Donald Trump is set to return to the White House after his victory over Kamala Harris in the November 5 US presidential elections. The 78-year-old leader Republican has secured all seven swing states.

The viral video features young Vivek Ramaswamy, then an 18-year-old student at St Xavier High School, reflecting on his journey through high school.

Rajasthan Candidate Naresh Meena Who Slapped Poll Official Arrested Amid High Drama

Delhi-NCR Air Pollution: A sharp spike in Delhi's air pollution was witnessed in the past 24 hours with 30 out of 36 monitoring stations reporting a severe air quality index.

In a landmark judgment yesterday, the Supreme Court demolished the idea of 'bulldozer justice' that several state governments had unleashed against accused in heinous criminal cases.

Delhi Police on Wednesday issued a traffic advisory ahead of the two-week-long India International Trade Fair (IITF) being held in the national capital.

1. Poetry To UK Precedent: What Went Into Landmark 'Bulldozer Justice' Verdict  NDTV
2. Daily Court Digest: Major environment orders (November 13, 2024)  Down To Earth Magazine
3. How the Supreme Court clamped down on ‘bulldozer’ demolitions | Explained  The Hindu
4. Officers Carrying Out Illegal Demolitions Liable To Restore Properties At Personal Cost & Pay Damages:...  Live Law - Indian Legal News
5. Video | Dimple Yadav Slams BJP Over 'Bulldozer Action' In Supreme Court Statement  NDTV

1. Rajasthan bypolls: SDM assaulted, stones pelted, vehicles torched in Tonk; 60 arrested  Hindustan Times
2. "Wont Surrender": High Drama As Cops Arrest Rajasthan Candidate Who Slapped Official  NDTV
3. 60 arrested, vehicles burnt after Rajasthan Congress rebel attacked poll official  India Today
4. SDM slap row: 10 cops hurt in stone-pelting in post-poll violence in Rajasthan's Samravata village  The Times of India
5. Rajasthan Congress rebel Naresh Meena ‘slaps’ local SDM during bypolls  The Indian Express

[SAPS] Members of Operation Lockdown III were deployed in Delft area to continue the fight against gang violence, extortion and robberies. In the early hours of this morning the members were busy with foot patrols in Rossin Street, Delft when they noticed a unknown man walking in their direction and when he saw the police members he changed direction. The members chased after him and apprehended and searched him. They found a 9mm pistol with eight rounds of ammunition in his possession.

[The Conversation Africa] A number of reports have called South Africa a politically polarised society. This may seem uncontroversial, given the country's history of dispossession and discrimination during colonialism and apartheid, and their continuing legacy after 30 years of democracy.

[SAnews.gov.za] South Africa has reiterated its call for calm and restraint following post-election protests in Mozambique.

The 2025 Polestar 2 lineup shrinks to just one configuration, dropping the less-expensive, higher-range models. First spotted by Car and Driver, the 2025 Polestar 2 will only be available in Performance Pack spec. That means the base single-motor version, as well as the non-Performance dual-motor version, are history. The single-motor version...

Redesigned 2026 Honda Passport revealed ahead of launch in early 2025 2026 Honda Passport comes standard with 285-hp V-6 2026 Honda Passport pricing will start in mid-$40,000 range A new generation of the Honda Passport two-row midsize SUV is headed to showrooms early next year as a 2026 model. Buyers will be able to choose from a base RTL model...

The Polestar 3 has been given a price cut for 2025, while the Polestar 2 is a lot more expensive The 2025 Polestar 3 now starts at $68,900 The 2025 Polestar 2 now starts at $66,200 Swedish performance EV brand Polestar is bringing down the starting price of some of its models in the U.S. while raising it on others. The U.S.-built Polestar 3...

What kind of vehicle is the 2026 Honda Passport? What does it compare to? A midsize SUV with seating for five, the 2026 Honda Passport gets more rugged this year to better take on the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Toyota 4Runner, as well as the Chevrolet Blazer and Honda’s own three-row Pilot. Is the 2026 Honda Passport a good SUV? The Passport is...

