A five-member Supreme Court (SC) bench on Monday declared the military trials of civilians arrested in the wake of violent protests in the country on May 9 to be null and void. The court announced its verdict in the case a few hours after it was reserved. Justice Ijazul Ahsan had headed the bench comprising Justices Munib Akhtar, Yayha Afridi, …

Javeria Siddique, wife of slain journalist Arshad Sharif, on Monday filed a lawsuit against Kenyan police, according to her lawyer. Arshad Sharif, an ardent supporter of former premier Imran Khan, was shot dead in Nairobi in October last year. Initial reports on his killing by the Kenyan media quoted local police as saying that Sharif was shot dead by police …

Indian cricketing hero and spin great Bishan Singh Bedi has died aged 77, sports minister Anurag Thakur said on Monday, calling it a “huge loss” to the sport. “Former captain of the Indian Cricket team, a bowler who was always remembered by the nation, Bishan Singh Bedi, is no more,” Thakur, former president of the Board of Control for Cricket …

In an apparent reference to the return of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday said that there should be no further delay in polls following the events that took place over the weekend. Nawaz landed in Pakistan on October 21 after spending four years in self-exile. Upon arrival, the deposed prime minister first completed legal formalities …

SYDNEY: The official draw for the 2024 United Cup tennis tournament concluded here on Monday, with results revealing that debutants China will clash with Novak Djokovic-led Serbia and the Czech team headlined by Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in the group stage. The second edition of the United Cup is scheduled to run from Dec. 29, 2023, to Jan. 7, 2024, …

BEIJING: China is ready to conclude boundary negotiations and establish diplomatic relations with Bhutan as soon as possible, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Monday. Wang, also member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with Bhutanese Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji who is in China for boundary talks. Wang said …

BEIJING: The 13th National Women’s Congress opened on Monday in Beijing at the Great Hall of the People. Leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the state, including Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, and Li Xi, attended the event to extend their congratulations. Ding Xuexiang delivered a speech on behalf of the CPC …

QAMDO: Markam County is known to have rich salt resources since ancient China. Salt fields are mainly built on cliff slopes and riversides of the Lancang River. Local people in Naxi evaporate brine in the sun with an ancestral technique since Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). With a large amount of yearly output of salt products, salt-production has become a main …

BEIJING: Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Monday stressed upholding the Party’s overall leadership over trade unions and mobilizing the country’s hundreds of millions of workers to vigorously take part in the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation. Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military …

BEIJING: China welcomes Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to visit the country and attend the 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE), foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday. Mao made the remarks at a daily press conference when responding to a question on report that Anthony Albanese said that he will visit China from Nov. 4 to 7 and …

BEIJING: The 13th National Women’s Congress opened on Monday in Beijing at the Great Hall of the People. Leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the state, including Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, and Li Xi, attended the event to extend their congratulations. Ding Xuexiang delivered a speech on behalf of the CPC …

BEIJING: China’s top political advisor Wang Huning met with Chairman of Pakistani Senate Sadiq Sanjrani in Beijing on Monday. Wang, chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, said that China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners and ironclad friends. China is willing to work with Pakistan to further implement the important consensus reached by the …

QUEZON CITY, the Philippines: A lovely costume contest for pet dogs was recently held in Quezon, northeast of capital Manila. Dogs were carefully adorned with gowns theming on astronaut, lobster, etc. that captured the “dress-up party” entertainment. A pet dog is seen during a costume contest for pet dogs in Quezon City, the Philippines, on Oct. 22, 2023. (Photo by …

BUDAPEST: The curtains drew to a close on a thrilling finale at the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup here on Sunday, with China’s Qin Haiyang and Australia’s Kaylee McKeown clinching the men’s and women’s overall series titles, respectively. In the men’s category, Qin secured the top spot, closely followed by Italian swimmer Thomas Ceccon and South Africa’s Matthew Sates. Qin …

