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The <keyword id="19900359" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="indian-navy" source="keywords">Indian Navy</keyword> has freed an <keyword id="20375812" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Iranian-fishing-vessel" source="Orion">Iranian fishing vessel</keyword> that was hijacked by pirates and rescued its crew of 23 <keyword id="92998" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pakistani-nationals" source="Orion">Pakistani nationals</keyword>, following "intense coercive tactical measures" as part of an <keyword id="587932" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="anti-piracy-operation" source="Orion">anti-piracy operation</keyword> at sea that lasted for more than 12 hours, officials said. Following Friday's operation, specialist teams from the Navy undertook a thorough sanitisation and seaworthiness check of the fishing vessel in order to escort it to a safe area for resuming normal fishing activities, according to an official statement shared by a Navy spokesperson. The Navy said late on Friday evening that it was engaged in an operation to free the fishing vessel from pirates. Nine armed pirates had reportedly boarded the vessel. The hijacked vessel was intercepted on Thursday, the Navy said. "INS Sumedha intercepted FV 'Al Kambar' during early hours of Friday and was joined subsequently by the guided missile frigate INS Trishul," it said. "After more than 12 hours of intense coercive tactical measures as per the SOPs, the pirates on board the hijacked fishing vessel were forced to surrender. The crew, comprising 23 Pakistani nationals, have been safely rescued," the Navy added. The fishing vessel was approximately 90 nm (nautical miles) southwest of Socotra when the pirates reportedly boarded it, it said. The Indian Navy said it remains committed to ensuring maritime security in the region and the safety of seafarers, "irrespective of the nationalities". The <keyword id="9465424" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Socotra-Archipelago" source="Orion">Socotra Archipelago</keyword> is in the northwest <keyword id="12350" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Ocean" source="Orion">Indian Ocean</keyword> near the Gulf of Aden. The Navy will take "affirmative action" to ensure a safer and more secure Indian Ocean Region, its chief, Admiral R Hari Kumar, told a press conference on March 23 while citing the anti-piracy and other maritime security operations undertaken by the naval force in the preceding 100 days under "<keyword id="21061783" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Op-Sankalp" source="Orion">Op Sankalp</keyword>". As part of the maritime security operations, the Navy has undertaken anti-piracy, anti-missile and anti-drones operations. A total of 110 lives -- 45 Indians and 65 foreign nationals -- were saved during "Op Sankalp" in that 100-day period, according to a PPT presentation given by a naval officer before the Navy chief's press conference. It was also mentioned in the presentation that from November last year till March, "more than 90 maritime incidents have happened", including 57 drone or missile attacks or sightings and 39 incidents of <keyword id="6358364" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="piracy" source="Orion">piracy</keyword>, hijacking and suspicious approaches.

Indian Navy frees Iranian fishing vessel hijacked by pirates, rescues 23 Pakistani crew members

People in <keyword id="3001" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="pakistan" source="Orion">Pakistan</keyword> have been asked to reduce the amount of tea they drink to keep the country's economy afloat, media reports said. Sipping fewer cups a day would cut Pakistan's high import bills, Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal said, <keyword id="60684" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="bbc" source="Orion">BBC</keyword> reported. The country's low foreign currency reserves -- currently enough for fewer than two months of all imports -- have left it in urgent need of funds. Pakistan is the world's largest importer of tea, buying more than $600m worth last year. "I appeal to the nation to cut down the consumption of tea by one to two cups because we import tea on loan," Iqbal said, according to Pakistani media. Business traders could also close their market stalls at 20:30 to save electricity, he suggested. The plea came as Pakistan's foreign currency reserves continue to fall rapidly -- putting pressure on the government to cut high import costs and keep funds in the country, BBC reported. The request to reduce tea drinking has gone viral on social media, with many doubting the country's serious financial problems can be addressed by cutting out the beverage. Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves dropped from around $16 billion in February to less than $10 billion in the first week of June, barely enough to cover the cost of two months of all its imports. Last month, officials in <keyword id="6587" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="karachi" source="Orion">Karachi</keyword> restricted the import of dozens of non-essential luxury items as part of their bid to protect funds. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/police-say-tour-of-capitol-complex-buildings-given-by-gop-lawmaker-on-eve-of-the-january-6-attack-was-not-suspicious/articleshow/92228365.cms">Police say tour of Capitol Complex buildings given by GOP lawmaker on eve of the January 6 attack was not suspicious</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/richard-spencer-disavowed-white-nationalism-after-being-spotted-on-bumble-describing-himself-as-a-moderate-report-says/articleshow/92229023.cms">Richard Spencer disavowed white nationalism after being spotted on Bumble describing himself as a moderate, report says</a>

