ATHENS: Since China’s COSCO Shipping bought into Greece’s largest but ailing Port of Piraeus 13 years ago, the harbor has experienced rapid growth and has been transformed into a bustling key transport hub at the crossroads of Asia, Europe and Africa. The flagship project in bilateral collaboration has been hailed as an exemplary success story under China’s Belt and Road …

KUALA LUMPUR: Giant panda cubs Yi Yi and Sheng Yi returned to China late on Tuesday, bringing their stay in Malaysia to a close as they reach maturity. At a brief ceremony held at the Giant Panda Conservation Center in Zoo Negara, Deputy Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Huang Tiong Sii said Yi Yi, who is now five …

BEIJING: China’s customs authorities on Tuesday announced the removal of COVID-19 nucleic acid or antigen test requirements for all inbound international travelers. Starting from Aug. 30, travelers to China will no longer need to report the results of their nucleic acid or antigen tests taken within 48 hours when making health declaration to China’s customs, according to a statement from …

CHENGDU: Four people were confirmed dead and 48 others missing, after rainstorms hit Jinyang County in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, on Aug. 21, local authorities said Wednesday. Yuan Gang, deputy director of the provincial public security department, said at a press conference that rainstorms triggered a flash flood at a highway construction site. Five people from …

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered all-out search and rescue of the people missing in the recent flood disaster in southwest China’s Sichuan Province in an instruction. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, also demanded comprehensive investigation and strengthened safety supervision to ensure the safety of …

BEIJING: Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met with visiting U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in Beijing on Tuesday. The two sides had candid, pragmatic and constructive discussions over implementing the important consensus reached at the Bali meeting between the two countries’ heads of state, as well as economic and trade issues of common concern. The Chinese side expressed its concerns …

BEIJING: Chinese Premier Li Qiang here on Tuesday met with Jose Manuel Barroso, chair of the Gavi vaccine alliance. Li said the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the world has once again proved that it is vital to strengthen global health governance. “We should put people’s right to life and health in a prominent position, uphold the concept of a community of …

BEIJING: Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with visiting U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on Tuesday in Beijing, calling on both sides to enhance mutually beneficial cooperation. Li said the economic and trade relations between China and the United States are mutually beneficial and win-win in nature. Politicizing economic and trade issues and overstretching the concept of security will not only …

Russian President Vladimir Putin conveyed to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi his decision to abstain from attending the upcoming G20 Summit scheduled to be hosted by India. The summit, which is slated to convene in the capital city of Delhi from September 9 to 10, has drawn global attention as leaders from the world’s most affluent nations, along with the …

Pakistani javelin sensation and national hero Arshad Nadeem, who recently clinched the silver medal at the World Athletic Championship, received a warm and spirited welcome upon his return to Pakistan. Speaking to the media at the airport, Arshad Nadeem expressed his gratitude for the warm reception and stated, “If provided with international-standard facilities and support, I am confident I can …

The federal government has withdrawn an appeal against a verdict of the Lahore High Court in a case related to the auction of the Toshakhana gifts. The deputy attorney general told the Supreme Court that the government wanted to withdraw the appeal in light of the new Toshakhana rules. A division bench led by Justice Ijazul Ahsan conducted the hearing. The Lahore …

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar is set to embark on a significant diplomatic mission to Kenya during the first week of September. This visit comes as a response to an official invitation extended by the Kenyan President, highlighting the strengthening ties between the two nations. During an official three-day visit, Caretaker Prime Minister Kakar will be accompanied by a …

In a significant disruption to its manufacturing operations, Toyota Motor Corp announced on Tuesday that it has suspended operations at all 14 of its assembly plants in Japan. This shutdown has brought domestic production to a standstill at the world’s largest automaker. The production halt was attributed to a malfunction in Toyota’s production systm, which has hindered the company’s ability …

Pakistani actors Wahaj Ali and Ayeza Khan have worked together on a project for the first time, and have already set the bar high. In their recent drama serial “Mein” they both portray the characters of Zaid and Mubashira (MJ). Both of them play the egoistic and stubborn characters. Initially, they were seen with different characters as their partners, Agha …

