The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday accepted the new financial model proposed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) through which the board would now get more than two times its revenue. The ICC meeting and annual conference took place in Durban, South Africa, from July 10 to 13 which was attended by a PCB delegation where several matters were …

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) voiced strong concerns against the decision of the government in the center to hold general polls based on the 2017 census. MQM-P Convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui whose party is a stakeholder in the government told journalists during a presser that the population of Karachi is around 30 million, which was about 14.9 million in …

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi lamented that, despite being a major stakeholder in the country’s political setup, his party was not being taken into confidence over election reforms. During a media talk at a district kacheri in Multan, the PTI stalwart remarked: “Section 9 of the Election Act 2017 is very vague.” The Parliamentary Committee on Electoral …

ALGIERS: Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s visit to China from Monday to Friday is expected to strengthen bilateral relations, foster sustainable development and promote world peace, an expert has said. In an interview with Xinhua, Smail Debeche, president of the Algeria-China Friendship Association, said the “historical and political ties between the two nations serve as a foundation for strategic convergence.” He …

BEIJING: China’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 5.5 percent year on year in the first half (H1) of 2023, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Monday. China’s GDP reached 59.3 trillion yuan (about 8.3 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first half, NBS data showed. In the second quarter, the country’s GDP expanded 6.3 percent year on year, …

BEIJING: China’s box office revenue for the summer movie season, which runs from June 1 to Aug. 31, has reached nearly 8.79 billion yuan (about 1.23 billion U.S. dollars) as of July 16. According to box office tracker Dengta Data, this year’s box office earnings, from June 1 to July 16, have set a new record compared to the earnings …

DAKAR: Leon Kossivi, a young Togolese employee of a Chinese company, has engaged in multiple Sino-Africa infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). As for him, these projects play an important role in the development of his hometown and other African countries, while enabling him to blossom and build a happy family. Kossivi, 36, has been working for …

BEIJING: Amid unusual summer heat, John Kerry, U.S. special presidential envoy for climate, landed in Beijing on Sunday. The visit comes at a critical moment. The globe is heating up. Beijing’s alert for high temperatures is no exception, as the whole world saw its hottest days on record last week. Reversing climate change hardly brooks any delay. China and the …

BEIJING: Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has given important instructions on cyber security and information technology application work. He pointed out that since the 18th CPC National Congress, the country has made remarkable achievements in the development of its cyber security and information …

Tens of millions of people were battling dangerously high temperatures around the world on Sunday as record heat forecasts hung over parts of the United States, Europe and Asia, in the latest example of the threat from global warming. A powerful heatwave stretching from California to Texas was expected to peak, according to the US National Weather Service, which warned …

Kiswah, a huge piece of black silk embroidered with gold patterns over the Kaaba, will be replaced on the 1st of the Islamic month Muharram-ul-Haram. All preparations are in place to change the ghilaf of the Kaaba. The General Presidency of Haramain has also ensured the preparedness of all the departments concerned for the replacement of Kiswah. Engineers, technicians and …

Argentine superstar Lionel Messi has signed a contract until 2025 with Inter Miami, the Major League Soccer team announced on Saturday. The 36-year-old striker who sparked Argentina to a World Cup title last year in Qatar, is set to be unveiled by the team in a Sunday ceremony and expected to join Inter Miami on the pitch as early as …

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has taken a decisive step by revoking the party membership of six individuals.The members include Haji Shaukat Ali, Mujahid Metla, Nadia Aziz, Saleem Baryar, Syed Zulfiqar, and Usman Tarakai. A formal notification was issued, bearing the signature of Secretary General Umar Ayub, to communicate the cancellation of their party memberships. The notification explicitly cites the reasons …

In a tragic incident, a tourist van carrying passengers veered off the road and plunged into a deep ravine in the Thalichi area of Gilgit Baltistan’s Diamer district, resulting in the loss of at least five lives and leaving 15 others injured. The van was en route to Gilgit from Islamabad via the renowned Karakoram Highway when the accident occurred, …

