FARAH ROD, Afghanistan: Khudai Rahim, a 54-year-old Afghan, lost two sons in blasts of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in 2021, and his third son was severely injured in a mine blast in 2022 just around their village. “He (The third son) found a mine. It might be a mortar mine, and he played with it. He was a child and didn’t …

BEIJING: China’s major industrial firms reported a smaller profit decline in July, official data showed Sunday. Industrial firms with annual main business revenue of at least 20 million yuan (about 2.78 million U.S. dollars) saw their combined profits in July down 6.7 percent from a year ago, narrowing from the 8.3-percent drop in June.

BEIJING: China handled a total of 910 million passenger trips via commercial transport last month, a surge of 47 percent year on year, said the Ministry of Transport. A total of 8.21 billion passenger trips were made in urban areas in July, an expansion of 14.7 percent year on year, data showed. Fixed-asset investment in transport reached 348.6 billion yuan …

BEIJING: The Agricultural Bank of China, one of the country’s largest commercial lenders, has scaled up support for the private economy sector. By the end of July, the bank’s outstanding loans to private businesses exceeded 5 trillion yuan (about 694.6 billion U.S. dollars), 800 billion yuan more than at the beginning of the year, according to the bank. The bank …

DAR ES SALAAM: The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has provided a solid platform for international cooperation, said speakers at an international symposium held in Tanzania’s commercial hub of Dar es Salaam. The symposium, with the theme of “China-Africa Vision: Towards a Sustainable Future,” was held Friday to mark the 10th anniversary of the BRI, proposed by China in …

YINCHUAN: A flight carrying over 260 passengers took off Sunday from Yinchuan, capital of northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, heading for Dubai. This marked the resumption of the Yinchuan-Dubai direct flight route, which was previously suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The air service will run once a week on a Sunday. The outbound flight will leave Yinchuan at …

ISLAMABAD: Annoushay Zahra, a 19-year-old medical student from the Pakistani capital Islamabad, was thrilled and excited about the beginning of a new phase of her life in China after receiving the Chinese government scholarship for 2023-2024. Zahra is one of the dozens of Pakistani students who have recently been awarded fully-funded scholarships by China to study in various top-ranking universities …

A fire erupted inside a stationary train compartment at a railway station in southern India killing at least nine people, officials said. According to International media reports, the blaze broke out early at 5 am local time on Saturday morning and burned for two hours before firefighters were able to put it out, authorities said. It started inside a train’s …

In the wake of protests, Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) has sought deployment of police force at its different offices to avoid “unpleasant” situations. In a letter to Rawalpindi’s city police officer, IESCO said that consumers are visiting different offices of IESCO in groups and mobs to protest against electricity issues. “The employees of IESCO are feeling un-rest while performing …

People in different parts of the country on Saturday expressed despair and anger at unprecedentedly high electricity bills with some threatening demonstrations and even a civil disobedience campaign if the extra taxes weren’t deducted. The severe reaction led caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar to call an emergency meeting at the Prime Minister’s House tomorrow (Sunday). “In the meeting, a …

In a dramatic turn of events, a fierce dispute between two women over the ownership of an American cat erupted, resulting in extreme physical brawl. The exquisite American cat was discovered roaming the streets, approximately one month ago. Rani Bibi, a resident of Sadhoke, took it upon herself to rescue and provide a loving home for the cat. Little did …

The water level in India’s Pong and Bhakra dams constructed on the Sutlej River has risen to dangerously high levels. A spokesman for the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has warned that in case of more rains, a catastrophic increase in the water inflow from India is expected. The districts likely to be affected the most are Kasur, Okara, …

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has said that it is not necessary to agree with the US on every issue, adding that there are constructive and positive ties with Washington. In a conversation with a delegation of Harvard University students, the interim PM said there is agreement and disagreement on various issues between countries. He further said that Pakistan …

