Author: i2wtc

Visitors taste coffee in Nandaohe Village, Simao District, Pu’er City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, Sept. 20, 2025. The city of Pu’er along the China-Laos Railway has fully leveraged its coffee resources and natural landscapes to provide visitors with coffee-themed tourism experience, boosting local rural revitalization. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)This aerial drone photo taken on Sept. 20, 2025 shows a residential area of Nandaohe Village, Simao District, Pu’er City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province. The city of Pu’er along the China-Laos Railway has fully leveraged its coffee resources and natural landscapes to provide visitors with coffee-themed tourism experience, boosting local rural revitalization. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)This…

ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia remains the major source of cheap foreign loans for Pakistan, rolling over $5 billion in loans at an annual interest rate of 4% — about one-third cheaper than Chinese cash deposits and less than half the cost of foreign commercial borrowing. Official records show that Riyadh charged a 4% interest rate on two separate cash deposit facilities obtained by Islamabad in recent years. The loan, originally contracted for one year, has yet to be repaid. Government officials said the kingdom has been rolling it over annually without imposing additional costs. A $2 billion Saudi cash deposit facility is…

Ma Xiuhua serves fruits at her agritainment in Tacheng City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 17, 2025. Ma Xiuhua, 60, is a native of Tacheng. Together with her husband, she built an agritainment named “Friends Manor” in their hometown, where they welcome guests from all over the country.Tacheng is home to over 20 ethnic groups, with a population of less than 160,000. Members of Ma’s family themselves come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.Whenever guests arrive at “Friends Manor,” Ma greets them with warm hospitality, treating them to her signature homemade dishes and fresh fruits harvested right from…

There often are silver linings for teams after defeats, but Pakistan had none last Sunday when they were crushed by India. There often are silver linings for teams after defeats, but Pakistan had none last Sunday when they were crushed by India in a lopsided contest that their bitter rivals dominated from the very first ball. It was the first proper examination of this Pakistan side in transition, which has vowed to be more dynamic with the bat and replaced their reliable, yet slow, run accumulators with feisty players yet to establish themselves at the apex level, based on the…

KARACHI: The controversy over the abrupt suspension of the Green Line project deepened further as the federal government distanced itself from responsibility, saying: “The matter lies between the Karachi mayor and the contractor.” Clarifying, the federal government’s spokesperson Barrister Raja Ansari said the issue stemmed from objections raised by the Karachi mayor over the contractor’s no-objection certificate (NOC). He noted that the Centre remained committed to providing transport facilities to the people of Karachi and had already released funds for the project. The federal and Sindh governments are in contact regarding the multi-billion project, said Ansari, adding coordination with the…

KARACHI: As the saying goes, charity begins at home, Health Minister Mustafa Kamal on Saturday publicly had his daughter vaccinated against cervical cancer in a bid to dispel widespread rumours about its safety. Speaking at a press conference in Karachi, Kamal said misleading propaganda had been spread against the vaccine and that he wanted to “prove with action, not words” that it was safe. “I had never brought my family into the public eye in my 30-year political career,” he told reporters. “But to put an end to these baseless rumours, I have taken this step.” Kamal said that just…

President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday visited the Kashgar Free Trade Zone — the only facility of its kind in southern Xinjiang and a major trade and logistics hub. During the visit, Zardari urged a private Chinese airline to expand its operations in Pakistan to boost connectivity and deepen cultural ties. The president, who is on a ten-day state visit to China since Sept 12, was received by Yao Ning, CPC Party Secretary of Kashgar. He was briefed on the zone’s rapid growth since its establishment in 2015. Spread over 3.56 square kilometres, the zone combines bonded warehousing, logistics, processing,…

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government (K-P) has decided, for the first time in the province, to provide CyberKnife and PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scan facilities for cancer patients. The CyberKnife robotic radiosurgery and PET/CT scan services will be made available at Hayatabad Medical Complex in Peshawar. “The CyberKnife System is a non-invasive treatment for cancerous and non-cancerous tumors and other conditions where radiation therapy is indicated. Due to the absence of PET scan facilities in K-P, cancer patients had previously been forced to seek treatment in Karachi and other provinces. Proposals have already been requested from companies for the project,” said…

KARACHI: Despite the presence of strict laws against sexual harassment and exploitation of children and women, weaknesses in investigation and prosecution continue to allow offenders to escape punishment, contributing to a surge in child abuse cases. Recent incidents, including the Qayyumabad case involving indecent videos of minors, have amplified fears among parents and children. Legal experts warn that while Pakistan has tightened laws in this domain, convictions remain rare due to poor investigations and fragile prosecution. Outdated methods of inquiry and lack of modern forensic support mean that serious digital crimes, such as recording and uploading obscene content to the…

LAHORE: The flood situation in Punjab’s rivers has largely normalised after weeks of flooding, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said on Saturday. “Water flow in most of Punjab’s rivers has returned to normal,” DG PDMA Irfan Ali Kathia stated, adding that water levels in flood-hit areas had dropped significantly. According to a PDMA report, the flow at Ganda Singh Wala on the Sutlej River stands at 104,000 cusecs, while Sulemanki recorded 81,000 cusecs. On the Chenab, water flows measured 42,000 cusecs at Marala, 44,000 cusecs at Khanki Headworks, 37,000 cusecs at Qadirabad, and 41,000 cusecs at Trimmu Headworks. At…