BEIJING: The national giant panda conservation and research center, a world-class platform for giant panda research cooperation and exchange, was inaugurated Friday in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, southwest China. The center integrates the resources of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda and the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, gathering outstanding giant panda research …

SAN FRANCISCO: Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that sustainable development is the “golden key” to solving current global problems. At an informal dialogue and working lunch during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting, Xi made three proposals on sustainable development. First, accelerate the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Xi noted, calling for …

SAN FRANCISCO: Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday reaffirmed the positioning of comprehensively advancing the strategic and mutually beneficial relations between China and Japan. During their meeting here in the afternoon, the two leaders reiterated their commitment to the principles and consensus stipulated in the four political documents between the two countries, reaffirmed the …

By Zulkafil Hassan Khan Till today more than 12000 innocent Palestinians have been killed and still the joint meeting of OIC-Arab League is busy in cosmetic signaling and diplomatic posturing. No action plan, no concrete solution and no unified leadership of Muslim world to halt the worsening human situation in Gaza. It is indeed one of the most bitter lessons of human …

BEIJING: China currently has more than 10,000 major pharmaceutical industrial enterprises and the country’s ability to ensure medical supplies has improved, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said Friday. The industrial output of the major pharmaceutical companies currently accounts for about 4 percent of the country’s total industrial output, data from the ministry showed. The industry’s investment in research …

BEIJING: China’s National Meteorological Center renewed an orange alert for snowstorms on Friday, warning that blizzards are expected to hit parts of the country’s northeastern and southwestern provinces. From 2 p.m. Friday to 2 p.m. Saturday, snowstorms will lash parts of Jilin, Heilongjiang and Sichuan provinces, which could lead to new snow depths exceeding 13 centimeters in some places, the …

SAN FRANCISCO: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday called for fostering new growth engines for China-Peru cooperation in digital economy and green development. Xi made the remarks when meeting his Peruvian counterpart, Dina Boluarte, on the sidelines of the 30th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting. He also said that the two sides should synergize their development strategies, and …

SIEM REAP, Cambodia: Souvenir vendor Ly Ratana is optimistic that the Chinese-invested Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI) will bring more tourists to Siem Reap province, home to the UNESCO-listed Angkor Archaeological Park, so his business will grow again. Ratana, who has sold a variety of souvenirs at the Old Market in the eponymous Siem Reap town for more than …

SAN FRANCISCO: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday called for expanding China-Mexico cooperation in finance, electric vehicles and other emerging industries. Xi made the remarks when meeting his Mexican counterpart, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting. He also said that the two sides should make good use of the inter-governmental …

LANZHOU: Every morning at sunrise, police officer Ma Ming and his well-equipped colleagues step out from their police station nestled within the picturesque Guanshan Mountains, embarking on their patrols in these relatively rare verdant landscapes of the Loess Plateau in the northwestern Gansu Province. The police station, headed by Ma, is responsible for safeguarding this critical ecological shelter for the …

SAN FRANCISCO: Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed here Wednesday the role of people in China-U.S. relations at a welcome dinner by friendly organizations in the United States. “The foundation of China-U.S. relations was laid by our peoples,” Xi said, stressing that “the door of China-U.S. relations was opened by our peoples,” “the stories of China-U.S. relations are written by our …

The Ministry of Information Technology has finalized its policy for giving smartphones in installments to citizens, a move that enforces the blocking of phones for those who default on their payments. Sources told ProPakistani that the policy, which has garnered agreement from all mobile companies, is aimed at curbing the misuse of mobile phones by defaulters. Under the proposed policy, …

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar has declared over Rs. 48 million in assets which include 20 acres of property worth Rs. 8 million, 10 tolas of gold which he has declared at just Rs. 80,000, and over Rs. 25 million in cash. The premier has submitted returns revealing assets totaling Rs. 48.18 million. He owns 20 acres of inherited …

