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ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif affirmed the government’s commitment to creating a supportive environment for the youth and providing them with ample opportunities. In his message on International Youth Day, observed on August 12, he emphasised the importance of recognising the potential of young people and raising awareness about their critical role in shaping the future.

He highlighted the significance of this year’s theme, “From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development,” noting that it underscores the vital role of youth at the intersection of technology and opportunity. This convergence, he said, empowers young people to transform their aspirations into reality, leading to a sustainable and equitable future.

Sharif pointed out that over 60% of Pakistan’s population is under the age of 30, making the country a youthful nation increasingly connected to the global digital landscape. He emphasised that by leveraging technology for education, entrepreneurship, and social activism, young people can become catalysts for positive change in their communities.

The Prime Minister also referenced the Youth Loan and Agricultural Scheme introduced in 2013, which has yielded significant results. He reported that approximately 186 billion rupees have been disbursed to over 280,000 young entrepreneurs, creating numerous job opportunities across the country. He noted that the Youth Business Loan Scheme was restructured to include Agricultural Loans, with microfinance institutions engaged to provide interest-free loans.

Looking forward, Sharif announced plans to expand this initiative by allocating an additional Rs100 billion during the 2024-25 financial year, aiming to empower around 300,000 young entrepreneurs nationwide.

He further explained that the government’s comprehensive Youth Programme adopts a holistic approach, equipping young individuals with essential skills through a Skill Development Programme, providing advanced technology through the Youth Laptop Scheme, and offering financial support via Youth Loan Schemes. This integrated support system is designed to ensure that youth have the necessary resources to succeed and prosper.

Sharif concluded by stating that today’s youth are the leaders of tomorrow and are pivotal in shaping a brighter future for Pakistan. He emphasised that empowering youth through meaningful opportunities will not only foster individual growth but also contribute to the country’s broader social and economic development.

Renowned Pakistani actress Resham has levelled serious accusations against director Syed Noor, claiming he derailed her film career, in a recent appearance on a podcast.

Resham, a beloved figure in Pakistani cinema, who began her acting career on television, starred in several successful TV and film projects such as ‘Jeeva’ and ‘Sangam’. Despite her early acclaim, Resham has stepped back from acting in recent years, dedicating much of her time to charity work.

During the podcast, Resham reflected on her career and the landscape of Pakistani cinema, stating, “I recently heard Syed Noor remarking that I was an unfortunate actress because I ruined myself by working in low-budget productions.”

Resham defended her choices, arguing that every actor undertakes a mix of good and bad projects. “Prove to me which actor has only done good work. We all have ups and downs, but everyone thinks only Resham made bad films,” she lamented.

The actress accused Noor of professional betrayal, particularly after he fell in love with actress Saima, whom he then predominantly cast in his movies. “Syed Noor was the only director who understood my acting style, but he stopped offering me roles because of his affection for Saima Ji,” she said.

Resham declared emphatically, “By God, Syed Noor ruined my career, he insulted me on set, questioning who would cast me in their films.”

PARIS:

China delivered their best performance at a Summer Olympics since the 2008 Games on home soil, winning the joint most gold medals with the United States and only missing out on topping the standings on the silver medal count.

The 40 golds was an all-time high for Games outside China and was achieved despite immense pressure and tightened scrutiny resulting from a doping row involving some of its swimmers.

Chinese athletes strengthened their dominance in diving and table tennis with clean sweeps of all the titles on offer, adding two golds on the badminton court, five on the weightlifting platform and five at the shooting range.

Breakthroughs were made with the first gold medals in artistic swimming, rhythmic gymnastics, women’s boxing and in singles tennis.

Gold medallist Zhanle Pan of China celebrates after winning the race and setting a new world record. PHOTO: REUTERS

Zheng Qinwen, 21, backed up her status as one of the best young talents in women’s tennis by winning the singles gold at Roland Garros after a few hard-fought wins, including one against world number one Iga Swiatek.

The run-up to the Games was clouded by reports in the New York Times and German broadcaster ARD in April that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug in 2021 but had been allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympics.

China’s Foreign Ministry accused the United States of using the case, which doping authorities concluded was caused by contamination, to undermine the Chinese swimmers in Paris.

