TAIYUAN: China on Sunday successfully launched a new remote sensing satellite 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 Yaogan-40 lifted off at 12:30 p.m. (Beijing Time). The satellite has entered the preset orbit. It will be used for electromagnetic environment detection and related technical …

RABAT: Morocco on Saturday declared three days of national mourning after a devastating earthquake jolted the kingdom late Friday night. Flags will fly at half-mast on all public facilities during the national mourning, according to a statement released by the Royal Office after Moroccan King Mohammed VI chaired a meeting on the disaster. A 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Morocco Friday at …

BEIJING: Coming from behind to beat Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff claimed her first Grand Slam title and became the first American teenager to be crowned at US Open since Serena Williams did as a 17-year-old in 1999. The second-seeded Sabalenka gained the upper hand early, breaking Gauff’s serve three times and winning the first set in 40 minutes. But the …

XIAMEN: The 10th China-Central Asia Cooperation Forum was held Saturday in Xiamen, a pivotal city along the Maritime Silk Road. With over 400 participants from both domestic and international backgrounds, the event aimed to foster collaborative endeavors and expand the horizons of China-Central Asia cooperation. The forum is regarded as a tangible step towards implementing the agreements established by the …

SURAKARTA, Indonesia: Visitors from home and abroad had fun appreciating various colorful and delicately made umbrellas during Indonesia Umbrella Festival 2023 in Surakarta, Central Java, Indonesia. Umbrella craftsmen have showcased their great talents for combining classical production techniques with modern designs, providing visitors with a visual feast. The event is held here from Sept. 8 to 10, encouraging the public …

KUALA LUMPUR: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will continue to see its ties with China strengthen with particular focus on economic matters, a Malaysian observer said. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Negotiations see the two sides move in lockstep to secure and improve their economic cooperation to face an …

BEIJING: The recently concluded 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) attracted enterprises from Middle East countries. Many of them focus on China’s high-tech industries to seek cooperation for technological upgrades and transformation back home. In trade promotion activities during the fair, diplomatic envoys and enterprises from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and other Middle East countries …

PHNOM PENH: China’s assistance to the clearance of landmine and explosive remnants of war (ERWs) in Cambodia has benefited more than 1 million people, a senior Cambodian official said on Saturday. Ly Thuch, senior minister and first vice-president of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA), said the China-Aided Cambodia Landmines Elimination Project has been carried out since …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s caretaker Minister for Finance Shamshad Akhtar said the South Asian country has taken effective measures to jump-start the national economy amid multiple challenges. The caretaker government has adopted a holistic approach to developing a roadmap to augment macroeconomic management in reviving economy, the minister said at a press conference on Friday. Fiscal stability and fiscal coordination with monetary …

HARBIN: “We’ve found where north is!” a tourist exclaims with a grin, posing for a photograph by a sign reading “China’s Arctic”. Here in Beiji Village, situated at the northernmost tip of China, one hears this exuberant statement time and again — a play on a Chinese expression, indicating that one is no longer ruffled and disoriented. Beiji Village — …

NANJING: The Mars rover Zhurong and nine other patented inventions won “Gold Design” awards at the 24th China Patent Awards on Saturday. The National Intellectual Property Administration (NIPA) presented the 10 awards to designers at a ceremony held in the city of Wuxi, east China’s Jiangsu Province. Zhurong is part of China’s Tianwen-1 Mars exploration mission. It landed on the …

HARBIN: Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed “writing a new chapter” in striving for the full revitalization of northeast China as he convened a key meeting in Heilongjiang Province earlier this week. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at the meeting held in …

NEW DELHI: Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Saturday that the mainstream of China-Europe ties is cooperation, and the relations are win-win in nature. In his meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit, Li also said that China and Europe, as two major forces in a multipolar world and …

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the 2023 Pujiang Innovation Forum which opened Sunday in Shanghai. In his letter, Xi noted that the world today is living through accelerating changes unseen in a century, and a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is gaining momentum. Scientific and technological innovation is an important …

