ZEESHAN AFZAL

Kathmandu, June 8 -- If things go as planned, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will be visiting Spain at the end of June and India by July-end. With dates of his Spain visit almost confirmed, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has started the groundwork, but officials said preparations for Oli's much-awaited India visit are still in an initial phase. Kathmandu has of late received some positive signals from New Delhi about the prime ministerial visit, officials said. Oli is attending the Fourth United Nations International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), which will be held in Seville, Spain, from June 30 to July 3, 2025. This high-level gathering brings together heads of state, government representatives, and other stakeholders to discuss international cooperation on financing for sustainable development. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is preparing to send a delegation to the event. "We have also asked Madrid to arrange for a prime ministerial bilateral visit on this...

The Story of Prophet Ibrahim (as) and  eid-al-azha Qurbani, also known as Udhiya is the sacrifice of animals - typically goat, sheep and cattle - made by Muslims during the days of Eid ul-Adha. This practice stems from Prophet Ibrahim's (AS) devotion and submission to Allah (SWT), and the sacrifice they were prepared to make. Over time, both the story and the practice has continued, and every year millions of Muslims reflect on what true devotion and sacrifice really are. The story of Qurbani is the story of how Prophet Ibrahim (As) showed steadfast devotion to Allah (SWT), by being prepared to sacrifice his only son Ismail (AS), who he loved dearly. Ibrahim’s (AS) sacrifice was rewarded, and since then, Muslims have emulated the sacrifice by conducting their own Qurbani and distributing the sacrificed meat amongst poor and vulnerable communities around the world. Just as the Prophet Ibrahim (AS) was rewarded for his devotion, Allah (SWT) will generously reward any Muslim who compl...

  Trump’s budget bill faces Republican discord in the US Senate, where some lawmakers reject any increase to the national debt. Billionaire Elon Musk has renewed his criticisms of United States President Donald Trump’s signature budget bill, calling it a “disgusting abomination” in a series of social media posts. On Tuesday,  just days after leaving his post in the Trump administration, Musk offered yet another broadside against the legislation, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,” Musk wrote. “Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.” His subsequent posts laid out the reasoning for his opposition, suggesting that the spending and tax cuts proposed in the bill would balloon the US national debt. “It will massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to $2.5 trillion (!!!) and burden America cit...

China boosting development of AI for use in trade war with US. NEW DELHI —  Encouraged by the enthusiastic reception to its DeepSeek artificial intelligence platform in January, China's leaders are going all out to encourage AI companies to harness the power of this technology to compete with the United States and other countries in business and military spheres. China considers AI an important tool to handle U.S. restrictions on Chinese business, particularly after DeepSeek shook up Wall Street, resulting in a loss of $589 billion for Nvidia stockholders in late January. "The government in China works directly with the private sector and universities in the advancement and deployment of AI technology and are reducing their dependence on imports of high-technology products," said Lourdes Casanova, director of Cornell University's Emerging Markets Institute. The past few weeks have seen China rolling out several new AI models, including Manus, which experts say can riv...

  Chinese officials look to limit social media and screen time in China. Washington —  While some youth in China admit to spending an excessive amount of time on the internet, many are skeptical about new government proposals aimed at regulating the time young Chinese spend online and on social media sites. In conversations at China’s annual political meetings that wrapped up in Beijing this week, retired international basketball star Yao Ming, called for some limits on internet access for young people in China. Yao was advocating for a plan that would mandate children turn off all electronics for one full day every academic semester and get outside and exercise. Officials also called for tighter controls of online gaming and cited concerns about harmful online content, warning that excessive internet use is hurting the physical health and academic performance of Chinese minors under the age of 18. China already has some of the world’s tightest internet controls, with tens of ...

  Afghanistan welcomes upgraded diplomatic ties with neighboring Pakistan. Taliban government to follow Pakistan’s move to designate ambassador to Kabul as tensions between the two nations ease. Afghanistan has welcomed an upgrade in its diplomatic ties with Pakistan, signalling an easing of tensions between the South Asian neighbours. Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday said the charge d’affaires stationed in the Afghan capital, Kabul, would be elevated to the rank of ambassador, with Afghanistan’s Taliban government later announcing its representative in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, would also be upgraded. A charge d’affaires serves as an embassy’s chief of mission in the absence of the ambassador. “This elevation in diplomatic representation between Afghanistan [and] Pakistan paves the way for enhanced bilateral cooperation in multiple domains,” the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on X on Saturday. Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is due...

  South Asia needs a peace deal. In its aftermath, United Nations was established, envisioned as more effective organization. Human history is marked by conflicts that have often led to devastating wars. The two World Wars were products of such conflicts, causing the loss of millions of lives and immense suffering. It was only after these catastrophic events that the world recognized the need for a forum, where nations could engage in dialogue and resolve their disputes peacefully. The League of Nations was the first attempt at creating such a platform, but it failed miserably to prevent further conflict, eventually leading to the outbreak of World War II. In its aftermath, the United Nations was established, envisioned as a more effective organization. However, the UN has also struggled to address critical global issues. The enormous cost of the two World Wars, primarily involving European powers, prompted a shift in approach. European countries chose to resolve their differences...

Karachi hit by 19 minor earthquakes since Sunday. Chief meteorologist says Landhi Fault Region likely cause of ongoing seismic activity. First tremor recorded at midnight on Monday. Epicenter near Malir, depth around 40 kilometers. Third jolt recorded near Korangi early Tuesday. Karachi has now experienced 19 mild earthquakes since Sunday, the Seismic Monitoring Centre of the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) confirmed on Tuesday. The latest tremor occurred at 9:57am, registering a magnitude of 2.8. The epicentre of the 16th quake was located northeast of Malir, approximately 15 kilometres from the area, at a depth of 40 kilometres. Previously, two back-to-back tremors were recorded late Monday night — the first at midnight with a magnitude of 2.6 and the second at 12:23am measuring 2.8. Both had a depth of 40 kilometres and were centred northeast of Malir. The third tremor occurred at 6:42am Tuesday with a magnitude of 3.2 and a shallower depth of 11 kilometres, near Korangi. S...