The Islamabad Capital Police on Sunday said that human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and former lawmaker Ali Wazir were arrested “for investigation” hours after the activist posted on social media platform X that unidentified people were breaking into her home. “Islamabad Capital Police has arrested Ali Wazir and Imaan Mazari,” the police said on X (formerly Twitter). “Both suspects …

In a startling turn of events, President Arif Alvi said on Sunday that he did not sign the bills amending the Official Secrets Act and the Pakistan Army Act into law as he “disagreed with these laws”. He alleged that his staff “undermined” his will and command. In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Alvi said: “As …

BEIJING: China’s water and soil erosion area decreased last year amid the country’s efforts to restore the ecological environment, according to the Ministry of Water Resources. The country’s water and soil erosion area stood at 2.65 million square km in 2022, down 20,800 square km, or 0.78 percent, compared with 2021, according to the results of national monitoring of soil …

BEIJING: China saw a steady increase in the newly installed capacity of clean energy in the first seven months of 2023. The newly installed capacity of solar power expanded 42.9 percent year on year to 490 million kilowatts, while that of wind power stood at about 390 million kilowatts, representing a yearly increase of 14.3 percent, data from the National …

BEIJING: The foldable smartphone market has seen remarkable growth in China, with shipments jumping 173 percent year on year to reach 1.26 million units in the second quarter of 2023, according to an industry report. In the first half of the year, the country shipped 2.27 million foldable phones, marking a 102-percent surge from the same period last year, said …

JOHANNESBURG: Sanele Ntuli, a young man from South Africa, began learning the Chinese language much the way his cohort does: his tutor gave him a Chinese name in the first class. “From trees to a forest” is what Ntuli’s Chinese name Lin Sen signifies. In South Africa, the number of Chinese learners and enthusiasts of Chinese culture has witnessed a …

BEIJING: Here are the latest Chinese sports headlines from the past week: China edges New Zealand to clinch third place in basketball Supercup Li Kaier made a crucial interception as China rallied from behind to edge New Zealand 69-68 at the 2023 Basketball Supercup in Hamburg on August 13. With just under 10 seconds left, Li, the first naturalized player …

BEIJING: Chinese scientists have discovered a new form of pulsar emissions, called dwarf pulses, using the country’s Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST). The discovery was recently published in the journal Nature Astronomy. According to the study, pulsars radiate radio signals when they rotate. However, some old pulsars often cease radiating for some periods, a phenomenon called “nulling.” The underlying …

NANJING: East China’s Jiangsu Province has registered the trading of over 1 million green electricity certificates, according to Jiangsu Power Exchange Center Co., Ltd. The province is one of the first regions in China to approve the trading of green electricity certificates. Renewable electricity producers can obtain a government-issued certificate which represents 1,000 kilowatt-hours of renewable energy, and sell the …

JOHANNESBURG: New China Research (NCR), the think tank of China’s Xinhua News Agency, released in Johannesburg of South Africa on Saturday the English and French versions of two research reports on Xi Jinping’s economic thought and the Communist Party of China’s (CPC) “Second Integration” theory. The two reports, which are entitled “Toward Modernity: The Value of Xi Jinping’s Economic Thought” …

YANGON: The ongoing seventh China-South Asia Expo in China’s southwestern city of Kunming presents a great opportunity for Myanmar products to broaden their market horizons, a senior Myanmar official said. Htein Lin, deputy director-general of Myanmar Trade Promotion Organization under the Ministry of Commerce, expressed his optimism about the expo’s impact on Myanmar’s export sector, citing the potential it holds …

PHNOM PENH: China has played and will continue to play a crucial role in enhancing cooperation among BRICS countries, Cambodian experts said on Saturday. BRICS is the acronym for an emerging-market bloc that groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Thong Mengdavid, a research supervisor with Phnom Penh-based independent think tank Asian Vision Institute (AVI), said China’s pivotal role …

British Columbia has declared a state of emergency as Canada’s worst wildfire season in modern history tears through swaths of the western province, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes. Officials in the province expanded the order late Friday after declaring a state of emergency in Kelowna, a city of some 150,000 residents, as well as in nearby West …

