Venice Simplon-Orient-Express offers luxury train travel from Paris to Italy

Newswire Venice: A new luxury train route from Paris to Portofino on Italy’s Ligurian coast will become a reality this summer courtesy of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. The three-night experience includes one night on board the iconic train followed by a two-night stay at the five-star Splendido, A Belmond Hotel, overlooking the Gulf of Tigullio in […]

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Pakistan expects bumper yield of cotton crops this year with China’s help: Official

Faisalabad: Pakistan is expecting a bumper yield of cotton crops this year with the help of China, a senior official said. Deputy Director (DD) Agriculture (Extension) Chaudhry Khalid Mehmood said that the early cultivation of cotton crops would give bumper yield and play a pivotal role to stabilize the national economy. Addressing a farmers’ day […]

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EU must find ‘enormous amount’ of money to face global challenges, says Draghi

Brussels: The European Union needs to invest an “enormous amount of money in a relatively short time” to deal with the deep challenges the bloc is facing, former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said this week. Draghi, who has been tasked with producing a high-level report on the EU’s competitiveness, met with EU ministers […]

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Zong, Batik sign agreement encompassing GSM Connectivity

Newswire Islamabad: Chinese giant Zong 4G and Batik this week signed a formal agreement encompassing GSM Connectivity, Attendance Management Solutions, and Push to Talk devices for their dispersed workforce stationed throughout Pakistan. Batik Clothing is a renowned Pakistani clothing brand with a presence in seven major cities of Pakistan, said a news release. The brand […]

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China-funded mega solarization project inaugurated in Balochistan

Gwadar Pro Quetta: Balochistan Caretaker Chief Minister Mir Ali Mardan Khan Domki inaugurated the China-funded mega solarization project this week, aimed at converting various public department buildings, including educational institutions, healthcare facilities, and civic departments, to renewable energy sources. The China-funded project will provide clean, affordable, and uninterrupted power supply to the government departments. With […]

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Pakistan exhibitors show substantial presence at Texworld Evolution Paris

Newswire Islamabad:With a total of 19 enterprises, the Pakistani exhibitors show a substantial presence and impact at the internationally acclaimed trendsetting innovative ‘Texworld Evolution Paris’. The three-day exhibition that opened on February 5 with over 1300 companies from around the globe catering tofuture vogue and sourcing requirements remained the central attraction for global fashion and […]

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Greece, UAE sign memorandum for data center investments in Greece

Athens: Greece and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a memorandum of collaboration in Abu Dhabi this week for the promotion of investments in digital infrastructure in Greece. Signing the memorandum were Greek Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou and UAE Investments Minister and CEO of ADQ, Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi. The memorandum specifically foresees the construction […]

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PTCL, Huawei conduct 50G-PON trial to pioneer next generation fiber optic broadband in Pakistan

Gwadar Pro Islamabad: The country’s leading broadband service provider Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) in partnership with Huawei, a global leader in information and communication technology, this week completed the country’s first successful trial of 50G-PON technology, marking a historic stride towards the introduction of next-generation fiber-optic broadband services in Pakistan. This groundbreaking achievement is […]

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China Southern Airlines to resume Urumqi-Kashgar-Islamabad route after 15-year suspension

Gwadar Pro Islamabad: China Southern Airlines, a flag carrier of China, will resume the Urumqi-Kashgar-Islamabad route on January 27. The resumption of service comes nearly 15 years after the route was suspended in July 2009. The flight for the Urumqi-Kashgar-Islamabad round trip, numbered CZ8019/20, is scheduled to be carried out every Saturday. The outbound flight […]

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High Commissioner Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri vows to enhance export of Pakistani sports goods to Australia

Canberra: Pakistani High Commissioner to Australia Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri vowed to enhance export of Pakistani sports goods to Australia. “Had a very productive virtual meeting with the Chairman and Secretary General of Pakistan Sports Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PSGMEA) Agreed on a roadmap to enhance export of Pakistani sports goods to Australia,” he posted […]

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Nvidia’s ‘downgraded chips’ for China not a long-term solution: Global Times editorial

Global Times According to foreign media reports, US chipmaker Nvidia plans to begin mass production in the second quarter of 2024 of an artificial intelligence (AI) chip it designed for China to comply with latest US export rules. The sources said that it was originally scheduled for launch last November but that plan was delayed […]

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Pakistani Ambassador provides extensive overview to Chinese groups and enterprises on trade and investment

Islamabad: Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, Khalil Hashmi, this week provided an extensive overview to Chinese groups and enterprises regarding trade and investment prospects across diverse sectors in Pakistan, including agriculture, energy, infrastructure, transportation, and logistics. Sharing insights from a highly fruitful roundtable session on trade and investment cooperation held in Chengdu, Sichuan province, Ambassador Hashmi […]

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EU Ambassador Dr Riina Kionka encourages Pakistan to maximize benefits of GSP plus status

Celina Ali Karachi: EU Ambassador Dr Riina Kionka emphasized this week that Pakistan should fully exploit the Generalized System of Preferences Plus (GSP Plus) status during a meeting organized by the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Ambassador Kionka urged Pakistan to broaden its exports beyond textiles to the European Union, taking full advantage of […]

