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South Korea’s main opposition party taps former party chief as presidential candidate

South Korea’s main opposition party taps former party chief as presidential candidate
Former Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung (C) leaves after a press conference on his presidential bid for the June election at the National Assembly in Seoul. (AFP)
Updated 27 April 2025
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South Korea’s main opposition party taps former party chief as presidential candidate

South Korea’s main opposition party taps former party chief as presidential candidate
Updated 27 April 2025
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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s main liberal opposition party tapped Sunday its former leader Lee Jae-myung as presidential candidate in the upcoming June 3 vote.
The Democratic Party said Lee has won nearly 90% of the votes cast during the party’s primary that ended Sunday, defeating two competitors.
Lee, a liberal who wants greater economic parity in South Korea and warmer ties with North Korea, has solidified his position as front-runner to succeed recently ousted conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Lee had led the opposition-controlled parliament’s impeachment of Yoon over his imposition of martial law before the Constitutional Court formally dismissed him in early April. Yoon’s ouster prompted a snap election set for June 3 to find a new president, who’ll be given a full, single five-year term.
Lee, 60, lost the 2022 election to Yoon in the narrowest margin recorded in the country’s presidential elections.
He is the clear favorite to win the election.
In a Gallup Korea poll released Friday, 38% of respondents chose Lee as their preferred new president, while all other aspirants obtained single-digit support ratings. The main conservative People Power Party is to nominate its candidate next weekend, and its four presidential hopefuls competing to win the party ticket won combined 23% of support ratings in the Gallup survey.
Lee, who served as the governor of South Korea’s most populous Gyeonggi province and a mayor of Seongnam city, has long established an image as an anti-establishment figure who can eliminate deep-rooted unfairness, inequality and corruption in South Korea. But his critics view him as a populist who relies on stoking divisions and demonizing opponents and worry his rule would likely end up intensifying a domestic division.

Pakistani deputy PM in Beijing in aftermath of worst standoff in years with India

Pakistani deputy PM in Beijing in aftermath of worst standoff in years with India
Updated 7 min 4 sec ago
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Pakistani deputy PM in Beijing in aftermath of worst standoff in years with India

Pakistani deputy PM in Beijing in aftermath of worst standoff in years with India
  • Dar’s visit comes as Pakistan Air Force has hailed the use of Chinese J-10Cs to shoot down six Indian fighter jets
  • India and China are competing regional giants and nuclear powers and widely seen as long-term strategic rivals
Updated 7 min 4 sec ago
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar began meetings today, Tuesday, with Chinese officials during a three-day visit to Beijing to discuss “the evolving regional situation in South Asia and its implications for peace and stability,” the foreign office said.

The Beijing visit comes as the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has hailed the use of Chinese J-10Cs to shoot down six Indian fighter jets, including three French Rafales, during a flare-up in hostilities that saw the nuclear-armed neighbors pound each other with missiles, drones and artillery for four days until the United States brokered a ceasefire earlier this month. 

For China, Pakistan is a strategic and economic ally. It is investing over $60 billion to build infrastructure, energy and other projects in Pakistan as part of its China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. 

India and China, on the other hand, are competing regional giants and nuclear powers and widely seen as long-term strategic rivals, sharing a 3,800 Himalayan border that has been disputed since the 1950s and sparked a brief war in 1962. The most recent standoff — that started in 2020 — thawed in October as the two sides struck a patrolling agreement.

Starting a day of meetings on Tuesday, Dar, who is also the foreign minister of Pakistan, met with the Minister of International Department of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC), Liu Jianchao.

“The DPM/FM appreciated China’s firm support to Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and issues of its core interest,” the foreign office said in a statement. 

“Liu reiterated that as All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partner and ironclad friend, China would continue to prioritize its relations with Pakistan.”

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar (fouth from right) meets with the Minister of International Department of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC), Liu Jianchao, in Beijing on May 19, 2025. (Government of Pakistan)

In an earlier statement, the foreign office in Islamabad said Dar would discuss with Chinese leaders “the evolving regional situation in South Asia and its implications for peace and stability.”

“The two sides will also review the entire spectrum of Pakistan-China bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest,” the statement added.

The conflict between India and Pakistan has offered the world a first real glimpse into how advanced Chinese military technology performs against proven Western hardware and Chinese defense stocks have already been surging as a result. 

