BERN, Switzerland: China is willing to promote continuous development of bilateral relations with Switzerland to achieve more practical results in mutually beneficial cooperation, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here on Monday. Li made the remarks during talks with President of the Swiss Confederation Viola Amherd. Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin, head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research, …

SHENZHEN: “BYD EXPLORER NO.1,” a vehicle carrier vessel leased to Chinese automaker BYD, held its maiden voyage ceremony on Monday at a port in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong Province. With more than 5,000 new energy vehicles (NEVs) on board, it will set sail for the ports of Vlissingen in the Netherlands and Bremerhaven in Germany. It is the first vessel …

NANNING: South China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region reported robust foreign trade growth last year, local authorities said Monday. Guangxi’s total imports and exports in 2023 hit 693.65 billion yuan (about 97.51 billion U.S. dollars), up 7.3 percent year on year. Exports rose 1.5 percent year on year to 363.95 billion yuan, and imports increased 14.6 percent to 329.7 billion yuan, …

HOHHOT: Chinese researchers have started breeding experiments on 66,500 potato seeds that were taken into space aboard the Shenzhou-16 crewed spaceship and stayed for over 180 days. After the seed germination, cultivation and transplantation, superior seed varieties will be selected and further evaluated, said Zhang Linhai, director of the technology innovation center of Xisen Potato Industry Co., Ltd., which is …

LONDON: Argentine superstar Lionel Messi retained the best FIFA men’s player award here on Monday, two months after he claimed the Ballon d’Or. The 36-year-old was absent from the ceremony held in London, while Pep Guardiola, who coached Messi at Barcelona, showed up to collect the trophy for the men’s best coach. The Spaniard steered Manchester City to the Premier …

CAIRO: China and the Arab League states on Sunday called for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire in the conflict-ravaged Palestinian enclave of Gaza. The two sides also urged the implementation of relevant UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions on the situation in Gaza and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, said a joint statement, adding that all forms of violence against civilians, …

SYDNEY: The Republic of Nauru announced Monday that it will recognize the one-China principle and sever “diplomatic relations” with Taiwan. In a post on Facebook, the government of Nauru said that it will follow the UN Resolution 2758, which recognizes the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and recognizes Taiwan as an …

Amidst the ongoing New Zealand tour, there is noticeable tension within the Pakistani team, as reported by local media, particularly concerning matters related to granting No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for T20 leagues. The players are expressing discontent with the stern approach of team director Mohammad Hafeez. Relations between Hafeez and senior players are less than ideal. According to the media …

Hollywood’s prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences seemingly confirmed the reports of Shahrukh Khan’s latest release, ‘Dunki’ being submitted for Oscar nominations this year. As reported by Indian media outlets earlier this week, Bollywood King SRK’s final film for the year 2023, ‘Dunki’ will be submitted for Oscars nomination this year. However, it was not clarified if the …

A-list film and TV actor Imran Abbas shares his experience of travelling to and working in the film industry of the neighbouring country, India. In his latest appearance on actor Hina Altaf and Syed Ali’s travel podcast ‘Footprints’, actor Imran Abbas, who has had the opportunity of working across the continents, shared his experience of Mumbai, India specifically. When asked …

Buyers of automobiles have clearly entered what appears to be a protracted hibernation. The pie was cut in half in only one year after overall sales of passenger cars, light commercial vehicles (LCVs), and SUVs fell by 53% in the first half of the fiscal year (Jul-Dec). This also reflects the current situation of Pakistani households, where their ability to …

In a positive betterment for farmers in South Waziristan, the establishment of an agricultural park by the Pakistan Army has eased the challenges faced by pine nuts cultivators. According to reports, the cultivation of pine nuts, a special natural gift during the dry winter season, is a significant boon for South Waziristan. Pine nuts, rich in food nutrients, is a …

In a concerted effort to address longstanding deprivation in Balochistan, the Pakistan Army and the government have been actively working across various sectors to uplift marginalized communities. Today, Balochistan stands as a crucial player in the national development agenda, a stark contrast to its earlier status as an underprivileged province. Once considered a neglected region compared to other provinces, Balochistan …

