The election of the PCB chairman will be held on Tuesday, June 27, at the PCB headquarters in Lahore. Najam Shetty recently announced that he has withdrawn from the PCB chairman race. After his withdrawal, former PCB chairman, Zaka Ashraf is favorite to take over again, but he is likely to face several hurdles. Najam Shetty also visited the National Cricket …

Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Friday texted an alert warning of the season’s first heatwave, advising masses to follow vital tips to cope with scorching heatwaves. As the temperatures are rising above normal in some parts of the country, the NDMA, in its message said, “Be cautious of the potentially lethal scorching summer winds”. The NDMA added, to mitigate …

Canadians may need to seek alternative sources for news stories as Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram are cutting their access to news amid a dispute over a new payment law. Users in Canada will soon find themselves without access to news stories on Facebook and Instagram as Meta, the parent company, announced its decision to end the availability of such content. …

Despite the suspension of trade, Pakistan’s imports from India increased last month by 12 percent on an annual basis. It is worth mentioning here that Pakistan’s imports from India have increased for the second time during the current financial year. The volume of Pakistan’s imports reached $23010,000 in May last whereas in May 2022, the volume of imports from India …

Indus Motor Company (IMC), the assembler of Toyota vehicles in Pakistan, has once again decided to shut production citing raw material and component shortages. This time production will be suspended from June 26 to June 27. The automaker shared the development in a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Friday. The automaker said that the company and its …

WASHINGTON: The United States unveiled agreements this week to sell weapons to India and share with it sensitive military technology, a clear sign of the Biden administration’s desire to deepen ties with New Delhi to counter China’s ambitions in Asia. But those plans, announced on Thursday during a state visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and future defense cooperation …

Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Hameed Iqbal Bhatti had prospered over two decades working in Saudi Arabia, but after returning to Pakistan three years ago, he was getting desperate. The economy had suffered in the pandemic and his restaurant business closed. With work avenues drying up and sky-high inflation blowing a hole in his budget, the 47-year-old cobbled together $7,600 for a trafficker …

Pakistan’s dollar bonds registered significant improvement as sentiment for distressed debt boosted after Zambia clinched a deal with bilateral creditors, reported Bloomberg on Friday. “Pakistan’s 8.25% 2024 bond was indicated climbing half a cent to about 50 cents on the dollar,” reported Bloomberg, adding that “Sri Lankan’s 7.55% 2030 bond is indicated trading at 38.7 cents on the dollar, the …

The foreign ministry said it is “evaluating all aspects” of the country’s participation in this year’s 50-overs World Cup in India with bilateral cricket stalled between the South Asian neighbours due to soured political relations. The two countries have played each other only in multi-team events at neutral venues over the last decade and doubts remain over Pakistan’s involvement in …

The Punjab government submitted on Friday a report in the Supreme Court (SC) regarding the number of people arrested in the province when violent protests broke out in the country following PTI chief Imran Khan’s arrest on May 9. A seven-member bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice …

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah stated on Friday that the bodies of 82 deceased Pakistanis, who were on board the sunk boat near Greece, have been recovered. The number could escalate further. Speaking in the National Assembly, he said the identification process of the Pakistanis was underway with the help of National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra). “The boat’s capacity was …

The first fatal accident aboard a deep-sea tourist submersible is certain to raise calls for additional safety regulations, but industry experts say any new measures may be impossible to enforce given the international nature of the business. Moreover, they say the tragedy of the Titan submersible that imploded during its expedition to the wreckage of the Titanic was an outlier, …

BEIJING: To celebrate International Olympic Day, the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC) organized a series of sports activities across China on Friday during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday. The activities including table tennis, badminton, and running, took place in 11 different locations. The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu Festival, traditionally falls on the fifth day of the fifth month …

BEIJING: China recently organized its 2023 science research educational program for teenagers, aiming to cultivate innovation and practical abilities, according to the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST). The program was mainly designed for students in primary and junior secondary schools, encouraging them to discover and explore scientific problems in areas such as energy resources, the ecological environment and …

TIANJIN: North China’s Tianjin port saw its foreign trade surge by 8.4 percent year on year to 812.1 billion yuan (about 113.1 billion U.S. dollars) in the first five months of the year, according to Tianjin Customs. From January to May, trade volume with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations totaled 127.08 billion yuan, up 26.4 percent year on year, …

In an effort to combat human trafficking, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Anti-Human Trafficking and Smuggling Wing (AHS) have arrested 16 human traffickers from different parts of Punjab following the Greece boat tragedy. While Azad Kashmir police have apprehended 11 human smugglers across various areas of the region while it has registered cases against 26 suspects. The main accused involved …

WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden aims to herald the start of a stronger U.S.-Indian relationship on Thursday by announcing a series of defense and trade agreements with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Washington attempts to counter China’s global influence. Biden is rolling out the red carpet for Modi, treating him to a colorful White House South Lawn arrival ceremony on …

WASHINGTON – The Biden administration will make it easier for Indians to live and work in the United States, using this week’s state visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help some skilled workers enter or remain in the country, according to three people familiar with the matter. The State Department could announce as soon as Thursday that a small …

LAHORE: A critical patient died in a private ambulance on Ferozepur Road after four hospitals allegedly denied him treatment. Iftikhar Ali (57), a father of seven, breathed his last outside the Ghulab Devi Hospital late on Tuesday. A fruit seller by profession, Iftikhar was brought from Farooqabad (Sheikhupura) with a rod in his leg that was fixed during a surgery …

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), on the sidelines of the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact being held in Paris amid hope that the lender approves the funds allocated under the bailout. The meeting comes days before the scheduled end of Pakistan’s programme on June 30, with speculation rising …

