ISLAMABAD: Award-winning Miami design house Varabyeu is coming to Pakistan as partner of One Homes, a leading real estate development group, for its new Islamabad development.

The collaboration will see Varabyeu as the lead design partners for One Homes’ recently acquired $180 million mega mixed-use development.

The collaboration between One Homes and Varabyeu Partners represents a significant milestone in Pakistan’s real estate industry. One Homes is bringing in yet another global giant to Pakistan who will capitalize on their global experience to create a landmark in Pakistan.

Varabyeu Partners are a leading Miami based design house renowned for designing iconic lifestyle-centric destinations. Their landmark architectural designs and sustainable practices have earned them numerous accolades worldwide, including notable projects like Peninsula Vallarta, Amancay Residences in Mexico, Paradox Tower in Santa Fe, Mexico, Minsk Art Centre in Belarus, and Marriott International in Belarus.

Commenting on the collaboration, Arseni Varabyeu from Varabyeu Partners said that starting a new project in a beautiful part of the world was fascinating.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with the One Homes team to produce a new product for the high-end market. The vision behind the project will be inspired by the beautiful city of Islamabad and the green Himalayan foothills surrounding the site. Our goal is to minimize the impact on the land and create an icon in Pakistan whilst maintaining an organic and sustainable design,” he further explained.

“Like we do across the world, we will establish a self-sufficient hub that caters to both families and visitors. Capitalising on the location we will blend city living with postcard-like landscapes,” he added.

One Homes have built a robust reputation for operating in Pakistan with international best practices of integrity, innovation, and commitment. As a leading international real estate group they have brought numerous leading global giants to Pakistan including Kobi Karp, WATG, and Versace ceramics, setting new standards in the market.

Founded by entrepreneur Zeeshaan Shah, the One Group is a leading foreign investor in Pakistan, with over $400 million worth of projects in the country, including recent projects One Canal Road in Lahore and One Serene Residences in DHA, Islamabad. The group aims to build destinations that inspire and empower people to live better.

Anticipated to be a landmark in Islamabad’s cityscape, this partnership reflects a shared dedication to excellence and elevates the concept of modern living.

By Sadia Khan

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday briefed reporters on China’s policies to grow its economy amid a prolonged pandemic and the country’s stance on the Ukraine crisis and its relations with the United States.

Li answered 13 questions at a press conference in Beijing after the closing of the fifth session of the 13th National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature. More than half of the questions focused on Beijing’s approaches to address economic and social challenges brought or exacerbated by COVID-19.

‘Ambitious’ growth target

China has set its economic growth target at around 5.5 percent for 2022, which Li described as “ambitious,” given the new downward pressure faced by the world’s second-largest economy.

An increase of around 5.5 percent on the basis of a gross domestic product (GDP) of over 110 trillion yuan (about $17.4 trillion) would generate the amount of output equivalent to the size of a medium economy, he said

China will increase government spending and extend tax and fee cuts to enable steady growth, said the premier. He expressed confidence that the economy will be able to overcome difficulties and achieve major development objectives this year.

He underscored efforts made by the Chinese government to streamline administration, delegate power and improve regulation and services in recent years, vowing to spur the vitality of market entities through reforms

China will continue to make its COVID-19 response more scientific and targeted based on the epidemic situation and new developments and features of the virus, he said.

Commenting on the latest resurgence of COVID-19 in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), he urged the HKSAR government to assume primary responsibility in containing the virus and reaffirmed the central government’s full support for the fight.

China to play positive role for peace in Ukraine

China supports all efforts to resolve the Ukraine crisis by peaceful means, and is willing to work with the international community to play a positive role for an early return of peace in the country, Li said.

Russia and Ukraine have held three rounds of peace talks and a meeting between their foreign ministers since Moscow launched a “special military operation” in Ukraine on February 24, without achieving any major breakthrough.

Li called for utmost efforts to support Russia and Ukraine in overcoming difficulties to carry forward ceasefire negotiations. He stressed that the pressing task now is to prevent tension from escalating or even getting out of control.

China has provided Ukraine with humanitarian assistance and will continue to do so, he added.

The Red Cross Society of China sent the first batch of humanitarian aid supplies worth 5 million yuan (about $791,000) to Ukraine earlier this week.

Calling the current situation in Ukraine “disconcerting,” Li reiterated China’s stance that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter should be fully observed, and the legitimate security concerns of all countries should be taken seriously.

