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Allama Khadim Hussain Rizvi passes away in Lahore

By
Shafek Koreshe
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0

ISLAMABAD, Nov 19 (APP): APP Digital NewsAllama Khadim Hussain Rizvi, the leader of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan breathed his last Thursday night at Lahore, his party announced. He was 55.

No reason for his death was given. His party officials said he was rushed to a hospital after he had problem breathing and had fever for past few days. However he was pronounced dead when he arrived at the hospital.

Senior TLP leader Syed Inayat-ul-Haq Shah also confirmed the news and asked the TLP workers to proceed to Lahore to participate in his last rites. The Tehreek-e-Labbaik announced that his funeral would be held on Saturday at 10 in the morning at Minar-e-Pakistan.

Videos on several social media accounts showed large number of his followers rushing to his home and crying over his sad demise.

The fire brand clerk was known for his protest marches, that often became violent and created law and order problems. His last protest was relatively shorter at Faizabad and ended only after a two day blockade of the twin cities on Monday.

Immediately after the confirmation of the news condolences poured in from all sections of society; including the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, Information Minister, Chief of Army Staff, Chief Minister Punjab and political leaders of many parties.

Prime Minister Imran Khan in a tweet expressed his grief over the sad demise of Allama Khadim Rizvi and conveyed condolences to his family.

Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa also conveyed his condolences over the demise of the TLP leader.

 

Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Information in Punjab also expressed grief over his sad demise.

Amir Jamat Islami also expressed his grief and prayed to Allah Almighty to bless the departed soul.

Prime Minister Imran Khan’s consistent stance on Kashmir

By
Shafek Koreshe
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0

Prime Minister Imran Khan’s stance on Kashmir at international fora to highlight gruesome human rights violations by India

 

Indian media’s fake “civil war” in Pakistan, falls flat on face

By
Shafek Koreshe
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0
APP Digital Small logo
By Shafek Koreshe

In an abortive attempt to create diversion from Narendra Modi’s human rights abuses in Kashmir, the Indian media went berserk by propagating fake news about a “civil war” like situation in Karachi, triggering a hilarious response from the twitterati in Pakistan, who enjoyed every bit of the ridiculous reports.

#CivilWarInPakistan and #KarachiCivilWar were in no time the top trends, with the young twitter users going crazy by posting video clips from action movies, comics, images of the Indian MiG pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, shot down by Pakistan Air Force inside Pakistan’s territory, as scenes from the Civil War, getting an equally enthusiastic response with numerous retweets and likes.

The arrest of PML-N leader Captain (Retd) Safdar on charges of political sloganeering at Quaid’s Mausoleum and leave applications by senior police officers was exploited by the top Indian news channels, who portrayed an administrative issue as a “civil war” and went to the extent of even reporting casualties, and armed clashes.

Indian Media ditches professionalism to dip at to its lowest 

#FakeNews CNN18News
#FakeNews CNN18News

The news reports were part of a persistent barrage of fake news from Indian mainstream media and its RAW controlled assets on social media over the past few months. The trend has witnessed a sharp spike as part of India’s fifth generation war (5GW) against Pakistan.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office on the “malicious and fabricated propaganda” by Indian mainstream and social media claiming civil unrest in Pakistan, said planting such baseless stories were reflective of the “Pakistan-obsessed BJP-RSS” mindset.

“Needless to say that Indian media continues to hit new lows,” he said, when asked to respond over the series of fake news flashed as breaking news across the Indian media about a “civil war in Pakistan”.

“Indian media continues to hit new lows”: FO

The Spokesperson said through “peddling fake news and running propaganda machinery”, India could not wash away the truth about its own gross and systematic human rights violations in Indian Ilelgally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

“Rather than reporting on humanitarian crisis in IIOJK, the Indian media chooses to spread fake and sensational news about Pakistan to detract from core issues,” he said.

5th Gen War – Twitterati bust RAW’s #Fake letter attributed to COAS

 

#FakeNews - Yet another figment of imagination of Indian Media
#FakeNews – Yet another figment of imagination of Indian Media

The Indian media tried hard to appease its own consumers and to create a diversion from its human rights abuses in occupied Kashmir. However in its abortive attempt it created history by churning out fake news overpowered by the anti-Pakistan hysteria, undermining its professional ethics and credibility.

