In order to keep an eye on the growing cybercrime and to prevent it, the government has decided to form a separate regulatory authority on the style of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). A bill related to the E-Safety Authority was sent by the Ministry of IT to the federal cabinet, which approved it. The authority will also monitor the …

BEIJING: Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with Executive Chairman of Visa Al Kelly in Beijing on Wednesday. Han said that for China and the United States, the world’s two largest economies, deepening economic and trade cooperation can achieve mutual benefits and win-win results, which is crucial to the global industrial and supply chains. The world needs an overall stable …

A six-member women squad, comprising five athletes and one official flew to China on late Tuesday to represent Pakistan in the International University Sports Federation (FISU) Summer World University Games. Also known as Universiade, the 12-day sports extravaganza is commencing in Chengdu from Friday. The Pakistani athletes include Amtul Rehman, Uzma Azam, Manisha Ali, Maliha Ali, Fiza and official Sumera …

BUKAVU, DR Congo: The 26th Chinese Peacekeeping Contingent to the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) was awarded the UN Peace Medal on Tuesday. The awarding ceremony was held at the camp of the engineering company of the Chinese contingent on the outskirts of Bukavu, the capital of the eastern province of South …

NEW YORK: U.S. consumer confidence in July rose to its highest level in two years, amid easing inflation and continued optimism for the labor market despite worries about a recession. The Consumer Confidence Index climbed to 117 this month, up from 110.1 in June, according to the latest survey released by The Conference Board, a business research group, on Tuesday. …

Many of us have the habit of using our phones while sitting on the toilet, but a doctor has issued a warning about this practice. According to stats from YouGov, 57% of people admit to using their phone on the loo, and a staggering 9 out of 10 of us take our smartphones to the bathroom. Using your phone on …

BEIJING: President Xi Jinping has replied to a letter from students of Pui Kiu Middle School in Hong Kong, encouraging them to make contributions to building an even better Hong Kong and achieving national rejuvenation. In his letter dated July 24, Xi said he was pleased when the students told him that they had a stronger sense of pride in …

Pakistan has been one of the worst countries in terms of internet restrictions during the first half of 2023, says a new report from VPN and cyber security provider Surfshark. Pakistan accounted for three out of 42 new global internet restrictions in its half-year analysis. These restrictions, recorded by the Internet Shutdown Tracker, were implemented following the arrest of the …

Honda Atlas Cars Pakistan Ltd. (HCAR) has announced its financial results for the first quarter that ended June 30, 2023. In a notification to the Pakistan Stock Exchange, the company reported a profit after tax of Rs. 144.9 million during Q2 2023, down 78 percent Year-on-Year (YoY) from the same period of the previous financial year when it reported a profit …

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Tuesday blasted “evil people” for burning a copy of the Holy Quran in front of the Iraqi embassy in Denmark which followed similar incidents in Sweden. “The latest incident of desecration of the Holy Quran in front of an Iraqi Embassy in Denmark has left Muslims all over the world deeply anguished,” PM Shehbaz said in …

Actor Kubra Khan feels restrained by the entertainment industry and its lack of quality scripts and wishes to see more profound love stories and social commentary dramas like the Saba Qamar-starrer, Sar-e-Rah. The 30-year-old actor spoke about being her own harshest critic, trolling, and the kind of scripts that resonate with her. She also detailed her aspirations for the Pakistani …

Rain played spoilsport on Tuesday putting a stop to the game for the day, as the second Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka was called off due to an extended period of downpour. “No play possible in the second session as bad weather continues to cause a delay,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Twitter. The rain halted Pakistan’s charge …

The first look of highly anticipated drama featuring Ayeza Khan and Wahaj Ali has been unveiled, creating excitement among their fans. The drama titled “Mein “ is set to be aired soon, and expectations are running high after Wahaj Ali’s recent success with “Tere Bin.” Under the direction of Badr Mehmood and the writing of Zanjabeel Asim, “Mein Mein” promises …