Pakistan has achieved a historic feat at the Tent-pegging World Cup, clinching two medals in the mega event. Pakistan bagged a silver and a bronze medal in the Tent-pegging World Cup, with the team anticipating more success on the final day. The nation’s prowess was on full display as they secured a remarkable silver medal in the team event and …

The Finance division has banned supplementary grants until the formation of a new government. According to the memorandum “Strategy for additional allocation and Re-Appropriation of funds during the Current Financial Year 2023-24” issued on Friday, the Finance Division will not approve any supplementary grants for additional unbudgeted spending over the parliamentary approved level in FY24 This was done to remain …

The Danish government has announced to present a bill to the parliament that could result in a nationwide ban on Quran burnings. The decision comes in the wake of escalating terror threats and growing global outrage within the Muslim community. Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen highlighted the bill as an ‘important political signal’ that Denmark intends to send to the …

Justice Mohammad Ibrahim Khan took the oath of office as the Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court on Friday. The oath-taking ceremony was held at the Governor’s House, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Haji Ghulam Ali administering the oath. The event was graced by the presence of the Chief Minister, judges of the high court, lawyers, caretaker ministers, government officials, …

The federal cabinet has approved the deployment of the Pakistan Army and Punjab Rangers to ensure foolproof security during the Asia Cup 2023, government sources said Saturday. According to the sources, the Punjab caretaker government had requested the deployment of the army and Rangers, and a summary in this regard was forwarded by the Ministry of Interior which the cabinet …

URUMQI: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday urged firmly grasping the strategic positioning of Xinjiang in the overall national situation and better building a beautiful Xinjiang in the process of pursuing Chinese modernization. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks when he was briefed …

DALIAN: At 8 a.m., Liang Zeye, 48, a former fisherman, set off in his speedboat to the waters near Haxian Island in Changhai, a border island county composed of 195 islands in northeastern China’s Liaoning Province. His mission? To reunite with his “old friends.” “Look over there! That’s ‘Little Grey.’ You can easily spot him with those distinctive patterns on …

JINAN: China’s new energy vehicle (NEV) industry has experienced rapid development in recent years. Data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers showed that the output and sales of NEVs rose to 3.79 million and 3.75 million units, respectively, in the first half of this year. The association also estimates that China’s vast countryside has a market potential of 500 billion …

MAUI, Hawaii: The devastating wildfires that ravaged the Hawaiian island of Maui were a bitter blow to the island’s tourism industry, but local residents and business leaders expect more tourists will come back as the island embarks on a long road ahead for recovery. The wildfires, which started on Aug. 8 and have claimed the lives of at least 115 …

VIENTIANE: Aliya Xabphaysarne, an 18-year-old student from Lao’s Savannakhet province, was awarded the Chinese government scholarship for the 2023-2024 school year, a step closer to her dream of studying in China. After a farewell party on Thursday for the Lao students who were awarded the scholarship, Aliya, together with her fellow students, will embark on a new study journey in …

DHAKA: Chinese telecoms giant Huawei announced here on Thursday the six winners of “Seeds for the Future 2023,” who will have the opportunity to travel to China for further exploration and training. Focusing on the development of a robust Information and Communications Technology (ICT) ecosystem in Bangladesh, Huawei has arranged “Seeds for the Future” in the South Asian country for …

COPENHAGEN: China secured places in the women’s and mixed doubles finals at the BWF World Championships on Friday. Two Chinese pairs in each category reached the last four and will encounter each other in the semis. In the mixed doubles, three-time winners Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong needed only 27 minutes to ease past South Korean duo Kim Won-ho and …

CAIRO: The BRICS group has the ability to lead a broad global development process, improve the current global economic system and address its problems and crises, an Egyptian business expert has said. “BRICS, with its economic, financial and technological capabilities and clear future vision, has the power and ability to lead the world towards a broad development process and make …

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir on Friday underscored that Pakistan was acting as a “bulwark against terrorism” and called on the international community to realise the immense sacrifices rendered by the country. He passed these remarks during an interactive session with a group of 38 students from Harvard from nine different countries at the General Headquarters in …