#FakeNews - India Today with its concocted news story
#FakeNews – India Today with its concocted news story

The unleashing of the Indian media did not go unnoticed, as Michael Kugelman, deputy director at the @AsiaProgram and South Asia senior associate @TheWilsonCenter in a tweet pointed that the Indian disinformation accounts were exploiting Pakistan’s current political crisis, and “falsely claiming that the country is no experiencing urban warfare.”

He described the trend as “dangerous and disturbing”, as several of these accounts were verified and had huge followings.

Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari said the Indian media was in “hyper drive with fake news on Pakistan” and regretted that it was “unfortunate that Twitter is [deliberately ignoring it].”

All major media outlets in so-called world’s biggest democracy decimated all journalistic norms as none bothered to fact-check such a huge gaffe. India’s News18, India Today, Zee News, India.com and several others quoted the International Herald which showed old videos of bomb explosions in Pakistan and portrayed it as the ongoing civil war.

#FakeNews - Indian International Herald tweet
#FakeNews – Indian International Herald tweet

The Institute of Policy Research in a report said their data indicates a pattern of Indian propaganda against Pakistan on digital media that grew exponentially after 2018 General Elections in #Pakistan. The propaganda hovers around largely 4 key themes.

IPRI Timeline of Indian Propaganda
IPRI Timeline of Indian Propaganda

Minister for Ports and Shipping pointed that the Indian propaganda was at its peak and “sadly fueled by the PDM Circus.” He said the food inflation was artificially manufactured, but was being brought under control.

Minister for Kashmir Affairs also lambasted the “fake, fabricated and malicious propaganda campaign to malign State institutions of Pakistan. He urged @Twitter to take action against Indian accounts for #FakeNews against Paksitan.

However, this idiocy of Indian media gave the Twitterati a perfect chance to enjoy as the microblogging site was flooded with messages to ridicule the Indian media’s insanity.

“Karachi civil war has gotten so bad that my food panda delivery boy had to crawl through mine fields carrying his AK47, RPG & 9mm along with my nihari and Biryani. This thing is getting so serious. Multiple cows have been killed & people are dying of over eating. #IndianMedia,” commented renowned singer Fakhr-e-Alam.

Besides numerous other fake photos, the Indian media also used an image of a building collapsed following a gas leakage blast in Karachi earlier in the day to substantiate its fake news of civil war.

“A little investigation would have informed Zee News that it wasn’t a bomb blast in ‘civil war’ in Pakistan but the result of a  gas leak in Karachi. Whither truth, objectivity, balance and fairness in reporting?,” said Farhatullah Babr, former senator of Pakistan Peoples Party which rules Sindh province.

“An Aircraft shot during civil war in Karachi… and the pilot captured…,” commented another Twitter user Fasihuddin while sharing the images of Indian aircraft MiG-21 and captured injured pilot Abhinandan following an aerial dogfight during India-Pakistan standoff in 2019.

Wang Yi to visit four African countries in first overseas trip of 2026

By
Samina Ch
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0
BEIJING , Jan 7 (APP):Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania and Lesotho upon invitation from January 7 to 12, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced on Wednesday.
Africa has been the destination for a Chinese foreign minister’s first overseas trip of the year for 36 consecutive years.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, will also attend the launch ceremony for the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges at the African Union Headquarters, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Lukashenko: Christmas traditions are a key part of national heritage

By
NNPS Desk
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MINSK, Jan 7 (BelTA/APP): Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has extended Christmas greetings to Orthodox Christians, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian leader.

“Christmas traditions, which carry moral ideals, constitute an integral part of our rich cultural and spiritual heritage, strengthen the bond between generations, and help build Belarus’ future on the principles of peace and harmony,” the message of greetings reads.

Christmas holds a special place for Belarusians, embodying the triumph of love, kindness, and mercy, the head of state said.

“May happiness and wellbeing accompany you and your loved ones, and may the unique atmosphere of this day help in realizing your planned goals and selfless aspirations,” Aleksandr Lukashenko wished.

