Aamir Tamba, one of the accused in the 2013 fatal attack on Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh in Kot Lakhpat jail, was seriously injured when unidentified motorcyclists opened fire on him. The attack took place in Lahore’s Islampura area, leaving Tamba critically wounded. Police said he was swiftly rushed to a nearby hospital for urgent medical attention as forces …

BEIJING: China’s electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure experienced steady growth in the first quarter of 2024, according to industry data. The China Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Promotion Alliance reported the addition of 716,000 charging piles during the January-March period, marking a 13.2 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023. By the end of March, the nation’s charging pile …

Meta and OpenAI are close to unveiling advanced AI models that can reason and plan, according to a Financial Times report. OpenAI’s COO, Brad Lightcap, hinted at the upcoming release of GPT-5, which will make significant progress in solving ‘hard problems’ of reasoning. Yann LeCun, Meta’s chief AI scientist, and Joelle Pineau, VP of AI Research, envision AI agents capable …

Thunderbolt and heavy rainfall claimed nine lives including two children in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. One man and two children were killed in lightning strikes as rainfall lashed parts of Balochistan including Quetta, Chaman Chagai, Nushki, Dera Bugti, Sorab, Kohlu and Khuzdar. Heavy rainfall also lashed southern Punjab including Multan, while KP’s Dera Ismail Khan, Malakand, Mohmand and Kohat …

As he prepares for the biggest fight of his career, you may be forgiven for thinking world heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury would be looking forward to a rest. The towering Englishman puts his belts on the line against fellow champion Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, May 18. It’s a winner-takes-all scenario as two unbeaten warriors clash to …

The new season of Coke Studio is scheduled for release on April 14. Coke Studio Season 15, which features 11 original songs, has been recognized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Pakistan’s largest cultural export. The show showcases the diversity of Pakistani culture, languages, genres, and experiences, all of which are rooted in the country’s intense love of music. …

Nearly 3,000 Sikh pilgrims from India have crossed the Wagah border into Pakistan to participate in the annual three-day Baisakhi Mela festivities. Welcomed by the Evacuee Trust Property Board and the Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, the pilgrims are set to join the main event at Hasan Abdal tomorrow. During their visit, the pilgrims will also pay homage at Sikh religious …

Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli, who was well-known for creating animal-print designs that celebrities adored, passed away at the age of 83. According to his company, Cavalli, who founded his label in the early 1970s, had been unwell for a while. He is survived by his partner, Sandra Bergman Nilsson, and his six children. Sergio Azzolari, the CEO of Roberto …

Tragedy struck across southern Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan as a series of lightning strikes claimed the lives of at least 18 individuals over the last two days. In Rahim Yar Khan, six people fell victim to lightning strikes at various locations. Among them, a husband and wife lost their lives instantly while harvesting wheat in Basti Khokhran. They were identified …

A knife-wielding attacker stormed a shopping centre in Sydney, Australia, killing six individuals, including the assailant. Australian police swiftly responded to the incident, which unfolded in New South Wales’ Westfield Bondi Junction shopping mall, conducting an operation to contain the situation. Eyewitnesses reported that the armed man initiated the attack by stabbing and fatally injuring five individuals within the six-storey …

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with President of the Republic of Suriname Chandrikapersad Santokhi in Beijing on Friday. Noting that the China-Suriname friendship has a long history and has stood the test of time, Xi said Suriname was one of the first Caribbean countries to establish diplomatic ties with China, establish a strategic partnership with China and sign …

PARIS: The three-day Paris Book Festival 2024 opened Friday with 1,150 Chinese books on display and sale and more than 40 percent of them in French version. Up to 59 Chinese publishers from Beijing, Shanghai, Hebei, Zhejiang and other places are present in the festival, exhibiting and selling books on such subjects as literature, traditional Chinese culture, and children’s books. …

ISLAMABAD: Eleven people were killed and four others injured as militants killed passengers of several vehicles in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, officials said on Saturday. The incident happened at around 7:00 p.m. local time (1400 GMT) on Friday when the militants hoisting flags of the banned outfit Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) on their motorbikes blocked a highway in Nushki district …