China, U.S. competition should be healthy

Li said China-U.S. cooperation benefits both countries and the world, calling for more dialogue and communication between the two sides.

China and the U.S. are both permanent members of the UN Security Council, and are the world’s largest developing country and developed country respectively, he noted, adding that tackling global challenges requires joint efforts and cooperation of both countries.

“Cooperation should be the mainstream because global peace and development hinge on cooperation,” Li said. Even if there is market competition between the two countries in economy and trade, it should be healthy and fair, he stressed.

Bilateral cooperation has extensive areas and much untapped potential, he said. If the U.S. eases its export restrictions on China, trade volume of both countries will be even bigger and thus both sides will get benefits, he added.

The premier also reiterated commitment to the one-China principle and opposition to separatist activities seeking “Taiwan independence.”

BEIJING, May 12 (Xinhua) – Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend a video meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) foreign ministers Wednesday, Mr Zhao Lijian, the Foreign Ministry Spokesperson of China announced Tuesday.

Wang and other member states’ foreign ministers will discuss in depth issues including global cooperation on fighting COVID-19, international and regional situations, and the future development of the SCO, spokesperson Zhao Lijian told a press briefing.

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the SCO member states are committed to advocating the “Shanghai spirit,” actively carrying out anti-epidemic cooperation and taking concrete actions to put into practice the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, he said.

During China’s fight against the epidemic, leaders of other member states have expressed sympathy and support to China and provided medical aid.

China relates to other member states affected by the disease and has provided timely assistance to the best of its ability, including holding video conferences among experts to share experience in epidemic prevention and control, sending multiple medical teams or joint working groups for exchange and guidance on-site, and providing urgently needed medical supplies, Zhao said.

Calling the SCO a regional organization with great influence, Zhao said: “It is believed that all parties will take this meeting as an opportunity to enhance unity and cooperation, deepen cooperation in various fields, and promote the SCO to make its due contribution to strengthening international anti-epidemic cooperation and safeguarding regional security and development.”

Gwadar Pro

ISLAMABAD – Opportunities grow for Pakistan in spurring the development of science and technology as China tops the international patent applications filed with World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2019 while the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) second phase will put a high premium on technological cooperation.

The technology spillover suggests that among multiple ways to boosting the evolvement of science and technology in a country, Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) and multinational corporations have proven to be efficient channels in sending technologies from leading economies to less developed ones.

In FY 2018 – 2019, China is the largest source of FDI in Pakistan, registering an amount of $546 million. With ongoing CPEC projects and Chinese multinational corporations driving development in energy, IT, construction, agriculture and other sectors, the registration of new companies and intellectual property rights such as trademarks, patents, and copyrights in Pakistan have been increasing spontaneously.

Multinationals play a major role in vitalizing industries and expedite the improvement of productivity by introducing new technologies and training local talents. For example, China Mobile Pakistan (CMPak, known as Zong) successfully conducted 5G trials in August 2019, narrowing the gap between Pakistan and other developed countries in the telecom sector. Zong also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Huawei to establish a 5G innovation center in Pakistan, which will present golden opportunities for local professionals to acquire the most advanced knowledge at this center.

Haier, the first enterprise to establish home appliance factory in Pakistan back in 2001, has created jobs for several thousand professional, skilled and non-skilled local workers, and has given the country a high-quality manufacturing base for home appliances and consumer electronics. Most importantly, Haier has provided Pakistan access to R&D and technology transfer.

CPEC-based enterprises, which take a bulk of Chinese investment, make more contributions to the technological development of Pakistan. Through joint ventures (JVs) under CPEC projects, Chinese companies bring advanced technologies and management philosophies in local production and provide a demonstration for local enterprises. Take an example in the transportation sector. In February this year, China introduced the Operation and Maintenance Services for Metro Rail Transit System on the Orange Line.

According to the agreement, 8 years after the Chinese team led by NORINCO ensures stable operation of the metro train, the Pakistani team will take over the services with complete and systematic knowledge and skills their Chinese counterparts pass on to them. That illustrates how the current investments will benefit Pakistan in the long run. The same goes for other projects like Karakoram Highway, the world’s top 10 precipitous roads, and Karachi – Peshawar Railway (known as ML-1) project, a grand overhaul of the existing rail system. The professionalism of local firms will be enhanced during the construction process because they will learn to overcome technological barriers and polish their skills with the guidance of Chinese experts.

