Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Barrister Gohar vehemently on Wednesday criticised the recent decision by the accountability court to sentence PTI founder and his wife Bushra Bibi to 14 years in the Toshakhana case. Gohar, expressing his dismay, claims that such a harsh judgment has never been witnessed before in the history of the accountability court. Addressing the media, Barrister Gohar …

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced on Wednesday a reduction in the size of the ballot paper for the upcoming election slated to take place on February 8. During a high-level meeting convened to discuss the reprinting of ballot papers in certain constituencies, the Election Commission disclosed that the move to downsize the ballot paper is a response to …

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar said that the conviction rate under the current criminal justice system is very low, stressing upon the need to introduce reforms in the system to take the criminals and terrorists to the task. In an interview to private TV news channel, PM Kakar said that the conviction rate under the contemporary criminal justice system …

BEIJING: The escalating political polarization in the United States has given rise to a dystopian narrative, as portrayed in the upcoming film “Civil War,” in which 19 U.S. states, led by Texas and California, secede from the country, and partisan extremist militias regularly commit political violence. While such talk of an “American split” may sound far-fetched to some, Texas’s recent …

BEIJING: A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Wednesday stressed that a change in the M503 air route is in line with the common interests of compatriots on both the mainland and Taiwan, aiming to ease traffic congestion and ensure aviation safety. Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said the change will also help improve the operation …

Healthy debate is going on the newly announced concepts of “up-grade vision” and “inclusion of third party” in China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in the country. Whereas, the Chinese president Xi Jinoing has also announced key “strategic priorities” of the BRI in the next phase which comprising of qualitative industrialization, modernization, innovation, digitalization, artificial intelligence, green transformation, hybrid agriculture last …

BEIJING: Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Wednesday chaired a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. The meeting reviewed a report from the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee after it heard and discussed the work reports of the leading Party members groups …

NANCHANG: Chinese paleontologists have discovered dinosaur fossil bones dating back 90 million years to the Cretaceous period, believed to be a new species that was later named “Gandititan cavocaudatus.” These bones were found at a construction site in Ganxian District in the city of Ganzhou, east China’s Jiangxi Province, in June 2021, said Wang Lingyun, deputy curator of the Jiangxi …

TAIYUAN: Near the ancient city wall of Datong, north China’s Shanxi Province, snow sculptures, ice cascades and ice-and-snow activities create a wonderland for tourists. “This is not the first time we have come to the ancient city wall of Datong, but playing with the ice and snow here is a brand-new experience,” said a tourist surnamed Dou from Beijing. Jia …

KABUL: More than 7.5 million children under five would receive anti-polio vaccines in 21 out of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, a statement of the country’s Ministry of Public Health said. A total of 7,580,085 children under five would receive the doses of vaccines in 233 districts of 21 provinces during the four-day anti-polio campaign launched on Monday, the statement added. A …

ISLAMABAD: At least five people were killed and five others injured when a blast went off near a political rally in Pakistan’s southwest Balochistan province on Tuesday, official sources said. The incident happened around 5:35 p.m. local time (1235 GMT) when explosive materials fixed at a motorbike exploded in Sibi district of the province, the sources told Xinhua. The rally …

LOS ANGELES: A fresh supply of more than 8,200 pounds of scientific investigations and cargo was launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday on a Cygnus resupply spacecraft of American aerospace technology company Northrop Grumman. The Cygnus cargo spacecraft was launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 12:07 p.m. Tuesday Eastern Time from Cape Canaveral Space Force …

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping received the credentials of 42 ambassadors to China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday afternoon. The ambassadors are Tan Hai Chuan from Singapore, Massimo Ambrosetti from Italy, Hussain Alhammadi from the United Arab Emirates, Michael Campbell from Nicaragua, Pavlo Riabikin from Ukraine, Mohsen Bakhtiar from Iran, Ian J. Marshall from …

BEIJING: The reopening of the Chinese embassy in Nauru shows that China-Nauru relations are embarking on a fast growth track, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday. Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a daily press briefing when answering a relevant query. Wang said that on behalf of Nauru, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Lionel Aingimea …

