In a modest household somewhere in Lahore, a young graduate wakes up not to opportunity, but to uncertainty. His degree, framed proudly on the wall, once symbolised hope-not just for him, but for his entire family. Years of tuition fees, sleepless nights, and parental sacrifices were invested in that piece of paper. Today, it hangs […]
Dreams
Iran strikes end Dubai dreams for Pakistani workers
Abdul Malick sat among mourning relatives in his village in southern Pakistan, receiving condolences from neighbours after his nephew, Muzaffar Ali, was killed in Dubai last week. Ali, a 27-year-old labourer, was one of two Pakistanis killed in retaliatory Iranian strikes against Gulf countries since the start of US-Israeli attacks on the Islamic republic two […]
Basketball bust-ups threaten ambitious Japan’s hoop dreams
Japan has ambitious plans to become a basketball powerhouse but a row involving star player Rui Hachimura and disagreements over the domestic league’s direction mean success is anything but a slam dunk. Once a minnow on the world stage, Japan qualified for last year’s Paris Olympics and took eventual silver medallists France to overtime in […]
Swapping Kalashnikovs for bat and pads: Afghan cricket, the Taliban and peace
During a lull in Afghanistan’s never-ending war, before the fighting season resumes once again in the spring, Taliban fighters recall laying down their Kalashnikovs and, for a brief moment, enjoying a game of cricket. The sport is the only one most of the fighters enjoy, commanders say, with matches attracting hundreds of spectators from Taliban-controlled […]