BEIJING: Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena in Beijing on Wednesday. Han said that under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-Mexico relations have maintained a high level of operation, becoming increasingly strategic, complementary and mutually beneficial. Noting that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of China-Mexico comprehensive …

NANJING: An international team of scientists said a fossil dating back to about 130 million years ago suggests male mosquitoes likely sucked blood in ancient times. Among modern-day mosquitoes, only females are hematophagous, meaning that they use piercing mouth parts to feed on the blood of humans and other animals. Scientists believe that insect hematophagy evolved from piercing-sucking mouthparts used …

SHANGHAI/HANGZHOU: After learning about China’s new visa-free entry policy, German tourist Krause Arthur Robert immediately booked a ticket for an impromptu trip to Shanghai. “I read about the new policy on the internet that it is possible without a visa to come for a short-term visit to see the city,” said Robert who adjusted his overall itinerary to include a …

GUANGZHOU, China: It’s important to get a picture of the real Iran and China from main sources through media cooperation, Mohammad Mahdi Rahmati, Tehran Times’ CEO told Xinhua in a recent interview at the fifth World Media Summit here. The summit in the southern Chinese city hosted by Xinhua provided an effective platform for interpersonal exchanges and mutual understanding among …

BEIJING: With six players scoring in double-digits, the Zhejiang Golden Bulls defeated the Shanghai Sharks 106-95, while Jared Sullinger’s double-double helped the Shenzhen Aviators cruise past the Jilin Northeast Tigers 113-93 in the 13th round of the Chinese Basketball Association league on Tuesday. Despite a frightening fourth quarter, the Golden Bulls rotated the ball well, dishing out 25 assists throughout …

VIENTIANE: At the age of 20, Lao girl Bounmee already became the breadwinner for her family. As the chief conductor of a bullet train on the China-Laos Railway, she now earns a salary way more than her peers. “My parents are so proud of me,” she said in fluent Chinese. After high school, she went to study Chinese in the …

GUANGZHOU: China on Wednesday used a Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3) carrier rocket to launch a test satellite into planned orbit, where it will test satellite internet technologies. The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center launched the rocket from waters off the coast of Yangjiang, south China’s Guangdong Province, at 3:24 a.m. (Beijing Time). The launch is the second mission of the Smart Dragon-3 …

BEIJING: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena on Tuesday in Beijing. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that the recent meeting between the two heads of state in San Francisco, the United States, has provided important strategic guidance for the development of bilateral …

Human rights lawyer, Clive Stafford Smith, Tuesday said Dr Aafia Siddiqui a Pakistani neuroscientist jailed in the United States for over a decadehas been sexually assaulted at least twice during her incarceration, in addition to the ill-treatment she was meted out at Bagram jail in Afghanistan. Smith, who represents Dr Aafia, said his client has been abused and tortured more …

The Punjab caretaker government has approved a multi-fold hike in the learner driving licence fee, which will come into effect from January 1, 2024. The approval came during the 33rd meeting of the provincial cabinet, chaired by caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi in Lahore on Tuesday. After the cabinet’s approval, the fee for the learner’s driving licence has been increased …

Oscar winner Julia Roberts recently shared her parenting strategy with 19-year-old twins Hazel and Phinnaeus, who celebrated their 19th birthday on November 28. Roberts appeared in a recent interview promoting her Netflix film Leave the World Behind alongside co-star Mahershala Ali. During the interview, she shared her parenting strategy and bond with her children. “I have an immense amount of …

Cotton arrival in Pakistan witnessed an improvement of 5.2% as of November 30 compared to November 15, according to the latest fortnightly data released by the Pakistan Cotton Ginner’s Association (PCGA) on Tuesday. As per the report, total cotton arrival in Pakistan rose to 7.753 million bales compared to 7.371 million bales recorded on November 15, 2023, an increase of …

MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin will visit Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday, the Kremlin has announced, as Moscow courts allies abroad despite being isolated by the West over the Ukraine conflict. Putin has limited international travel since deploying troops to Ukraine and the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for him, accusing him of deporting …

