The security forces claim to have achieved success against terrorism, with the alleged killing of a most wanted terrorist commander among three in Darra Adamkhel. Zafar alias Zafri and his two associates were killed in an alleged encounter with security forces. The forces conducted an operation on a tip-off on the night between June 16 and 17. The gunned down …

Indian authorities said on Sunday they had started to relax a curfew imposed in violence-hit Manipur after 45 days of civil unrest in the north-east state, seeking to reduce anger spilling onto the streets and restore normalcy. “We have decided to remove curfew from 5 am until 5 pm to enable residents to buy food, medicines, and other essentials,” said …

Pakistan and Iran have reportedly started Bilateral Political Consultations (BPC) in Tehran to enhance bilateral economic relations including finalisation of Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) and opening of banking channels, well informed sources in Board of Investment (BoI) revealed. Both countries are holding the 12th Bilateral Political Consultations at a time when Iran and Saudi Arabia have …

VIENTIANE: An event was held in the Lao capital Vientiane on Friday to mark the traditional Chinese Dragon Boat Festival with participants immersed in Chinese culture, customs and history. The festival, also called Duanwu Festival, is traditionally celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese lunar calendar. The event, organized by the China Cultural Center in …

YINCHUAN: Standing on top of a sand dune, Mohammed Abdulkarem from Yemen overlooked a green belt in the Baijitan national nature reserve in northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and marveled at China’s efforts to combat desertification. “It’s hard to believe the oasis right down there used to be a desert. As a country in the Arabian Peninsula, my country …

BEIJING: China’s used vehicle sales surged 25.95 percent year on year in May, data from the China Automobile Dealers Association showed. About 1.5 million used vehicles changed hands in the country last month, with a total transaction value of 93.24 billion yuan (about 13.08 billion U.S. dollars), according to the association. During the January-May period, around 7.24 million second-hand vehicles …

KUNMING: China’s top anti-graft official Li Xi has asked disciplinary inspection and supervisory agencies to accomplish the high-quality development of disciplinary inspection and supervision work. Li, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, said that disciplinary inspection and …

ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad sessions court on Saturday granted the police a two-day physical remand of PTI leader Shehryar Afridi over a case pertaining to the May 9 riots. Afridi was arrested on May 16 from his Islamabad residence under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, 1960, which enables the government to arrest any person. On May …

Cyclone Biparjoy which hit India’s Gujarat coast near the border with Pakistan on Thursday weakened into a depression by Saturday morning, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said, declaring it safe for fishermen in Balochistan to venture into the sea starting today and for those in Sindh from tomorrow. Biparjoy, which means “calamity” in Bengali, had hit the state of Gujarat …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Saturday that 12 of its citizens have been identified among survivors of a shipwreck that killed at least 78 people off the coast of Greece. In a tweet, the Foreign Office (FO) said that at this stage they were unable to verify number and identity of Pakistanis among the deceased. ‘‘Pakistani Embassy remains in contact with …

TEHRAN: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrived Saturday in Tehran, Iranian media reported, in his first visit to Iran since a landmark rapprochement following a seven-year rupture. During his trip, the Saudi top diplomat is expected to meet with Iranian officials including Tehran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian before a news conference, state media said. Saudi media have …

Pakistani singer Atif Aslam paid tribute to late musician Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in a recent performance that was circulated on social media on Friday. Aslam was recently on tour, completing a short run of shows in the United Kingdom and Europe from June 2-11. During one such performance, the singer paid tribute to the late Qawwal by offering his …

ISLAMABAD: Prays Supreme Court to overthrow verdicts of anti-terrorism courts and order release of all accused held by military PPP leader and former federal minister Aitzaz Ahsan has filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the trials of civilians in the military courts. Through the petition filed on Saturday, Aitzaz Ahsan prayed the court to declare trial of a …

ISLAMABAD: As many as 13 people died and 15 others were injured when an Islamabad-bound bus crashed on Motorway near Salt Range on Saturday. The driver of the bus owned by a private company lost control of the vehicle which then crossed the divider line and turned turtle. The bus BSG-055 was travelling from Chakwal to Islamabad when it met …

