Pakistan’s Affan Salman, World Youth Scrabble champion, hopes for government support

Special Pakistan’s Affan Salman, World Youth Scrabble champion, hopes for government support
In this handout photo, released on September 11, 2024, Pakistan’s Affan Salman lifts the trophy of the World Youth Scrabble Championship in Sri Lanka. (Photo courtesy: Facebook/Pakistan Scrabble Association)
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Updated 13 September 2024
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Pakistan’s Affan Salman, World Youth Scrabble champion, hopes for government support

Pakistan’s Affan Salman, World Youth Scrabble champion, hopes for government support
  • 16-year-old studied words for six hours a day, practiced with siblings to prepare for the tournament
  • With Salman’s win, Pakistan has become the only country ever to win the world youth title five times

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Affan Salman, who brought home the World Youth Scrabble Championship (WYSC) 2024 trophy this month, said he hoped his win would motivate more kids to take the word game seriously and participate in global competitions, calling on the government to support the Pakistan Scrabble Association and provide funds for training and international travel.
The WYSC is organized by the World English-language Scrabble Players Association (WESPA) annually. The championship was first held in 2006, with the inaugural event taking place in Australia.
Salman,16, participated in the 19th edition of the WYSC held in Sri Lanka from September 6-8. This is the fifth time Pakistani players have claimed the championship title, which is a record.
“It was an unreal feeling and initially I couldn’t believe that I became the champion. But when everyone started congratulating me, I realized I have won,” Salman told Arab News in an interview this week.
Salman played 23 games out of 24 and was crowned the champion in the 19th round.
“In this tournament, I made a highest point-scoring word of 158 points and that word was almagest,” he said, spelling out the word for an influential treatise on astronomy written by the Greek astronomer and geographer Ptolemy in the second century AD.
Pakistan won two trophies, one for the championship title and the other for being the top-ranked team, with four of its players in the top ten. India’s Madhav Gopal Kamath, who stood fourth in the tournament, was one of the toughest opponents, Salman said.

“There were two tough opponents, the number one player of India, Madhav Gopal Kamath, and the number one player of Sri Lanka, Adheesha Dissanayake,” the Pakistani player said.
“I played with Adheesha three times [out of which] he beat me one time. He beat me at a very crucial time in the tournament, in the 23rd round and I could see the championship going away.”
“NO GOVERNMENT SUPPORT”
Born and raised in Karachi, Salman has three brothers and is currently in the 10th grade, with a special interest in Computer Sciences. His elder brother Ali Salman won the world youth scrabble title in 2022 while his younger brother was also competing with him in this year’s edition.
“My father introduced us to scrabble,” Salman said. “He told me to play it in my spare time. I didn’t know we would start playing on a professional level and start winning as well.”
He said his elder brother was his inspiration.

“He taught me everything when we got into the depth of this game. Throughout the tournament, he motivated me a lot.”
To prepare for competitions, Salman studied words six hours a day and also played practice games with his brothers.
“There are word lists as well as a specific software through which we study words. It schedules words every day. Until we learn those words, the software doesn’t spare us,” the champion explained.
In the future, Salman says he wants to pursue computer engineering at the college level. He also hopes to participate and win big at the World Scrabble Championship (WSC), played to determine the world champion in competitive English-language Scrabble.
But for that he said government support was key.
“The government should collaborate with the Pakistan Scrabble Association … they should provide funds. If they cannot provide funds, they can at least sponsor our trips, that would make it much easier for us” Salman said.
“More kids will get motivated and feel that there is scope in scrabble.”


Saudi crown prince meets with Pakistani army chief in Riyadh

Saudi crown prince meets with Pakistani army chief in Riyadh
Updated 54 min 33 sec ago
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Saudi crown prince meets with Pakistani army chief in Riyadh

Saudi crown prince meets with Pakistani army chief in Riyadh
  • Both reviewed Saudi-Pakistani relations and opportunities to develop them 
  • Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, other officials attended meeting

RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir in Riyadh on Wednesday, Saudi Press Agency reported.
During the reception, Saudi-Pakistani relations and opportunities to develop them were reviewed. A number of issues of common interest were also discussed.
The meeting was attended by Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman and other officials.

