UK’s visiting professor of Economic Policy at Oxford University, Stefan Dercon, has called upon Pakistan’s elite to shun dependence on foreign loans to revive the ailing economy, saying that the privileged class of the country is losing ground and legitimacy, The News reported. “The elite will have to change to build up common grounds because there is no quick fix. …

Britney Spears is all set to release her highly anticipated memoir The Woman in Me next month on October 24, 2023, and it has been reported that in honour of the queen of pop, Trafalgar Releasing, Sony Music Entertainment, and RCA Records announced the re-release of the songstress’s 2002 film Crossroads. The movie will play on big screens in 875 …

HANGZHOU: Chinese shooters clinched two gold medals and one silver on Sunday, the first competition day after the 19th Asian Games officially opened, with the day’s other three medals taken by India and Mongolia. Han Jiayu, Huang Yuting, and Wang Zhilin, all hailing from Zhejiang, secured China’s first shooting gold in the women’s 10m air rifle team event with 1,896.6 …

YINCHUAN: Economic and trade cooperation has been highlighted at the four-day 6th China-Arab States Expo, held in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, with over 400 cooperation projects signed. Planned investment and trade for these projects will amount to 170.97 billion yuan (about 23.43 billion U.S. dollars). The total number of attendees and exhibitors at the expo …

HANGZHOU: Chinese rowers grabbed the Hangzhou Asian Games opening gold in women’s light-weight double sculls here on Sunday morning. Zou Jiaqi and Qiu Xiuping, who finished sixth at the 2023 World Championships just weeks ago, won with a comfortable lead in seven minute 6.78 seconds at the Fuyang Water Sports Center in the capital of east China’s Zhejiang Province. They …

URUMQI: Sun Lei, a teacher from Beijing, is in her fourth year in an educational assistance program in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Rather than returning to the bustling metropolis, she later welcomed her husband, who also volunteered to join her in this Xinjiang endeavor. “What talent Xinjiang needs, we nurture them,” said Sun, who signed up for the …

BEIJING: The majority of the capital goods monitored by China’s statistical authorities registered higher prices in mid-September compared to early September, official data showed Sunday. Of the 50 major goods classified in nine categories, including seamless steel tubes, gasoline, coal, fertilizer, and some chemicals, 34 reported higher prices in this period, while 16 saw price declines, according to the National …

XI’AN: Braving wind and sun, camel caravans trekked along the ancient Silk Road, taking silk and tea from China to Central Asia and Europe more than 1,000 years ago. Now, clean energy products are delivered to Belt and Road countries via freight trains and flights, turning wind and sunshine into treasure. While green development is becoming a global consensus, more …

ALGIERS: A Chinese ballet troupe celebrated the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Algeria with impressive performances at the Algiers Opera House on Friday and Saturday. The captivating performances were staged by artists from the Suzhou Ballet Theatre, and were jointly sponsored by China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Algeria’s Ministry of Culture and Arts, and the Chinese …

India’s top investigation agency confiscated on Saturday the properties of a prominent Sikh leader and close ally of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whose killing has sparked a diplomatic row between India and Canada. Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a lawyer believed to be based in Canada, was designated as a terrorist by Indian authorities in 2020 and is wanted on charges of terrorism …

US Ambassador to Canada David Cohen confirmed that “shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners” had informed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of the possible involvement of Indian agents in the murder of a Canadian citizen in June, CTV News reported. Intelligence-sharing network Five Eyes includes the US, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. PM Trudeau said on Monday that Ottawa …

Arshad Khan, more commonly known as chaiwala, the young and handsome blue-eyed boy whose photograph went viral on the internet in 2016 recently appeared as a guest on the Startup Pakistan Podcast. The sixteenth episode of the podcast titled ‘From Tea Seller to Successful Businessman’ saw the host in conversation with the young entrepreneur as he detailed his life story, …

Dubai is set to unveil a stunning floating mosque, worth 55 million dirhams, next year which will have a prayer hall developed under water. This unique place of worship is currently under development at Dubai Water Canal, courtesy of the emirate’s Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department. The project is part of a broader initiative to promote religious tourism and …

In the ongoing massive crackdown on electricity theft across the country, more than Rs7 billion have been recovered so far. The Power Division has also disclosed details of the cases registered in various distribution companies (Discos). According to the Power Division, around Rs7.9 billion have been recovered from electricity thieves in 17 days. During the operations across the country, 2.001 …

The dazzling Milan Fashion Week witnessed a star-studded front row, and right in the midst of it all was none other than Bollywood sensation Alia Bhatt. She shared her prime seat with renowned figures like Kendall Jenner, the rumored beau Bad Bunny, and fashion icons Anna Wintour and Edward Enninful. Alia, who recently became the first Indian global brand ambassador …

UV rays can cause damage to your skin and it’s DNA, resulting in early aging and an increased risk of skin cancer. It doesn’t have to be sunny either, and UV damage is possible on overcast days too. Sunshine can have both positive and negative effects on your skin, depending on the amount of exposure and protective measures taken. Here’s a …

As a major step towards restoring law and order, Sindh’s interim Chief Minister, Maqbool Baqar, has approved a joint operation against dacoits by the Pakistan Army and Sindh Rangers in the Katcha area of Sindh. In a key meeting held in Karachi, officials unanimously agreed to step up efforts to combat criminal gangs in the Sukkur and Larkana districts. A …

The pre-World Cup team bonding trip of the Pakistan team to Dubai has been abruptly canceled as the players are still awaiting visas to travel to India. The Pakistan squad had initially planned to fly to the UAE for a brief stay before proceeding to Hyderabad for their first warm-up game against New Zealand. However, due to the visa delay, …

