Author: Arif ArifArman

INTERNATIONAL DESK: As more Chinese property developers move towards restructuring billions of dollars of debt, their offshore creditors are expected to face another setback – the prospects of revamp terms being tightened due to a worsening outlook for the country’s real estate sector. So far, developers accounting for 40 per cent of Chinese home sales have defaulted on their debt obligations since 2021, according to JPMorgan. Those defaulted companies, mostly private, have issued around US$110 billion worth of high-yield offshore bonds. Despite a raft of Beijing’s supportive policies in recent months, home sales are showing few signs of improvement. Developers,…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) Chairperson Nilofar Bakhtiar on Wednesday said that there should be a uniform minimum age for girls’ marriages across the country and practitioners of all religions should comply with it. “I suggest that the minimum age for girl marriage should be 18 in Pakistan but in Punjab and some other provinces minimum age is 16. The minimum age…in Christian and Parsi religions is different. Unfortunately, a bill restraining child marriage in the country moved almost six times in parliament but could not sail through,” she said while talking to Dawn after…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: In what believed to be a targeted attack on a Daska mosque during Fajr prayers on Wednesday, a prayer leader, a religious activist belonging to an outlawed outfit and his security guard were killed. Quoting Zulfikar Ali, another security guard of Maulana Shahid Latif, police said six unknown people reached the Noori-e-Madina Masjid in Mandike Guraya Chowk on motorbikes and three of them joined the prayers. He said soon some gunshots were heard and within seconds the assailants fled the scene. He said they fired a shot on him as well but he remained unhurt. Police said prayer…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: A new report by the Washington-based think tank Atlantic Council Geoeconomics Center and research organization Rhodium Group highlights the serious economic challenges facing China. Titled “Running out of road: China Pathfinder 2023 annual scorecard,” the report identifies core problems within the world’s second-largest economy, warning that “structural threats to economic stability have never been greater.” The report underscores that the economic difficulties in China are not merely cyclical, as seen with the COVID-19 pandemic, but are rooted in a failure to reform the nation’s economic system. It argues that the Chinese Communist Party’s prioritization of ideology over economic…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Australian journalist Cheng Lei returned home on Wednesday after being detained by Chinese authorities for more than three years on national security charges. Here are some other high-profile cases of foreign nationals detained in China: YANG HENGJUN The Australian writer has been detained in China for more than three years, and in 2021 was tried in Beijing on undisclosed national security charges. His arrest coincided with worsening relations between Australia and China and a verdict in his case has been repeatedly delayed. Yang, who was born in China but is an Australian citizen, has denied working as a…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) arrested four people including, the managing director of Lava International, a Chinese national in connection with its money laundering investigation against Chinese mobile brand Vivo under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, sources said on Tuesday. The ED conducted raids on the premises of an accused person on October 9 and seized cash amounting to more than Rs 10 lakhs, informed sources adding, that the officials arrested four accused who have been identified as Guangwen Kyang alias Andrew Kuang, the Chinese National, Hari Om Rai, the MD of Lava…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Historic heatwaves this summer abruptly followed by the recent torrential rains have played havoc on China’s agriculture sector, thus aggravating country’s long-standing food dilemma. As the effects of climate change leading to erratic weather patterns and affecting farm productivity, Chinese are going to face challenges of feeding its enormous population against the limited resources. All previous records of highest temperature were broken after temperature touched 52.2 degrees Celsius this summer. Chinese government had to issue heatstroke alerts after hundreds of weather stations recorded historic heatwaves.Soon, major parts of China were battered by the devastating rains, killing hundreds and…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: A photograph capturing the poignant embrace between two Chinese athletes at the Asian Games in Hangzhou has been subjected to censorship within China. Lin Yuwei and Wu Yanni, having just completed the women’s 100m hurdles final on October 1st, shared an emotional embrace. This tender moment, however, inadvertently gave rise to an allusion to the tragic events of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. As the athletes embraced, the lane numbers assigned to them, Lin with “6” and Wu with “4,” fortuitously aligned to form the number “6/4.” This numerical composition carried a subtle reference to June 4, 