CHANGCHUN: Yanbian, the only autonomous prefecture of China’s Korean ethnic group, has witnessed an influx of tourists visiting its unique ethnic cultural experiences this winter. More than thrilled to kickstart their long-anticipated trip, Hu Kangjie and his family from the tropical island province of Hainan, traveled more than 4,000 km to visit the prefecture in northeast China’s Jilin Province. “Here …

THE HAGUE: Chinese grandmaster Wei Yi claimed the Tata Steel Chess Tournament title for the first time in the Netherlands on Sunday, beating Gukesh Dommaraju from India in a sensational tiebreak decider. It was the 86th edition of the prestigious chess tournament held at Wijk aan Zee, a village on the Dutch west coast. In the final, the 24-year-old grandmaster …

ALGIERS: Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Sunday reiterated his country’s unwavering support for Sudan. Tebboune made the remarks at a joint press conference in Algiers with visiting Chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan. The president emphasized Algeria’s commitment to “stand alongside the Sudanese people during these challenging circumstances,” as he underscored Algeria’s dedication to “resolving internal disputes …

UNITED NATIONS: China serves as a leading force in upholding multilateralism and promoting sustainable development, said Dennis Francis, president of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA). At the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Francis is paying a visit to China …

YAREN: A Chinese national flag-raising ceremony was held on Monday in Nauru by a Chinese diplomatic team, marking the first time in nearly 19 years that the five-star red flag has been raised in the Pacific island country. The ceremony was held by the team responsible for reestablishing the Chinese embassy in Nauru in a compound that also houses their …

BANGKOK: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Sunday that China and Thailand will officially enter a “visa-free era” from March 1 as the two sides have just signed an agreement on mutual visa exemption. Wang made the remarks in a joint press conference after an annual consultation with Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Parnpree …

URUMQI: International representatives and media outlets have for the first time been invited to sit in on or cover the upcoming “two sessions” of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, local authorities said on Sunday. Local “two sessions” are the annual meetings of provincial-level lawmakers and political advisors, during which plans for local economic and social development in the year ahead …

HELSINKI: Finland’s presidential election kicked off on Sunday as polling stations opened at 9 a.m. local time (0700 GMT). Finns are going to cast their votes until 8 p.m. (1800 GMT) to elect a president for a six-year term. Nine candidates are contesting to be the successor to the incumbent president, Sauli Niinisto. After two terms in the presidency, he …

ISTANBUL: One person was killed on Sunday in an armed attack on an Italian church in Türkiye’s largest city Istanbul, said Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. Yerlikaya said on social media platform X that two masked people organized the attack at the Santa Maria Church in the Sariyer district on the European side of the city at around 11:40 a.m. …

While we look at the relationship between what we eat and diabetes, we tend to overlook a habit that is a bigger health hazard for people living with diabetes smoking. Smokers are three times more at risk of developing diabetes than non-smokers. Many studies have shown that smoking increases the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 30 to 40 …

The Awami National Party (ANP) demanded an apology on Sunday from PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif over his remark of referring to the people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa as ‘fools’. “Some of our people are easily fooled. And the easiest to fool are some people from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. This disease has originated from there [K-P],” Nawaz said a day earlier while releasing his party’s …

Social media is ablaze with reactions following the emergence of a controversial video depicting Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan assaulting a personal employee. The video, which quickly went viral on various social media platforms, has ignited widespread public outrage, prompting heated discussions about the responsibility of public figures and the severity of the alleged actions. In response to the …

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has urged Pakistan to introduce other social support mechanisms along with the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP. The IMF in a statement said that Pakistan should take more steps for extending social protection to the weaker classes. “Pakistan should take consistent efforts to run the social assistance programme,” IMF stated. “The protected electricity and gas …

Pneumonia claimed 18 more lives of children during the past 24 hours in Punjab. According to the Punjab Health Department, a total of 870 new pneumonia cases have been reported across the province in the last 24 hours, with Lahore confirming pneumonia in 177 new patients. Over the current month, Punjab has reported over 250 pneumonia-related deaths, with Lahore alone recording …