Foreign exchange rates

By
Samina Ch
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0
KARACHI, Jan 07 (APP):The Exchange Rates Committee of Financial Markets Association of Pakistan issued the following Exchange rates bulletin, here on Wednesday.
CONVERSION RATES FOR JANUARY 07, 2026 FOR FOREIGN CURRENCY FOR FORWARD COVER FOR DEPOSITS (EXCLUDING FE-25 DEPOSITS)
SBP SETTLEMENT VALUE DATE JANUARY 09, 2026
     USD      280.0462
     GBP      379.7707
     EUR      328.5782
     JPY        1.7928

Sumo: Mongolian rookie Asahifuji carries high expectations with ring name

By
NNPS Desk
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TOKYO, Jan 7 (Kyodo/APP): Set to make his debut as a ranked wrestler at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament starting Sunday, Mongolian rookie Asahifuji is already drawing attention thanks to his illustrious ring name and impressive performances in practice.

While it is rare for a new wrestler to inherit the ring name of a former yokozuna, the talented 23-year-old was deemed worthy of it by his previous stablemaster, the namesake former grand champion who won four Emperor’s Cups between 1988 and 1991.

Asahifuji, whose real name is Battsetseg Ochirsaikhan, has already proven more than a match during training at his Isegahama stable for accomplished top-division maegashira wrestlers such as Yoshinofuji and Hakunofuji, formerly Hakuoho.

“I’m not used to it yet,” said Asahifuji of his famed name, having stepped into the ring for the first time in out-of-rank maezumo competition at November’s Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament.

He had three straight wins in Fukuoka to earn his place among the ranked competitors and wore the same “kesho mawashi” ceremonial apron during his promotion announcement that his esteemed predecessor also used.

Despite living at the stable since 2021 after graduating from a high school in Kanagawa Prefecture, he had his debut put on hold because of the Japan Sumo Association’s rule limiting each stable to one foreign-born wrestler.

The retirement of Mongolian-born former yokozuna Terunofuji in January 2024 cleared the way for Asahifuji to finally find his name ranked in jonokuchi, the lowest tier of the sport’s pyramid, for the upcoming meet at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan.

“Even though he couldn’t get started right away, he got stronger because he persevered,” said the former yokozuna Asahifuji, who led the Isegahama stable until June and is now elder Miyagino. “I want him to have a sense of responsibility and aim high.”

Standing 185 centimeters and weighing 150 kilograms, Asahifuji already has the physique to compete at the highest level, having steadily developed through intense training at the stable despite compiling an unremarkable record as a high school wrestler.

Terunofuji, now the Isegahama stablemaster, believes his fellow Mongolian-born grappler can be an example for his stablemates and others in the sport.

“I want him to prove that even if one doesn’t win titles as an amateur, he can still become stronger by practicing in the sumo stable,” the stablemaster said.

Quba Mosque welcomes over 26 million visitors in 2025

By
NNPS Desk
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0

Madinah, Jan 7 (SPA/APP): Quba Mosque in Madinah welcomed over 26 million visitors last year, highlighting its historic and spiritual significance.
Throughout 2025, the mosque underwent extensive upgrades under the supervision of the Madinah Region Development Authority. New prayer areas covering 2,500 square meters were prepared, the air conditioning system was upgraded to more than 160 tons of cooling capacity, and over 150 external canopies were installed to ensure visitor comfort.
The sound system was modernized with 160 speakers, and 3,000 square meters of carpeting were laid across the courtyards, creating a safe and welcoming environment for worshippers.
These efforts are part of Saudi Vision 2030, aimed at enriching the experience for all visitors to this historic mosque

SAMF President visits Yanbu Falconer Club Pavilion

By
NNPS Desk
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0

Yanbu, Jan 7 (SPA/APP): Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) President Prince Khalid bin Sultan bin Faisal visited the Yanbu Falconer Club pavilion in Yanbu Governorate during the club’s participation in the Dakar Rally 2026.
Prince Khalid reviewed the pavilion’s content, which highlights the Kingdom’s rich cultural heritage in falcons and falconry.
He praised the club’s role in showcasing national heritage and linking it to global occasions and events. He underscored the importance of participation in promoting Saudi cultural identity and strengthening its presence at international forums.