Balochistan caretaker Minister for Information Jan Achakzai on Tuesday said the provincial government had “safely handed over” Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) chief Manzoor Pashteen, who was arrested in Chaman a day earlier, to Dera Ismail Khan police. Pashteen was taken into custody by Levies and police personnel from the Gudhamo area on disputed claims of firing by his party and …

The Finance Division on Tuesday said it has released Rs17.4 billion to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for the upcoming general elections slated to be held on February 8, 2024. The amount was in addition to the Rs10bn released in July 2023, the Finance Ministry said, highlighting that the latest disbursement brought the total funds released for polls to …

ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON: Pakistan has been unable to secure a place on the schedule of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) executive board, at least until mid-December, for the approval of the staff-level agreement (SLA) and disbursement of $700 million. Informed sources said the Ministry of Finance had been trying its best to seek a date in the first week of December to …

The Pakistan women’s cricket team on Tuesday completed a historic series win over New Zealand after the Green Team defeated the Kiwis in the second T20 International game in a three-match series in Dunedin. The series win would be the first series sweep for the women’s side outside of Asia and Ireland and their first series victory away from home …

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative, has emerged as a success story of development project in the global arena in just 10 years of its launching in 2013 with the collaboration of Pakistan and China under the visionary leadership of both sides. At the 10th anniversary of this mega initiative, the CPEC has …

SHANGHAI/YANCHENG, Jiangsu: During his recent inspection tour in Shanghai, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president, and chairman of the Central Military Commission, emphasized the need for Shanghai to faithfully implement the new development philosophy on all fronts. He urged the city to focus on promoting high-quality development and forging a new …

KUNMING: Representatives attending the fifth World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) have adopted the Kunming Initiative at the opening of the summit on Tuesday. The fifth World Media Summit (Yunnan, China), held in the city of Kunming, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, was attended by more than 300 representatives of around 80 institutions, including media outlets, international organizations and think tanks, from …

BEIJING: Whatever high-sounding rhetoric the Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities try to use, it cannot cover up their malicious attempt to tie Taiwan residents to the war chariot of “Taiwan independence”, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday. Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks when asked to comment on Tsai Ing-wen, leader of the Taiwan region, who said …

CHENGDU: Giant pandas Yang Guang and Tian Tian arrived in southwest China’s Sichuan Province on Tuesday morning, after wrapping up their stay in Britain. The pair touched down at the Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport at about 6:50 a.m., before being sent to the Bifengxia giant panda base in Ya’an for a month-long quarantine. Yang Guang and Tian Tian, literally meaning …

GUANGZHOU, China: Representatives from developing countries at the fifth World Media Summit being held in the Chinese cities of Guangzhou and Kunming have made a strong call for a louder voice of the Global South. In an era of increasing global interconnectedness, a louder voice from the Global South has become more imperative than ever before, and the media also …

JIUQUAN: China on Tuesday launched a CERES-1 Y9 carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, sending two new satellites to their planned orbits. The commercial rocket blasted off at 7:33 a.m. (Beijing Time). The launch was the 11th flight mission to use the CERES-1 rocket series. Developed by Beijing-based Galactic Energy, CERES-1 is a small-scale solid-propellant …

ACCRA: The ongoing World Media Summit that has gathered dozens of African media representatives will enhance global media outlets’ understanding of China-Africa cooperation, a Ghanaian media executive said. The summit serves as an important platform for African media outlets to interact with their counterparts across the globe, said Roger Agana, managing director of News Ghana, a leading news website in …

CAIRO: Media cooperation between the Arab world and China is essential amid growing common challenges, said Ahmed Sallam, former undersecretary of Egypt’s State Information Service (SIS). Sallam, also a former media consultant at the Egyptian embassy in Beijing, told Xinhua in an interview ahead of his trip to China for the 5th World Media Summit sponsored by Xinhua. It is …

