India’s press freedom has faced significant setbacks under Narendra Modi’s administration. The Modi govt has been accused of undermining the foundations of Indian democracy by curbing media freedom, targeting opposition parties, and marginalizing minorities. International media outlets, such as CNN, have reported that the Modi administration is striving to consolidate power in India. This assertion is supported by India’s dramatic …

World number five Jessica Pegula announced her withdrawal from the French Open on Thursday, citing an incomplete recovery from an injury. The 30-year-old American shared the news on Instagram, stating, “Unfortunately, pulling out of @rolandgarros this year. I’m just about back to practicing normal (I haven’t had any issues for weeks), but I played it super safe with recovery and …

Pakistan has experienced a remarkable 172% increase in foreign direct investment (FDI) in April 2024, with figures rising from $131.9 million to $358.84 million compared to the same month last year. This surge marks the highest FDI inflow in the past 51 months, according to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). The Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), …

SpaceX launched its first batch of operational spy satellites on Wednesday, marking the first of several scheduled this year, as part of a new US intelligence network aimed at greatly enhancing the nation’s capabilities for space-based surveillance, according to Reuters. The spy network was made public earlier this year by two Reuters stories that showed SpaceX is constructing hundreds of …

The country is on high alert as meteorologists predict an intensification of the ongoing heatwave. Citizens are urged to prepare for another severe spell of high temperatures, while the ongoing one is expected to last several more days. According to Mahr Sahibzad Khan, director of the Met department in Lahore, temperatures are likely to escalate further in Sindh, Punjab, and …

Negotiations between Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on a new loan program are expected to conclude today, with the possibility of the IMF mission departing tonight without reaching a staff-level agreement. Sources close to the negotiations revealed that the IMF has set several pre-conditions that Pakistan must fulfil before a staff-level agreement can be reached. These conditions include …

Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has got himself into yet another situation that has put his family in an unforeseen crisis. His older brother, Ayazuddin Siddiqui, has reportedly been arrested on forgery-related charges. Ayazuddin is accused of fraudulently issuing an order letter to the consolidation department, purportedly on behalf of the District Magistrate court. According to reports, this letter was filed …

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday sent a congratulatory letter to the China-GCC Countries Forum on Industrial and Investment Cooperation held in Xiamen, east China’s Fujian Province. The friendly exchanges between China and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have a long history spanning over a thousand years, Xi noted, adding that in 2022, the first China-GCC Summit was …

ISLAMABAD: Chinese ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong Wednesday said CPEC’s various projects are continuously enhancing the capacity of sustainable development for Pakistan. A momentous occasion celebrated with warmth and gratitude, Chinese ambassador underscored the enduring strength of this friendship poised for unprecedented economic and strategic cooperation. Speaking at a ceremony here at the 73rd anniversary of China Pakistan Diplomatic relations, …

MONTREAL, Canada: UN officials, among other high-level representatives, have called on everyone to be part of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, also known as the Biodiversity Plan, to echo the theme of the 2024 edition of International Day for Biological Diversity. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in his statement that decimating biodiversity damages sustainable development today and will create …

CHANGCHUN: Across plateaus, mountains, and rainforests, wildlife is rebounding in China as the country strives to establish the world’s largest national park system by 2035. Ranging from the likes of Hainan gibbons to Tibetan antelopes, wildlife populations have increased in the country’s national parks, an achievement worth celebrating on the International Day for Biological Diversity, which falls on May 22. …

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday sent a message to the 14th China-U.S. Tourism Leadership Summit held in Xi’an, northwest China’s Shaanxi Province. Noting that this year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, Xi said the foundation of China-U.S. relations is laid by the people, the door of China-U.S. …

A Met Official has said that ongoing hot weather will persist until the first week of June. The maximum temperature could soar above 50 degree Celsius during May 23 to 28, Chief Meteorologist Sardar Sarfaraz has said. “Pre-monsoon rainfall could begin in the first week of June,” the weather official said. The heatwave with soaring temperatures continuing in most parts of …

