Author: Arif ArifArman

INTERNATIONAL DESK: A Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) spokesperson has claimed that PTI social media activist Arshad Siddiqui has been missing since Sunday morning and police are yet to tell his family about his whereabouts, Pakistan-based The News International newspaper reported. “The disappearance of PTI social media member Arshad Siddiqui is alarming. He is a resident of Karachi’s Mahmoodabad and left his residence at 8 am to go to work. However, the police have not revealed any information regarding Arshad’s arrest so far,” Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA), Shahzad Qureshi, said in a statement issued on Monday, The News International newspaper…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried paid a bribe of USD 40 million to a Chinese government official to get access to those accounts which are allegedly frozen by Beijing, a federal prosecutor alleged on Tuesday, according to New York Post reported. The details of his 2021 bribe were included in a new indictment against Bankman-Fried, filed by federal prosecutors in Manhattan. “Samuel Bankman-Fried aka ‘SBF’ authorized and directed a bribe of at least USD 40 million to one or more Chinese government officials,” the indictment states. “The purpose of the bribe was to influence and induce one or more…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Pakistan Army is now gearing up to tackle the widespread anti-army campaign launched by former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) with its own set of systematic campaigns online as well as offline, The Pakistan Military Monitor reported. The campaign is set to begin at the school level, first in Punjab. According to Pakistan Military Monitor, Imran Khan had kicked off a massive anti-army campaign on all media as soon as he was forced to resign as the Prime Minister last year by the then army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa. Once a patron of the former…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Pakistan and China are engaged in a “threshold alliance” but Beijing’s opponents, particularly the US, may prevent it from becoming a fully-fledged alliance, says a recent US report. The report titled The Future of the China-Pakistan Military Relati­onship describes the current status of the China-Pakistan relationship as “a threshold alliance,” but argues that it may not lead to a fully-fledged future alliance, “potentially due to China’s own missteps, or due to opponents’ active measures to arrest the relationship”. The author, Sameer P. Lalwani, works for the US Institute of Peace (USIP), a federal institution with a Congressional mandate.…

SPORTS DESK: A 17 year old Manipur boy N Tomchou Meetei from Manipur won three medals including two silver at the on-going 2023 IWF Youth Men and Women World Weightlifting Championships (March 25-April 1,2023) at Durres, Albania on Sunday. Tomchou Meetei won Bronze Medal in Snatch and Silver medal Clean & Jerk and a Silver Medal in overall with a total of 234 kg. He managed 131 kg in clean and jerk to win the silver and 103 kg in snatch to settle for a bronze and to amass a total of 234 kg in the men’s 55 kg category…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: A new World Bank (WB) report shows that there are economically feasible, cost-effective solutions to achieve clean air in the South Asia region, but this requires countries to coordinate policies and investments. South Asia is home to nine of the world’s 10 cities with the worst air pollution, and Dhaka is one of them. The report said air pollution is responsible for about 20 percent of the total premature deaths in Bangladesh. The report titled “Striving for Clean Air: Air Pollution and Public Health in South Asia,” presented today in Dhaka, says concentrations of fine particulate matter such…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: China’s Big Tech companies saw their payrolls shrink in the past year as they streamline their businesses and rein in costs by shedding unprofitable projects to weather Covid-19 restrictions and a year-long regulatory crackdown, their latest financial reports show. Internet search titan Baidu and social media and video gaming behemoth Tencent Holdings each trimmed more than 4,000 roles in 2022, leaving some 41,000 and 110,000 full-time employees on their payrolls, respectively, as of December 31. E-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding and food delivery platform Meituan, both with a much larger workforce, cut around 20,000 and 10,000 jobs last…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The United States government has condemned recent violent incidents that have taken place during protests at Indian diplomatic facilities in the US, while also terming that violence, or the threat of violence is never an acceptable form of protest and is of “grave concern.” The response from the US Department of State comes after the pro-Khalistan supporters in the US threatened the Indian embassy and Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu during their protest on Saturday. On Saturday, Pro-Khalistan supporters in the US threatened the Indian embassy and Indian Ambassador to the United States Taranjit Singh…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Japan has demanded that one of its citizens who is currently being held in China be released as soon as possible and he be allowed to speak with consular officials, a top spokesman said on Monday, Kyodo News reported. China claims it has detained the man on suspicion of engaging in spying activities. Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said the man is accused of breaking China’s anti-espionage law but did not go into any detail. He is an employee of Japanese pharmaceutical company Astellas Pharma Inc, the company has verified. At a press briefing,…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The plight of Uyghur refugees in Thailand and Pakistan is due to the use of economic clout as a political tool by China, reported Voices Against Autocracy (VAA) – a private, non-governmental organisation based in Vienna, Austria. The death of an Uyghur refugee in a detention center in Thailand and fears of another refugee in Pakistan being deported to China provide clues to the plight of refugees fleeing Xinjiang fearing Chinese persecution. Uyghurs are witnessing a new challenge, they are being detained not only in other countries but also in China itself, fearing persecution. This is a function…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The democracy summit, which would be hosted by US President Joe Biden in Washington this week, has forced Pakistan to walk a tightrope. Pakistan is among over 100 countries invited by the Biden administration on a three-day summit to be kicked off on Tuesday. However, Islamabad is in a bind — to take a call on the US invitation or not. Official sources said intensive consultations were going on late Monday night. “The final decision will be taken on Tuesday,” according to the sources. What makes Pakistani decision complicated is that the US has not invited China and…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The first edition of the “Jita Kyoei Judo Cup” was held in Thimphu today. The tournament holds great significance as it not only promotes the practice of Judo in Bhutan but also the values of “Jita Kyoei” which is a Japanese phrase that means mutual welfare and benefit. Bhutan Judo Association in partnership with the Japanese government organised the inaugural tournament today. The President of the Kodokan Judo Institute said such tournaments will greatly help in the promotion of Judo in Bhutan. He also emphasised the Jita Kyoei spirit where people are more willing to promote the welfare…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Over 400 DeSuups took part in a half-day cleaning, maintenance, and garden development along Norzin Lam in Thimphu yesterday. The activity was a part of the Thimphu Greening and Beautification programme which not only cleans and beautifies the capital but also aims to spread awareness of the need for people’s collective effort and responsibility in keeping the county clean. More than 400 DeSuups divided into 28 groups carried out the greening and beautification works along Norzin Lam. Works included reorganising flower gardens, repairing and repainting railings, footpath beautification, drain cleaning, and repairing missing slabs. According to the Chief…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: US President Joe Biden has said his country made a commitment to finding long-term solutions to the Rohingya refugee crisis and holding perpetrators of the atrocities accountable. “You set an example for the world of empathy and generosity in practice,” the US President wrote in a letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The US Embassy in Dhaka shared the letter on Sunday which was originally sent on March 21. The US president said Bangladesh has opened its arms and welcomed nearly one million Rohingya refugees. In a message to PM Hasina, Biden on behalf of the United States,…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: A week after securing the confidence of the House for the second time, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is still struggling to expand his Cabinet. And it may take a few more days for the prime minister to appoint the ministers if the statements of key leaders of the coalition partners are to be believed, Kathmandu Post reported. As Dahal has been overseeing 16 ministries on his own, it shows the complexity of power-sharing among the coalition partners. “First we will finalise the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) of the coalition. And then we will discuss ministerial allocations,” CPN…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The federal ministers came down hard on former premier and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan for “creating chaos and anarchy in the country” and demanded that he should also tell his rally participants at Minar-e-Pakistan how many gifts he took away from Toshakhana and that Tyrian White was his daughter. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan called Imran Khan a traitor and accused him of spreading lies at the important venue of Minar-e-Pakistan. He said the PTI chief should not be allowed to hold a rally at Minar-e-Pakistan due to his anti-state activities, adding his stance was not focused…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: After a protracted battle by India, the United States and Japan to get China to agree to restructure its massive loan of USD 7 bn to Sri Lanka, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a USD 2.286 billion bailout for Sri Lanka on March 20. The Sri Lankan government under President Ranil Wickremesinghe endorsed on Saturday that Sri Lanka is no longer deemed bankrupt by the world, Trueceylon reported. Former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was deposed after one and a half years in power under the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Party, was replaced by Wickremesinghe, who holds only…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: North Korea recently claimed to have tested an underwater drone capable of carrying a nuclear warhead that could create a “radioactive tsunami,” however, analysts urged scepticism noting a lack of proof, CNN reported. A report from the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the drone, called the “Unmanned Underwater Nuclear Attack Craft ‘Haeil,’” was tested from March 21 to 23, cruising in waters off the country’s east coast for more than 59 hours before its test warhead was detonated on Thursday afternoon. “The mission of the underwater nuclear strategic weapon is to stealthily infiltrate into operational waters…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken has said Bangladesh is “quickly becoming a regional leader” with a rapidly growing economy, an increasingly well-educated workforce, and a dynamic youth demographic. Blinken said he looks forward to “deepening their partnership” with Bangladesh in the years ahead. “Americans and Bangladeshis are stronger together because of our cooperation on the defining issues of this era,” he said in a press statement on behalf of the United States of America, conveying his best wishes to the people of Bangladesh on its Independence Day. Blinken said the United States is proud of its…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: As PTI Chairman Imran Khan reached a Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Saturday to secure interim bail in three terrorism cases, he told reporters that a “reaction” to the “atrocities done to the PTI” would come from the public today at the party’s Minar-i-Pakistan rally and urged supporters not to back off “under any circumstance”. Talking to the media outside the court while sitting in his vehicle, Imran said a public “reaction would come today to whatever method they (the government) will use”. “We will not back off under any circumstance,” the former premier vowed. He further asserted,…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: The nation is set to celebrate the 53rd Independence and National Day tomorrow vowing afresh to take the country towards prosperity with the Liberation War spirit. On March 26, 1971, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared Bangladesh’s independence following the crackdown on unarmed Bangalees on the midnight of March 25 by the Pakistani occupation forces. After the nine-month War of Liberation with the supreme sacrifices of three million martyrs and the honour of two lakh women, Bangladesh achieved its cherished independence on December 16, 1971. President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Ele­c­tion Commission of Pak­istan (ECP) in its detailed judgement released on Fri­day explained reasons for rejecting the Pakistan Tehre­ek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) application for cross-examination of witnesses, inclu­ding bank officials concerned, declaring that the process for confiscation of prohibited funds received by the party has started. The ECP in its order stated that entertaining the application for cross-examination at this stage would mean reopening the entire matter that had been decided in August last year. Current proceedings to execute the last year findings were about confiscation of the prohibited contributions or donations received by the party, it elaborated. “The…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The current outstanding payment on account of circular debt for Chinese Independent Power Producers (IPPs) has risen up to Rs350 billion with growing demands to clear the backlog. “The outstanding backlog of Chinese IPPs stands at Rs350 billion, which is being accounted at the rate of 14% while the remaining 86% is being paid regularly. The CPPAG stated that it will be further improved,” it was announced during a CPEC review meeting held here on Friday. Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal chaired the meeting and discussed progress on Special Economic Zones, ML-1, KCR and various new development initiatives to…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The First Trade and Investment Working Group (TIWG) meeting under India’s G20 Presidency will be held from March 28 to March 30 in Mumbai, Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal said while addressing a press conference here on Friday. Commerce Secretary said that during this three-day Meeting, over 100 delegates from G20 member countries, invitee countries, regional groupings and international organisations will engage in deliberations to accelerate global trade and investments. Barthwal said that “on the first day, a seminar on ‘Trade Finance’ will be held at the Ballroom, Taj Lands’ End, Mumbai. The role of banks, financial institutions, development…