Latest news with #CentralAsian
San Francisco Chronicle
13 hours ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Photos show an epic endurance race celebrating the bond between people and horses in Kyrgyzstan
SONG-KÖL LAKE, Kyrgyzstan (AP) — For equestrian riders, the endurance race known as the Gallops is the ultimate test of stamina and self-discipline. First hosted in India in 2019, the event challenges teams of international riders to a five-day trek spanning more than 200 kilometers (125 miles) as part of a race inspired by the famous Paris-Dakar rally. The Gallops' 2025 edition is taking place in Kyrgyzstan — a Central Asian country with a deep-rooted traditional nomadic culture. The race begins in the village of Kyzart, around 3,000 meters (nearly 10,000 feet) above sea level, before taking competitors hailing from 12 countries on a journey close to Song-Köl Lake. As well as camping in traditional Kyrgyz yurts, riders are able to experience some of Kyrgyzstan's other equestrian sports including horseback archery and Kok Boru. The latter is a game that sees two teams compete to place a goat's carcass — or, in modern matches, often a model of one — in their opponents' goal. This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
The Star
2 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Beijing targets diversity to ensure energy security
Beijing: China's long-term energy security strategy is robust enough to withstand even extreme scenarios, such as the potential shutdown of the vital Strait of Hormuz, say industry experts and company executives. Disruptions caused by geopolitical tensions are unlikely to fundamentally impact energy shipments to China, the world's largest energy consumer, which has been diversifying its energy import channels while developing clean energy on a large scale, said Lu Ruquan, president of the China National Petroleum Corp Economics and Technology Research Institute. This confidence stems from a multi-pronged approach, including strategic reserves and diversified supply routes, said Lu during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Energy Ministers Meeting held in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, in June. 'China maintains a certain level of crude oil and natural gas storage to buffer against short-term shocks, while the world's largest energy consumer has also been stepping up domestic oil and gas development in recent years as part of a broader push to buffer against potential disruptions in global markets and ensure stable supplies for its vast economy,' he said. 'Crucially, alternative overland pipeline networks, such as those connecting China with Russia, Myanmar and Central Asian nations, also provide vital non-maritime import channels that bypass potential bottlenecks like the Strait of Hormuz.' His comments came after Iran's Parliament last month announced its consideration of a plan to close the strait, which is globally recognised as among the most critical choke points for oil transport. Around 20% of the world's oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, with major oil and gas producers in the Middle East using the waterway to transport energy from the region. A substantial portion of China's total oil and gas imports also passes through the strait. Commodities data firm Kpler said the Strait of Hormuz is also essential for global liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports. Around 80% of LNG shipments through the strait are bound for Asia. Mark Cunningham, chief executive of Kpler, said China has been leading one of the most ambitious transformations in global trade, with the energy, optimism and scale of technological adoption unlike anywhere else in the world. Lu added that China's energy security resilience would be tested and ultimately enhanced, with the primary challenge being effective short-term risk management while the country seizes the opportunity for fundamental energy transformation. Domestically, China has been actively working to enhance its oil and natural gas production, including intensifying exploration and development of unconventional resources like shale oil and gas. China's crude oil and natural gas output exceeded 400 million tonnes of oil equivalent for the first time last year, with crude oil and natural gas output sustaining a robust annual growth streak of over 10 million tonnes for the eighth consecutive year, said the National Energy Administration. Crude oil production reached 213 million tonnes last year, an increase of 24 million tonnes from 2018, while natural gas production reached 246.4 billion cubic m, with an average annual growth of over 13 billion cubic m in the past six years, it said. Offshore and unconventional reserves have become the primary contributors to production growth, while China's shale gas production remained strong, exceeding 25 billion cubic m, said the administration. Despite its position as the world's leading energy consumer, which requires significant oil and gas imports, China possesses considerable advantages in energy security, said Lin Boqiang, head of the China Institute for Studies in Energy Policy at Xiamen University. These strengths include the swift build-out of renewable energy capacity to decrease reliance on fossil fuels, alongside its global dominance in producing critical minerals essential for its energy independence, Lin said. China's significant spending on its energy infrastructure is also preparing the nation for a future powered by renewable sources. At the same time, the country's large reserves of coal provide policymakers with a fallback option should other energy supplies experience major interruptions, he added. The China Electricity Council said China has significantly upgraded its grid infrastructure and capacity in recent years, with interprovincial transmission capability now exceeding 300 million kilowatts. Yang Kun, the council's executive vice-chairman, stated that accelerating the creation of a unified national power market is expected to further enhance the efficient distribution of power resources across the country. Lu said China's aggressive push into developing new energy sources and energy storage technologies is also seen as a key pillar for bolstering long-term energy resilience. 