CHANGSHA: In a remarkable metamorphosis, derelict houses are being renovated to revive their faded splendor and repurposed into villa hotels, village museums, educational bases, and other public spaces, breathing new life into these once-forgotten architectures. The “Awakening Heritage Homes” initiative in the city of Chenzhou, in central China’s Hunan Province, is orchestrating a profound renaissance by resurrecting long-abandoned rural residences, …

SHIJIAZHUANG: As of Thursday, 29 people had been killed in disasters triggered by the recent round of heavy rain in north China’s Hebei Province, while 16 people remained missing, local authorities said on Friday. According to a press conference held by the provincial government on Friday morning, torrential downpours and severe flooding have wreaked havoc across 110 counties, cities and …

LANZHOU: With the last missing victim found dead, the death toll from the mountain torrents that struck a mountainous area in Jingtai County of Baiyin City in northwest China’s Gansu Province has now climbed to five, according to local authorities. After a rainstorm alert early Thursday, seven people were swept up by mountain torrents while on their way back home, …

SINGAPORE: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, here on Thursday met with Singaporean Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan, with the two sides pledging to keep promoting the Belt and Road construction. The two sides, during the meeting, spoke highly of the current sound …

BEIJING: The number of public charging piles jumped 40.4 percent year on year in China last month, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers showed Thursday. From August 2022 to July this year, 53,000 public charging piles were added each month on average in the country. In recent years, China has improved its charging infrastructure network to better meet …

BEIJING: China on Thursday announced the resumption of group tours to dozens of more overseas destinations, including Japan, Britain, the United States and Australia. Starting Aug. 10, travel agencies and online tourism service providers in China can resume offering group tours to a longer list of countries and regions, according to a circular from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. …

An Islamabad district and sessions court on Thursday rejected the post-arrest bail plea filed by Somia Asim, the wife of a civil judge, in a case pertaining to the alleged torture of an underage domestic worker in the capital. The suspect was booked in the case after she was accused of severely torturing a teenage maid, who was moved to …

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has appointed former Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Amir Hayat as CEO for one year, a spokesperson of the national carrier said. This week, the outgoing government said it planned to privatise loss-making PIA, which has accumulated hundreds of billions of rupees in losses and arrears. The move would be in line with an International Monetary Fund …

Over the last few years, Pakistan’s parliamentarians, individuals who have sworn to protect and uphold the Constitution, have betrayed both the letter and spirit of constitutional democracy in the country. This betrayal has come on the back of years of rhetoric about the rule of law, democracy, and constitutional norms. And the culminating act of betrayal has unfolded over the …

Over 3,000 poor Muslims have fled a business hub outside New Delhi this month, fearing for their lives after Hindu-Muslim clashes and sporadic attacks targeting them, residents, police and a community group said. Shops and shacks owned or run by Muslims and their houses in two large slum areas were padlocked when Reuters visited them more than a week after …

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Raja Riaz met with the outgoing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday to discuss the selection of a caretaker PM, Aaj news reported. He claimed the meeting took place in a “positive environment” and that he was “certain they would agree on a candidate in the coming days.” While talking to reporters …

An accountability court in Islamabad on Thursday quashed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s pre-arrest bail pleas in illegal transfer of 190 million pounds in the Al-Qadir Trust case. Judge Muhammad Bashir heard the case while the PTI chairman and his wife Bushra Bibi’s legal Khawaja Haris appeared before the court. During the hearing, Khawaja Haris filed a petition seeking …

Google has unveiled its initiative to enhance user convenience by integrating native support for eSignatures into Docs and Drive. This move aims to streamline the process of requesting signatures and digitally signing documents directly within Google’s platform. Having undergone over a year of alpha testing, the feature is now being introduced in beta, facilitating the request and application of eSignatures. Numerous …

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has disclosed details regarding ticket sales for the eagerly awaited ODI World Cup 2023, scheduled to take place in India. Chris Tetley, the ICC Head of Events, has stated that tickets for the marquee event will be accessible online starting from August 25, catering to cricket fans worldwide. “We urge all fans to register their …