TikTok has an internal matchmaking service for employees to introduce their colleagues to friends and family members, it has been revealed. The channel, called Meet Cute, sits on the workplace tool used by thousands of TikTok employees around the world for document hosting, video conferencing. It also helps people find a potential romantic partner from among their colleagues. On the …

Pakistan is “hopeful” that pledged reconstruction funding to rebuild parts of the country damaged by floods last year will be disbursed soon, Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani said on Friday. At a press conference during the UN General Assembly in New York, “Pakistan is one of the worst affected as far as climate change is concerned because it has affected …

The gold market in Pakistan, which has been shut since last week due to illegal trading activities, is likely to reopen on Monday, citing an All Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Association (APGJA) spokesperson. Moreover, market sources said that continuous negotiations are taking place over the reopening of bullion rates. The future gold prices in the local market are expected to …

TIANJIN: A cruise ship registered in the Bahamas docked at a port in north China’s Tianjin Municipality on Friday upon arrival, signaling a promising revival of the city’s cruise tourism industry. The ship, named “Mediterranea,” is scheduled to embark on an international cruise route on Sept. 30 with Tianjin as its home port, according to its operator Adora Cruises. To …

HANGZHOU: The Hangzhou Asian Games’ opening ceremony is underway. The program consists of 15 segments, which include the parade of athletes and the lighting of the cauldron. The opening day of the Hangzhou Asian Games aligns with the Autumn Equinox, one of China’s 24 solar terms. It symbolizes harvest and reunion in the Chinese culture.

HANGZHOU: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday hosted a banquet to welcome guests who are gathering in the scenic city of Hangzhou to attend the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games. At a dining hall near the famed West Lake, Xi addressed the welcoming banquet in honor of guests including King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia, President Bashar al-Assad of …

HANGZHOU: Raja Randhir Singh, acting president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), has hailed the efforts of the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee (HAGOC) in preparing for the continental sports gala during his speech at the opening ceremony. “You have done a fantastic job in preparing for the Asian Games. The one-year postponement due to the pandemic was unprecedented …

HANGZHOU: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday night declared the 19th Asian Games open in Hangzhou, capital city of east China’s Zhejiang Province.

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed high-quality development in promoting new industrialization to lay a strong material and technological foundation for Chinese modernization. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a recent instruction on pushing forward new industrialization.

UNITED NATIONS: World leaders at the United Nations General Assembly’s high-level meeting on the fight against tuberculosis (TB) on Friday approved a political declaration to advance efforts to end the disease by 2030. The document lays out ambitious new targets for the next five years, which include reaching 90 percent of people with TB prevention and care services, providing social …

HANGZHOU: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday called for efforts to promote peace through sports and make Asia an anchor for world peace. Asian countries should adhere to good neighborliness and mutual benefit, and reject the Cold War mentality and camp-based confrontation, Xi said at a welcoming banquet ahead of the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, …

HANGZHOU: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday extended a warm welcome to guests when addressing a welcoming banquet ahead of the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou.

DHAKA: “The Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China is a visionary global endeavor,” Bangladeshi Education Minister Dipu Moni has said. “The joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has opened a new door to development for Bangladesh,” Moni said on Thursday at the launching ceremony of a report titled “The Belt and Road Initiative in Bangladesh: Achievement …

ISLAMABAD: All coal-fired power plants built by Chinese companies in Pakistan have been consistently using high-quality coal imported from other countries, it was learned from reliable official and non-official sources on Friday. An official from the power division of Pakistan, seeking anonymity, commented on a news item raising a question about the coal quality and said that the writer of …

HANGZHOU: International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach hailed next year’s Olympic Games in Paris as “the Games of a new era” on Friday. Bach made the remarks during an exclusive interview with Xinhua, a day before he is scheduled to attend the opening ceremony of the Hangzhou Asian Games. Paris 2024 will be “the first Olympic Games which has …

HANGZHOU: The Hangzhou Asian Games has set an example for future Asian Games in many different ways, International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach said here on Friday. Bach made the remarks during an exclusive interview with Xinhua, one day before the 19th Asian Games officially opens in Hangzhou. Around 12,500 athletes from 45 countries and regions are taking part …

HANGZHOU: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday vowed to work with Kuwait to take the bilateral ties to new heights when meeting with Crown Prince of Kuwait Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The crown prince is in Hangzhou, capital city of east China’s Zhejiang Province, to attend the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games scheduled for Saturday. Noting that …

HANGZHOU: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach in Hangzhou, capital city of east China’s Zhejiang Province. In the face of severe challenges brought by the unprecedented changes unseen in a century and the COVID-19 pandemic, the IOC has stayed true to its original aspirations and played a unique role in safeguarding …

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar was on Friday censured mostly by PTI activists for using “shockingly poor language” while describing China’s strong ties to Pakistan by apparently referring to the U.S. support enjoyed by Israel. The social media criticism comes a day after the premier made the said comparison when speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations on his …

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said he does not care about allegations of “sportswashing” against the kingdom and that he will continue funding sport if it adds to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). The allegation of “sportswashing” is levelled at countries perceived to be using sport to improve their tarnished image abroad. “If sportswashing (is) going to …

President Dr Arif Alvi on Friday said Pakistan highly valued its relations with Saudi Arabia and was committed to enhancing bilateral economic, investment and defence ties, state-run APP reported. Talking to the visiting Chief of General Staff of the Saudi Armed Forces General Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili, who led a delegation at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, he said Pakistan was looking for …

President Dr Arif Alvi on Friday gave his assent to the appointment of Dr Amjad Saqib as the Chairman of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), Radio Pakistan reported. The appointment was made in accordance with Section 5(3) of the Benazir Income Support Programme Act 2010, the President’s Office said. Founder of microfinance programme Akhuwat Dr Amjad Saqib was nominated …