Bangladesh crushed Afghanistan by 546 Saturday to secure the biggest Test victory margin by runs in nearly 90 years after Taskin Ahmed saw off the tourists with a career best 4-37. The Dhaka match ended in the extended opening session of the fourth day after a Taskin bouncer hit Zahir Khan, forcing the final batsman to retire hurt. Spinner Mehidy …

LAHORE: The advocate general submitted his resignation to Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, citing personal reasons. The Punjab AG has said in his resignation that he is unable to perform further his duties due to personal reasons. Shan Gul will stay in office and perform his duties till June 26. In mid-February, the Punjab government had appointed senior lawyer, Muhammad …

ISLAMABAD: Leaders of the coalition parties in the federal government have started considering the dissolution of the National Assembly a few days before its constitutional period ends. According to sources, the ruling coalition has started consultations regarding the date for general elections. Government leaders are mulling over the proposal to dissolve the National Assembly a week before its constitutional period. …

Professional Mixed Martial Artist, Uloomi Karim, emerged victorious in a thrilling Muay Thai bout against Thailand’s Ananta Chailek at the Fairtex Fight ProMotion. The impeccable performance from Martial Artist culminated in a knockout that left spectators in awe and earned him a well-deserved KO Bonus of 10,000 Bhat. In the final round, Karim showcased his expertise by delivering a devastating …

QUETTA: After learning of the ban, the CM ordered the Inspector General of Police to seize the crackdown operation, a media report stated The CM added that selling Iranian petrol feeds and supports countless families It bears mentioning here that Iranian petrol is smuggled into Pakistan, making it illegal. Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) controls Pakistani oil and gas …

Pakistani filmmaker Abu Aleeha’s ‘Kukri’, a crime drama based on the life of notorious killer Javed Iqbal, has been selected to compete at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2023, the filmmaker announced on Twitter on Friday. “Delighted to announce that Kukri, the untold story of the serial killer, Javed Iqbal, has been selected for the Indian Film Festival of …

ISLAMABAD: The government announced on Saturday that key issues had been settled with the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) which had set started its ‘Pakistan Bachao March’ and had set off from Karachi on May 22. The party had demanded the release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui from jail in the US and wanted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to write a letter …

MOSCOW: Energy minister Nikolai Shulginov also says Russia agreed payment would be made in currencies of friendly countries Russian Energy Minister Nikolai Shulginov confirmed Moscow had started exporting oil to Pakistan, clarifying, however, that there was no special discount for the country, and the rate was the same as for other buyers. In a report published by Voice of America …

KARACHI: Russia has confirmed registration of another 15 Pakistani mills for export of rice to Russia. This will help further escalate the rice exports, which have already earned $2.5 billion for the exchequer during last fiscal year. According to Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (Reap), Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance of Russia (Rosselkhoznadzor) has confirmed registration of 15 …

NEAR BAKHMUT: The fighting around the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut has been going on so long that even recently delivered Western weapons like the German Pzh2000 howitzer are showing wear and tear. The city fell to Russian forces in May after an eight-month struggle that saw heavy casualties on both sides, especially among Moscow’s Wagner mercenary force leading the …

MOSCOW: Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on Saturday called for more tanks to be manufactured “to meet the needs of Russian forces” in Ukraine after Kyiv launched a counteroffensive with Western arms. Shoigu, who visited a military factory in western Siberia, stressed the need “to maintain the increased production of tanks” and better security features in armoured vehicles, the defence ministry …

KARACHI: Prices of sacrificial animals have gone up as Eid-ul-Azha is fast approaching, the rising cost of animals will put extra burden on those who want to participate in joint Qurbani. Up till now the cattle market was relatively dull due to high prices of animals, ever decreasing purchasing power of the general public, prevailing law and order conditions in …

