HANGZHOU: What do sports mean for Chinese President Xi Jinping? A hobby, a means to cultivate a strong nation, or an approach to his global vision? One may find some clues to the answers in a reply letter Xi sent to the U.S.-China Youth and Student Exchange Association and friends from the state of Washington in August. He wrote, “Sport …

HANGZHOU: China eased to a 3-0 victory over Kyrgyzstan in the men’s volleyball preliminary round of the 19th Asian Games on Wednesday. China faced an early challenge from their opponents with the scores tied at 11-11, but the home side managed to increase the gap thanks to Zhang Jingyin’s high-quality serves, taking the first set 25-19. Zhang, together with teammate …

YINCHUAN: The sixth China-Arab States Expo opened Thursday in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The four-day event draws the participation of guests from more than 50 countries such as Saudi Arabia and Mauritania. This year’s expo features trade fairs and forums on trade and investment, modern agriculture, cross-border trade, cultural tourism, health, water resources utilization, and …

HANGZHOU: Crown Prince of Kuwait Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on Thursday arrived in Hangzhou, capital city of east China’s Zhejiang Province, to attend the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games.

BEIJING: On Sept. 22 and 23, Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou and hold a welcoming banquet and bilateral events for foreign leaders attending the opening ceremony, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying announced on Thursday. The foreign leaders attending the opening ceremony in China are King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia, …

Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), a key supplier of natural gas in the county, saw its profit-after-tax (PAT) jump nearly 79%, as it clocked in at Rs97.22 billion for the year ended June 30, 2023. In the same period last year, the exploration and production company saw PAT of Rs54.35 billion. According to a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) …

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) awarded in-principle approval (IPA) to five digital retail banks including HugoBank Limited, KT Bank Pakistan Limited, Mashreq Bank Pakistan Limited, Raqami Islamic Digital Bank Limited and Telenor Microfinance Bank Limited. “This is a momentous occasion,” said SBP Governor Jameel Ahmed while addressing a ceremony on Wednesday. This event was attended by sponsors of proposed …

The Foreign Office on Wednesday described India’s alleged involvement in the killing of a Canadian Sikh leader as an indication that the country’s “network of extraterritorial killings has gone global,” APP reported. “India’s assassination of a Canadian national on Canadian soil is a clear violation of international law and the UN principle of state sovereignty,” the FO spokesperson said at …

Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met in New York Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said “ties between the two countries were improving”. After more than a decade of tensions, relations have improved with recent high-level visits, including that of Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Ankara last year. In Tuesday’s meeting at Turkish House on the sidelines of …

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is set to become the only Bollywood actor to deliver two $100 million-grossing films in a calendar year, as his latest film ‘Jawan’ remains at the cusp of breaking the barrier on Wednesday, reported Indian Express on Wednesday. His previous film ‘Pathaan’ smashed box-office records and amassed over $120 million worldwide. Now, nearly two weeks …

Warning that downside risks to Pakistan’s economic outlook remain exceptionally high, the Asian Development Bank’s latest report says the country’s adherence to an economic adjustment programme through April 2024 will be critical for restoring stability and the gradual recovery of growth. Expansionary fiscal and monetary policy hit their limits while growth fell, inflation jumped, the rupee weakened, and international reserves …

The Federal Shariat Court (FSC) on Wednesday admitted for hearing a plea seeking the nullification of an amendment to the Criminal Laws Act decriminalizing suicide and suicide attempts. In December last year, President Dr Arif Alvi approved the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Act 2022, which repealed Section 325 (attempt to commit suicide) of the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860. The bill for …

Interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on Wednesday said Pakistan’s “positive outreach and peace overtures”, including the opening of the Kartarpur corridor for visa-free visits from the Indian Sikh community, have been met with negativity. “Pakistan desires peaceful and cooperative neighbourly ties with India,” he said in a speech at the Asia Society conference in New York. This is one …

Poor cholesterol levels have become increasingly common across all age groups. When cholesterol levels rise in our body, it can pave the way for various health complications. Excess cholesterol can accumulate in our arteries, forming plaque and causing the narrowing of blood vessels. This narrowing restricts blood flow, subsequently elevating the risk of heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes. It …