In this handout photograph, released by the Saudi Press Agency on November 6, 2024, Pakistan Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir meets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh. (SPA)

 


Pakistan PM visits China embassy to condemn attack on Chinese nationals in Karachi

Pakistan PM visits China embassy to condemn attack on Chinese nationals in Karachi
Updated 58 min 29 sec ago
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Pakistan PM visits China embassy to condemn attack on Chinese nationals in Karachi

Pakistan PM visits China embassy to condemn attack on Chinese nationals in Karachi
  • Security guard shot and injured four Chinese nationals at Karachi textile mill on Tuesday 
  • Shehbaz Sharif vows culprit will be punished, says security of Chinese nationals top priority

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited the Chinese embassy in Islamabad on Wednesday to condemn an attack on Chinese nationals in Karachi a day earlier, vowing to bring the perpetrator of the crime to book.
Pakistan police have filed terrorism charges against a security guard for firing at four Chinese nationals on Tuesday morning at a textile mill in Karachi. The Chinese nationals were at the mill to install new machinery when the guard opened fire at them “for unknown reasons” before fleeing, police said.
All four were rushed to the hospital, with two seriously injured in the attack. Sharif visited the Chinese embassy in Islamabad on Wednesday, where he met the country’s envoy Jiang Zaidong to condemn the incident.
“I have come here to meet you to condemn this attack on Chinese nationals and to inquire after the injured,” Sharif told Zaidong according to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong at the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad on November 6, 2024. (Photo courtesy: PMO)

The prime minister assured the Chinese ambassador that the culprit would be arrested soon and handed an exemplary punishment.
“I am personally monitoring the process of arresting the people involved in the incident and bringing them to justice,” Sharif said.
The Pakistani premier said he had issued instructions for the injured Chinese nationals to be provided the best possible medical care, describing China as a longstanding friend of Pakistan.
“The attack on Chinese citizens is a blatant attempt to damage the brotherly relations between Pakistan and China,” Sharif said. 
He said that the security of Chinese nationals in Pakistan is the government’s top priority. The Chinese ambassador thanked Sharif for his visit and hoped the premier would play his role in ensuring the culprit is punished, the PMO said. 
Sharif was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his aide Tariq Fatemi. 
ATTACKS ON CHINESE NATIONALS 
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in attacks on Chinese nationals in recent months by separatist outfits based in its southwestern Balochistan province. 
China, breaking with tradition, recently spoke out publicly against security threats to its workers and nationals in Pakistan, where hundreds work on Beijing-funded projects linked to the over $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Last month, two Chinese nationals were killed in a suicide bombing near the international airport in Karachi. In March this year, a suicide bombing killed five Chinese engineers and a Pakistani driver in northwestern Pakistan as they headed to the Dasu Dam, the largest hydropower project in the country.
In 2022, three Chinese educators and their Pakistani driver were killed when an explosion tore through a van at the University of Karachi. A bus blast in northern Pakistan in 2021 killed 13 people, including nine Chinese nationals.
Pakistan announced in a joint statement with China last month it had agreed to increase security for Chinese citizens and projects in the South Asian nation, as Beijing called for urgent security measures following a surge in militant threats.


Pakistan to unveil new electric vehicle policy by November end — minister

Pakistan to unveil new electric vehicle policy by November end — minister
Updated 06 November 2024
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Pakistan to unveil new electric vehicle policy by November end — minister

Pakistan to unveil new electric vehicle policy by November end — minister
  • Islamabad has increasingly eyed promoting electric vehicles to cut pollution, high energy bill 
  • Government to set up 10,000 electric vehicle charging stations by 2030, says industries minister

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will announce its new electric vehicles policy by the end of November, Industries and Production Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain said on Wednesday, as Islamabad eyes eco-friendly transportation to cut down on costly fuel imports and pollution. 
Pakistan’s urban areas exhibit some of the world’s highest levels of air pollution, primarily due to sub-2.5 μm particulate emissions. This issue significantly impairs both the country’s economy as it imports most of its energy needs, and the quality of life of its residents. Road transport is a significant contributor to air pollution as around 23 percent of Pakistan’s greenhouse gas emissions originate from vehicles.
Pakistan approved an ambitious National Electric Vehicles Policy (NEVP) in 2019 with the goal that electric vehicles would comprise 30 percent of all passenger vehicles and heavy-duty truck sales by 2030. It has set an even more ambitious target of electric vehicles comprising 90 percent of all vehicle sales by 2040.
“He [Hussain] said the government would launch the second electric vehicle policy by November 30 to promote eco-friendly transportation,” the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said. 
The minister was speaking to reporters in Islamabad while attending an exhibition of electric bike models. He highlighted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had allocated around $14.29 million (Rs4 billion) to support his vision of introducing electric vehicles in the country to reduce fuel dependency and decrease carbon emissions.
Hussain said electric three-wheelers manufactured in Pakistan were also being exported to other countries, adding that the government was willing to provide subsidies on electric two-wheelers. The minister also announced the government’s initiative to distribute 100 e-bikes free of cost among high-achieving students.
Hussain said the government planned to transform the transportation landscape by setting up 10,000 electric vehicle charging stations by 2030.
“This shift toward eco-friendly transportation is expected to have a positive impact on Pakistan’s environment and economy,” he said. “With the government’s support and private sector investment, the country is poised for a greener future.”
In August, Warren Buffett-backed Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD announced its entry into the country, saying that up to 50 percent of all vehicles bought in Pakistan by 2030 will be electrified in some form in line with global targets. 
Investment company ADM Group also announced in August it would invest up to $250 million for the manufacturing of electric vehicles in Pakistan in a move that will boost technological advancements in the country’s automobile industry and curtail pollution.