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has no foolproof mechanism to ensure that a 7.5 percent withholding tax on electricity bills of over Rs. 25,000 per month isn’t charged to filers of income tax returns. There is no coordination between the FBR and the power distribution companies in this regard. The FBR has collected withholding tax (under section 235 of …

The WHO has recommended a ban on Pakistani citizens leaving the country without polio vaccination certification, as part of the efforts to curb the spread of poliovirus. This recommendation comes after the 36th Meeting of the Polio IHR Emergency Committee, where the situation regarding wild poliovirus (WPV1) and circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV) was extensively reviewed in the context of the …

ARY ZAP, Pakistan’s leading and popular mobile app, has been awarded live-streaming rights for the Pakistan region for the upcoming series of the Pakistan women’s cricket team against South Africa, as well as for domestic cricket events, including the National T20, Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and Pakistan Cup following its successful bid in an open and transparent public tender process conducted by …

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday suspended PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s three-year sentence in the Toshakhana case. However, a special court recently established to hear cases under the Official Sec­rets Act has directed the Attock Jail authorities where the former premier is incarcerated to keep Imran in “judicial lockup” and produce him on Aug 30 (tomorrow) in connection with …

China is offering couples a “reward” of 1,000 yuan ($137) if the bride is aged 25 or younger, the latest in a series of measures to incentivise young people to get married amid rising concern over a declining national birthrate. The notice, which was published on Changshan county’s official WeChat account last week, said the reward was to promote “age-appropriate …

CHANGCHUN: Northeast China’s Jilin Province issued an orange alert, the second-highest warning, for possible mountain torrents at 2:10 p.m. Tuesday. The province’s Wangqing County in Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture and Hunchun City are likely to encounter mountain torrents from Tuesday afternoon to the daytime of Wednesday, according to the latest meteorological warning. Other parts of Jilin including the cities of …

BEIJING: At the invitation of Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, James Cleverly, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom, will pay an official visit to China on August 30, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin announced Tuesday.

BEIJING: At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, President of the Republic of Benin Patrice Athanase Guillaume Talon will pay a state visit to China from August 31 to September 3. In response to a question concerning the visit, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that China and Benin enjoy long-standing and profound friendship. The two countries celebrated the 50th anniversary …

WhatsApp has been on a roll with its updates. Earlier this year, they introduced a cool feature reacting to status updates with emojis. People loved it. But guess what? WhatsApp isn’t done innovating. They’re cooking up a fresh idea letting you reply to status updates with avatars. The buzz comes from WABetaInfo, a source that’s pretty reliable about WhatsApp scoops. …

BEIJING: Many catering companies listed on the A-share market saw burgeoning profit growth in the first half of the year, boding the revival of China’s consumption market. Tongqinglou Catering Co., Ltd., which owns a time-honored brand of Anhui cuisine, saw its net profit skyrocket 589.46 percent year on year to 146 million yuan (about 20.32 million U.S. dollars) in the …

HAIKOU: Millions of tourists have visited the resort island of south China’s Hainan Province this summer to enjoy their summer vacation since the beginning of July. Wang Shao, a long-time Hainan resident, has hosted five friends from different regions within a month. “Many of my former classmates and colleagues came to Hainan for vacations with their families. My social media …

BEIJING: Despite strong condemnation from domestic fishermen, neighboring countries, and worldwide environmental experts, Japan started releasing the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean on Aug. 24 — a black day for the Earth and humanity. The Fukushima nuclear accident is one of the world’s most serious nuclear disasters. As a result, the contaminated water is known to have more than …

HOHHOT: Crops such as wheat, corn as well as sunflower seeds and melons stand on the cusp of harvest in Hetao Irrigation Area, a site located in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region that is inscribed on the list of World Heritage Irrigation Structures. An Lingyi’s maize field, spanning 1,000 mu (66.7 hectares), is commanding attention for its cutting-edge approach …