Pakistanis asked to drink less tea to cut imports

<ul><li>"Action has been initiated" against <keyword id="8181189" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="pakistani-drones-smuggling-arms">Pakistani drones smuggling arms</keyword> and ammunition into India, said <keyword id="15141" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Air-Force">Indian Air Force</keyword> (IAF) Chief — Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria. </li><li>He stated that the drone smuggling is a space violation issue and the necessary steps will be taken. </li><li>Three consignments of weapons, ammunition, narcotics and counterfeit currency were seized by the Punjab police in September. </li></ul>Drones smuggling arms and ammunition across the border is the new threat that India faces from its neighbour Pakistan, according to the new Indian Air Force (IAF) chief — Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria. "Small drones are a new threat and some procurements are already in process to tackle the issue. It is a space violation issue and necessary action has been initiated in this aspect," stated Bhadauria at the annual Air Force Day press conference. The heightened security on the Indo-Pak border means that terrorists have had to shift their smuggling routes to Punjab to deliver weapons, ammunition, narcotics and counterfeit currency. So far, three such consignments have been caught by the Punjab police. They believe that the packages are being airdropped into the state by Khalistan Liberation Front (KLF) and Khalistan Zindabad Force terrorists, with help from the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) this side of the border. <div type="image" title="drones" msid="71440585" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Drones recovered near the Indo-Pak border over the last around one month&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>

 Inquiry by the <keyword id="6362387" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="national-investigation-agency">National Investigation Agency</keyword> (NIA) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is already looking into the multiple cases of drones being used by Pakistan to smuggle arms into India. According to Pakistani Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, these drones are GPS-enabled and can carry upto 10 kilograms. The first consignment was caught on 12 September 2019 where the police seized four AK 56 rifles, two AK 47 rifles with 180 rounds, six magazines and 11,000 bullets. The second consignment was much larger. On 22 September 2019, the police recovered five AK 47 rifles with 16 magazines and 472 rounds, four Chinese-made point 30 bore pistols with eight magazines and 72 rounds, nine hand grenades, five satellite phones, two mobile phones and two wireless sets along with ₹1 million (₹10 lakh) in counterfeit currency. They were found in the possession of KZF terrorists. The latest consignment which was seized on 24 September 2019, consisted of four AK 47 rifles, 10 magazines and 200 cartridges. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/military-defense/article/a-nuclear-war-between-india-and-pakistan-would-result-in-125-million-deaths-global-cooling-and-mass-starvation/articleshow/71417075.cms">A nuclear war between India and Pakistan would result in 125 million deaths, global cooling and mass starvation</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/military-defense/news/india-has-called-paks-nuclear-bluff-twice-ex-army-officers/articleshow/71427011.cms">India has called Pak's nuclear bluff twice: Ex-Army officers</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/pakistan-issued-its-most-explicit-threat-of-war-against-india-yet-as-the-2-nuclear-powers-clash-over-kashmir/articleshow/71296226.cms">Pakistan issued its most explicit threat of war against India yet as the 2 nuclear powers clash over Kashmir</a>

Action initiated against Pakistan for using drones to smuggle arms, says Indian Air Force Chief

