE Working Party on Automated/Autonomous and Connected Vehicles (GRVA) behind the proposal. &quot;It&#39;s very important, as automation will be one of the future technologies we will see on the road,&quot; he told AFP. The new framework will require manufacturers to ensure testing meets strict credibility criteria, and also to implement audited safety governance and processes throughout the ADS lifecycle. They would also need to provide evidence that their system &quot;poses no unreasonable risk&quot;, UNECE said, and would be required to provide continuous performance monitoring. The vehicles must also record and store safety-relevant ADS data. January 2027 targetThe move was backed by all the major auto markets, including the United States, China, the European Union, Japan, and Britain, the organization said, voicing confidence that the worldwide deployment would be speedy. &quot;We expect it to enter into force in January 2027,&quot; GRVA secretary Francois Guichard told AFP, adding that a few manufacturers &quot;are already in the starting blocks&quot;. Under the complex system of international vehicle regulations, identical sets of rules were adopted in two separate votes on Wednesday, according to UNECE. They will be included in two existing international agreements, adhered to by separate and partially overlapping groups of countries. More than half of the 62 state parties to a 1958 agreement took part in Wednesday&#39;s vote and agreed unanimously to implement the new rules. Under this agreement, autonomous vehicles produced in one of the countries can be sold without further controls in the others. The United States, Canada, and China, not parties to the first agreement, were among 13 countries to vote to add the same set of regulations to a 1998 agreement, which is similar but does not provide for mutual recognition between countries. Damm stressed that bringing all the big players on board had not meant weakening safety requirements. &quot;This regulation is not a compromise on safety,&quot; he said.

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The UN adopts the first global regulations for fully autonomous vehicles, establishing uniform international safety standards. Backed by major auto markets, the framework requires strict testing, safety oversight, and performance monitoring, with implementation expected from January 2027.

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