KUALA LUMPUR: Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, led a CPC delegation on a visit to Malaysia from Thursday to Friday. During the visit, Liu met and exchanged views with President of the People’s Justice Party (PKR) and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, President of the United Malays National Organization …

BEIJING: Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese Foreign Minister, met with Yasuo Fukuda, former Japanese Prime Minister and former chairman of the Boao Forum for Asia, in Beijing on Friday. Wang expressed appreciation for Fukuda’s constant care for and contribution to the development of the Boao Forum for …

A decade and a half ago, a meek, wide-eyed Sajal Ali entered the Pakistani entertainment industry, debuting with Nadaaniyaan. With self-admitted highs and lows embellishing her journey, Sajal can now boast a staggering fan following in the millions, a body of work that boggles, awards and accolades that are a testament to her craft, and the recently conferred Tamgha-e-Imtiaz. Speaking …

The Supreme Court decided on Thursday that no private person would be made party to the Mubarak Sani case review, but any individual or institution could make their written submission to the court within two weeks’ time. Heading a three-member bench, including Justice Irfan Saadat Khan and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa ruled that the definition …

The government’s move to outsource the country’s airports has attracted the interest of seven international companies. According to sources, companies based in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Qatar, UAE, Malaysia and Turkiye have expressed their willingness to participate in the privatisation process. The aviation ministry authorities have been entrusted with the responsibilities to deal with the matter. Under the outsourcing plan, …

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb will visit Washington on April 14 and 15 for meetings with officials of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The finance minister, speaking at a ceremony at the Karachi Stock Exchange, said the country needs a new IMF programme that should last for at least three years. Aurangzeb stressed the importance of the …

Jennifer Aniston, Sandra Bullock, and Amanda Anka were spotted leaving a renowned plastic surgery office in Greenwich Connecticut fueling speculation about their possible cosmetic surgeries. The trio was seen departing The Retreat At Split Rock, known for its specialized upper and lower facelift procedures, as well as brow and eye lifts, which come with hefty price tags ranging from $30,000 …

Indian army personnel started committing suicides due to various psychological diseases and a rising trend of suicides among the Indian Army raised alarm bells. On March 27, 2024, an officer of the Indian Paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force committed suicide in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir as per the Kashmir Media Service. A Central Reserve Force (CRF) official ended …

An India-based magazine, The Diplomat, has unveiled the grim reality behind the facade of democracy under the Modi government in India. Contrary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s lofty rhetoric, the recent actions paint a starkly different picture. As the nation gears up for general elections, alarming instances of democratic erosion have come to light. Opposition leaders have faced expulsion from …

The candidates vying for a spot in the Senate from Balochistan in the upcoming elections to the Upper House of parliament have been elected unopposed on all the seats. The election commission announced that the candidates from Balochistan were elected unopposed on all seats of the Senate. The seats up for grabs from Balochistan were seven general seats, two women’s …

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has taken decisive steps to bolster inter-provincial coordination and cooperation by establishing the Council of Common Interests (CCI). The announcement comes following the issuance of a notification, which bears the stamp of approval from the PM himself. According to the notification, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will preside over the eight-member CCI as its chairman. The council …

Alarming revelations have surfaced regarding the safety of drinking water, even within the hallowed halls of parliament. Recent reports indicate that the drinking water supplied to Parliament House and lodges has been deemed harmful to health, raising concerns among lawmakers and staff alike. The Pakistan Council for Research on Water Resources (PCRW) has brought this critical issue to light, sending …

ISLAMABAD: Contrary to the media report claiming that a Chinese company ‘laid off’ over 2,000 workers from the Tarbela 5th Extension Hydropower Project after the killing of Chinese nationals in a suicide attack in Shangla district, the Power Construction Corporation of China Limited (PCCCL) has reiterated that all site workers and office staff will be back to work after a …

THE HAGUE: The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague on Thursday ordered Israel to do whatever is necessary to ensure that basic aid reaches the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip. “Israel should take all necessary and effective measures to ensure, without delay, in full cooperation with the United Nations, the unhindered provision at scale by all concerned …

UNITED NATIONS: A Chinese envoy on Thursday warned against the tightening of sanctions against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The current situation on the Korean Peninsula is characterized by persistent tensions and growing confrontation, which serves no one’s interests. This is the last thing China wants to see, said Geng Shuang, China’s deputy permanent representative to the United …

BEIJING: Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), on Thursday presented certificates of order to promote two military officers to the rank of general. The promoted officers are Wang Renhua, secretary of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CMC, and Xiao Tianliang, president of the University of National Defense. Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the …

BEIJING: Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday pledged to take concrete action to promote large-scale equipment upgrades and trade-ins of consumer goods, in an effort to facilitate economic transformation and improve people’s livelihoods. Speaking during a State Council video conference, Li, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, …

ISLAMABAD: The foreign exchange reserves of Pakistan have increased by 4 million U.S. dollars, the State Bank of Pakistan said on Thursday. The total liquid foreign exchange reserves held by the bank stood at over 8 billion dollars as of March 22, the central bank said in a statement. Net foreign reserves held by commercial banks stand at around 5.4 …

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting on Thursday with Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa at the Supreme Court to discuss the startling revelations made by six Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges about interference of intelligence agencies in judicial matters. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan were also present …

A photo capturing suspended member Benjamin Basumatary of the Pramod Boro-led United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) sleeping on a lavish bed of currency notes has sent shockwaves across social media, casting a shadow over the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Assam. The image, which surfaced just days before the polling, depicts Basumatary surrounded by stacks of cash, sparking widespread condemnation …

