Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif emphasised that his government would work tirelessly to ensure timely implementation of the initiatives under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). He stressed that Pakistan was keen to move to the next phase of CPEC, including operationalisation of the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to facilitate Chinese investment in Pakistan. The prime minister was talking to Ambassador …

SHIJIAZHUANG: Seven were killed and 27 others injured following an explosion in north China’s Hebei Province on Wednesday, local authorities said Thursday. The blast, suspected to have been caused by a gas leak, occurred at 7:54 a.m. Wednesday at a shop in Yanjiao township in the city of Sanhe, according to the city’s emergency management bureau. All the injured have …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan geared up efforts to develop five economic corridors under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) for national growth, Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal said on Wednesday. The initiative includes economic corridors of job creation, innovation, green energy, and inclusive regional development, the minister said while chairing a review meeting on CPEC projects. After the successful …

BEIJING: A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Wednesday said that an early settlement of the situation on the China-India border serves the common interests of China and India, adding that it is hoped that the two countries will find a solution to relevant border issues that can be accepted by both sides at an early date. Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made …

BEIJING: Chinese Premier Li Qiang has called for efforts to deepen the integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation, and accelerate the cultivation of new driving forces and new advantages of high-quality development. Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during an …

BEIJING: Chinese leader Xi Jinping has sounded the clarion call for reform during the country’s annual key political season, dispelling concerns about whether China’s reform is “stagnating,” or its economy is “losing steam.” “We must plan major moves to deepen reform to inject strong impetus into promoting high-quality development and advancing Chinese modernization,” President Xi said at the annual sessions …

Hold onto your smartphones, folks, because Bushra Ansari, the seasoned actor and reigning queen of sass, has dropped some serious digital wisdom. In her latest YouTube mini-vlog, titled Delete With Love, she serves a piping hot dose of realness, revealing her secret to dealing with loved ones who ghost her in the digital realm. In a world where blue ticks …

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Russia is technically prepared for nuclear war, and cautioned against any deployment of U.S. troops to Ukraine, labelling it a significant escalation of the conflict. Speaking just ahead of Russia’s March 15-17 election, which is widely expected to extend his tenure for another six years, Putin stated that while the nuclear war scenario …

Health professionals advise changing food habits and moderation in food during Ramazan. The head of Mayo Hospital’s Department of Medicine, Prof Asrarul Haq, has said that one should eat samosas, pakoras, and kachoris as little as possible. Fried food increases the incidence of complicated diseases, he advises. Furthermore, he also stated that Sehr should be considered as breakfast and Iftar …

Federal Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb in conversation with the media person said that Pakistan wants biggest and longest-running program from the International Monitory Fund (IMF), in the country’s history. Muhammad Aurangzeb said that Pakistan will try to take a big program according to the quota and vows economic discipline in the IMF program. “The improvement of the economy is the …

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that New Zealand men’s cricket team will tour Pakistan from 14 April to play five T20Is. The Blackcaps will arrive in the capital city on 14 April and will play three T20Is at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on 18, 20 and 21 April. Following that, both sides will move to Lahore, where they …

Canadian national and Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot and killed as he left his place of worship in Surrey, B.C., on the evening of June 18, 2023. The video has been aired by CBC Canada’s state-run media. Last year, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau put all the blame pm th government of India ordered the killing a claim that …

Punjab government on Wednesday decided to ink a cross-border one-on-one agreement with India to fight against smog in a bid to improve the air quality index. Punjab Senior Minister Maryam Aurangzeb directed to scrutinize factories contributing to air pollution. The minister chaired a meeting to digitize the brick kiln industrial system for a better air quality index. Addressing the meeting, …

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced the election schedule for by-elections on National Assembly and provincial assembly seats across the country. According to the announcement, by-elections on vacant seats of the National and provincial assemblies will be held across the country on April 21. These included six seats of the National Assembly, 12 seats of the Punjab Assembly, …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China will carry shared values and march toward shared development, prosperity and progress together, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said. Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated Sharif on his election as prime minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on March 3. In his response, Sharif thanked Xi for his warm congratulations and continued support for Pakistan. “I …

ISLAMABAD: Soon after the formation of the elected government, progress on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), particularly the five new economic corridors, including the Corridor of Job Creation, Innovation, Green Energy, and Inclusive Regional Development, has been expedited. The newly-appointed Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, Professor Ahsan Iqbal, chaired an important meeting on Wednesday to initiate work …

Credit: CGTN Severing “diplomatic” ties with China’s Taiwan region, Nauru recently became the 183rd country to recognize the fact that the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory. In some corners, however, this indisputable fact continues to run into denialism. Laura …

Credit: Global Times Following a highly politicized weekend in Taiwan, over 80 countries have come out to reaffirm their commitment to the one-China principle. Standing in stark contrast is the US, which issued a statement congratulating the DPP leader, a self-professed “pragmatic worker for Taiwan independence,” in a move that threatens to exacerbate tensions in the Taiwan Straits and jeopardize …

Credit: Global Times Congratulating a “presidential election” as “victory of democracy,” sending delegations to the “inauguration” of the newly-elected — these are protocol arrangements that are quite usual between sovereign countries when either side has elected a new head of state. It would seem rather peculiar and quite weird if such practices took place between a country and a region …

ISLAMABAD: The holy month of Ramadan kicked off in Peshawar, Pakistan on Tuesday, with Muslims preparing for a month of dawn-to-dusk fasting intended to remind them of the less fortunate and reinforce the need to be thankful. Ramadan starts from one sighting of the crescent moon to the next, during which believers eat and drink nothing after the pre-dawn meal …