Pan Zhanle, 20, emerged as China’s biggest star in the pool with a scorching swim to break the world record in the blue riband 100 metres freestyle.

Yawen Deng of China in action during run one. PHOTOS: REUTERS

Pan, who spoke candidly about being cold-shouldered by other swimmers, also led China to end US dominance in the men’s 4×100 medley relay.

Zhang Yufei, one of the 11 swimmers named in the ARD report, won six medals for a career tally of 10 to become China’s most decorated Olympic swimmer.

“We are innocent,” Zhang said. “World Aquatics and other parties have already got to the bottom of everything and clarified online. If some people still don’t believe it, we are not going to refute any more in vain, because innocence will prevail.”

Away from the pool, China also claimed medals in some of the more recent additions to the Olympic programme, including a gold in women’s BMX freestyle, two silvers in sport climbing and a bronze in the women’s breaking in a total team tally of 91 medals.

PARIS:

Los Angeles, known for its car-centric culture and infamous traffic, plans to prioritise public transport during the 2028 Olympic Games, according to LA Mayor Karen Bass, who made the announcement on Saturday in Paris.

Despite being the origin of the modern freeway, the city’s long-standing reliance on automobiles has led to severe congestion and often poor air quality.

Bass stated that the ‘no car Games’ concept will require attendees to use public transportation to access all Olympic venues. To support this, the city has been expanding its transport network. Additionally, 3,000 buses will be loaned from across the country to help alleviate traffic during the event.

Last month, the US government committed $900 million to enhance Los Angeles’s rail and bus systems in preparation for the Games.

While the ‘no car Games’ slogan may cause some concern among residents, there will be no outright ban on driving to venues such as Dodger Stadium and the Rose Bowl, which have parking facilities. The aim is to encourage the use of public transport as much as possible.

“We are already creating jobs by expanding our public transport system to achieve a no car Games,” Bass said. “This is a significant challenge in Los Angeles, where cars have always been a beloved part of life. However, we are committed to building a greener city.”

ATHENS:

Residents fled their homes on Sunday as a fast-moving wildfire outside Athens fuelled by hot, windy weather burned trees, houses and cars and sent smoke clouds over the Greek capital.

More than 400 firefighters backed by 16 waterbombing planes and 13 helicopters battled the blaze that broke out at 3 p.m. (midday GMT) and quickly reached the village of Varnavas 35 km (20 miles) north of Athens.

As night fell, firefighting aircraft ceased operations until morning. Flames turned the sky orange.

“The situation remains dangerous as the fire is spreading between residences,” fire brigade spokesperson Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said.

He said the blaze spread fast, “like lightning”, due to gale force winds. Flames as high as 25 metres swallowed up trees and shrubland.

Varnavas is a sparely populated area with about 1,800 residents, according to the latest census.

“The village was surrounded in no time, in no time. It’s really windy,” resident Katerina Fylaktou told Reuters. “It started from one point and suddenly the whole village was surrounded,” she said.

Hundreds of wildfires have broken out across Greece since May and scientists attribute their frequency and intensity to the increasingly hot and dry weather conditions linked to climate change.

After its warmest winter on record and long periods of little or no rainfall, Greece also registered its hottest June and July and is forecast to record its hottest-ever summer.

 

“We are expecting a very difficult week,” said Kostas Lagouvardos, research director of the Athens Observatory. “If the Varnavas blaze is not contained during the night, we will have a problem tomorrow,” he said.

Fires have also burned this summer amid extreme heat elsewhere in Europe, including in Spain and the Balkans.

Dangerous conditions

Authorities sent evacuation alerts for nine areas near Varnavas. By early evening, thick brown smoke hung over much of Athens and had reached the island of Aegina to its south.

 

Another blaze in a forested area near the town of Megara, west of Athens, had been contained by Sunday afternoon, the fire brigade said.

PARIS:

Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem and India’s Neeraj Chopra’s first and second finishes at the Paris Olympics javelin throw event open up endless possibilities for improving diplomatic ties between the two countries.