The immediate-past governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has proceeded on vacation. This is for him to rest and undergo a medical check-up, after a successful two-term as governor of the state. This was disclosed in a statement by his media adviser, Crusoe Osagie, on Wednesday. The former governor completed his two-term administration on November

The Federal Government says it will collaborate with the private sector in raising a portion of the $10bn needed to ensure the provision of consistent and reliable electricity across the country. This initiative is part of the government’s broader strategy to address the country’s chronic power supply challenges and is expected to span a period

Two soldiers were killed early Wednesday morning when gunmen attacked an army checkpoint at the Imo/Abia boundary community of Ekenobizi in Umuopara in Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State. A military officer who spoke to PUNCH Metro on condition of anonymity said the attack came at about 6.18 am from the gunmen who

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has announced a reshuffling in key management positions to strengthen its operational efficiency and boost its competitive edge in the global oil and gas industry. A statement signed by the NNPCL spokesperson, Femi Soneye, on Wednesday, revealed that the board of directors had approved the replacement of Mr Umar

The Nigerian Bottling Company has partnered with Women in Management, Business, and Public Service to support female entrepreneurship, including awarding an N1 million grant to a pastry chef. In a statement, NBC said it awarded an N1m grant to a pastry chef and entrepreneur, Achiv Ngusurun, in recognition of her innovative business approach at the

Nigeria’s push to revamp its mining sector is generating heightened interest from global investors as President Bola Tinubu’s administration drives reforms to unlock an estimated $700 billion in untapped mineral resources, diplomatic sources said. Last week, Nigeria launched a four-day mining investment roadshow in South Africa, aiming to attract $500m in foreign investment for its

The Edo State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees has pledged its support to the union’s national leadership, headed by President-General Akeem Ambali. In a statement released on Wednesday, the Edo NULGE, led by Clifford Dauda, praised Ambali’s ability to unite stakeholders and members from across the country, highlighting this as a

The Chemical and Non-Metallic Products Senior Staff Association of Nigeria has decried the policies of the Bola Tinubu-led government, saying that they are adversely affecting chemical and non-metallic products in Nigeria. National President of the association, Mr Segun David, made the remarks at the opening session of the 29th Annual National Management/Industrial Relations Seminar on

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has withheld the international passport of the former governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa. Okowa was arrested by the anti-graft agency on November 4, 2024, over an alleged diversion of N1.3tn derivation fund. The N1.3trn amounted to a 13 per cent derivation fund from the federation account between 2015

Armed men suspected to be bandits, on Tuesday, attacked the site of the ongoing construction of the 330/132/33kV transmission substation in Obajana, Kogi State. The armed men, shooting sporadically, destroyed a 150MVA 330/132/33kV power transformer, causing a significant setback to the government’s efforts to increase power generation. The Transmission Company of Nigeria disclosed the latest

