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BEIJING: Twelve people have been killed in a residential fire in the southern Chinese city of Shantou, state news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday. The blaze broke out on Tuesday at 9:20 p.m. (1320 GMT) in a four-storey building and was extinguished about 40 minutes later, Xinhua said. An investigation into the cause of the fire is under way. The incident comes as the death toll from Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades climbed to 160 on Tuesday.

TOKYO/MOSCOW : Japan has scrambled jets to monitor Russian and Chinese air forces conducting joint patrols around the country, the Japanese defence ministry said late Tuesday, amid rising tensions between Tokyo and Beijing. Two Russian Tu-95 nuclear-capable strategic bombers flew from the Sea of Japan toward the East China Sea to rendezvous with two Chinese H-6 bombers, and performed a “long-distance joint flight” in the Pacific, the ministry said. Four Chinese J-16 fighter jets joined the bombers as they made a round-trip flight between Japan’s Okinawa and Miyako islands, it added. The Miyako Strait between the two islands is classified…

ISLAMABAD : The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved the release of $1.29 billion to Pakistan under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), urging Islamabad to continue strict monetary policies and push ahead with structural reforms. The IMF called for expanding and simplifying the tax base, adjusting electricity and gas tariffs, and accelerating energy sector reforms to reduce circular debt and improve efficiency. It also stressed the need for state-owned enterprise reforms, privatisation, better governance, and an improved business environment. The lender noted that despite recent floods, Pakistan has made progress in stabilising its…

KARACHI : The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) extended gains to reach fresh high on Wednesday as recent economic developments, including loan tranche approval by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), boosted investor confidence. During intraday trading, the KSE-100 index gained 752.66 points to hit 170,209.04 points milestone, reflecting a change of 0.44 percent compared to previous close of 169,456.38 points. IMF has approved $1.2 billion for Pakistan after clearing two loan tranches under the country’s ongoing reform programme. The decision follows a staff-level agreement reached in October and marks a significant step in supporting Pakistan’s economic stabilisation efforts. The approval includes…

LAHORE : Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said on Wednesday that protecting human rights is the core vision and top priority of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). In her message on International Human Rights Day, the chief minister said the first complete charter of human rights was delivered in the Farewell Sermon, adding that Islam is the greatest advocate of human rights. “The Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) presented an extraordinary charter of human rights and gave humanity an eternal and universal message,” she stated. Maryam Nawaz said that December 10 is observed worldwide to raise awareness about the importance of…

LAHORE : Lahore has once again topped the global list of most polluted cities, as toxic smog and thick fog continue to engulf major parts of Punjab. According to an international air quality monitoring website, Lahore recorded an alarming 327 AQI, placing it at the top among the world’s most polluted cities. Karachi followed closely with 282 AQI, while data from the Punjab Environment Department showed that Kasur was the province’s most polluted city at 348 AQI. In other cities, Gujranwala recorded 341 AQI, and Sheikhupura registered 278 AQI, indicating hazardous air conditions across the region. Officials have warned that…

China launched a new communication technology test satellite on Tuesday from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan. A Long March-3B rocket, carrying the Shiyan-22 satellite, blasted off at 11:08 p.m. Beijing Time, and sent the satellite into the preset orbit. The satellite will be mainly used for satellite communication, radio and television broadcast and data transmission, among other services. It will conduct relevant technical tests and validations as well. The launch marked the 615th flight mission of China’s Long March carrier rocket series. The Long March carrier rockets set a new record on Tuesday by successfully…

China’s consumer inflation picked up in November, with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rising 0.7 percent year on year, according to the official data released Wednesday. The reading marks the highest level since March 2024 and represents a 0.5-percentage-point increase from October’s growth rate. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said the wider year-on-year gain was primarily driven by food prices, which shifted from declines in previous months to an increase in November. Excluding food and energy categories, core CPI rose 1.2 percent, staying above 1 percent for the third consecutive month – an indication of gradually improving underlying demand.…

China’s Shenzhou-21 astronauts Zhang Lu and Wu Fei completed the first series of extravehicular activities (EVAs) of their mission on Tuesday, donning newly delivered extravehicular spacesuits for their inaugural use in space. The mission marked the debut of the space station’s D and E extravehicular spacesuits, which were delivered by the Tianzhou-9 cargo spacecraft on July 15 as part of the second-generation Feitian spacesuit series. While maintaining white as the primary color, one suit features a red trim and the other a blue trim. China’s new spacesuit with a blue trim. /CMSA “The EVAs fully demonstrated the critical role of human capabilities…

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday that Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy provides powerful intellectual tools and scientific guidance for Chinese diplomacy to forge ahead courageously. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while addressing a symposium on the study and research of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy held in Beijing. Wang said that Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy is a constantly developing and open Marxist theory that always stays at the forefront of the times. General Secretary Xi Jinping has personally spearheaded a series of major…