The Pakistani Ambassador H.E Asim Iftikhar Ahmad hosted the Mian Chunnu-based athlete at the Paris Embassy on Friday after he received his gold medal at the medal ceremony at Stade de France for creating a new Olympic record with a throw of 92.97 on Thursday night.

The ambassador believes an environment of camaraderie and peace is created by the close bonding of Arshad and Neeraj which can be instrumental in improving relations between India and Pakistan.

He talked to this correspondent after the dinner and celebratory ceremony where Arshad generously gave his time to the Pakistani community that showed up for him at the embassy.

Mr Asim spoke to the media and later made a point to have selfies and pictures with the fans who were ecstatic to see him in person.

A poem was also recited in Arshad’s honour and in praise of his parents.

“First of all, yes it is a historic occasion so I am lucky as an ambassador to be here at this moment, and so is everyone who has been here,” he said while exclusively talking to this correspondent about the possibility of javelin-diplomacy now after the long era of cricket-diplomacy.

Read also: National pride Arshad Nadeem welcomed home in Mian Channu after hero’s reception in Lahore

“These were historic games which also marked 100-year centenary of the Paris Olympics, and for Pakistan particularly,” said the ambassador.

“Forty years since the last gold medal, 32 since the previous medal, the first Olympic medal as an individual, the new javelin Olympic record and so much more. So well and truly history has been made and we are witness to this and are very happy.”

Referring to the Arshad-Neeraj camaraderie, the Pakistani ambassador said he was asked this question about Arshad’s relationship and sporting rivalry with Neeraj in the India-Pakistan context.

“We know what Arshad has been saying earlier, that they are friends and brothers and even their great mothers are saying the same heart-warming things which is great to see and people are massively relating to it.”

So what are the possibilities of using this bonding to promote diplomacy?

“I’m not going to venture into that because there are so many other factors involved in that, but at least this environment is created by these two brilliant athletes who are not only fierce competitors but they have a very good relationship,” said H.E Asim Iftikhar.

Read: Indian PM Modi reacts to Arshad Nadeem’s historic Olympic victory

“Both the athletes are hoping that their friendship transcends the barriers, so it is good in that sense. And I think there is a whole lot of hope that is generated because these feelings, goodwill go beyond the javelin events and the competitions. So let’s see how it works.”

Mr Asim also reflected on the spirit of the Olympic Games and observed that people from both sides of India-Pakistan border have been cheering for both Arshad and Neeraj.

He also spoke about the Olympic Games going a long way in uplifting Paris as a city. “The Olympic Athletes Village has been built in an underprivileged area and the measures taken to make the Games environmentally sustainable are amazing.”

Later, Arshad Nadeem, his coach Salman Butt, Pakistan Olympic Association President, Chef de Mission, and sprinter Faiqa Riaz, left the venue in order to prepare for the departure from Paris early in the morning.

The ambassador was pictured with Arshad at the airport.

The night has been most valuable for the children and youth at the event. They seemed to be very receptive to Arshad’s feat and felt that for Pakistanis everywhere it was a huge moment.

The China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS), located in Dongguan City, south China’s Guangdong Province, began a new round of user operation Thursday, with 57 experiments on new materials to be conducted in the next four months.

These experiment proposals, including one applied by a foreign user and five from Hong Kong and Macao users, mainly involve magnetic materials, quantum materials, lithium battery materials, shale, catalytic materials, high-strength steel and high-performance alloys, said Prof. Zhang Junrong of the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

Construction of the CSNS project started in 2011 under the direction of the IHEP, with a total investment of 2.3 billion yuan (323 million U.S. dollars).

It was put into use in August 2018, consisting of a linear accelerator, a rapid cycling synchrotron, a target station, three neutron instruments and other auxiliary facilities.

Probing into the microworld

Dubbed as a “super microscope,” a spallation neutron source can produce and accelerate protons before smashing them into the target to produce neutrons, and the neutron beams will be directed to hit material samples. Researchers can thus accurately infer the atomic structure of the materials by measuring the distribution of scattered neutrons and their changes in energy and momentum.

But unlike an X-ray from a synchrotron radiation facility, which is also used to explore the microstructure of materials, neutrons are not sensitive to the number of electrons and are a better “probe” when studying materials containing light elements with fewer electrons, such as carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.

