GENEVA: After its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), China has been playing a constructive role over the years, Sean Doherty, head of International Trade and Investment at the World Economic Forum (WEF), told Xinhua. On December 11, 2001, China officially joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) and became its 143rd member. Doherty, also a … Read more
The popular music pair Baluch Twins revealed their side of the story of how they were treated and harassed by the PISA management, they were selected as nominees in the Best Singer of the Year category in PISA 2021. They released a statement and recorded a live video on Instagram, stating that whatever occurred to … Read more
SHANGHAI: The fourth China International Import Expo (CIIE), scheduled for November 5 to 10, is set to open in China’s coastal city of Shanghai. As an icon of China’s opening-up and international cooperation, the expo, which has been held every year since 2018, has promoted global development and prosperity, and contributed to shaping a brighter … Read more
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia launched a digital licence registration service platform to acquire licence for driving, traffic warranty and firearms at the seventh Absher Forum for Electronic Transactions held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Riyadh. The platform launched by Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdul Aziz includes the digital driving licence; the unified registration service for driving … Read more
JAKARTA: Indonesia’s economy expanded again in the third quarter, official data showed on Friday, thanks to a pick-up in exports but the rate slowed from the previous three months as the pandemic continued to take its toll. Southeast Asia’s biggest economy grew 3.51 per cent on-year in July-September, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) said, though that … Read more
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has announced digital services for expatriates to renew their residency permit (Iqama) on a quarter-of-a-year basis and save a copy on their smartphones. These services available on Absher Afrad (Individual) platform are among a series of electronic services, mainly related to the General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat) and the Traffic Directorate, launched … Read more
KARACHI: All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) has said that the total cement dispatches during July–October of the fiscal year 2021/22 clocked-in at 18.04 million tonnes as against 19.32 million tonnes during the same period of the last year, registering a decline of 6.6 per cent. Meanwhile, on a yearly basis, the overall dispatches reached … Read more
KARACHI: Pakistan is set to be classified under the MSCI Frontier Markets from the Emerging Markets on November 11, 2021 with the change coming in effect by the end of the month. Pakistan has been hanging in the Emerging Markets since November 2018. “Pakistan seemingly fetch an indicative weight of 1.9 per cent in FM … Read more
KARACHI: Pakistan’s listed banks’ profitability declined 4 per cent on a year-on-year basis in the third quarter of 2021 to Rs68 billion on the back of margin compression and fall in the net interest income. Analysts at Topline Securities said the NII of the bank declined 6 per cent YoY to Rs199 billion, as the … Read more
BEIJING: Chinese developer Kaisa Group suspended trading in its Hong Kong-listed shares on Friday, raising concerns about a deepening cash flow crisis at the firm, as China’s crucial property sector comes under intense pressure. The announcement came as a liquidity crisis at one of the nation’s biggest property developers, China Evergrande, throws a spotlight on the … Read more
KARACHI: The rupee ended unchanged at Rs170.01 against the dollar on Friday, amid the demand for import payments, dealers said. They said the market had witnessed the demand for the foreign currency for import payments. However, the supply of export receipts and workers’ remittances supported the rupee to maintain its value. The local currency recovered … Read more
LONDON: Major oil producers have agreed to continue modestly raising output, despite pressure from the United States and other big consumer nations to open up the taps much more decisively, amid soaring prices. The 13 members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and their 10 allies reconfirmed a July decision to gradually step … Read more
ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has imposed a fine of Rs26 million on Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco) on the charges of negligence, resulting in fatal incidents during the period July 2019 to January 2021. The regulator upon receipt of reports of 17 deaths in different electrocution incidents during the above period, … Read more
NEW YORK: US Boeing shareholders have reached a $225 million out-of-court settlement with the aircraft manufacturer’s current and former directors in a 737 MAX aircraft safety negligence case, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. Shareholders had accused Boeing board members and several executives, as well as current CEO David Calhoun of failing to ensure that control and … Read more
