Ministry of IT and Telecommunication (MoITT) will issue a policy directive in the next few days to make smartphones more accessible to all citizens through affordable installment options, Caretaker Minister of IT and Telecom Dr. Umar Saif said in a meeting on Thursday. In a high-level meeting comprising representatives of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Cellular Operators, and GSMA, the …

Pakistani cricketer Faheem Ashraf is set to tie the knot this month. The wedding festivities are set to commence with a mehndi ceremony on November 23, followed by barat on November 25 in Narowal, while the walima ceremony will take place in Phulnagar on November 26. After Haris Rauf, Shan Masood, Shadab Khan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi, Faheem Ashraf will …

Renowned actress and TV host Nadia Khan has shared some advice for women, emphasizing the importance of staying strong and resilient. During a recent appearance on a morning show, Nadia Khan engaged in a candid conversation about the challenges women often face. One of the key issues discussed was how some men take advantage of vulnerable women, trapping and exploiting …

Renowned Hollywood actress and humanitarian Angelina Jolie has accused both Israel and world leaders of ‘complicity’ following the recent Israeli strike on war-torn Gaza. Jolie, who previously served as a special envoy to UNHCR, turned to Instagram and shared a photo on of Israeli strike. In the caption, the 48-year-old highlighted the dire situation in the besieged region, emphasizing the …

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to ban the entry of men into girls’ schools throughout the province. According to the decision, in case of any event or programme at the schools, the chief guest will also have to be a woman. This step has reportedly been taken following complaints submitted on the government’s citizens portal. A similar decision was …

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has told the Supreme Court that general elections in the country will be held on February 11, 2024. A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Athar Minallah heard pleas moved by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), the PTI, Munir Ahmad and Ibadur Rehman …

The government of Punjab has made it mandatory for all school students as well as the staff to wear face-masks for a period of at least 30 days. The decision was taken in an hours-long meeting of the Punjab cabinet, chaired by caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi. During the meeting, it was decided to impose a smog emergency in the …

Pakistan’s northwestern border crossing was flooded with thousands of people looking to cross into Afghanistan on Thursday, a day after the government’s deadline expired for undocumented foreigners to leave or face expulsion. Pakistani authorities had begun rounding up undocumented foreigners, most of them Afghans, hours before Wednesday’s deadline. More than a million Afghans could have to leave or face arrest …

More than 165,000 Afghans have fled Pakistan in the month since Islamabad issued an ultimatum to 1.7 million people to leave or face arrest and deportation, officials said Thursday. The majority rushed to the border in the past several days as the November 1 deadline approached and police began to open up dozens of holding centers to detain arrested Afghans. …

Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Asim Munir’s visit to Baku is aimed at enhancing military-to-military cooperation and defence collaboration between the two brotherly countries. During the visit, COAS held detailed meetings with Azerbaijan’s military and civil leadership including President H.E. Ilham Aliyev, the defence minister, 1st deputy minister and chief of general staff and commander of air force. The matters …

SHANGHAI: An international team of scientists from China and the United States has made a remarkable discovery, suggesting that two massive objects buried in the Earth’s deep mantle could be relics from the moon’s formation about 4.5 billion years ago. A leading theory holds that the moon formed when a Mars-sized planet dubbed Theia struck Gaia or the early Earth, …

BEIJING: The 2023 World Young Scientist Summit will open in Wenzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, on Nov. 11, the China Association for Science and Technology has announced. The summit will have 13 main forum activities, three overseas special activities, and 23 sub-forum activities, providing chances for global young scientists to interact and discuss topics of scientific innovation. The main forum …

BEIJING: The remains of Comrade Li Keqiang, who was a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 17th, 18th and 19th Communist Party of China (CPC) central committees and former premier of the State Council, were cremated at the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery in Beijing on Thursday. Li was extolled as an excellent CPC member, a time-tested …

