With the next general elections hardly a month away, the Senate passed a resolution on Friday seeking a delay in elections citing security concerns. The resolution, presented by independent Senator Dilawar Khan, was opposed by Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Afnan Ullah Khan. The upper house of parliament has a total of 100 members, …

BEIJING: The global production of bulk grain and oil crops saw a year-on-year increase in 2023, according to the 2023 annual report on the remote-sensing monitoring of the global ecological environment, which was made public on Friday. The report, issued by China’s Ministry of Science and Technology, shows that the impact of extreme global events on the production of bulk …

WARSAW: Szymon Marciniak of Poland was named the 2023 Men’s World Best Referee by the International Federation of Football Historians and Statistics (IFFHS) on Thursday. The 42-year-old Pole won the award with 175 points, followed by Daniele Orsato of Italy with 95 and France’s Clement Turpin with 64. Marciniak had also won the 2022 award after his performance officiating the …

BEIJING: Chinese public security departments have cracked 391,000 cases of telecom and online fraud from January to November 2023, the country’s Ministry of Public Security announced Friday. To deliver a heavy blow to relevant criminal activities, the ministry in 2023 launched several law enforcement campaigns targeting telecom and online fraud. In total, 79,000 suspects were apprehended, including 263 persons who …

PHNOM PENH: Two years on, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) has played a crucial role in boosting regional free trade amid protectionism and a global trade downturn, a senior Cambodian official has said. Entering into force on Jan. 1, 2022, the RCEP agreement comprises 15 Asia-Pacific countries including 10 ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member states, namely Brunei, …

TOKYO: The death toll has risen to 92, with the number of people unaccounted for exceeding 200 in the central Japanese prefecture of Ishikawa four days after a series of earthquakes of up to 7.6 magnitude struck the prefecture and its vicinity, raising concerns of escalating damages as rescue and search efforts intensify. As of 9:00 a.m. local time on …

YANGON: Myanmar’s State Administration Council on Thursday pardoned over 9,000 prisoners to mark the country’s 76th anniversary of Independence Day, according to the council’s orders. The prisoners, 9,652 from Myanmar and 114 from other countries, were remitted sentences for the peace of the people and on humanitarian ground, the orders said. Last year, 7,012 prisoners were granted amnesty on the …

BEIJING: The Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on Thursday held a meeting to hear a series of work reports. The reports were from leading Party members groups of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the State Council, the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference …

Pakistan captured the key wickets of Australia openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja before rain washed out the second day’s play in the third Test in Sydney on Thursday. Marnus Labuschagne was on 23 and Steve Smith six in their team’s 116 for two before play was ended by bad light and rain before tea. The hosts trailed by 197 …

TasteAtlas a local food guide around the world named the aloo baingan among the 100 worst-rated foods in the globe while the local foodies in the region defend the dish’s cultural significance and flavours against the ranking. Recently a video of the minor student went viral where a reporter asked him about his favorite subject and received the reply as …

In a tragic incident, three shepherd children were dead in a landmine blast in North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa۔ Local sources report that the explosion occurred in the fields in Mir Ali, where the children, aged between 5 to 15 years, were grazing goats. The deceased children belonged to Khajoori Zakir Khel village, the police said. The bodies were moved to …

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) restored on Thursday 10-year disqualification for the convicts charged under the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO). The IHC’s division bench consisting of Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz restored the 10-year disqualification period of convicts As per the verdict, the disqualification period spanned five years instead of 10. Today’s order came during the …

National Electric Power Regulation Authority (NEPRA) on Thursday jacked up the tariff by Rs 4.12 per unit for its consumers. The NEPRA issued a notification, increasing the power tariff by Rs 4.12 per unit in the account fuel adjustment charges for the month of November 2023. Meanwhile, the consumers have to pay additional charges in the month of January 2024, …

Actress Deepika Padukone and actor Ranveer Singh celebrated five years of marital bliss in November. The couple was travelling and was in Belgium to celebrate their 5th anniversary. Their photos with fans had gone viral on the internet as they were seen at hotels around Brussels and on the streets. In a recent interview, Deepika has opened up on this …