GUBIO, Nigeria — Unrelenting price rises and a brutal insurgency had already made it hard for Nigerians in northeastern Borno State to feed their families. When a dam collapsed in September, flooding the state capital and surrounding farmland, many people ran out of options. Now they queue for handouts in camps for those displaced by fighting between extremist Boko Haram rebels and the military. When those run out, they seek work on local farms where they risk being killed or raped by local bandits. "I can't even cry anymore. I'm too tired," said Indo Usman, who tried to start again in the state capital Maiduguri, rearing animals for the two annual Muslim holy days, after years of repeatedly fleeing rebel attacks in rural Borno. The flood washed that all away, driving her, her husband and their six children to a bare room at Gubio, an unfinished housing project about 96 km northwest of Maiduguri that has become a displacement camp. Torrential rains and floods in 29 of Nigeria's 36 states this year have destroyed more than 1.5 million hectares of cropland, affecting more than 9 million people, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Climate change is a factor, as is Nigeria's poorly maintained or non-existent infrastructure as well as vulnerabilities caused by the weakening Naira currency and the scrapping of a government fuel subsidy. The cost of staples like rice and beans has doubled, tripled or even quadrupled in a year, depending on location — an unmanageable shock for millions of poor families. Mass kidnappings for ransom in the northwest and conflict between farmers and pastoralists in the central belt, traditionally the nation's bread basket, have also disrupted agriculture and squeezed food supplies. 'Hungriest of the hungry' Roughly 40% of Nigeria's more than 200 million people live below the international poverty line of $2.15 per person per day, the World Bank estimates. Already, 25 million people live in acute food and nutrition insecurity - putting their lives or livelihoods in immediate danger, according to a joint analysis by the government and U.N. agencies. That number is expected to rise to 33 million by next June-August. "The food crisis in Nigeria is immense because what we are seeing is a crisis within a crisis within a crisis," said Trust Mlambo, head of program for the northeast at the World Food Program, in an interview with Reuters in Maiduguri. With international donors focused on emergencies in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, Mlambo said there was not enough funding to fully meet Nigeria's growing need for food aid. "We are really prioritizing the hungriest of the hungry," he said. In Borno, the Alau dam, upriver from Maiduguri, gave way on Sept. 9, four days after state officials had told the public it was secure. Local residents and engineers had been warning that it was under strain. Hundreds of people were killed in the resulting flood, according to aid workers who did not wish to be identified for fear of offending the state government. A spokesperson for the state government did not respond to requests for comment. Zainab Abubakar, a self-employed tailor in the city who lived in relative comfort with her husband and six children in a house with a refrigerator, was awoken at midnight by water rushing into her bedroom. They ran for their lives while the flood destroyed their house and carried everything away, including her sewing machine. Now, they are sheltering at Gubio and collecting rice from aid agencies in a plastic bucket. "There is no alternative," she said. In Banki, on Nigeria's border with Cameroon about 133 km southeast of Maiduguri, Mariam Hassan lost crops of maize, pepper and then okra in repeated flooding of her subsistence farm this year, leaving her with nothing to eat or sell. "I beg the neighbors or relatives to give me food, not even for me but for my children, for us to survive," said Hassan, who has eight children. "The situation has turned me into a beggar."

