Top Stories
Fascist Modi govt putting regional peace at stake: PM Imran
F.P. Report ISLAMABAD: The Prime Minister Imran Khan said that fascist Modi government is putting the regional peace and security at stake to help realize their dream of Hindu Rashtra. He was talking to a delegation of youth from various walks of life in Islamabad and said that Pakistan has always wanted peace and is…
FO summons Indian diplomat to reject ‘mischievous’ propaganda on minorities
F.P. Report ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday summoned a senior Indian diplomat for a second time in a month at Foreign Office in Islamabad to dismiss New Delhi’s “mischievous” propaganda on religious minorities. India’s attempts of portraying “isolated and fabricated” incidents involving Pakistani citizens as minorities rights issues were rejected, said a statement issued by the…
US NSA lauds Pakistan’s efforts for maintaining peace in ME, South Asia
F.P. Report WASHINGTON: US National Security Adviser, Robert O’ Brien has appreciated Pakistan’s efforts for maintaining peace in the Middle East and South Asia. He made these remarks during his meeting with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in Washington. The US National Security Adviser also acknowledged Pakistan’s contribution to efforts for achieving a peaceful political…
‘Positive headway’ made in talks with PTI: Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui
F.P. Report KARACHI: MQM-Pakistan leader Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui has said that a “healthy and positive” progress was made in second rounds of talks with a PTI team, formed by Prime Minister Imran Khan to address reservations of its disenchanted coalition partners. “The talks were held in a very conducive environment and InshaAllah (God willing) in…
PM Imran hails Quetta hero who saved more than 100 lives
F.P. Report ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday heaped praises on Suleman Khan who saved more than 100 people stranded in Quetta’s snow. “The whole nation is proud of Suleman Khan who showed great courage and selflessness to help people stranded in the snow,” tweeted the prime minister. A few days ago, the Quetta-Zhob highway…
Centre says Imam to remain IGP till it decides on Sindh govt request for his removal
F.P. Report KARACHI: The federal government, in response to a letter by the Sindh government seeking removal of the provincial police chief, has said Dr Kaleem Imam will continue as the Sindh Inspector General of Police till the “competent authority” reaches a decision on the matter, it emerged on Saturday. On Wednesday, after a meeting…
Global
North Korean foreign minister replaced: report
SEOUL (Reuters): North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho has been replaced, Seoul-based NK News reported on Saturday. Ri’s replacement has not been identified but Pyongyang is set to reveal his successor about next Thursday, the report said, citing unnamed sources. South Korea’s unification ministry, which is in charge of North Korea affairs, has said…
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Somalia: Suicide bombing kills 3, wounds over 20
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA): In the Somali capital Mogadishu, at least three people were killed and 20 injured, including several Turkish nationals, when a suicide car bomb targeted a police convoy escorting Turkish contractors on Saturday, said officials. Speaking to Anadolu Agency over the phone, Somali government spokesman Ismail Mukhtar Oronjo confirmed the attack in the…
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Turkey is key to peace in Libya, says President Erdogan
ANKARA (AA): As Libya peace is set to be discussed second time in a week, Turkish president said Saturday Turkey is key to peace in the war-weary country. Ahead of Sunday’s Berlin conference on Libya, Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Politico, a policy news organization, that “it would be a mistake of historic proportions to leave…
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Iran to send black boxes of downed Ukrainian plane to Ukraine
DUBAI (Reuters): Iran said on Saturday it was sending to Ukraine the black boxes from a Ukrainian passenger plane that the Iranian military shot down this month, an accident that sparked unrest at home and added to pressure on Tehran from abroad. Iran’s Tasnim news agency also reported the authorities were prepared for experts from…
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Russian air strikes kill 4 civilians in Idlib, Syria
