URUMQI: China will not back down on what it sees as a highly successful de-radicalisation programme in Xin­j­iang that has attracted global concern, but fewer people will be sent through, officials said last week in allowing rare media access there. Beijing has faced an outcry from activists, scholars, foreign governments and UN rights experts over what they call mass detentions and strict …

ONE of the most sensitive sectors in India for years has been retail. The powerful domestic retail sector, dominated by traditional business families, has been preventing governments from introducing radical reforms in the sector. Consequently, governments (both the Congress and the BJP ruled ones) have been dabbling in half-hearted attempts to bring in international majors including Amazon and Walmart into …

Pakistan’s food trade deficit shrank to $1.4 billion in the last fiscal year from $2.43bn a year ago. But a reversal of the trend is clearly in sight during the current fiscal year. In the first five months of 2018-19, the food trade deficit stands at $954 million. If no major initiatives are taken to boost food exports and contain …

LAHORE: The World Islamic Banking and Finance Conference has agreed to establish an international forum to find solutions to banking, finance and sociopolitical issues being faced by the Muslims. The two-day moot, organised by Minhajul Quran which ended here on Sunday, approved a suggestion by Minhaj deputy chief Hussain Mohyuddin that there should be an international forum comprising scholars from …

The dollar has recently appreciated to its highest level in real terms since the start of 2017 and before that September 2003. Dollar appreciation weighed on oil prices in 2018 as prices in some non-dollar currencies hit record levels earlier in the year and dampened consumption growth. Yet there are signs that the dollar’s rise may be coming to an …

ISLAMABAD: The government has notified an ‘immediate ban’ on import of furnace oil and ordered all the refineries to utilise billions of rupees in annual ‘deemed duty’ they collect on petroleum products to upgrade their refining facilities. In a notification issued by the Ministry of Energy to all the refineries and government agencies concerned, the government also ordered immediate reduction …

The South African team management on Sunday called for flexibility in dealing with over-rate regulations following a one-match ban imposed on captain Faf du Plessis. He will miss the third and final Test against Pakistan starting in Johannesburg on Friday. Du Plessis was banned for one Test after being found guilty, for the second time in a 12-month period, of …

SYDNEY: A ruthless India took a stranglehold on the final Test in Sydney on Sunday as they forced Australia to follow on at home for the first time in 31 years, leaving the hosts facing a full day’s batting to cling on for a draw. Play started almost four hours late due to rain at the Sydney Cricket Ground, with …

CAPE TOWN: South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has been suspended for one Test and fined 20 percent of his match fee after his side were charged with a slow over rate in the nine-wicket second Test victory over Pakistan at Newlands. Du Plessis will sit out the final match of the series starting in Johannesburg on Friday after match …

Malaysia’s king has abdicated, royal officials said on Sunday, in a historic first for the country that ended weeks of speculation about his future after he took medical leave. Sultan Muhammad V’s decision marks the first time a king has abdicated in the Muslim-majority country since it gained independence from Britain in 1957. It came after the king took leave …