KARACHI: South Africa captain Temba Bavuma won the toss and opted to bat in the Champions Trophy Group B match against debutants Afghanistan in Karachi on Friday.
South Africa entered their opening match of the ODI tournament with three frontline pacers and a spinner in Keshav Maharaj.
They left out batsman Heinrich Klaasen in a precautionary measure as he recovers from an elbow injury.
This is Afghanistan’s first appearance ever in the Champions Trophy.
They named one frontline fast bowler in Fazalhaq Farooqi with two seaming all-rounders and three spinners, led by Rashid Khan.
Australia and England, who clash in Lahore on Saturday, are the other two teams in Group B.
Arch-rivals India and Pakistan — meeting in Dubai on Sunday — are in Group A alongside New Zealand and Bangladesh.
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semifinals.
TEAMS
South Africa: Temba Bavuma (captain), Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Rassie van der Dussen
Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi
South Africa win toss, bat against Afghanistan in Pakistan-hosted Champions Trophy
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South Africa win toss, bat against Afghanistan in Pakistan-hosted Champions Trophy
- South Africa entered their opening match of the tournament with three frontline pacers and a spinner
- They left out batsman Heinrich Klaasen in a precautionary measure as he recovers from an elbow injury
Saudi Arabia signs deals worth more than $300 billion with US, crown prince confirms
- Trump described crown prince as “very great man like no other” and “greatest representative of his people”
- Prince Mohammed said Kingdom looking at $600bn of investment opportunities, hoped this would raise to $1tn
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has signed deals with the US worth more than $300 billion, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said at the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh on Tuesday.
During an address at the event, Prince Mohammed said the Kingdom was looking at $600 billion of investment opportunities, adding that he hoped this would raise to $1 trillion.
He noted that the US was among the largest partners of the Saudi Vision 2030 reform agenda, adding that joint investments were one of the most important pillars of the economic relationship between the two countries.
“The US is a major destination for the Public Investment Fund, accounting for approximately 40 percent of the fund's global investments,” he said.
He also said that cooperation with Washington was not limited to economic cooperation, but also extended to “establishing peace in the region and the world.”
Also speaking at the event, US President Donald Trump praised the transformation underway in Saudi Arabia, as he attributed it to the leadership of King Salman and the crown prince.
Trump described the crown prince as a “very great man like no other” and “the greatest representative of his people,” and highlighted the role of Saudis in driving development in their own country and the region as a whole.
Trump pointed to Riyadh’s rise as a global business hub and noted that the Kingdom’s non-oil sector revenues had now surpassed those of the oil sector.
He said Saudi Arabia deserved praise for preserving its culture and tradition while also embracing its forward-looking, modern Vision 2030 reform agenda.
During his speech, Trump criticized the Biden administration for removing the Houthis from the US terrorist list, calling it a serious mistake.
He contrasted regional developments, stating: “Some (in the Gulf) have turned deserts into farms, while Iran has turned its farms into deserts,” and warned that if Iran rejected Washington’s outreach, the US would be forced to impose maximum pressure.
Condemning Hezbollah for destabilizing the region and looting Lebanon, Trump said: “The biggest and most destructive of these forces is the regime in Iran, which has caused unthinkable suffering in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, Iraq, Yemen and beyond.”
He described Lebanon as a victim of Hezbollah and Iran and expressed a desire to help the country.
Trump also praised Saudi Arabia’s role in Russia-Ukraine peace talks and affirmed US support for the Kingdom, saying it has “a great future.”
Earlier on Tuesday, the two leaders signed a strategic economic partnership agreement in Riyadh, the first leg of Trump’s regional visit.
The partnership included the signing of Memorandums of Understanding in the energy, mining, and defense sectors.
Defense cooperation between the two countries centered on the modernization of the capabilities of the Saudi armed forces, along with an agreement between the Saudi Space Agency and NASA.
Other agreements included an MoU on mineral resources; an agreement with the Department of Justice; and cooperation on infectious diseases.
Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia Tuesday on what he called a “historic” tour of the Middle East that will mix urgent diplomacy on Gaza with huge business deals.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman warmly greeted Trump as he stepped off Air Force One at King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital and kicked off his Middle East tour.
The two leaders then retreated to a grand hall at the Riyadh airport, where Trump and his aides were served traditional Arabic coffee by waiting attendants wearing ceremonial gun-belts.
Royal Saudi Air Force F-15s provided an honorary escort for Air Force One as it approached the kingdom’s capital. Trump and Prince Mohammed also were taking part in a lunch at the Royal Court, gathering with guests and aides.
Later, the crown prince will fete Trump with a formal dinner. Trump is also slated to take part Tuesday in a US-Saudi investment conference.
Air Force One took off on a journey that will include visits to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates — and possibly talks in Turkiye on the Ukraine war.
* With AFP and AP
Kremlin blasts potential EU deployment of French nuclear bombers
- Russia, the world’s biggest nuclear power, possesses about 4,000 warheads and views France’s nuclear deterrence as a potential threat to its national security
- The French president floated the idea during a TV appearance on Tuesday
MOSCOW: The possible deployment of French nuclear bombers across the EU will not enhance security on the continent, the Kremlin said Wednesday, after French President Emmanuel Macron said he was ready to discuss the issue.