As winter bites in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, bringing seasonal challenges to remote regions, the Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps (North) have stepped up to provide much-needed relief in the form of provision of basic health facilities. Free medical camps have sprung up in Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Swat, Dir, Buner, and Chitral, ensuring access to crucial healthcare for thousands. Over 7,000 patients …

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has withdrawn its petition from the Supreme Court seeking a level playing field in the upcoming general elections. As the hearing of the PTI’s appeal began in the Supreme Court on Monday, counsel Latif Khosa said the party would like to go to the people’s court for the survival of democracy. A three-judge bench of the …

The announcement of China’s diplomatic goals for 2024 has manifested that China will give full play to the strategic leading role of head-of-state diplomacy and make every effort to ensure the success of events including the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, the Boao Forum for Asia, the China International Import Expo and the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development in …

MELBOURNE: China’s Zhang Zhizhen has maintained his form from a career-best year in 2023 to reach the second round at the Australian Open for the first time. The top-ranked male player from China beat Argentinian veteran Federico Coria 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(5) at Melbourne Park on Monday in two hours and 33 minutes. It makes Zhang, the world No. 54, the …

BEIJING: An article on the Party’s united front work in the new era by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, will be published on Tuesday. The article by Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will be published in this year’s second issue of the Qiushi Journal, a flagship …

HOHHOT: China has recently delivered 50 domestically-made buses to Ulan Bator of Mongolia through the land port of Erenhot, the largest land port on the China-Mongolia border, as part of an order for 600 Yutong buses placed by Mongolia last year. Mongolia made the purchase from China to help meet its public transport demand and the first batch of 35 …

LONDON: World No. 1 Ronnie O’Sullivan came from 6-3 down to overturn Ali Carter 10-7 on Sunday, winning his eighth Snooker Masters title. O’Sullivan had not been in his best form for the whole week and struggled when the final started. He trailed world No. 10 Carter 6-3 but regrouped by taking three frames in a row for a 6-6 …

GEMS Modern Academy, Dubai (Gulf Giants representative) lived up to the billing as they defeated The Winchester School (Dubai Capitals representative) in the final of the ILT20 Schools Cup by six wickets in a match that went down to the final over. The two teams were supported by DP World ILT20 Season 2 stars at the final at the ICC …

WENCHANG, Hainan: The combination of the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft and a Long March-7 Y8 carrier rocket was vertically transferred to the launching area on Monday. The cargo spacecraft will be launched in the near future at an appropriate time, according to the China Manned Space Agency. The facilities and equipment at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in China’s southern island …

WUHAN: A new air cargo route was launched on Saturday morning linking Ezhou Huahu Airport in central China’s Hubei Province with Lahore in Pakistan, said SF Airlines, China’s largest air cargo carrier in fleet size. The Ezhou-Lahore cargo route is the first international air cargo route launched by SF Airlines in this year departing from Ezhou Huahu Airport, China’s first …

BERN, Switzerland: China is willing to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields with Switzerland for more practical results, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Sunday. Li made the remarks on a special train from Zurich to Bern, the capital of Switzerland, during which he engaged in candid exchanges with President of the Swiss Confederation Viola Amherd in a relaxing …

Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said, he didn’t seek the PML-N ticket, which means he is not in the party. “If a person does not seek the party’s ticket after 35 years of affiliation is extra-ordinary and a clear message,” a seasoned politician said in an interview. “There was no need of a ceremony at joining and neither today, …

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Falak Naz Chitrali was ‘barred’ from traveling abroad at Islamabad International Airport. According to FIA sources said Falak Naz Chitrali was barred from flying to Dubai via EA-615 flight from Islamabad Airport. The sources further say Falak Naz’s name was on the stop list. Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shahbaz Gill, who is currently in US, was also …

