Tag: China

  • Nikon may stop making SLRs to focus on mirrorless models

    Nikon may stop making SLRs to focus on mirrorless models

    Nikkei, a Japanese business journal, stated earlier today that Nikon is going to discontinue producing DSLR cameras and concentrate on mirrorless cameras. Naturally, this news spread throughout the camera community and was covered by numerous popular sites.

    Nikon Inc. posted a statement on its website clarifying that it would keep producing, marketing, and servicing its DSLR camera range.

    According to Nikkei’s initial report, the company has discovered that Nikon will withdraw from the single-lens reflex camera sector and pivot toward digital solutions under rising competition from smartphone cameras.

    To be more precise, Nikkei stated that Nikon “plans to focus resources on mirrorless cameras, which have become widespread items as a result of more advanced digital technologies.”

    Nikkei doesn’t go into further detail about how this information was gathered, and it just adds a brief history of Nikon, its history as a photographer, and the situation of the camera market now to the initial piece.

    It’s interesting to note that Nikkei ends the statement by stating that “Rival Canon likewise aims to follow Nikon and discontinue producing DSLRs within a few years,” but it doesn’t provide any further information on that assertion.

    Soon after, Nikon learned about the piece, but not before the photographic community picked up on Nikkei’s first revelation.

    Nikon Inc. posted the following comment on its website in reaction to the report from Nikkei and the articles from other publications:

    ‘There was a media article regarding Nikon’s withdrawal of SLR development. This media article is only speculation and Nikon has made no announcement in this regards. Nikon is continuing the production, sales and service of digital SLR. Nikon appreciate your continuous support.’

    The statement from Nikon Inc. is clear-cut, but Nikon doesn’t specifically refute the details in the Nikkei report. Nikon just states that “Nikon has not announced in these regards” rather than claiming the news is false.

    Nikon does claim that it will keep up “the manufacturing, sales, and service of digital SLR,” but that’s a somewhat nebulous claim that only applies to here and now.

  • India to become the most populous country in 2023

    India to become the most populous country in 2023

    India will become the world’s most populous country next year i.e 2023, beating China, according to a United Nations (UN) report. Currently, India’s population stands at 1.412 billion, compared to China’s 1.426 billion.

    The findings were released by the UN on July 11 to mark World Population Day.

    The latest projections also suggest the world population is expected to reach eight billion by mid-November 2022, 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050, 10.4 billion people during the 2080s and to remain at that level until 2100.

    India is also among eight countries where the population is expected to be concentrated in 2050. The other seven countries are Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Tanzania.

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, “This year’s World Population Day (July 11) falls during a milestone year when we anticipate the birth of the Earth’s eight billionth inhabitant. This is an occasion to celebrate our diversity, recognise our common humanity, and marvel at advancements in health that have extended lifespans and dramatically reduced maternal and child mortality rates.”

    In a tweet, he added, “On ensuring our world can support our needs and those of future generations. On protecting human rights and the ability of all individuals to make informed choices about whether and when to have children.”

  • Pak-China relations to restrengthen pledges Chinese delegation leader

    Pak-China relations to restrengthen pledges Chinese delegation leader

    Pak-China relations to re-strengthen, pledges Chinese delegation leader
    Chinese politician and Director of China’s Central Foreign Affairs Commission Yang Jiechi pledged to help re-strengthen Pakistan-China relations as he kickstarted his two-day trip to Islamabad with a meeting with Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday.

    “He assured to play his role for further improvement in diplomatic cooperation with Pakistan at all levels,” said the Inter-services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General (DG) Major-General Babar Iftikhar after the meeting with the army chief at the General Headquarters.

    Yang had a meeting with Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday as well. The PM highlighted the significance of Director Yang’s visit in furthering the bilateral relations between the two countries across all domains. In particular, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has strengthened the ties between China and Pakistan. The relationship between the two countries would continue to grow and prosper, bringing peace and stability to the region, noted Sharif.

    Yang also met Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.

    “The two sides discussed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.

    The meetings come at a sensitive time as the Pakistan-China relationship seems to be under strain after the April 26 attacks on three Chinese language teachers in Karachi.

  • Nio electric car falls from third floor of office, killing two

    Nio electric car falls from third floor of office, killing two

    Two employees were killed, according to Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Nio, when one of its vehicles fell from the third floor of its Shanghai headquarters.

    One staff member and one worker from a joint venture were inside the car as it crash-landed from Nio’s Shanghai office.

    The incident happened on Wednesday at around 05:20 PM, according to the company. As the car fell from the building, those who were inside perished.

    According to Nio, it launched an investigation into the incident right away in collaboration with authorities.

    The third-floor space where the car fell has variously been referred to as a showroom, a testing facility, or a parking lot.

    “Our company has collaborated with public security department to launch the investigation and analysis of the cause of the accident. Based on the analysis of the situation at the scene, we can initially confirm that this was an accident (not caused by the vehicle),” the company said in a statement.

    “We feel very sad about this accident and would like to express our deepest condolences to our colleague and partner employee who lost their lives. A team has been set up to help the families,” it added.

