Author: Arif ArifArman

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Eleven labourers were killed in a bomb blast in northwestern Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan, a local government official said Sunday. The device exploded after being attached to the vehicle they were travelling in on Saturday evening, Rehman Gul Khattak, senior government official for North Waziristan, said in a statement. “The labourers were working at an under construction post for the Pakistan army,” Khattack said. Amir Muhammad Khan, a senior police official in the area, confirmed the bomb blast and the number of casualties to AFP. “Heartbreaking to know about the terrorist attack in North Waziristan which…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: China is rapidly constructing a new military facility along the western coastline of Africa, discloses AidData, a US-based think tank. According to the report, the location of Bata in Equatorial Guinea stands out as the most likely port for hosting a Chinese military base. Notably, the study reveals that China has already invested over $659 million in enhancing the port’s infrastructure at this site. The Commander of the U.S. Africa Command, General Stephen J. Townsend, said last year that Bata seemed to be where the Chinese regime had achieved the most significant progress in its expansion endeavours. The…

INTERNATIONBAL DESK: Pakistan Foreign direct investment (FDI) shrank 23.27 per cent month-on-month to $87.7 million in July amid prevailing unfavourable political and economic conditions. However, data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Friday showed that the FDI increased by $12.9m or 17.3pc when compared with an inflow of $74.8m the country received in July 2022. The central bank data showed that the foreign portfolio inflows were significantly higher than the previous year. The portfolio investment in July was $16.3m which collectively increased the total inflows to $104m. The FDI in July 2022 was $74.8m and after adding…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: A group of people in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’s (PoK) Gilgi-Baltistan held protest demonstrations against the “illegal detention” of their leader Shabir Mayar by the Pakistani authorities. United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP) founder Shaukat Ali Kashmiri said that demonstrations were carried out by Gilgit Baltistan United Movement, Awami Action Committee and Anzuman Tazran. The protestors condemned the “illegal detention” of their leader who was demanding opening of Kargil- Sukardu road for the reunion of divided families. “Protest demonstration (Rondu, Aug 15) by Gilgit Baltistan United Movement, Awami Action Committee and Anzuman Tazran,” UKPNP Chairman said on X (formerly Twitter).…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: A global media watchdog Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Friday urged Pakistan to immediately disclose the whereabouts of a nationally known television journalist Imran Riaz Khan who has been missing since his arrest on May 11, Voice of America (VOA) reported. Imran Riaz Khan was detained by police at the Sialkot airport in the central Punjab province as he tried to leave the country over fears of his arrest. He has 4 million YouTube subscribers and more than 5 million followers on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Imran Riaz’s X profile is inactive since May…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India and Pakistan recently celebrated their Independence Days. It should really be a ‘birthday’ in the case of Pakistan, carved out by the departing British administrators by dismembering India, but we shall le that slip. The journey of the neighbours so far has been instructive. While one is the world’s fifth-largest economy, poised to soar higher while remaining rooted in civilizational ethos, the other is a failed state, descending into a vortex of political instability, economic crisis, and religious fundamentalism. The juxtaposition of hope and despair offers a stark reality. A research reportreleased by the State Bank of…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Embroiled in financial and operational problems for years, the Pakistan International Airline (PIA) is impairing the flow of international movement and trade for Islamabad. The airline which can be called an epitome of operational inefficiency, corrupt management, safety concerns and service failure has become a drag on state finances. The financial concern has been a recurring theme characterized by mounting losses and a heavy debt burden. The operational and service struggles include a dwindling market share, customer dissatisfaction, flight delays and cancellations. Being a state run airline, PIA is considered by many a victim of faulty policies of…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: In the annals of history, some moments mark a paradigm shift, altering the course of a region’s destiny. The revocation of Article 370 by the Indian government on August 5, 2019, was one such moment for Jammu and Kashmir. Fast forward four years and the transformation that has taken place in the region is nothing short of remarkable. The recent Tiranga Yatra, where hundreds of enthusiastic youths proudly waved the tricolour, symbolically shattered long-held misconceptions about the aspirations of Kashmiri