A rising military superpower, China hasn’t fought a major war in more than four decades but has raced under President Xi Jinping to modernize its armed forces, pouring resources into developing sophisticated weaponry and cutting-edge technologies.

It has also extended that modernization drive to Pakistan, long hailed by Beijing as its “ironclad brother.”

Over the past five years, China has supplied 81 percent of Pakistan’s imported weapons, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

Those exports include advanced fighter jets, missiles, radars and air-defense systems. Some Pakistan-made weapons have also been co-developed with Chinese firms or built with Chinese technology and expertise.

Topics: Pakistan China Ties India Pakistan India Ties

Passenger jet had to abort takeoff to avoid runway collision at New York’s LaGuardia Airport

Passenger jet had to abort takeoff to avoid runway collision at New York’s LaGuardia Airport
Updated 7 min 6 sec ago
AP
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Passenger jet had to abort takeoff to avoid runway collision at New York’s LaGuardia Airport

Passenger jet had to abort takeoff to avoid runway collision at New York’s LaGuardia Airport
  • Both the airlines and the airport referred questions to the FAA
Updated 7 min 6 sec ago
AP

When a passenger jet roaring down the runway toward takeoff at New York’s LaGuardia Airport had to slam on the brakes earlier this month because another plane was still on the runway, Renee Hoffner and all the other passengers were thrown forward in their seats.
Hoffner wound up in the emergency room the next day after the near miss on May 6 because her neck started hurting and her left arm went numb.
“The stop was as hard as any car accident I’ve been in,” Hoffner said.
Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board said Monday that they are investigating the incident in which a Republic Airways jet had to abort takeoff and slam to a stop because a United Airlines plane was still taxiing across the runway. The close call happened despite the airport being equipped with an advanced surface radar system that’s designed to help prevent such close calls.
In audio from the tower that ABC obtained from the website www.LiveATC.net, the air traffic controller said to the pilot of the Republic Airways jet: “Sorry, I thought United had cleared well before that.”
At the time that controller was directing the Republic Airways jet to takeoff, a ground controller on a different radio frequency was directing the United plane to a new taxiway after it missed the first one it was supposed to use to exit the runway.
When the passengers got off the plane after the close call at 12:35 a.m., Hoffner said the gate agents refused to even give them hotel vouchers for the night because they blamed the weather even though another passenger said she had an app on her phone that showed another plane was on the runway.
Hoffner said she’s been stuck in a customer service nightmare since the flight Republic was operating for American Airlines ended abruptly. She said neither the airline nor the FAA has answered her complaints while she continues to nurse the pinched nerve in her neck that the ER doctors identified.
Both the airlines and the airport referred questions to the FAA.
The number of close calls in recent years has created serious concerns for the FAA, NTSB and other safety experts. The NTSB’s investigation of a February 2023 close call in Austin highlighted the concerns, but there have been a number of other high-profile near misses. In one case, a Southwest Airlines jet coming in for a landing in Chicago narrowly avoided smashing into a business jet crossing the runway.
LaGuardia is one of just 35 airports across the country equipped with the FAA’s best technology to prevent such runway incursions. The ASDS-X system uses a variety of technology to help controllers track planes and vehicles on the ground. At the other 490 US airports with a control tower, air traffic controllers have to rely on more low-tech tools like a pair of binoculars to keep track of aircraft on the ground because the systems are expensive.
Expanding the systems to more airports is something Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy would like to do if Congress signs off on his multi-billion-dollar plan to overhaul the nation’s aging air traffic control system.
But it’s clear the technology is not perfect because close calls continue happening. The FAA is taking a number of additional steps to try to reduce the number of close calls, and it plans to install an additional warning system at LaGuardia in the future.
But the rate of runway incursions per 1 million takeoffs and landings has remained around 30 for a decade. The rate got as high as 35 in 2017 and 2018. But generally there are fewer than 20 of the most serious kind of incursions where a collision was narrowly avoided or there was a significant potential for a crash, according to the FAA. That number did hit 22 in 2023 but fell to just 7 last year.
To help, there are efforts to develop a system that will warn pilots directly about traffic on a runway instead of alerting the controller and relying on them to relay the warning. That could save precious seconds. But the FAA has not yet certified a system to warn pilots directly that Honeywell International has been developing for years.
The worst accident in aviation history occurred in 1977 on the Spanish island of Tenerife, when a KLM 747 began its takeoff roll while a Pan Am 747 was still on the runway; 583 people died when the planes collided in thick fog.