IDLIB, Syria (AA): The Russian air strikes killed at least four civilians in Idlib, a de-escalation zone in northwestern Syria, local sources said on Saturday. According to the Syrian opposition aircraft observatory, Russian warplanes targeted overnight Darat Izzah district and three farms west of Aleppo. The attack on a farm killed at least four people,…
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Justices taking up bans on state money to religious schools
WASHINGTON (AP): A Supreme Court that seems more favorable to religion-based discrimination claims is set to hear a case that could make it easier to use public money to pay for religious schooling in many states. The justices will hear arguments Wednesday in a dispute over a Montana scholarship program for private K-12 education that…
Read MorePakistan
NAB detains two from Karachi, Hyderabad on charges of corruption
F.P. Report SUKKUR: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has undertaken raids at various places in Karachi and Hyderabad on Saturday. The anti-graft watchdog took former high ranking civil servants into custody who are accused of being involved in financial corruption in access of 140 million rupees. Sources privy to the accountability agency disclosed that the…
Shehbaz Sharif questions wheat stock shortage in country
F.P. Report LAHORE: Leader of the opposition in the national assembly, Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif slammed the surge in prices of wheat flour across Pakistan. The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) President urged the government to reveal the truth on why Pakistan was faced with a shortage of the basic food commodity. Shehbaz Sharif said…
Govt ousts 4 employees from service over BISP scam
F.P. Report ISLAMABAD: The government on Saturday took an action against officials, who benefited from the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), and fired four grade-17 officers in connection with the scam. Officers, who exploited the BISP by enrolling their wives as beneficiaries, have been dismissed from service on the charges of corruption and misconduct while…
Govt working on ‘New Hajj Policy’, to be unveiled soon: Minister
F.P. Report ISLAMABAD: The government is vigorously working on a ‘New Hajj Policy’ that would be unveiled soon. This was stated by Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Pir Noor-ul-Haq Qadri while addressing oath taking ceremony of the newly elected body of Hajj Organizers Association of Pakistan in Islamabad. He said the Ministry is…
Let Shehbaz Sharif do the work he went for in London: Sheikh Rasheed
F.P. Report LAHORE: Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed on Saturday dispelled the rumours making the rounds concerning internal politics of the country by claiming “nothing would happen.” During a press conference in Lahore, the minister said that he wasn’t interested in the return of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif from London. “Nawaz…
Military leadership of Seychelles hails Pak Navy’s efforts for maritime security
F.P. Report KARACHI: Two ships of Pakistan Navy ‘Aslat’ and ‘Moawin’ visited port Victoria of Seychelles in the last leg of their visits to Africa. According to the spokesperson of Pak Navy, the mission commander of the ships held meetings with the military leadership of Seychelles and discussed matters related to mutual interest including promotion…
Afghanistan
Female Journalists in Herat claim threats have increased
KABUL (TOLO News): Female journalists in Herat province are concerned about a lack of security and say threats against them are increasing. They cite an “increase of extremism” as the main cause. The concerns have been raised as Mawlawi Mujibur Rahman Ansari, head of Herat’s Gazargah mosque, refused to allow female journalists from covering a…
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‘Palace disregards Wolesi Jirga decisions’: MPs
KABUL (TOLO News): Members of the Wolesi Jirga, the lower house of the Afghan parliament, said on Saturday that the government does not heed their decisions, and such behavior demonstrates a lack of respect, and is in defiance of the Wolesi Jirga decisions. The MPs pointed to the case of Ajmal Ahmadi, acting minister of…
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‘No sustainable peace sans ceasefire’
KABUL (AT News): The government of Afghanistan has once again reiterated its stance of ceasefire in the peace talks and termed it an important constituent to facilitate the intra-Afghan talks for reaching a sustainable peace in the war-hit country. Briefing newsmen on Saturday, Presidential Spokesman Seddiq Seddiqi said that without a truce no durable peace…
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‘The war will end when the US withdraws’: Mullah Badradar
