BEIJING: China’s foreign trade volume reached a new high in the first half of this year, showing strong resilience and a steady upward momentum despite the challenging external environment. China’s strong manufacturing capabilities, along with its burgeoning consumer market, technological advancements and favorable trade policies, have been providing its trade partners with vast opportunities and boosting the global economic recovery. …

After granting customs duty and sales tax exemption to diplomats in Pakistan, the government has now extended federal excise duty (FED) exemption on imports of diplomats, diplomatic missions, privileged persons, and privileged organizations. The revised Federal Excise Act 2005, updated up to June 30, 2024, revealed that the conditional exemption of FED would be available on the imports made by …

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Friday approved a $400 million concessional loan to support the reconstruction of houses and community infrastructure in Pakistan’s Sindh province damaged by the devastating floods in 2022. The Sindh Emergency Housing Reconstruction Project will rehabilitate flood-damaged houses and community infrastructure and support livelihood recovery, with a focus on strengthening communities’ resilience against climate change-induced …

The world just had its warmest day on record, and extended heat waves are becoming more frequent due to climate change. These conditions can affect the way drugs work and how they affect those who take them. Here is what you need to know about medicines in hot weather: How Does Heat Alter the Effects and Quality of Medicines? Medications …

In anticipation of the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh, significant changes to Pakistan’s squad are expected, according to sources in Lahore. Consultations on the squad are scheduled to take place next week, as the team prepares for the series. Several adjustments to the Test squad are anticipated. Muhammad Huraira is likely to be included, bolstering the team’s line-up. However, it …

Mr. Rizwan Anwar Global Youth Ambassador to United Nations and Ms. Maha Jamil UN Youth Advocate represented the Prime Minister Youth Programme (PMYP) at the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva during the 22nd International Sustainability Conference. The Mr Rizwan Anwar underscored the proactive involvement of Pakistan’s youth in driving social transformation. Speakers emphasized that, under the visionary leadership of Prime …

Husain Al-Musallam, the Director General of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), has been instrumental in elevating the stature of Asian sports on the global stage. Under his management, the OCA has seen significant advancements in its operations, athlete support, and international collaborations. Al-Musallam has been a strong advocate for transparency and integrity in sports administration. His efforts led to …

Former President Barack Obama and ex-First Lady Michelle Obama have officially endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic presidential nominee, ending days of speculation. In a joint statement, they praised Harris for having the “vision, the character, and the strength that this critical moment demands.” The Obamas expressed their wholehearted support, stating, “We could not be more thrilled to …

The Federal Bureau of Statistics reported that inflation in Pakistan increased by 0.17% last week, bringing the annual inflation rate to 20.09%. The prices of 19 essential commodities saw significant increases, affecting the cost of living for many households, according to the bureau. According to the bureau, key items such as chicken, garlic, daal channa, eggs, meat, milk, firewood, and …

In a series of coordinated raids since late Wednesday night, police conducted extensive operations targeting members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) across various cities in Pakistan after they announced a protest sit-in at Islamabad’s D-Chowk after Friday prayers. The PTI is holding demonstrations in various cities across the country, including several spots in Lahore, outside the Islamabad …

PARIS: Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and Chinese Olympic champions Lin Dan, Wu Jingyu and Zhang Hong participated in the torch relay in Olympic Village on Friday. “For me, it is the most moving experience I ever made with the torch relay,” said Bach. “In particular, after the two last ones which had to be without …

BEIJING: Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Thursday chaired a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee to study and arrange work related to flood control and disaster relief. China has entered a critical period of flood control, with significant flooding expected in major river …

BEIJING: China, a major contributor to global economic growth, has reiterated its commitment to opening up during a key policy meeting, a move expected to provide much-needed certainty and opportunities to a world that has been mired in sluggish growth for years. The country’s renewed plan for opening up is part of a comprehensive set of reforms outlined in a …