China Focus: “Zootopia 2” surpasses “Avengers: Endgame” as China’s top imported film

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NNPS Desk
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0

BEIJING, Jan 7 (Xinhua/APP): “Zootopia 2” has become the highest-grossing imported film in Chinese box office history, exceeding the previous record held by “Avengers: Endgame,” industry data showed on Tuesday.

The milestone, confirmed by data platform Maoyan, represents a rare instance of one Disney franchise overtaking another for the top spot among imported films in China. Both films were produced by Disney subsidiaries.

As of Tuesday morning, the animated sequel had earned 4.251 billion yuan (approximately 606 million U.S. dollars), overtaking the 2019 superhero blockbuster.

The China box office total for “Zootopia 2” represents about 36 percent of its global total, far surpassing its North American earnings and firmly establishing China as the sequel’s top market.

The film’s outsize success in China compared to other regions is viewed by local commentators as a sign of the market’s strength and openness.

“It highlights the enormous market foundation and consumption demand in China,” Zhang Jinfeng, deputy editor-in-chief of China Film News, said in a TV interview. He noted that the performance reflects Chinese cinema’s “open, inclusive attitude toward globally advanced cinematic achievements,” adding that China has become “a key engine for global box-office growth.”

China remains the world’s second-largest film market. According to Maoyan data, it contributed nearly a quarter of the 30-billion-U.S.-dollar 2025 global box office, just behind North America’s 28.8 percent.

For Disney, the sequel’s resonance in China is no accident. Zhang Ming, senior vice president and managing director of The Walt Disney Company (China) Limited, said that the franchise has held a “special place” with Chinese audiences for nearly a decade. The world’s only Zootopia-themed park is located in Shanghai Disney Resort, which hosted a high-profile promotional campaign for “Zootopia 2” ahead of the film’s release.

As part of a localization strategy for the intellectual property (IP), Disney co-produced four original shorts with the Shanghai Animation Film Studio. Using Chinese artistic techniques like ink wash and paper-cutting, the shorts reimagined “Zootopia” characters in contemporary Chinese settings, generating buzz on social media.

For analysts, the film’s success is more than just numbers — it’s a critical case study in contemporary audience behavior and content strategy.

Yin Hong, vice chairman of the China Film Association and a professor at Tsinghua University, linked China’s 2025 year-end box office surge driven by “Zootopia 2” to a key market insight. In a social media post, he said the phenomenon reveals that imaginative, high-quality animation is a clear favorite among youth, whose social media dominance means that winning their demographic wins the market.

He contrasted this with what he sees as an aging live-action sector, warning that a significant market contraction is inevitable if its screenplays, direction, performances and genres fail to attract younger viewers.

Rao Shuguang, president of the China Film Critics Association, described the market response to “Zootopia 2” as nothing short of “insane.”

“It shows that the audience’s passion for cinema remains potent, but what’s key is supplying more high-quality films,” Rao told Xinhua. He emphasized the strategic value of animation IP, citing Disney’s multifaceted approach as a key model for the domestic industry.

These observations echo views from Si Ruo, director of the Film and Television Communication Research Center at Tsinghua University, who has emphasized the importance of IP development. She argues that blockbusters like Disney’s “Frozen” were not merely films, but launchpads for a sustainable commercial ecosystem.

“A movie is a super advertisement,” Si said in a speech during the 2025 Beijing International Audiovisual Conference. She stressed that commercial possibilities must be pre-embedded from the earliest script-writing phase, creating a “business matrix” that drives long-term revenue through licensing, consumer products, and experiential entertainment such as theme parks and immersive exhibitions.

Ancient tomb cluster discovered in northwest China

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NNPS Desk
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0

XI’AN, Jan 7 (Xinhua/APP): A cluster of 31 tombs dating back nearly 3,000 years was discovered in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, providing evidence for the study of political and social development of that period, said archaeologists on Tuesday.

The tombs were an important part of the Changchun Ruins in Fuping County, Weinan City, where excavation was conducted since August 2022 jointly by the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology (SPIA), the Weinan Museum, and the Fuping’s culture and tourism bureau.