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Disney+ show "Ms. Marvel" has brought global attention to Pakistani music.</li><li>But, in the early 2010s, Pakistan's music industry was on its knees.</li></ul>Pakistani culture was front and center globally in an unprecedented way due to Disney+'s "Ms. Marvel," which aired over the summer. However, it might surprise viewers to learn that much of the series' soundtrack predominantly consists of songs from a Coca-Cola-sponsored platform called "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/cokestudio">Coke Studio</a>."The Pakistani music industry has a rich and diverse sound, reflective of not just the myriad cultures that make up the nation but also influences from around the world.Pakistan has a notable history of rock music spanning decades. The pioneers of rock in the country, like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GLYKYgSE0Y">Junoon</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQRZFKnOtQo">Vital Signs</a>, have performed at sold-out stadiums across the globe and even at the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OlsS-k7IsY">United Nations</a>.More traditional folk artists like <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1K5hTFbDcMYRJ839LM2wnK3/jeff-buckley-the-grammys-unesco-11-little-known-facts-about-nusrat-fateh-ali-khan">Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan</a> served as inspirations for icons such as Jeff Buckley — who <a href="https://youtu.be/l3HuBlUuqfs">called him his Elvis</a> and listened to his music every day — and collaborated with legends like <a href="https://youtu.be/8OHw7Rqa13U">Peter Gabriel</a> and <a href="https://youtu.be/-b33vOZKcS0">Eddie Vedder</a>.However, due to a confluence of issues, including a <a href="https://tribune.com.pk/story/708819/why-piracy-is-a-non-issue-for-the-music-industry">lack of royalties</a>, <a href="https://tribune.com.pk/story/173244/pakistans-music-economy-the-stalemate">anti-competitive practices of record labels and distributors</a>, <a href="https://tribune.com.pk/story/876764/can-we-say-no-to-piracy">music piracy</a>, a countrywide ban on social media <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/banistan-why-is-youtube-still-blocked-in-pakistan">platforms such as YouTube</a>, as well as <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-asia-31099728">rising terrorism preventing concerts</a> from taking place, the Pakistani music scene had almost died out by the early 2010s.The <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1170373">government itself came under heavy criticism</a> for seemingly <a href="https://images.dawn.com/news/1181740">abdicating its responsibilities</a> towards the sector.It was <a href="https://tribune.com.pk/story/545595/endorse-a-brand-to-survive-in-the-pakistani-music-industry">private corporations that stepped up</a> to fill that void.Companies like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVL_tnEuv6g&amp;ab_channel=NatashaHumeraEjaz">Ufone</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEwcZKsRN2w&amp;ab_channel=nooriworld">Unilever</a> made many musicians brand ambassadors, paid for music videos, and invited artists to play at corporate functions and sponsored shows.<h2>Pakistan's music industry was on its knees</h2><div type="image" title="Ali Sethi and Shae Gill - Coke Studio Season 14" height="1824" width="2432" msid="94557711" hostid="261"></div>To say that private corporations saved music in Pakistan is no hyperbole, according to Fasi Zaka, a preeminent Pakistani music critic with extensive stints on television and radio."At one point, the music industry had literally fallen on its face," Zaka tells Insider. "There were no avenues for concerts. We weren't even sure the domestic insurgency could be defeated. At this point, the role of corporations — while not necessarily altruistically motivated — has been integral to supporting the edifice of music in the country." According to Zaka: "If they had not been around, had they not been pumping money, one of the things we would have seen is far less music being produced."The two major cola brands, in particular, have a storied role in the development of Pakistani music.<h2>The rise of "Coke Studio"</h2>In 2008, Rohail Hyatt, a founding member of Vital Signs, launched a television show with Coca-Cola in which premier musical talents in the country collaborated in a genre-bending celebration of the best of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rLxN41avhY">Pakistani music</a>."Coke Studio," as it came to be known, is now a cultural phenomenon. It has been broadcast on multiple television channels, radio stations, and digital platforms simultaneously for 14 seasons. Its <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/cokestudio/about">YouTube channel</a> has over 3.4 billion views, with songs like "<a href="https://youtu.be/5Eqb_-j3FDA">Pasoori</a>" alone garnering hundreds of millions of views and dominating the charts in <a href="https://images.dawn.com/news/1189671">Pakistan and abroad</a>."'Coke Studio' was really important on so many levels," says Zaka. "When your culture is being attacked fundamentally by an insurgent force that doesn't believe in it, and you are finding parts of your culture being done away with, be it due to social change or due to new forms of music — in making that contemporary again, 'Coke Studio' had a really big effect on the country."According to Aisha Sarwari, Coca-Cola's director of public affairs, communications, and sustainability for Pakistan and Afghanistan, the company does not look at "Coke Studio" as an investment but rather as a part of its cultural DNA."What started with humble beginnings grew into a movement that captures the passion, vibrancy, and positivity of Pakistan and our people; a space where music goes beyond any kind of boundary, touching the hearts and minds across the world — connecting people in a way only music can," says Sarwari. "We are exceptionally proud that 'Coke Studio' has come to be recognized as Pakistan's biggest cultural export."<h2>Pepsi has stepped up, too</h2><div type="image" title="Eva B and Kaifi Khalil on Coke Studio Season 14" height="5451" width="7269" msid="94557713" hostid="261"></div>Coke's main competitor has also made its mark on the industry.The most prominent contemporary bands in Pakistan today, such as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF8gpEo-xv0&amp;ab_channel=PepsiPakistan">Entity Paradigm</a> or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qE1G_qc7X10&amp;ab_channel=PepsiPakistan">Aaroh</a>, were almost all discovered in the first "Pepsi Battle of the Bands" tournament in 2002. They inspired a whole generation of musicians, including <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1F5BS4Xch89KfairyeeL7O">me</a>, to follow in their footsteps. "One of the more important platforms is 'Pepsi Battle of the Bands' because it's actually injecting new talent into the system," says Zaka. "You'll get new bands in front of a large audience and some of them have really taken off."One such band is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAlf-1gTlPo&amp;ab_channel=KASHMIR">Kashmir</a>, who were thrust into the national limelight when they won season two of "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-lcrzDNcm0&amp;t=233s&amp;ab_channel=PepsiPakistan">Pepsi Battle of the Bands</a>" when it relaunched in 2017."Being a professional musical artist in Pakistan, I have a very different view from other people who aren't professional musicians. We believe that corporations played a really major role in promoting music in the country," says Shane J. Anthony, Kashmir's drummer.<div type="image" title="Kashmir band" height="2450" width="4353" msid="94557715" hostid="261"></div>"We've been a band since 2012 with this lineup and our break was through 'Pepsi Battle of the Bands.' We did a couple of shows a year before that and we were just grinding it out and nothing was coming to fruition," Anthony explains. "We were so lucky with the competition, and it made us realize the power that these corporations have and the effort they are putting into the music industry."Two major criticisms often directed towards corporations involved in the music industry are that they can be exploitative and stifle creativity. What constitutes fair compensation for an artist by a corporation is dependent on who you ask, however, in an industry where many musicians are operating on passion alone and are resigned to the fact they won't be making much — if any — money from their art. It was this passion to have their music heard that drove Kashmir to enter "Pepsi Battle of the Bands" without realizing there was a cash prize of five million rupees that came with winning it."It was mindblowing to us that we could make money from this," says Anthony. "Honestly, even after we won 'Pepsi Battle of the Bands,' the amount of money we got paid from a concert right after that, we just couldn't believe it. It took us a whole year to accept we were where we were."Anthony also says the band never faced any interference with their creative process from their sponsor."We recorded our first album in collaboration with Pepsi and had complete creative freedom. We're now releasing our second album without any corporate involvement and have the same amount of creative freedom as we had back then," says the drummer.<h2>What's next for Pakistani music?</h2>Despite corporations helping prop up the industry through troubled times and beyond, Pakistani music is still far from thriving. "It's funny because when we speak to other musicians, they don't even call it an industry," says Anthony. "They call it a fraternity because it's so small in Pakistan."While there are indeed several success stories, Zaka suspects the number of musicians — other than the big names — that earn a viable income solely through their art can be counted on one hand."Corporations do have a tendency to reward legacy acts," he says. "They aren't really expanding the ecosystem in a meaningful way."The solution? "We need to have much greater numbers of new singers and bands being introduced and gaining exposure," says Zaka."It might be difficult to argue for a more philanthropic outlook, perhaps, but if corporations can find a profitable way to spotlight new talent on a larger scale, it will truly benefit the industry as a whole."