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s placard at the opening of the G20 summit on Saturday referred to India as “Bharat”, raising speculation of a change of name for the South Asian nation. India is also called Bharat, Bharata, Hindustan – its pre-colonial names – in Indian languages and these are used interchangeably by the public and officially. While the …

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday on the 75 anniversary of the country’s founding and called for stronger ties “on all fronts”. “I am convinced that thanks to our joint efforts we will continue to strengthen… bilateral ties on all fronts”, Putin said in a message to Kim as quoted by the …

Exports of Pakistan’s textile sector continued to maintain a downward trajectory, clocking in at $1.48 billion in August compared to $1.58 billion recorded in the same month of the previous year for a year-on-year decline of 6%, showed provisional data released by the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) on Saturday. Data showed the country’s textile exports in the first …

The month-long ‘Pakistan Theatre Festival 2023’, organised by the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi, kicked off on Friday aiming to hold 45 shows over the course of the next month, stated information on the organiser’s website. Seven international theatre groups from the United States, Germany, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Egypt are set to participate alongside 27 different theatre groups from …

TOBA TEK SINGH: An area manager of a bank has fled to the US after allegedly misappropriating Rs600 million from more than 500 account holders across eight branches in Faisalabad city. According to Federal Investigation Agency officials, Raja Ammar Kiani had formed a gang consisting of staffers from these eight branches, and they were operating a parallel banking system by …

PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari emphasised on Saturday that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was obligated to conduct the delimitation of constituencies following the census results, stressing the importance of the electoral watchdog adhering to the Constitution in holding polls. The statement from the key PPP figure comes a day after party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari called for timely …

Former prime minister and PTI chairman Imran Khan on Saturday petitioned the Supreme Court to declare “null and void” the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Act 2023 and Official Secrets (Amendment) Act 2023, contending that since both lack the presidential assent, they remain bills and have not become law. In late July, both houses of Parliament passed the bill to amend the …

BEIJING: China’s courier sector registered expansion in August, according to a monthly industry index. The State Post Bureau said the monthly express delivery development index came in at 361.5 in August, up 16.2 percent year on year. The sub-index for service quality grew 27.1 percent from a year earlier, the sub-index for development scale picked up 10.6 percent year on year, …

BEIJING: China’s road logistics price index logged a month-on-month increase in August amid continuous improvements in road transport demand and supply. The index came in at 102.5 last month, edging up 0.05 percent from the previous month, according to a survey jointly conducted by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing and the Guangdong Lin’an Logistics Group. The sub-indices of …

CHENGDU: Lin Liangming secured a 1-1 draw for China’s men’s football team against Malaysia in an international friendly here on Saturday. “Honestly we didn’t deserve to win tonight,” admitted China’s head coach Aleksandar Jankovic. “The fans supported us throughout the whole game, and I felt sorry that we disappointed them.” Despite Malaysia’s No. 136 position in the FIFA rankings, they …

NEW DELHI: The Group of 20 (G20) members agreed Saturday to accept the African Union (AU) as a new member in an effort to give a greater voice and more representation to developing countries. The agreement was reached at the inaugural session of the two-day G20 summit held in New Delhi during the weekend. Amidst applause from other G20 representatives, …

XIAMEN: China’s commitment to high-standard opening-up and an improved business environment has boosted the confidence of foreign investors attending the ongoing 23rd China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT), with senior officials reiterating the country’s sincerity in facilitating international exchanges and cooperation. The event kicked off in Xiamen, east China’s Fujian Province, on Friday, drawing the participation of companies …

CHANGZHOU: Newly-crowned world champion An Se-young defeated Tai Tzu-ying of Chinese Taipei, while Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi bested home favorite Chen Yufei in the eagerly-awaited women’s singles semifinals of the China Open on Saturday. An, currently seen as the best player in her category, secured her spot in the championship match with scores of 21-18, 21-14. The South Korean standout said …

