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The inheritance of China-Africa friendship, the stability of China’s Africa policy, and the solidarity of developing countries together are the reasons why Africa has been the destination of Chinese foreign minister’s first overseas visit each year for 36 years, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while co-chairing the ninth China-African Union (AU) Strategic Dialogue with AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Wang said that this year marks the…

KARACHI : The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Friday recorded a mixed trading activity as investors seem to be cautious on last day of the business week. The current index stands at 185,594.71 point, showing an increase of 51.70 points or 0.03% as investors have adopted a wait-and-see approach ahead of the weekend. The market reached a high of 186,180.32 points and a low of 184,987.26 points during the session, reflecting mixed investor sentiment. The previous close was recorded at 185,543.01, indicating only a slight change in overall performance. In previous session, the benchmark KSE-100 index closed bearish, losing 975.70…

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced holding a public gathering at Mazar-e-Quaid in Karachi on January 11 as part of its street movement ahead of the Feb 8 protest call, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said in a statement on Friday. “I will hold a rally at Mazar-e-Quaid in Karachi at 4:30pm on Sunday,” said CM Afridi in a message ahead of his Sindh visit set to commence today. The KP chief minister said he will spread the message of jailed PTI founder Imran Khan to every nook and corner of Sindh. He also urged the people of…

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has directed a strict crackdown against mafia networks, beggar rings, and patrons involved in illegal immigration, stressing that no activity should denigrate Pakistan’s name. The order follows a detailed review of the FIA Immigration Wing’s ongoing operations. The interior minister chaired a high-level meeting in Islamabad to assess efforts targeting illegal immigration, human trafficking, and organized begging syndicates. Participants included the Federal Secretary Interior, Additional Secretary Interior, DG FIA, and other senior officials. Mohsin Naqvi instructed authorities to continue indiscriminate operations against criminal networks without granting concessions to those involved in human trafficking or illegal migration.…

The Punjab Assembly Standing Committee has approved key legislative amendments aimed at speeding up the appeal process for acquitted accused and extending accountability inquiries against retired government officers. The bills, once sent to the Governor, will come into immediate effect. The Punjab Assembly approved the Criminal Code (Punjab Amendment) Bill 2025, which modifies Section 417 of the Criminal Code 1898. The amendment shifts the power to approve appeals against acquittals from the provincial government to the Secretary of the Public Prosecution Department. Under the new law, the Secretary can directly order the Public Prosecutor to file an appeal against an…

The U.S. Senate voted Thursday to advance a resolution restricting President Donald Trump from taking further military action in Venezuela without congressional approval. The move comes as Trump said U.S. oversight of the country could continue for years and highlighted upcoming meetings with oil executives and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. The Senate voted 52 to 47 on a procedural measure to move forward with a war powers resolution aimed at limiting Trump’s authority to act militarily in Venezuela. A handful of Republicans joined all Democrats in supporting the motion, signaling rare congressional pushback against the White House. Trump criticized…

Two leading members of Venezuela’s political opposition were freed on Thursday, in a move described by officials as a goodwill gesture amid heightened political tension. Human rights groups welcomed the development cautiously, highlighting the ongoing struggle over political freedoms in the country. The Venezuelan government began releasing detainees classified as political prisoners by rights groups, according to Foro Penal and local journalists. Among those freed were Enrique Marquez, 62, a politician who supported opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez in the 2024 presidential election, and Biagio Pilieri, an opposition party leader and lawmaker critical of the government. Spain’s foreign ministry confirmed the…

Russian drone and missile attacks plunged southeastern Ukraine into near-total blackouts on Thursday, targeting both residential areas and industrial infrastructure. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called the strikes an attempt to “break” the country as residents face freezing winter conditions. Overnight drone attacks hit Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, leaving millions without electricity. Private energy provider DTEK said power was restored to nearly 700,000 households by Thursday evening, though 194,000 households—including much of Kryvyi Rih—remained without electricity. Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskiy’s hometown, suffered one of the heaviest combined drone and missile attacks since February 2022. Twenty-nine apartment buildings were damaged, leaving more than 70,000…

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado is expected to come to Washington next week, and he looks forward to meeting her. The announcement comes after U.S. strikes in Venezuela led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro. During an interview on Fox News’ Hannity, Trump was asked whether he planned to meet Machado following recent U.S. military action in Venezuela. “Well, I understand she’s coming in next week sometime, and I look forward to saying hello to her,” he said, without offering further details. The White House did not immediately respond to requests…

Syrian authorities have imposed a sweeping curfew across several districts of Aleppo as clashes intensify between government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), triggering mass displacement and civilian casualties. The Aleppo Internal Security Command said on Thursday that a curfew has been imposed “until further notice” in the neighbourhoods of Ashrafieh, Sheikh Maqsoud, Bani Zeid, al-Siryan, al-Hullok, and al-Midan. In a statement carried by Syria’s state news agency SANA, the command said the measure was aimed at ensuring civilian safety and maintaining order amid deteriorating security conditions. Strict movement ban enforced Authorities said all movement is strictly…