youth. The tide of change has brought forth an era of peace, prosperity, and development, dispelling the shadows…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Touching a big milestone, India’s northeastern state of Meghalaya’s high-quality turmeric and ginger powder are landing in United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The Lakadong variety of turmeric originates from the Lakadong area of the West Jaintia Hills district. It is considered one of the best varieties of turmeric in the world with a curcumin content of about 6.8 to 7.5 per cent, said Meghalaya’s Agriculture Minister Banteidor Lyngdoh as quoted by the Press Trust of India. The high-quality ginger powder is sourced from villages in the Ri-Bhoi district, he said. “About 150 kg of Lakadong turmeric and another…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: In a significant stride towards enhancing its energy landscape, Punjab has sealed a pivotal deal with Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) that promises economical solar power for its residents within the span of 18 months. Addressing the gathered media, Chief Minister Mann highlighted the magnitude of the occasion, emphasizing that this was the largest memorandum of understanding (MoU) ever inked between Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL) and SJVN, a distinguished player in the realm of renewable energy and a subsidiary of the Bhakra Beas Management Board. This groundbreaking agreement pertains to a substantial 1,200 MW solar power…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Imran Khan’s life is still in danger and he can be poisoned in Attock jail, his wife Bushra Bibi has said as she demanded better prison facilities for the incarcerated former Pakistan prime minister. In her letter to the Punjab home secretary on Saturday, the 49-year-old wife of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman wrote that the court had directed the authorities concerned to shift her husband from Attock jail in Punjab to Adiala prison in Rawalpindi. “My husband has been imprisoned in Attock jail without any justification. According to the law, my husband should be transferred to Adiala…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: In a major development ahead of a scheduled meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Africa, armies of India and China are holding Major General-level talks at two locations including Daulat Beg Oldie and Chushul to resolve the ongoing standoff in Eastern Ladakh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit South Africa’s Johannesburg from August 22-24 to attend the 15th BRICS Summit at the invitation of South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa. Defence sources told ANI that the Indian side was represented at the talks at two locations by Trishul Division Commander Major…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Elon Musk on Thursday praised Indian-American lawmaker Vivek Ramaswamy – who is set to contest against Donald Trump in Republican primaries for presidential polls – calling him a “very promising candidate”. “He is a very promising candidate,” Elon Musk said on X (formerly Twitter) while referring to Ramaswamy’s interview with popular journalist Tucker Carlson. Meanwhile, Ramswamy has been quite straightforward with his agenda for the poll campaign. He has called China the “biggest threat” that the US faces and said that he would go for “total de-coupling” with Beijing if he comes to power. The Republican leader has…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: US State Department on Thursday (local time) said that Washington is committed to confront terrorism across the world and continues to call for those involved in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks to be brought to justice. State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel, however, said that the extradition process of Tahawwur Rana — an accused in the 26/11 Mumbai attack — is a “pending matter”. “So this…as you so note, is a pending extradition matter. And so, given the fact that it is pending, I don’t have any specific comment to offer…I’m just not going to comment on a…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Screening of Bollywood movies marked a return to strife-torn Manipur on Tuesday, around 23 years after militant organisations enforced a ban on them. It was on the occasion of the 77th Independence Day celebrations that the Hmar Students’ Association (HSA), a Kuki-Zo tribal students’ organisation, screened Bollywood film “Uri: The Surgical Strike” at Rengkai in the hill district of Churachandpur. A projector was set up to screen the film for a select audience from 7:30 pm. The screening witnessed an attendance of over 100 people, who turned up for the historic event. A film from the 1990s, “Kuch…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Chinese embassy lauded the Indian Coast Guard for successfully conducting the medical evacuation of a Chinese national from a Panama-flagged research vessel, MV Dong Fang Kan Tan No 2, around 200 Kms in the Arabian sea off Mumbai on the intervening night of August 16 and 17. The evacuation was carried out amidst challenging weather conditions and dark night. Our heartful appreciation to @IndiaCoastGuard for the timely and professional medical evacuation of a Chinese citizen in the Arabian Sea off Mumbai, tweeted the Chinese