BEIJING: Here are the latest Chinese sports headlines from the past week: 1. Torch relay for 19th Asian Games begins in Hangzhou Olympic champion swimmer Luo Xuejuan runs during the torch relay of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, capital of east China’s Zhejiang Province on Sept. 8, 2023. (Xinhua/Sun Fei) The torch relay for the 19th Asian Games officially …

LJUBLJANA: Slovenians will be able to take part in free Tai Chi and Qigong training sessions for three days over the weekend in several Slovenian cities to mark the World Health Qigong Day 2023. The event started on Saturday and is built around the theme “build health & share love,” Chen Shining, chairman and head coach of the Slovenian Tai …

NEW DELHI: Chinese Premier Li Qiang urged on Saturday the Group of 20 (G20) members to resolutely advance economic globalization and promote unity, cooperation and inclusion within the G20. Keeping in mind the future of humanity, Chinese President Xi Jinping has proposed the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, Li said at the first …

NEW DELHI: Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Saturday that the Chinese side is ready to strengthen communication and coordination with Italy within the Group of 20 (G20) framework to jointly safeguard the security and stability of the global industrial and supply chains. Li made the remarks in his meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on the sidelines of …

In a devastating turn of events, a powerful earthquake rattled Morocco’s High Atlas mountains late on Friday, claiming the lives of over 800 people and leaving more than 392 others injured. The earthquake, which struck just after 11 p.m. local time, has left a trail of destruction in its wake, particularly in the remote mountain areas that were hard to …

Former prime minister Imran Khan challenged in the Supreme Court (SC) on Saturday amendments made to the Official Secrets Act and Pakistan Army Act. Advocate Shohaib Shaheen filed a petition against recent amendments to Army Act 1952 under Article 184 of the Constitution of Pakistan on behalf of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairperson. The petition contends that the new clauses …

Pakistan’s cricketing prodigy, Shaheen Shah Afridi, expressed optimism about showing more brilliance with the ball ahead of the high-voltage clash between India and Pakistan on Sunday. In the last match between Pakistan and India, during the Asia Cup, the 23-year-old left-arm fast bowler wreaked havoc on the Indian top-order, claiming a remarkable 4-35, which included the prized wickets of star …

In a thrilling clash that will be remembered for years to come, Neymar catapulted himself into Brazilian football history by surpassing the legendary Pele as the country’s all-time top scorer. The 31-year-old forward etched his name in the record books with two second-half goals that helped secure a resounding 5-1 victory for Brazil over Bolivia in the South American 2026 …

In a press conference following the Apex Committee meeting of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), the caretaker government announced its decision to increase gas prices across the board. Caretaker Minister for Energy Muhammad Ali revealed that this is necessary to prevent significant losses amounting to Rs. 350 billion in the gas sector, emphasizing the crucial link between fiscal stability …

Saudi Arabia has voiced concerns about the safety of its potential investments in Pakistan, especially those in the gold and copper mines of Reko Diq. This has spurred Pakistan into urgent action, looking to secure much-needed investment fund. Last month, a Saudi team visited Pakistan to discuss funding big projects in the country. However, they want a few things cleared …

Caretaker Finance Minister Shamshad Akhtar, during a press conference in Islamabad on Friday, announced to roll over deposits from other countries upon their maturity. The statement came after a meeting of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), where Akhtar stressed the need to revitalize Pakistan’s economy and lift import restrictions across the board, given Pakistan’s import-intensive nature. Regarding foreign exchange …

An Indian woman is challenging conventions by undertaking a solo expedition across six continents on a motorbike while wearing a nine-yard sari. Ramabai Latpate, from Pune, India, set off on her Honda 350CC bike in March to cover a staggering 80,000km, passing through 40 countries, in a journey that is scheduled to last a year. “I want to break the …

Police in central Pakistan detained for interrogation close relatives of a couple wanted by UK police in connection with last month’s death of their 10-year-old daughter in the outskirts of London, an official said Saturday. A police spokesman in Jehlum, 175 kilometers (108 miles) northwest of Lahore, said that Urfan Sharif and his wife Beinash Batool, the couple sought by …