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the Inter-Club One-Day tournament. According to the announcement issued by the board, it has announced the interclub One Day tournament, which will be held in 16 regions of the country in April. As per the PCB constitution of 2014, all registered cricket clubs will be eligible to participate in the tournament. As stated in …

Veteran actress Sahiba Rambo has claimed that she recently met her father for the first time in her life. In a video on her YouTube channel, Sahiba spoke about the meeting that took place on March 11 and also shared photos and video clips of the emotional reunion. The heartwarming encounter could be seen bringing tears of joy as the …

A record number of asylum seekers, totaling more than 4,600 individuals, have arrived in Britain on small boats during the first three months of 2024, presenting UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak with a significant political challenge. According to provisional data released by the Home Office on Wednesday, 4,644 people were detected arriving across the English Channel on small boats like …

After the Senate elections, an alliance between the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in the upcoming by-elections has also hit a roadblock. Sources reveal that the PML-N has declined to withdraw its candidate in favour of the PPP contender. Despite efforts to broker consensus between the two parties, talks failed to yield a favourable outcome. …

The Supreme Court has granted conditional permission for military courts to pronounce their reserved judgments, although with specific conditions. A six-member bench headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan, conducted a hearing on intra-court appeals concerning the trial of civilians in military courts. The other members of the bench were Justices Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Shahid Waheed, Musarrat Hilali, and …

The federal cabinet has given its nod to include the names of 24 individuals in the Exit Control List (ECL), as per a summary circulated through the cabinet by the Interior Ministry. Among the notable names approved for inclusion in the ECL are journalists Sami Ibrahim and Imran Riaz Khan. Both individuals have been recommended for inclusion in the ECL …

UNITED NATIONS: The Security Council on Wednesday condemned Tuesday’s heinous and cowardly terrorist attack near Besham, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan, which resulted in the deaths of five Chinese nationals and one Pakistani. The members of the council expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the governments of Pakistan and China. They wished …

BEIJING: The Communist Party of China (CPC) recently published a selection of its regulations, marking the sixth volume in this series. The latest volume encompasses 127 sets of regulations and regulatory documents formulated by the CPC Central Committee, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, and the working bodies under the CPC Central Committee between October 2017 and October 2022. Its …

BOAO, Hainan: China will adhere to the strategy of innovation-driven development, promote industrial innovation through scientific and technological innovation, and speed up the development of new quality productive forces, China’s top legislator Zhao Leji said Thursday. China is willing to strengthen cooperation with other countries in scientific and technological innovation, stimulate innovation vitality, cultivate new economic growth points, jointly implement …

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena in Beijing on Wednesday. Noting that the friendship between China and Sri Lanka enjoys a long history and the two peoples share a natural affinity, Xi said consolidating and promoting China-Sri Lanka relations serves the fundamental interests and reflects the common expectations of the two peoples. China …

BEIJING: The Taiwan side needs to return to the political foundation defined by the 1992 Consensus if it really intends to resume dialogue across the Strait, said a Chinese mainland spokesperson on Wednesday. Merely talking about cross-Strait dialogue without relevant actions is unconvincing and devoid of sincerity, said Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, at …

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping met with representatives from American business, strategic and academic communities in Beijing on Wednesday. “The success of China and the United States is each other’s opportunity. As long as both sides treat each other as partners with mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, China-U.S. relations will get better,” Xi said. “China’s economy is healthy …

PHNOM PENH: The value of imports and exports passing through the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone (SSEZ) in Cambodia hit 628 million U.S. dollars in the first two months of 2024, up 38.3 percent compared to the same period in 2023, the zone operator said in a news release. Jointly ventured by Chinese and Cambodian investors, the SSEZ is a flagship …

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is preparing to reinstate Babar Azam as captain ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024. According to details, Cricket Pakistan reported on March 12 that Shaheen Shah Afridi’s T20I captaincy is under threat. Initially, Mohammad Rizwan was a leading candidate to replace Shaheen, with Babar Azam also in contention. However, recent developments have positioned Babar …

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday granted the PTI permission to hold a political rally in the federal capital on April 6. Chief Justice Aamer Farooq presided over the hearing of PTI’s plea against denial of permission by law enforcement agencies citing security concerns. “One’s right of assembly cannot be taken away,” said the judge as he directed the …

The Allahabad High Court in Uttar Pradesh has declared the Madrassa Act 2004 unconstitutional, leading to an immediate ban on madrassas and Islamic schools in the state. This decision affects approximately 2.7 lakh students and 10,000 teachers across 25,000 madrassas. Under the ruling, students enrolled in Islamic schools are to be transferred to central schools, altering the educational landscape for …

Cricket Australia CEO Nick Howley speaking to the media on the sidelines of the Pak India Fans event at the MCG said CA would love to play their part for India Pakistan cricket. “We value our relationships with all member states.  We are excited to host Pakistan again,” Nick Hockley said. “We are also excited to host India,” he said. …

An application has been filed with the Supreme Court to form a commission to investigate the allegations stemming from a letter written by six judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to the Supreme Judicial Council. The application, submitted by Mian Dawood Advocate, calls for a thorough inquiry into the allegations levelled in the judges’ letter through a high-level commission, …

A high-level security meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, conducted an audit of the security measures being ensured for foreign nationals, especially Chinese. In the wake of Tuesday’s attack on Chinese engineers in Shangla, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif convened a high-level security meeting aimed at evaluating and enhancing the security measures for foreigners, with a special focus on Chinese …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday vowed to promptly bring to justice the perpetrators and accomplices of the attack on Chinese nationals in the country’s northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province when visiting the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, the Prime Minister’s office said. Five Chinese nationals and one Pakistani were killed when a vehicle from the Dasu Hydropower Project, …