Author: Arif ArifArman

INTERNATIONAL DESK: At the banquet dinner during the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was congratulated by several world leaders including Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the success of Chandrayaan-3. Earlier on Wednesday, PM Modi while referring to the Chandrayaan-3 mission, said the enthusiasm of our diaspora in South Africa for India’s achievements in the space sector is truly gladdening. “Feeling the fervour all the way from Johannesburg for Chandrayaan-3! The enthusiasm of our diaspora in South Africa for India’s achievements in the space sector is truly gladdening,” PM Modi tweeted on Wednesday. The Prime…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: US Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday congratulated India for Chandrayaan-3’s successful landing on the southern polar region of the moon and called it an “incredible feat for all scientists, engineers involved”. “Congratulations to India for the historic landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the southern polar region of the moon. It’s an incredible feat for all the scientists and engineers involved. We are proud to partner with you on this mission and space exploration more broadly,” Harris tweeted on Thursday. Chandrayaan-3 on Wednesday successfully performed a soft landing on the Moon. ISRO tweeted: “Chandrayaan-3 Mission: ‘India, I reached my…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: At an unfinished Country Garden (2007.HK) residential complex on the outskirts of the northern Chinese metropolis of Tianjin, construction has slowed to a dull whirr and a few idle workers roam a near-empty site. “They haven’t paid us since Chinese New Year (in January). We are all worried,” said a labourer surnamed Wang, 50, who said he had stopped work at the Yunhe Shangyuan site last week. The sprawling complex is one of two projects Reuters visited on Friday in Tianjin, a port city of 14 million people about 135 km (84 miles) southeast of Beijing. Both sites…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: In a remarkable turn of events, the serene and once-restricted territories along the Line of Control (LoC) in North Kashmir have evolved into captivating tourist hotspots. After enjoying a period of relative calm, the Jammu and Kashmir government, in collaboration with the Department of Tourism, has thrown open the doors to numerous areas nestled in close proximity to the LoC. This welcome move has not only unveiled the untouched natural beauty of locations like Keran, Gurez, Tangdhar, Machil, and Bangus but also extended a rare opportunity for visitors to witness firsthand the geographical boundary that separates the two…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India has created history as it became the first country to land on the South Pole of the lunar surface. People from across the globe congratulated India for its remarkable feat. India’s massive achievement also derived praise from an unexpected quarter. Fawad Chaudhry, the ex-minister of Information and Broadcasting in the Imran Khan government also praised the moon landing. He wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “What a great moment for #ISRO as #Chandrayaan3 lands on the Moon, I can see lots of young scientists celebrating this moment with Mr Somnat Chairman ISRO, only Younger generation with dreams can…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: In a remarkable stride towards modernizing public services and embracing digital governance, Jammu and Kashmir have achieved an impressive feat. Chief Secretary, Arun Kumar Mehta, proudly announced the integration of 913 citizen-centric online services onto the e-UNNAT portal. This strategic move has propelled Jammu and Kashmir to secure the coveted second position among all States and Union Territories in India, underscoring its commitment to enhancing ease, accessibility, and convenience for its citizens. “We consider this achievement a significant milestone in our ongoing mission to offer seamless services to the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” Chief Secretary Mehta affirmed.…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called for building a resilient and inclusive supply chain, amplifying a pitch that reflects the global wariness over dependence on China as the “factory of the world”. “The Covid pandemic has taught us the importance of resilient and inclusive supply chains. For this, trust and transparency are very critical. We can use each other’s strength to contribute towards the betterment of the entire world, especially the Global South,” the PM said in his address at the Brics Business Forum in Johannesburg. Significantly, Modi’s remarks came ahead of his likely interactions, including a…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said India will soon become a USD 5 trillion economy and is poised to become the growth engine of the world in the coming years. Speaking at the BRICS Business Forum Leaders’ Dialogue, Modi highlighted that “mission-mode” reforms has improved the ease of doing business in India and invited businesses to be part of the country’s development journey. While mentioning about the strides made by India on the digital payments front, Modi said there are many possibilities for using the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) for