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) has released the final investigation report of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Airbus A320 flight four years after the incident. On May 22, 2020, a PIA Airbus A320 coming from Lahore crashed in Karachi. The catastrophic aviation disaster took the lives of 99 passengers including the crew and two people on the ground. Only …

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has touched down in the Islamic Republic of Iran to offer condolences on the sad demise of President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian. The Iranian president and foreign minister were among a group of officials killed in a helicopter crash in the Eastern Azerbaijan province of Iran on Sunday. The prime minister is …

Microsoft unveiled additional tools designed to incentivize developers to include artificial intelligence (AI) into Windows software as it competes with Alphabet, Amazon, and Apple to lead the growing industry, according to Reuters. CEO Satya Nadella pushed new application programming interfaces, or APIs, that facilitate developers’ access to Microsoft’s artificial intelligence (AI) technology at a developer conference in Seattle. Github Copilot, …

As one would expect from a family that genuinely has it all, you should have high expectations for the Ambanis. At their family gatherings, you can anticipate seeing the biggest Bollywood actors serving meals. They will probably fly in casually and host billionaires in the tech industry. Did you have your eye on any gowns at the Met Gala? What …

Ireland, Spain, and Norway declared on Wednesday that they would recognize a state for Palestine on May 28. They expressed hope that other Western nations would do the same, leading Israel to recall its ambassadors. The action, according to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, is intended to quicken the pace of efforts to obtain a ceasefire in Israel’s conflict with …

In a surprising turn of events, a case of electricity theft has been registered against a three-year-old child at the Cantt Police Station in Dera Ismail Khan. The incident has left many baffled, raising questions about the circumstances surrounding the accusation. According to reports, the case was registered against the child, identified as Zaigham, for allegedly being involved in electricity …

Pakistan team management on Wednesday decided to release fast bowler Hasan Ali from the team squad ahead of the England series. According to details, the team management had decided to ask Ali to again take up his responsibility in the English county. Ali was representing Warwickshire in the English county. He played a T20I match against Ireland recently, during which …

Pakistan women will take on England women in the first ODI on May 23 (Thursday) in Derby. According to details, the three-match series will be part of the ICC Women’s Championship. The Green Shirts were placed in the fifth position in the championship. This is the eighth and last series of the Nida Dar-led Pakistan in the championship. Expressing her thoughts, …

Policy-level talks between Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are currently underway, focusing on crucial economic reforms, particularly in the gas sector. Sources reveal that the discussions include a comprehensive review of tariff adjustments, measures to reduce revolving debt, and broader energy sector reforms. A significant increase in gas tariffs is likely to be implemented from August, impacting various …

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) top brass on Wednesday called for the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the brutal attack on party’s spokesman Raoof Hasan. In a press conference held in Islamabad, PTI leader Omar Ayub flanked by Raoof Hasan, Azam Swati and other leaders detailed the “horrific nature” of the attack, describing how a sharp instrument was used to …

Ahead of fifth season for the Lanka Premier League 2024, the Colombo strikers have announced the official squad at today’s auction draft. Following a successful acquisition, the Colombo strikers have secured top international lineup of Angelo Perera, Rahmanullah Gurbaaz, Matheesha Pathirana, Chamika Gunasekara, Taskin Ahmed, Dunith Wellalage, Shevon Daniel, Allah Ghazanfar, Isitha Wijesundara, Muhammad Waseem, Shehan Fernando, Kavin Bandara, Binura …

BEIJING: Lai Ching-te has taken a more radical stance seeking “Taiwan independence” in his speech upon assuming the role of Taiwan region’s new leader, a Chinese mainland spokesperson said Tuesday. Full of hostility and provocation and made up of lies and deception, Lai’s Monday speech is a confession of “Taiwan independence,” said Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council …

BEIJING: A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Tuesday urged the United States to earnestly abide by its commitments of not using Taiwan as a tool to contain China, and stop hollowing out the one-China principle. Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a daily press briefing in response to a query about U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s “congratulations” to …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan abides by the one-China principle as the country always chooses to stand on the right side of history, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari said during a recent interview with Chinese media. Tuesday marks the 73rd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. Recalling the rapport between the previous generations’ leaders of the two countries, …