Academic organizations also play their parts in the exchanges of knowledge and technologies. NUST, in collaboration with China International Technology Transfer Center (CITTC), established China Pakistan Technology Transfer Centre (CPTTC) in Islamabad and Beijing, acting as a bridge and gateway between the industries and innovative resources of both countries, especially to extend the much-needed support in view of the CPEC. China-South Asia Technology Transfer Center also singed such an agreement with the COMSATS Institute of Information Technology to vitalize innovation, R&D, and talent training in Pakistan.

Though Chinese companies and organizations have been devoted to technological improvement in Pakistan, it lies in the Pakistani government and enterprises to utilize the resources and strengthen the capacity of independent innovation, in other words, to raise the registration of intellectual property rights including trademarks, patents, and copyrights in the country.

However, the Intellectual Property Organization (IPO) Pakistan, an attached department of the Ministry of Commerce, due to lack of required human resource and facilities, is currently facing thousands of pending cases or disputes related to the intellectual property rights in different courts, Pakistan Today reports citing comments of Chairman of IPO.

According to the official, the importance of IPO Pakistan has increased after the CPEC project took off, opening new avenues of foreign investment in the country and a number of foreign companies. But to fully leverage the science and technology cooperation under the second phase of the CEPC project, more favorable policies and efforts are needed from the Pakistani side to encourage innovation at home and ensure IPR protection for foreign-based countries.

A gunman who drove a mock-up police car killed at least 16 people in an Atlantic Canada shooting rampage, federal police said on Sunday, the worst case of its kind in Canadian history.

The shooter, identified as Gabriel Wortman, 51, was shot dead by officers after a 12-hour manhunt in Nova Scotia province ended on Sunday morning.

Among the victims was a veteran female constable with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which also handles municipal and provincial law enforcement in the province.

Police said the suspect had been on the run since Saturday night, when officers were alerted to shots fired in the town of Portapique, around 100 kilometres (60 miles) from Halifax.

Gun violence in Canada is far less frequent than in the neighbouring United States, and weapons more strictly controlled, but the killings were the country’s worst ever, exceeding the toll in 1989 when a gunman murdered 14 female students at Montreal’s Ecole Polytechnique.

Public broadcaster CBC quoted RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki as saying police know of at least 16 victims, besides the shooter.

“What has unfolded overnight and into this morning is incomprehensible and many families are experiencing the loss of a loved one,” Nova Scotia RCMP Commanding Officer, Assistant Commissioner Lee Bergerman, wrote on the force’s local Facebook page.

“That includes our own RCMP family. It is with tremendous sadness that I share with you that we lost Constable Heidi Stevenson, a 23-year veteran of the Force who was killed this morning, while responding to an active shooter incident.”

In addition to Stevenson, a mother of two, a male officer was injured and is in hospital with non-life threatening injuries, Bergerman said.

The National Post newspaper said another victim was an elementary school teacher, citing a Facebook post from the woman’s sister.

Several victims were discovered both outside and inside a house in Portapique, sparking the manhunt through multiple communities, police said.

“The search for the suspect ended this morning when the suspect was located. And I can confirm that he is deceased,” RCMP Chief Superintendent Chris Leather told a press conference.

Leather said that at one point, the suspect appeared to be wearing part of a police uniform and was driving a vehicle made to look like an RCMP cruiser.

Fires burned

RCMP tweeted several times that he was not an officer and warned he was considered “armed and dangerous.”

“The initial search for the suspect led to multiple sites in the area, including structures that were on fire,” Leather told the news conference.

Another police spokesperson said, without further details, that the gunman was killed after an officer intervened.

An independent agency, the Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT), which probes certain incidents involving the province’s police, said that it “is investigating the shooting of a male in Enfield by RCMP officers.”

SiRT said in a statement that a confrontation had occurred in Enfield, which is near the Halifax airport, “resulting in officers discharging their firearms. The suspect was found to be deceased at the scene.”

Police said they had no indication of a motive. Lucki told CBC there was no indication “at this point” of a terrorist intent.

“What I would say is that it appears to be at least in part, very random in nature,” said Leather.

“We are in the early stages of an incredibly detailed and complex investigation that has forever changed countless lives,” he said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement that he “was saddened to learn about the senseless violence in Nova Scotia,” and he hopes for a full recovery of the wounded.

The National Post quoted Tom Taggart, a councillor who represents Portapique in the Municipality of Colchester, as saying the community was devastated.

He described the community as a “subdivision in the woods where people have acre lots along the shore,” and where Wortman owned three properties.