CHONGQING/MEXICO CITY: Fengdu County in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality is famous for exporting “zhacai,” a traditional Chinese pickle made from mustard stems. The traditional Chinese appetizer with a century-old history has become a delicacy on the dinner tables outside China. In the production workshops of Chongqing Fengdu Sanhe Industrial Co., LTD., you can smell the fragrance of zhacai from far …

TEGUCIGALPA: China-proposed initiatives that aim to promote global development are an opportunity for Honduras and the whole world, Vice President of the Honduran National Congress Rasel Tome told Xinhua recently. China’s vision of international relations, cooperation, multipolarity and mutual assistance based on equality and respect for sovereignty and security is essential for the global economy, he said. “It is precisely …

BEIJING: A Chinese learning platform has attracted over 10 million users from 187 countries and regions by the end of October, according to an official from the Global Chinese Learning Alliance. Chinese-language learning has gained momentum worldwide in recent years with the expansion of the platform’s user scale and the improvement of the related product layout, Pan Zeliang said at …

CHENGDU: Taourghist Abdessamad, head of a hypermarket called “XTRA” in Morocco, was excited about the richness of agricultural products at the 9th Sichuan Agricultural Expo, which concluded Monday in Chengdu, capital of southwest China’s Sichuan Province. “I thought I could only purchase some basic agricultural products such as wheat and soybeans, but I saw so many agricultural commodities here. I …

BEIJING: With the conclusion on Tuesday of the closely watched central financial work conference, China has outlined future priorities and directions for the pursuit of the country’s high-quality financial development. China will remain committed to the path of financial development with Chinese characteristics and boost the high-quality development of the financial sector, according to the meeting, the highest-profile gathering in …

MIES, Switzerland: Six teams from China, Serbia, France, and the United States have booked their spots in the 3×3 basketball competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) announced here on Wednesday. The Serbian men’s team, French women’s team, and both men’s and women’s teams from China and the United States secured their placings based on …

TOKYO: The Japanese authorities are “on standby” to respond to recent sharp moves in the yen, the country’s top currency official said Wednesday. Japan’s Vice Finance Minister for International Affairs Masato Kanda made the comment as the Japanese currency dropped to a one-year low against the U.S. dollar, expressing concern over “one-sided, sharp” yen movements. The yen briefly weakened to …

TIANJIN: About 28.5 tonnes of resin, produced by a new materials manufacturer, recently embarked on a journey from the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin to Thailand, where these goods can enjoy preferential tariffs under the China-ASEAN free trade agreement. “The past 10 years have been a ‘golden decade’ for us. Our exports to the Belt and Road partner countries …

GENEVA: Visiting China’s Xizang Autonomous Region was a “dream come true,” the permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations in Geneva has said, calling the trip “a pleasant surprise, contrary to what we hear from some Western delegates.” Ambassador Khalil Hashmi has recently finished a trip to Xizang. He told Xinhua that what he saw there was the full …

BEIJING: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday met with Honduran Foreign Minister Eduardo Reina in Beijing. China-Honduras relations have developed rapidly under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, showing broad prospects and great vitality since the two countries established diplomatic ties, said Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party …

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s main opposition party will boycott the next general election if Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina does not make way for a neutral government to conduct the poll, two party leaders said, amid a crackdown on opposition politicians and deadly protests. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), whose top leadership is either jailed or in exile, is betting that if Hasina …

Turkey and Iran on Wednesday called for a regional conference aimed at averting the spread of the Israel-Hamas war. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian a day after Iran’s top diplomat met Hamas leaders in Qatar. Iran has warned that armed groups it supports in the region could attack Israel in light of its war on Hamas. …

Shell Pakistan on Wednesday said its parent company’s unit, Shell Petroleum Company, has signed a deal with Saudi-based Wafi Energy to sell domestic operations. Shell Petroleum Company, the international arm of Shell , said the sale is expected to complete by the fourth quarter of 2024, subject to regulatory approvals. In June, Shell Petroleum Company said it would exit Pakistan …

The Senate on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, where Israeli airstrikes and a ground assault have taken thousands of Palestinian lives, including those of children and women, with no indication of a halt in hostilities. The resolution, presented by Senator Ishaq Dar, was approved during an emergency session on Gaza, occurring amid an …

Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan has shared a heartfelt romantic note for his girlfriend Saba Azad on her 38th birthday, saying “It feels like home with you”. Taking to Instagram, the War actor posted a stunning photo with Saba and wrote, “We all look for that place. That place where you can feel warm, inspired and safe enough in a partnership …

Authorities on Wednesday launched a crackdown on illegal immigrants across the country as the deadline for undocumented foreigners expired a day earlier, while thousands of illegal Afghan migrants have voluntarily returned to Afghanistan. Undocumented foreigners in different parts of the country including Karachi, Rawalpindi and others are being detained and moved to holding centres before being repatriated to their respective …

More than 100,000 undocumented Afghan nationals have returned voluntary to Afghanistan through the northwestern Torkham border crossing in the last two weeks, a Pakistani government official said on Wednesday. Deputy Commissioner Abdul Nasir Khan said the Afghan nationals had traveled from across Pakistan to the border crossing. Pakistan’s deadline to expel all undocumented immigrants, including hundreds of thousands of Afghan …

Think of a world without ginger. No more tasty fiery karahis, no more spicy curries, and no more refreshing ginger tea. Sounds dull, right? But it’s the same fear that took over the global ginger market in 2023 as uncertainties and shortages started impacting different regions. In this dynamic global landscape that we are going to talk about in a …

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday appointed Barrister Ali Zafar as its new parliamentary leader in the Senate. A circular was also issued by the Senate secretariat in this connection, nominating Ali Zafar as PTI’s new parliamentary leader in the upper house. The development came after PTI chief had approved Zafar’s appointment as the parliamentary leader in the upper house of …

Afghanistan’s Taliban government on Wednesday urged Pakistan to give undocumented Afghans in the country more time to leave as pressure mounts at border posts swarmed by thousands of returnees fleeing the threat of deportation. The Pakistani government has given 1.7 million Afghans living illegally in the country until November 1 (today) to leave voluntarily or be forcibly removed. More than …

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa called the fact-finding committee and its subsequent report on the Faizabad dharna case an eyewash and remarked that the committee was illegal. He also asked who was the real mastermind of the 2017 dharna. All the parties are withdrawing their appeals against the Supreme Court verdict, so the committee’s TORs are akin …

Several Muslim and Arab American groups are exerting pressure on US President Joe Biden, threatening to withhold donations and votes for his 2024 reelection unless immediate steps are taken to secure a ceasefire in Gaza. The National Muslim Democratic Council, comprising Democratic Party leaders from crucial states like Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, has called on Biden to leverage his influence …

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Wednesday removed the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) political party of former president and chief of Army staff Pervez Musharraf from the list of political parties. The Election Commission has issued a notification in this regard. It is pertinent to note that former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf passed away in February this year …

Google Doodle on November 1st paid tribute to the legendary Pakistani puppeteer, artist, and writer Farooq Qaiser on what would have been his 78th birthday. Qaiser, best known as the creator of the iconic puppet character “Uncle Sargam,” has left an indelible mark on the hearts of both children and adults throughout Pakistan. Born in 1945 in Punjab’s Sialkot area, …

Coffee is one of the commonly consumed beverage thanks to its immense popularity. Caffeine may enhance your mood, cognitive function, and athletic performance in addition to making you feel less fatigued and more alert. Additionally, it might promote weight loss and offer protection from conditions like heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and type 2 diabetes. Drinking coffee first thing in the …

BEIJING: China welcomes Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero’s visit to the country from Nov. 2 to 9, and his attendance of the 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE), Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday. Wang made the remarks at a daily press conference when responding to a related query, adding that China will take the visit as an …

TAIYUAN: China successfully launched a satellite on Wednesday from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China’s Shanxi Province. A modified version of the Long March-6 carrier rocket carrying the satellite Tianhui-5 lifted off at 6:50 a.m. (Beijing Time). The satellite has entered its preset orbit. It will be used for geographic mapping, land resource survey, scientific experiments and other …