KUNDUZ, Afghanistan: The honey production industry in north Afghanistan’s Kunduz province has been reborn over the past years, with an increasing number of bee farms seen in the remote Chahar Dara district. Beekeeping becomes the cash cow for many farmers in the war-torn country who seek to improve their living conditions. Kunduz currently boasts about 500 bee farms, and its …

BEIJING: At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, President of the Republic of Colombia Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego will pay a state visit to China from October 24 to 26, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying announced on Monday. Another Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, gave additional information about the visit at Monday’s daily news briefing. President Xi will hold …

KUALA LUMPUR: The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) offers hope of a renewed economic recovery despite global uncertainties, a Malaysian observer has said. This is being achieved while giving participating countries full autonomy to act, in contrast with Western-led projects that force countries into bloc confrontation, Lee Pei May, a political expert at the International Islamic University Malaysia, told …

BEIJING: A 5.0-magnitude earthquake jolted off the coast of Nan’ao County, Shantou City, in south China’s Guangdong Province at 3:20 a.m. Monday (Beijing Time), according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC). The epicenter was monitored at 23.32 degrees north latitude and 117.39 degrees east longitude, with a depth of 10 km, said the CENC.

HANGZHOU, China: China claimed the Asian Para Games’ first gold medal as Xie Maosan triumphed in the women’s KL1 canoe final on Monday morning. KL1 is for paddlers with highly affected movement in the trunk and legs.

MOSCOW: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit the Iranian capital Tehran on Monday for talks with regional counterparts, his ministry’s spokeswoman has confirmed. Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported earlier that the foreign ministers of Russia, Turkiye, Azerbaijan and Armenia had been invited to meet for the talks. “We confirm Lavrov’s planned talks in Tehran on Monday,” foreign ministry …

An Iranian Revolutionary Court has handed out long prison sentences to two women journalists over their coverage of the death in custody of Kurdish-Iranian Mahsa Amini last year, state media reported on Sunday. The death of 22-year-old Amini last September while in the custody of the morality police for allegedly violating the Islamic dress code unleashed months of mass protests …

HANGZHOU: The 4th Asian Para Games, which opened in the east Chinese city of Hangzhou on Sunday night, is set to witness a giant leap forward for China’s para-sports. The host nation will be represented by 221 male and 218 female athletes in all 397 events across 22 sports, and their goal is “to win gold and show great spirit”. …

ASMARA: Eritrea’s cooperation with China under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is crucial for promoting the country’s economic industrialization and diversification, an expert has said. Fikrejesus Amahazion, research analyst at the Eritrean Center for Strategic Studies, told Xinhua in a recent interview that the BRI has enjoyed global prominence since it was proposed in 2013. China has signed more …

BEIJING: A compilation of excerpts from discourses on community-level governance by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has been published by the Central Party Literature Press. Xi’s discourses in this regard are of great significance to improving the Party organization-led urban and rural community governance model which combines self-governance, the rule of law …

BEIJING: More migrant individuals seeking medical treatment have benefited from China’s refined policy for cross-provincial on-the-spot settlement of medical bills through basic medical insurance accounts. Under the current basic medical insurance scheme, rural migrant workers, elderly people who relocate to be with their children, and other migrant individuals are allowed to directly settle their medical expenses incurred outside their home …

CAIRO: Amid the escalating Israel-Hamas conflict and growing global calls for de-escalation and increased humanitarian aid for Gaza, U.S. President Biden’s request to Congress for 14.3 billion U.S. dollars in military assistance to Israel has raised concerns. Biden argued on Friday that this move would enhance Israel’s security. However, analysts and critics worry that it could increase uncertainty in the …

WINDHOEK: Namibia has been granted 19 million euros (about 20.2 million U.S. dollars) from the German government through KfW Development Bank as a financial contribution toward community conservation in the Zambezi Region, a senior official has said. Eight million euros will be allocated to human-wildlife conflict (HWC) mitigation, while 11 million euros are earmarked for mitigating the effects of the …