Pakistani, Indian cricketers could play as teammates in a revived Afro-Asia Cup

Pakistani, Indian cricketers could play as teammates in a revived Afro-Asia Cup
Updated 06 November 2024
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Pakistani, Indian cricketers could play as teammates in a revived Afro-Asia Cup

Pakistani, Indian cricketers could play as teammates in a revived Afro-Asia Cup
  • Africa Cricket Association says both ACA and Asian Cricket Council want tournament’s revival
  • Pakistani and Indian cricketers in 2005 and 2007 played under Asia XI squad as teammates

ISLAMABAD: In what would be a rare sight, prominent Pakistani and Indian cricketers could play for the same Asia XI squad, with efforts underway to revive the Afro-Asia Cup after almost two decades, the Africa Cricket Association (ACA) said recently. 
The Afro-Asia Cup is a series of 50-over white-ball matches that have been played in the past between Asian XI and African XI teams. The tournament was only played twice, in 2005 in South Africa and in 2007 in India. A third edition scheduled for 2009 in Kenya never took place. 
Political tensions between India and Pakistan mean that the two countries have played only one white-ball bilateral series since 2012-13. The two countries only play against each other at neutral venues and at International Cricket Council (ICC) events. Pakistan traveled to India last year for the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup but India has not played in Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup.
The Africa Cricket Association (ACA) held its annual general meeting on Saturday during which it decided to reach out to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and explore cross-continental opportunities such as the Afro-Asia Cup. 
“The Afro-Asia Cup, apart from the cricket, brings the much-needed financial input to the organization, and the appetite is huge from both ends,” Tavengwa Mukuhlani, interim chair of the ACA, who is also the Zimbabwe Cricket chair, said at a press conference on Saturday. 
“We have had conversations with our counterparts within the Asia Cricket Council, and obviously our African contingents, they want the Afro-Asia Cup to be revived.”
Cricket website ESPNcricinfo reported on Tuesday that no formal request has been made to the ACC, neither did any discussion around reviving the Afro-Asia Cup took place at the body’s recent meeting in Malaysia. 
In 2005, the Asia XI squad was captained by Pakistani batting icon Inzamam-ul-Haq and included Indian legends Rahul Dravid, Ashish Nehra and Anil Kumble. 
The 2007 Asia squad comprised Indian cricketers M.S. Dhoni, Sourav Ganguly, HarbHajjan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and Pakistani cricketers Mohammed Asif, Mohammed Yousuf and Shoaib Akhtar.


IMF mission chief to visit Pakistan next week to discuss $7 billion loan ‘performance’

IMF mission chief to visit Pakistan next week to discuss $7 billion loan ‘performance’
Updated 06 November 2024
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IMF mission chief to visit Pakistan next week to discuss $7 billion loan ‘performance’

IMF mission chief to visit Pakistan next week to discuss $7 billion loan ‘performance’
  • Nathan Porter to visit Pakistan from Nov. 11-15, says official with knowledge of development
  • International lender approved 37-month, $7 billion loan program for Pakistan in September 

ISLAMABAD: International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Pakistan Mission Chief Nathan Porter will travel to the South Asian country from Nov. 11-15 to discuss Islamabad’s performance regarding the $7 billion bailout program approved in September, an official with direct knowledge of the development said on Wednesday. 
In July, the IMF reached a staff-level agreement on economic policies with Pakistan for a 37-month Extended Fund Facility (EFF) of about $7 billion. In September, the Fund’s executive board approved the 25th loan program that Pakistan has obtained since 1958.
Islamabad was able to secure the loan, critical to keeping its $350 billion fragile economy afloat, after taking painful measures such as hiking fuel and food prices, and implementing reforms to broaden the country’s tax base and privatize state-owned entities. 
“IMF staff, led by Mr. Nathan Porter, will travel to Pakistan between November 11-15 for a staff visit to discuss recent developments and program performance to date,” the official said.
“This mission is not part of the first review under the EFF, which will be no earlier than the first quarter of 2025.”
Since it secured the bailout package, Pakistan’s government has said it has been able to increase its foreign exchange reserves and moved toward economic stability. 
The country’s stock market has also seen a bullish trend in recent weeks that the government and analysts have attributed to Pakistan’s improving macroeconomic conditions, among other factors. 
Inflation in the South Asian country has dropped from a record 38% in May 2023 to 7.2% in October 2024, which the government says dropped due to its prudent fiscal policies.