London — Germany's plan to hold a snap election in February has raised uncertainties over the country's military aid program for Ukraine, as the government has not yet approved its 2025 budget. Berlin is the second biggest donor of weapons and equipment to Kyiv, after the United States. The political turmoil in Europe's biggest economy comes as allies prepare for a second term for President-elect Donald Trump in the United States. Trump has repeatedly questioned U.S. support for Ukraine. February vote Germany's main political parties agreed to hold the election on February 23, following the collapse of the ruling three-party coalition government earlier this month. Chancellor Olaf Scholz is due to introduce a confidence motion in parliament next month, which he is expected to lose, paving the way for a general election. Scholz has said he will stand again as the Social Democrats' candidate, although some in the party have questioned whether he is the best choice amid low approval ratings. The chairman of the Social Democrats in the German parliament, Rolf Mützenich, insisted Tuesday that Scholz was the right candidate. "I am firmly convinced that Olaf Scholz has done this country good in the last three years under the most difficult conditions. He has done everything to ensure that the coalition stays together. We have not only experienced the attack by Russian troops on Ukraine, but we have also helped Ukraine. We have also created important economic stabilization effects in Germany," Mützenich told reporters in Berlin. Opposition poll lead However, the main opposition Christian Democrats have a big lead in the polls. The party's leader, Friedrich Merz, argued for a quicker election. "We are basically losing around a month for the election to the next German parliament and thus also for the formation of a government after the next election," Merz told reporters Tuesday. "I just want to remind you that we do not have a federal budget for 2025. We are going into 2025 with this serious omission, with this heavy burden. And that is why it is completely unknown what will become of it," he added. Debt dispute The current government — a coalition between the Social Democrats, the Green party and the Free Democrats — collapsed last week following disagreements over raising new debt to finance the 2025 budget, including the provision of military aid to Ukraine. A so-called debt brake in Germany's constitution restricts the government's ability to take on new loans. Berlin has given Kyiv around $11 billion in weapons and equipment since Russia's February 2022 full-scale invasion. The outgoing government had planned to cut that aid to just over $4 billion next year. "Broadly speaking, there was a consensus that supporting Ukraine remains a priority for Germany. The question was just where and how to get and raise the finances for that," said Mattia Nelles, founder of the German-Ukraine Bureau, a political consultancy based in Düsseldorf, who said the February election was "bad timing for Ukraine, bad timing for Europe." 'Leadership vacuum' "It means Germany will be preoccupied with itself for a few months before we have a new government with a hopefully strong mandate — a coalition that could take literally until next summer, or in the worst case, even until autumn. So that is a leadership vacuum in Europe, and that's bad news for everyone involved," Nelles said. The election is due to take place just weeks after the January 20 inauguration of Donald Trump as the next U.S. president. "The worst case that many fear in Berlin and Kyiv [is] an incoming Trump administration taking power in January then slashing or ending the Ukraine aid, that will force the German government, the lame duck Scholz government with the current parliament, to increase the funding for Ukraine." "It's important to note that there is still a majority in the old parliament, even before the new parliament is elected, to increase the aid, to take new debt and amend the constitution for that, to take new debt to support Ukraine ... but it's going to be difficult politically to implement that," Nelles said. European security Trump's presidency could have wider implications for European security, including the deployment of U.S. forces and equipment, such as long-range missile systems, says analyst Marina Miron, a defense analyst at Kings College, London. "What else might be reversed is the placement of Tomahawk [U.S. missiles] in Germany. So, we have quite a situation where, let's say, Trump might pursue an anti-globalist agenda and push NATO countries to invest more of their GDP into defense," Miron told VOA. Russian assets Europe froze around $200 billion in Russian assets following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. The interest is being used to help fund weapons for Kyiv, while the G7 group of rich nations has implemented a loan plan for Ukraine using the Russian assets as collateral. At a time of fiscal pressures in Europe, some argue it's time to seize the assets entirely and give them to Ukraine. "Europe is sitting on a war chest of 200 billion U.S. dollars of frozen Russian assets," said analyst Mattia Nelles. "And I think the incoming Trump administration will push the Europeans to go further. And that's welcome news from the Ukrainian side — to not just give loans and credit based on frozen Russian assets, but to move to confiscate the assets themselves. And that's certainly something many in Germany also support," he added. Economic pressures Chancellor Scholz oversaw German efforts to end reliance on cheap Russian energy. However, analysts say that has driven inflation and undermined confidence in Europe's biggest economy. Scholz also was seen as reluctant to make bolder decisions on arming Ukraine, including the supply of long-range Taurus missiles, something Kyiv has repeatedly requested. Ukraine may be hoping that a change in leadership in Berlin could unblock more military aid, said Nelles. "We are looking at a new, potentially stronger government, which, if it's led by [Christian Democrat leader] Friedrich Merz, might be taking some of the bolder decisions which Scholz had hesitated to take, including the delivery of Taurus. But everyone hoping for that, I would urge caution," he said. Germany's economic constraints won't disappear with new leadership, said analyst Marina Miron. "Let's assume, for a moment, there is somebody who would drive this policy forward and who would have much more resolve than Scholz. The problem is the German budget. The problem is also that defense contractors in Europe are now affected, as other companies, by the disruption in the global supply chain," she told VOA. Germany is also struggling to overcome decades of underinvestment in its armed forces, something the next government will have to address, Miron added. "The dictates of German strategic culture just go against the grain of the current threat landscape, when it comes to bigger investment in defense," she said.

The United States opened a new air defense base in northern Poland on Wednesday, an event the European nation's president said showed the country was secure as a member of NATO even as Russia wages war in neighboring Ukraine.  Situated in the town of Redzikowo near the Baltic coast, the base has been in the works since the 2000s.   At a time when Donald Trump's election victory has caused jitters among some NATO members, Warsaw says the continued work on the base by successive U.S. presidents shows Poland's military alliance with Washington remains solid whoever is in the White House.  "The United States... is the guarantor of Poland's security," President Andrzej Duda said.  He said the permanent presence of U.S. troops at the base showed that Poland, a communist state until 1989, was "not in the Russian sphere of influence."  The Kremlin on Wednesday called the base a bid to contain Russia by moving American military infrastructure nearer its borders.  The opening comes amid a nervous reaction among some NATO members to the election of Trump, who has vowed not to defend countries that do not spend enough on defense.   However, Poland says it should have nothing to fear as it is the alliance's biggest spender on defense relative to the size of its economy, and conservative Duda has stressed his warm ties with Trump.  The U.S. base at Redzikowo is part of a broader NATO missile shield, dubbed "Aegis Ashore," which the alliance says can intercept short- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles.  Other key shield elements include a site in Romania, U.S. navy destroyers based in the Spanish port of Rota and an early-warning radar in Kurecik, Turkey.  Moscow had already labeled the base a threat as far back as 2007, when it was still being planned.   NATO says the shield is purely defensive.  Military sources told Reuters the system in Poland can now only be used against missiles fired from the Middle East and the radar would need a change in direction to intercept projectiles from Russia, a complex procedure entailing a change of policy.  Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Monday the scope of the shield needed to be expanded, which Warsaw would discuss with NATO and the United States.  NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will meet Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw later on Wednesday. 

