SHARJAH: The Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority (SEWA) has launched a package of incentives and facilities for tourism establishments, aiming to support the sector’s sustainability, enhance its competitiveness and strengthen the emirate’s investment environment.

SEWA said it has formed a dedicated team to oversee the implementation of the initiatives through field visits to eligible tourism businesses.

The team will explain the available benefits, guide businesses on how to access them, gather feedback from investors and assess operational challenges to help refine the programme and maximise its economic impact.

Periodic reports and recommendations will also be prepared to improve implementation.

Dr. Hussein Al Askar, Director of SEWA’s Customer Service Department, said the initiatives will run from June until the end of August 2026 and are aligned with the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, to enhance the business environment and support the sustainable development of the tourism sector.

He added that the programme is being closely followed by Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Executive Council.

The package includes extending bill payment deadlines by one additional month, allowing utility bills to be paid in instalments, waiving disconnection penalties for three months, and permitting security deposits for new accounts to be paid over four instalments.

Other measures include a three-month exemption from engineering plan approval fees for tourism establishments, extending utility connection periods for projects without additional charges, freezing service fees for inactive utility meters at hotels and tourism facilities, and allowing serviced apartment investors to disconnect utilities for unused units.

SEWA will also allow maintenance permit fees for electrical works to be paid in instalments and will cover bank charges incurred on utility bill payments made through bank transfers for three months.

Askar said the authority would continue coordinating with relevant entities to monitor the implementation of the initiatives and assess any additional incentives approved in the future, with the aim of supporting tourism sector growth and reinforcing Sharjah’s position as a leading regional and international tourism and investment destination while contributing to sustainable economic development.

ISLAMABAD: A viral video showing a foreign woman accusing female police officers of assault at Islamabad’s Kohsar Police Station has surfaced on social media, ARY News reported.

In the viral video, the woman can be heard alleging that female police personnel assaulted her inside the police station instead of providing assistance.

According to sources, the foreign woman had initially called police to Sector F-6 over a financial dispute. However, she later alleged that she was subjected to physical abuse after being taken to Kohsar Police Station.

The viral footage also appears to show female Islamabad police officers arguing with and allegedly mistreating the woman during the incident.

Following the circulation of the video, SSP Operations Islamabad took notice and directed the SDPO Kohsar to conduct an inquiry into the matter.

A police spokesperson said initial information suggests the dispute appears to be of a civil nature. The spokesperson added that efforts would be made to resolve the matter through dialogue while the inquiry determines the facts surrounding the incident.

Police have not yet issued any findings regarding the woman’s allegations, and the investigation is underway.

Meanwhile, two foreign women who were allegedly abducted and raped in Lahore may have left Pakistan.

Speaking during the ARY News program, The Reporters, journalist Abid Khan, reported that the foreign victims might have already left the country. He added that while the police likely conducted the necessary medical examinations, law enforcement authorities are keeping all details regarding the women strictly confidential.

According to Khan, the current whereabouts of the women remain unknown following the recording of their statements under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure yesterday.

The reporter noted that if the victims have indeed left Pakistan, the outcome of this criminal case can easily be predicted, as their physical absence may weaken the prosecution.

Furthermore, initial reports indicated that five individuals were involved in the abduction and assault; the police produced four suspects in court today.

China on Friday successfully tested an experimental rocket retrieval system using a net attached to a sea platform, state media reported, in the hope of breaking US dominance in reusable rockets.

The Long March 10B rocket lifted off from the Hainan commercial space launch site in southern China at 12:15pm (9:15am PKT) and, about six minutes after separation of its booster and upper stage, the booster returned vertically and was recovered on an offshore platform, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

The test marks China’s first successful retrieval of an orbital-class rocket, putting the country closer to developing reusable rockets.

The rocket had sent a satellite into preset orbit on Friday, state media said.

Shares in Chinese aerospace firms jumped on the news, with China Spacesat and China Satellite Communications hitting daily limits.

The Long March 10B has been compared to the Falcon 9, SpaceX’s widely used medium-lift rocket. It was developed for commercial aerospace by the country’s main state rocket developer, the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), and is capable of carrying a payload of at least 16 metric tons to low-Earth orbit.

But unlike the Falcon 9, the Long March 10B does not autonomously land on deployable legs on a ground pad or drone ship, using instead four “landing hooks” to catch the net attached to a sea platform.

“Net-based recovery helps simplify the rocket’s onboard structure, reduces vehicle mass and increases payload capacity. It is also highly adaptable to landing-point deviations, as coordinated net systems can effectively expand the capture window,” CALT’s expert Chen Muye told state agency Xinhua.

SpaceX landed a Falcon 9 rocket from an orbital flight for the first time in December 2015, followed by Blue Origin’s New Glenn in November 2025.

By now, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launches around 150 times a year, or roughly three times a week, with its booster reused dozens of times as needed. The engine-packed booster is generally viewed as the most valuable part of a rocket.

China has spent nearly a decade developing reusable rocket technologies, from early low-altitude hover tests to orbital-class booster recovery attempts in recent years. A system of reusable rockets will lower launch costs for China’s rapidly expanding commercial satellite constellations.

Private Chinese firms are also stepping up efforts to test their reusable rockets amid intense global competition to acquire the technology, and China has eased IPO rules for firms developing reusable rockets to help them raise funding.

Two attempts by private Chinese firm LandSpace and state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation last year failed to complete the crucial final step of landing and booster recovery.

As part of the Long March 10 family being developed for China’s crewed lunar missions before 2030, the Long March 10B could also provide data and validate technologies relevant to the broader lunar programme.

China plans to use the Long March 10B’s booster stage again for another launch by the end of this year, CCTV said.