'In this extreme scenario, the strategic importance of new energy sources – solar, wind and nuclear power – would be profoundly elevated,' he said. 'While unable to directly replace fossil fuels in the immediate term, the crisis would compel China to accelerate its energy structure transformation. 'This means faster investment and development in renewables and nuclear power to fundamentally reduce long-term dependence on fossil fuels.' Last year, China significantly expanded its renewable energy capacity, particularly in solar and wind power, achieving its 2030 solar and wind capacity targets years ahead of schedule. 'The underlying principle guiding China's strategy is a commitment to ensuring the nation's energy security remains firmly in its own hands. 'This emphasis on self-reliance and strategic control underscores Beijing's determination to safeguard its energy future against external shocks and maintain stability for its economic development.' Lu added that China is confident in navigating potential disruptions with capacity for dynamic adjustments. This flexibility is designed to buffer the impact of energy security risks stemming from extreme situations. It involves the ability to rapidly shift import sources, strategically leverage national oil and gas reserves, and dynamically optimise domestic production and consumption patterns, allowing the country to respond swiftly to unforeseen contingencies and maintain a degree of resilience in its energy supply, he said. Global consultancy Rystad Energy said China's demand for major transportation fuels showed minimal growth last year, as the rapid shift toward electric vehicles (EVs) reduced fuel consumption. Fuel demand began to fall last year, as the improved performance and longer mileage of EVs win wider acceptance from customers, alongside policy support in the initial years of development, said Ye Lin, vice-president of commodity markets research at Rystad Energy. China's diesel demand has flattened and peaked in recent years. This is a trend linked to the ongoing transformation of the country's economic growth model, Ye said, citing the accelerated adoption of LNG trucks, which specifically impacted demand from the trucking sector and contributed to an overall fall in diesel consumption last year. — China Daily/ANN
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Pakistan extends airspace closure for Indian airlines, aircraft by another month till August 24
Pakistan has extended the closure of its airspace for Indian aircraft and aircraft operated by Indian airlines by a month, till August 24 early morning, according to a fresh notice to airmen (NOTAM) issued by Pakistan's aviation authorities. The new NOTAM came a few days before the July 24 expiration of the earlier closure notice. After this extension by Pakistan, India is also likely to extend the closure of its airspace for Pakistani airlines and aircraft beyond July 24, when the current Indian NOTAM is also set to expire. Following the Pahalgam terror attack in April, as diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan deteriorated, Pakistan on April 24 shut its airspace to Indian aircraft and airlines for at least a month, banning them from overflying its airspace. On April 30, India, too, closed its airspace to Pakistani aircraft and airlines. Since then, both countries have been extending their airspace closures by issuing NOTAMs on a monthly basis. The two countries have only banned each other's airlines and aircraft from their respective airspaces, but they remain open for overflying for airlines and aircraft from other countries. The new NOTAM issued by Pakistan is similar to the previous notices, except for the effective duration of airspace closure. Pakistan will keep its airspace closed to Indian airlines and aircraft, including military flights, till 5:29 India time on August 24. With the Pakistani airspace not available to them, around 800 flights a week of Indian airlines are being impacted by longer durations, increased fuel burn, and a few other complexities related to crew and flight scheduling, all of which are increasing operational costs for the carriers. Indian airlines' flights from North India to West Asia, the Caucasus, Europe, the UK, and North America's eastern region switched from their routine paths to longer routes, adding anywhere between 15 minutes to a few hours to the journey, depending on the distance and the location of the destination. All major Indian airlines operate international flights to destinations to the west of the country, and many of these flights were routinely overflying Pakistan. Air India operates flights to West Asia, Europe, the UK, and North America. IndiGo operated flights to West Asia, Turkey, the Caucasus, and Central Asia, but had to suspend flights to the Central Asian cities of Almaty and Tashkent from Delhi as they were now outside the operational range of its existing fleet of narrow-body aircraft. Air India Express, Akasa Air, and SpiceJet's west-bound international flights are to destinations in West Asia. According to data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, currently there are almost 400 weekly westward international departures from North Indian airports—Delhi, Amritsar, Jaipur, and Lucknow—that were routinely flying over Pakistan. Given that all these flights have return legs, the total number of affected flights goes up to around 800 from these airports. Of these, around 640 flights are from or to India's largest airport—Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport—which is likely to be the most affected due to the move by Pakistan. Additionally, a handful of ultra-long-haul flights from other Indian cities like Mumbai are also getting impacted as their flight paths used to go through the Pakistani airspace. For Pakistan, the impact of India's airspace closure has been rather insignificant because, unlike India's booming aviation sector, Pakistan's struggling flag carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), has a limited international footprint, and that too largely to the west of the country. According to airline schedule data from Cirium, PIA operates just six flights a week — to and from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, from Lahore and Islamabad — that were routinely flying over India. Flight tracking data