    Within a half-hour, thousands of netizens commented on Nio’s initial Weibo post before it was removed. Social media users reacted angrily to the final clause of the statement, “not related to the vehicle itself.”

    The Chinese business to dominate the electric vehicle market is led by Nio. To allay customers’ worries about needing to charge their cars frequently, it has placed a lot of faith in interchangeable batteries in its vehicles.

    Nio is a rival to the US-based electric car manufacturer Tesla, owned by multi-billionaire Elon Musk, who also operates a manufacturing facility in Shanghai.

  • ‘Rubbish,’ General Bajwa speaks out against claim made by journalist about him

    ‘Rubbish,’ General Bajwa speaks out against claim made by journalist about him

    “Rubbish, totally rubbish,” said General Bajwa in response to an ARY News anchorperson’s claim about China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that was attributed to the army chief, reports Ansar Abbasi for The News and Jang.

    ARY News anchorperson Chaudhry Ghulam Hussain claimed that he was told by the army chief, in the presence of a couple of other people, that out of the initial Chinese investment of $19 billion for CPEC projects during the PML-N government, $10 billion were spent on the ground while $9 billion was stolen by contractors, government officials and political governments at the Centre and in Punjab. Ghulam Hussain said that when he asked why no action was taken, he was told by the army chief that the Chinese said they “don’t want to agitate these things in public” and that they will take action against their own people privately after investigating.

    Abbasi reports that whenThe News shared the video clip of the anchor’s claim with a defence source close to army chief General Bajwa, the source said Bajwa responded to ARY’s claim by saying, “Rubbish, totally rubbish.”

  • Inflation in France hits record-high since 1990s

    Inflation in France hits record-high since 1990s

    Preliminary EU-harmonised statistics indicated that inflation in France surged more than projected in May to a new high, putting additional pressure on President Emmanuel Macron before upcoming legislative elections.

    Consumer prices rose 0.7 per cent in May, for a 12-month inflation rate of 5.8 per cent, up from 5.4 per cent in the last month and the highest rate since France started working on European Union methodology to generate the numbers in the early 1990s, as per the INSEE statistics.

    Inflation was predicted to grow to 5.6 per cent on average, considering a poll of eight economists in a report by Reuters.

    High inflation is at the top of France’s political agenda, and following the elections, Macron’s government has promised a new wave of measures to protect buying power.

    Apart from Malta, France has managed to maintain the inflation lower than the rest of the EU due to a 25 billion euro package of measures that includes, among other things, hefty price limits on gas and electricity.

    Annual inflation in France, as measured by the national consumer price index, climbed to 5.2 per cent in May from 4.8 per cent in April, reaching its highest level since September 1985, according to INSEE.

    This month, economists surveyed by Reuters projected an average growth rate of 5.0 per cent. In France, the national index is regularly monitored, whilst outside the country, the EU-harmonised index is used to assess inflation rates among euro-area nations.

  • Asian Games 2022 in China postponed due to Covid

    Asian Games 2022 in China postponed due to Covid

    This year’s Asian Games have been postponed for an indefinite period as China tries to stamp out a large resurgence in Covid infections in several parts of the country. The event was scheduled to be held in Hangzhou, China, from September 10-25, 2022.

    According to the official statement by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), the new dates will be agreed between the OCA, the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC) and the Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee (HAGOC) and will be announced in the near future.

    “HAGOC has been very well prepared to deliver the games on time despite global challenges. However, the above decision was taken by all the stakeholders after carefully considering the pandemic situation and the size of the games,” the statement further reads.

    However, last month the organisers of the games said that Hangzhou has completed constructing some 56 competition venues for the Asian Games and Asian Para Games.

    It is pertinent to mention that more than 11,000 athletes from 44 countries were to take part in the 19th Asian Games in September 2022.

    It has also been confirmed by the OCA that the 3rd Asian Youth Games 2021, originally scheduled to be held last year but was rescheduled for this year, are now officially cancelled.

    Most international sporting events in China have been postponed or cancelled since the start of the pandemic, with the notable exception of the Winter Olympics, which went ahead in Beijing under strict health controls in February.

  • Female suicide bomber is a double masters, mother of two: Who is Shari Baloch?

    Female suicide bomber is a double masters, mother of two: Who is Shari Baloch?

    The 30-year-old Shari Baloch committed a suicide bombing near the Confucius Institute of Karachi University on April 26. In the suicide attack, she targeted four people including Chinese nationals and a van driver, reports Independent Urdu.

    She was an educated woman who belonged from Kech, Balochistan. She had been with Balochistan Students Organisation-Azad (BSO Azad) since college. She later joined the separatist movement of the Majeed Brigade of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). She completed her master’s degree in education from Allama Iqbal Open University in 2014

    However, as per Urdu news reported that he completed a bachelor’s in Education (B.Ed) in 2014 and earned a Master’s degree in education in 2018. Later, she also earned a master’s degree in Zoology. As per her allegedly Twitter account, she has done M.Phil in education as well. She was married to a doctor and have two children together, one son and a daughter. She was teaching in a government school in Balochistan but the school did not confirm it yet.