BEIJING: A total of 20 foreign publishing houses signed a memorandum with China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration Tuesday on jointly translating and publishing the fourth volume of “Xi Jinping: The Governance of China” in multiple languages. These publishing houses are from countries including Afghanistan, Albania, Greece, Kenya, the Republic of Korea, Pakistan, Mongolia, Poland, Tajikistan and Vietnam. The fourth volume …

Maintaining a healthy skincare routine is of utmost importance if you want to keep your skin in good condition. Although there are numerous products in the market that promise you flawless skin, there are several mistakes we often make that actually worsen our skincare routine. Over-washing Washing your face too frequently or using harsh cleansers can strip away natural oils …

After garnering acclaim for her acting on the small screen, Pakistani actor Yumna Zaidi finally made an exciting feature film debut with Nayab. A story charting the ambitions and struggle of a young woman determined to become a successful cricketer, Yumna’s performance has delighted fans and audiences. Remarking on Nayab and what the project means to her, the actor sat …

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has started a money-laundering and tax evasion inquiry into renowned singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan after it was revealed that the musician made nearly Rs8 billion in 12 years for local and international concerts. The decision of the tax authorities comes as the global star grapples with the scandal of violent behaviour following the emergence …

Pakistan’s ranking on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) has improved by seven spots from 140 out of 180 countries in 2022 to 133 in 2023, Transparency International said in a report on Tuesday. The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public-sector corruption according to experts and businesspeople. It relies on 13 independent data sources and …

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced to challenge cipher case verdict in Islamabad High Court (IHC. We will challenge the punishment awarded to PTI founder and ex-foreign minister after receiving a detailed verdict in the cipher case, Barrister Ali Zafar said while exclusively talking to Internews after the special court announced its verdict. Zafar criticized the verdict and termed the sentence to …

Met Office has forecast rainfall and snowfall on mountains in country from 31st Jan to 04th Feb. Heavy rain may generate flash floods in Balochistan on 02nd/03rd February as a westerly wave is affecting the country and may persist till 04th February. Under the influence of this weather system, rain with isolated heavyfalls (snowfall over the hills) is expected at …

A special court established under the Official Secrets Act on Tuesday handed both former premier Imran Khan and ex-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi 10 years in jail in the cipher case. The cipher case pertains to a diplomatic document that the Federal Investigation Agency’s charge sheet alleges was never returned by Imran. The PTI has long held that the document …

Former South Africa captain Dean Elgar has opened up about a surprising and heated incident with former India captain Virat Kohli during a Test series in 2015. Elgar claims that Kohli “spat” on him during the first Test at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali, part of South Africa’s tour of India. In a recent appearance on the “Banter, with …

In a decisive move to ensure the integrity of the electoral process, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has wielded its authority by imposing fines totaling Rs966,000 on candidates and officials across various divisions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The strict action comes in response to the violation of the Election Code of Conduct, with District Monitoring Officers spearheading the enforcement efforts. …

Interim Balochistan Information Minister Jan Achakzai on Tuesday said five militants were neutralised after security forces successfully thwarted three terror attacks in Mach town last night. Security for¬ces deployed in Balochistan had thwarted three coordinated attacks launched by terrorists using rockets and sophisticated weapons in Mach town on Monday night. It is pertinent to note that Mach is located some …

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Secretary wrote a letter to the caretaker government to stop them from carrying out fundamental reforms in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). The letter said that the purpose of these reforms is to improve the performance of the institutions and the government. The jurisdiction of the caretaker government is limited under Section 230 …

URUMQI: No casualties have been reported thus far following a 5.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Akqi County in Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture of Kizilsu in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region at 6:27 a.m. Tuesday (Beijing Time), local authorities said. The epicenter, with a depth of 10 km, was monitored at 41.15 degrees north latitude and 78.67 degrees east longitude, according to …

