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The PCB is likely to announce the national cricket team for the home Test series against the West Indies next week. Sources confirmed that the selection committee’s crucial meeting will take place following Aqib Javed’s return to Pakistan. Aqib Javed and the national team are scheduled to arrive in Pakistan tomorrow (Thursday). Sources indicate that Imam-ul-Haq is likely to make a comeback in place of the injured Saim Ayub. Additionally, off-spinner Sajid Khan is also expected to be included in the squad. There are also possibilities of including Shaheen Afridi. It is believed that the selection committee might drop cricketer…

ISLAMABAD : The claim of the government to reduce electricity tariff received a rude shock as the global lender IMF (International Monetary Fund) rejected Islamabad’s proposal to cut sales tax. The Ministry of Energy had suggested the government a cut in sales tax. And the government sent a request to the IMF which turned it down. The IMF said that exemption from new taxes cannot be given under its loan programme. It will not be possible to achieve tax collection targets if sales tax is reduced, added the IMF. It may be noted that a consumer is charged GST twice…

WASHINGTON :Spokesperson for the US State Department, Matthew Miller, has said the courts in Pakistan have to decide cases against PTI founder Imran Khan. Speaking to reporters during his weekly press briefing, Matthew Miller said, “We don’t discuss Congress correspondences. We demand Pakistan ensure protection of human rights, enforcement of democratic norms and supremacy of the Constitution.” The spokesperson said the relationships between the United States and Pakistan are important with regard to human rights. Earlier, the US had appreciated the economic reforms carried out by Pakistan to deal with economic challenges. Speaking during a press briefing, US State Department…

Oil prices rose on Wednesday as supplies from Russia and OPEC members tightened while data showing an unexpected increase in U.S. jobs openings pointed to expanding economic activity and consequent growth in oil demand. Brent crude was up 28 cents, or 0.36%, to $77.33 a barrel at 0415 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude climbed 40 cents, or 0.54%, to $74.65. Oil output from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries fell in December after two months of increase, a Reuters survey showed. Field maintenance in the United Arab Emirates offset a Nigerian output hike and gains elsewhere in the group.…

Tank: Another case of polio has been reported in the country, raising the total number of cases this year to 69. The latest case involves a 13-month-old girl from Tank, where the National Institute of Health has confirmed the presence of the virus. According to reports, this is the fifth polio case reported in Tank since 2024. Since last year, the number of polio-affected children in Balochistan has reached 27, while 19 cases have been reported in Sindh and 21 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Islamabad and Punjab have also recorded one case each. Authorities have urged the public to ensure their…

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has expressed deep sorrow and grief over the tragic loss of lives and the damage to the property caused by the earthquake that struck China’s Xizang region, said a press release. “My sympathies are with the government, the people of China, and the earthquake victims during this hour of grief,” the President said. “We stand in solidarity with our Chinese brothers and sisters, sharing their sorrow in this difficult time,” he added. President Zardari also prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured in the earthquake.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi outlined plans to enhance China-Africa cooperation during a press briefing after meeting with Denis Sassou Nguesso, president of the Republic of the Congo, on Tuesday. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, emphasized that as co-chairs of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), China and Congo will focus on advancing the ten partnership action plans for China-Africa modernization. At the opening of the 2024 FOCAC Beijing Summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed six key aspects for modernization. He said that China and Africa should jointly advance…

The first Global Mayors Dialogue of 2025 is expected to take place in January in Nanning City, capital of south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Mayors from China and ASEAN countries will explore ways to drive green transition and enhance environmental protection across the region. China and ASEAN countries share common environmental challenges, but also have significant potential for collaboration, particularly in biodiversity conservation and ecological sustainability. The venue of the 21st China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning City, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, September 27, 2024. /CFP By developing green ecological networks and sharing environmental technologies and knowledge, cities can…

Chinese tech giant Huawei has partnered with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to promote the conservation of a marine protected area on Kenya’s south coast. The three-year project, which was unveiled Monday, seeks to protect the ecological health of Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Park and Reserve, a biodiversity hotspot located on the edge of Kenya’s southern coastal county of Kwale. Other implementing partners in the Tech4Nature project, which was launched by the IUCN in partnership with Huawei in 2021, include Kenya Wildlife Service and Wildlife Research and Training Institute, a state agency, according to a statement by Huawei issued…

China and the Republic of Congo reaffirmed the commitment of both countries to advancing China-Africa cooperation and promoting shared development. The two sides reached the consensus in Brazzaville on Tuesday during talks between Denis Sassou Nguesso, president of the Republic of Congo and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee. Sassou welcomed Wang’s visit, asking him to convey his New Year greetings and best wishes to Chinese President Xi Jinping. He highlighted the historic significance of President Xi’s 2013 visit to Congo, the first overseas…