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the reduction in petroleum product prices has been possible due to the strengthening of the rupee against the dollar. Addressing the Youth Business and Agriculture Loan Scheme event on Sunday, the PM attributed the price decrease to a positive impact of the recent standby agreement with the IMF. He added that if the agreement had …

Two Pakistanis emerged victorious for remarkable contributions in their respective fields at the Global Women Awards ceremony held in London. Huma Fakhar, a Pakistani businesswoman, received the Global Woman Inspiration Award, highlighting her inspiring achievements, while Dr Muhammad Amjad Saqib, a philanthropist, was honoured with the Global Man of the Decade award for his efforts towards Pakistan’s welfare. Both the …

Ahead of the highly-anticipated match between arch-rivals India and Pakistan in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, airfares and hotel accommodations have witnessed an atrocious hike. Air tickets are expensive for even those travelling domestically in India. Airfares from Delhi and Mumbai to Ahmedabad have surpassed INR20,000 in anticipation of much-awaited India vs Pakistan match scheduled for October. The eagerly-awaited …

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said the government had decided not to notify the latest census and that upcoming elections would be held on the basis of the 2017 census “The CCI (Council of common Interests) has to complete its term. If this new census is not notified by then, the next elections will be [held] on the basis of the …

Pakistani pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi has taken a total of 100 Test wickets, He joins the elite ranks of the Green Shirts and becoming the 19th player in the green shirt to achieve the feat.The pacer’s feat came during Pakistan’s match against Sri Lanka, when he dismissed Nishan Madushka in the second over of the first Test match at Galle. …

ISLAMABAD: Car lifting incidents and mobile phone snatching have increased manifold in the federal capital during the last week, as armed persons snatched 68 mobile phones and auto thieves stole 88 vehicles from various parts of the city. According to the data, the city police also registered 10 cases of robbery and snatching of cash at gunpoint, in which, citizens …

BAGHDAD: Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani held talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on Sunday in the first such visit by an Iraqi premier since the outbreak of the Syrian war in 2011. Assad and Sudani discussed securing their shared 600km border from security threats, including Islamic State militants, and agreed to enhance cooperation to reduce drug …

The Islamabad police have arrested the suspect involved in the recent alleged rape of a woman at one of the trails of the capital’s Margalla Hills, it said on Sunday. In the early hours of Friday, the Islamabad police had registered a first information report (FIR) after the woman had complained that a man had lured her with the prospect …

Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country had enough cluster munitions to answer if Ukraine was to use the weapons, in an interview published on Sunday. Ukraine started receiving cluster weapons from the United States, a move that sparked concerns due to the long-term risk posed to civilians by bomblets that fail to explode. “Russia has a sufficient stockpile of …

ADDIS ABABA: A new book entitled “Africa-China Relations – Ethiopia as a Case Study” was launched Saturday showcasing the diverse and historic Sino-Africa ties, with particular emphasis on China-Ethiopia relations. The book consists of seven chapters that highlight aspects including the policy of China towards Africa, the Ethiopia-China strategic partnership, as well as political cooperation between Africa and China. It …

HAIKOU: Southern Chinese provinces are recalling ships to port and suspending ferry services amid warnings of strong wind and heavy rain caused by the approaching typhoon Talim. Talim, the 4th typhoon of this year, is forecast to come ashore near Wenchang of Hainan Province and Taishan of Guangdong Province on Monday evening, according to the Hainan Meteorological Service. Currently classified …

ISLAMABAD: While munching on traditional steamed beef dumplings and noodles during a Pakistan-China cultural event in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, 12-year-old Muhmmad Irfan could not hide his love for Chinese food. “The variety of delicious dishes the Chinese cuisine offered made it one of the most favorite cuisines in Pakistan … Especially after the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was launched, …

