HANGZHOU: With around two weeks before the 19th Asian Games open in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, the Main Media Center (MMC) was put into trial operation on Saturday. During the trial operation which runs from September 9 to 17, members of the media bound for the Hangzhou Asiad can activate their media accreditations at the Hangzhou East Railway Station, …

HOUSTON: Governor of the U.S. state New Mexico, Michelle Lujan Grisham, on Friday issued an executive order suspending the open and concealed carry of firearms in the state’s largest city Albuquerque for 30 days. The order temporarily prohibited the carrying of guns on public properties during the period. “When New Mexicans are afraid to be in crowds, to take their …

LOS ANGELES: There are still 66 people missing following the devastating wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui a month ago, Hawaii Governor Josh Green said Friday. The wildfires started on Aug. 8 and blazed through the oceanside historic town of Lahaina on Maui. According to the authorities, the fires claimed 115 lives and destroyed swathes of indigenous cultural heritage, …

CAIRO: The United States must end its use of violence and aggression and work toward creating peace and stability worldwide, a political expert based in Egypt has said. “The United States has a long history of military intervention and expansion as it has waged war against Native Americans, invaded Canada, fought Mexico and annexed Hawaii,” Mohamed Elchime, professor of political …

BRUSSELS: The Chinese Pavilion opened its exhibition to the public on Friday during the Brussels Comic Strip Festival from Sept. 8 to 10. Besides comics from China, the Chinese Pavilion also presents Belgian and European comic strip enthusiasts with around ten traditional Chinese craft techniques, such as Tang dynasty pottery, Erhu, pipa and Huimo ink making. Chinese comics, called “Manhua” …

NEW DELHI: “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” a Sanskrit phrase from ancient Indian scriptures, means “the world is one family.” The theme of the Indian G20 Summit — “One Earth, One Family, One Future” in English — underscores the expectation that countries will support each other in pursuing growth. Mutual assistance in pursuing growth as “One Family” is more imperative nowadays. This is …

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on the country’s teachers to make greater contributions to building a stronger China and realizing the national rejuvenation. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a letter sent to representatives of outstanding teachers attending a meeting …

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 …

ADDIS ABABA: The African Union (AU) and the Chinese Mission to the AU on Friday pledged to further deepen cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to achieve win-win outcomes by taking the opportunity of the 10th anniversary of the China-proposed initiative. The AU and the Chinese mission held a high-level seminar on Friday in the Ethiopian capital of …

HARBIN: Villager Yang Chungui saw his farmhouse inundated as torrential rains caused severe flooding in Heilongjiang Province in northeast China. Yang’s house in the village of Longwangmiao was built over 20 years ago. The flooding damaged its walls, with water stains measuring over one meter in height still visible. As he was busy renovating on Thursday morning, President Xi Jinping …

GABORONE: Botswana has about 131,900 elephants, more than any of its four neighboring countries, namely Angola, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, according to a recent survey. A year-long aerial survey conducted within the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) — made up of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe — found that the area has a total of 227,900 elephants. …

MANILA: Efforts to maintain national team’s continuity paid off as Germany moved into its first ever World Cup final, Germany head coach Gordon Herbert told Xinhua in an exclusive interview on Friday night. Germany emerged as the surprise winner in Friday’s semifinal where they stunned the United States 113-111, advancing to their first-ever FIBA World Cup final. Germany had hit …

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 …

NANNING: In the first eight months of this year, the cargo throughput of Beibu Gulf Port in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region exceeded 200 million tonnes, up 11.35 percent year on year, the port operator said. According to Beibu Gulf Port Group, more than 5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers were handled by the port from January …

BEIJING: “Most of the time, foreign interference came from a friendly and allied country: the United States. For instance, I, along with (former French) President (Nicolas) Sarkozy, was under surveillance for five years by the United States’ National Security Agency (NSA),” former French Prime Minister Francois Fillon stated during a hearing on foreign interference before the French National Assembly in …

MALE: The presidential election in the Maldives kicked off on Saturday, with over 282,000 eligible voters choosing the Indian Ocean archipelagic country’s president with a five-year term. A total of eight candidates contest this year’s poll, including incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, and Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and People’s National Congress (PNC) coalition’s candidate Mohamed Muizzu, who is also …

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday sent a congratulatory message to the 10th China-Central Asia Cooperation Forum, which opened Saturday in the eastern Chinese city of Xiamen, Fujian Province. Xi noted in the congratulatory message that, since the establishment of the forum, its scale and influence have been expanding gradually. Through the forum, China and the Central Asian countries …

CLEVELAND, the United States: Grains of carbonized rice from about 10,000 years ago, together with over 200 other rare items, were exhibited in a show on treasures from China’s Yangtze River Delta region at The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) in the U.S. state of Ohio. “This is the product of nearly a decade of research. It is the outcome …

KATHMANDU: Nepal has shipped its first batch of imported goods under the transit arrangement with China, a move that “represents the dawn of a new era” in bilateral trade relations as a Nepali official put it. Fifteen tons of turmeric powder was imported from Vietnam and brought to the Nepali capital of Kathmandu on Thursday via the Tianjin port in …

DHAKA: An influential Bangladeshi lawmaker has voiced confidence in China playing a positive role at the Group of 20 (G20) summit in building an open, inclusive and balanced climate resilient world that benefits all. Hasanul Haq Inu, chairman of Bangladesh’s Parliamentary Standing Committee for Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, told Xinhua that some progress needs to be seen on certain …