BEIJING: China’s top political advisor Wang Huning met with President of the Republic of Suriname Chandrikapersad Santokhi in Beijing on Friday. Wang, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), noted that the two countries have always respected each other, treated each other as equals in mutually beneficial cooperation, and understood and supported each other’s …

ISLAMABAD: Two people were killed and two others injured in a bomb explosion in Pakistan’s northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Friday, officials said. The incident happened at about 10:00 a.m. local time (GMT 0500) in North Waziristan district where an improvised explosive device exploded in a market area, official sources from the province’s police told Xinhua. The injured people were …

On the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, the Chief Minister of Punjab launched the project for the provision of 20,000 bikes under the Chief Minister Youth Initiative for students across the province. With this initiative of CM Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, the students can acquire motorcycles and e-bikes through easy monthly installment plans with male students have the option to pay Rs 11,676 …

The National Selection Committee is in the doldrums regarding the opening plan during the T20 series against New Zealand. The T20 series between Pakistan and New Zealand is starting from April 18 and the selection committee has also announced the final squad for the series. But who will beat the series opener against the Kiwis? There are five openers in the …

Food and Wheat Department will start the procurement process tomorrow (Saturday) wherein farmers will be able to apply for bardana through the Bardana App. Food Department said that bardana application will be available from April 13 to 17 on the Bardana app, said the spokesperson while bardana will be issued from April 19, 2024 and the purchase of wheat will …

The US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the two-state solution is the path forward for the Palestinian issue, acknowledging its formidable challenges but highlighting Israel’s security concerns, noting they remain consistent despite ongoing efforts. During a press conference, Miller expressed his concern over escalating global hostility towards the Gaza situation and condemned the rise in anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim sentiments. …

On Friday, Pakistani athlete Arshad Nadeem has departed for South Africa for training ahead of the Olympics. Expressing gratitude, he wished everyone happiness for Ramadan and Eid. ‘With perseverance and dedication, I aim to make Pakistan proud,’ says Nadeem. Having completed two months of training in Pakistan after knee surgery, Nadeem requested prayers for his continued recovery. With his rehab …

President Asif Ali Zardari and President of Iran, Seyed Ebrahim Raisi, held a telephonic conversation and exchanged greetings on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr. During the conversation, President Asif Ali Zardari offered his heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the Iranian leadership and the bereaved families who lost their dear ones in the Israeli attack on the Iranian embassy in Damascus. The …

Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim has been appointed acting Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court (PHC). President Asif Ali Zardari appointed Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim as Acting Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court under Article 196 of the Constitution. A notification of the permanence of the six additional judges of the Sindh High Court (SHC) was also issued. The appointment will be effective …

Credit to China Daily Rating Agency Fitch’s sovereign credit rating methodology and indicator system have failed to effectively and prospectively reflect the positive role of China’s fiscal policies, which are properly more proactive with better efficacy in boosting economic growth and, in turn, stabilizing macro leverage ratios, a senior official from the Ministry of Finance said on Wednesday. According to …

BEIJING: China’s consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation, edged up 0.1 percent year on year in March, official data showed Thursday. On a monthly basis, the CPI went down 1 percent in March, said the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). NBS statistician Dong Lijuan attributed the changes in CPI data to seasonal easing of consumer demand and …

BEIJING: Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday announced the country’s decision to take countermeasures against U.S. companies that participate in arms sales to China’s Taiwan region, including General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and General Dynamics Land Systems. The following is the full text of the decision: Decision on Taking Countermeasures Against General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and General Dynamics Land Systems (Issued on …

BEIJING: The recent meeting of Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, with a Taiwan delegation led by Ma Ying-jeou has injected stability and positive energy into the relations across the Taiwan Strait. Wednesday’s meeting in Beijing marked the first time Xi had received Taiwan compatriots and delivered an important speech since the 20th …

The Punjab Police on Wednesday decried “fake propaganda” after a string of videos showing Pakistan Army officers allegedly assaulting and beating up cops in Bahawalnagar went viral on social media. “This matter in Bahawalnagar, which went viral on social media, has been taken out of context and exaggerated,” the police said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter. A day …

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Thursday said Pakistan’s economic outlook was uncertain, with high risks on the downside, as political uncertainty would remain a key risk to the sustainability of stabilisation and reform efforts. In its April 2024 ‘Asian Development Outlook’, the Manila-based lending agency said potential supply chain disruptions from the escalation of the conflict in the Middle …