“It’s absolutely unbelievable this could happen in our community. I never dreamt this would happen here,” Taggart said.

Indian police have booked a female Kashmiri photojournalist Masrat Zahra under a terrorism law for sharing her work on social media.

The police said in a statement that “the user (Zahra) is also uploading posts that tantamount to glorify the anti-national activities and dent the image of law enforcing agencies besides causing disaffection against the country.”

A case under FIR No.10/2020 U/S 13 UA (P) Act (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) and 505-IPC dated 18-04-2020 stands registered against her in Cyber Police Station, Kashmir Zone, Srinagar.

Zahra, 26, a freelance photojournalist, is contributing to various international news organizations and has been published in Washington Post, Al Jazeera, Caravan and many other publications.

She had recently posted pictures on her social media accounts depicting brutalities of Indian occupational forces on a family. The pictures were previously published by an international media organization.

President Arif Alvi on Saturday announced that congregational and Taraweeh prayers would be held during the month of Ramazan while adhering to precautionary measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

The president met with prominent ulema and religious leaders earlier in the day at Aiwan-i-Sadr to build consensus and form a plan for congregational prayers and Taraweeh during Ramazan.

Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad after the meeting, the president said: “Ramazan is a month of worship and Muslims love this month a lot. It was necessary that government’s recommendations and ulema’s recommendations be collected before any decision was taken.”

Alvi also revealed that a 20-point action plan had been decided upon jointly by the government and ulemas. According to the plan:

President Alvi urged citizens to follow these preventive measures, advising them that only those countries were successful where citizens did not follow rules by force but on their own initiative.

The president noted that after an ijma (unanimous consensus) between government and religious scholars on an action plan, not following the measures will be equivalent to sinning.

“When the government and scholars agree with consensus on something, such as preventive measures for congregational prayers during Ramazan, it becomes imperative for people to follow them,” he added.

He also appealed to the people to not reduce the amount of their monetary contributions in the form of zakat and sadaqah during Ramazan and to pray for their brethren in occupied Kashmir during the holy month.

The meeting with ulema was also attended by Interior Minister Brigadier (r) Ijaz Shah, PM’s aide on health Dr Zafar Mirza and Religious Affairs Minister Noorul Haq Qadri.

LONDON: The British government was too slow to react on several fronts to the novel coronavirus outbreak that could cause the deaths of 40,000 people in the United Kingdom, a leading public health professor told lawmakers on Friday.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson initially refrained from approving the stringent controls that other European leaders imposed but then closed down the country when projections showed a quarter of a million people could die in Britain.

So far, more than 14,576 people with COVID-19 have died in British hospitals, though new official data indicates the true death toll could be much larger.

“Where were the system errors that led us to have probably the highest death rates in Europe?” Anthony Costello, professor of International Child Health and Director of the UCL Institute for Global Health, asked at the Health and Social Care Committee.

“We have to face the reality of that: We were too slow with a number of things,” Costello told the committee. “We could see 40,000 deaths by the time it’s over.”

Costello, a paediatrician who is an expert in epidemiology, said the government should make sure its response to the second and additional waves of infection was not too slow.

The government also faced separate criticism over its supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for health workers.

The Guardian newspaper said shortages meant guidelines were being relaxed, and that doctors might need to treat patients without wearing full-length protective gowns.

Ministers on Friday acknowledged a shortage of gowns – departing from their position that there were adequate supplies of PPE but some logistical problems getting it to where it was needed. The health department did not immediately comment on the Guardian report.

Britain has the fifth-highest official death toll from COVID-19 in the world, after the United States, Italy, Spain and France, though the UK figure only covers hospital fatalities and the real number is probably much higher.

British ministers have defended their response to the outbreak, saying they followed scientific advice and have responded with urgency in what amounts to a war-like situation.

Costello said the United Kingdom needed wide-scale testing and the right systems in place to deal with further flare-ups of the outbreak.

“The recent estimates, even from the chief scientific officer, is that after this wave – we could see 40,000 deaths by the time it’s over – we could only have maybe 10%, 15% of the population infected or covered,” he said.

“So the idea of herd immunity would mean another five, six waves maybe in order to get to 60%,” he said. “We have got to pray the vaccinologists come up.” (Agencies)

India used money and disinformation to secretly influence Canadian politicians into supporting its interests overseas, according a report published by the news arm of Canadian broadcaster Global Television Network.