Brussels, Belgium    — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured Ukraine and its NATO allies on Wednesday that Washington remains committed to putting Ukraine “in the strongest possible position” in the final months of President Joe Biden’s administration, before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January. At the same time, Blinken expressed alarm about Russia possibly bolstering North Korea’s missile and nuclear capacities, as North Korean troops fight alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.   “President Biden has committed to making sure that every dollar we have at our disposal will be pushed out the door between now and January 20th,” Blinken told reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday. “We’re making sure that Ukraine has the air defenses it needs, that has the artillery it needs, that it has the armored vehicles it needs,” he added. Blinken told VOA he expects U.S. allies' support for Ukraine to increase and emphasized that it’s critical for Washington’s partners to “continue to more than pick up their share of the burden.”    Speaking alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Blinken reiterated that Washington will “continue to shore up everything” to enable Ukraine to defend itself effectively against Russian aggression. Rutte and other European leaders voiced serious concerns over North Korea’s active support for Russia in its war on Ukraine. “These North Korean soldiers present an extra threat to Ukraine and will increase the potential for Putin to do harm,” Rutte told reporters. The U.S. State Department says that more than 10,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to eastern Russia, and most of them have moved to the far western Kursk oblast, part of which Ukraine controls. On Wednesday, Blinken described the military collaboration between Pyongyang and Moscow as “a two-way street.” “There is deep concern about what Russia is or may be doing to strengthen North Korea’s capacities — its missile capacity, its nuclear capacity,” as well as the battlefield experience North Korean forces are gaining, he told reporters. In Brussels, Blinken held talks with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, European Union High Representative Josep Borrell and British Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, among others. The possibility of Ukraine using Western-supplied long-range missiles on Russian soil was among the topics discussed during Sybiha’s meeting with Blinken. “We need to speed up all critical decisions,” the Ukrainian foreign minister said before the meeting. “Ukraine has always cherished strong bipartisan support.  We maintain contact with both [Democratic and Republican] parties and work both with the [U.S.] president-elect and his team and also with the outgoing administration,” he added. In Washington, officials say Biden was expected to ask Trump during their talks at the White House on Wednesday not to walk away from Ukraine. Trump’s political allies have indicated that the incoming administration will prioritize achieving peace in Ukraine over enabling the country to reclaim Crimea and other territories occupied by Russia. Blinken has concluded talks with European counterparts in Brussels. He will next travel to Lima, Peru, for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC meetings, followed by stops in Manaus and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for a summit of the 20 largest economies, the G20. He will join Biden in Peru and Brazil. 

Donald Trump, US President-Elect, has appointed Elon Musk, chief executive officer (CEO) of Tesla and SpaceX, to lead a soon to be established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk, was a staunch supporter of Trump during the electioneering leading up to the November 5 presidential election in which the former president defeated Vice-President Kamala Harris […]

The post Trump appoints Elon Musk to lead department of government efficiency first appeared on Business Hallmark.

The Libyan Department for Combating Illegal Migration has deported seven Nigerians, three Bangladeshis, and three Ghanaians detained at the Qanfoudah Immigration Detention Centre for allegedly violating the country’s laws. The deportees were flown out of Libya via Benina International Airport in Benghazi. in a statement on their X handle on Tuesday, confirmed that these individuals […]

The post Libya deports seven Nigerians, others over law violations first appeared on Business Hallmark.