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has filed an application before the Supreme Court against the Peshawar High Court’s  (PHC) decision regarding the party’s election symbol. The high court had accepted the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) plea and withdrew its previous stay order on the ECP verdict annulling the PTI’s intra-party poll and subsequently withdrawing its election symbol of bat. The …

Bangladesh Army has been deployed in Bangladesh to maintain law and order as the opposition boycotted the election making the elections questionable. Bangladesh has been heading towards the 7th January elections as Awami League (AL) is expected to be elected for the fourth time amid opposition block. The protestors from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party have demanded the resignation of the …

Maintaining a sparkling smile and overall well-being doesn’t just require regular brushing and flossing. Turns out, certain foods and drinks can wreak havoc on your teeth, leading to cavities, erosion, and even fractures. Dentists have identified culprits to steer clear of to keep your oral health in tip-top condition. Citrusy Culprits: While oranges and lemons pack a vitamin C punch, …

Former chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Faiz Hameed, has reportedly recorded his statement before the Faizabad dharna inquiry commission. Sources said that the former ISI director general has answered the questions provided by the commission. The sources further said that Faiz Hameed has claimed he negotiated with the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) on the instructions of the then government of …

The Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) has suggested some very important election reforms, including a reduction in the National Assembly’s term, more powers for the election commission, the size of the cabinet, and the number of seats a single candidate can contest. As per the report, titled ‘Reform Agenda’, the prominent economic and research think tank has suggested the …

BEIJING: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin expressed deep condolences on Thursday over the passing of Pakistan’s former foreign minister Sartaj Aziz, hailing his outstanding contribution to China-Pakistan relations. Aziz, also former finance minister and adviser to the prime minister on foreign affairs, passed away in Islamabad on Tuesday. “Mr. Aziz was a seasoned politician, strategist and economic expert of …

BEIJING: The expansion of BRICS shows its bright prospects, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Thursday. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, and Ethiopia joined BRICS on January 1, doubling its membership from five to 10, he said during his regular briefing. Wang said China is fully confident in the future of BRICS, and noted that …

CHONGQING: Jiangjun Village, located in the green hills of Bishan District, in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, was once a dreary place during winter, plagued by poverty and a dwindling population. However, the winter scene is much brighter these days, thanks to an injection of tourism and artistic facilities that have given this little village a new lease of life. Art …

The economic evaluations and valuable suggestions of the annual Central Economic Work Conference (CEWC) and the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee in the recently held meetings has successfully mitigated the western false and fake propaganda against China’s economy and its so-called poor future prospects. Rather, it has further enhanced confidence of investors, businessmen and …

CHICAGO: General Motors Co. said Wednesday it sold 2.6 million vehicles in the United States in 2023, up 14 percent from 2022 sales and in line with industry estimates. This marked the U.S. automaker’s best annual performance since 2019, when it sold 2.9 million vehicles in the United States. GM reported sales increase in every brand in 2023. To be …

WASHINGTON: Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to invalidate a recent ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court, which removed him from the state’s 2024 presidential primary ballot. Two weeks ago, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that Trump, who is the 2024 Republican frontrunner, isn’t an eligible presidential candidate, with a vote of 4-3. The ruling …

HARBIN: Harbin, the capital city of northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, welcomed nearly 3.05 million visitors, raking in 5.91 billion yuan (about 832.39 million U.S. dollars) of tourism revenue, during the three-day New Year holiday, which ended Monday. Both the number of tourists and the amount of tourism revenue surpassed the figures for 2019, marking a historical peak. Data from the …

JAKARTA: The Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway (HSR), the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, carried a total of 220,227 passengers in 576 trips during a 12-day year-end holiday from Dec. 22 to Jan. 2, an official said Wednesday. Eva Chairunisa, General Manager Corporate Secretary of PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia (KCIC), said in a press release that the number is 33 …