Archaeologists have also found five pits with remains of chariots and horses.

Li Yanfeng, an associate researcher with the SPIA, noted that the tombs can be classified into four categories based on their morphological features with hierarchical differences. Among them, the tombs numbered M1 and M2 are of a relatively high grade, each with three layers of coffins. More than 300 artifacts, including sets, were unearthed and are made of copper, jade, stone, lacquer, and shells, among others. Of those artifacts, the jade pendants with human and dragon patterns, jade halberds and stone chimes are particularly exquisite.

In the smaller tombs, only single coffins were used, and no bronze objects were buried with them. Researchers only found pottery containers and shell ornaments, from which they deduced that the tomb owners might have been commoners.

By comparing pottery and bronze wares and conducting carbon-14 tests on M1 and M2 human bones, archaeologists determined that the remains in the excavation area could date to the middle to late period of the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC – 771 BC), according to Li. The owner of tomb M2 is male and is presumed to be the ruler of the settlement, while buried in tomb M1 is his wife.

“Although the tombs vary in rank, they are distributed in an orderly manner, reflecting the characteristics of ‘family burial’ and a ‘centralized public cemetery system,'” said Li, who added that due to the lack of inscriptions on the unearthed artifacts so far, it is hard to confirm the identities of this group.

“The excavation not only provides the physical materials of high-level tombs of the Western Zhou Dynasty in the area, but also offers evidence for the study of politics and society of the time,” he added.

Kyrgyzstan commissioned 63 agricultural enterprises in 2025

By
NNPS Desk
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0

Bishkek, Jan 7 (Kabar/APP) : By the end of 2025, as part of the development of Kyrgyzstan’s agro-industrial complex, 63 agricultural processing and trade and logistics infrastructure facilities were commissioned across the country.
The Ministry of Agriculture reported that these include trade and logistics centers, grain processing plants, fruit and vegetable production facilities, dairy production facilities, meat production facilities, fish production facilities, wool production facilities, vegetable oil production facilities, as well as organic production facilities. The implementation of these projects has created 2,707 jobs, contributing to regional development, increasing employment, and strengthening the production potential of the country’s agro-industrial complex. Furthermore, in January-November 2025, the share of food processing enterprises in the republic’s total industrial output was 17.4%.
According to preliminary estimates, over the first 11 months of 2025, agro-industrial enterprises produced food products worth 94.2 billion soms at current prices. The physical volume index was 127.8%.
It is noted that as part of the implementation of the Kyrgyz Republic Development Program through 2030 and in accordance with state policy targets for the development of the agro-industrial complex, 385 agricultural processing plants are planned to be commissioned, increasing the processing rate to 25%. The total investment in this area will amount to 20.96 billion soms. “By 2026, 75 agricultural processing plants are planned to be commissioned, with estimated investment volumes totaling 9.1 billion soms. The Ministry will continue its comprehensive efforts to achieve the established targets,” the agency emphasized.

TAP’s expansion adds 1.2 billion cubic meters per year of long-term capacity

By
NNPS Desk
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0

Baku, Jan 7 (AZERTAC/APP) : Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) has successfully completed the works at the Kipoi Compressor Station, located in the Alexandroupoli area near the Greek border with Türkiye, as part of the first level of capacity expansion. This expansion adds 1.2 bcm per year of long-term capacity as of 1 January 2026, TAP AG company told AZERTAC.
According to the company, the expansion works, which commenced in January 2024, were completed ahead of schedule, within budget, safely, and without any interruption to ongoing gas flows, reflecting strong planning and operational resilience. The scope of works included the installation of a new compressor unit (approximately 15 MW) and upgrades to the existing facilities at the Kipoi Compressor Station.
Since the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), which supplies Azerbaijani natural gas to European markets, began its commercial operations on 31 December 2020, it has transported over 54 billion cubic metres (bcm) of natural gas to Europe.
TAP is a key component of the Southern Gas Corridor that brings natural gas from Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz field to Europe, connecting with TANAP in Türkiye, crossing Greece, Albania, and the Adriatic Sea to reach Italy, with a length of about 878 km, 48-inch diameter, and with an initial capacity around 12 bcm of gas per year.

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