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Three decades after joining the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, China is preparing to host the regional gathering for a third time, with November’s APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Shenzhen set to mark another stage in its evolving engagement with the Asia-Pacific. China became an APEC member in 1991, joining a forum created two years earlier as the region’s economies became increasingly interdependent. Since then, its economic development has become closely intertwined with regional growth, while its participation in APEC has expanded from engagement in trade and investment to cooperation on connectivity, innovation and sustainable development. The first major milestone…

China has unveiled a plan to build a modern climate service system by 2030, with a strong focus on innovation and digital intelligence to bring key areas to world-class levels. The plan, issued by the China Meteorological Administration, calls for major progress during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) in technological independence, digitized operations, scenario-based services and integrated platforms to enhance climate services. The country will establish a national-provincial data-sharing network and a coordinated working framework so that any update made at one level is instantly available across the entire system, according to the plan. National-level institutions will take the…

The Yangtze River Delta, China’s most economically developed region, has long had one major weakness: its coastal transport network forms a “C” shape, with a gap around the Zhoushan Archipelago, China’s largest group of islands. In recent years, however, a mega island-linking project has been closing that gap, connecting Ningbo to the south with Shanghai to the north and gradually transforming the Delta’s coastal transport network from a “C” into an “O.” The Zhoudai Bridge is the “final piece of the puzzle” for Zhoushan’s Island-Connecting Expressway. Since it opened to traffic in 2021, the network has reached a total length…

China’s 2026 summer movie season is heating up, with box office receipts and audience turnout hitting record highs. As of Thursday, China’s total 2026 box office revenue (including presales) had surpassed 26.5 billion yuan (about $3.9 billion), with more than 670 million admissions and over 96 million screenings, according to an online ticketing platform. The summer stretch alone has already drawn over 290 million moviegoers, while the number of screenings has exceeded 34.5 million, both all-time seasonal records. While cinemas are drawing record crowds, the film boom is also spilling economic benefits into tourism, retail, dining and other consumer spending.…

Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir vowed that inimical designs to destabilize Balochistan will be defeated through the collective resolve of the nation and an unwavering, resolute and decisive response by the state. The Field Marshal expressed it while interacting with notables and political leadership of Balochistan. He said Fitna al Khawarij and Fitna al Hindustan are foreign-sponsored proxies being employed by hostile elements to destabilize Balochistan, obstruct its development and create a wedge between the state and its people. During the interaction, COAS & CDF underscored that the present and future of…

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has directed all educational boards across the province to introduce the ‘show of paper’ practice to enhance transparency and accountability in the examination system. The KP Education Department has issued directions to all boards to immediately notify the facility, under which students will be allowed to apply for inspection of their answer sheets. According to the department, all educational boards have been directed to accept students’ requests for viewing their examination copies without discrimination. Under the new practice, students will be able to review their answer sheets, enabling them to better understand their marks and the…

Misbah Arshad has been crowned Miss Universe Pakistan, becoming the fourth Pakistani woman to represent the country at the prestigious international pageant. Arshad was awarded the title following a competitive selection process for the Miss Universe pageant. She received the sash from Pakistan franchise owner Josh Yugen and her predecessor, Roma Riaz, during a ceremony in the Philippines. The organisation also shared a video on social media capturing the moment Arshad was presented with the honour. Reflecting on her journey, Arshad described the experience as a “true prize”, saying it had taught her valuable lessons about humanity and the importance…

Danish Taimoor’s sister-in-law Sidra Zahid has dismissed rumours of a divorce between Pakistani showbiz stars Danish Taimoor and Ayeza Khan, calling the reports baseless and saying the couple continues to share a strong relationship. Sidra Taimoor said there was no truth to reports of a separation between the two actors. In a social media statement, she urged people not to pay attention to unfounded rumours and said Danish and Ayeza were both very happy. She also said actors are human beings and have feelings. Referring to an earlier incident, she said she had faced trolling when she attended the concluding…

Veteran Pakistani actor, director and renowned theatre artist Usman Peerzada has shared interesting details about his ongoing autobiography and the possibility of a biopic based on his life. Usman Peerzada recently appeared on a programme where he discussed writing a book about his life and the possibility of his story being adapted into a film in the future. Asked what the title of a film based on his life could be, Peerzada jokingly said that his biopic would be censored in the first place. He revealed that he is currently writing his autobiography but finds it difficult to decide which…

The Bangladesh Premier League will not take place this season, the country’s cricket board (BCB) president Tamim Iqbal told reporters on Thursday, citing various issues that plagued the previous seasons including allegations of match fixing and corruption. The BPL, launched in 2012, is the most popular domestic competition in Bangladesh, but has struggled to replicate the financial success of other franchise-based Twenty20 leagues in countries like India and Australia. “I don’t think so. The BPL will not happen this year,” Tamim told reporters at an event in Mirpur. National newspaper “Prothom Alo” said the BCB has faced a loss of…