TAIYUAN: A Buddhist temple dating back to the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) has been unraveled in Pingcheng District, Datong City of north China’s Shanxi Province. Believed to have been an official temple or a royal one, the ancient temple is located some 300 meters from the palace ruins of the Northern Wei Dynasty, with a pagoda as its center, said …

TIANJIN: Cruise ship Zuiderdam, operated by Holland America Line, docked at Tianjin International Cruise Home Port in north China’s port city of Tianjin, on Monday morning, with over 1,100 tourists from 30 countries and regions aboard. This marks the maiden visit of the cruise ship, measuring 285 meters in length and 32 meters in width, to Tianjin, where it will …

BELGRADE: China has extraordinarily balanced economic prosperity and social welfare, proving that “it is possible to be economically successful while also being socially humane,” Serbia’s former minister of defence and internal affairs Aleksandar Vulin told Xinhua. Recalling his visits to China, Vulin marveled at the nation’s rapid development and the dedication of its people. “Every time, I was amazed at …

HAIKOU: The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) has confirmed the launch of an intelligent breeding platform for breeding data processing. The platform, jointly developed by the Hainan-based National Nanfan Research Institute (Sanya), the Institute of Crop Sciences under the CAAS and Alibaba’s DAMO Academy, features world-leading data capacity, speed and data security measures. It has realized integration of the …

WASHINGTON: U.S. President Joe Biden and former U.S. President Donald Trump have secured enough delegates to become their respective party’s 2024 presidential nominee, U.S. media projected on Tuesday. Following weeks of campaign advertisements, political addresses and voting in more than two dozen primary contests, Americans are confronting a reality that numerous have sought to avoid: a first presidential rematch since …

Ramadan is a month-long period of fasting observed by millions of Muslims around the world. Fasting for 30 days may make it tempting to let go of healthy eating habits and binge out during Suhoor and Iftar, but that’s not the spirit of Ramadan. In Islam, we recognise our bodies to be a trust from Allah ﷻ which means that …

Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam has said he personally was not satisfied with the one down batting position but he played there for Pakistan’s sake. The Peshawar Zalmi skipper said this in a media after his team defeated Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) leading them to the top of the points table. Brushing aside an impression of …

Punjab Home Ministry has imposed a two-week ban on incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan from holding meetings inside Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, According to a notification issued by Home Department, all kinds of visits, meetings and interviews have been restricted in Adiala Jail due to security alert. The authorities have been directed to install barbed wires outside the jail …

In what can only be seen as a blast from the past, renowned Pakistani model Ayyan Ali recently took to social media to share a throwback clip and pen a note for Asif Ali Zardari, who has once again taken the oath as the President of Pakistan. The model, known for her bold and candid expressions, reminisced about a moment …

Nine people were killed and two others injured when a three-storey building collapsed on top of another in Multan following a gas cylinder explosion, officials said. District Emergency Officer Dr Kaleemullah told Internews that the bodies and injured were rescued from the rubble following a five-hour operation in which 70 rescue personnel participated. He added that five individuals of a …

A technical problem that caused a strong movement on an international flight to Auckland Airport this afternoon has injured 50 passengers – with several transported to hospital after landing. Fourteen Hato Hone St John units rushed to the airport after they were notified at 3.58pm of an incident on Chilean airline Latam. St John crews treated about 50 patients, with …

As part of efforts to fulfil another condition set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Pakistan is set to introduce a tagging system for climate, gender, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) projects in the new budget. This initiative, as part of ongoing efforts to fulfil the IMF’s requirements, aims to enhance transparency and accountability in the utilization of development funds …

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has started preparing for the upcoming by-elections scheduled to be held on 24 seats in the National and provincial assemblies. In anticipation of the electoral event, the ECP has taken several measures to ensure a smooth and transparent voting process. One of the key preparations made by the election commission is the arrangement of …

After PPP-P President Asif Ali Zardari assumed office as the 14th president of Pakistan, his youngest daughter, Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, is set to assume the title of first lady. This development marks the second instance in the nation’s 76-year history where a daughter or a sister of a head of state will be conferred with the title. Previously, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali …

SYDNEY: As the world is facing accelerated changes unseen in a century, the China-Australia cooperation is not only in line with the common interests of the two countries, but also conducive to peace, stability, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific and the world at large, according to Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian. “China and Australia are major powers in the …

SHANGHAI: U.S. tech giant Apple announced on Tuesday that it will expand its applied research lab in Shanghai and establish a new lab in Shenzhen later this year. The labs in Shanghai and Shenzhen will support intelligent manufacturing, along with the reliability, quality, and material analysis of products, providing resources for the global engineering and design team, according to Isabel …

TAIYUAN: Five miners were killed and another two missing as a warehouse in a colliery shaft collapsed in north China’s Shanxi Province, authorities said. The accident happened at 10:45 p.m. Monday at Taoyuan Xinlong coal industrial corporation in Zhongyang County, burying seven people, according to the publicity department of the county’s Party committee. As of 7 a.m. Tuesday, five bodies …

HEFEI: Seven people were dead and two more remained trapped underground after a gas explosion ripped through a coal mine in east China’s Anhui Province on Monday, rescuers said. The accident happened at about 12:10 p.m. at the Xieqiao coal mine of Huaihe Energy when 24 miners were working underground in the mine shaft. Twenty-two miners managed to return to …

BEIJING: The 14th National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s top legislature, concluded its second session Monday. Chinese leaders Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng attended the closing meeting of the session at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Zhao Leji, executive chairperson of the session’s presidium, presided over the meeting …

Bowler Naseem Shah, who is playing for Islamabad United in Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) season 9, was fined 10% of his match fee for breaching the code of conduct in a match against Multan Sultans on Sunday. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) issued a statement saying, Naseem was fined 10% of the match fee “for a level 1 breach of …