GENEVA: The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) helps improve local infrastructure, provides essential services in many countries and regions, and contributes to global humanitarian work, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said. The BRI is a development initiative that is complementary to humanitarian work as it can serve the people affected by conflict in …

BEIJING: At the invitation of the government of the Republic of India, Premier of China’s State Council Li Qiang will attend the 18th G20 Summit to be held in New Delhi, India on Sept. 9 and 10, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced Monday. At a time when the world economy is under increasing downward pressure and global sustainable development …

BEIJING: A book on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era has been translated into seven of China’s ethnic minority languages and is available nationwide. The book, a compilation of excerpts on the thought, was published in Mongolian, Tibetan, Uygur, Kazak, Korean, Yi and Zhuang languages. The translated versions are expected to help Party members …

BEIJING: The 2023 China National Computer Congress will be held from Oct. 26 to 28 in Shenyang, the capital of northeast China’s Liaoning Province, said the China Computer Federation. With the theme, “Develop Digital Infrastructure and Support China’s Digital Construction,” the gathering will invite global experts, scholars, and entrepreneurs to share the latest cutting-edge technological progress and industry information. The …

BEIJING: The 2023 Beijing Culture Forum, the second of its kind, will kick off in the Chinese capital on Sept. 14. The two-day event focuses on advancing fine culture and promoting exchanges and will see a main forum, five sub-forums, and several related cultural activities. It will also release a report on the development of Chinese culture. Over 600 participants from …

HARBIN: Two rosters of Japanese army hospitals that cooperated with Unit 731, a Japanese germ warfare army during World War II, has gone on public display for the first time in Harbin, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province. The new evidence of “crimes committed by Unit 731 through military-medical coordination” was made public on Sunday by the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of …

North Korea conducted a simulated tactical nuclear attack drill that included two long-range cruise missiles in an exercise to “warn enemies” that the country would be prepared in case of nuclear war, the KCNA state news agency said on Sunday. KCNA said the drill was successfully carried out on Saturday and two cruise missiles carrying mock nuclear warheads were fired …

MOSCOW: Russia’s former president and Security Council chairman Dmitry Medvedev said Sunday that Moscow had recruited some 280,000 people into the army since the start of the year. Russia has not announced another mobilisation, seen as an unpopular measure, but has led an active campaign to attract more men into the military as its Ukraine offensive drags into a 19th …

ISLAMABAD: Carjacking and cell phone snatching witnessed an increase in the federal capital during the last week as more than 91 vehicles were stolen or snatched and 72 mobile phones snatched from citizens, mostly at gunpoint, in various localities. According to data, over 10 cases of theft including robbery and snatching of cash were reported to the city’s different police …

LONDON: The persistent and damaging debt problems gripping a number of developing world nations will be a core topic during the G20 summit in Delhi next month. Below is a look at countries currently facing problems. Pakistan Pakistan needs upwards of $22 billion to service external debt and pay other bills for fiscal year 2024. A caretaker administration is in …

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is currently deliberating a potential change in the venue for the Super 4 stages of the Asia Cup due the persistent heavy rainfall in Colombo. The participating teams have been informed about the unfavorable weather conditions in Sri Lanka’s capital. As a result, Pallekele and Dambulla are being considered as viable alternative locations. While the …

Priyanka Chopra, a global icon known for her contributions to both Hollywood and Bollywood, recently faced criticism for her heartfelt singing tribute to her late father, Ashok Chopra. In a throwback clip shared by Simi Garewal, Priyanka can be seen dedicating Mariah Carey’s “Hero” to her father, who had dreamed of her becoming an international singer. Simi Garewal praised Priyanka’s …

The spread of the dreaded dengue fever in Punjab and the federal capital continues at a rapid pace, as 70 more cases have been reported in the province and 30 in the twin cities in the last 24 hours. In the ongoing year, the number of dengue fever cases in Punjab has risen to 1,415. According to the statistics released …