UNITED NATIONS: A Chinese envoy on Friday called for international peace efforts to solve the Ukraine crisis. As the crisis in Ukraine drags on, tensions on the ground remain high and the spillover effects are spreading more rapidly. The UN Security Council should work with a greater sense of responsibility and urgency to find ways to achieve cease-fire and restore …

TOKYO: A group of 150 people in Japan, including fishery workers in Fukushima Prefecture, filed a lawsuit on Friday to halt the release of nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the sea. In the suit lodged against the Japanese government and plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, the plaintiffs claimed that the ocean discharge …

DHAKA: A mega railway via the China-built Bangladesh’s largest Padma Bridge is all set for inauguration next month, local media reported. With the Chinese-made passenger coaches, the Bangladeshi government on Thursday launched the first train on a major part of the newly-constructed mega Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) rail line through Padma Bridge. The 172-km railway over the bridge is …

BEIJING: Africa’s important role in tackling climate change has again drawn the world’s attention as dozens of African heads of state and senior officials of international organizations including the United Nations gathered in Nairobi, Kenya from Monday to Wednesday for the first Africa Climate Summit. Focusing their discussions on the threat of climate change and green growth, the participants called …

HARBIN: Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on the northeastern province of Heilongjiang to firmly grasp its strategic position in China’s overall development, and strive to open new ground for its high-quality development. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during his inspection in the …

XIAMEN: The 23rd China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) opened Friday in Xiamen, east China’s Fujian Province, to boost investment and bolster global economic recovery. The four-day event, themed “Open and Integrated: Key to High-Quality Development,” kicked off with an opening ceremony, and will encompass a range of activities including forums, seminars, exhibitions, and business matching sessions. The …

BEIJING: At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, President of the Republic of Zambia Hakainde Hichilema will pay a state visit to China from Sept. 10 to 16, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying announced on Friday. “Zambia is an important country in southern Africa. China and Zambia enjoy a traditional friendship. The two countries have deepened political mutual trust, …

BEIJING: A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday that sanctions and curbs will not stop China’s development, adding they will only strengthen China’s resolve and capability to seek self-reliance and technological innovation. Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at a daily press briefing in response to a query that the U.S. government has begun an official probe into an …

Mosquito-borne dengue fever is taking a heavy toll on South Asian nations this year as Bangladesh grapples with record deaths and Nepal faces cases in new areas, with disease experts linking worsening outbreaks to the impacts of climate change. Authorities in the two countries are scrambling to contain and treat the disease which is also known as “breakbone fever” for …

The Muzaffargarh police last night arrested three men after booking four for allegedly raping a minor, blackmailing her and forcing her to abort the resulting pregnancy, it emerged on Friday. A first information report (FIR) was filed by the girl’s mother late Wednesday night at the city’s Rangpur police station. It invoked sections 376 (punishment for rape) and 292 (sale, …

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday demanded elections “as soon as possible” and within the constitutional limit of 90 days. The ECP has ruled out elections this year, while the 90-day limit for holding polls following the dissolution of the National Assembly (NA), as mandated under Article 224 of the Constitution, ends on November 9. It reasons its decision to …

BEIJING: The number of listed companies majoring in the high-end manufacturing sector has reached 2,021 in China amid policy support and the structural transformation and upgrading of Chinese industries, according to a report released by the China Association for Public Companies on Friday. The figure accounts for 57 percent of the all manufacturing companies listed on the A-share market, data …

BEIJING: At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro Moros will pay a state visit to China from Sept. 8 to 14, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced on Friday. China and Venezuela are each other’s comprehensive strategic partners. In recent years, thanks to the personal commitment of President Xi and President …

BEIJING: Not far away from downtown Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, a high-speed railway jointly constructed by China and the southeast Asian country is about to see trains run at full steam. The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, a flagship project of China-Indonesia Belt and Road cooperation, is the first overseas high-speed railway project that fully uses Chinese railway systems, technology, and …

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and TikTok signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote digital safety in government schools across Pakistan through a multifaceted approach. The programme includes comprehensive training programmes and guidelines for teachers, parents, and students that will be covered through, workshops, seminars, webinars, awareness videos etc. to shed light on the legitimate use of social media, …

The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl has blamed the former ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz for the soaring inflation, saying it had no role in it as the latter was in the driving seat. Maulana Amjad Khan told The Express Tribune that the main ministries and the prime minister were of the PML-N, and the JUI-F had only a limited share which was why …

A small clip from a recent episode of Mazaq Raat, hosted by the talented Imran Ashraf, is doing the rounds on social media, wherein actor Usman Mukhtar can be seen discussing his controversial character in the hit drama serial Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay. The actor sheds light on the unexpected backlash he received for portraying a negative role and …

Commenting on the recent clashes along the Pak-Afghan border, the Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson said on Friday that the weapons left in Afghanistan during the US withdrawal require global attention as they had “fallen in the hands of Afghan terrorists”. In a weekly media briefing, spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch stated that Pakistan’s security agencies were determined to eradicate terrorism from …

Leaders from the world’s major economies have gathered in New Delhi for the annual G20 summit, hosted by India under its year-long presidency. Under India’s leadership, the G20 has placed a strong focus on several pressing global issues: One of the primary goals of this year’s summit is to promote more significant loans to developing nations from multilateral institutions. The …

The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Friday rejected objections raised by the Shehbaz-led government over the larger bench formed against the formation of a judicial inquiry commission probing into the audio leaks allegedly involving current and former members of the superior judiciary and their family members. Justice Ijazul Hassan, in a reserved verdict, asserted that the government’s objections to the …