Bushra Bibi, the wife of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, has arrived at Attock Jail to see her husband. Naeem Haider Panjotha, an attorney representing Imran Khan, said that the Islamabad High Court has given them permission to speak with the imprisoned former prime minister. According to reports, the Elite Force and police are on high alert outside the …

A senior cleric of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, Mufti Abdul Rauf, has termed cross-border attacks from the country to Pakistan or any other neighbouring country as un-Islamic and haraam. Rauf, in a video message on Twitter, differentiated between the various forms of jihad or holy war and said the form of jihad which is compulsory for all Muslims and …

Gazing up from K2 Basecamp, Sajid Ali Sadpara sees Earth’s second-highest mountain, his father’s final resting place, and a blight of litter on the furthest reaches of the natural world. Sajid dons a down coverall stitched with Pakistan’s green flag to scale the 8,611-metre (28,251-foot) spur of rock, clearing an icebound grotesquerie of spent oxygen canisters, mangled tents and snarled …

Cold plunges are scientifically proven as a beneficial exercise to relieve body stress and boost mental stamina. Prominent celebrities and influencers are hopping on the cold plunging trend, trying the long-tested energy-gaining exercise. Cold water immersion or ice baths have been used as a regular exercise by athletes to recover from heavy training and stress. Now, more people are trying …

BEIJING: China saw a significant increase in the production and sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs) in July, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers showed on Thursday. The production of NEVs jumped 30.6 percent year on year to 805,000 units last month, and sales rose 31.6 percent to 780,000 units. NEVs occupied a market share of 32.7 percent …

BEIJING: Chinese stocks closed higher Thursday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 0.31 percent to 3,254.56 points. The Shenzhen Component Index closed 0.1 percent higher at 11,050.22 points. The combined turnover of stocks covered by the two indices stood at 694.2 billion yuan (about 96.96 billion U.S. dollars), down from 736.6 billion yuan the previous trading day. Shares in …

PHNOM PENH: China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has not only promoted infrastructure development and connectivity across continents, but also given an opportunity to countries to boost trade and economic potential, a Cambodian scholar has said. Seun Sam, a policy analyst at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said China, with its rapidly growing economy, vast market, and technological advancements, has …

BEIJING: China strongly deplores and firmly opposes the single-minded rollout of restrictions on investments in China by the United States and has made serious démarche to the U.S. side, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Thursday. According to reports, on the early morning of Aug. 10, Beijing Time, U.S. President Joe Biden signed the executive order on setting up screening …

In a significant development, President Dr Arif Alvi on Wednesday formally signed the summary for the dissolution of the National Assembly. The move follows a proposal by the Prime Minister, signaling a crucial step in the country’s political landscape. The President’s approval marks the transition into a new phase of political activity, triggering preparations for upcoming elections. Earlier, PM Shehbaz …

A division bench of the Islamabad High Court Wednesday denied requests to suspend the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan’s prison term. The two-member bench consisted of Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri. Imran’s attorneys requested a suspension of the jail term in their appeal. The court, however, refused to immediately end the sentence and gave notice …

Iran said on Wednesday it has the technology to build supersonic cruise missile, Iranian state media reported, an announcement likely to heighten Western concerns about Tehran’s missile capabilities. The announcement comes days after reports on the arrival of over 3,000 U.S. sailors and Marines aboard two U.S. warships in the Red Sea to deter Iran from seizing and harassing merchant …

TEHRAN: Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Tehran has resumed operations, state media in Iran reported Wednesday, following a thaw in ties seven years after the mission was closed. Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to resume diplomatic relations and reopen their respective embassies following a China-brokered deal announced in March. The long-time regional rivals severed ties in 2016 after Saudi diplomatic missions …

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir said on Wednesday that the Pakistan Army possessed all the resources to “thwart [the] nefarious designs of its adversaries”. A press release issued by the Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) quoted the COAS as saying: “Pakistan Army was alive to the existing and emerging challenges and possessed the wherewithal to thwart nefarious designs …