A delay in the decision-making by the Power Division and the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has proved to be a shocker for the people. Under an agreement with the IMF, the electricity tariff was supposed to be increased from July 1. However, NEPRA and the Power Division delayed raising the basic tariff and multi-air tariff. Owing to the negligence …

Caretaker Federal Minister for Information Murtaza Solangi has denied the deployment of Pakistan Army in Gilgit-Baltistan. In a statement, Murtaza Solangi said that the reports about the deployment of Pakistan Army in Gilgit-Baltistan are baseless. The information minister said that all the roads, commercial centers, educational institutions are open as usual across the GB region. Only in view of the security and …

Zimbabwe cricket great Heath Streak has passed away after a publicised battle with cancer. He was 49 years old. Streak’s wife Nadine announced the Media today on her Facebook account, and local news outlets have reported on his passing. Streak, a former fast bowler, was one of Zimbabwe’s greatest players and the first from his country to take 100 test …

Madonna will not legally bind herself to a man again after two failed marriages with Guy Ritchie and Sean Penn, confirmed her longtime friend. In a conversation with Daily Mail, the Material Girl hitmaker’s pal and video director Ed Steinberg confirmed that the Queen of Pop will not walk down the aisle again. Speaking of the singer’s dedication to her …

More than 1,600 textile factories shut down in the country in the last sixteen months according to Interim Commerce Minister Dr Gohar Ijaz According to a report the minister highlighted that the shutdown of industries was across the entire value chain, from ginning, weaving, spinning, and processing to garment manufacturing. He added that many industries are also operating at reduced …

Indonesia is introducing a golden visa scheme to attract foreign individual and corporate investors in an attempt to boost its national economy, a statement from the ministry of law and human rights distributed on Sunday said. “The golden visa is granting a residence permit for an extended period of five to 10 years,” director general of immigration, Silmy Karim said …

In October 1943, after the Nazis began a brutal occupation of their former ally, German troops hanged six Italian civilians on a hillside in southern Italy as collective punishment for the killing of a soldier, who had been foraging for food. Eighty years later, some of the relatives of the men put to death in Fornelli are finally set to …

Qatar continues to build on its post-FIFA World Cup tourism momentum, with July reporting a 91.4 percent year-on-year surge in visitors, reaching an estimated 288,000, as revealed by the latest official data. The Qatar Monthly Statistics bulletin, published by the Planning and Statistics Authority, also highlighted a 2.1 percent increase in July compared to the previous month, underscoring the nation’s …

Saudi Arabia has set the stage for the advances in the vertical transportation industry, with Jeddah set to host a significant event and conference on elevators and escalator technologies in the city from Sept. 4-7. According to the Saudi Press Agency, the port city will present the Lift City Expo 2023 and the Second International Exhibition and Conference for Elevators …

It’s midnight just before the weekend. Traffic snarls the corniche in Tripoli, where improved electricity service has brought renewed energy to Libya’s capital after years of conflict and power cuts. Chronic electricity shortages had shaped the daily lives of Libyans since the fall of Muammar Qaddafi in a NATO-backed 2011 uprising. A decade of stop-start fighting between rival armed groups …

Residents of Khartoum awoke Sunday to artillery and rocket fire, hours after an air strike in the city’s south killed at least 20 civilians including two children, according to Sudanese activists. “The death toll from the aerial bombardment” in southern Khartoum “has risen to 20 civilian fatalities,” according to a statement by the neighborhood’s resistance committee. They are among many …

CHONGQING: A van with the word “justice” printed on it attracted a crowd of residents in the town of Longshui, Dazu District, southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality. Xiang Zhizun, who is over 60 years old, said it was the first time he had seen a mobile court. “I didn’t expect the court to offer door-to-door service.” A decade ago, Chongqing took …

BEIJING: China has launched a campaign to gather the strength of academicians and experts to promote high-quality national science popularization. The “Science and China” academician and expert lecture tour issued a proposal at the launch ceremony on Saturday, calling on Chinese academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) to play a leading …