BEIJING: A Chinese military spokesperson on Thursday said attempts to intimidate China with military exercises or aggressive rhetoric will never work. Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to a media inquiry about the U.S.-led multinational “RIMPAC-2024” exercise, which is believed by some to be an act of “muscle-flexing against China.” The …

GUANGZHOU: Shenzhen, in the vibrant southern Chinese province of Guangdong, is not just a city but a canvas illustrating tomorrow’s urban life. In Shenzhen’s Pingshan District, the streets pulse with a symphony of future transportation: yellow unmanned logistic cars pause obediently at red lights before zipping off to deliver piping hot meals; driverless cabs glide effortlessly alongside, ferrying passengers to …

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has identified loopholes in Pakistan’s failure to increase its exports. The international lender has handed over a report on trade to the government of Pakistan, according to which, Pakistan is extremely weak in increasing its exports. Sources indicate that the report highlights restrictions on payments, obstacles in imports, and exchange rates as fundamental reasons for Pakistan’s …

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit Tehran on Tuesday to attend the inauguration ceremony of President-elect of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian. At her weekly news briefing in Islamabad today, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the visit underscores the commitment by the two countries to strengthen leadership engagement and bilateral relations. When asked about the recent statement made by US …

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday nullified PTI founder Imran Khan’s 10-day physical remand granted over his alleged involvement in May 9 violence. A two-member bench comprising Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh and Justice Anwarul Haq announced the reserved verdict on Imran Khan’s plea against the physical remand. The court also declared the notification pertaining to the attendance of the …

Grévin wax museum in Paris honoured Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan with a customized gold coin entitled with his name. Paris Museum already displays a wax statue of Khan. Bollywood celebrities like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Ranveer Singh, has felicitated Khan for his contributions to World cinema with a specialized gold coin. The 58-year-old icon is reportedly the first Indian …

After a brief absence following her most recent Hajj trip, former Indian tennis sensation Sania Mirza returned to Instagram. Her recent Instagram post highlights her current activities nowadays. The 37-year-old has a large global fan base, and those followers are quite curious to discover what daily tasks Sania does. When she took a break from social media last month to …

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board is anticipated to convene in mid-August to finalize the approval of a $7 billion bailout package for Pakistan. This development follows a staff-level agreement reached between Pakistan and the IMF on July 12. The IMF’s Executive Board is expected to grant its final approval within four to six weeks after the staff-level agreement. …

Hundreds of maggots, mealworms, and crickets were released at the Watergate Hotel on Wednesday, where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was staying during his visit to Washington, D.C. The incident, which was captured in a video posted to Instagram by the Palestinian Youth Movement and its DMV chapter, raises questions about security lapses at the high-profile venue. The video shows …

Amid security concerns, section 144 has been imposed across Punjab and Islamabad prohibiting assemblies, processions, or protests. This measure comes as part of heightened security protocols due to anticipated protests and the prevailing threat of terrorism. The capital administration has warned that any violations will be met with strict action. “Violation of Section 144 cannot be allowed under any circumstances,” …

The Election Commission of Pakistan has commenced the implementation of the Supreme Court’s July 12 decision, issuing notifications confirming 39 MNAs as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members in parliament. This decision was taken in a key session of the commission presided over by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja on Thursday. According to the notification, these 39 Members of the …

BEIJING: China’s top economic planner announced on Thursday new measures to promote the trade-in program. Approximately 300 billion yuan (about 42 billion U.S. dollars) in ultra-long special treasury bonds will be earmarked to boost large-scale equipment renewals and replace old consumer goods with new ones, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). The trade-in program will be expanded …

BEIJING: China’s Ministry of Commerce on Thursday expressed major concern over planned protectionist measures by the European Union (EU) in the biodiesel industry, and warned that such measures will backfire. The EU, the largest biodiesel market globally, imports biodiesel from China to meet its substantial consumption needs, which helps in achieving its green transformation and energy-saving goals, said ministry spokesperson …