KABUL (TOLO News): The Taliban’s chief negotiator Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar said less than two weeks ago that the war will come to an end in Afghanistan once the US forces withdraw from the country. “The war will end when the US withdraws from Afghanistan,” said Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, one of the founders of…
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UN, US, EU, NATO tighten grip on Taliban push to reduce violence
KABUL (AT News): There is a rare and overwhelming consensus of the international community over Taliban’s proposal to reduce violence in Afghanistan as part of a bigger deal to reconcile the insurgent group to the Afghan government and end America’s longest war. “Most of the stakeholders have overwhelming consensus on key issues, including a reduction…
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Army weapons sold to Taliban in Farah, claims parliament delegation
KABUL (AT News): A delegation appointed by the parliament to assess security forces’ condition in the western province of Farah, reports that weapons, equipment and vehicles belonged to army and police are sold to Taliban militants. The delegation said in parliament’s Saturday session that provincial administration and security forces were facing problems in Farah. Abdul…
Read MoreBusiness
Brexit: ‘No alignment’ with EU on regulation, Javid tells business
LONDON (BBC): The chancellor has warned manufacturers that “there will not be alignment” with the EU after Brexit and insists firms must “adjust” to new regulations. Speaking to the Financial Times, Sajid Javid admitted not all businesses would benefit from Brexit. The Food and Drink Federation said it sounded like the “death knell” for frictionless…
UN report predicts slightly recovery in Pakistan economy from 2021 onwards
Monitoring Desk ISLAMABAD: Continued commitment to reform, combined with productive investment in infrastructure and strategic capacity development, will be critical for the country to find its way back to its previous growth path, says the UN report The United Nations has said it expects the Pakistani economy to recover slightly from 2021 onwards due to…
Buoyant mood, upbeat data help lift most Asia stocks
Monitoring Desk HONG KONG: Asian equities mostly rose Friday as investors, still buoyed by the China-US trade deal, turned their focus to earnings season and the global outlook, while they were also cheered by data indicating China’s economy appears to be stabilising. Apart from last week’s blip caused by the US assassination of Iran’s top…
Huawei’s new-generation 5G smartphone launched
Monitoring Desk KUWAIT: Chinese technology and smartphone giant Huawei has launched the HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro 5G, a new-generation 5G smartphone, in Kuwait. A large crowd of consumers and fans attended the launching ceremony held at a Huawei store inside the Avenues Mall in the Farwaniya Governorate, the largest shopping mall in Kuwait. At the…
HBFC signs MoU with Wavetec Ltd
F.P. Report KARACHI: MoU signing ceremony was recently held between House Building Finance Company (HBFC) & Wavetec (Pvt.) Ltd. The MoU was signed by Mr. Faisal Murad, Group Head Business & Operations – HBFC & Mr. Asif Siddiqi, Head of Finance – Wavetec, in the presence of senior executives of both the organizations. Through this…
Razak urges EV to be made in Pakistan
F.P. Report ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on Industries and Production, Commerce, Textile and Investment Abdul Razzak Dawood urged that “Made in Pakistan” will be supported in each policy including Electric Vehicle (EV) Manufacturing, which is only way forward. The imports will be discouraged and provision of job to youth will be targeted while aiming…
Sports
Farhan Zaman wins All Pakistan National Senior Squash C’ship title
PESHAWAR (APP): World No 76 Farhan Zaman of Pakistan Air Force took no time in eliminating his young and upcoming rival Noor Zaman in final of the All Pakistan National Senior Squash Championship played here at PAF Hashim Khan Squash Complex on Saturday. Legendary Jansher Khan along with Chairman KP Squash Association and Secretary Irrigation…
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Deeney misses penalty as Watford and Spurs draw 0-0
WATFORD (Agencies): Watford stretched their unbeaten run in the Premier League to six matches but missed out on a fourth successive win when Troy Deeney’s second-half penalty was saved in a 0-0 home draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday. Skipper Deeney stepped up to take the spot kick in the 69th minute after Jan Vertonghen…
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Aqeel, Muzammil in Tennis final