'Ms. Marvel' brought Pakistani music to a global audience, but the unlikely savior of the country's music scene? Coca-Cola.

The Information and Broadcasting ministry has ordered blocking of 20 channels on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/youtube-tv-regains-access-to-espn-fx-and-more-disney-channels/articleshow/88384438.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">YouTube</a> and two websites over spreading "anti-India" propaganda and fake news on the internet. "In a closely coordinated effort between intelligence agencies and the Information and Broadcasting ministry, the ministry has ordered the blocking of 20 channels on YouTube and two websites spreading anti-India propaganda and fake news on the internet," the ministry said in a statement on Monday. The channels and websites belong to a coordinated disinformation network operating from Pakistan and spreading fake news about various sensitive subjects related to India. The channels were used to post divisive content in a coordinated manner on topics like Kashmir, Indian Army, minority communities in India, Ram Mandir, General Bipin Rawat etc, it added. Two separate orders - one for 20 <keyword id="1667970" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="youtube-channels" source="Orion">YouTube channels</keyword> directing YouTube, and the other for two news websites, requesting the Department of Telecom to direct the internet service providers for blocking of the news channels and portals. The Ministry has acted to secure the information space in India, and utilised emergency powers under the Rule 16 of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The modus operandi of the anti-India disinformation campaign involved the Naya Pakistan Group (NPG), operating from Pakistan, having a network of YouTube channels, and some other standalone YouTube channels not related to NPG. The channels had a combined subscriber base of over 35 lakh, and their videos had over 55 crore views. Some of the YouTube channels of the Naya Pakistan Group (NPG) were being operated by anchors of Pakistani news channels. "These YouTube channels had also posted content on issues such as the farmers' protest, protests related to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, and tried to incite the minorities against the Government of India. It was also feared that these YouTube channels would be used to post content to undermine the democratic process of the upcoming elections in five states," the ministry said. The Ministry observed that most of the content pertains to subjects sensitive from the perspective of national security and are factually incorrect, and are being mainly posted from Pakistan as a coordinated disinformation network (as in the case of Naya Pakistan Group) against India and thus deemed it fit for action under the provisions to block content in case of emergency.