Topics: air travel

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Pakistan regulator unveils new measures to strengthen Shariah-compliant market intermediaries

Pakistan regulator unveils new measures to strengthen Shariah-compliant market intermediaries
Updated 29 min 53 sec ago
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Pakistan regulator unveils new measures to strengthen Shariah-compliant market intermediaries

Pakistan regulator unveils new measures to strengthen Shariah-compliant market intermediaries
  • SECP has outlined phased approach encouraging institutional investors to engage with Shariah-compliant brokers
  • Islamic financial institutions being urged to channel takaful, investment activities through specialized intermediaries
Updated 29 min 53 sec ago
Ismail Dilawar

KARACHI: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) is proposing new measures aimed at strengthening the presence and operations of Shariah-compliant intermediaries within the capital market, the regulator said in a statement this week.

Pakistan’s Federal Shariat Court (FSC) directed the government in April 2022 to eliminate interest and align the country’s entire banking system with Islamic principles by 2027. Following the order, the government and the State Bank have taken several measures ranging from changing laws to issuing sukuk bonds to replace interest-based treasury bills and investment bonds.

However, documents seen by Arab News earlier this year showed Pakistan’s government had failed to achieve a target set by the central bank to increase the share of Islamic banking deposits in the country by 50 percent by January this year.

“The paper proposes a phase-wise approach for Shariah-compliant institutional investors to route their business through Shariah-compliant brokers based on a plan to be prepared by their respective boards of directors,” the SECP said about the latest proposal. 

“The paper encourages Islamic financial institutions, including providers of Islamic window services, to utilize Shariah-compliant intermediaries for takaful and investment purposes in situations where they are not obligated to do so.”
 
Other proposed measures include creating a specific category for Shariah-compliant intermediaries for greater visibility on the Centralized Gateway Portal and a dedicated list of Shariah-compliant asset management companies on EMLAAK Financials, Pakistan’s first digital mutual fund aggregator. The platform brings together multiple Asset Management Companies (AMCs) and their mutual funds under one roof. It is a venture of ITMinds Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Central Depository Company of Pakistan (CDC).

In order to facilitate Roshan Digital Account (RDA) clients, creating a separate category of Shariah-compliant intermediaries on the websites and mobile apps of Islamic banks would also be explored in coordination with relevant stakeholders, the SECP said.

Topics: #pakistan Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan Federal Shariat Court

Pakistan navy thwarted Indian aircraft carrier threat during latest standoff — PM

Pakistan navy thwarted Indian aircraft carrier threat during latest standoff — PM
Updated 59 min 42 sec ago
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Pakistan navy thwarted Indian aircraft carrier threat during latest standoff — PM

Pakistan navy thwarted Indian aircraft carrier threat during latest standoff — PM
  • PM Shehbaz Sharif says Indian aircraft carrier Vikrant reached close to Pakistan by 400 nautical miles before retreating
  • During latest standoff, Indian navy had deployed at least 36 warships which included INS Vikrant-led Carrier Battle Group
Updated 59 min 42 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday an Indian aircraft carrier that had reached as close as 400 nautical miles to Pakistan retreated after realizing the country’s navy was prepared to “respond vigorously” during a military confrontation between the two nations earlier this month. 

The United States played a major role in de-escalating the worst fighting in decades between the two nuclear-armed South Asian rivals, who fired missiles and drones onto each other’s territory and fought with gunfire on their de facto border following weeks of tensions after a deadly April 22 attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi blamed on Islamabad. Pakistan denies involvement.. 

On Monday, the Pakistani PM visited the Naval Dockyard in Karachi to pay tribute to the Pakistan navy for its role in Operation Bunyan-um Marsoos, the code-name given by the Pakistan army to what it calls a retaliatory strike launched in the early hours of May 10 after India attacked at least three of its air bases with missiles. 

“The Prime Minister particularly praised the Navy’s critical role in safeguarding sea lines of communication and ensuring the uninterrupted flow of maritime trade, while maintaining absolute maritime sovereignty through a layered and assured seaward defense,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.

In his address, Sharif said Indian aircraft carrier Vikrant had retreated after “sensing the preparedness” of the Pakistan Navy. 

