BEIJING: Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Friday chaired a State Council executive meeting that heard a report on the handling of suggestions from deputies to the National People’s Congress and proposals from members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference last year. The meeting studied measures to make greater efforts to attract and utilize foreign investment, …

BEIJING: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Jens Plotner, foreign and security policy advisor to the German chancellor, in Beijing on Friday. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, noted that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Germany comprehensive strategic partnership. China is willing to …

LOS ANGELES: U.S. company Intuitive Machines’ first lunar lander touched down on the Moon Thursday, marking the first American spacecraft to land on the lunar surface in more than 50 years. The uncrewed lander, named Odysseus, landed at the lunar South Pole at 6:23 p.m. Eastern Time, according to NASA. After troubleshooting communications, flight controllers have confirmed Odysseus is upright …

BEIJING: Wang Huning, a senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC), has urged firm efforts to advance the cause of national reunification. Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, made the remarks at a meeting on …

What is it? The appendix is a finger-like structure at the junction of the small and large intestines. It serves no function in the human body. Inflammation of the appendix is called appendicitis. This is a common surgical emergency in children that requires prompt medical attention and hospitalization. A delay in diagnosis and appropriate treatment is dangerous as the inflamed …

Speaker Sibtain Khan on Friday administered oath to 313 newly elected MPAs of the Punjab Assembly in the inaugural session. Punjab Governor Muhammad Balighur Rehman on Thursday summoned an inaugural session of the Punjab Assembly following the general elections held on February 8. Speaker of Punjab Assembly Sibatin Khan administered the oath to the elected representatives, marking their official induction …

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has stated that it is looking forward to engaging with the new government on policies to ensure “macroeconomic stability and prosperity for all of Pakistan’s citizens”. The development comes a day after PTI Senator Ali Zafar told reporters that a letter would be sent from incarcerated party founder Imran Khan to the international lender urging …

A Lahore district and sessions court on Friday sent anchorperson Imran Riaz, who was arrested last night, to jail in a corruption case. Riaz was arrested late last night from his home, with visuals of the arrest going viral on social media. The PTI has decried the arrest and called for Riaz’s immediate release. Riaz was presented before Judicial Magistrate …

Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli and Bollywood star Anushka Sharma recently celebrated the arrival of their second child, a baby boy named Akaay. The joyous news was officially announced on their social media accounts, where Anushka revealed that Akaay made his debut on February 15 at a London hospital. The revelation has sparked curiosity among fans, prompting speculation about whether …

Several Indian states have initiated a crackdown on the beloved confectionery delight, cotton candy, amidst alarming concerns over its potential health hazards. The southern state of Tamil Nadu has recently imposed a ban on the sale of this sugary treat following rigorous laboratory tests that confirmed the presence of Rhodamine-B, a notorious cancer-causing substance, in samples obtained from various vendors. …

Microsoft has released a new feature for its Windows Photos app called ‘Generative Erase’, which lets users use AI to selectively remove items from pictures Microsoft is now on pace with Google and Samsung, two companies with comparable AI-powered picture editing capabilities. In contrast to other platforms, Microsoft’s solution will support Arm64 devices and be backported to Windows 10, in …

There are more than 22 species of vulture right now around the globe out of 14 are those which are at the risk of going to extinct. This is particularly true in Sub-Saharan Africa, where four of the bird’s severely endangered species are found. According to the CNN that Vulpro, a South African non-profit organization, is striving to preserve and …

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday issued notifications for reserved seats for women in Sindh and Balochistan assemblies. In a notification, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has secured a lion’s share of the reserved seats for women in the Sindh Assembly. Out of the 14 allocated seats, the PPP clinched 10 in the notable names among the elected …

A meeting of the Supreme Judicial Commission (SJC) regarding the appointment of judges was held under the chairmanship of Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Isa on Friday. The SJC approved the appointments of the Justice Shehzad Ahmed Malik as Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court (LHC). The SJC also approved appointment of the Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan previously posted as …

BEIJING: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday said that all members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) should jointly pursue the organization’s sound development and make it a stabilizing anchor amid the changes of the world. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks at a reception in …

UNITED NATIONS: A Chinese envoy said Thursday that an immediate cease-fire in Gaza is imperative and that the essence of any Security Council action is to achieve an immediate cease-fire. The U.S. veto of an Algerian-drafted resolution on Tuesday meant that the Security Council missed yet another opportunity to push for a cease-fire in Gaza. The continuation of the conflict …

VIENTIANE: Representatives from the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the ASEAN Secretariat have reviewed the work of a key committee on financial cooperation and outlined strategic plans for the years ahead. The representatives gathered in Lao capital Vientiane for the 78th meeting of the Working Committee on Financial Services Liberalization (WC-FSL), according to a …

OTTAWA: A Canadian judge on Thursday gave the killer of four members of a Muslim family in London of the province of Ontario five life sentences in prison, local media reported. According to CTV News, Nathaniel Veltman, 23, was found guilty in November of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder for hitting the Afzaal family …

National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), one of the country’s largest commercial banks, registered a profit-after-tax (PAT) of Rs53.32 billion during calendar year 2023, a growth of over 72% year-on-year. The bank registered a PAT of Rs30.95 billion in the same period of the preceding year. As per a notice sent to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Thursday, NBP’s earnings …

BEIJING: A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Thursday urged the United States to stop arms sales to and military contact with Taiwan. According to reports, the U.S. Department of Defense said in a statement that the U.S. State Department has approved the sale of a 75-million-U.S.-dollar advanced tactical data link system to Taiwan. In response, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao …