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has allotted symbols to the candidates of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) contesting polls as independent candidates after the Supreme Court annulled the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) January 10 order. In a late-night decision, the Supreme Court on Saturday upheld the Dec 22 decision of the ECP depriving the PTI of its iconic poll symbol …

Microsoft has emerged as the most valuable publicly traded company, a position long held by Apple. This shift in fortunes occurred briefly during intraday trading on Thursday but was solidified by the end of Friday’s U.S. trading session. Microsoft’s impressive performance in the stock market saw its shares rise by more than 3% over the week, propelling the company’s market …

Hosts New Zealand are leading the best-of-five series after beating Pakistan again by 21 runs in the second T20I that took place in their country’s Hamilton city on Sunday. Pakistan could only score 173 runs while chasing 195 runs accumulated by the host team. Apart from Babar Azam and Fakhr Zaman, the entire batting line failed; they remained prominent on …

A station house officer (SHO) is among the five police officials of the Islamabad police who have been suspended indefinitely in the case of the alleged raid on the house of PTI leader Gohar Ali Khan. Following an initial inquiry into the police raid on the house of the lawyer, five policemen, including the Margalla SHO, have been suspended till …

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on the judicial, procuratorial and public security organs to uphold the absolute leadership of the Party and provide the national rejuvenation with a strong security guarantee. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the important instruction on judicial, procuratorial …

In a marathon hearing that concluded late Saturday night, the Supreme Court upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to revoke the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party’s emblematic bat symbol. This verdict came just before the ECP’s deadline for candidates to submit party tickets for upcoming elections, adding a last-minute twist to the political landscape. The three-judge bench, led by …

Undoubtedly, the election in Taiwan is an internal affair of China and its results will not change its principal stance of One China Policy. The western media and policy makers should appreciate the Chinese government’s stance which remained impartial and did not try to influence it. However, Chen Binhua, spokesman for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO), statement through state-run Xinhua News …

Pakistan has dispatched the fourth batch of 20 tons of relief goods for the oppressed people of Gaza. The relief goods were dispatched from Noor Khan Air Base by a special flight of Pakistan Air Force. Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani, Palestinian Ambassador to Pakistan Ahmed Jawad Rabi’i, officials of NDMA and Armed Forces were also present at the …

The prices of chicken and eggs on Saturday reached a whopping hike. The price of chicken reached Rs600 per kg. The price of eggs has reached Rs 400 per dozen. The citizens had appealed to the interim Punjab chief minister to control the chicken mafia and ensure that the basic commodities of life would be available at reasonable prices.

Meta’s messaging application WhatsApp is set to empower its iOS users with a new sticker creation, editing, and sharing feature. Users will now have the ability to transform photos instantly into stickers to add flair to their conversations or share memes effortlessly. While the sticker feature was initially introduced by WhatsApp in 2018, it has now taken a step further …

The countdown to Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 9 is on, and cricket fans are buzzing with anticipation, not just for the thrilling matches but also for the season’s anthem. And who better to reignite the hype than Ali Zafar, the undisputed king of PSL anthems for the first three seasons? But this year, Zafar throws the mic, figuratively speaking, …

The South African Cricket Board has taken the decision to relieve David Teeger from the captaincy of the Under-19 World Cup team due to his public support for Israel, sparking concerns over potential protests and threats to the tournament. Teeger, who was honoured as the Rising Star at the Jewish Achiever Awards in October 2023, dedicated his award to Jewish …

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has issued a draft of proposed amendments to the Non-Banking Finance Companies (Establishment & Regulations) Rules, 2003, to solicit public comments. Through these amendments, SECP aims to provide a more conducive regulatory framework for the non-banking finance sector. The proposed changes are based on a comprehensive review of the regulation, considering the …

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Raja Riaz on Saturday withdrew his nomination papers ahead of the forthcoming general elections. The former opposition leader in NA had withdrawn her nomination papers from NA-105. Raja Riaz had filed his nomination papers for National Assembly constituency NA-104 (Faisalabad-X). Later, talking to the media, he said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was a pro-people party, …