shows that some of Air India's ultra-long-haul flights to and from North America have had to take technical halts — planned stops for refueling or crew change — at European airports like Copenhagen and Vienna, breaking the journey of the otherwise non-stop flights. The last time when Pakistan closed its airspace for an extended period—in 2019 following the Balakot airstrikes by the Indian Air Force—some of Air India's flights to North America had to take technical halts midway on a regular basis. When Pakistan closed its airspace for over four months in 2019, Indian airlines are estimated to have lost around Rs 700 crore due to higher fuel expenses and operational complications that came with longer routes many of their flights were forced to take. Air India was the worst affected Indian carrier at the time, as it operated more west-bound international flights than other airlines. Moreover, it was and continues to be the only Indian airline that operates long-haul and ultra-long-haul flights to Europe and North America. Air India, now a Tata group entity, is understood to have informed the government that the Pakistani airspace closure is estimated to cost the airline around $600 million on an annualised basis. Over the past few years, other Indian airlines — particularly IndiGo — have also expanded their international networks to include various destinations that can be served by their existing fleets that mainly comprises narrow-body jets. IndiGo is the only Indian airline that was flying to destinations in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Turkey. Sukalp Sharma is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express and writes on a host of subjects and sectors, notably energy and aviation. He has over 13 years of experience in journalism with a body of work spanning areas like politics, development, equity markets, corporates, trade, and economic policy. He considers himself an above-average photographer, which goes well with his love for travel. ... Read More
Business Recorder
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
PM seeks private investment in shipping sector
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed authorities to devise a comprehensive plan to attract private investment in the country's shipping sector, as part of broader efforts to modernise transport infrastructure and reduce reliance on foreign freight services. The prime minister while chairing a high-level review meeting concerning reforms in the shipping industry and the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC), called for restructuring the national carrier along corporate lines. He emphasised the need to strengthen maritime capabilities in order to capitalise on the country's strategic location and increase foreign exchange earnings. 'Improvements in the railway and shipping sectors are of critical importance for transit trade,' he said. 'Transporting goods via Pakistani shipping lines presents a rare opportunity to earn valuable foreign exchange.' Highlighting the emerging Pakistan-Afghanistan-Uzbekistan railway corridor, Sharif described it as a 'new era of regional trade,' positioning Pakistan's ports as a vital gateway for Central Asian exports to the world. He further directed the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and the PNSC to present a sustainable business model and comprehensive reform plan for the sector, underlining the importance of expanding the national fleet to curb the country's heavy spending on foreign freight charges. Among those present at the meeting were Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal Cheema and Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, as well as senior government officials. In a separate development, the prime minister welcomed the country's current account surplus, which reached $2.1 billion in the fiscal year 2024–2025 – the highest in 22 years. He attributed the improvement to a significant rise in remittances and exports, alongside robust government measures that have pushed foreign exchange reserves beyond $19 billion. 'The improving financial and economic indicators show that the country's economy is on the path of stability,' Sharif said. 'The government is taking priority steps to further improve the business and investor-friendly environment in the country.' He commended his economic team for their contributions to stabilising the economy. Separately, in a message posted on X, the prime minister expressed satisfaction over the successful completion of hands-on agricultural training in China for around 300 Pakistani graduates. The programme, held in Shaanxi province of China, covered key areas such as water-saving irrigation, seed production, animal husbandry, and prevention of post-harvest losses. 'My special thanks to the Chinese leadership, the Shaanxi Government, and the two universities involved,' Sharif said. He also praised the Ministry of National Food Security, the Higher Education Commission, and the Pakistan's Embassy in Beijing for facilitating the initiative. The graduates are part of a 1,000-strong cohort announced by the prime minister during his visit to China in June 2024, aimed at enhancing agricultural skills and technology transfer. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Mint
6 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
‘Zero tolerance for Terrorism': India welcomes US move to designate TRF a ‘terrorist organisation'
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has hailed the United States' decision to designate The Resistance Front (TRF) — a proxy of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) — as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). Jaishankar expressed his appreciation to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu for their strong stance against terrorism. He termed the designation a 'strong affirmation' of the shared commitment between India and the United States to combat global terror threats. The TRF, believed to be a front for LeT, had claimed responsibility for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. Jaishankar reaffirmed India's zero-tolerance approach to terrorism, reiterating the need for continued global vigilance and coordinated action against terror groups and their proxies. (This is a developing story)
