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China’s commercial space company has successfully completed the first flight and recovery of its suborbital capsule, Lihong-1, at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Monday afternoon. It’s the country’s first parachute-assisted recovery of a commercial payload capsule from over 100 kilometers. Developed by CAS Space, Lihong-1 had reached a maximum altitude of about 120 kilometers and skimmed the edge of space. The suborbital trajectory allowed the vehicle to briefly cross the Kármán line, providing minutes of microgravity before re-entering the atmosphere, though it did not achieve Earth orbit like a normal satellite. The mission carried a scaled-down version of a…

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday that it is right on time for China and the African Union (AU) to bolster strategic mutual trust, align strategies and deepen strategic cooperation. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in an interview with Chinese media after he wrapped up visits to the AU, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Lesotho. China and the AU should further strengthen solidarity, jointly address current challenges, safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of both China and Africa, and contribute their share to global peace and development,…

Pakistan’s services sector recorded a strong upswing in the first five months of the fiscal year, with exports rising by more than $550 million, driven largely by information technology and allied services. Exports hit $3.83 billion from July to November According to official documents, total services sector exports reached $3.83 billion during July–November. This represents a 16.77% increase compared to the same period of the previous fiscal year. The growth reflects improving annual performance across multiple service categories. November shows sharp year-on-year rise Services exports in November alone stood at $814.2 million. This marked a significant 22.26% increase compared to…

DHAKA: Bangladesh has been in political turmoil since a student-led revolt overthrew former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, ending her 15-year autocratic rule. The Muslim-majority nation of 170 million people will hold its first elections since the uprising on February 12. Here are the key players in a vote that European Union election observers say will be the “biggest democratic process of 2026, anywhere”. Interim government Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, 85, returned from exile in August 2024 at the behest of protesters to lead a caretaker government as “chief advisor”. He will step down after the…

India and the US will discuss trade issues in their next call scheduled for Tuesday, Washington’s newly-appointed ambassador to New Delhi, Sergio Gor, said on Monday, at a time when failure to secure a trade deal has roiled their ties and pushed the rupee to a record low. India will also be invited to join Pax Silica next month, Gor said, referring to a US-led initiative to build a silicon supply chain from critical minerals to semiconductors and AI. Trade talks between India and the US fell apart and Trump then doubled tariffs on Indian goods in August to 50%,…

Six police personnel, including a station house officer (SHO), were martyred on Monday after an improvised explosive device (IED) struck a police armoured vehicle in the Tank district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to police, the blast occurred in the Kot Wali limits of Gomal police station when the police armoured personnel carrier (APC) was on routine patrol duty. The explosion was caused by an IED planted on the roadside, which detonated as the vehicle passed, killing all five personnel onboard. The sixth official succumbed to injuries later. SHO, additional SHO among martyrs Police confirmed that the station house officer…

The Cabinet Division has released new Toshakhana records for October to December 2025, revealing details of gifts received by senior government officials during the period. According to the released documents, all personalities deposited the gifts they received into the Toshakhana. The records cover gifts received by the president, prime minister, cabinet members, and other senior officials. The Cabinet Division also confirmed that the process of estimating the value of these gifts is currently underway. President, PM among key recipients The list shows that President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received several gifts during the three-month period.…

Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam and Australia batter Steve Smith opened an innings together for the first time in cricket history during a rain-affected Big Bash League match. The landmark pairing took place for Sydney Sixers against Hobart Hurricanes at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday, January 11. The match, however, was abandoned because of rain after just five overs of play. There was strong interest at the SCG ahead of the much-anticipated opening partnership. Babar Azam and Steve Smith received a warm welcome as they walked out from the Members’ Stand to the middle. Several young spectators reached out…

Environment-friendly policies introduced by the Punjab government have led to a marked improvement in Lahore’s air quality, with official data showing consistent progress compared to last year. According to an analytical comparison report, Lahore’s air quality has shown continuous improvement since late 2025 and has remained on an upward trend into 2026. Notably, the improvement has occurred even during dry periods without rainfall, highlighting the impact of government interventions rather than weather conditions. Since October 2025, Lahore’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) has improved by 58 points, the report said. Month-by-month AQI gains The report detailed significant month-wise improvements.…

Global smartphone shipments rose 2% year-on-year in 2025, lifted by stronger demand and economic momentum in emerging markets, Counterpoint Research said on Monday. Apple led the market with a 20% share, the largest among the top five brands, supported by solid demand in emerging and mid-sized markets and strong sales of the iPhone 17 series, said Counterpoint analyst Varun Mishra. Manufacturers pulled shipments forward early in the year to get ahead of tariffs, but the effect eased as 2025 progressed, leaving second-half volumes largely unaffected, the firm said. Samsung ranked second with a 19% share on modest shipment growth, while Xiaomi…