In yet another tale of cross-border love story, an Indian woman made headlines today as she embraced Islam and tied the knot with her long-time Pakistani Facebook friend. The 35-year-old Anju, who came from India, got married to 29-year-old Naseerullah from the village of Deer Bala. She changed her name to Fatima In the photos and video shared online, the …

As a first information report into the case of the violence against a minor domestic worker in Islamabad was registered against a civil judge and his wife who employed her, the judicial officer has claimed that the girl was beaten up by her own mother. The 14-year-old domestic worker, Rizwana, was found badly wounded at the house of the administrative …

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari engaged in a crucial telephonic conversation on Tuesday, where they delved into matters concerning Pakistan’s economic outlook and ongoing developments in Afghanistan. Following the conversation, Secretary Blinken took to Twitter and penned that “Had a good call with @BBhuttoZardari to discuss our support for Pakistan’s economic recovery and …

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday deferred the indictment of PTI Chairman Imran Khan till August 2 in a case pertaining to contempt of the electoral body and the chief election commissioner (CEC). The ECP issued the directives as a four-member bench headed by member Nisar Durrani heard the case. During today’s hearing, Imran made his first appearance …

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday reiterated the country has managed to avert a ‘sovereign default’ while recent improvements in the agriculture and energy sectors would translate into saving billions of dollars. The remarks from the prime minister came while addressing a ceremony in Dera Ismail Khan, where he laid the foundation stone of eight development projects. “The coalition government …

A business ecosystem facilitates the growth and prosperity of firms by providing access to finance and an efficient value chain. Its objective is to ensure fair benefits across sectors, preventing undue advantage for any one sector at the expense of others. However, the current business ecosystem in Pakistan primarily favours feudal, urban elites, and semi-government corporations. Pakistan’s economic structure has …

Pakistan’s presence in global IT services exports is small but has seen significant growth, increasing from 0.17 per cent in 2017 to 0.30 per cent in 2021. Its overall IT export volume surged from 7.2 per cent in 2006 to an impressive 37.7 per cent in 2022. Ireland holds the top spot with over 28 per cent, followed by India …

BEIJING: China’s top legislature voted to appoint Wang Yi as foreign minister and Pan Gongsheng as central bank governor, as it convened a session on Tuesday. Qin Gang was removed from the post of foreign minister he concurrently held; Yi Gang was removed from the post of governor of the People’s Bank of China, according to a decision adopted at …

JOHANNESBURG: The network should be a big stage where a hundred flowers bloom, not a new battlefield for engaging in a digital iron curtain, said Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, here Monday. Wang, also director of the Office of the CPC Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, made the …

HOUSTON: The Joe Biden administration on Monday filed a lawsuit against the state of Texas over deploying water barriers in the Rio Grande aimed to block migrants from crossing into the United States from Mexico. In the lawsuit, the Department of Justice is asking the U.S. District Court in the Western District of Texas to force the state to remove …

MANILA: Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos on Monday cited the successes achieved by his administration in the first year, promising Filipinos a better and stable life as the country’s economy recorded a historical growth. Marcos marked his first year in office on June 30. The Philippines is just starting to recover and will continue its recovery, Marcos said in his …

SHIJIAZHUANG: Every weekend, 2,000 or so residents living in nearby cities travel to Tayuanzhuang Village in Zhengding County, north China’s Hebei Province, to enjoy leisure time there. Tang Xiaoying was cheerfully and energetically peddling vegetables, confident that the pesticide-free produce cultivated with intelligent planting technologies tasted good. In front of an intelligent farm is an automatically-controlled-temperature glass house in which …

TIANJIN: Giant panda Xi Le celebrated its 10th birthday at Tianjin Zoo in Tianjin, north China, on Monday. Tianjin Zoo prepared a special meal to celebrate the occasion together with visitors. Xi Le was born in 2013 at the Bifengxia Giant Panda Base in Ya’an, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, and arrived at Tianjin Zoo on Oct. 13, 2015.