BRICS. He also said that Brazil, Russia,…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Hopelessness, fear and frustration — these were the main sentiments expressed by members of a large demonstration of Pakistani Christians outside the Pakistan High Commission on Monday. More than 100 Pakistani Chris­tians living across England travelled to London to demand better protection for Christians back home and condemn the violence that took place in Jaranwala last week. Several carried Pakistan flags. There were banners demanding the abolition of blasphemy laws and also placards saying “Christian Lives Matter”. A delegation also met Pakistan’s high commissioner to share their concerns and demand action. Rehana Noreen, a nurse trained at Aga…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The people of Kashmir are rejoicing as the renowned Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden secures a distinguished position in the esteemed World Book of Records (London). Nestled amidst the picturesque foothills of the Zabarwan mountain range, this accolade recognizes the garden’s status as Asia’s largest tulip haven, adorned with an awe-inspiring array of 1.5 million tulip bulbs showcasing an astonishing collection of 68 distinct tulip varieties. Echoing the sentiments of the locals, it’s widely believed that Kashmir holds immense untapped potential. The region’s natural beauty and the magnificence of the tulip garden have once again put it in…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: China’s stock market was plunging and its currency was teetering. The head of the central bank, fielding questions at a rare news conference, said China would make it easier to get home mortgages. It was February 2016, and Zhou Xiaochuan, the central bank’s longtime governor at the time, announced what proved to be the start of an extraordinary blitz of lending by China’s immense banking system. Minimum down payments for buying apartments were reduced, triggering a surge in construction. Vast sums were also lent to local governments, allowing them to splurge on new roads and rail lines. For…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Qamar Mohsin Sheikh, who is a Pakistan-origin woman and moved to India after her marriage, will visit the national capital to tie a Rakhi to PM Modi. Qamar Mohsin Shaikh, who came to India from Pakistan after her marriage said she has been tying rakhi to PM Modi for over 30 years. “I wish him a happy Raksha Bandhan. I pray for him every day for his good health and long life. I believe that all my wishes come true. Earlier when I prayed for him to be the Chief Minister of Gujarat and he became. Whenever I…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Despite concerns from local fishermen and persistent opposition from China, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday said his country will begin discharging treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea on Thursday, Kyodo News reported. The contentious decision was made at a ministerial meeting on Tuesday morning because a sizable volume of water has accumulated at the site since the nuclear disaster in 2011, which was brought on by a devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami. In April 2021, Yoshihide Suga, Kishida’s predecessor, gave his approval for the water release into the Pacific…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will depart on Tuesday for the 15th Brics summit in Johannesburg that will kick off the same day with a meeting of the grouping’s business forum and a leaders’ retreat later in the day. Apart from participating in discussions on issues related to economic cooperation, food security and Brics expansion, PM Modi is also expected to underscore at the summit the need for member-states to respect each other’s security interests and to speak in one voice against terrorism. Leaders of more than 50 countries are expected to join South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, China’s…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India’s space agency on Monday released images its spacecraft took of the far side of the moon as it headed for an attempted landing on the lunar south pole, just days after the failure of a Russian lander. The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft had been in a race with Russia to be the first to land on the lunar south pole, a region whose shadowed craters are thought to contain water ice that could support a future moon settlement. As news of the failure of Russia’s Luna-25 mission broke on Sunday, ISRO said that Chandrayaan-3…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: In a significant development, the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter which was already fixed around the moon established a two-way connection with the lander module of Chandrayaan-3 on Monday. “‘Welcome, buddy!’ Ch-2 orbiter formally welcomed Ch-3 LM (lander module). Two-way communication between the two is established. MOX (Mission Operations Complex) has now more routes to reach the LM,” ISRO posted on X, formerly Twitter. Chandrayaan-3 is set to land on the moon on August 23, 2023, around 18:04 IST. Live actions will be available on the ISRO website, its YouTube channel, Facebook, and public broadcaster DD National TV from 17:27 IST…

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…