ISLAMABAD (APP): Aqeel Khan and Muzammil Murtaza moved in the men’s singles final of the 5th Begum Kulsum Saifullah Khan National Ranking Tennis Tournament here at PTF Complex on Saturday. A total number of 17 matches were played on the 5th day in all the categories. In the first Men’s singles semi-final, 2nd seed Muzammil…
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Focused, motivated to perform strongly in World Cup: U-19 captain Rohail Nazir
POTCHEFSTROOM (Monitoring Desk): Pakistan’s Under-19 captain Rohail Nazir on Saturday said that his team is “completely focused, motivated and determined to perform strongly” in the Under-19 World Cup ahead of tomorrow’s first clash against Scotland in Potchefstroom. “We are fully prepared to take on Scotland in our opener in less than 24 hours. Of course…
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Sania Mirza wins doubles title in Hobart to script dream return
HOBART (Agencies): In a dream start to her second innings after a two-year break, Sania Mirza lifted the WTA Hobart International trophy with partner Nadiia Kichenok after edging out Shaui Peng and Shuai Zhang in the final, here on Saturday. The unseeded Indo-Ukrainian pair pipped the second seed Chinese team 6-4, 6-4 in one hour…
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Battling Barty sets up Adelaide final, Rublev wins thriller
Adelaide (Agencies): World number one Ashleigh Barty will warm up for the Australian Open with a final at the Adelaide International after a 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/5) comeback win over Danielle Collins on Friday. The Australian, whose matches have been 5,000-strong sellouts all week at Memorial Drive, will face Dayana Yastremska on Saturday for the…
Read MoreFashion & Movies
James Bond producer rules out female 007
Monitoring Desk LONDON: The next James Bond will not be a woman, the movies’ producer said in an interview, as speculation mounts about who could replace Daniel Craig as the legendary 007. Craig, 51, is due to step down after the latest Bond film, “No Time to Die,” which will be released in April. Rumors…
Hollywood insiders speculate Meghan Makle’s return to Hollywood post #Megxit
Monitoring Desk LOS ANGELES: Hollywood insiders and experts have taken to observing the terms governing the Duke and Duchess’s decision to split from royal life. It seems as though there have been a number of reasons as to the decision, mainly stemming from rumors of closed deals. However, even if the royal does not turn…
Judge in Weinstein rape trial says case is not a ‘referendum’ on #MeToo movement
Monitoring Desk NEW YORK: Four men and three women were chosen on Thursday as jurors in the rape trial of Harvey Weinstein, as the judge cautioned against using the case to make a broader statement about the #MeToo movement. Weinstein, 67, has pleaded not guilty to charges in New York of assaulting two women, and…
Mumbai man gets jailed for molesting Zaira Wasim while she was a minor
Monitoring Desk MUMBAI: Former Bollywood star Zaira Wasim’s accused was taken into custody on Wednesday after being found guilty of molesting her during a flight in 2017. The 41-year-old businessman from Mumbai, identified as Vikas Sachdev was accused of molesting the Dangal starlet by continuously moving his foot up and down her neck and back…
Comedian Kapil Sharma shares first photo of his daughter
Monitoring Desk MUMBAI: Indian comedian and host Kapil Sharma has shared first photo of his daughter Anayra Sharma. The host of popular comic show The Kapil Sharma Show and his wife Ginni Chatrath had welcomed a baby girl in December last year. The big news was announced by Kapil Sharma himself on Twitter. Kapil wrote,…
US director Spike Lee to lead Cannes Film Festival jury
Monitoring Desk PARIS: Spike Lee will lead the jury of this year’s Cannes Film Festival, and festival organizers hope the provocative American director will “shake things up” at the gathering of the world’s cinema elite. Lee said he was “honored to be the first person of the African diaspora” chosen for the prestigious position. Festival…
Science & Technology
Huawei’s new-generation 5G smartphone launched
Monitoring Desk KUWAIT: Chinese technology and smartphone giant Huawei has launched the HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro 5G, a new-generation 5G smartphone, in Kuwait. A large crowd of consumers and fans attended the launching ceremony held at a Huawei store inside the Avenues Mall in the Farwaniya Governorate, the largest shopping mall in Kuwait. At the…
‘Invisible computing’ startup unveils smart contact lens
Monitoring Desk WASHINGTON: A startup focused on “invisible computing” Thursday unveiled a smart contact lens which delivers an augmented reality display in a user’s field of vision. The Mojo Vision contact lens offers a display with information and notifications, and allows the user to interact by focusing on certain points. The rigid contact lens, which…
