China to crush foreign encroachment in South China Sea
China will crush any foreign incursion into its sovereign territory, including in the South China Sea, a senior Beijing military official said on the sidelines of a defence forum.
Washington and Beijing have verbally sparred over China’s increasingly assertive approach in disputed maritime regions, including the South China Sea.
In recent months, Chinese vessels have engaged in a series of high-profile confrontations with Philippine ships in the waters, which Beijing claims almost in their entirety despite an international court ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.
Speaking to a small group of journalists at the Xiangshan Forum, Chinese Army Lieutenant General He Lei said, “We hope that the South China Sea will remain a sea of peace.”
But, he said, “If the United States moves its pawns behind the scenes if it pushes countries to the front line, or if the United States itself ends up on the front line, then we in the Chinese People’s Liberation Army […] will never have any patience”.
“We in the Chinese People’s Liberation Army will resolutely crush any foreign hostile encroachment on China’s territorial, sovereign and maritime rights and interests with firm determination, staunch will, strong capability and effective means,” he said.
Nestlé Pakistan conducts capacity-building training
Nestlé Pakistan carried out a two-day training on ecotourism and sustainable waste management in Naran under Travel Responsibly for Experiencing Ecotourism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TREK), which embodies Nestlé’s vision for a waste-free future.
Under the TREK initiative, over 450 public and private sector participants have been trained in Abbottabad, Swat, Galiyat, Chitral, Peshawar, Kumrat and Naran. The training comprised sessions on categorizing waste, the importance of recycling, learning to conduct waste audits, basic food safety, and WASH compliance, among others. Participants included representatives from the hospitality sector, government and civil society.
Talking about the initiative, Sheikh Waqar Ahmad, Head of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, Nestlé Pakistan, said, “Our partnership with the government and World Bank Group on TREK will help realize our vision for shaping a waste-free future by driving new behavior for a cleaner environment.”
Nestlé Pakistan’s commitment to TREK includes two pillars: a massive awareness campaign focusing on Reduce, Reuse and Recycle and a Stakeholder Engagement plan that includes activities that will help counter waste, pollution and wildlife destruction, in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 12, 13, 15 and 17.
Ambassador Amna Baloch appointed as foreign secretary
Ambassador Amna Baloch officially took over as Pakistan’s 33rd Foreign Secretary, succeeding Ambassador Syrus Sajjad Qazi, who retired after reaching superannuation.
A seasoned diplomat, Ambassador Baloch has held key positions both in Pakistan and abroad, including Consul General in Chengdu, China (2014-2017); High Commissioner to Malaysia (2019-2023); and Ambassador to the European Union, Belgium, and Luxembourg (2023-2024). With a Master’s degree in History, she began her career in the Pakistani Foreign Service in 1991.
Quaid’s death anniversary observed in Bangladesh
The 76th death anniversary of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was observed at the National Press Club in Dhaka with Urdu songs and poetry the other day.
Speakers on the occasion highlighted various aspects of Quaid’s life, remarking that Pakistan would not have been created without him, and without Pakistan, “Bangladesh too would not exist.”
These remarks came during a discussion session organised by the Nawab Salimullah Academy at the Tofazzal Hossain Manik Miah Hall of the National Press Club. Prof Dr Mostafizur Rahman presented the keynote paper.
Win Gold with NBP PayPak Debit Cards
National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) recently announced the launch of its latest “PayPak Cardholder Campaign,” providing customers with an exciting opportunity to win gold. By using NBP PayPak Debit Cards, customers can enter to win a 2.5g gold bar through various transactions, including ATM withdrawals of Rs. 500 or more, retail purchases of Rs. 5,000 or more, and online transactions of Rs. 5,000 or more. 75 gold bars will be awarded, with 25 winners in each transaction category. This exclusive campaign will run from September to December 2024, giving NBP PayPak cardholders the chance to benefit from their everyday spending.
Hasina ‘destroyed’ Bangladesh’s institutions: Yunus
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus took over as interim leader of Bangladesh in August after violent political unrest that led to an unceremonious end to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule.
In an interview with DW, the Nobel Peace Prize winner addressed an array of issues, including the domestic political situation, Bangladesh’s relations with India and the influx of the Rohingya into the country.
The 84-year-old leader, who holds the official position of chief adviser in the interim government, said former prime minister Hasina “destroyed almost all institutions” and “the economy was shattered.”
“You do not know where to begin because everything has to be restarted in a different way,” he said, adding that his interim administration wants to “establish citizens’ rights, human rights, democracy and everything that goes with a good governance.”
He also hinted at amending the constitution. “We should be focusing on the major issues of the constitution and build a consensus. We cannot do anything without a consensus because our strength comes from the consensus. If we can establish the consensus, we go ahead and do that.”
But Yunus refused to give an exact date for the next election, saying it will be held “as soon as possible.”
“That is our mandate. We want to come to the election and have a decent election, beautiful election, celebrate the victory of a particular party or whatever party comes in, and hand over the power to the newly elected government. So this should be as brief as possible. We cannot give you a date and time right now.”
HBL awarded ‘Best Board of the Year’
HBL has been honored with the ‘Best Board of the Year’ award by the Pakistan Institute of Corporate Governance (PICG), in recognition of its exemplary leadership, outstanding governance, and strategic oversight.
Aamir Irshad, Acting President & CEO - HBL, received the award on behalf of the Board of Directors of HBL at the PICG Awards ceremony held at the Movenpick Hotel in Karachi. Other Senior Officials of the Bank were also present on the occasion.
While announcing the award PICG explained that the ‘Best Board of the Year’ was awarded based on the criteria of not only achieving the highest Board Strategic Performance Index (BSPI) but also having ensured the most efficient evaluation process in cohesion with the management team. The HBL Board also set a record of the most timely completion of the evaluation process after year-end, and held detailed discussions with PICG’s management to discuss the way forward.
This achievement reflects HBL’s unwavering commitment to excellence and responsible corporate practices.
India to boost electric vehicle adoption
India’s cabinet has approved a scheme to spend 109 billion rupees on incentives for adopting electric vehicles to curb pollution and move towards cleaner fuels. The PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement, or PM E-DRIVE, will provide subsidies worth 36.79 billion rupees on e-two-wheelers, e-three-wheelers, e-ambulances and e-trucks. Although the adoption of EVs is still low in India, it is on the rise as the government promotes clean energy and offers companies incentives to build vehicles and parts in the country. Truck replacement will be incentivised, with an outlay of 5 billion rupees for e-trucks. The government also set aside 43.91 billion rupees for public transport agencies to buy 14,028 electric buses.
Turkmenistan to access Gwadar Port
Turkmenistan is set to become the first Central Asian country to access the Gwadar Port under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), as both countries are about to ink an agreement on this matter.
Pakistan and Turkmenistan are already pursuing various joint projects, including the TAPI pipeline, railway track and fibre connectivity to connect two regions: South and Central Asia.
The government has formed a committee to vet the draft of the agreement to be signed between the Port of Gwadar and the Port of Turkmenbashi under the CPEC.
In the recent cabinet meeting, the Planning, Development and Special Initiatives minister was assigned the task of overseeing the agreement with the support of the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Maritime Affairs.
The agreement shall be placed before the cabinet after the committee, and the planning ministry vet it.
According to the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defence and Interior have completed the due diligence process. Besides, the Ministry of Law & Justice has also vetted the draft MoU after making minor changes.
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