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China calls for stabilizing ties with US

Xu Wei Beijing: China reaffirmed its commitment to building a stable, healthy and sustainable relationship with the United States this week, with its top diplomat calling on both sides to assume the vision and role befitting major countries to give the world “rock-solid certainty and positive energy”. Addressing a reception commemorating the 45th anniversary of […]

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Indonesia targets exports to China at over US$65 billion in 2024

Jakarta: The Indonesian Government targets this year’s exports to China at around US$65 – 70 billion, said Director General of National Export Development at the country’s Ministry of Trade Didi Sumedi. He said that total exports to China during January-November 2023 stood at US$56.57 billion, and the whole year’s value is projected to reach some […]

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Tourism Taxes: What travellers need to know for 2024

Brussels: Travellers are expected to pay higher tourism taxes to several European destinations in 2024 as national economies try to boost local economies and support sustainability. According to a 2020 report by Group NAO and GDS-Movement, more countries are imposing tourism taxes lately, especially in the US and Europe, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. Guy Bigwood from the […]

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Ambassador Andreas Ferrarese vows to strengthen Pakistan-Italy economic ties

Celina Ali Islamabad: Italy’s Ambassador to Pakistan Andreas Ferrarese has said that to strengthen their economic ties, Pakistan and Italy are eyeing an expansion of their bilateral trade and investment relations. Despite a current bilateral trade volume of approximately one billion euros, the envoy emphasized that this figure does not truly reflect the potential both […]

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Greece hailed again as global economic ‘country of the year’

Athens: The Economist rated Greece as the top-performing economy in 2023. Euronews Business breaks down the study and considers how the rest of Europe performed last year. Greece led The Economist’s annual ranking of rich-world economies in 2023. The study gathers data on five indicators: “core” inflation – which excludes volatile components such as energy […]

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Pakistan expects huge investments from China: Commerce Minister

Newswire Karachi: Caretaker Federal Minister for Commerce, Industries and Production Dr Gohar Ejaz said this week that Pakistan was expecting huge investments from china. He reiterated the government’s commitment to economic revival and that measures envisaged by the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) would start a new phase of industrialization in the country. The minister […]

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‘Roadmap for Cooperation’ between Pakistan and Italy another feather in Ambassador Andreas Ferrarese’s crown

Celina Ali Islamabad: Italy’s Ambassador to Pakistan Andreas Ferrarese, with unwavering dedication, played a central role in orchestrating the recent historic ‘Roadmap for Cooperation’ between Pakistan and Italy. His diplomatic prowess and tireless efforts paved the way for a comprehensive agreement covering Trade & Investments, Heritage, Culture, Climate Change, Agriculture, Higher Education, Technical Cooperation, and […]

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Forging synergies: A tale of alliance and partnership

Celina Ali Islamabad: In 2023, the United States and Pakistan strengthened their partnership for mutual benefit. USAID played a pivotal role in this success, consistently supporting the pursuit of a prosperous, healthier, safer, and more robust Pakistan. Through various collaborations, projects, and programs, USAID contributed significantly to Pakistan’s development goals. The United States through USAID […]

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Controlling technology transfer to counter India’s illegal treatment toward Chinese companies

Ding Gang India has taken a strong stance against Chinese companies by banning Chinese apps, freezing the funds of Chinese companies and arresting their executives. Why is India so emboldened? The reason is that India’s mobile phone market has a lot of potential. Apple plans to shift 25 percent of its production to India by […]

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Saudi Arabia, Indonesia collaborate to elevate the assurance of halal products

Jakarta: Saudi Arabia and Indonesia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Halal product assurance cooperation in addition to the mutual recognition of each other’s Halal certificates. The agreement was signed between Indonesia’s Halal Product Assurance Organizing Body (BPJPH) and the Saudi Food and Drug Authority. Importantly, the agreement also expands to cooperation in training, […]

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China, Vietnam to boost cooperation

Global Times Beijing: This year marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. High-level interactions between the two countries have been frequent, and exchanges in various fields such as the economy and trade have been increasing. At the end of November, the 12th meeting of the China-Vietnam Economic and […]

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Pakistan witnesses unprecedented surge in sesame seed exports to China

Gwadar Pro Islamabad: In October 2023, Pakistan experienced a remarkable surge in sesame seed exports to China, reaching an unprecedented high of 64,711 tons valued at USD 113.66 million, a substantial increase from the 16,728 tons worth USD 25.57 million in the same month the previous year, a senior Pakistani diplomat said. Ghulam Qadir, the […]

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Iran and Saudi Arabia to negotiate on direct scheduled flights

Newswire Dubai: Iran and Saudi Arabia will start formal talks next week to resume direct scheduled flights between Tehran and Riyadh and other cities, an Iranian official told the state-affiliated news agency ILNA this week. Regular flights would be another step towards restoring ties between the two Middle Eastern rivals. A Chinese-mediated agreement in March […]

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