Author: i2wtc

Workers labor at a construction site of an urban village renovation project in Nanning City, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, July 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang)BEIJING, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) — During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), China has made solid progress in meeting people’s housing demands, fostering a new development model for the real estate sector, and driving steady growth in the construction industry.Since 2021, more than 11 million units of affordable and resettlement housing, including those for the redevelopment of “urban villages” and dilapidated residential areas, have been constructed across the country, benefiting over 30 million residents, according…

The first secretary at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, Shoaib Sarwar, and other diplomats on Friday laid the traditional chaddar at the shrine of Hazrat Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya (RA) whose 722nd urs is being celebrated these days. According to an official statement, the diplomats were welcomed by custodian of the shrine Dewan Syed Tahir Nizami. After laying the traditional chaddar, the participants offered dua and prayed for Pakistan’s progress and prosperity. The diplomats also paid respect at the shrine of Hazrat Amir Khusro (RA), located within the same compound. The custodian of the shrine also performed dastarbandi of…

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump threatened to hike tariffs on Chinese exports and cancel a meeting with President Xi Jinping, in a broadside against Beijing on Friday that sent markets and relations between the world’s largest economies into a spiral. Trump, due to meet Xi in about three weeks in South Korea, complained on social media about what he characterised as China’s plans to hold the global economy hostage after China dramatically expanded its rare earth element export controls on Thursday. China dominates the market for such elements, which are essential to tech manufacturing. Trump said there was no reason…

OpenAI DevDayAshley Capoot | CNBCVirtually every successful tech startup throughout history has faced the reality that it could get swallowed up or run over by a large incumbent at any moment. It’s part of daily life for an entrepreneur.But the company at the center of the current boom is a different kind of beast.Unlike industry giants of past eras, OpenAI is privately held. Its financials are mostly secretive and its ability and willingness to spend other people’s money is unrivaled.And as OpenAI has proven recently, through a dizzying array of mammoth deals and product rollouts, the artificial intelligence lab is…

Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), attends a military parade celebrating the 80th founding anniversary of the WPK in Pyongyang, the DPRK, Oct. 10, 2025. The DPRK held a military parade Friday at Kim Il Sung Square in central Pyongyang to celebrate the 80th founding anniversary of the WPK. Kim Jong Un made a speech at the event, which was attended by some foreign leaders. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)PYONGYANG, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) — The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) held a…

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Friday informed the National Assembly that the government has formally established the Pakistan Crypto Council to develop a regulatory and operational framework for cryptocurrency in the country. Responding to questions during the Question Hour, the minister clarified that the government neither intends to promote nor discourage cryptocurrency but aims to regularise and channel it under a structured legal system to prevent misuse and ensure transparency. He explained that cryptocurrency is a relatively new concept in Pakistan, and the government prefers to handle it through proper institutional mechanisms rather than…

Ni Hong, China’s minister of housing and urban-rural development, and Dong Jianguo, Qin Haixiang and Li Xiaolong, all vice ministers of housing and urban-rural development, attend a press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO) on achievements in high-quality housing and urban-rural development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 11, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Xin)BEIJING, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) — During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), China has made solid progress in meeting people’s housing demands, fostering a new development model for the real estate sector, and driving steady growth in the construction…

KARACHI: Pakistan’s automobile industry continued its strong recovery trajectory in September 2025, with total passenger car, LCV, van, and jeep sales surging 22% month-on-month (MoM) and 67% year-on-year (YoY) to 17,174 units, according to data released by the Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA). Industry experts attribute the upturn to a more stable macroeconomic environment, easing inflation, lower interest rates, and improved consumer confidence, which have collectively spurred demand across all vehicle categories, but the jump seems stark owing to low bas. Cumulatively, car sales during the first quarter of FY26 (July-September 2025) stood at 42,267 units, reflecting a robust 53%…

RAWALPINDI: Former prime minister Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi have submitted their statements under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) in a case related to alleged violation of state gift repository rules by the couple during Imran’s term as the PM. In his statement, Imran has questioned whether mere failure to report a gift under the 2018 Toshakhana — gift repository — policy could warrant legal action. He said the Toshakhana gift — a Bulgari jewellery set — was received between May 7 and 10, 2021 during his visit to Saudi Arabia and that the National…

NUSEIRAT: Israel declared a ceasefire in Gaza and began to pull back its forces on Friday, as tens of thousands of exhausted Palestinians made their way back to their devastated homes. After two years of brutal war, the families of Israel’s remaining hostages in the territory were also hoping the truce — pushed by US President Donald Trump — would hold. The Israeli military said its troops had ceased fire at noon (0900 GMT) “in preparation for the ceasefire agreement and the return of hostages”. Three hours later, the US Pentagon confirmed Israel had completed the first phase of a…