“The proliferation of nuclear weapons on the European continent is something that will not add security, predictability, or stability to the European continent,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
The French president floated the idea during a TV appearance on Tuesday, comparing it to the United States’s nuclear umbrella policy that guarantees Washington would reciprocate if its allies come under nuclear attack.
“The Americans have the bombs on planes in Belgium, Germany, Italy, Turkiye,” Macron told TF1 television.
“We are ready to open this discussion. I will define the framework in a very specific way in the weeks and months to come.”
France is the EU’s only nuclear-armed nation.
Amid Russia’s offensive on Ukraine and US President Donald Trump’s calls on Europe to take more of the burden for its own defense, discussion is growing over extending Paris’s nuclear deterrent to the rest of the 27-member bloc.
Russia, the world’s biggest nuclear power, possesses about 4,000 warheads and views France’s nuclear deterrence as a potential threat to its national security.
“At present, the entire system of strategic stability and security is in a deplorable state for obvious reasons,” Peskov added.
Amid his offensive on Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has several times threatened nuclear escalation, drawing rebukes from the West over “reckless” rhetoric.
Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia ‘reflects depth of strategic partnership between US and Kingdom says foreign minister
RIYADH: US President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia reflected the depth of the strategic partnership between US and the Kingdom, Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan in a press conference in Riyadh on Wednesday.
“Our decades-long defense and security partnership with the US will continue to grow stronger,” he said.
Saudi investments in the US are guided by the principle of prioritizing the Kingdom’s national interests, he added.
The minister said Saudi Arabia shared a strong and strategic economic partnership with the United States and aimed to increase trade between the two nations.
Bin Farhan said the Kingdom agreed with the US on the need to stop the war in Gaza and welcomed President Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on Syria.
“The meeting between the Crown Prince, Trump, Sharaa, and Erdoğan emphasized the importance of supporting Syria,” he added.
“The Kingdom will be a pioneer in supporting the Syrian economy.”
‘Albania belongs in EU,’ von der Leyen tells re-elected PM Rama
- EU and French leaders congratulated Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama Wednesday after his party’s electoral victory
BRUSSELS: EU and French leaders congratulated Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama Wednesday after his party’s electoral victory, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailing his “great progress toward our Union.”
“Let’s keep working closely together on EU reforms. Albania belongs in the EU!” von der Leyen said on X. French President Emmanuel Macron also hailed Rama’s win, writing on X: “France will always stand alongside Albania on its European path.”
Saudi Arabia weekly POS transactions remain above $3bn: SAMA
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s point-of-sale transactions remained above SR13 billion ($3.47 billion) for the second week in a row, according to the latest official figures.
Data from the Saudi Central Bank, also known as SAMA, showed a weekly dip of 15.4 percent to SR13.1 billion over the seven-day period to May 10, with decreased spending across all sectors.
Education registered the largest decrease in transaction value — down 32.3 percent to SR162.1 million.
The sector also saw a 25.1 percent downturn in the number of transactions, reaching 144,000.
The telecommunication sector followed, recording a 23.7 percent decrease in transaction value to SR104.1 million. Food and beverage spending ranked next, dropping by 21.2 percent to SR1.8 billion, accounting for the second-largest share of the week’s POS.
Transportation spending edged down 14.6 percent to SR727.5 million, while restaurants and cafes saw a 10.1 percent decrease, totaling SR1.9 billion and claiming the biggest share of the overall POS.
The smallest expenditure drop was in spending on construction and building material, down by 5.4 percent to SR335.7 million.
The health and public utilities sectors also saw downward changes decreasing by 12.9 percent and 13 percent to reach SR830.1 million and SR49.1 million, respectively.
Spending on electronics followed the trend dropping 14.9 percent to SR161.1 million, and recreation and culture edging down by 13.3 percent to SR252.9 million.
Miscellaneous goods and services claimed the third-largest share, with a decrease of 15.6 percent to SR1.6 billion.
The top three categories — food and beverages, miscellaneous goods and services, and restaurants and cafes — accounted for 41.2 percent of the week’s total spending, amounting to SR5.4 billion.
Geographically, Riyadh dominated POS transactions, with expenditure in the capital coming in at SR4.6 billion — an 11.8 percent decrease from the previous week.
Jeddah followed with a 10.9 percent dip to SR1.8 billion, while Dammam ranked third, down 12 percent to SR679.3 million. Tabuk saw the biggest decrease, inching down 24.9 percent to SR244.1 million, followed by Hail with a 23.7 percent downtick to SR205.1 million.
In transaction volume, Hail recorded 3.8 million deals, down 14.8 percent, while Tabuk reached 4.7 million transactions, dropping 13.3 percent.
Makkah and Dammam experienced the smallest declines in transaction numbers, with Makkah seeing a 4.3 percent drop to 9 million deals and Dammam recording a 6.6 percent decrease to 9.2 million transactions.