In a remarkable feat of courage and determination, Shehroze Kashif, a Pakistani mountaineer, has successfully reached the summit of Mount Manaslu, which stands proudly as the eighth-highest mountain on Earth at a towering height of 8163 meters in Nepal. This is a momentous achievement not only for Shehroze but also for Pakistan, as he fulfills his promise and adds another …

Senate Standing Committee on Education met under the chair of Senator Irfan Siddiqui and approved Islamabad Capital Student Union Bill 2023 in ‘principle’, urging committee members to submit suggestions in a week. A briefing on Islamabad Capital Student Union Bill 2023 in the Standing Committee meeting was held Wednesday. Senator Behrmand Tangi commented that lack of student unions in educational …

After the Supreme Court’s decision regarding the NAB law amendments, the trials of public officials in accountability courts have started again. The Accountability Court of Karachi rejected former provincial minister and PPP leader Sharjeel Memon’s request regarding the jurisdiction of the court in the Rs5.75 billion corruption case. The court declared that after the orders of the Supreme Court, the …

Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (PSX: OGDC) has discovered gas from its exploratory efforts at Chak 214-1 exploratory well located in District Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab. According to the company’s stock filing at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), OGDC is the operator of the Mari Eas Block development cum exploratory well (100 percent). Chak 214-1 well was spudded on …

In a surprising turn of events, the 78th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York City saw a notable absence of major world leaders, as per international media reports. Despite the Assembly’s significance, leaders from key nations on the UN Security Council, including France, China, Russia, and the UK, opted to skip the event. This unprecedented …

Wicket-keeper batter, Mohammad Rizwan, has responded to the recent rumors that surfaced in the media regarding differences within the national team. he Peshawar-born batter took to his social media handles and shared some verses from the famous poem by Kaleem Usmani regarding national unity. “Is Parcham k saaye talay, Hum aik hain. Hum aik hain. Saanjhi apni khushyaan, Aur gham …

Tensions between Canada and India have reached new heights with dueling diplomatic expulsions and an allegation of Indian government involvement in the killing of a Sikh activist on Canadian soil. The row centers around the Sikh independence, or Khalistan, movement. India has repeatedly accused Canada of supporting the movement, which is banned in India but has support among the Sikh …

The United Nations said Wednesday it has documented more than 1,600 cases of human rights violations committed by authorities in Afghanistan during arrests and detentions of people, and urged the Taliban government to stop torture and protect the rights of detainees. Nearly 50 percent of the violations consisted of “torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment,” the UN Assistance …

YINCHUAN: September marks the harvest season not only for farmers but also for Youssef Elkorma, who recently concluded a three-day business trip to Pingluo County in Shizuishan City, located in northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. “It’s very fruitful. I saw many varieties and a great number of vegetables that are suitable for the Egyptian and African market and also …

BEIJING: China deplores and opposes a so-called report issued by the British government, which is a blatant interference in Hong Kong affairs and a violation of the principles of international law and the basic norms of international relations, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday. Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at a regular press briefing when asked for comments …

NITED NATIONS: Chinese Vice President Han Zheng said here Tuesday that China will be unswervingly committed to working toward the dual target of peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality. Han made the pledge when meeting with U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry on the sidelines of the ongoing 78th session of the UN General Assembly. China has always …

YINCHUAN: In the run-up to the sixth China-Arab States Expo in northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, guests from countries and regions along the Belt and Road expressed their expectations for further cooperation with China. On Tuesday, Ningxia opened its third international friendship-cities forum in Yinchuan, the regional capital. Among all the foreign attendees from 22 countries and regions at …

HEFEI: China unveiled its list of the top 500 Chinese enterprises for 2023 on Wednesday, with 264 companies from the manufacturing sector on the list, an increase of eight over the previous year, maintaining growth for the third consecutive year. The list was published by the China Enterprise Confederation and the China Enterprise Directors Association during a forum held in …

BEIJING: China has optimized visa application forms for foreigners traveling to the country, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Wednesday. Mao told a news briefing that the optimization involves seven major items and 15 sub-items, which are mainly related to the applicant’s educational background, family members’ information, past travel experience, etc. Textual content of the application forms will be considerably …

