Pakistan reporter says he escaped kidnapping attempt

Pakistani journalist Taha Siddiqui speaks during a press conference after being assaulted by armed men in Islamabad on January 10, 2018. He is known for criticizing the powerful military. (AFP)
Updated 11 January 2018
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Pakistan reporter says he escaped kidnapping attempt

ISLAMABAD: When armed men tried to kidnap and threatened to kill him, Pakistani journalist Taha Siddiqui feared he would become another statistic in a growing list of activists and bloggers who have disappeared in Pakistan after criticizing the country’s powerful military or advocating peace with hostile neighbor India.
Siddiqui, the Pakistan bureau chief for the World is One News, a New Delhi-based 24-hour television news channel, said he suspected the attack Wednesday was payback for his critical reporting on Pakistan’s powerful military and intelligence agencies.
Siddiqui was heading to the airport to catch a flight to London when his taxi was stopped. He was ordered out of the vehicle, beaten and threatened.
He escaped, fleeing into oncoming traffic and flagging down a passing car. Behind him he said he heard the gunmen shout: “Shoot him! Shoot him!“
“They wanted to make me a missing person,” Siddiqui said in a telephone interview from a local police station where he went after the attack to file a complaint and demand police protection. “This has been coming. It’s all about what I write.”
The gunmen took his computers, several hard drives, his telephone and his passport, said Siddiqui, who is also a reporter for the France 24 television network and has had past run-ins with Pakistani intelligence. In May, he received threatening calls from the counter-terrorism wing of the Federal Investigation Agency, ordering him to come in for questioning. Siddiqui, who did not comply, filed a complaint with the courts and said he was told by the FIA that he was being investigated because of his critical stories about the military.
On Wednesday, Siddiqui’s World is One News website, was inaccessible in Pakistan. Visitors to the site were told: “The site you are trying to access contains content that is prohibited for viewership from within Pakistan.” It’s not clear when the site went offline in Pakistan.
The Committee to Protect Journalists Asia program coordinator Steven Butler said the attempted abduction on Wednesday “sends a chilling signal to the entire press community.”
The CPJ “is very concerned about the recent pattern of disappearances,” Butler said in an email interview. “While most of the recent disappearances have been mainly social activists, or even students, these abductions amount to severe intimidation for anyone who exercises free speech.”
The spokesman for Pakistan’s main intelligence service, the ISI, did not respond to a written request for comment about the attack on Siddiqui. The government says it is investigating the allegations and has set up a commission to investigate complaints of “enforced disappearance.” In its year-end report, obtained by The Associated Press, the commission said there are 1,532 people who remain missing, suspected of being taken by Pakistani intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
Among them is peace activist Reza Khan, who was taken from his home in the eastern city of Lahore in December by armed men, who also ransacked his apartment, seizing his computer, his files and his telephone. He hasn’t been heard from since and human rights activists accuse the country’s intelligence agencies of kidnapping him to stop Khan’s attempts to improve relations between Pakistan and India through interactions between school children.
“We are convinced he was taken by the intelligence because of his work trying to improve relations with India,” said I.A. Rehman of the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. “His neighbor saw the men take him. He took the number of the car, but the police said it was fictitious. In Pakistan only the intelligence agencies have the right to use license plate numbers that are fictitious.”
Khan’s father, Mohammed Ismail Khan, has gone to the courts to petition for his son’s freedom but has heard nothing since he was taken last month.
“The nights are very long for his mother and me. We console each other and we pray for our son. God knows where he is and what condition he is in,” the elder Khan said in a telephone interview.
Early in 2017, six bloggers and social activists, all of whom had criticized the military on social media, disappeared. Five were freed and the sixth is still missing. Those who were freed all said they had been held by the country’s powerful intelligence agencies and were tortured. They have all fled the country.
Zeenat Shahzadi, a young Pakistani journalist, was abducted by armed men in 2015 while investigating the disappearance of an Indian national. Pakistani human rights groups blamed intelligence agencies. Local media reports said she was released late last year after being held for two years.
Zahid Hussain, a security analyst and author of two books on militancy in Pakistan, said the country’s intelligence agencies have become increasingly sensitive to attacks against the military on social media because of social media’s penetration in Pakistan and the difficulty of controlling it. “Pakistan is very sensitive about anything linked with India,” believing New Delhi has stepped up its covert operations inside Pakistan, he said.
Having fought three wars against each other, India and Pakistan, both nuclear weapons states, regard one another with deep suspicion and accuse each other of fomenting violence on their territory.
Butler, of the Committee to Protect Journalists, noted the lack of accountability of those behind the wave of abductions.
“We certainly, like many others, suspect that intelligence agencies are behind many of these abductions,” Butler said. “It’s worrisome because they do not appear to be accountable to anyone. The best remedy would be to find the perpetrators, arrest them and bring them to justice.”