1989,…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Things were looking so promising for Chairman Xi Jinping, who sat undisputed at the top of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) totem pole. However, momentous events such as a COVID-19 pandemic, his Russian comrade’s invasion of Ukraine, and the endemic rot of corruption within the party, are threatening his supremacy. Indeed, despite unrelenting directives calling for loyalty to the CCP, Xi must be wondering whether he can trust the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to perform its duty – of which an invasion of Taiwan would be the ultimate order. Conversely, the PLA may well be nervous at the…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Nepal Airlines is planning to sell off its Chinese planes that have been like an albatross around its neck for what an insider said is junkyard price. Acquired between 2014 and 2018, the six aircraft were worth Rs6.66 billion in grants and loans. One of the planes has since crashed. The national flag carrier is asking Rs220 million for the remaining five aircraft in an apparent effort to get rid of them as fast as possible. Nepal Airlines officials say the grounded planes—two 56-seater MA60 and three 17-seater Y12e—have been more trouble than they are worth. Plagued by…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in Ludhiana has taken a giant stride in culinary innovation with the introduction of ‘PBW1Chapati,’ a wheat variety specifically designed to revolutionize chapati-making. This new wheat variety has garnered immense popularity among farmers in the region, paving the way for a chapati renaissance ahead of the rabi season. Despite its relatively lower yield compared to other wheat varieties, ‘PBW1Chapati’ has become a sensation among farmers. With a staggering 300 quintals of seeds already sold at kisan melas and Krishi Vigyan Kendras, it is evident that this wheat variety has struck a chord with…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: A class 11 student from Punjab’s Ludhiana turns waste into wonder as he craftily generates planes using waste materials. Tanishpreet Singh, a student in Ludhiana district not only makes planes using waste but also takes it to heights through his gifted skills. His fascination for building planes, which began in the sixth grade, gradually started taking the form of a skill and pushed him to participate in competitions at the national level. Speaking to ANI, Tanishpreet said, “I have been fond of technology since childhood and after watching videos from YouTube I started making planes in the sixth…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India is exploring trade in local currencies with Tanzania, said Dammu Ravi, Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs on Monday at a presser. “We are exploring new areas of cooperation including in trade in local currencies. This is one of the topics discussed by the two leaders,” Ravi told reporters in the national capital. Earlier in the day, the joint statement which was released after the two leaders’ meeting mentioned that the two leaders expressed the desire to expand bilateral trade using Local currencies. They noted that the Reserve Bank of India (Indian Central Bank)…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: In a momentous celebration resonating with unity and shared values, the Jigme Singye Wangchuck School of Law (JSW Law) consecrated its new campus in Pangbisa, Paro, on the auspicious 21st day of the Eighth month. The ceremony, known as Tashi rabney, was attended by The King, the Fourth Gyalpo, The Gyalsey, esteemed members of the Royal Family, donors, partners, and proud alumni, The Bhutan Live reported. The rabney ceremony marked a historic occasion, symbolising the realization of The King’s vision – to establish a just society rooted in the rule of law. The campus itself stands as a…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: A staggering USD 23 billion per year is being drained out of Pakistan due to black marketing and smuggling, reported The Express Tribune. According to a report by ACE Money Transfer, a UK-based company, clandestine operations, encompassing black market currency trade, oil smuggling, gold smuggling, and import controls, have detrimental effects on Pakistan’s economic stability. “This not only leads to a loss of government revenue but also fuels a shadow economy, making it harder to track and regulate economic activities,” the report highlighted. They distort exchange rates, leading to currency devaluation, which, in turn, can fuel inflation as…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Pakistan Sikh Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC), responsible for the management and upkeep of Gurudwaras in Pakistan, has been under scrutiny by the Sikh community for its apparent indifference to the deteriorating conditions of these sacred places. The concerns raised by the community are multifaceted and deeply rooted in their devotion and love for these holy sites. One of the most pressing issues raised by Sikh devotees is the deteriorating structural condition of a Gurudwara associated with the first Sikh guru, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The Gurudwaras hold immense historical and religious significance for the community, and…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Several Afghan immigrant