Neymar has arrived in Saudi Arabia after agreeing a deal to move from French side Paris Saint-Germain to the Saudi Pro League. The forward landed at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport having departed PSG to join Al-Hilal. He was photographed boarding a largely empty jumbo jet in Paris and later landing in the Middle Eastern nation. The 31-year-old was wearing …

Britney Spears has spoken about the recent announcement that she and her husband, Sam Asghari, are to divorce, telling fans she “couldn’t take the pain any more” but will remain strong in the face of adversity. Asghari cited “irreconcilable differences” in documents filed at a court in Los Angeles, which also revealed that the couple separated almost three weeks ago. …

At least 500 prisoners are on hunger strike inside a Bahraini prison primarily used to detain prisoners of conscience, refusing food in protest at their detention conditions. Sayed Alwadaei, at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (Bird) and a former inmate at Jau prison, said: “This is probably one of the most powerful strikes that has ever happened inside …

Seven people were killed and 129 wounded when a Russian missile struck a central square in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, the interior ministry said on Saturday. People had been on their way to church to celebrate a religious holiday when the strike took place, the ministry said, adding that 11 of the wounded were children. “A Russian missile …

The Muzrai department Commissioner on August 14 had issued a circular directing all district administrations to stop funding for repair and development works of state-run temples, wherever 50 per cent of funds were granted and the works had not commenced or where funds were sanctioned, but not released. Facing flak from various quarters including the opposition BJP, the Karnataka government …

The summer heat can be tough on our bodies, making us feel tired, dehydrated, and even sick. But there are certain foods that can help us stay cool and hydrated, and prevent heat-related illnesses. Here are some of the best foods to eat in hot weather. – Watermelon – Watermelon is a great source of hydration, and it also contains …

The Supreme Court has declared drugs a threat to a peaceful society. In an important decision in a case related to drug peddling, the court described them as a threat to peace, and rejected an appeal against the life imprisonment of a criminal of drug trafficking. The SC also ruled that if evidence is available, technical hurdles should not be …

Senate Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani on Saturday affirmed that next general elections would be conducted on time immediately after the completion of the delimitation process on the basis of new census. While talking to the media at the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the Senate chairman said that the PDM coalition government consisted of almost all the political parties …

Twitter, now known as X, continues down its death spiral under the leadership of Elon Musk, removing harmless features he simply doesn’t agree with. He now wants to remove the ability to block anyone on the platform, except for direct messages (DMs). Musk, who had previously indicated his intention to eliminate this feature, argued that it “makes no sense” to …

In response to the turmoil caused by chaos on 10, 11, and 12 May 2023, Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) will be organizing a retake exam in October. The announcement, made by the government on Friday, aims to address the concerns of students and parents regarding unexpected grades in the A and AS-level exams of 2023. A crucial meeting was …

Pakistan’s three main reservoirs Mangla, Tarbela dams, and Chashma Barrage have reached their maximum capacity in a single day, marking a significant milestone. With this development occurring on 17 August, the combined water storage has soared to a remarkable 13.443 million acre-feet (MAF), fueling optimism for robust crop yields during the current Kharif and upcoming Rabi seasons. The Indus River …

Star Pakistani javelin thrower, Arshad Nadeem, expressed confidence in securing a gold medal at the upcoming World Athletics Championship in Hungary. In conversation with the media, Arshad Nadeem conveyed his full fitness and determination to clinch the gold medal for his country during the mega event. “I am feeling well and, InshaAllah will strive for the desired outcome. If I …

The finance department of the Sindh government, on orders of the outgoing Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah, extended an act of goodwill. The chief secretariat employees were granted seven months’ worth of basic salaries. This was made possible through the release of over Rs. 200 million by the finance department of the Sindh government. CM Shah, during …

Imran Khan’s life is still in danger and he can be poisoned in Attock jail, his wife Bushra Bibi has said as she demanded better prison facilities for the incarcerated former Pakistan prime minister. In her letter to the Punjab home secretary on Saturday, the 49-year-old wife of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman wrote that the court had directed the …

