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ISLAMABAD (DI NEWS) : A banquet was hosted by Party Secretary of the Communist Party of China Wang Xiao Hui in the honour of President Asif Ali Zardari in Sichuan Provinceon Saturday. The banquet was attended by First Lady Ms Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, Chairman Pakistan People’s Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, Pakistan’s ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi, China’s ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong, senior Chinese officials and other distinguished guests President Zardari warmly thanked Wang Xiao Hui for the gracious hospitality and recalled that his family’s bond with China spanned four generations. The Chinese host expressed gratitude to…

ISLAMABAD (DI NEWS) : President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday reaffirmed Pakistan’s readiness to work with China and other nations to expand cultural exchanges, strengthen creative industries and promote understanding and a culture of tolerance. He said culture remained a vital bridge to peace, prosperity and a shared future for humanity. The president addressed the Second Golden Panda Awards International Culture Forum in Chengdu, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China, and highlighting the power of art and culture in uniting people and connecting civilizations. The forum was attended by senior Chinese leaders, cultural representatives, artists and international delegates, President Secretariat Press Wing…

ISLAMABAD (DI NEWS) : President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday emphasised the importance of expanding cooperation between Pakistan and China in political, economic and cultural fields, underlining Pakistan’s commitment to deepening people-to-people contacts and public diplomacy.  The president held a meeting with Li Shulei, Member of the Political Bureau and Secretariat of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and Minister of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee in Chengdu, China, in which they explored opportunities to enhance bilateral cooperation across political, economic, and cultural spheres.  President Zardari thanked Li for hosting him in Sichuan and felicitated him and the…

How Sahiwal Power Plant Became a Lifeline During Pakistan’s Recent Flood Crisis ISLAMABAD (DI NEWS) : In the midst of relentless monsoon rains and devastating floods, the Sahiwal Coal Fired Power Plant quietly stood as an unsung hero. Its two massive 660 MW units tirelessly fed 1,320 MW into the national grid, ensuring that electricity continued to flow when the country needed it the most. As torrents of water swept across northern and central Pakistan, swamping towns, uprooting families, and damaging vital infrastructure, many power sources faltered. Hydropower plants struggled under the weight of rising waters, transmission lines snapped under…

NEW YORK : Pakistan has called on the UN Security Council to go beyond mere condemnation of the Israeli strikes targeting Hamas negotiators and hold Israel accountable for its “illegal and unprovoked aggression” against Qatar. Speaking in the 15-member Council’s emergency meeting on the Middle East, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, also underscored the need for safeguarding the role and protection of mediators engaged in peace efforts; and recommit to the centrality of international law and the UN Charter in maintaining international peace and security. The meeting was requested by Pakistan, Algeria and Somalia…

ISLAMABAD : President Asif Ali Zardari will depart for China on a ten-day official visit today (Friday). The president will also visit Chengdu, Shanghai and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and hold meetings with the provincial leadership. The discussions will encompass Pakistan-China bilateral relations, with a particular focus on economic and trade cooperation, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and future connectivity initiatives. The two sides will also exchange views on bilateral cooperation at multilateral fora. The visit underscores the tradition of high-level exchanges between Pakistan and China, reflecting the deep commitment of the two countries to strengthen their All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership.

Qatar’s prime minister will meet top US officials on Friday and is expected to discuss an Israeli attack in Qatar and the status of talks for a ceasefire in Gaza, which has been under a mounting Israeli assault. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani will meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House in Washington, the State Department said late on Thursday. Politico and Axios reported the prime minister was also expected to meet President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and US special envoy Steve Witkoff. Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an…

All Women’s Sports Network (AWSN) will launch a dedicated women’s sports channel in Saudi Arabia on Friday in partnership with the country’s football federation and national broadcaster Saudi Sports Company. Co-founded by Oscar-winning actor and comedian Whoopi Goldberg, AWSN was launched late last year as the first global media channel dedicated exclusively to showcasing women’s sports. The 24-hour “SSC AWSN” channel will be available in the kingdom via the MBC Shahid streaming platform from Friday, an AWSN spokesperson told Reuters on Thursday. Female athletes were for many years an untapped reservoir of talent in the conservative Islamic state, with girls…

Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced on Thursday to 27 years and three months in prison hours after being convicted of plotting a coup to remain in power after losing the 2022 election, dealing a powerful rebuke to one of the world’s most prominent far-right populist leaders. The conviction ruling by a panel of five justices on Brazil’s Supreme Court, who also agreed on the sentence, made the 70-year-old Bolsonaro the first former president in the country’s history to be convicted for attacking democracy, and drew disapproval from the Trump administration. “This criminal case is almost a meeting between…

Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves increased by $21 million over the past week, bringing the total to $19.681 billion. According to experts, the reserves now cover the equivalent of 70 days’ worth of imports. However, under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) standards, reserves should equal ninety days of import cover. During the week, the SBP’s dollar reserves rose by $34 million to reach $14.3 billion. Meanwhile, commercial banks’ dollar deposits decreased by $12 million, falling to $5.3 billion. Separately on Wednesday, the Senate Standing Committee on Finance has recommended that the power to determine the salary of the State Bank of Pakistan…