Ministry of I&B orders blocking of 20 YouTube channels, 2 websites for spreading 'anti-India' propaganda

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A 26-year-old woman in <keyword id="11893449" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pakistan" source="Orion">Pakistan</keyword> accused of blasphemy on <keyword id="11896250" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="whatsapp" source="Orion">WhatsApp</keyword> was sentenced to death.</li><li>Aneeqa Ateeq said her accuser was taking revenge because she refused to be friendly with him online.</li></ul>A 26-year-old Muslim woman in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, was sentenced to death over what authorities said were blasphemous messages she sent on WhatsApp. Aneeqa Ateeq denied all charges but was found guilty on Wednesday and sentenced to 20 years in prison and death by hanging, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/19/pakistan-woman-aneeqa-ateeq-sentenced-to-death-blasphemous-whatsapp-messages">The Guardian reported.</a> Her accuser was identified by local paper <a href="https://nation.com.pk/20-Jan-2022/muslim-woman-gets-death-fine-for-blasphemy">The Nation</a> as Hassnat Farooq. He said Ateeq sent blasphemous caricatures of holy prophets on WhatsApp and sent other, unspecified blasphemous material on Facebook to other accounts, per The Guardian, citing her charge sheet.Islam forbids caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.The Guardian reported that the pair met on a mobile gaming app in 2019 and chatted over WhatsApp.During the trial, Ateeq said she believed Farooq intentionally goaded her into a religious discussion to take revenge for her not wanting to be friendly to him on WhatsApp.On Wednesday, Judge Adnan Mushtaq found Ateeq guilty of deliberately intending to outrage religious feelings and using derogatory remarks toward "holy personages," according to a copy of a sentence warrant tweeted by <a href="https://twitter.com/nailainayat/status/1483850901311873025">Naila Inayat, a correspondent with Associated Reporters Abroad.</a>Ateeq was also found guilty of using derogatory remarks about the Prophet Muhammad, which was the charge that resulted in her <keyword id="12307828" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="death-sentence" source="Orion">death sentence</keyword>.The warrant notes that her death penalty is still subject to the confirmation of the High Court in Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab province, where Rawalpindi is located.Pakistan, an Islamic state, enforces strict blasphemy laws that can slap guilty offenders with life in prison or the death penalty. <a href="https://www.uscirf.gov/countries/pakistan">According to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom,</a> these harsh sentences are sometimes issued against practicing Muslims, as Ateeq says she is, but are more often levied against Pakistani Christians and minorities.In 2016, <a href="https://na.gov.pk/uploads/documents/1470910659_707.pdf">Pakistan passed the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act.</a> It allows authorities to punish internet and social media users for infractions made online, including acts of blasphemy.According to <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa33/5136/2016/en/">Amnesty International,</a> blasphemy cases are frequently based on false evidence, and accusers often abuse laws for financial gain or to settle personal rivalries or vendettas.Blasphemy charges are also notoriously dangerous for the accused. Though Pakistan hasn't executed anyone for blasphemy yet and instead leaves offenders in prison for life, dozens of the accused have been killed by vigilante mobs.In December, for example, a <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20211203-sri-lankan-factory-manager-lynched-and-set-on-fire-in-pakistan">Sri Lankan factory manager was lynched and set on fire near Islamabad after being charged with blasphemy</a>. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan called the incident <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/day-of-shame-pakistan-pm-imran-khan-sri-lankan-factory-worker-lynching-1884042-2021-12-04">"a day of shame"</a> for the nation.The Pakistani Federal Investigation Agency and the Pakistani Cyber Crime Wing, which received the blasphemy complaints regarding Aneeqa Ateeq, did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

A Pakistani woman was given the death sentence for sending 'blasphemous' messages on WhatsApp and Facebook