KPITB relaunches ‘Safe Women’ App with enhanced features
F.P. Report PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Technology Board (KPITB) on Wednesday arranged a demonstration of an upgraded ‘Safe Women’ mobile phone application developed for female commuters of Pink Sakura Buses. Following procurement of Pink Sakura buses in Mardan and Abbottabad, the app has been upgraded to allow commuters to connect with their family and friends…
The FBI can unlock Florida terrorist’s iPhones without Apple
Monitoring Desk FLORIDA: The FBI is pressing Apple Inc. to help it break into a terrorist’s iPhones, but the government can hack into the devices without the technology giant, according to experts in cybersecurity and digital forensics. Investigators can exploit a range of security vulnerabilities — available directly or through providers such as Cellebrite and…
UK’s Huawei 5G deal sparks dramatic US intervention
Monitoring Desk LONDON: A senior U.S. delegation has visited the U.K. to lobby the country against using Huawei in the country’s 5G rollout. The U.S. officials told the British government on Monday that allowing Huawei a role in building super-fast 5G networks across the country could jeopardize intelligence sharing between the two countries. They also…
Climate change: Oceans hotter than ever before, new study reveals
Monitoring Desk The world’s oceans are warmer than ever — and they are getting warmer faster, according to a new report. In a development that provides yet further evidence of global warming, the study, published in the Chinese journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, found that ocean temperatures in the last decade have been the warmest…
Health
China reports new cases in Wuhan virus outbreak
Monitoring Desk BEIJING: Chinese health authorities said on Saturday they had discovered four more cases of pneumonia following an outbreak of what is believed to be a new coronavirus strain in the central city of Wuhan. The four individuals were diagnosed with pneumonia on Thursday and are in stable condition, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission…
China flu outbreak: Mystery Pneumonia illness symptoms, causes
Monitoring Desk There’s alarm in central China where a mysterious outbreak of pneumonia has been linked to a new coronavirus — a family of bugs responsible for diseases that range in severity from the common cold to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS. Because some of the patients worked or shopped at a seafood market…
Pakistan to launch ‘fightback’ against polio
Monitoring Desk ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has scheduled two nationwide immunization campaigns for February and April this year amid its anti-polio efforts, said health officials, which after a long gap started again in December and succeeded to bring down the number of children who missed vaccination from 1.7 million to 228,000. “This is a beginning of a…
Sleep problems in older adults linked to cognitive decline and dementia: Study
Monitoring Desk WASHINGTON: People who have trouble falling asleep may be at increased risk of developing cognitive problems or dementia than their counterparts who sleep well, a research review suggests. Researchers examined data on 51 previously published studies that followed middle-aged and older people in North America, Europe and East Asia for at least several…
Indus Hospital to address healthcare challenges in Pakistan at ICON 2020
F.P. Report KARACHI: “The Conference titled ‘ICON 2020’ will highlight initiatives taken by the Indus Hospital to address healthcare challenges in Pakistan by bringing together disparate and like-minded institutions and individuals”. These thoughts were express by Dr. Abdul Bari Khan, Chief Executive Officer, Indus Health Network (IHN) while addressing the media at the ‘ICON 2020’…
US warns citizens in China against pneumonia outbreak
Monitoring Desk BEIJING: The US State Department warned Americans in China about an outbreak of pneumonia in the central city of Wuhan believed to be caused by a new strain of coronavirus, and which has killed one person. The outbreak comes ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays in late January, when many of China’s…
Travel
From selling boiled eggs to skiing contest, Malam Jabba helping local children
Monitoring Desk MALAM JABBA: Until about a year ago, seven-year-old Zubaida Khan was selling boiled eggs to tourists in her native town to support her family, but she is now a professional athlete who is training to participate in some of the top skiing competitions in the world, a senior official at the Malam Jabba…
How American travelers plan their vacation?