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (center) being briefed by Commander Pakistan Fleet about Pakistan Navy’s strategic orientation, operational preparedness and contributions during the ongoing operation, on board PNS TAIMUR at Naval Dockyard in Karachi. 19 May 2025. (Government of Pakistan)

During the latest standoff, the Indian navy had deployed at least 36 warships which included an INS Vikrant-led Carrier Battle Group including 8 to 10 warships

“Indian Navy’s [aircraft carrier] Vikrant had reached close to Pakistan by 400 nautical miles, but after suffering immense losses inflicted by Paki­stan Air Force and Pakistan Army [in May 10 retaliatory strikes], Vikrant retreated, sensing the preparedness of the Pakistan Navy to respond vigorously,” Sharif said. 

India’s navy is believed to hold significant advantage over Pakistan’s, boasting a larger fleet and more diverse capabilities. India’s navy includes aircraft carriers, destroyers, and a substantial submarine fleet, allowing it to project power beyond regional waters, whereas Pakistan’s navy is primarily focused on coastal defense in the Arabian Sea. 

India’s navy comprises over 293 vessels, including two aircraft carriers, 13 destroyers, and 18 submarines, making it a “blue-water” navy with the ability to operate in global maritime zones. INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant give India the capability for air power projection and anti-ship operations. 

Pakistan’s navy operates 121 ships, with no aircraft carriers or destroyers. 

Topics: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Naval Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf Ceasefire

Pakistan cenbank launches ‘cashless’ Eid Al-Adha campaign to promote digital payments

Pakistan cenbank launches ‘cashless’ Eid Al-Adha campaign to promote digital payments
Updated 20 May 2025
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Pakistan cenbank launches ‘cashless’ Eid Al-Adha campaign to promote digital payments

Pakistan cenbank launches ‘cashless’ Eid Al-Adha campaign to promote digital payments
  • Campaign aims to streamline sale and purchase of sacrificial animals in 54 designated cattle markets
  • Campaign aims to streamline sale and purchase of sacrificial animals in 54 designated cattle markets
Updated 20 May 2025
Ismail Dilawar

KARACHI: Pakistan’s central bank this week announced it has launched a “Go Cashless” nationwide campaign aimed at promoting digital payments and reducing reliance on cash transactions within designated cattle markets in the days leading up to Eid Al-Adha.

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has undertaken efforts recently to encourage digital transactions in line with Pakistan’s broader economic reforms, which are aimed at strengthening financial systems and increasing transparency in the country. 

Pakistan is a cash-dominated market where a significant portion of transactions, particularly in the informal sector, are conducted using cash. 

Millions of Pakistanis are expected to buy sacrificial animals this year at thousands of cattle markets across the country before the Eid Al-Adha festival in June. These cattle are bought mostly via cash each year. 

“The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has initiated a nationwide ‘Go Cashless’ campaign to promote digital payments and reduce reliance on cash transactions within cattle markets during the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha,” the SBP said in a statement on Monday. 

It said the initiative is in line with the central bank’s goal of fostering digital financial inclusion throughout Pakistan, and will run from May 20 until June 6 or the night of Eid Al-Adha.

“In partnership with the banking industry, the campaign aims to streamline the sale and purchase of sacrificial animals in 54 designated cattle markets across the country,” the statement said. 

The central bank said within these cattle markets, digital payment solutions can be utilized for various transactions, including the purchase of sacrificial animals, payment for necessities such as water and feed, and settlement of parking fees. 

The SBP said to support buyers and merchants, it has temporarily raised transaction limits effective from May 19 to June 15, 2025 for the following accounts:

For branchless banking level-1 accounts, Asaan Account/Asaan Digital Account and Merchant Accounts, the SBP said it has eliminated daily transaction limits and increased the per-month limit to Rs5,000,000 [$17,694].

“The public is strongly encouraged to take advantage of these convenient and secure digital financial services during the Eid-ul-Azha period,” the central bank said.

Pakistan has witnessed significant growth in digital transactions in recent years. The SBP said in a statement last month that its instant payment system, Raast, processed over 892 million transactions amounting to Rs20 trillion ($72 billion) since its launch in 2021. 

In the second quarter of fiscal year 2025 alone, Raast handled 795.7 million transactions worth Rs6.4 trillion ($23.04 billion)., it added. 

Topics: Pakistan cashless payment eid al-adha

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