BEIJING: China’s automobile exports soared 75.7 percent year on year in the first half of this year (H1), sustaining the trend of robust expansion, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers showed. During the period, the country exported 2.14 million automobiles. Among the total, new-energy vehicle exports stood at 534,000 units, surging 160 percent from the same period last …

FUKUOKA: Peng Jianfeng won his first world title in six years from his favored 1m springboard diving at the World Aquatics Championships here on Sunday. He won the event at the 2017 Budapest World Championships, while slipping to third when the worlds took place in Gwangju, South Korea in 2019. The 29-year-old scored a total of 440.45 points in six …

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed the need to thoroughly implement the important guidelines of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on boosting China’s strength in cyberspace, and to vigorously advance the high-quality development of the work on cybersecurity and informatization. Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, …

NEW DELHI: India has signed an agreement with the United Arab Emirates that will allow it to settle trade in rupees instead of dollars, boosting India’s efforts to cut transaction costs by eliminating dollar conversions. During a visit by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the UAE on Saturday, the two countries also agreed to set up a real-time payment …

The highly anticipated iPhone SE 4 is making waves in the tech world, as rumors regarding its release date, pricing, and features continue to circulate. As Apple enthusiasts eagerly await the next iteration of this affordable powerhouse, let’s dive into the latest speculations and gain insights into what we can expect from the iPhone SE 4. Release date and pricing …

The U.S. is beefing up its use of fighter jets around the strategic Strait of Hormuz to protect ships from Iranian seizures, a senior defense official said Friday, adding that the U.S. is increasingly concerned about the growing ties between Iran, Russia and Syria across the Middle East. Speaking to Pentagon reporters, the official said the U.S. will send F-16 …

In a major blow to the Pakistani Athletics Federation, four national athletes, including a prominent weightlifter, have tested positive to a banned performance-enhancing drug. According to reports, a total of 20 doping tests were carried out during the 34th National Games held in Quetta in May, and the samples were subsequently sent to laboratories in Qatar for analysis. The Pakistan …

Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar of the Supreme Court has said that the rise in population of a country has an impact on courts as well, as the number of pending cases before a judge increases. The judge gave these remarks while chairing the second day of a conference on population and resources, organized by the Law and Justice Commission at …

In anticipation of the highly anticipated two-Test series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka cricket teams, the official trophy has been unveiled on Saturday (today) at the Galle International Stadium. The series, which is part of the ICC World Test Championship, will kick off tomorrow (July 16) with the first match at the picturesque Galle venue. The second Test will be …

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved on Saturday the appointment of Fuad Asadullah Khan as the new Director General (DG) of the Intelligence Bureau (IB). According to an official notification, Fuad’s appointment is on a contract basis for a period of three years. “Mr Fuad, a BS-21 officer of the IB, presently working as Commandant, IB Academy, has been posted under …

Even though the Banking Crimes Court of Lahore has issued the release order for PTI President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi in a money laundering case, his freedom from the Camp Jail may just not be possible yet. The security superintendent of police has submitted a written request to the Lahore deputy commissioner for Elahi’s detention over disturbance of peace in three …

Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Supremo Nawaz Sharif while taking Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) Chief Fazlur Rehman in confidence over the Dubai meeting assured to keep him in the loop on key political decisions. The assurance came during a telephonic conversation held between two bigwigs today, in which the country’s political landscape and Dubai meeting took centre stage. Sources privy …

Army chief General Asim Munir and Iranian Chief of General Staff Mohammad Bagheri have agreed to enhance bilateral military, defense, security and educational cooperation. According to an Iranian news agency, the army chief visited the headquarters of the Iranian armed forces in Tehran during his ongoing visit to the neighbouring country. Iranian Chief of General Staff Major General Mohammad Baqheri …

Heavy rainfall pounded Islamabad and Rawalpindi on Saturday, leading to the declaration of a rain emergency in the twin cities and triggering local authorities to deploy machinery along roads to drain the rainwater. Managing Director of the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa), Muhammad Tanveer, said a rain emergency has been declared in Rawalpindi as relentless downpours, which commenced in the …