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Europe is snapping up liquefied <keyword id="6354703" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="natural-gas" source="Orion">natural gas</keyword>, and poorer countries can't get enough supplies, the Wall Street Journal reported. </li><li>Countries including India, Bangladesh, Brazil, and Pakistan have been forced to slash LNG imports as prices soar. </li></ul>Developing nations are struggling to get enough liquefied natural <keyword id="11955852" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="gas" source="Orion">gas</keyword> while European countries are snapping up huge amounts as they seek alternatives to Russian supplies. So far in 2022, Europe has upped its LNG imports by 49%, Wood Mackenzie data shows, <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Feurope-scoops-up-lng-choking-off-power-supplies-in-poorer-nations-11657212688%3Fsiteid%3Dyhoof2">according to the Wall Street Journal</a>. Comparatively, India, China, and Pakistan have cut imports by 16%, 21%, and 15%, respectively. Since <keyword id="11894337" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="russia" source="Orion">Russia</keyword> invaded Ukraine, Europe has faced a spiraling energy crisis as Moscow curbs its gas exports. LNG used to be cheaper than crude, but the price is now equivalent to $230 per barrel of <keyword id="11896879" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="oil" source="Orion">oil</keyword> after soaring 1,900% from pandemic lows.And as LNG prices have shot up, companies are preferring to sell to more creditworthy countries in Europe, the Journal said. Even cargo that was on the way to poorer nations has been rerouted to Europe, as it presents a profitable trade for suppliers despite penalties for breaking contracts with developing countries. "Because of the <keyword id="13186997" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ukraine-war" source="Orion">Ukraine war</keyword>, every single molecule that was available in our region has been purchased by Europe, because they're trying to reduce their dependence on Russia," Pakistani Petroleum Minister Musadik Malik said, as the country's LNG tender for $1 billion drew no offers on Thursday. In Bangladesh, the government has had to shut off electricity for some hours of the day. India, meanwhile, has started to use more coal power and domestic gas, according to the report.Meanwhile, Europe is rushing to stockpile as much LNG as possible to prepare for the colder winter months when gas demand jumps. "The European gas crisis is sucking the world dry of LNG," Valery Chow, head of Asia Pacific gas at Wood Mackenzie, told the Journal. "Emerging <keyword id="11893875" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="markets" source="Orion">markets</keyword> in Asia have borne the brunt of this and there is no end in sight."

Europe's scramble for gas is depriving poorer nations from getting enough amid the energy crisis

Pakistan used small arms and mortars to target the Indian positions on the <keyword id="44759" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Line-of-Control">Line of Control</keyword> (LoC) on Friday in <keyword id="17605" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jammu-and-kashmir">Jammu and Kashmir</keyword>'s <keyword id="158222" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Poonch-district">Poonch district</keyword>. Colonel Devender Anand, Defence Ministry spokesman, said, "At about 8.30 a.m. today Pakistan initiated the unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and shelling with mortars along the LoC in Mankote sector in Poonch district. "<keyword id="6354416" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Army">Indian army</keyword> retaliates befittingly". On Thursday, for the entire day Pakistan violated ceasefire on the LoC in three sectors of the Poonch district. Twenty-four civilians have been killed and over 100 injured in over 2,730 such ceasefire violations by Pakistan on the LoC so far this year. This has brought misery into the lives of hundreds of border villagers living close to the LoC as cross border shelling endangers their lives, homes, cattle and agricultural fields. Since the beginning of this year, Pakistan has been violating the bilateral ceasefire agreement signed by the two countries in 1999, with impunity. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/india-estimated-6-4-million-covid-19-infections-by-early-may-according-to-national-serosurvey/articleshow/78051040.cms">India estimated 6.4 million COVID-19 infections by early May, according to National serosurvey</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/news/meet-the-richest-women-in-india-who-have-a-combined-net-worth-of-18-billion/slidelist/78045349.cms">Meet the richest women in India who have a combined net worth of $18 billion</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/india-reports-96760-new-coronavirus-cases-in-last-24-hours/articleshow/78051725.cms">India reports 96,760 new coronavirus cases — the biggest single-day addition by any country since the pandemic began</a>

Indian Army retaliated 'befittingly' to Pakistan's latest ceasefire violation in J&K's Poonch district

<ul class="summary-list"><li>"Afghan Girl," who was on the cover of National Geographic in 1985, was just evacuated to <keyword id="11905554" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="italy" source="Orion">Italy</keyword>.</li><li>Sharbat Gula, 49, lived anonymously for many years in Pakistan and <keyword id="11892774" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="afghanistan" source="Orion">Afghanistan</keyword>.</li></ul>The "Afghan Girl" with piercing green eyes who gained worldwide recognition after appearing on a <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/afghan-girl-revealed">1985 National Geographic</a> cover has fled her home country and arrived in Rome.The Italian government <a href="https://www.governo.it/en/articolo/statement-presidency-council-ministers/18652">said in a statement</a> Thursday that the move was "part of the wider evacuation program in place for Afghan citizens" since the Taliban gained control of Afghanistan. CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/style/article/afghan-girl-national-geographic-italy-scli-intl/index.html">reported</a> that she had been granted refugee status by Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.The girl, Sharbat Gula, now 49, was photographed in a Pakistani refugee camp during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in 1984.At the time, Gula was roughly 12 years old and <a href="https://www.npr.org/2002/03/13/1139820/afghan-girl-mystery-solved">sitting in a tent being used as a classroom</a>. After her picture was taken, she grew up, left the refugee camp in the early 1990s, started a family, and remained largely anonymous until the American photographer who took her photo, Steve McCurry, tracked her down again in 2002.McCurry <a href="https://www.npr.org/2002/03/13/1139820/afghan-girl-mystery-solved">told NPR then</a> that Gula had led a "relatively peaceful" and "traditional Pashtun" life.<div type="image" title="photographer steve mccurry seated, signing a book" height="1345" width="2100" msid="87920511" hostid="261"></div>But then, in <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37923826">2016, Gula was deported</a> from Pakistan to Afghanistan after she was accused of buying a fake Pakistani ID card. At the time, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/09/afghan-girl-sharbat-gula-welcomed-home-president-ashraf-ghani">welcomed her back to the country</a> and promised to house her in a furnished apartment."I've said repeatedly, and I like to repeat it again, that our country is incomplete until we absorb all of our refugees," Ghani said at the time, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/09/afghan-girl-sharbat-gula-welcomed-home-president-ashraf-ghani">The Guardian</a> reported.Five years later, it was Ghani <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/south-central-asia_ghani-says-he-fled-afghanistan-avoid-kabul-bloodshed/6219383.html">himself who fled Afghanistan</a> as the Taliban took control of the country in August.<div type="image" title="a protester holding up a sign with the photo of the afghan girl on it, which reads 'You Valued My Beauty, Now You Value My Life.'" height="1320" width="1760" msid="87920512" hostid="261"></div>McCurry told NPR the photo of Gula was one that people tended to come back to "over and over again.""I think part of the chord that it struck in people all over the world is this combination of a young girl who's very pretty, yet there seems to be something troubling about her," he said. "There's a dignity, there's a fortitude, there's a lot of different levels."