Iran has offered condolences to Pakistan over the killing of nine of its labourers on its soil. Iranian envoy to Pakistan in his statement condemned the killings of Pakistani labourers in Iran and said Tehran and Islamabad will not tolerate affliction of damage to the countries’ relations. “Iran and Pakistan will not allow enemies to cause damage to the countries’ …

Pakistani-British barrister and arbitrator, Mahnaz Malik, has clinched a prestigious appointment as one of the seven external judges on the World Bank (WB) Sanctions Board. This autonomous tribunal holds the responsibility of making final determinations in cases involving sanctionable misconduct, such as corruption and fraud, within World Bank-funded development projects. Bringing a wealth of expertise amassed over 23 years, Malik …

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Health Advisor Dr Riaz Anwar has announced the successful resolution of the pressing issue concerning the shortage of medicines in hospitals across the region. The breakthrough came following the approval of over Rs 5 billion for essential medicines, despite the financial challenges faced by the province. Dr Riaz Anwar revealed that the necessary funds were secured after seeking …

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Hamad Azhar claimed in a tweet that the Police have arrested his 82-year-old father Mian Azhar. “My father wanted to lead the rally from Constituency-129,” Hamad Azhar. Also, PTI leader claimed that police reached outside the residence of the senior politician Javed Hashmi. “The police have surrounded the house of Makhdoom Javed Hashmi,” Zahid Bahar Hashmi. “Five police …

Shamar Joseph’s exceptional talent took center stage, orchestrating a remarkable sequence of events that left Australia astonished at the Gabba. The West Indies, after 27 years, clinched a historic Test victory against Australia, prevailing by a mere nine runs. The pursuit of a modest 216 for a decisive 2-0 series triumph seemed well within Australia’s grasp, with the hosts comfortably positioned …

The vibrant city of Karachi recently played host to a landmark event with its first World Athletics-approved marathon, attracting over 1000 participants across various categories. In the spotlight was Aamir Sohail, who emerged victorious in the gruelling 42.2-kilometer full marathon. Clocking in at an impressive 2 hours, 36 minutes, and 9 seconds, Sohail secured the top spot, with Israr Khatak …

HAIKOU: Hainan, south China’s tropical island province, aims to promote cultural and tourism cooperation with France in honor of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and France this year. Celebrating the 60th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties, China and France will jointly host the Year of Culture and Tourism to provide cultural experiences to the …

GUANGZHOU: Nestled deep in the Maofeng Mountain in Guangzhou, the capital of south China’s Guangdong Province, a small rehabilitation center has become the home sweet home to over 30 leprosy survivors. Leprosy, a chronic infectious disease that typically leads to permanent damage such as skin lesions and physical deformities, once brought profound suffering to humanity worldwide. Guangdong used to be …

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is looking into extending the period of stay of two giant pandas Xing Xing and Liang Liang at Zoo Negara, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Saturday. Anwar said that the presence of Xing Xing and Liang Liang had become an attraction that many Malaysians look forward to. “Many people come to the zoo to see the …

BANGKOK: Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, held a new round of talks with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan here on Friday and Saturday. During the talks, the two sides had candid, substantive and fruitful strategic communication on implementing the consensus reached by leaders of the two countries …

China has unique model of human rights in the world which is based on holistic and comprehensive socio-economic prosperity and rule of the law. Evidently, China pursues a people-centered human rights philosophy which puts people’s well-being at the center of human rights, and has embarked on a path of human rights development. It has made historic achievements in the cause …

The Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan on Saturday has taken notice of the summons issued to journalists by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) over the malicious anti-judiciary campaign. Following the formation of joint investigation team (JIT), the FIA issued summons notices to 65 individuals including 47 journalists from mainstream media and social media. Meanwhile, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Qazi …