BEIJING: The central parity rate of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the yuan, strengthened 37 pips to 7.1321 against the U.S. dollar Thursday, according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System. In China’s spot foreign exchange market, the yuan is allowed to rise or fall by 2 percent from the central parity rate each trading day. The central parity rate …

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping has instructed Xiamen Airlines to play an active role in serving economic and social development and advancing exchanges and cooperation across the Taiwan Strait. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the instructions in a reply letter to the staff members of …

GUANGZHOU: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis and the healthy and steady development of China-Ukraine relations on Wednesday. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks when holding talks with visiting Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Guangzhou. POLITICAL SETTLEMENT …

BEIJING: World leaders and experts welcomed the signing of a declaration by 14 Palestinian factions in Beijing and lauded China’s role in promoting it. The signing of the Beijing Declaration on Ending Division and Strengthening Palestinian National Unity is “an additional positive step” toward achieving Palestinian national unity and represents “the ideal and most appropriate national solution” for the Palestinian …

BEIJING: Just days after the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, a delegation from the U.S.-China Business Council (USCBC) visited China. The visit came as China stands at a critical juncture of comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese modernization. The message from China to the U.S. guests is clear: despite external pressures and …

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reconstituted boards of six power distribution companies over unsatisfactory performance. The prime minister reconstituted six boards including Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO), Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO), Multan Electric Power Company (MEPCO), Peshawar Electri Supply (PESCO) Hazara Electric Supply Company (HAZECO) and Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO). Amer Zia, a power sector consultant, was …

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has constituted a larger bench to hear cases of missing persons. After wrapping up the plea seeking recovery of missing poet Ahmed Farhad, on June 7 IHC judge Mohsin Akhtar Kiani stated his intention to write to the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) to constitute a larger bench for cases involving missing persons, ensuring that multiple …

A passenger plane crashed on takeoff in Kathmandu on Wednesday, with the pilot rescued from the flaming wreckage but all 18 others aboard killed, police in the Nepali capital told AFP. Nepal has a woeful track record on aviation safety and the Himalayan republic has seen a spate of deadly light plane and helicopter crashes over the decades. The Saurya …

Sanak’, a highly anticipated Pakistani psychological thriller, is scheduled for a wide theatrical release on August 16, 2024. The film, which has faced several delays due to censorship issues since September 2023, will now be screened in Pakistan, also in international markets including the Middle East, UK, and various European countries. Starring Shyraa Roy, Muneeb Ali, and Zubair Shariq, ‘Sanak’ …

Justice Athar Minallah of the Supreme Court, while defending the decision to open the Islamabad High Court on the night of April 9 when he was the chief justice, said courts should remain open whenever there is a threat of a martial law. Addressing the New York City Bar Association on ‘Independence of Judiciary and Rule of Law in Pakistan’, …

During a recent committee hearing in the US House of Representatives on the budget for South and Central Asia, diplomat Donald Lu appeared and discussed issues with a focus on Pakistan. US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu emphasized that the Biden administration was committed to supporting democracy and human rights in Pakistan. “The …

The Punjab government has announced the abolition of all government commerce colleges across the province, with plans to convert these institutions into information technology (IT) colleges. The Punjab Department of Higher Education has initiated work on this project, which is supposedly aimed at revitalizing the province’s educational landscape and addressing the evolving needs of the job market. The decision will …

A meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly on Water Resources under the chairmanship of Khalid Magsi wherein the Secretary of the Water Resources ministry briefed the participants that Pakistan objected to the design of the Kishan Ganga hydroelectric power plant. “India says the design is correct,” the Water Resources ministry secretary said. “There are currently two cases …

Bollywood star Salman Khan has stated that he believes the notorious gangster Lawrence Bishnoi orchestrated the firing incident outside his residence, aiming to kill him and his family. This statement, recorded by the anti-extortion cell of the Mumbai Crime Branch last month, is part of a comprehensive 1,735-page chargesheet filed earlier this month. According to the chargesheet, Khan recounted the …