SHANGHAI: Currently, an exhibition area of over 180,000 square meters has been booked for the 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE), according to a CIIE promotion event. It is expected that the total booked exhibition area for the 7th CIIE will surpass 200,000 square meters by the end of January. The global promotion of the 7th CIIE was launched in …

NANJING: Dubbed as a capital of new energy, Changzhou City, east China’s Jiangsu Province, reported a regional gross domestic product (GDP) of 1.01 trillion yuan (about 140.8 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023, up 6.8 percent year on year, the local statistics department said Tuesday. With a population of around five million, Changzhou has become the least populated Chinese city with …

Yoga emphasises deep breathing techniques like diaphragmatic breathing, which helps expand the lungs and increases lung capacity. This can improve respiratory health by enhancing the efficiency of the respiratory system. Certain yoga poses can help drain sinus congestion and reduce nasal congestion. These poses promote better airflow through the nasal passages, improving respiratory function. These poses also target the chest, …

Iran has extended the deadline for its gas pipeline project with Pakistan by 180 days to September 2024. Iran has warned its neighbor that it will petition the Paris-based International Arbitration and demand an $18 billion penalty from Pakistan if the case goes to arbitration. Tehran has volunteered to send its legal and technical teams to Pakistan to collaborate on …

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has decided to maintain its interest rate for banks at the previous 22%. This was announced by SBP Governor Jameel Ahmad in a press conference on Monday evening. He also said that the current account deficit had narrowed to 0.7%. Governor Ahmad said the inflation rate stayed high and that the figure for fiscal year …

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has declared around 50% polling stations in country as ‘sensitive’ or ‘most sensitive. According to ECP sources, overall 90,675 polling stations have been set up across the country for the upcoming general elections, slated for Feb 8, 2024. Sources said that 46,065 polling stations have been declared as ‘sensitive’ or ‘most sensitive’ across the …

In the aftermath of his triumphant win in Bigg Boss 17, stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui has broken his silence on allegations of the season being ‘fixed.’ Responding to claims that his victory was pre-determined. The comedian, who emerged as the winner after a riveting 15 weeks inside the Bigg Boss house, addressed the accusations head-on. “Yaar fixed winner ko itna …

The Indian tennis team has landed in Islamabad to participate in the crucial Davis Cup Group I tie against Pakistan, scheduled to take place on February 3-4 at the Sports Complex Grass Court. This development follows months of uncertainty, reluctance, and intense efforts by the All-Indian Tennis Association (AITA) to shift the venue to a neutral location. The AITA left …

A Think Tank named Republic Policy predicted that turnout would likely increase from 60 percent based on the feedback of the 266 constituencies of the National Assembly. The organization said that out of 128,585m760 votes, eight crore voters will cast their votes utilizing their right to vote in the upcoming general elections to be held on February 8. It is …

Families of the Iran victims staging protests bloated the Alipur road and demanded the government to bring back the dead bodies of their loved ones who were gunned down mercilessly in Savaran city of the southeastern border province Sistan of Iran. Ironically, five of the nine victims belonged from South Punjab’s Alipur including two brothers—one of them Sohaib has been …

Caretaker Foreign Minister of Pakistan Jalil Abbas Jilani and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir Abdullahian reiterated on Monday the pivotal role of enduring and amicable relations between the two neighboring nations. The ministers emphasised the historical, cultural, and fraternal ties that bind Iran and Pakistan, highlighting the critical need for collaboration in various domains to promote mutual prosperity. During a …

The Supreme Court bench hearing intra-court appeals on the trial of civilians in military courts has been dissolved. A six-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, was hearing the intra-court appeals. As soon as the hearing commenced, the lawyer of former chief justice Jawad S. Khawaja, Khawaja Ahmed Hassan, raised an objection over the bench. He …

ROME: A large collection of hand-made Chinese lanterns illuminated one of Italy’s major theme parks in the city of Cassino this holiday season. The International Lantern Festival “Lanternia” opened on Dec. 8 at the Il Bosco delle Favole (Fairytale Forest) theme park in central Italy. Divided into six areas and featuring Christmas, fairytale, animal and animation themes, this large-scale lantern …