BEIJING: Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has stressed promoting high-quality development of the armed forces with high-level governance. Xi presided over a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Monday. The session was convened ahead of China’s Army Day, which falls on Aug. 1. The day …

SHANGHAI: The Tesla Shanghai Gigafactory began to export its car model, Model Y (Rear-Wheel Drive), to the Republic of Korea (ROK) recently, marking the first time for the Tesla vehicles made in China to enter the ROK market, said the company. Previously, Tesla vehicles exported to the ROK were produced in its Fremont factory in the United States. The Shanghai …

BEIJING: Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has called for striving to realize economic development goals in 2023 at a meeting recently. The CPC Central Committee held the symposium with non-CPC personages on July 21 to seek opinions and suggestions on the country’s current economic situation and economic work for the second half …

The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday barred authorities from arresting PTI Chairman Imran Khan till August 9 in a case pertaining to the murder of lawyer Abdul Razzaq Shar in Quetta. A three-member bench led by Justice Yahya Afridi and comprising Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Mussarat Hilali issued the directives while hearing Imran’s plea seeking to …

Rescent Art Gallery and the Canada Pakistan Business Council (CPBC) held an event in Brampton, Canada to honour the life and work of renowned late artist Tassaduq Sohail. The book launch and art exhibition was held on July 21 at Brampton Hall. The World of Tassaduq Sohail is a captivating book that delves into the life and artistic journey of …

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday that the increase in the power tariff would not affect those using up to 200 units per month. He made the remarks while addressing a ceremony in Lahore during which Pakistan LNG Limited and Azeri company Socar signed a framework agreement for liquefied natural gas (LNG). Last week, the federal cabinet had approved the …

In a meeting with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir on Monday, US Central Command (Centcom) chief, General Michael Erik Kurilla, discussed the regional security situation. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a statement, said the meeting between the two sides took place at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. Gen Kurilla acknowledged and appreciated Pakistan Army’s successes in …

The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday gave Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan relief in the case related to the murder of senior lawyer Abdul Razzaq Shar in Quetta, restricting the police from arresting the former prime minister till August 9. The deposed prime minister had filed a plea in the SC seeking the quashing of the FIR that nominated …

As the central contracts of national cricketers for the 2022-23 period expired on June 30th, concerns and discussions have arisen regarding future arrangements. While talks of a possible one-month extension in the contracts have been floating, no official agreement has been signed yet with any players or any discussion. As per media reports, the national players are seeking a meeting with …

The World Bank has pushed back the deadline for the Sindh Solar Energy Project (SSEP) from September 2023 to July 2025, citing insufficient progress with the project facing a variety of issues, including a two-year delay in picking a full-time Project Management Unit (PMU), COVID-19, the 2022 floods, and the PMU’s limited capacity. The extension will enable the PMU to …

The New York Warriors, a franchise in the US Masters T10 cricket league, is thrilled to announce the arrival of cricket legends, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal, Umaid Asif, Sohail Khan, and Abdur Rehman to the team. This exciting development is set to ignite the passion of Pakistani cricket fans in the United States and showcases the New York Warriors’ …

Hassan Sheheryar Yasin (HSY), a well-known designer and actor, believes that friendship is essential in every relationship, and that if forced to marry at gunpoint, he would do so with actress Mehwish Hayat. HSY recently spoke about various aspects of his life, including his childhood memories, career, and marriage, during a TV show. Recounting his childhood, Hasan mentioned spending a …

The construction industry in Pakistan is facing an uphill battle as the price of steel, the primary raw material for construction, surges to an all-time high level. Leading steel rebars producers on Monday announced an increase of Rs 5,000 per metric ton, citing a shortage of raw materials and a significant hike in the basic power tariff. The decision to …

Bollywood’s leading actress, Alia Bhatt, has recently opened up about her aspirations for her daughter Raha’s future, indicating that she might take a break from showbiz to prioritize her family. Despite being born into a prominent film family, Alia envisions a different path for her young daughter, hoping to see her excel in the field of science rather than following …