Passport applicants in major cities across Pakistan are facing a substantial increase in delivery times, with normal processing now taking 2.5 to 3 months. Long queues have become a common sight at passport offices in Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta, Lahore, Multan, and Faisalabad. Urgent fees, intended to expedite the process, are providing only marginal relief, with delivery delays still stretching …

In a heartwarming and unexpected twist, renowned Victoria’s Secret model Meredith Vancuyk has fallen head over heels in love with Pakistani music. The model was introduced to the enchanting world of Pakistani songs and music , renowned for its rich melodies and soul-stirring compositions after working with Ammar Baig who is an exceptionally talented singer hailing from a rich musical …

The famous singer Dua Lipa is going to be part of the closing ceremony for the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. This ceremony will take place at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium just before the final match. Star Sports, which is the official broadcaster for the World Cup, shared this exciting news on X. They even posted a video where …

Foreign Office (FO) has claimed that it has nothing to do with why 164 retired military and civilian officials were paid pensions in foreign currency. This was stated by FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch during her weekly media briefing. She said this information was provided by the Foreign Office in response to a request under the Right to Information (RTI) …

President Dr Arif Alvi said on Thursday that it is up to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and government to provide a level playing field for the political parties. Addressing the Margalla Dialogue in Islamabad, the president stated, ‘’There is no doubt about it that the elections will happen on February 8. The government has assured to provide a …

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Lahore authorities are unmoved despite directions from the Apex committee to take action against electricity theft. Moreover, the agency could not even recover more than Rs5 billion from 100 dead defaulters, let alone action against power theft. A list of these dead defaulters was provided to the FIA by the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) …

Religious Affairs minister Aneeq Ahmed on Thursday announced the 2024 Hajj policy. Aneeq Ahmed said that Hajj 2024 will be digitalized wherein Hajis will get an internet-free mobile application that could be used without internet and through an arrangement unlimited free call package will be provided to Hajis. Pakistan to Saudi Arabia Hajj 2024 cost.  Aneeq Ahmed said that last year’s …

JIUQUAN: China on Thursday sent a new-generation ocean color monitoring satellite into space to help improve understanding of marine waters. This is the world’s first high-precision ocean color observation satellite that targets various water bodies around the world, using multiple detection methods. It can realize large-scale, continuous and dynamic monitoring of water color, water temperature, sea ice, suspended matter and …

ADDIS ABABA: China and Africa on Wednesday vowed to further enhance China-Africa cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), with stakeholders pledging financial support to bolster high-quality BRI cooperation. This comes as the African Union (AU) and the Chinese Mission to the AU held a high-level seminar Wednesday in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, with the participation of …

BEIJING: More Chinese cities reported falling home prices in October, official data showed Thursday. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said 56 of 70 large and medium-sized cities saw month-on-month drops in new home prices, up from 54 in September, while 67 registered price declines for second-hand homes, compared to 65 in the previous month. In the four first-tier cities, …

HONG KONG: The International Forum on China’s Economy and Policy held here Wednesday gathered more than 400 participants to explore the opportunities and roles of Hong Kong under the trend of the country’s strides towards high-quality development. Speaking at the forum, John Lee, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), said Hong Kong has the unique advantage …

BEIJING: China’s BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) has been recognized as being of the required standard by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), making it a universally accepted navigation system for global civil aviation. BDS’s technical standards and recommended measures have been added to ICAO’s existing standard documents in Annex 10 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, according to …

TAIYUAN: Death toll has risen to 26 after a fire broke out Thursday morning at a building of a coal mine company in north China’s Shanxi Province, according to rescuers. The fire ripped through the second floor of the five-story building located in Lishi District of Lyuliang City. Rescue efforts are underway, according to local authorities. More than 60 people …

BERLIN: UEFA and Adidas unveiled the official match ball for Euro 2024 on Wednesday at Berlin’s Olympiastadion. The ball is named “Fussballliebe”, German for “love of football”. Illustrations of each of the tournament’s stadiums appear on the ball alongside the name of each host city. “When designing this official match ball, we were inspired by the energy and diversity of …