Monitoring Desk Americans take on average 4.4 trips per year. Now imagine what that number could be if they used all of their vacation days instead of accruing unused PTO. According to U.S. Travel, Americans racked up 768 million days of unused PTO in 2018. National Plan for Vacation Day, on January 28, brings this…
Maldives desperate for funds as islands risk going under
Monitoring Desk NEW DELHI: The tropical Maldives may lose entire islands unless it can quickly access cheap financing to fight the impact of climate change, its foreign minister said. The archipelago’s former president Mohamed Nasheed famously held a cabinet meeting underwater to draw attention to submerging land and global warming a decade ago. Yet the…
Croatia’s Tourism Promoted at Austria’s Largest Holiday and Travel Show
Monitoring Desk ZAGREB: The 2020 Vienna Ferienmesse tourism fair opened on Thursday with more than 800 exhibitors from over 80 countries including Croatia, which is a favourite destination for Austrian tourists. “Croatia is one of the favourite destinations for Austrians who travel to Croatia several times a year and in their own vehicles,” a press…
Australian tourism industry seeks urgent help as cost of bushfires grows
Monitoring Desk MELBOURNE: Australia’s peak tourism body estimated the country’s bushfire crisis has so far cost the industry almost A$1 billion ($690 million) and called for urgent help from the government to lure back visitors. Industry bosses were due to meet with Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham later on Thursday as storms and heavy rain brought…
Tourists throng snow-covered Laram Top
F.P. Report TIMERGARA: Despite heavy rain in parts of Lower Dir and snowfall on hill tops tourists along with their families thronged the scenic snow-covered Laram Top in Adenzai to enjoy the current spell of snowfall in the valley. Tourists from different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, majority of them children and youth were seen on…
Articles
Zakat: Trickle-up economics!
Hatem Bazian The commentaries on Quranic and Hadith texts extol the benefits of Zakat and provide an extensive rationalization for its institution as a pillar of Islam. Some benefits include Zakat’s impacts on fostering social cohesion, providing a safety net for the poor, and forcing capital circulation in the market. Zakat, as annual stimuli to…
Macron, Trump and grand bargain with Iran
Hussain Abdul-Hussain With an agreement that increasingly resembles the Grand Bargain that former President Barack Obama once offered Iran, French President Emmanuel Macron presented his American counterpart Donald Trump with “a save-face exit”, should Trump decide to extend — for the fourth time since his election — a waiver for many of the sanctions America…
Why is Facebook silencing Palestinian voices for Israel?
Nighat Dad Facebook wanted to usher in a brave new world. The free flow of information between people would challenge the ossified power of traditional media. Yet Facebook now finds itself creating a world it aimed to challenge, but with it now on top. News broke in December last year suggesting that Facebook was…
Is the Trump-Macron friendship real?