BORDEAUX: A prominent French infectious disease doctor on Friday faced a disciplinary hearing for his controversial recommendations on Covid-19 that won him global fame at the height of the pandemic. Didier Raoult championed the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a coronavirus treatment at a time when the method was also being touted without evidence by former … Read more
Saba Qamar is a Pakistani film and television actress. She was born on April 5, 1984. She made her small screen debut in the television series ‘Main Aurat Hoon.’ Saba Qamar recently published a photo of herself on her official Instagram account, which displays a drop on Saba’s hand. Saba appears to be ill as she … Read more
ATTOCK: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said that to control inflation and reduce the financial burden on the poor, the government was bearing a deficit of Rs450 billion. Talking to the leadership of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Attock, he said the government had taken unprecedented relief measures for underprivileged segments through several socio-welfare initiatives. … Read more
LISBON: Russian chess legend Garry Kasparov was beaten by a supercomputer — but when it comes to artificial intelligence, he is firmly convinced that it’s the humans who pose the real threat. Kasparov has remained fascinated by technology since his famous matches against IBM’s Deep Blue computer in the 1990s. When he wasn’t busy taking on … Read more
SINGAPORE: Singapore has banned a book on censorship over “offensive images” including blasphemous sketches of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), authorities said. The city-state is majority ethnic Chinese but has a sizeable Muslim minority, and has strict laws to curb hate speech and actions promoting ill-will between religious or racial groups. The book, “Red Lines: Political Cartoons … Read more
TOKYO: Japan said Friday it will allow short-term business travellers, foreign students and other visa holders to enter the country, but tourists are still barred under pandemic border restrictions. From Monday, business visitors fully inoculated with an authorised vaccine will need to quarantine for only three days, down from a minimum of 10 days, the … Read more
LONDON: The chairman of Yorkshire resigned on Friday over a growing racism row, blaming senior figures at one of England’s leading cricket clubs for refusing to accept the scale of the problem. Former player Azeem Rafiq has accused Yorkshire of failing to deal adequately with his allegations of abuse while at the county, saying he … Read more
TAIPEI: The head of a European Parliament delegation on Friday urged the international community to interact more with Taiwan to help defuse tensions with China, dismissing its claim that visiting the island was a provocation. China claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and vows to seize it one day, by force if necessary. … Read more
SHARJAH: England’s T20 World Cup captain Eoin Morgan insisted on Friday the fight against racism in cricket is “bigger than any of our careers or any trophies”. English cricket has been plunged into chaos after Pakistan-born off-spinner Azeem Rafiq accused Yorkshire of failing to deal adequately with allegations of racism when he played for the … Read more
TOKYO: Two death row inmates are suing Japan’s government over a system notifying prisoners of their execution just hours beforehand, arguing it causes psychological distress. Japan, where over 100 inmates await execution, is one of the few developed nations that still has the death penalty. Executions are usually implemented long after sentencing, always by hanging. … Read more
ADDIS ABABA: Nine rebel groups battling Ethiopia’s government will “collaborate and join forces” Friday, they said in a statement announcing the alliance, which comes as fears grow of Tigrayan fighters advancing on the capital. The alliance, due to be signed in Washington later on Friday, includes the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and the Tigray People’s Liberation … Read more
It’s been two years since Meesha Shafi accused singer Ali Zafar of harassment, and the two have been embroiled in a court battle that is still ongoing. Recently a Twitter critic indirectly addressing Meesha wrote, “Professional Jealousy by that Woman for one particular Man who she doesn’t wants to be in Pepsi Battle of the … Read more
WELLINGTON: New Zealand included five spinners in a 15-man Test squad named Friday to tour India later this month in the Black Caps’ opening series of their World Test Championship defence. The New Zealanders won the inaugural Championship after defeating India in the final at Southampton in June, with the next cycle of matches continuing … Read more
BASRA, Iraq: In Iraq’s southern province of Basra, the oil flows freely but little of the wealth trickles down to the people, and many struggle to make ends meet. Sajad, 17, who lives in Basra city, says he “has no future” and no present. Like other young people, he says he just survives, a living … Read more