XI’AN: Over 1,500 exhibitors from a total of 39 countries and regions are attending an agricultural hi-tech fair in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, according to the organizer. Under the theme of “soil health and food security,” the 30th China Yangling Agricultural Hi-tech Fair kicked off on Tuesday in the Yangling agricultural hi-tech industrial demonstration zone. With Uzbekistan as the guest …

BEIJING: Despite the challenges of adverse weather conditions in certain regions during the summer, Chinese farmers are in high spirits in the run-up to the sixth harvest festival, which will fall on Saturday, after securing a bumper harvest through their hard work with the support of agricultural science and technology. China’s output of early rice rose 0.8 percent year on …

NANJING: Ten people have been killed and multiple others injured as a result of severe convective weather in several cities in east China’s Jiangsu Province on Tuesday, local authorities said on Wednesday. The cities of Yancheng and Suqian were most affected, according to the provincial emergency management department. In Suqian, a tornado hit Daxing Township and Nancai Township at about …

GUANGZHOU: All 69 crocodiles that escaped a flooded farm in south China’s Guangdong Province have been captured and no crocodile attacks have been reported so far, local authorities said Wednesday. The crocodiles escaped from a commercial crocodile farm in the city of Maoming after Typhoon Haikui triggered flooding in the area earlier this month. The local government mobilized more than …

BEIJING: It is anticipated that science popularization and enhanced public scienctific literacy will empower modernization with the joint efforts of countries around the world, according to the 2023 World Conference on Science Literacy, which opened on Tuesday in Beijing. The theme this year is “Enhancing Science Literacy and Working Together for Modernization,” and approximately 700 Chinese and foreign participants from …

BELGRADE: Zhang Qi won a gold medal for China in the women’s 59kg competition at the 2023 Belgrade Wrestling Championships on Tuesday. Zhang defeated Yulia Tkach of Ukraine 4-1 to claim the title, while in the women’s 55kg, another non-Olympic discipline, Japan’s Haruna Okuno beat Jacarra Winchester of the United States 4-3. Akhmed Tazhudinov of Bahrain defeated Azerbaijan’s Magomedkhan Magomedov …

BEIJING: Some Western officials and media outlets have recently signaled doom and gloom for China’s economy with biased reports that paint it as on the verge of “collapse.” The intent is to mislead the world, shake confidence in China’s economy and undermine China’s cooperative relations with other countries. Here’s a sense of some of the many downbeat headlines: “Peak China?” …

GENEVA: A symposium focusing on the progress of the human rights cause in countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation was held here Tuesday. At the symposium, human rights experts and scholars from China and other countries exchanged their views on the contributions of the BRI cooperation to global development and human rights progress. The symposium, with …

CANBERRA: Almost half of Australia’s koala habitats will be under high bushfire threat by 2070 as a result of climate change, a study has warned. In a research published on Monday, a team led by researchers from Flinders University in South Australia generated fire susceptibility maps for the current day and for the year 2070. They found that the proportion …

SHANGHAI: China’s first domestically-built large cruise ship, the “Adora Magic City,” is scheduled to start its maiden voyage on Jan. 1 of 2024 from Shanghai, marking the beginning of its commercial operation, the operator Adora Cruises Limited said Tuesday. The cruise ship, measuring 323.6 meters in length with a gross tonnage of 135,500 tonnes, has a total of 2,125 guest …

XI’AN: Archaeologists in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province have discovered the tomb of the founding emperor of the Northern Zhou Dynasty (557-581) in the city of Xianyang, according to the Shaanxi Academy of Archaeology on Tuesday. The emperor was named Yuwen Jue. His tomb is located in Beihe Village, Weicheng District, Xianyang. The area has a concentrated distribution of high-grade tombs …

BEIJING: China Society for Human Rights Studies and Xinhua Institute, Xinhua News Agency’s namesake think tank, released a report on China’s practice of and contribution to global human rights governance on Tuesday. The report, titled “For the Common Value and Dignity of All Humanity — China’s Practice of and Contribution to Global Human Rights Governance,” was released globally through relevant …