CHENGDU: Chinese sci-fi writers and artists enjoyed a rewarding night on Saturday at this year’s Hugo Awards. Hai Ya took away the Best Novelette award for “The Space-Time Painter” while well-known computer graphics artist Zhao Enzhe won the Best Professional Artist award. “I’m pleasantly surprised and very lucky, it’s like my dream come into reality,” said Hai Ya, who started …

CAIRO: The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a timely project aimed at addressing global risks, said Egypt’s former Prime Minister Essam Sharaf. “The BRI is a timely initiative. Chinese initiatives are essential for humanity. They address global threats and promote the (building of a) community with a shared future,” Sharaf told Xinhua in a recent interview in Cairo. In …

EXTON, United States: The Chinese market is not an “option” but a “must” as nearly 90 percent of American companies doing business in the world’s largest consumer market are earning profits, Chinese Consul General in New York Huang Ping said on Friday. “China is not the source of risk but the source of opportunity. To shut out China in the …

BEIJING: About 200 people from 40 countries and regions and international organizations engaged in in-depth discussions during a recent thematic forum on think tank exchanges held in Beijing. The event was part of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation that attracted representatives from over 150 countries and 40-plus international organizations. This grand gathering, where views were shared …

Dependence solely on Wikipedia for information can be a risky endeavour and highlights the importance of cross-referencing with the original sources provided in the footnotes. In an effort to address this concern, researchers have introduced an AI system known as SIDE. This system serves a dual purpose and aims to both confirm the accuracy of primary sources and propose alternative …

At least 12 young girls have been killed due to prohibited drug overdose at dance parties at farmhouses in Karachi, according to police. The shocking discovery came to limelight after the body of a girl was found in the jurisdiction of the Sachal Police Station on September 27. Sindh Police Special Investigation Unit (SIU) sealed the farmhouse of a government …

Pakistan State Oil (PSO) on Sunday suspended fuel supply to Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) amid non-transfer of daily payment to ensure fuel supply. PIA agreed with PSO for a daily payment to continue fuel supply for essential routes earlier this month after the state-owned oil company suspended the supply over piling dues. Pakistan State Oil excused PIA from supplying fuel …

Dozens of Hollywood actors and artists, including comedian Jon Stewart and Oscar-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix, wrote on Friday to US President Joe Biden, urging him to press for a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza. Hamas launched its biggest attack yet on Israel on October 7, killing 1,400 people and taking about 200 hostages. Since then, Israel has bombed Gaza and so far …

The apex court has ruled that the judiciary cannot grant relief that breaches a law, nor create a right in favour of a litigant which they do not possess under the law. The judgement, autho­red by Justice Athar Minallah while dismissing an appeal filed by medical students, also notes that while every citizen is unquestionably entitled to choose a profession …

Workers and supporters of various political parties and organisations staged a sit-in at Chaman on Saturday to protest the government’s recent decision mandating that any crossing at the Afghan border will require a valid passport and visa from Nov 1. The government’s apex committee decided last week that the current system under which indivi­duals can cross the border using the …

Amid a slump in the economy and hyperinflation, a large number of Pakistanis, particularly the younger population, are trying to move abroad in search of employment and scholarship opportunities. According to a media report, more than 450,000 Pakistanis have left for various countries during the first quarter of 2023. The outflow of Pakistanis can be witnessed by visiting passport offices and …

The city woke up late in the afternoon, and partially, to the arrival of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who returned to his home town on Saturday after four years of self-imposed exile, and even that political activity was restricted to the venue of public rally and a few kilometers radius around it sparing the rest of Lahore. For the rest …

Addressing a webinar titled, “War Crimes Gaza: The impact, consequences, and international response & responsibility”, the envoy called out the “double standards” of the so-called civilized world and international organizations responsible for ruthless killings of innocent children, women and elderly men living in Gaza. The webinar was jointly hosted by the Center of South Asia & International Studies (CSAIS) Islamabad …