German airline Lufthansa (LHAG.DE), opens new tab said on Wednesday it had suspended flights to Tehran due to the situation in the Middle East, which is on alert for possible Iranian retaliation for a suspected Israeli air strike on Iran’s embassy in Syria. An Iranian news agency briefly stoked tensions when it published an Arabic report on social media platform …

Google stated today that anybody utilizing the app would be able to access the AI-powered features inside Google Photos without needing to have a paid subscription. Features include Portrait light, Photo Unblur, and Magic Eraser. This will begin on May 15, which is, ironically, the day following Google’s annual developer conference. Because that’s how Google likes things to work, as …

Six children died and dozens more were injured after a school bus overturned near a village in Haryana’s Narnaul on Thursday morning. As per NDTV, the school was functioning despite a holiday for Eid-ul-Fitr, officials said. The bus which belonged to GL Public School overturned near Unhani village of Kanina. The District Education Officer said that after initial investigation it …

Pakistani player hoisted the green crescent flag in Australia and won five gold medals. In the under-13 category, Mahnoor Ali won the gold medal. Hazifa Shahid won the gold medal in U-13 Men’s Junior Open Squash Championship. In U-15 Men’s, Yahya Khan won the final. Under-17 Men’s and Women’s titles both went to Pakistan. In Men’s, Ibrahim Zeb won Gold …

A heart-wrenching tragedy occurred in Alipur’s Midwala area where a tailor Sajjad Khokhar resorted to an unimaginable act of brutality apparently over the so-called ‘burden of poverty and hardship’ mercilessly killing his wife and seven innocent children aged between six months and seven years sharp hammer. A heavy contingent of police including SDPO Alipur, SHO President Ismat Abbas, and dedicated …

ZHENGZHOU: Approximately 5,000 Chinese people attended a grand ceremony on Thursday morning in central China’s Henan Province to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. Held in Xinzheng City, the ceremonial rituals included firing salute cannons, presenting flower baskets, burning incense, a worshipping ceremony, and tributes through music and dance. Sixty-four dancers performed Bayi, an iconic ceremonial dance …

BEIJING: Chinese stocks closed higher on Thursday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 0.23 percent to 3,034.25 points. The Shenzhen Component Index closed 0.03 percent higher at 9,300.77 points. The combined turnover of stocks covered by the two indices reached 812.8 billion yuan (about 114.5 billion U.S. dollars), down from 830 billion yuan on the previous trading day. Stocks …

BRUSSELS: An official from China’s Ministry of Commerce lodged serious representations to the European Commission here Wednesday on the EU’s recent moves that affect bilateral trade relations. The EU decided on Tuesday to initiate subsidy investigations into Chinese wind turbine suppliers under its Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR), marking the fourth probe targeting Chinese firms in just two months. The EU’s …

Most recently, the US rating agency Fitch has intentionally downgraded China’s sovereign credit rating outlook to negative from stable which faced strong rejection from the Chinese policy makers. They termed it biased and flawed and ignored basic parameters of judging the real strength and diversification of the Chinese macro-economy, which has further strengthened during first quarter of the 2024 in …

Pakistan cricket team captain, Babar Azam, has wished his fans Eid Mubarak by sharing some special photos on this joyous occasion. After performing the Eid prayers, Captain Babar Azam reportedly visited his ancestral home, where he spent quality time with his brothers and friends. Amidst the festivities, Babar went on to the roof of his house and took stunning photos, …

The Pakistani nation Wednesday marked Eid ul Fitr with prayers for brethren in Gaza, who have been facing death and destruction for the past six months at the hands of oppressive Israeli forces. At least 33,360 Palestinians have been confirmed killed in six months of war, which began on October 7, Gaza’s health ministry said in its latest update, with …

Bushra Bibi, the former first lady, has reached Adiala Jail under tight security arrangements to meet her husband, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Founder Imran Khan, on the auspicious occasion of Eidul Fitr. Accompanied by security personnel, Bushra Bibi was escorted from her residence in Bani Gala, where she is also under house arrest, to Adiala Jail, where Imran Khan is currently …