BEIJING: Chinese Premier Li Qiang has highlighted the role of the financial sector in serving the real economy and urged efforts to promote the sector’s high-quality development. Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and head of the Central Financial Commission, made the remarks in instructions …

BEIJING: Yu Zhiliang, a 66-year-old villager from Wuyuan County in east China’s Jiangxi Province, has returned to his hometown after living in the bustling southern metropolis of Shenzhen for over three decades. Amid local efforts to unlock the tourism potential of the county, Yu rebuilt his ancestral mansion and converted it into a rustic homestay earlier this year, retaining the …

ASTANA: Countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) have been important partners for China in high-level opening-up and high-quality development, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday during a meeting of the SCO Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs here. Valuing the SCO’s role, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central …

Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt has reportedly walked out of Akshay Kumar-led ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ after shooting for 15 days. As reported exclusively by an Indian entertainment outlet, seasoned actor Sanjay Dutt has stepped back from the star-studded threequel of the superhit comedy franchise ‘Welcome’, due to his health issues. According to the details, the ‘Munna Bhai M.B.B.S’ actor had …

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister were killed in a helicopter crash in mountainous terrain and icy weather, an Iranian official said on Monday, after search teams located the wreckage in East Azerbaijan province. Below is a brief outline of what Iran’s constitution says happens if a president is incapacitated or dies in office: According to Article 131 …

Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday emphasised that a durable peace in South Asia was contingent upon a just settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of Kashmiri people. The prime minister made these remarks while talking to a delegation of Kashmiri Diaspora activists, led by Secretary General, …

WhatsApp has announced an increase in the video status length for selected beta users. The Meta-owned messaging app is now allowing video statuses to reach a maximum duration of one minute, up from the previous 30-second limit, as reported by WABetaInfo. This update brings WhatsApp in line with its competitors like Instagram and Messenger, which already offer the option to post …

Pakistani climber Sirbaz Khan has successfully summited Mount Everest without the use of artificial oxygen, becoming the second Pakistani to achieve this feat. This follows Sajid Sadpara, who previously accomplished the same challenge. Khan’s ascent of Everest adds to his remarkable record of climbing 11 of the world’s 14 highest peaks, all without supplemental oxygen. This makes him the first …

A Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore was hit by severe turbulence, resulting in one fatality and multiple injuries. The Boeing 777-300ER, carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members, made an emergency landing in Bangkok at 3:45pm local time (08:45 GMT) on Tuesday. Flight SQ321 experienced a sudden drop in altitude from 37,000 feet to 31,000 feet over the …

The electricity shortfall in the country has surged to 4,500 megawatts, with the total demand standing at 25,000MW against a production of 20,000MW. According to official data, 4,000MW of electricity is being generated from water resources, while private sector power plants are contributing 8,500MW to the national grid. Nuclear power plants are producing 3,500MW, and 1,500MW is being generated from …

Jamtiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) lawmaker Noor Alam Khan submitted an amendment bill to the National Assembly to ban the appointment of a person with dual citizenship as a judge of the Supreme Court (SC). Noor Alam Khan of JUI-F has suggested in a private constitutional amendment bill that a person with dual citizenship could not be appointed as a judge of …

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has intensified its drive against tax evaders, blocking over 3,400 mobile SIMs of non-filers so far, with many more to follow. According to FBR officials, the list of non-filers has been shared with telecom companies, and the process of blocking SIMs will continue gradually. The FBR has identified 56,671 individuals who have not filed …

Pakistan Kissan Rabta Committee staged a protest at Charing Cross, The Mall wherein women farmers also participated in the demonstration against the delay of wheat procurement by the Punjab government. The protesters raised slogans against the government and stated if the wheat purchase did not start soon, they would surround the Punjab Chief Minister’s House. The farmers demanded Punjab government …