HERAT, Afghanistan: Over 280 quake-affected families in west Afghanistan’s Herat province have received tents donated by China, said a government official on Monday. According to Abdul Salam Barikzai, an official in charge of finance and management of the national disaster authority in the province, each quake-affected family received one tent in Zindajan district on Sunday and the process of aid …

GAZA: The Palestinian death toll has risen to 15,899 as a result of the Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, the Hamas-run health ministry said Monday. Ashraf al-Qedra, the spokesman of the ministry, said during a press conference in Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip, that the number of injured people rose to more than 42,000, …

By Muhammad Sohail Bhatti, from GUANGZHOU, China Usually, the world remains under the focus of media binoculars round-the-clock, but it was the media’s turn to be focused by the whole world when China’s city of Guangzhou hosted the 5th World Media Summit (WMS). The 5th WMS gathers over 450 participants from 101 countries and regions, including representatives of 197 mainstream …

BEIJING: President Xi Jinping has called for efforts to give better play to the important role of the Constitution in China’s governance. In an instruction, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed upholding the authority and sanctity of the Constitution while promoting its further improvement and …

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Monday granted no-objection certificates (NOCs), allowing “limited” permission to multiple Pakistani cricketers to participate in Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL-13). The board, “considering the workload of players and the future tours program of the national men’s team”, issued NOCs to Haris Rauf, Usama Mir, and Zaman Khan to play in the upcoming season of Australia’s …

Air pollution is a major threat to human health, children are especially vulnerable to its adverse effects. Children’s developing bodies, along with their immature immune systems, make them more vulnerable to the harmful effects of polluted air. Children breathe more rapidly than adults, taking in more air relative to their body weight. This increased breathing rate exposes them to higher …

As winter approaches, it’s crucial to extend our health focus beyond just bundling up. The colder months present unique challenges for maintaining a radiant smile, with dry air, festive treats, and temperature extremes affecting your teeth and gums. In this season of joy, don’t overlook the importance of a healthy and vibrant smile. Embrace the season with confidence, knowing your …

The interesting voice message transcription feature on WhatsApp has finally been made available to more users on iOS, WABetaInfo reported. The feature was previously available to some beta testers on iOS, but now it has been released for more users with the version update to 23.25.10.70. “Finally, it appears that WhatsApp is rolling out the ability to transcribe voice messages …

Popular actor and host Imran Ashraf’s ex-wife Karan Ashfaq tied the knot for the second time with Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) focal person and political advisor Hamza Ali Chaudhry. The news of Kiran’s marriage came out yesterday after which the actress herself confirmed it on Sunday evening. She later shared several glimpses of her big day with her fans on …

ISLAMABAD: The European Union (EU) has communicated to the government that due to a lack of time, it will not be able to send a full election observation mission, as it did in the 2018 polls, and will also be unable to provide recommendations after the conclusion of February 8 elections, it was learned on Monday. The Election Commission of …

RAWALPINDI: Former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Monday stated that he will include former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa and US embassy officials as witnesses in his defence in the cipher case. “Will include General Bajwa and US embassy officials as witnesses [in the case]. General Bajwa did everything on Donald Lu’s directives,” claimed Khan during …

Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori has revealed that he has communicated to former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari that political parties should not indulge in the “blame game”. Speaking to the media in Karachi on Monday during his visit to a school established by a welfare organization, he highlighted the rising political temperature in the country …

BEIJING: The Chinese city of Ningbo will host the 2026 World Weightlifting championships, following the 2024 edition in Manama (Bahrain) and the 2025 edition in Forde (Norway). The International Weightlifting Federation announced in a statement after a vote by the IWF Executive Board, meeting on Sunday in Doha, Qatar, that Ningbo has experience in successfully staging international sports events. Ningbo, …

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Beijing on Monday. Xi pointed out that he and Lukashenko reached important consensus on promoting the high-level development of China-Belarus relations during Lukashenko’s state visit to China earlier this year. The two countries have strengthened political mutual trust and international coordination since then. China always views its relations …