Embassy in India. The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Mumbai on Wednesday received…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: An upgraded US-Vietnam partnership in response to repeated Chinese bullying at sea is a welcoming development, but as long as Beijing remains a powerful and united political entity — with a strong political will to exert its dominance over its periphery — concerns will be attached with the move, The Diplomat reported. US President Joe Biden has recently announced that he would be going to Vietnam shortly to upgrade bilateral relations with the country. Notably, this is a move that Washington had pushed for several times but has not eventuated due to Vietnam’s concern about China’s retaliation. Some…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) equity inflow in the manufacturing sector between 2014-2022 increased by 57 per cent over the previous eight years, 2006-2014, due to Make in India mission. This information has been provided by India’s Junior Minister for Commerce and Industry Som Parkash in the Parliament. The Make in India initiative was launched on September 25, 2014, to facilitate investment, foster innovation, building best in class infrastructure, and Make in India a hub for manufacturing, design and innovation. The development of a robust manufacturing sector continues to be a key priority of the Indian Government. Since its…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: New York City on Wednesday banned TikTok on government-owned devices citing ‘security concerns’ thus joining the list of more than two dozen states that have restricted access to the short video app, New York Times reported. Notably, several government officials have been restricting access to TikTok in reaction to concerns that the app — owned by the Chinese company ByteDance — could give Beijing access to sensitive user data. Jonah Allon, a spokesman for Mayor Eric Adams, said in a statement on Wednesday that the city’s Cyber Command is determined that the app “posed a security threat to…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Indian Air Force (IAF) will host a mega multilateral military exercise next year that was originally planned for October. The exercise, ‘Tarang Shakti’, is likely to be held in the middle of 2024 as a number of participating air forces conveyed to the IAF that they will not be able to join the wargame if it is held this year, sources in the defence and military establishment said on Wednesday. The exercise is expected to witness participation of around 12 air forces and the focus of the wargame will be to improve military cooperation and enhance interoperability,…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Smita Pant was addressing an event commemorating the martyrdom anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, reports Times Now News. Bangabandhu and his family members were killed in cold blood in 1975, said Pant, adding, the perpetrators, however, were unable to eliminate his values. The dreams of Bangabandhu, “who has few equals in history,” are coming true today, she said. The people have rejected extremism, Bangladesh is on its road to becoming a middle-income country, and it provides more UN peacekeepers than almost any other country, the MEA official said. The High Commissioner of Bangladesh, Mohammed Mustafizur Rahman, opened…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Ina Krisnamurthi, Indonesia’s Ambassador to India has hailed India’s G20 presidency saying that it has added value and expressed confidence and hope that India through its G20 Summit will bring all leaders together on the table. While speaking to ANI, the envoy pointed out that continuity and convergence of agenda of emerging economies are on the table and also between multilateral fora for the benefit of emerging economies. “It’s one of the biggest engagement of leaders. So, I wish India all the very best logistically and substantively. India has done tremendously in bridging all differences. This presidency has…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: In a rare two-day military talks, India and China agreed to resolve the remaining issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh in an “expeditious manner” besides maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas, a joint statement said on Tuesday, a day after conclusion of the dialogue. However, the readout on the 19th round of India-China Corps Commander-level meeting did not indicate any immediate breakthrough in disengagement of troops in remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh. It was for the first time, the high-level military talks on the lingering border row spanned two days,…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: China’s soaring levels of youth unemployment have heightened fears the world’s second-largest economy is heading for a crippling slowdown. Beijing has come up with a solution: It will stop releasing the numbers. The National Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday said it would stop publishing age group-specific unemployment data this month, after China’s youth unemployment rate — for 16- to 24-year-olds — rose to a record high of 21.3 percent in June. Some experts believe that number is actually much higher. The announcement came amid a slew of data released Tuesday that fell short of expectations, further evidence that…