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China on Wednesday rolled out a set of regulations aimed at curbing emotional dependency on AI-powered companion bots, marking a new step in efforts to regulate this rapidly growing sector. AI companion services, which have been used in areas ranging from customer service and mental health support to childcare and elderly care, have gained popularity by simulating human personalities and conversations. But concerns over emotional dependency and other risks have fueled calls for tighter regulation. The new rules require platforms to detect emotional distress, intervene in crisis situations, limit excessive use, give users full control over their personal data, and…

China’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 4.7% year on year in the first half of 2026, reaching 69.57 trillion yuan ($10.28 trillion), data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed on Wednesday. The country’s key economic indicators have shown solid performance, with new growth drivers expanding quickly, signaling sustained resilience of the economy. In the first six months of 2026, the value-added industrial output of China’s industrial enterprises above designated size, enterprises with annual revenue of at least 20 million yuan, grew by 5.4%. Notably, the value-added industrial output of equipment manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing climbed 9.3% and 13.3%, respectively.…

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for advancing high-quality urban renewal on Wednesday during an inspection trip to Shanghai. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed the need to fully embrace the people-centered philosophy of urban development. Urban renewal initiatives should be carried out in a thorough, meticulous and effective manner in a bid to continuously enhance the people’s sense of fulfillment, happiness and security, he said. In Huangpu District, Xi visited a residential community, where four buildings originally built in the 1950s have been renovated and…

By: Ambassador Jiang Zaidong & Ambassador Albert P. Khore July 16 marks the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation between China and Russia – a landmark document that laid a solid foundation for the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era between our two countries. The Treaty formalised the historical tradition of good-neighbourliness and friendship between China and Russia, consolidated the existing ties in conformity with the interests of our peoples, and opened a new chapter in bilateral relations. Built upon the principles of equality, mutual respect,  good faith, and win-win…

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said criticism against the Pakistan Army would not be tolerated, urging political leaders to exercise caution in their choice of words. Addressing PPP office-bearers and ticket holders in Azad Kashmir, Bilawal said law enforcement agencies should conduct investigations strictly in accordance with the law, adding that he had discussed his proposal with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. He said constitutional amendments could not be imposed through the use of force or protest sit-ins, stressing that the PPP was prepared for dialogue and debate. He maintained that the future of…

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday directed senior Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) officials to make monthly visits to Karachi to strengthen engagement with the business community and ensure the prompt resolution of tax-related issues. Chairing a review meeting on FBR reforms, the prime minister directed the federal tax collecting body to cooperate with the business community and resolve its issues on a priority basis. “Senior officers of FBR should visit Karachi in the first week of every month so that there is direct contact with the business community and their issues are resolved without delay,” he said, adding that…

Security forces have continued operations against militants in the area, carrying out coordinated air and ground actions as part of the ongoing counterterrorism campaign. According to security sources, the forces have been targeting militant hideouts through aerial and ground operations, inflicting heavy losses on the militants during the ongoing action. Sources said three more militants were confirmed killed during the latest operations, while security forces successfully struck several militant hideouts. According to security sources, the total number of militants killed under Operation Shaban has reached 88. Since July 5, a total of 126 militants have been killed in Operation Shaban…

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has digitally launched the Chief Minister Pink Salt Value Addition Financing Scheme to promote the province’s pink salt industry, employment and exports, while also announcing the establishment of a 110-acre Pink Salt Mineral Processing Zone near Quaidabad. During a briefing at the launch ceremony, officials said the proposed processing zone will house more than 200 industrial units. Investment of around $150 million is expected, creating direct employment opportunities for approximately 10,000 people. A Business Facilitation Centre and a model retail outlet will also be established to support investors. According to the briefing, new investors…

Ransomware group World Leaks has posted on the dark web a huge cache of files related to India’s largest nuclear plant, including purported blueprints of parts of its facilities and supplier details — information it labelled as coming from Reliance Group. The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, located in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, is the largest of India’s seven nuclear plants and central to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious plans to expand the country’s atomic energy capacity. Indian businessman Anil Ambani’s Reliance Group, one of the plant’s contractors, told Reuters in a statement that there had been a “partial…

 An Israeli airstrike killed a man, his wife and their six-year-old daughter in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, Palestinian health officials said as talks to advance the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire deal faltered. The strike on an ‌apartment building in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza killed Omar Abu Qassem, his wife, Asma, and their daughter, Habeeba, medics said. Their son survived, but was injured, medics said. The Israeli military said the strike targeted a Hamas militant. In Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood in Gaza City, an Israeli airstrike killed one person, medics said. The Israeli military didn’t immediately comment on this incident. The…