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 …

The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notices to the Inspector General Police (IGP) of Punjab Dr Usman Anwar, chief secretary and AG Punjab on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) petition seeking contempt of court proceedings against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for failing to address the party concerns regarding level-playing field ahead of the upcoming polls. A three-member bench, headed by …

In the third Test against Australia in Sydney, the rival Pakistan team has been bowled out for 313 runs. The national team had got off to a disastrous start after winning the toss and deciding to bat first. Pakistan lost both its openers without scoring any runs, and after some time it had lost four wickets, including skipper Shan Masood …

National Democratic Movement leader Mohsin Dawar’s vehicle was targeted by unknown gunmen on Wednesday in the North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. As per reports, Mohsin Dawar survived the attack due to the vehicle being bulletproof. Unknown assailants open multiple bullets on the rear mirror of the former MNA and partner of the former coalition government of the Pakistan Democratic …

ISLAMABAD:  A high-profile business delegation, led by Li Ting, Chairman of the Chang Chinag Chamber of Commerce, China met with Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, Muhammad Sami Saeed, in Islamabad on Tuesday. The meeting aimed to discuss potential collaboration opportunities between Pakistan and China across various sectors, fostering business expansion and exploring new investment avenues. Comprising eight …

CHANGSHA: Golden pomelos hanging from branches, a row of potted succulents and a slumbering orange cat all feature in a winter scene in the new home of Yin Ping and Yin Ling, as it defies the chill to present a vibrant courtyard. This old house in Fangshiping village, central China’s Hunan Province, had long been in a state of disrepair …

Elite oriented model of Pakistan’s economy badly needs initiation, implementation and completion of CPEC projects in the country. Due to skyrocketing inflation the ratios of poverty and unemployment are getting momentum which can be reduced through completion of numerous mega projects of socio-economic development in the country. The formation of Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) is now accelerating the inflows …

HEFEI: Chinese automaker Chery Holding Group Co., Ltd. reported strong sales in 2023, according to the company’s sales report released Tuesday. The company sold over 1.88 million vehicles in 2023, up 52.6 percent year on year. Of the total sales, exports amounted to 937,148 vehicles, up 101.1 percent year on year. In December alone, Chery sold 215,690 vehicles, achieving month-on-month …

BEIJING: China’s state-owned assets regulator published a list on Wednesday of mega-projects that were completed or started construction in 2023 by the country’s central state-owned enterprises. Among the projects that exemplified super engineering are the launch of Shenzhou-17 manned spaceship, the operation of China’s new-generation “artificial sun” HL-3 in the high-confinement mode under a plasma current of 1 million amperes, …

TOKYO: The death toll has risen to 55 in the central Japanese prefecture of Ishikawa as of Tuesday evening, after a series of powerful earthquakes hit the area in central Japan and the vicinity, with aftershocks and more damage reports coming in. In a separate tragedy on Tuesday, a Japan Coast Guard (JCG) aircraft taxiing on the runway to transport …

KABUL: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) handed over 16 ambulances to the Red Crescent Society of Afghanistan on Tuesday. Expressing gratitude over receiving the assistance, Mawlawi Matiul Haq Khalis, chairman of the Afghan Red Crescent Society, said that the contribution would help provide better services to the patients in health centers. Afghan hospitals and health clinics, according …

LHASA: A large-scale wind power project, standing at an average altitude of 4,650 meters and with a total installed capacity of 100 megawatts, commenced operation on Monday in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region. According to CHN Energy Investment Group (CHN Energy), the group of 25 wind turbines in Nagqu is expected to provide approximately 200 million kWh of electricity annually, …

PHNOM PENH: Some 83,900 vehicles have traveled on the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway during the New Year holiday, starting from Saturday to Monday, a senior Cambodian official said on Tuesday. Heang Sotheayuth, spokesperson and director general of Technology and Public Relations at the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, said the expressway received 21,900 vehicles on Saturday, 28,900 on Sunday and …

BEIJING: BRICS expansion has shown its bright prospect, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday at a daily press briefing. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Iran, and Ethiopia joined BRICS on January 1, doubling its membership from 5 to 10. Wang said China is fully confident in the BRICS’ future, noting that BRICS cooperation mechanism …

GAZA: The death toll of Palestinians has exceeded 22,000 after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict on Oct. 7, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Tuesday. The ministry said in a press statement that the Israeli army killed 207 Palestinians and wounded 338 others in the Gaza Strip during the past 24 hours. The new causalities bring the number of …

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has urged authorities to crack down on fertilizer hoarders, smugglers, and profiteers, claiming that the country has enough urea storage for the current wheat season. A statement issued by the PM Office Media Wing on Monday said that there was enough urea in the country to meet demand and action would be taken against …

Pakistan’s premier javelin thrower, Arshad Nadeem, will be sent abroad for training if he regains his prime fitness, according to Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) chairperson Major General (retired) Mohammad Akram Sahi. Nadeem, who won a Silver medal in the 2023 World Athletics Championship in Hungary, is suffering from a right knee injury which kept him out of the 19th …

The security forces find themselves facing a renewed threat from terrorists equipped with foreign weapons believed to have originated in Afghanistan. This alarming trend has reignited concerns about the role of Afghanistan’s interim government in curbing the flow of arms and preventing their use against Pakistan. The Pakistan Army has been fighting the war against the TTP for the past …

The Supreme Court adjourned the hearing of a case related to missing persons till 11:30am on Wednesday, while Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa remarked during the hearing that the court could not order parliament to enact legislation. On Tuesday, a three-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by CJP Isa and comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and …

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to establish over 92,500 polling stations nationwide, with the official polling scheme to be revealed 15 days before the scheduled February 8 general elections. For the upcoming general elections, it has been determined that Punjab will have 51,821 polling stations across 438 national and provincial constituencies, while Sindh will have 19,236 polling …

The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday nullified the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) decision to suspend the appointment of a returning officer in PK-91, Kohat. Last week, the electoral body filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the PHC order, suspending its order about the appointment of Irfanullah as a returning officer (RO) for the provincial assembly constituency of PK-91 …

Turning his star sports power to politics, colorful Bangladeshi cricketer Shakib Al Hasan is all but guaranteed to become a ruling party lawmaker with general elections on Sunday boycotted by the opposition. Better known as the leading all-rounder of his era, the 36-year-old skipper has been on a whirlwind campaign for the ruling party of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The …