Federal Minister for Science and Technology Dr Umar Saif vowed on Saturday to uplift the freelancers in the country. Addressing the ceremony in Lahore, Saif highlighted the simplification of the process for freelancers in Pakistan to receive funds from foreign countries. Thanks to advancements on international platforms, freelancers can now access funds instantly. In addition to this, Saif disclosed plans …

Nine Pakistani workers on Saturday lost their lives in a terrorist attack in the Sirkan neighbourhood of Saravan city of Iran. Three others were injured in the incident. The assailants reportedly entered the auto repair workshop where the victims lived and shot each member. Among the victims, five hailed from different areas of Alipur in Punjab province and had been …

The prices of petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) are estimated to go up by Rs5-9 per litre on Jan 31 for the next fortnight owing to higher international prices and import premiums, nullifying an impact of minor exchange rate gains. Informed sources said the prices of both major petroleum products petrol and HSD had increased in the international market over …

After failing to meet the legal deadline and missing the timeline it set for itself, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday issued the final polling scheme for the Feb 8 general elections. Section 59(6) of the Elections Act 2017 requires the publication of the final list of polling stations of each constituency, at least 30 days before polling …

Pakistan,s first-ever international female Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Fighter, Anita Karim, defeated Italy’s Adriana Fusini on Friday at Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Thailand. The Girl from Hunza Valley made the nation proud with a remarkable win. The MMA fighter has previously won many accolades at local and international levels, the athlete emerged victorious at the Pakistan Grappling Challenge during …

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari once again challenged former Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif for an open debate before the February 8 General Elections 2024. Bilawal, who is the PPP’s prime ministerial candidate, took to X (formerly Twitter) and said Nawaz Sharif is the PML-N’s nominee for the premier slot. He asked …

Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir has taken back his application seeking leave till retirement. According to sources, the development came after the Ministry of Law and Justice did not accept the leave application. It is important to mention here that the Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir sought leave till his retirement in March 2024. In a letter to the Islamabad …

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to make SMS service 8300 free of charge from Monday next. The announcement was made by ECP’s Spokesperson, Syed Nadeem Hyder, Additional Director General Nighat Sadique, and the Project Director of the Project Management Unit. They said the voters can check details of their constituencies and polling stations by sending the number …

A government document has exposed the cause of historic hike in vegetable prices in the country. According to the paper the vegetable exports registered 232 percent increase in December last year. “Over 92,000 metric tonnes of vegetables were exported to overseas in December,” the document shared. The volume of vegetable exports remained 11.46 billion rupees in month of December. “In …

The country facing persistent urea shortage crisis despite importing 2,00,000 tonnes of the fertilizer, citing sources. Urea fertilizer being sold across the country at various rates in black market. Urea selling prices showing significant variations within the country. There is 1530 rupees difference in price of urea bag between Lahore and Hyderabad. The price of urea bag has been Rs …

A free medical camp was set up by the Pakistan Army in Bhasin and its surrounding rural areas in Lahore. In the camp, doctors and paramedical staff conducted medical examinations and provided treatment to hundreds of individuals. The free medical camp, established for the residents of Bhasin and the rural areas around Lahore, saw the participation of numerous doctors and …

In a shocking turn of events, Vince McMahon, the iconic figure behind the global wrestling phenomenon WWE, has resigned from his executive role at both WWE and its parent company, TKO Group Holdings. The resignation comes in the wake of grave allegations, including accusations of sex trafficking and rape, levied against McMahon by former WWE employee Janel Grant. According to …

The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has put forth a recommendation for yet another substantial increase in gas prices, this time by a staggering 41%. Sources within the Ministry of Petroleum said that the proposal is expected to receive government approval, paving the way for the hike to take effect from next month. This move comes on the heels …

As the polling day for general elections draws near, the authorities concerned have issued orders to ensure smooth, uninterrupted power supply across the country on February 8. According to Internews sources, the orders have been issued over fears that the polling process is likely to be affected due to the ongoing electricity loadshedding in the country. Therefore, orders have been …