Man City sign kit deal worth reported £1 billion

Updated 2 min 21 sec ago
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Man City sign kit deal worth reported £1 billion

  • City’s extension of their contract with Puma ranks as the largest kit manufacturing partnership
  • “We joined forces with Puma with the ambition to challenge ourselves and go beyond the expectations,” City Football Group chief executive Ferran Soriano said

LONDON: Manchester City have signed a blockbuster new kit deal with Puma worth a reported £1 billion ($1.34 billion) over the next 10 years.

City’s extension of their contract with Puma ranks as the largest kit manufacturing partnership in Premier League history.

Having agreed a £65 million per year deal with the German company in 2019, City’s new arrangement is believed to be worth a £100 million per year until 2035, according to British media reports.

That figure shatters the £90 million per year deal signed by Manchester United with Adidas in 2023.

Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona are both reported to have kit deals worth in excess of £100 million per year.

“We joined forces with Puma with the ambition to challenge ourselves and go beyond the expectations. We have achieved this and more over the last six seasons,” City Football Group chief executive Ferran Soriano said.

“Puma have seamlessly integrated into our organization, and we have enjoyed many historic moments together, engaging fans globally.”

Puma chief executive Arthur Hoeld added: “Puma’s partnership with Manchester City has been a great success both on and off the pitch.

“Trophies, a perfect stage for our performance products and commercial success were exceptional.”

City’s massive deal comes after the club’s first season without major silverware since 2016-17.

Pep Guardiola’s men finished third in the Premier League after winning the title for the previous four seasons.

They also suffered a shock FA Cup final defeat against Crystal Palace and crashed out of the recent Club World Cup in the last 16 against Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal.


At SCO summit, Pakistan slams Israel for using ‘aggression as tool of policy’ in Middle East

Updated 9 min 45 sec ago
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At SCO summit, Pakistan slams Israel for using ‘aggression as tool of policy’ in Middle East

  • The bloc is seen by some Western analysts as regional grouping by Beijing, Moscow to counter United States influence in Asia
  • Pakistan FM Ishaq Dar says Israeli military actions against SCO members are ‘unacceptable,’ demands immediate end to Gaza war

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, on Tuesday criticized Israel for using “aggression as a tool of policy” in the Middle East, condemning Israeli military actions against regional states and demanding an end to its 20-month war on Gaza.

Dar said this while addressing a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM), which came in the backdrop of heightened tensions in South Asia and the Middle East, particularly after the Pakistan-India conflict and Israeli military actions against several Gulf countries.

Israel’s war on Gaza, which began after Oct. 2023 attacks by Hamas on Israel, has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, over half of them women and children, according to the Palestinian health ministry. On Tuesday, the UN rights office said it had recorded at least 875 killings within the past six weeks at aid points in Gaza.

Speaking at the CFM meeting, Dar said Pakistan was seriously concerned at the trends of using aggression as a tool of policy, emphasizing the resolution of disputes through peaceful means and according to the principles of international law, justice and fairness.