The report, which has been based on federal court proceedings and a highly sensitive government document obtained by Global News, claims Canadian authorities suspect India’s premier intelligence agencies – The Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) – of running an underground operation since 2009, allegedly to influence Canada’s politicians.

The report claims Canadian intelligence authorities suspect Indian agencies of trying to use the chief editor of an unnamed Indian publication for this purpose. It adds that the wife and kids of that editor are Canadian nationals and a secret security investigation against him began when he applied to immigrate to Canada.

Details of alleged Indian involvement were first revealed in a Canadian federal court, where Canadian authorities have accused the said editor – referred to as AB in the document seen by Global News – of espionage.

The report claims that the accused Indian national allegedly met Indian intelligence officials more than two dozens times over a period of six years.

Among the allegations brought on against him by Canadian authorities, one of his assigned tasks was “to convince politicians that funding from Canada was being sent to Pakistan to support terrorism.”

“You stated that you were tasked by RAW to covertly influence Canadian government representatives and agencies on behalf of the Indian government,” read a letter sent to him by an immigration official, seen by Global News.

“You stated that you were told to identify random Caucasian politicians and attempt to direct them into supporting issues that impacted India,” the letter continued.

“You stated that the guidance from RAW included that you were to provide financial assistance and propaganda material to politicians in order to exert influence over them.”

Denying allegations he was working for Indian intelligence to influence Canadian politicians, the accused claimed he only met the officials in his capacity as an editor, the report said.

But according to court documents seen by Global News, the man did acknowledge that he was asked by Indian intelligence agencies to “perform various functions” as an “unofficial lobbyist or diplomat” even as he claimed he had refused to work for them.

Nigerian security forces have killed 18 people in their enforcement of measures to curb coronavirus, a figure higher than the documented toll inflicted by the disease, the country’s human rights body claimed on Wednesday.

Africa’s most populous nation has imposed a total lockdown in megacity Lagos and the capital Abuja and set restrictions in other regions in a bid to contain the virus.

According to official figures, coronavirus has so far infected 407 people in Nigeria, of whom 12 have died so far.

Security forces, including police and army, have been deployed to enforce the restrictions, sparking deadly confrontations in some states.

The country’s National Human Rights Commission said it had received and documented “105 complaints of incidents of human rights violations perpetuated by security forces” in 24 of Nigeria’s 36 states and Abuja.

Of these complaints, “there were 8 documented incidents of extrajudicial killings leading to 18 deaths,” it said.

The commission noted that the tally of killings was higher than the recorded toll from the disease itself.

“Whereas Covid-19 led to the death of 11 victims, law enforcement agents extrajudicially executed 18 persons in the cause of the enforcement regulations,” it said, referring to the official virus toll at the time of the report.

It accused the security agents of “excessive or disproportionate use of force, abuse of power, corruption and non-adherence to national and international laws, best practices and rules of engagement”.

Nigerian national police spokesman Frank Mba said the commission was “too general in its allegations”, saying it ought to have been specific in the number of people killed by the police.

“The commission should have given details of those killed by the police, their number, names and places where they were killed to enable us take appropriate actions,” he told AFP.

Mba insisted the police would continue to enforce the lockdown measures “professionally and in line with international best practices.” He said the police authorities would not condone any abuses or infractions, adding that recently an officer who extorted money from a civilian was punished and made to refund it.

Local and international rights bodies have long accused Nigerian security forces of abuses against civilians, but they typically deny the charges.

Segun Awosanya, who heads influential civil group, Social Intervention Advocacy Foundation, said his organisation had also documented 18 deaths nationwide.

“It could be more. Those are only the ones we know of,” Awosanya said.

He said that on Wednesday, two people were killed in the state of Anambra and a truck driver was killed in Abia state after apparently refusing to give a bribe to security officials.

“There’s been so many complaints since the beginning of the lockdown, every evening we get alerted on many people being detained. It’s very tense everywhere,” he said.

“The police and the security agencies are not even safe themselves. They have no safety equipment to protect themselves from the virus, no logistics to defend themselves against rampant crime, and they see citizens in a way to extort money.”

There have been growing fears of a rise in crime and unrest due to the virus restrictions, especially in Lagos, as millions of people living in poverty have been cut off from vital sources of income.

Reports have also emerged from other African countries of abuses by security forces as authorities apply restrictive measures to try to halt the pandemic.

South African police have opened several probes into the deaths of citizens allegedly killed by security patrols for defying a lockdown. (Agencies)