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China’s annual national college entrance examination, known as the Gaokao, entered its second day on Monday, with candidates poised to take their English exam. For some, it’s the last day of Gaokao, but in the 29 provincial regions that have adopted the new exam system, students will continue to take subject exams until Tuesday or Wednesday. Traffic police maintain order near a Gaokao exam site in Hefei, Anhui Province, China, June 8, 2026. /VCG The relevant transportation departments have urged candidates to leave early and use public transport to avoid heavy traffic. The public is encouraged to travel outside peak…

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, said on Monday that he looks forward to meeting with Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), to discuss the traditional friendship between the two countries, and exchange views on the overall development of bilateral relations. Xi made the remarks in a signed article published in Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the DPRK, ahead of his state visit to the country slated for Monday and Tuesday, his…

More than 400 people donning black bowler hats, toothbrush moustaches and canes gathered in Switzerland on Sunday seeking to break the record for the biggest ever assembly of Charlie Chaplin lookalikes. The unusual rally, drawing Chaplin fans of all ages, took place at a museum dedicated to the legendary filmmaker at his former home in Corsier-sur-Vevey in western Switzerland. Timed to mark the 10th anniversary of the museum’s opening, the gathering in the end drew 429 Chaplin lookalikes, falling short of the world record set there in 2017, when 662 people took part. But that did not dampen the mood.…

GILGIT: Polling began across Gilgit-Baltistan on Sunday for elections to 24 seats of the regional assembly, with more than 400 candidates in the running and security tightened across the mountainous region to ensure a peaceful voting process. According to the Election Commission, voting started at 8am and will continue until 5pm without any break. A total of 958,480 registered voters are eligible to exercise their right to vote. Authorities completed electoral and security preparations ahead of polling day, while law enforcement agencies conducted flag marches in various areas to demonstrate readiness and maintain order. Meanwhile, Gilgit Baltistan Chief Election Commissioner…

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi held a series of high-level bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Interior Ministers’ meeting, the Ministry of Interior said on Saturday. In a significant diplomatic development, Minister Naqvi and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Kolokoltsev, signed multiple agreements to bolster security cooperation. The pacts focus on three core areas: Enhancing collaboration to curb illegal immigration, strengthening mutual cooperation for the repatriation of citizens residing illegally in both countries and increasing joint efforts to combat narcotics trafficking and prevent drug-related crimes. During…

NEW DELHI: The founder of India’s viral Cockroach Janta Party arrived in New Delhi on Saturday to lead a protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, taking the country’s largest online youth movement to the streets for the first time. Abhijeet Dipke, 30, who has lived in the United States for the past two years, had said his family and friends feared he could be arrested on his return to India. Dozens of police officers gathered near Jantar Mantar in central New Delhi on Saturday, barricading some of the surrounding roads as protesters shouted slogans demanding the resignation of Education…

LAHORE: The Pakistan China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCJCCI) has welcomed the establishment of Pakistan’s first coal-based fertilizer plant under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), describing the USD1.12 billion investment as a game-changing initiative that will strengthen agricultural productivity, enhance food security, create employment opportunities, and accelerate industrial development across the country. Nazir Hussain, President of PCJCCI, Brig, Mansoor Saeed Sheikh, Senior Vice President, Amir Ali Vice President, and Salahuddin Hanif, Secretary General, in a statement said that the utilization of indigenous coal resources for fertilizer production will reduce Pakistan’s dependence on imported fertilizer inputs, ensure a more…

U.S. forces struck Iranian coastal radar sites on Saturday after shooting down drones launched by Iran toward the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. military said, in the latest escalation complicating efforts to end the war between the two countries. The U.S. military believes the four Iranian drones were targeting regional maritime traffic, a U.S. official told Reuters. U.S. Central Command said on X that the U.S. then struck Iran’s surveillance sites in Goruk and Qeshm Island, which are both on the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had targeted U.S. bases in the region with missiles in…

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on Friday. Han conveyed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s cordial greetings and best wishes to Putin. He noted that China-Russia relations have remained stable and resilient amid an international landscape of intertwined changes and turbulence, thanks to the strategic stewardship of the two presidents. The two heads of state held successful talks in Beijing recently and reached important new consensus on bilateral ties and cooperation across diverse fields, Han said. China stands ready to work with Russia to fully implement the important consensus, continuously consolidate political mutual…

China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment reported on Friday that the country’s ecological and environmental quality continued to improve in 2025. The “2025 China Ecological and Environmental Status Bulletin,” newly released by the ministry, highlights reductions in air pollution, improvements in water and soil quality, enhanced rural sewage treatment, and continued increases in forest coverage, among others. According to the bulletin, the average PM2.5 concentration in 339 major cities (those at the prefecture level and higher) dropped to 29.3 micrograms per cubic meter in 2025 and is expected to fall further to 28 micrograms this year. The number of heavily…