“Israel has shown a reckless disregard for international norms and humanity through its relentless and disproportionate use of force in Gaza resulting in the death of tens of thousands of civilians causing the worst humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” he said.

“We call for immediate halt to Israel’s atrocities.”

Dar said the only viable remedy to the Palestine dispute was the realization of the two-state solution, which includes the establishment of Palestine as a viable, secure and contiguous state on the basis of pre-1967 borders.

He also condemned the “unjustified and illegitimate aggression” by Israel against Iran and the United States (US) strikes on its nuclear facilities.

“Such illegal actions directed against SCO member states are unacceptable,” Dar said.

The 12-day war between Iran and Israel, which began on June 13 Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and military leadership, killed around 1,000 Iranians and more than two dozen Israelis.

The SCO, comprising China, Russia, Pakistan, India, Iran, Belarus and Central Asian states, is seen by some Western analysts as a regional grouping by Beijing and Moscow to counter United States influence in Asia.

The CFM meeting, a key diplomatic gathering aimed at preparing the groundwork for the upcoming SCO Leaders’ Summit later this year, was convened to review progress on multilateral cooperation and set the agenda for endorsement by heads of state.


Saudi Arabia tops MENA VC rankings with $860m in H1: MAGNiTT 

Updated 22 min 6 sec ago
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Saudi Arabia tops MENA VC rankings with $860m in H1: MAGNiTT 

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia led venture capital activity in the Middle East and North Africa in early 2025, raising $860 million — a 116 percent annual jump — backed by sovereign support and foreign interest. 

In its latest report, regional venture platform MAGNiTT revealed that the Kingdom witnessed 114 deals in the first half of the year, marking a significant 31 percent rise compared to the same period in 2024. 

This comes on the back of a strong 2024 performance, when Saudi Arabia retained its position as the most funded MENA country for VC for the second consecutive year. Startups raised $750 million, with a 34 percent increase in deal funding rounds below $100 million – dubbed MEGA deals – reflecting growing early- and mid-stage capital formation, according to a report released earlier this year by MAGNiTT and SVC. 

In its latest report for the first half, MAGNiTT stated: “This growth was supported by continued sovereign capital activity, event-driven momentum from LEAP, and early-stage programs backed by new funds and accelerators.” 

Saudi Arabia ranked second among emerging venture markets in total VC funding, trailing only Singapore, which raised $1.28 billion across 120 deals in the first half. 

However, Singapore’s funding declined 37 percent year on year, while the number of deals dropped 31 percent. 

“The drop (in Singapore) signals a continued cooldown in late-stage deployment and foreign investor activity amid macro headwinds,” the report stated. 

Among emerging markets, Saudi Arabia was followed by the UAE, which raised $447 million in funding in the first six months of the year, a rise of 84 percent year on year. 

The UAE also matched Saudi Arabia in deal count, recording 114 deals, up 10 percent compared to the same period last year. This was driven by increased international participation, which reached its highest level in the Emirates since the first half of 2020. 

Elsewhere, Turkiye raised $226 million, followed by Vietnam at $216 million, Egypt at $185 million, and South Africa at $183 million. Nigeria raised $158 million, while Indonesia and Kenya secured $102 million and $71 million, respectively. 

The report further noted that fintech was the leading sector across all three EVM regions in the first half, accounting for 45 percent of VC funding in Southeast Asia, 38 percent in the Middle East, and 45 percent in Africa. 

“The bulk of this activity was concentrated in payment solutions and lending platforms, which emerged as the dominant fintech subsectors,” added the report. 

Meanwhile, mergers and acquisitions activity across emerging venture markets saw 55 transactions in the first half, marking a 31 percent increase compared to the same period last year. 