Jin Dapeng, deputy director of the IHEP Dongguan Branch, gave an example in the field of energy materials. Hydrogen-powered vehicles are more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly than gasoline-fueled alternatives. Scientists hope to store hydrogen in a denser solid form, but pressurizing hydrogen can easily trigger explosions. So researchers are trying to develop a metal-organic framework that can intake hydrogen for storage and release it when it is needed. Neutron scattering can help scientists study where and under what conditions hydrogen is better stored and released in this material.

Benefiting from the advantages of neutrons in examining light elements, the CSNS’s first batch of three neutron instruments for scientific experiments have achieved fruitful research results during the first two rounds of user operation.

From September 2018 to June 2019, the CSNS completed 101 experiments for domestic and overseas users, according to Zhang.

Huang Mingxin, a material researcher from the University of Hong Kong, conducted detailed experiments on one of the CSNS’s neutron instruments to test the high-strength steel developed by his team.

He was satisfied with both the precise results and convenient service. He once applied to use Japan’s spallation neutron source (J-PARC), but he had to first design the experiment steps, then send the material samples to Japan, and keep waiting for the data to be sent back.

Now, it takes him only an hour and a half driving from Hong Kong to the CSNS, “just like at my doorstep,” said Huang.

Focusing on international sci-tech frontiers and serving the country’s major development demands, the CSNS has made progress in many research fields, including new lithium-ion battery material, spin Hall magnetic film, high-strength alloy and neutron-induced single event effect in chip. Twelve articles about these experimental results have been published or accepted by academic journals.

The CSNS can provide neutron beams for more than 20 neutron instruments. “We hope to build five to seven new instruments for various demands in the next three to four years,” said Jin Dapeng.

Debugging with incredible efficiency

The CSNS is the fourth pulse spallation neutron source in the world after the UK, the United States and Japan, with the debugging efficiency of its researchers surprising their foreign peers.

Proton beam power is one of the key performance of a spallation neutron source. The higher the power, the more neutrons will be produced, the more signals of scattered neutrons will be detected, and thus the less time an experiment will consume and the better the data an experiment will obtain, Jin explained.

Last September, the CSNS ran with a power of 20 KW. “Its operating power had reached 50 KW at the end of 2018,” Jin said. They plan to increase the power to 80 KW by the end of this year, which means the original goal of reaching 100 KW in three years can be achieved ahead of schedule.

While gradually increasing the beam power, the accelerator physics group responsible for the commissioning of the accelerators repeatedly tested and examined the parameters of thousands of devices at each power level to find the optimal combination.

“The time jitter of the timing system for the particle beams must be controlled at the nanosecond level,” said Xu Shouyan, the group leader of the accelerator physics.

“We have hundreds of instruments installed on the accelerators to measure the states of the particle beams. But the parameters are combined in such a complicated way that even a small deviation could be the result of a mixture of errors from hundreds or thousands of devices,” Xu said.

“The CSNS is expected to reach its design beam power of 100 KW in three years or less after it passed the national acceptance because we have taken fewer detours thanks to the experience of our foreign peers. Moreover, we Chinese always work hard,” Xu explained.

To Xu and his colleagues, working overtime is quite normal. Xu once worked for about 37 hours straight without a break. “I didn’t feel sleepy at all. I used to work on the computer, but when I saw the devices running as expected step by step, I was really excited and couldn’t wait to carry out the next test,” Xu said.

Scientists hope to eventually increase the beam power of the CSNS from 100 KW to 500 KW. To meet the goal, they have reserved room for further modifications and upgrading in the initial design. Now the researchers have started to work on the plan to upgrade the accelerators for the CSNS phase II project.

“One of the great joys of studying physics is being able to explore and get closer to the essence of the world, and the spallation neutron source is helping us to realize it,” Xu said.

 

TEL AVIV:

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Sunday called any cease-fire and prisoner exchange deal with Hamas a “grave mistake.”

Israel is set to send its negotiating team to Egypt on Thursday to resume the Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap talks with Hamas.

“We are crushing Hamas,” Ben-Gvir said. “I listen not only to the opinions of officials in the security cabinet but also to the field commanders.”