women have reported experiencing mistreatment and police torture during their stays in Pakistan, Khaama Press reported. The Khaama Press News Agency is an online news service for Afghanistan. The Pakistani government’s decision to expel Afghan refugees due to the ongoing mistreatment towards migrants has sparked international condemnation. Reports of mistreatment by the Pakistani police towards migrants surfaced recently. At least three immigrant women, including a journalist, have confirmed that they have experienced mistreatment and, in some cases, torture by the Pakistani police. A woman with two children in Pakistan, Samia, is following her asylum case,…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The international humanitarian community has called on Pakistan to continue extending protection to all vulnerable Afghans who have sought safety in the country, as they could be at imminent risk if forced to return to Afghanistan. This concern was also echoed by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, who said that refugees’ right to shelter, healthcare and legal counsel must be protected and slammed reports that Afghan refugee settlements were being razed and their occupants summarily evicted. A major political player, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, also waded into the issue on Saturday, voicing his opposition to the ongoing drive…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the Israel Air Force commander Major General Tomer Bar visited the Israel Air Force control center at the Kirya in Tel Aviv on Sunday. PMO Israel shared on X, “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Israel Air Force control center at the Kirya in Tel Aviv, during the extensive attacks currently being carried out in the Gaza Strip, together with Air Force Commander Maj.-Gen. Tomer Bar.” In retaliation to the Hamas attack on Israel that claimed the lives of hundreds and left thousands injured, the Israel Air Force has launched a very…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: For about three-and-a-half decades, there has been a cycle of people’s protests, demands and sectarian riots in Gilgit-Baltistan. Sectarian riots are very brazenly set off to break people’s united demands for human rights. They demand right to food, water to drink, their land and property, electricity, their natural wealth and above all, just governance. These demands were building up since the end of last year and were stepped up this year. The current reports of Shia-sunni tension in parts of Gilgit-Baltistan are not surprising for those who keep a watch on this part of occupied Kashmir. The present…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Doctors in the illegally occupied region of Gilgit Baltistan on Saturday launched a strike, primarily led by young doctors, in protest of the government’s failure to address their grievances. The main bone of contention is the government’s decision to increase the retirement age for doctors to 65, a move the protesting doctors deem draconian and unjust. The strike, affecting both outpatient departments (OPDs) and private clinics, aims to press for a resolution and protect junior doctors’ career prospects. Dr Nasreemullah, President of the Young Doctors Association in Diamer, expressed his discontent, saying, “The assembly is there to make…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Pakistan Interim Health Minister Nadeem Jan has said that 90 per cent of polio cases in Pakistan have been “imported from Afghanistan”, a news agency reported. Nadeem’s remarks came after two more samples tested positive for the poliovirus in Pakistan, just a day after this year’s third case surfaced. As per an official at the polio laboratory of the National Institute of Health (NIH), sewage samples collected from Dera Bugti, in Balochistan, and Peshawar had tested positive for the virus. Both viruses, found in sewage samples, are similar to Afghanistan’s poliovirus. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only countries…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: In a noteworthy trend sweeping China, numerous young professionals are celebrating their resignations from stable, well-paying jobs by throwing elaborate parties reminiscent of traditional marriage ceremonies. Despite the country’s challenging economic climate and soaring youth unemployment rates, individuals in their 20s are leaving positions due to reasons such as low salaries and burnout, a CNN report said. Chinese social media has seen an influx of posts about these “resignation parties.” According to Maimai, a Chinese professional networking platform akin to LinkedIn, 28% of surveyed employees across various sectors resigned in 2022, and this number doubled for those intending…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: October 7 2023 will forever remain a red-letter day in the history of Indian sports as it gave the country its sweetest century. India, on Saturday, which is the penultimate day of the 19th Asian Games – India’s participation, however, ends today itself – won its 100th medal at the Games for the first time ever. It was assured that would cross the elusive three-figure mark in the medal tally after the medals won in wrestling, archery (recurve), hockey, sepaktakraw and bridge and medals confirmed by the men’s cricket and both kabaddi teams but official stamp came on…