BEIJING: China’s Ministry of Commerce announced Saturday that 16 more e-commerce parks will be listed as national e-commerce demonstration bases this year. Speaking at a national e-commerce conference, Chen Chunjiang, assistant minister of commerce, said that the digital economy has provided a strong impetus for Chinese modernization and highlighted the vital role of the e-commerce sector in the economy and …

BEIJING: “I am glad to see that General’s dedication to friendship between China and the United States has been passed down to the fifth generation of his family,” said Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday when replying to a letter from John Easterbrook, grandson of former U.S. General Joseph Stilwell. Joseph Stilwell, a former U.S. general, served as commander-in-chief of …

BEIJING: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday called for unity and global cooperation of the international community to seek mutual development and create a better future. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when delivering a speech via video link at the Global Town Hall 2023. The …

The Gilgit-Baltistan government has decided to call in the army to ensure peace in the region and maintain the law and order situation, it emerged on Saturday. The decision was arrived at during a meeting of the Parliamentary Peace Committee the apex body headed by the chief minister that decides on matters related to law and order held yesterday. The …

Sales of total petroleum products in Pakistan clocked in at 1.41 million tons in August 2023, a decline of 8% year-on-year, amid economic slowdown and drop in oil-based power generation. The decline in sales comes “mainly on account of 64% YoY fall in Furnace Oil (FO) sales given lower reliance on FO-based power generation due to the addition of new …

ISLAMABAD: The Punjab Intelligence Agencies have proposed to the provincial government to stress upon the federal government to address excessive billing issue on emergent basis as some political parties including PTI could further strengthen protests. In a letter to Punjab Government, Provincial Intelligence Centre (PIC) explained that apropos reports of public protests in various districts of the Punjab against astronomical …

The Russian Defence Ministry said on Saturday that it had downed two Ukrainian drones over Belgorod region, a border province that comes under regular attack from Kyiv’s forces. Separately, the governor of neighbouring Kursk region said that a village on the border had come under shelling from Ukraine, with one woman injured. Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian territory have picked …

Often, a cardiac arrest a condition when the heart stops comes on without any indication, and fewer than 12 percent of people who experience cardiac arrest survive, according to the American Heart Association. When there are warning signs and prompt action is taken, however, the chances of living through such a traumatic event improve. Established advance cardiac arrest symptoms, as …

Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar is likely to cancel his maiden foreign visit amid turmoil in the country over inflated electricity bills and hike in petroleum prices. Hours after Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch confirmed at a weekly news briefing here on Friday that the prime minister would undertake a three-day official visit to Kenya, official sources said now …

While cricket enthusiasts keep their fingers crossed for today’s nail-biting match, many singled out Bollywood actor Urvashi Rautela’s Instagram story. Rautela, who has often made headlines in the past with her subtle interest in Pakistani star bowler Naseem Shah, is once again in the limelight for her latest social media update. The actor took to Instagram moments before the match …

Pakistani actors and the fiery duo Yumna Zaidi and Wahaj Ali are well-known for their unmatchable chemistry in their recent drama serial “Tere Bin.” In their recent photoshoot, Wahaj Ali was seen adorning a black embroidered kurta with black shalwar, while Yumna slayed black on black pure embellished shalwar kameez with raw silk dupatta. The couple is already known for …

Oil prices witnessed a significant rebound, reaching their highest levels in over half a year, bringing an end to a two-week streak of losses. This surge in prices was primarily driven by mounting expectations of a supply squeeze in the global oil market. Saudi Arabia, a leading member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), is widely anticipated …

The Counter-Terrorism Department of Punjab has arrested five women terrorists from Lahore and Sheikhupura by conducting intelligence-based operations.The arrested women were said to be a part of Daesh, also known as the Islamic State. In view of the fears of terrorism, the CTD Punjab carried out intelligence-based operations during which five women terrorists were arrested. The CTD officials arrested three …

WhatsApp is gearing up for a significant facelift in its Android app, bringing in some exciting changes to the user interface. In the upcoming design overhaul, WhatsApp’s top bar will sport a clean white color, while other user interface elements will flaunt a vibrant green palette. This makeover is currently making its debut in the WhatsApp for Android beta version …