BANGKOK: China men’s national football team head coach Aleksandar Jankovic said he was confident ahead of the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, with China set to visit Thailand in the opening match on Thursday. Having overseen three wins, two draws and three defeats since his appointment in February, Jankovic was not coy on his ambitions for China to reach …

BEIJING: Against the picturesque backdrop of the Filoli Estate in the U.S. state of California on Wednesday, a high-stakes meeting captured the world’s attention. In a significant rendezvous, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, have had their first vis-a-vis sit-down since their handshake in Bali, Indonesia, last year. The two heads of state delved into strategic …

A new report by the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change paints a grim picture of the future as it warns that heat-related deaths could increase by nearly five-fold by 2050 if current trends continue. The report also projects that heatwaves could lead to an additional 524.9 million people experiencing moderate-to-severe food insecurity by 2041-60. The report’s findings are …

The Supreme Court has banned the use of the word “sahib” with the titles of government officials. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard the bail application of the suspect in the murder of a 10-year-old child in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, during which the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa additional advocate general appeared in the Supreme Court. During the hearing, the Supreme Court expressed its …

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday started to publish the nomination papers as the elections in the country are around the corner. Sources privy to the development said the nomination papers for the elections are being printed by the printing corporation. Before the electoral schedule, the nomination papers will be given to the District Returning Officers (DROs). The …

Pakistan on Wednesday released a dossier on the alleged atrocities and exploitation of religious minorities in India. During the annual Margalla Dialogue 2023 conference on ‘Evolving World Environment: Charting the Course for Our Future’ in Islamabad, caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar launched the dossier. According to the document, since 2014, the Indian government has continued atrocities against minorities, while …

The Council of Islamic Ideology has allowed conditional permission to women to go on Hajj without a mehram. According to a copy of the council’s letter to a Ministry of Religious Affairs inquiry, as per the jurisprudence of Jaafriya, Maliki and Shafi’i, a woman can perform Hajj without a mehram, but this is subject to certain conditions. A woman who …

The federal government on Wednesday constituted an inquiry commission on the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan’s sit-in of 2017 at Faizabad in Rawalpindi. The attorney general for Pakistan (AGP) submitted a notification for the same to the Supreme Court. At the previous hearing on the various review petitions against the court’s verdict in the Faizabad dharna case, the Supreme Court had allowed 12 …

The population of Pakistan’s national animal, Markhor, is experiencing a notable increase in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The Markhor, a wild goat recognized for its agile and sure-footed characteristics, as well as its distinctive long winter coat and imposing spiral horns, reaching lengths of over 1.5 meters on males, is a symbol of Pakistan’s wildlife. These remarkable creatures primarily inhabit …

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva says Pakistan is close to clinching a deal this week on the second tranche of $710 million under its $3 billion Stand Arrangement. She said in an interview that Pakistan’s authorities are sticking to the program in a very difficult time and a deal is close.” I accept an agreement of …

BEIJING: An article on handling important relationships in the enhancement of ecological conservation by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, will be published on Thursday. The article by Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will be published in this year’s 22nd issue of the Qiushi Journal, a flagship …

SAN FRANCISCO: The 2023 APEC Ministerial Meeting kicked off on Tuesday with a focus on creating a resilient and sustainable future. Interconnectedness, innovation, strengthening inclusivity and unleashing people’s untapped potential are the three priorities in the days ahead, according to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who co-hosted the opening plenary session with U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai. Blinken noted …

ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Tuesday said Ethiopia’s membership in the BRICS mechanism is advantageous as the group promotes the South-South cooperation framework. The prime minister made the remarks Tuesday while addressing the Ethiopian House of Peoples’ Representatives (HoPR), the lower house of the Ethiopian parliament. When responding to questions raised by members of the Ethiopian parliament, …