The Supreme Court (SC) adjourned on Thursday a brief hearing of a set of petitions challenging the trial of civilians in military courts. Earlier, a nine-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, and comprising Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Sayyed …

A board member of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has brushed aside Zaka Ashraf’s recent statement of rejecting the hybrid model for the Asia Cup, The Hindustan Times reported on Thursday. It quoted the board member — who has not been named — as telling the Press Trust of India (PTI) that “the Asia Cup model has been accepted by …

The Foreign Office on Thursday stated that Pakistan was not engaged in any talks with the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The statement from Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch comes days after Taliban Information Minister Zabihullah Mujahid offered to mediate between the TTP and Pakistan due to escalating tensions, particularly after the former terminated a ceasefire last year. “If Pakistan …

PARIS: China and France should jointly maintain the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains, strengthen cooperation on innovation, and foster a sound business environment, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here on Wednesday. Li made the three-point proposal on China-France cooperation when delivering a speech at a dinner with the Chinese and French business communities in Paris. French …

BEIJING: Dragon Boat Festival celebrations kicked off on Wednesday in Zigui County, central China’s Hubei Province. People from home and abroad, including descendants of the renowned patriotic poet Qu Yuan, have gathered in his hometown to attend a range of activities. The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu Festival, traditionally falls on the fifth day of the fifth month …

PARIS: Visiting Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here on Thursday that strengthening cooperation between China and Europe is a strategic choice based on their respective interests, which is not targeted at, dependent on, or subjected to third parties. Li made the remarks when he met with French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne.

AD Ports Group, a UAE government-owned maritime and logistics provider, on Thursday announced the signing of a 50-year concession agreement with Karachi Port Trust (KPT) to operate the Karachi Gateway Terminal Limited (KGTL). Under the terms of the agreement, a Joint Venture (JV) will be formed between AD Ports Group and Kaheel Terminals. AD Ports will be the majority shareholder, …

Five people aboard a missing submersible near the wreck of the Titanic had just hours left of their presumed air supply on Thursday, the fifth day of a massive multinational search across thousands of square miles in the remote North Atlantic. The minivan-sized Titan, operated by U.S.-based OceanGate Expeditions, began its descent at 8 a.m. (1200 GMT) on Sunday but …

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission filed suit against Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) on Wednesday, accusing the retailer of enrolling millions of consumers into its paid subscription Amazon Prime service without their consent and making it hard for them to cancel. The FTC filed suit in federal court in Seattle and said it alleged that “Amazon has knowingly duped millions of consumers …

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar expressed his frustration and anger in response to a journalist’s question about the success of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The incident occurred when the finance minister was coming out of the National Assembly (NA) after attending the budget session. The atmosphere became tense as the journalist questioned the reasons behind the repeated failures …

International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank officials are joining dozens of economic leaders for a two-day summit in Paris, aiming to tackle the interlinked challenges of poverty alleviation and climate change. The summit has also brought focus on the IMF and World Bank’s own climate change policies, amid calls for multilateral development banks (MDBs) to do more to help …

The Election Commission of Pakistan has written letters to the caretaker governments to play their roles in holding impartial and peaceful elections. The commission has also pointed out that there have been complaints of interference in the work of probable candidates, which must be looked into. The ECP letter says the role and duties of the caretaker government is to …

Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch spokesman said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has received an invitation from the Indian Prime Minister to participate in the SCO virtual meeting, however, the decision to participate will be made through consultation. Zahra also said the people in Occupied Kashmir are living as refugees and India should stop the serious violations of human …

In an alarming revelation, Sindh Health Minister Azra Fazal Pechuho has acknowledged the dire state of the health department in the province, highlighting the severe shortage of doctors. According to the minister, there is currently only one doctor available for every 7,500 people in Sindh, while the ideal ratio should be one doctor for every 1,500 individuals. According to the …

Ahsan Ramadan, a teenage quiist, continues to grow and make his country proud. He recently became the U21 Asian Snooker Champion in Tehran. The 17-year-old participated in the ASBC Asian U21 Snooker Championship and successfully won another title for Pakistan for the second consecutive year. Earlier, the talented youngster from Lahore lifted the IBSF World Championship trophy. In the finals …

ISLAMABAD: China’s agricultural cooperation under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) helped Pakistan to bring remarkable development in the field, including increased yields, disease-free crops and capacity building, said experts on Wednesday. Addressing a webinar with the title “China-Pakistan Agricultural Cooperation under CPEC: Achievements and Challenges” hosted by the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies (IPDS), experts said that the agricultural …

NAIROBI: The Chinese Embassy in Kenya on Wednesday held an interactive session with Kenyan students to deepen cooperation in the fields of education and culture. The event, dubbed “Inside the Embassy and Ask the Ambassador,” brought students together from Kenya High School and Alliance High School, two of the leading secondary schools in Kenya. Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Zhou Pingjian …

In response to the delayed launch of 5G technology in the country, the government has taken a strategic decision to enhance the reach of the existing 4G service. Syed Amin-ul-Haque, the Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, announced on Wednesday that the government’s immediate focus is to expand the coverage of the 4G service, with a target of achieving …

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has finalised polling scheme for the next general elections. According to the Commission, 93,371 polling stations will be set up across the country. As per the ECP, Punjab will witness the establishment of 59,871 polling stations. Within Punjab, a total of 14,960 polling stations have been designated as highly sensitive, while 9,974 polling stations have …

The domestic use of water for the people of Lahore has become more expensive as the Water And Sanitation Agency has increased the tariff up to 250%. According to the WASA managing director, the caretaker Punjab government has approved the increase in rates. For three to five marla houses, the tariff increased from Rs375 to Rs938 has been approved. The …