Alexander Seale What’s behind Emmanuel Macron’s courting of US President Donald Trump? At odds on a number of issues outside the sphere of Syria and the historical alliance of the two nations, this doesn’t seem like a natural friendship French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Washington on Monday for a three-day state visit, which is…
Confused priorities of Afghan leadership
Iqbal Khan As regards the political aspect of peace efforts in Afghanistan, reportedly, Taliban have rejected Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s offer to take part in the upcoming parliamentary and district council elections. On military side, once looked down upon as rag tag militia, frequency of the Taliban attacking foreign occupation forces as well as the…
Saudi Arabia and Iran: Two pains in the neck
Yusuf Kaplan Saudi Arabia “boiled over” the previous night. U.S. media suddenly spread coup rumors in the country. To be honest, a “coup” did happen in the country, but it happened a while ago. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was placed in a position by the Jewish power in the U.S. to control everything in…
Editorial
Turning blind eye towards reality
Neither the previous government nor the present one have taken into confidence the business community about the protection of loabour intensive local industry and providing opportunities of joint ventures to local entrepreneurs with Chinese Companies in the special economic zones which are crucial for the second phase of industrialisation in the country. A delegation of…
Hayatabad police versus citizens
Of late the police of Hayatabad Phase-7 Police Station personnel have adopted an attitude of creating troubles for the law abiding citizens by puncturing the tires of vehicles parked outsides houses at the time of Maghrib prayer in mosques. Normally, the government offices close at 5 PM and the employees after returning from duty park…
Pursuit of Afghan peace…
Learning from the bitter experience of post-Soviet forces withdrawal era in Afghanistan, Pakistan has urged the United States to avoid repeating the past mistake and fulfill its responsibility by actively participating in the reconstruction of Afghanistan when it withdraws its troops from this country in the wake of a peace deal with Taliban. Positive signals…
Vicious circle of circular debt
Contrary to the claims of federal government to have lowered the rate of increase in the piling circular debt from Rs.39 billion to Rs.10 billion per month, its burden is fast rising. Federal minister for Power Division, Umer Ayub Khan had claimed in a press conference two months ago that circular debt is on downward…
UNSC meeting on Kashmir
United Nations Security Council held in camera session to review the human rights situation in the occupied Kashmir. The lock down there has entered the 165th day and 8 million Kashmiris are under siege laid by Indian forces. They are not even allowed by Indian government to say congregational prayers in mosques on Fridays for…
Disaster management
Due to highly vulnerable climate change impact, Pakistan is being hit by natural calamities every year. But the civilian organisations mandated for carrying out rescue and relief operation in the wake of natural disasters lack the capacity and means to perform their role in this regard. Heavy snowfall and multiple avalanches have brought havoc in…
Arts and Literature
‘Everywhere in Saudi Arabia, you see a cultural revolution:’ Ex-French Minister Jack Lang
Monitoring Desk PARIS: A major Paris exhibition showcasing the wonders of AlUla, Saudi Arabia’s archaeological treasure house, has been extended following “inspiring” media and visitor interest in the groundbreaking display. The “AUla: Wonder of Arabia” exhibition at the Arab World Institute (IMA) was originally due to run from Oct. 9 to Jan. 19, but has…
64th Children’s Literature Festival to be held in Lahore
F.P. Report LAHORE: The two-day 64th Children’s Literature Festival (CLF) and one-day 7th teacher’s Literature Festival (TLF) will be held on January 21-23, 2020 at the Children Library Complex (CLC), Lahore. CLF was first launched at Lahore in November 2011 at the same venue. The CLF is a flagship program of Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) founded by…
Mohenjo Daro: Ancient masterpiece of modern urban planning
Monitoring Desk MOHENJO DARO: Streets running at right angles to each other, well-structured and elegant administrative, residential and industrial units, waste containers, and a covered drainage system are what modern urban planning should offer. It did, but 5,000 years ago. Welcome to Mohenjo Daro. The ancient cosmopolitan city on the banks of the Indus River…
The case for protecting Saudi Arabia’s ancient art of Khawlani coffee production
Monitoring Desk JAZAN: At the southernmost tip of Saudi Arabia, just a few kilometers from the Saudi-Yemeni border, is the verdant region of Jazan, blessed with its rocky mountain tops, green wadis, deep forests, hot springs and boundless fertile land. It is also home to the local Khawlani coffee bean. Although the Arabica coffee bean…
Bedouin event in London highlights challenge of balancing heritage with modernization
Monitoring Desk LONDON: An exhibition celebrating the cultural heritage of the Bedouin people living in Lebanon, Jordan and the Occupied Palestinian Territories opens in London on Wednesday. “Arab Bedouin: No Future Without Past” gives visitors a chance to meet members of the Bedouin community living in the Levant, learn their stories told through art, photography,…
Norwegian crime writer Jo Nesbø added to Emirates Literature Fest lineup
Monitoring Desk DUBAI: The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature has announced its latest panel speaker — world-renowned Norwegian crime writer Jo Nesbø. The mind behind the internationally popular Harry Hole detective crime novels will be on hand at the event, which runs from Feb. 4-9. His latest novel, “Knife,” sees the detective given a chance…
