Pak sectarian violence: Death toll rises to 130
Peshawar, Dec 1: The death toll from sectarian violence in Pakistan’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province surged to 130, with at least six people killed and eight injured on Sunday, as clashes in the volatile Kurram district continued for the eleventh consecutive day. The clashes between Alizai and Bagan tribes in the district started on November 22, after an attack on a convoy of passenger vans near Parachinar in which 47 people were killed a day earlier. Several passengers who had sustained grave injuries succumbed later, raising the toll in the convoy killing to 57. Police said the situation remained tense, and violence persists despite a recent ceasefire agreement between the Sunni and Shia groups. (PTI)
Oli to embark on four-day China visit
Beijing, Dec 1: Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli will travel to China on Monday on a four-day visit during which the two sides were expected to discuss a new plan to revive the BRI projects, which failed to materialise even after seven years they were signed with much fanfare. Oli will pay an official visit to China from December 2-5, during which Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet him. Premier Li Qiang and other officials will hold talks with him, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said here on Friday. “Oli has visited China twice as Nepal’s Prime Minister and made important contributions to advancing the growth of China-Nepal relations,” Mao said, acknowledging his efforts to forge closer ties with Beijing, including signing a transit treaty to reduce dependence on India for his landlocked country. (PTI)
Lahore tops global pollution rankings
Lahore, Dec 1: (ANI)Lahore has emerged as the most polluted city in the world, with air quality levels described as “hazardous,” as thick smog continues to envelop large parts of Pakistan. This environmental crisis has severely impacted daily life in the country, with residents facing heightened health risks from prolonged exposure to toxic air conditions, The Express Tribune reported. Data from IQAir revealed that Lahore’s air quality index (AQI) surged to an alarming 303, far exceeding the “hazardous” threshold and underscoring the severity of the crisis. The city’s PM2.5 concentration levels were measured to be 24.2 times above the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommended guidelines, posing grave health risks. Karachi, meanwhile, recorded an AQI of around 200, indicating “very unhealthy” air quality, and ranked as the fourth most polluted city globally. The air quality in Karachi slightly improved during the day but largely remained unsafe. (ANI)
Internet disruption in B’desh today
Dhaka, Dec 1: Internet services across Bangladesh will be disrupted temporarily for three hours on the night of December 2 due to maintenance of the country’s first submarine cable. SEA-ME-WE 4, the country’s first submarine cable system, is located in Cox’s Bazar district, some 400 km southeast of capital Dhaka. (IANS)