SHANGHAI: The cruise industry in Shanghai has achieved ticket sales of more than 300 million yuan (about 41.66 million U.S. dollars) since the pilot resumption of the country’s international cruise services in late March. Since the end of March, with Shanghai’s active promotion of the pilot resumption of international cruise services, over 4,000 new jobs have been created, the municipal …

BEIJING: Chinese authorities said Saturday they will ensure that residents affected by disasters can return home or resettle in new homes as soon as possible. During a video conference, the office of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management said that the main flood season continues, and that the flood and drought situations …

BEIJING: The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management on Saturday pre-allocated another 1 billion yuan (about 139 million U.S. dollars) as part of the central government’s support for disaster relief work in regions affected by flooding. The finance ministry said in a statement on its website that the new funding will mainly support relief work for residents …

BEIJING: The leaders of the United States, Japan and South Korea convened at Camp David on Friday to unveil their plans for bolstering military ties while deliberately propagating rhetoric about the so-called “China threat.” Orchestrated under U.S. guidance, the trio is endeavoring to forge a closed and exclusive geopolitical clique under the guise of “security cooperation.” Such a maneuver will …

HANGZHOU: Over 40 years ago, dykes were built by hand connecting Dongzhou Island, on the Qiantang River of east China’s Zhejiang Province, with the outside world. Xu Manshan, then a local teenager, offered a helping hand, throwing rocks into the river. “The heavy work cost me several pairs of straw shoes, but I managed to carry on, even going barefoot,” …

URUMQI: A total of 273 intent projects will be signed during the ongoing 2023 (China) Eurasia Commodity and Trade Expo, which opened in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Thursday. The projects, amounting to more than 493.2 billion yuan (about 68.49 billion U.S. dollars), marked an increase of 1.52 times compared to the total value of projects signed at …

JOHANNESBURG: Sanele Ntuli, a young man from South Africa, began learning the Chinese language much the way his cohort does: his tutor gave him a Chinese name in the first class. “From trees to a forest” is what Ntuli’s Chinese name Lin Sen signifies. In South Africa, the number of Chinese learners and enthusiasts of Chinese culture has witnessed a …

LOS ANGELES: The death toll from the Maui wildfires in the U.S. state of Hawaii reached 114 on Friday while more than 60 percent of the disaster area has been searched, authorities said. The Maui Police Department confirmed in an update that the total number of fatalities in the deadly wildfires has increased to 114, up from Thursday’s 111. In …

Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Saturday that rescue efforts were under way after a flood “unprecedented in 35 years” was reported in the Sutlej river. According to the Flood Forecasting Division (FFD), the river is at an “extremely high flood level” at Ganda Singh Wala and will remain at this critical state. It said River Sutlej at …

Justice Qazi Faez Isa, senior puisne judge of the Supreme Court (SC), visited Faisalabad district’s Jaranwala tehsil on Saturday to inquire about the situation of the local Christian community after Wednesday’s riots over alleged blasphemy. On August 16, a mob targeted the Christian community ransacking and torching their churches and homes there leaving at least 19 churches and 86 homes …

The Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on Saturday said it has arrested 13 alleged terrorists including “three key Daesh commanders” during an intelligence-based operation from different cities of the province. In a statement issued today, the CTD said the arrested suspects from Lahore, Bahawalpur, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Chinot, Qasor, Multan, and Mandi Bahauddin had intended to carry out terrorist activities. It …

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s new 12-member interim cabinet, comprising nine ministers and two advisers and a special assistant, was sworn in on Saturday. Governor Ghulam Ali administered the oath in a ceremony held at the Governor House. It was attended by KP caretaker Chief Minister Mohammad Azam Khan and others. The ministers include Syed Masud Shah, Barrister Feroze Jamal Shah Kakakhel, retired …

LAHORE: A Muslim cleric is among a dozen people being investigated for using mosque loudspeakers to order protests against alleged blasphemy which erupted into mob violence in Pakistan earlier this week, a senior police official said. More than 80 Christian homes and 19 churches were vandalised when hundreds rampaged through a Christian neighbourhood in Jaranwala in Faisalabad, Punjab on Wednesday. …