Author: i2wtc

Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, gestures at a press conference in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 15, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)BEIJING, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) — The Chinese mainland plans to expand on-arrival document services for Taiwan residents to cover all eligible ports, a mainland spokesperson said Wednesday.Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said at a regular press conference that the move aims to further open up the mainland and make travel for Taiwan residents more convenient and secure.Under the plan, Taiwan residents will be able to…

U.S. President Donald Trump gestures during a meeting with President of Argentina Javier Milei in the Cabinet Room at the White House on Oct. 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. Kevin Dietsch | Getty Images U.S. stocks had a rocky day of trading, swinging from highs to lows like the quality of Game of Thrones across its eight seasons.At its lowest during the session, the S&P 500 fell as much as 1.5%, but recovered and traded positively for most of the day after U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer hinted that China’s next trade move could influence how President Donald Trump’s tariffs…

An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 1, 2025 shows a view of the Zhangzhou nuclear power project under construction in Zhangzhou, southeast China’s Fujian Province. (Zhangzhou nuclear power project/Handout via Xinhua)Despite global instability caused by unilateralism, protectionism and geopolitical crises, China’s economy has continued to play a significant role in maintaining global economic stability over the past five years.BISHKEK, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) — China’s remarkable progress over the past five years has become a key factor in global stability and development, said former Kyrgyz Ambassador to China Kanaiym Baktygulova.This year marks the final year of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan…

An abduction FIR was registered at Preedy Police Station on Tuesday after two sisters went missing from a madrassa near Abdullah Haroon Road under mysterious circumstances last weekend.  The complainant, Muhammad Azeem Akhtar, has accused a school teacher of abducting his daughters. The girls, Amna, 15, and Ayesha, 7, live with him in Allah Wali Colony, a settlement on Abdullah Haroon Road, Akhtar told the police. The girls had gone to the nearby madrassa on Saturday and did not return home, stated the complaint.  Read: Police hunt for suspects after woman kidnapped, assaulted by ex-husband When the distressed father inquired at…

All police personnel have been directed to avoid carrying anything that could prove ‘they belong to police department’Police personnel gather at GT Road following clashes with Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan protesters during a Gaza solidarity rally on October 13. Photo: PPI In the wake of deteriorating law and order situation in Lahore, the senior police officials have directed all police personnel to conceal their identity while heading for duty or returning home. Head of Headquarters, Ghazi, through a wireless message, instructed all police force members ‘avoid traveling in uniform until further orders’. These directives were issued on Monday following a clash between the…

Dutch semiconductor equipment giant ASML on Wednesday looked to calm concerns over 2026 growth as it warned that it expects a “significant” sales decline in China.The firm said it does not expect 2026 total net sales to be below 2025 and warned that it expects customer demand and sales in China to decline significantly next year compared to 2024 and 2025.Guidance was key for the firm after shares sank in July when it warned that it could not confirm growth in 2026 due to increasing macro-economic and geopolitical uncertainty.Here’s how ASML did versus LSEG consensus estimates for the third quarter:Net…

The Sindh government has launched a digital platform to simplify the process of obtaining business licences and registrations, eliminating the need for long queues and manual paperwork. The initiative, introduced under the World Bank’s economic reform programme, marks a major step toward full digitalisation of government services related to business approvals in the province. Under the Sindh Advanced Business Regulation Reform, the government has begun issuing e-permits and e-licences through a single online portal as part of the Click Project, an initiative of the Sindh Investment Department designed to improve the investment climate and service delivery across the province, including Karachi.…

As the peak holiday shopping season approaches, most U.S. consumers have a downbeat outlook on the economy, according to an annual Deloitte survey published on Wednesday.Most consumers surveyed — 57% — said they expect the economy to weaken in the year ahead, the consulting firm found in a poll of roughly 4,000 respondents. That compares to 30% who expected a weaker economy ahead of the year-ago holiday season and 54% in 2008, one of the years of the Great Recession.It marks the most negative economic outlook since Deloitte began tracking that in 1997.Seventy-seven percent of people surveyed said they expect…

Sam Altman, chief executive officer of OpenAI Inc., during a media tour of the Stargate AI data center in Abilene, Texas, US, on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. Kyle Grillot | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesAdult ChatGPT users can soon access a less censored version of the artificial intelligence chatbot, which will include erotic materials, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has announced in an apparent policy shift.”In December, as we roll out age-gating more fully and as part of our ‘treat adult users like adults’ principle, we will allow even more, like erotica for verified adults,” Altman said in a social media post…

The Sindh government has introduced a new technology-based system to monitor student attendance and address complaints in public schools. The initiative – Student Attendance Monitoring System (SAMRS) – was launched during a meeting chaired by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday. The meeting was attended by Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah, Chief Secretary Syed Asif Hyder Shah, and other senior officials. Speaking at the meeting, the chief minister said the system would help identify the causes of student absenteeism and ensure timely measures to address educational challenges. “The Student Attendance Monitoring System will serve as a tool…