'Afghan Girl' from 1985 National Geographic cover is evacuated to Italy at age 49

<ul><li>On 8 October, Sharif appeared in the Lahore High Court to contest a petition filed against him for his remarks in an interview published in Dawn in May 2018. </li><li>Sharif had admitted that Pakistani militants had been responsible for the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in November 2008 and questioned how the government had allowed them to cross the border. </li><li>It was an unprecedented admission of <keyword id="3001" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pakistan">Pakistan</keyword>’s guilt and the backlash was instantaneous, with several state and non-state actors referring to his actions as treasonous. </li></ul>Few world leaders have had a worse year than the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, <keyword id="6576" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nawaz-Sharif">Nawaz Sharif</keyword>. In April 2018, he was banned from holding a political office for life by the country’s Supreme Court for lying about his sources of wealth. In July 2018, he and his daughter were sentenced to 10 and 7 years in prison, respectively, by an anti-corruption court in Pakistan for their alleged purchase of several flats in London with state funds. Even though he was released from prison last month following an appeal, Sharif found himself standing trial once again this week for admitting a fact that is adjudged to be universal knowledge. In an interview with Dawn, a Pakistani daily, in May 2018, Sharif admitted that the militants from the country had been responsible for planning and carrying out the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in November 2008 and questioned how the government had allowed them to cross the border. It was an unprecedented admission of Pakistan’s guilt and the backlash was instantaneous. It even resulted in a high-level meeting of Pakistani military officials, likely aimed at curtailing any damage from the “misleading statement” which supported “India’s narrative on the attacks”. Even though the Pakistani government itself confirmed that the last surviving attacker <a href="http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1870267,00.html">was a Pakistani national</a> in January 2009 and numerous countries, including the US, have recognised Hafiz Saeed, also a Pakistani national, as the head of the terrorist outfit that planned the attacks, it still seems a betrayal of the country to admit its fault. Even a former director of the CIA, Michael Hayden, who was in charge of the agency at the time, said in his memoir, “had no doubt that the attack was the work of Lashkar-e-Taiba”. On 8 October, Sharif appeared in the Lahore High Court to contest a petition filed against him for this act of “treason”. He was joined by Cyril Almeida, the journalist who interviewed him, and another former prime minister, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi - who had supported Sharif’s statement. The petition against Sharif found fault with his disclosure of politically sensitive secrets and disrespect of the country’s national institutions. In short, it comprised a “violation” of his oath of office as the statement could be used by the country’s enemies. Given that even admitting that the terrorists were Pakistani is tantamount to “treason”, it is no wonder that court proceedings against the people involved in the planning of the attacks have been poorly executed and inconclusive so far. None of the six accused have been convicted while Pakistani officials have been slow to act on evidence provided by India. This is why the outcome of the current proceedings against Sharif, Almeida and Abbasi is so important. To convict people of a crime, the refusal to acknowledge the crime needs to be corrected first.

