5 Years On, China’s Property Crisis Has No End in Sight
[The government had set out to slow speculation, kicking off a slowdown in real estate values that is still grinding on with wide economic consequences.
Month: August 2025
Lahore celebrates Sino-Pak ties through cinema
LAHORE: The Lahore Arts Council, Alhamra, in collaboration with the Chinese consulate general concluded a three-day Chinese Film Exhibition at Alhamra Arts Centre, The Mall, showcasing a cinematic journey under the evocative theme, “War for Peace.” The festival offered audiences a rare opportunity to explore stories of courage, resilience, and unity through the lens of … Read more
North Korea’s Glossy New Surface: Apps, Beaches and a Fake Starbucks
Videos taken by visitors to the isolated country provide a rare glimpse of how it’s mimicking the consumerism of the outside world.
US tariff relief: opportunity or illusion?
ISLAMABD: Pakistan has been celebrating the “comparatively lower tariffs” it faces in the United States compared to India and Bangladesh. While India faces a 25% tariff (expected to rise to 50%) and Bangladesh 20%, Pakistan’s exports are subject to a 19% additional tariff. Here’s the reality: 19% is not low. It is still a heavy … Read more
Jarring economic inequalities widen in world’s richest nation
[ LAHORE: As inequality in the United States reaches levels not seen since the Great Depression or the Gilded Age, experts warn that the collapse of the country’s vaunted social welfare model is a logical outcome of a system in which capital accumulates at the top while the working class is abandoned to insecurity. Even … Read more
UK vows to speed up asylum claims as hotel protests spread
LONDON: The UK government vowed Sunday to overhaul its asylum system after weekend protests broke out across the country at hotels housing migrants. The government said it will establish a new independent body to hear appeals by failed applicants more quickly as it attempts to end the costly use of asylum hotels, which have become … Read more
Poor planning not deforestation to blame for devastation
[ ISLAMABAD: Pakistan inherited the legacy of British Forestry institutional and legal framework. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) holds 40% of the country’s forest share, making it the richest province in this respect. Within K-P, 14.1% of the total land area is covered with forests. The northern, north-western, and eastern parts of K-P are steep and mountainous, making … Read more
Matt Rife defends Sydney Sweeney amid ad backlash
Comedian Matt Rife has spoken out in defence of actress Sydney Sweeney, following online backlash surrounding her recent American Eagle jeans ad campaign. Rife, 29, posted on X, responding to mounting criticism directed at the Euphoria star, writing: “I keep seeing people mad at Sydney Sweeney for noooothing. She’s learning that the internet is full … Read more
Israel uproot hundreds of trees in West Bank
AL MUGHAYYIR: Al Mughayyir Israeli bulldozers uprooted hundreds of trees in the West Bank village of al-Mughayyir on Sunday in the presence of the Israeli military, according to AFP journalists who witnessed the scene. Most of the felled vegetation appeared to be olive trees, essential to the economy and culture of the West Bank, while … Read more
KSE-100 races to 150,000 – too fast, too soon?
KARACHI: On February 24, 2025, I wrote for The Express Tribune that “Pakistan could see its index breach 150,000 in the next 18 to 24 months.” Back then, the KSE-100 opened at 112,000 and a 35% return was expected within a year. Today, the index already trades north of 150,000. The big question now is: … Read more