HANGZHOU: As of the end of July, the installed capacity of clean energy in east China’s Zhejiang Province reached 57.51 million kilowatts, surpassing that of coal power units for the first time, according to the latest data from State Grid Zhejiang Electric Power Co., Ltd. Of the total installed power capacity of Zhejiang, clean energy accounted for 46 percent, coal …

BEIJING: China will intensify macro regulation and step up efforts to effectively implement a proactive fiscal policy, according to a report from the State Council. The report on the budget execution so far this year was submitted to the fifth session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, for deliberation on Monday. Since the …

BEIJING: The office of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management held a video conference Monday to discuss the work against floods, drought and typhoons. The current round of rainfall will impact northeast, southeast and southwest China, while the drought will continue in the northwest, according to the conference. Typhoon Saola is approaching …

JOHANNESBURG: The Global South, with BRICS’ inclusiveness, can speak in one voice and redress the global imbalances that have long been plaguing the world, experts have said. “BRICS Plus is probably much more inclusive and its inclusivity does not ostracize or eliminate people because of certain political values,” Farhana Paruk, a professor at Gordon Institute of Business Science of the …

YIBIN: The cross-river vehicle ferry service that links Nixi Town and Juexi Town in Xuzhou District of Yibin started in May of 1992. This ferry service has been one of the most important transportation methods for local people living nearby on both sides of Minjiang River. As the Nixi Minjiang grand bridge opened to traffic here on Monday, the 31-year-old …

JAKARTA: Indonesia has geared up to combat air pollution ahead of the 43rd summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), scheduled in the capital city of Jakarta early next month. The current severe air pollution in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta, one of the most polluted regions of the world, has led to increasing health problems among the public. There …

CHANGCHUN: Eight Russian movies are being presented at a film festival in Changchun, the capital of northeast China’s Jilin Province. The international film show, as part of the 18th Changchun Film Festival China 2023, consists of classic and contemporary sections, with four Russian films featured in each segment. The film show starting on Sunday will last for eight days. “The …

JALALABAD, Afghanistan: Nazar Gul, an Afghan doctor respected by households far and near his village, was killed during a bombing by U.S. forces in 2019. Until now, one of his patients still keeps the medicine Gul had prescribed before his death as a memorial from the deceased hero. “Everyone feels his absence in our village,” said Haji Sharif Khan, Gul’s …

WASHINGTON: A U.S. federal judge on Monday set March 4, 2024 for former President Donald Trump’s trial on charges of attempting to overturn the 2020 election. That is one day before “Super Tuesday,” a potentially decisive date in the Republican presidential nominating contest, when more than a dozen states, from California to Texas, will pick the party’s candidate for the …

SYDNEY: Japan’s decision to discharge nuclear-contaminated wastewater is not only a policy misstep, but a deep fracture in the trust between the Pacific Islands and Japan, said a scholar on Monday. These waters aren’t just geographical entities but the lifeblood of the Pacific Islands, underpinning cultures, livelihoods, and ecosystems, said Transform Aqorau, vice chancellor of the Solomon Islands National University, …

BLED, Slovenia: The European Union (EU) should be ready for its next enlargement by 2030, European Council President Charles Michel said at the Bled Strategic Forum held here on Monday. “Now enlargement is no longer a dream. It is time to move forward,” Michel said in his keynote speech at the forum, a two-day international conference which focused on solidarity …

Indus Motor Company (IMC) reported on Monday a profit-after-tax (PAT) of Rs9.66 billion in fiscal year 2022-23 (FY23), a decrease of nearly 39% as compared with earnings of Rs15.8 billion in the same period last year, amid lower sales. Earnings per share (EPS) stood at Rs123 in FY23 compared with Rs201 in FY22. The board of directors of the assembler …

A two-day U.N. Peacekeeping Ministerial Preparatory Meeting on Wednesday (August 30) under the theme of “Safety and Security of UN Peacekeepers” will take place in Islamabad. Pakistan is hosting this international event, while Japan is a co-host of the meeting. The Preparatory Meeting’s keynote presentations will be given by Pakistan’s foreign and defense ministers. Along with regional and international specialists, …