ZHUHAI, China — Authorities in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai removed wreaths, candles and even bottles of Chinese alcohol laid at the scene of the deadliest mass killing in the country in a decade, as the government scrambled to respond and censor the outrage online. On Monday, a male driver angry at his divorce settlement rammed his car into a crowd at a sports center in the city of 2.5 million, killing 35 people and injuring 43, but the government took almost a day to announce the death toll. This prompted an outrage on Chinese social media, where posts complaining about the government's slow response and raising questions about the mental health of a nation shaken by a recent spate of similar killings, were being quickly removed. Despite the efforts to clear the site in Zhuhai, which is near Macau, delivery drivers on motorbikes kept dropping off fresh flowers on Wednesday morning, even as authorities erected temporary barriers around the makeshift vigil area and deployed security personnel. “The authorities hadn’t released any information - some colleagues mentioned it and I couldn’t believe it at first, but it was confirmed later,” said a 50-year-old man who identified himself as Zheng who brought flowers to the site. “It’s just a spontaneous feeling I had. Even though I don’t know them personally, I had family members who passed away in the past, so I understand that feeling," said Zheng. Some wreaths carried handwritten notes: "Strangers travel well. May there be no demons in heaven,” read one. On another: “May there be no thugs in heaven. Good will triumph over evil. Rest in peace.” After initially allowing journalists to briefly speak to the people laying the flowers, a handful of security personnel sporting light blue uniforms and caps told reporters not to talk to the people or to film specific messages on the bouquets. The attack happened as Zhuhai captured China's attention with the People's Liberation Army's largest annual airshow, where a new stealth jet fighter is on display for the first time. China’s state broadcaster CCTV did not mention the attack in its 30-minute midday news bulletin. Instead, the program led with President Xi Jinping's departure for the APEC summit in Peru and devoted a portion of the airtime to the airshow. Other state media, such as China Daily's Chinese language website, also prominently displayed the news of Xi's upcoming visit to Peru. The current affairs part of China Daily's website and the local area page did not mention the incident either. Hundreds of rescue personnel were deployed to provide emergency treatment, and more than 300 healthcare workers from five hospitals worked around the clock to save lives, state media's Beijing Daily reported on Tuesday. There was no indication that the attack was related to the airshow. But it was the second such incident to occur during the Zhuhai airshow: in 2008, at least four people were killed and 20 injured when a man drove a truck into a crowded schoolyard during the airshow. Police said that attacker had been seeking revenge over a traffic dispute. Xi, cited by CCTV on Tuesday, ordered all-out efforts to treat the injured and demanded severe punishment for the perpetrator. The central government has dispatched a team to provide guidance on handling of the case, CCTV said. Violent crime is rare in China due to tight security and strict gun laws. However, a rise in reports of knife attacks in large cities has drawn public attention to safety in public spaces. The deadliest attack Reuters was able to identify in recent years in China took place in Urumqi, in China's western Xinjiang region, in 2014, in which suicide bombers killed 39 people and four of the five attackers also died.

While some parts of Gaza are on the verge of famine, Palestinians in the West Bank are also suffering. They are unable to work in jobs in Israel, and the entire economy of the West Bank is contracting. Linda Gradstein reports from the West Bank town of Ramallah. Camera: Ricki Rosen

Dubai, United Arab Emirates — Iran has made plans to sustain its oil production and exports and is ready for possible oil restrictions from a Trump administration in the U.S., Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad said on Wednesday, according to the oil ministry's news website Shana.  In 2018, then-U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from a 2015 nuclear pact with Iran and re-imposed sanctions that hurt Iran's oil sector, with production dropping to 2.1 million barrels per day, or bpd, during his presidency.  "Required measures have been taken. I will not go into detail but our colleagues within the oil sector have taken measures to deal with the restrictions that will occur and there is no reason to be concerned," Paknejad said.  In recent years, Iranian oil production has rebounded to around 3.2 million barrels per day according to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, of which Iran is a member.  Iranian oil exports have climbed this year to near multi-year highs of 1.7 million bpd despite U.S. sanctions.   Chinese refiners buy most of its supply. Beijing says it doesn't recognize unilateral U.S. sanctions.