“Are we now going to strengthen Hamas by attending the talks [in Cairo]? It’s a grave mistake by the prime minister.”

The extremist minister claimed that the only way to release Israelis held captive by Hamas is through “increasing military pressure.”

“If we cut off their fuel, within a week they would be on their knees. And if we stop the [aid] trucks, within two weeks they would be on their knees. So why are we going to do a deal, especially such an irresponsible deal?” he said.

Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth said early Sunday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing mounting pressure from the US to proceed with a deal with Hamas, even if it means “the fall of his government.”

According to the daily, the upcoming round of talks in Cairo is seen as “the last absolute chance” to reach a cease-fire in Gaza and regionally.

For months, Egypt, Qatar, and the US have been leading indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, but no agreement has been reached due to Israel’s refusal to meet Hamas’ demands to end the war, withdraw troops from Gaza, and allow displaced Palestinians to return to northern Gaza.

Israel has continued a devastating military offensive in the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

Nearly 39,800 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 92,000 injured, according to local health authorities.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

SOUTHPORT:

The parents of Alice da Silva Aguiar, one of three young girls tragically murdered at a Taylor Swift-themed event in Southport, England, last month, have made a heartfelt plea for an end to the nationwide riots that followed their daughter’s death. The appeal was delivered during an emotional funeral service held for their nine-year-old daughter on Sunday.

Alice, along with two other girls, was fatally stabbed, and eight others were injured during the attack at the seaside town event. In the aftermath, the United Kingdom witnessed days of rioting, fuelled by false online claims that wrongly identified the suspect as a Muslim migrant. However, authorities have since charged a British-born teenager with the crime, confirming that the incident is not being treated as an act of terrorism.

At the funeral, Merseyside Chief Constable Serena Kennedy conveyed the grieving parents’ request for peace. “You have shown great courage in asking me to be here today… to deliver a message from you, Alice’s family, to say that you do not want there to be any more violence on the streets of the United Kingdom in the name of your daughter,” Kennedy said.

She expressed deep regret that the family had to consider making such a plea during the planning of their daughter’s funeral. “I am ashamed, and I’m so sorry that you had to even consider this in the planning of the funeral of your beautiful daughter Alice,” Kennedy stated. She also expressed hope that those involved in the violence over the past 13 days would feel remorse for the pain they had caused the grieving family.

The riots, which targeted migrants and Muslims, have resulted in over 900 arrests and 466 charges. Dozens have already been sentenced and jailed as cases are being expedited through the courts. Authorities believe that the swift, firm response from the police, combined with large counter-protests, has deterred further unrest.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has condemned the riots as “far-right thuggery” and cancelled his holiday plans to manage the situation.

Justice Minister Shabana Mahmood warned that the impact on the already strained judicial system would be felt for years to come.

Alice’s funeral was a deeply emotional event, with her white coffin, adorned with pink flowers, arriving at the church in a white horse-drawn carriage. Hundreds of locals lined the streets, applauding in a show of support. During the service, a tribute from her parents was read by Alice’s uncle, reflecting their profound grief and longing for answers. “You were taken away from us too soon, and we often ask why? Why here? Why us? Why you?” the tribute read. “We will never get over this pain, but we promise to get all the answers… For now, our beloved angel, keep dancing. Mummy and Daddy will always, always love you.”

The other two victims, Bebe King, aged 6, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, aged 7, were also mourned by their families. Bebe’s parents issued a statement revealing that her older sister Genie had witnessed the attack but managed to escape. They described their world as “shattered” by the loss of their daughter.

In response to the riots, politicians and police have attributed the violence to online disinformation. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announced plans to teach schoolchildren how to identify fake news and conspiracy theories circulating on social media.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds also took action, writing to the Association of British Insurers to ensure swift payouts for shops damaged during the riots.

The tragedy of Alice da Silva Aguiar, Bebe King, and Elsie Dot Stancombe has not only left a community in mourning but has also sparked a broader conversation about the impact of misinformation and the importance of maintaining peace in the face of such horrific events. The heartfelt pleas from the victims’ families serve as a poignant reminder of the need for unity and compassion during these challenging times.