A “very excited” pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi was included in Pakistan’s Test squad for their two-match series against Sri Lanka next month, the Pakistan Cricket Board said in a press release on Saturday. “After missing our entire home season because of the injury I suffered in Sri Lanka, I am eager to make an impactful comeback in the same …

An Indian court has restricted Al Jazeera from airing or releasing a documentary on “hate crimes against Muslims” in the country, media reports said. According to a report published in Indian news website The Wire, the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday restrained the Doha-based news network from “telecasting, broadcasting or releasing” the news documentary ‘India… Who lit the Fuse?’ “The …

In a detailed response to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) concerns, the Ministry of Finance said on Friday that the budget for fiscal year 2023-24 was “never a part of the ninth review”, a complete deviation from earlier reports that Pakistan was required to take the Washington-based lender onboard for the new taxation measures announced last week. “Though the Budget …

LHASA: Sangye, owner of a Tibetan-style accessory shop at Barkhor Street in the heart of Lhasa, capital of southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, experienced a booming business lately thanks to an expo scheduled to open on Friday evening. “I have received so many more customers than usual. And I hope to bring more Tibetan products to tourists with the arrival …

BEIJING: With decades of successful practice, China has proved that its approach to “promoting human rights through development” is becoming increasingly attractive to many countries. According to its national conditions, China has chosen a new path of promoting human rights through development, which it regards as the key to solving all problems. Chinese governments and officials at all levels have …

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping met with visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Beijing on Wednesday, where both announced a strategic partnership between China and Palestine. Abbas, who kicked off his four-day state visit to China on Tuesday, is the first Arab head of state hosted by China this year. During their meeting on Wednesday, Xi put forward a three-point …

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in Beijing on Friday. Xi applauded Gates and the Gates Foundation for their long-term work to promote poverty reduction, health, development and philanthropy around the world. “At present, momentous changes unseen in a century are accelerating across the world. I put forward the …

BEIJING: Scientists confirmed that the fossilized footprints found in a restaurant in southwest China were left by long-necked dinosaurs that lived on Earth around 100 million years ago. The unprecedented discovery was made last year by a Chinese diner and soon captured headlines all over the world due to the unusual location. Now, an international team of paleontologists has had …

BEIJING: Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning on Thursday said China firmly rejects the indictment of Chinese law enforcement officers and other government officials by the United States, urging the U.S. side to stop the erroneous moves immediately. “Recently, the United States has maliciously concocted the so-called ‘transnational repression’ narrative, pieced together fabricated evidence and prosecuted Chinese law enforcement officers and …

Foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) increased by $107 million, clocking in at nearly $4.02 billion as of June 9, data released on Thursday showed. This is the first increase in reserves after six weeks. The overall number still stands at a critical level at around a month of import cover. Total liquid foreign reserves …

ISLAMABAD: The social media profiles of PTI Chairman Imran Khan and other prominent leaders have been shared with the Federal Investigation Agency for a forensic test for allegedly sharing controversial content from March 8 to May 9. A total of 23 links of Instagram, Facebook and Twitter have been dispatched to the FIA, according to the police. The police further …

Sri Lankan military doctors have removed what is now recorded as the world’s largest kidney stone from a 62-year-old retired soldier, the army said on Wednesday. The stone removed from ex-sergeant Canistus Coonge weighed 801 grams (28.25 ounces), more than five times the weight of an average male kidney, the army said. Coonge’s kidney stone measured 13.37 centimetres (5.26 inches) …

Pooja Entertainment has set the date for the much-anticipated film “The Great Indian Rescue” on 5th October 2023, sending waves of excitement throughout the town. Ever since the announcement, fans have been eagerly counting down the days for its release. The film, based on the true story of Late Shri Jaswant Singh Gill, who spearheaded India’s first coal mine rescue …

Singapore will “progressively deploy” more patrol robots across the city-state, police said Thursday, after more than five years of small-scale trials. Robots were deployed at Changi Airport’s Terminal 4 starting in April “to augment frontline police officers in conducting premises patrol”, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said. More deployments are expected across the city of 5.6 million people, whose small …