GAZA: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) warned on Wednesday that food insecurity in the northern Gaza Strip had reached an “extremely critical state” because of the restrictions imposed on the delivery of humanitarian aid. The agency said in a press statement that 51 percent of missions planned by the UNRWA …

TOKYO: Japan’s industry minister on Wednesday urged the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to take thorough measures to ensure safety following a series of radioactive water leak incidents at the plant. Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Ken Saito told the president of Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) Tomoaki Kobayakawa that he wanted “management to take active steps …

NEW DELHI: A young farmer was killed and some others injured Wednesday after police fired rubber bullets and tear gas on marching farmers in the northern Indian state of Haryana, officials said. The killing took place at Khanauri, a border point between Punjab and Haryana, about 121 km from the national capital New Delhi. According to police, the 20-year-old identified …

BEIJING: China is gearing up to develop more advanced equipment to promote the modernization of the country’s emergency management systems and capabilities. Multiple new models of aircraft, smart robots and other equipment for emergency response are on the fast track of development and application, thanks to the joint efforts of government authorities and manufacturers. The Aviation Industry Corporation of China …

GUANGZHOU: Five people were killed after a ship hit a bridge and caused the bridge to fracture on Thursday morning in Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong Province. The victims include the driver of a bus without passengers, a motorbike rider and three people who were in vehicles that fell into the river under the bridge. The accident happened at around 5:30 …

BEIJING: China stands ready to work with all parties to continue deepening the BRICS strategic partnership, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday. Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at a daily press briefing when asked to comment on a report that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Moros had said recently that the old colonial world with wars, interventions, genocide …

The PTI on Thursday announced that it would be holding fresh intra-party elections on March 3 (Sunday). After a long battle and marathon hearings in the run-up to the February 8 general elections, the PTI was stripped of its symbol last month when the Supreme Court upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision to declare the party’s internal polls as …

In a bid to enhance the way users communicate on its platform, WhatsApp – under the umbrella of its parent company Meta – has unveiled four innovative text formatting options. These options, including bulleted lists, numbered lists, block quotes, and inline code, aim to streamline messaging processes and facilitate more effective communication among users. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, …

The Sindh High Court has ordered the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to fully restore the services of social media platform X (formerly Twitter) across the country. It should be noted that X has been shut down for five days across the country, with sporadic resumptions in between. The court ordered the PTA to restore the services of X without any disruption …

The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Cybercrime Wing has summoned Youtubers Imran Riaz Khan and Asad Toor over their alleged involvement in an anti-judiciary campaign on social media platforms. The two individuals have been directed to appear before the FIA Cybercrime Wing on February 23, following the issuance of formal notices by the agency. Imran Riaz Khan has been called to …

Renowned showbiz promoter Salman Ahmed finds himself embroiled in controversy as a leaked video exposes veiled threats against some of Bollywood’s most prominent stars. The leaked footage revealed Salman Ahmed allegedly issuing open threats to Bollywood singers and Pakistani Qawwali artist Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, promising to take drastic measures against them. The video, reportedly recorded six months ago and …

Friendship Triangular Blind Cricket T20 cricket series has now been turned into an India-Pakistan blind cricket series after the flight of the Sri Lankan blind cricket team was missed due to non-receipt of NOC on time. Pakistan blind cricket team won the match by five wickets against the Indian blind cricket team. The first match of India Pakistan Blind T20 Cricket …

The law enforcement agencies have arrested the alleged culprit who was running a social media campaign against the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP). Sources said that Rawalpindi-resident Abdul Wasay has been apprehended for orchestrating a threatening campaign against Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa. They revealed that Wasay engaged in a malicious campaign targeting the CJP on X (formerly …

The Sunni Ittehad Council has formally approached the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) with a request for reserved seats in both the National and Provincial Assemblies. In a detailed written communication from Sahibzada Hamid Raza, the Chairman of the Sunni Ittehad Council, the Commission has been urged to allocate reserved seats based on the affiliation of independent candidates. The letter …

Former commissioner of Rawalpindi, Liaquat Ali Chattha, has recorded his statement regarding his allegations of rigging in the recent elections, sources within the election commission confirmed. The inquiry committee, chaired by ECP Sindh member Nisar Durrani, issued a notice to Chattha yesterday, prompting his response to the accusations. The investigation committee, operating under the leadership of Nisar Durrani, has been …

The Punjab Assembly (PA) is set to convene tomorrow for its inaugural session following the general elections held on February 8. Punjab Governor Muhammad Balighur Rehman has formally issued a notification calling for the assembly meeting, marking a pivotal moment in the province’s political landscape. Scheduled to commence at 10 am, the assembly session will witness the swearing-in ceremony of …

The International Court of Justice, the UN’s top court, on Thursday continued its hearing from dozens of states and three international organizations who question the legality of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. Representatives from countries including China, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon and Libya were expected to deliver their positions during the third day of the hearing at …

Credit to China Daily As air quality worsens in many other developing nations, there has been an increasingly high demand for China’s experiences in air pollution control. In January, for example, authorities in Pakistan’s Punjab province invited Chu Yangxi, an associate research professor with the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, and two other Chinese experts to Lahore, the capital …

BEIJING: A spokesperson for the Chinese mainland on Wednesday urged Taiwan to make public the truth of a recent incident in waters near Kinmen that led to the death of two people on a mainland fishing boat. Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, also called on relevant parties in Taiwan to hand serious punishments …

CAIRO: Arab states have condemned the United States for vetoing another UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, as looming Israeli attacks on the southernmost Gazan city of Rafah raise concerns that the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave may deepen. During an emergency session of the UN Security Council held in New York on …