In his farewell speech at the National Assembly (NA) on Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed his 16-month-long tenure as the country’s chief executive the “most difficult test of my life”. “I never had to go through such a difficult test before in my 38-year-long [political] career as the country was mired in a severe economic crisis, oil prices remained …

India’s cricket board earned a surplus of around $1.5 billion in the five years to 2021-22, the country’s parliament heard during a rare look into the sporting body’s finances. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) does not typically publish its finances in detail. But it is known to be one of the world’s most lucrative governing bodies thanks …

The Senate on Wednesday passed a resolution urging the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to take measures for holding general elections across the country within the stipulated time given under Article 224 of the Constitution (time of election and by-election). Presented by JI Senator Mushtaq Ahmad, the resolution also asked all the state institutions to assist, in every possible manner, …

In response to the tragic Hazara Express accident, six railway officials have been suspended, and financial compensation worth Rs1.5 million each has been announced for the families of the victims in accordance with railways standard operating procedures (SOPs). Speaking in the National Assembly, Minister for Railways and Aviation Khawaja Saad Rafique revealed details about the unfortunate incident, placing the blame …

In view of security concerns, the much-awaited Pakistan and India match to be held in Ahmedabad under ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup has been rescheduled to October 14 (Saturday). The India and Pakistan match was originally set to take place on October 15 but since the tournament’s most anticipated game was clashing with the first day of Navratri, a festival …

The Punjab Cabinet has approved measures to simplify car ownership transfers to facilitate the people. After consulting with the Motor Dealers Association, the revisions aim to streamline the car transfer process. The Excise Department spokeswoman stated that this change will speed up the vehicle transfer process and reduce the administrative burden. The representative explained that after the transaction, only the …

With cruise bookings seeing a resurgence after the Covid pandemic caused luxury liners to mothball, a Finnish shipyard is putting the final touches on what will be the world’s largest cruise ship. Royal Caribbean’s luxurious new vessel Icon of the Seas is nearing completion in the Turku shipyard on Finland’s southwestern coast, its maiden voyage scheduled for January 2024. With …

On the occasion of Independence Day in Karachi, a Malir Court ordered against buying, selling and using of vuvuzelas in port city Vuvuzela is a small plastic musical instrument resembling a trumpet and blowing into it create loud sound. Judicial Magistrate Malir Syed Anwar Ali Shah issued instructions to Station House Officer (SHO) Sharif Goth and Sachal and ordered Karachi …

Pakistan Cricket Team’s chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq announced the 17-man squad for Asia Cup and 18-man squad on Wednesday, for the ODI series against Afghanistan. Inzamam-ul-Haq clarified in the press conference in Lahore that Saud Shakeel might be added to the squad for Asia Cup, if he performs well against Afghanistan. He told that Faheem Ashraf was added to the team …

The Islamabad High Court issued notices to the parties concerned, did not suspend Imran Khan’s sentence in the Toshakhana criminal case and adjourned the hearing. The court was hearing the PTI chairman’s appeal against his sentence in the Toshakhana criminal case awarded by the trial court. He told Justice Farooq that being the chief justice he was the father of …

In the decisive moments for the appointment of the caretaker prime minister, it has been learnt that former ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani’s name has assumed significance. The former foreign secretary could be the chosen one, as the name for the caretaker prime minister is likely to be finalized. According to sources, former US ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani is among the …

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday issued notices to the federal government on a petition challenging recent amendments made to the Official Secrets Act. The outgoing government quietly got the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill, 2023 passed by the National Assembly on August 1 in a bid to grant blanket powers to intelligence agencies, which will be able to raid …

India’s opposition leader Rahul Gandhi condemned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s inaction over deadly ethnic conflict in the country’s northeast on Wednesday, in his first parliamentary speech since his defamation conviction was suspended. Modi’s administration is being forced this week to defend its conduct over violence in Manipur state that has killed at least 120 people. Gandhi’s fiery address to the …