The Supreme Court’s Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail on Friday asked why the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had “unlimited power” to file cases against anyone as the court dismissed the watchdog’s appeal against the bail of Ahad Cheema, now an adviser to the interim prime minister. During the proceedings, the NAB’s prosecutor, who appeared on behalf of the watchdog’s Prosecutor General …

Indian voters are growing unhappy with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government due to high inflation and unemployment but he is still on track to comfortably win a third term in elections next year due to his personal popularity, a key survey said. The popularity of main opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has risen and a new, 26-party opposition alliance called “INDIA” …

More than 8,400 people and 341 animals were evacuated to safe places in the past 24 hours from different Punjab districts as parts of Sutlej river Islam Headworks remained in high flood, rescue services reported on Friday. According to the Punjab government’s Flood Warning Center, River Sutlej at Ganda Singh Wala was in high flood and kept rising. “The discharge …

The government on Friday warned government officials of attempts to hack mobile phones to obtain “sensitive information” and asked them to remain vigilant. In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said, “Security agencies have unearthed an attempt to hack the mobile phones of senior government officials in a bid to obtain sensitive information.” It said the elements behind the …

MOSCOW: Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Friday that US President Joe Biden’s comments on the reports that Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin had died in a plane crash were unacceptable, the TASS news agency reported. Biden on Wednesday said he was not surprised by the reports, adding that not much happens in the country that President Vladimir …

Pakistan has said that it has not made any formal request to join BRICS group of nations. While answering a question about the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan will examine the latest developments and make a determination about its future engagement with the group. The statement comes a day after BRICS – Brazil, …

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) adjourned on Friday the hearing of a case pertaining to former prime minister’s Imran Khan’s conviction in the Toshakhana case. The hearing has been adjourned till August 28 (Monday). On Thursday, both the IHC and Supreme Court had adjourned the hearing till Friday (today). During the hearing on Thursday, Sardar Latif Khosa, Salman Akram Raja, …

Alia Bhatt continues to rise as she clinches the Best Actress award at the 69th National Film Awards 2023 for her performance in “Gangubai Kathiawadi.” Neetu Kapoor, the acclaimed Bollywood actor and Alia’s mother-in-law, took to social media to express her pride and congratulate the talented actress. Having joined the Kapoor family through her marriage to Ranbir Kapoor in April …

Star Pakistani javelin thrower, Arshad Nadeem solidified his position as a dominant force in the world of athletics with a stunning performance in Hungary. With an impressive throw of 86.79m, Nadeem secured a place in the finals of the ongoing World Athletics Championship and earned a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Starting on a slightly shaky note with a …

Revered as Pakistan’s preeminent all-rounder, Shadab Khan is a proper match-winner. His aptitude for thriving under pressure and delivering pivotal performances has solidified his stature as the fulcrum behind Pakistan’s triumphs in recent years. Demonstrating extraordinary skills with both bat and ball, Shadab’s impact is unequivocal, as evidenced by his remarkable batting average of 50 in ODI victories for Pakistan. …

Anxiety is a common human emotion, but when it becomes excessive or persistent, it can turn into a significant issue. While there are various approaches to reduce anxiety, including exercise, therapy, and medications, did you know that certain foods can also play a role in soothing your nerves? Salmon Salmon is a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids, which have …

Millions of middle-aged adults who are overweight with even slightly raised blood pressure, cholesterol or glucose levels are about a third more likely to die early, research suggests. They also face a 35% higher risk of heart attacks or strokes and will experience them two years earlier than their peers. The stark findings are being presented at the annual meeting …

Bushra Bibi, the wife of former prime minister Imran Khan, claimed in an affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court (SC) Friday that the life of her husband is in danger at Attock jail, where he has been serving three-sentence after being convicted in Toshakhana case earlier this month. The former first lady submitted the sworn statement in the apex court …