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister is undergoing a trial for “treason” after admitting that Pakistani nationals carried out the 26/11 attacks

<ul><li>Pakistani nationals remain at the leadership levels in terror groups such as al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent, Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant - Khorasan and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, and many of them are yet to be blacklisted, according to a UN report. </li><li>The report said that al-Qaida is covertly active in 12 Afghan provinces and its leader Aiman al-Zawahiri remains based in the country. The monitoring team estimates the total number of al-Qaida fighters in Afghanistan at between 400 and 600. </li></ul>Pakistani nationals remain at the leadership levels in terror groups such as al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent, Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant - Khorasan and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, and many of them are yet to be blacklisted, according to a UN report. The 26th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning ISIL, al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities said that in April and May, the Afghan special forces conducted a series of countrywide operations and arrested the head of the ISIL-K Aslam <keyword id="238825" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Farooqi">Farooqi</keyword> (also known as Abdullah Orokzai) and his predecessor <keyword id="258473" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Zia-ul-Haq">Zia ul-Haq</keyword> (also known as Abu Omar Khorasani) and others. Farooqi, who hails from Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is the mastermind behind the deadly terror attack on a prominent gurudwara in Kabul in March that killed 25 Sikhs. He is not blacklisted by the UN Security Council's 1267 al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee. Similarly, Haq is also a Pakistani national and has not been blacklisted yet. Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) operates under the Taliban umbrella from Afghanistan's Nimruz, Helmand and Kandahar provinces and its current leader is Pakistan-born Osama Mahmood, who is also "not listed" under the UNSC sanctions. Mahmood succeeded <keyword id="2502994" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Asim-Umar">Asim Umar</keyword>. The report said that the group reportedly has between 150 and 200 members from Bangladesh, India, <keyword id="6356970" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="myanmar">Myanmar</keyword> and Pakistan and "is reportedly planning retaliation operations in the region to avenge the death of its former leader." The Sanctions Monitoring Team report said that the "large terrorist group present in Afghanistan" Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is led by Amir Noor Wali Mehsud. Pakistan-born Mehsud was designated a global terrorist by the UNSC sanctions committee only this month, more than two years after he was named the TTP leader, following the death of former TTP head Maulana Fazlullah. Mehsud is supported by his deputy Qari Amjad and TTP spokesperson Mohammad Khorasani, both not listed under the UNSC sanctions. This demonstrates that the Pakistani nationals operate at leadership levels in the terror organisations and point to the terror groups' Pakistani links. The report said that al-Qaida is covertly active in 12 Afghan provinces and its leader Aiman al-Zawahiri remains based in the country. The monitoring team estimates the total number of al-Qaida fighters in Afghanistan at between 400 and 600. The leadership maintains a close contact with <keyword id="9268073" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-haqqani-network">the Haqqani Network</keyword>. In February 2020, al-Zawahiri met with Yahya Haqqani, "the primary Haqqani Network contact with al-Qaida since mid-2009, to discuss the ongoing cooperation." SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/dil-bechara-kissing-booth-2-and-other-movies-you-can-watch-on-netflix-amazon-prime-disneyhotstar-this-week/slidelist/77142498.cms">Dil Bechara, Kissing Booth 2 and other movies you can watch on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+Hotstar this week</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/work-from-home-effect-these-companies-are-shelling-out-for-employees-power-bills-internet-cost-and-more/articleshow/77139229.cms">WFH effect – These companies are paying for employees' power bills, internet cost and more</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/after-google-pwc-india-declares-a-company-wide-holiday-for-its-employees-this-friday-offers-time-off-for-a-well-deserved-break/articleshow/77125627.cms">After Google, PwC India declares a company-wide holiday for its employees this Friday – offers time off for a 'well-deserved' break</a>

You Searched For "Pakistani nationals" and got 11 results

Indian Navy frees Iranian fishing vessel hijacked by pirates, rescues 23 Pakistani crew members

PTI

Pakistanis asked to drink less tea to cut imports

IANS

Action initiated against Pakistan for using drones to smuggle arms, says Indian Air Force Chief

Prabhjote Gill

'Ms. Marvel' brought Pakistani music to a global audience, but the unlikely savior of the country's music scene? Coca-Cola.

Mohammad Zaheer

Ministry of I&B orders blocking of 20 YouTube channels, 2 websites for spreading 'anti-India' propaganda

IANS

A Pakistani woman was given the death sentence for sending 'blasphemous' messages on WhatsApp and Facebook

Matthew Loh

Europe's scramble for gas is depriving poorer nations from getting enough amid the energy crisis

Phil Rosen

Indian Army retaliated 'befittingly' to Pakistan's latest ceasefire violation in J&K's Poonch district

IANS

'Afghan Girl' from 1985 National Geographic cover is evacuated to Italy at age 49

Hilary Brueck

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister is undergoing a trial for “treason” after admitting that Pakistani nationals carried out the 26/11 attacks

Dilsher Dhillon

Pakistanis head terror groups ISIL-K, AQIS, TTP is not yet blacklisted: UN report

PTI

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