Lebanon’s worst drought on record drains largest reservoir

Updated 43 min 36 sec ago
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Lebanon’s worst drought on record drains largest reservoir

  • The Litani River National Authority said inflows to Lake Qaraoun during this year’s wet season did not exceed 45 million cubic meters
  • Last year, the figure stood at 230 million

QARAOUN, Lebanon: Water levels at Lebanon’s largest reservoir on the Litani River have fallen to historic lows amid what experts describe as the country’s worst drought on record, threatening agriculture, electricity production, and domestic water supplies.

The Litani River National Authority said inflows to Lake Qaraoun during this year’s wet season did not exceed 45 million cubic meters, a fraction of the 350 million cubic meters annual average.

Last year, the figure stood at 230 million. The water currently available in Lake Qaraoun — around 61 million cubic meters — was unusable due to severe pollution, the authority said.

“There were dry years in 1989, 1990 and 1991, but this year is the driest,” said Sami Alawieh, head of the river authority. “We are facing a water scarcity problem across all Lebanese territories and water basins.”

Drone footage of Lake Qaraoun shows a dramatically receded shoreline, exposing cracked earth and dead vegetation.

Lebanon’s hydroelectric plants tied to the Litani basin have been shut down, Alawieh said, causing financial losses and intensifying electricity rationing by Electricite du Liban.

“We have two factors: the decline in rainfall and the pressure on groundwater,” he said.

A study by the authority found climate warming and shifting weather patterns have contributed to more frequent dry seasons and higher temperatures, exacerbating soil moisture loss and reducing the recharging of groundwater reservoirs.

The state utility has slashed supply in some areas from 20 hours a day to as little as 10.

In the fertile area around Qaraoun village, in the Bekaa Valley, farmers were already feeling the impact.

“I have never seen such drought or scarcity of rain as this year,” said Safa Issa. “We used to get snow up to a meter high. Now, it’s been 10 years since we’ve seen any.”

The strain has been compounded by erratic supply of electricity needed to run irrigation systems.

“You irrigate for three hours, then stop for three,” said Fayez Omais, another local farmer.

Suzy Hoayek, an adviser to the Ministry of Energy and Water in Beirut, said a nationwide awareness campaign to reduce consumption would be launched within 10 days.

“The most important thing is to manage demand,” she said.


Closing Bell: Saudi main index closes in red at 11,095

Updated 52 min 6 sec ago
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Closing Bell: Saudi main index closes in red at 11,095

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index slipped on Tuesday, as it shed 118.18 points, or 1.05 percent, to close at 11,095.41. 

The total trading turnover of the benchmark index was SR4.52 billion ($1.21 billion), with 46 of the listed stocks advancing and 204 declining. 

The Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu also shed 55.43 points to 27,301.46.

The MSCI Tadawul Index declined by 1.09 percent to close at 1,421.31. 

The best-performing stock on the main market was SHL Finance Co. The firm’s share price increased by 5.21 percent to SR22.62. 

The share price of SICO Saudi REIT Fund rose by 5.1 percent to SR4.33. 

Tourism Enterprise Co. also saw its stock price climb by 3.26 percent to SR0.95. 

Conversely, the share price of Alistithmar AREIC Diversified REIT Fund declined by 4.03 percent to SR9.05. 

On the announcements front, Saudi Co. for Hardware, also known as SACO, said that it signed an agreement valued at SR140.43 million to sell its warehouse in Al-Mashael district in Riyadh. 

In a Tadawul statement, SACO said that the proceeds from the sale will be used to repay existing bank loans and help support its future expansion plans.

The firm further said that the 42,937-sq.-meter warehouse was sold to 6th Iradat Al Imdad Co., a limited liability company. 

The firm added that there are no related parties involved in the deal. 

The share price of SACO dropped by 1.02 percent to SR29.14. 

The shareholders of Saudi Lime Industries Co. approved a recommendation to increase its capital by 5 percent through a one-for-20 bonus share distribution, by capitalizing SR11 million from the firm’s retained earnings account.

The stock price of Saudi Lime Industries Co., listed on the parallel market, advanced by 4.77 percent to SR12.97.