COLOMBO: The spread of dengue has been contained in Western and Central Provinces of Sri Lanka, and attention should be directed toward districts such as Jaffna, Trincomalee and Batticaloa in Northern and Eastern provinces, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said in a statement on Wednesday. The PMD said President Ranil Wickremesinghe chaired a progress review meeting to assess the effectiveness …

ISLAMABAD: A thick blanket of fog starting from Tuesday night in Pakistan’s federal capital Islamabad and its twin city Rawalpindi has disrupted bus, train and flight schedules and affected the daily life of local residents. A man rides a bicycle amid heavy fog on a road in Peshawar, Pakistan, Jan. 3, 2024. (Photo by Umar Qayyum) Vehicles run amid heavy …

MOSCOW: Russia’s first giant panda cub born at Moscow Zoo in August was named Katyusha, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said on Wednesday. The name was selected among the votes in a name contest which attracted over 380,000 participants, Sobyanin said on social media, adding that the name Katyusha finally won out. He disclosed that the four-month-old panda cub is in …

TEHRAN: At least 73 people were killed and 173 others injured on Wednesday in two blasts near the burial ground of Iran’s late commander Qassem Soleimani in the southwestern province of Kerman, reported the semi-official Fars news agency citing Iran’s Emergency organization. According to the Islamic Republic of Iran News Network (IRINN), the blasts occurred in an underpass one kilometer …

BEIJING: Cai Qi, a senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC), called for the thorough study and full implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture on Wednesday. Cai, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and a member of the CPC Central Committee Secretariat, made the remarks at a meeting …

BEIJING: The international community needs to work together and support each other in response to the current crisis and work for a better future, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday. It was reported that in an interview on Jan. 2, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva warned against fragmentation of the global economy along geopolitical lines due to increasing …

The Balochistan government has suspended 44 government employees in Turbat and Kohlu, including some officers, for allegedly participating in and facilitating a protest sit-in and rally against the alleged killing of Balaach Mola Bakhsh. An official notification issued by the commissioner of Makran division confirmed the action against 30 government employees from various departments in Turbat. Officials stated that the …

Hackers accessed the court recordings database in Australia’s Victoria state and disrupted the audio-visual in-court technology network, impacting recordings and transcription services, an official said on Tuesday. Recordings of some court hearings between Nov. 1 and Dec. 21, 2023 may have been stolen, Court Services Victoria CEO Louise Anderson said in a statement. Some hearings before Nov. 1 may also …

In a celebration of the richness of the Urdu language, the eminent Indian poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar and Pakistani actor Mahira Khan are poised to headline the upcoming Urdu literary festival, ‘Jashn-e-Rekhta,’ in Dubai, as reported by the official Jashn-e-Rekhta website. Scheduled to be held from January 27 to 29 at Zabeel Park, this festival promises to be a …

President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday stressed improving the status of women by providing them with an enabling work environment to increase their economic participation. The president highlighted that following the rights granted by Islam, it was the responsibility of the society to give them their due share and create a safer society for them. He expressed these views while …

Several Indian Army officers and officials have been killed in attacks by Kashmiri freedom fighters in 2023, as the military unleashed a wave of cruelty on innocent Kashmiris, violating UN resolutions for decades. In 2019, India’s BJP-led government stripped off the special status of occupied Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of its constitution. In December, Lt General Sandeep Jain, …

Former Punjab chief minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was taken to the Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology (PIC) after his health deteriorated in prison. Doctors at the PIC conducted Elahi’s medical tests on complaints of chest pain. The reports of his electrocardiogram (ECG) and echocardiogram are awaited. Pervaiz Elahi is among several PTI leaders and supporters …

A subtype H3N2 Influenza-A virus, causing severe respiratory illness in people across Pakistan, according to the National Institute of Health report. The National Institute of Health (NIH) in its recent report stated that thousands of severe respiratory illness cases are being reported every week across Pakistan. The health experts revealed that the Influenza virus can be dangerous for the elderly …