    Her relative revealed to a reporter that most of the family members are part of the bureaucracy.

    According to her relative, “It is being said on social media that some members of Shari Baloch’s family went missing so she took such a step to take revenge but not a single person in her family has gone missing to date. She was ideologically committed to it, so maybe she took such a step.”

    Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Raja Umar Khattab also confirmed that it was the suicide attack that was carried out by a female clad-in-burqa. Police also released CCTV footage in which Shari Baloch was standing near the gate of the Confucius Institute. She blew up when a van was about to enter the institute at 1:52 pm.

    [TRIGGER WARNING] VIDEO MAY BE SENSITIVE TO SOME AUDIENCE

    https://twitter.com/Irumf/status/1518929328502890496

    Four people lost their lives including three Chinese nationals and a driver while three people survived from injuries including Ranger personnel, one Chinese national, and a security guard. The injured people were taken to a nearby hospital

    The deceased three Chinese nationals are identified as Prof. Huang GuiPing, Ding Mufang, and Chen Sai while Wang Yuqing received injuries.

    Later, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) took the responsibility for the suicide attack near the Confucius Institute.

    A spokesperson of BLA spokesman said, “Shari joined the Majeed Brigade two years ago and six months ago she confirmed that she was determined to carry out the attack. She has been active in her mission ever since.”

    A tweet from her husband, Habitan Bashir Baloch also came to light for appreciating his wife’s selfless act.

    He penned down, “Shari Jan, your selfless act has left me speechless but I am also beaming with pride today. Mahroch and Meer Hassan will grow into very proud humans thinking what a great woman their mother was. You will continue to remain an important part of our lives.

    https://twitter.com/HabitanB/status/1519041873691791362?t=-m4FM_PQuDEQQYY2WTSe1g&s=08

    “The police had received reports regarding security threats to Chinese nationals and security was also provided to them, however, no intelligence report of suicide attack through a female bomber was received,” the top police official said while speaking on Geo News program Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath.

    China has strongly condemned the recent suicide attack on Karachi University and extended deep condolences and sympathies to the families of the victims.

    In a statement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, “The government of the People’s Republic of China expresses strong condemnation and indignation over this major terrorist attack and extends deep condolences to the victims and sympathies to the injured and bereaved families.”

    Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Wu Jianghao called the Pakistan Ambassador to China Moinul Haque and demanded that Pakistan should immediately make a thorough investigation into the tragic incident, and apprehend and punish the perpetrators to the full extent of the law. “We expect that Pakistan will take all possible measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens living across Pakistan and to avoid the recurrence of such cowardice incidents happening again.”

    Moin ul Haque, in a message, said, “The entire nation is in shock and mourns the loss of these precious lives including our Chinese friends.”

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif also visited the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad after the incident to offer condolence over the incident.

    PM said, “The blood of the Chinese people should not be shed in vain, and those behind this incident will surely pay the price.”

  • Exclusive: PM Shehbaz says next army chief will be appointed as per rules, regulations

    Exclusive: PM Shehbaz says next army chief will be appointed as per rules, regulations

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday called the PM House a ‘Jamhoori House’ (Democratic House) and said that his government believed in media freedom. In an interaction with journalists at the PM House on April 26, Sharif said that the previous government was not just incompetent and corrupt but had damaged the country’s economy and foreign relations. PM Shehbaz talked about several issues.

    New army chief

    PM said that he has the constitutional right to appoint a new army chief. He added that he will appoint the new army chief as per the constitution and rules and regulations when the time comes for his appointment. This was in response to a question about the appointment of a new army chief since General Bajwa will not take an extension as per DG ISPR.

    Pak-US relations

    While answering a question about Pakistan’s relationship with the US, PM said that the US is a superpower so we need to maintain good relations with them. “Amreeka dushmani hamaaray waaray nahin” (we cannot afford enmity with the US). He added that we need to do some stock-taking regarding Pak-US ties and improve relations with the US.

    Foreign Policy

    Talking about foreign relations, PM Shehbaz said that the previous government had alienated allies and friends. “How can we say that we can raise the Kashmir issue without Saudi Arabia?”

    PM said that the members of the previous government had lied about loans on 8% by China apart from allegations of corruption against Chinese investment by Pervez Khattak and several others in PTI. “China helped us get rid of load shedding by investing in power plants.”

    Saudi Visit

    PM will be visiting Saudi Arabia tomorrow (April 28-30) on the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. PM Shehbaz said that he is likely to meet the Saudi leadership during his visit.

    Load shedding

    He said that there there is no other reason for frequent load shedding other than the negligence of previous government for not buying LNG and furnace oil on time. He also criticised the previous government for its baseless allegations against the LNG contract signed by the previous PML-N government. He said that Qatar must have been amazed that instead of thanking them for such a good deal, PTI indulged in “ilzaam taraashi” [allegations].

    Economic crisis

    “Pakistan is going through one of the most difficult times. We are trying to take the country in the right direction. We have seen how Japan and Germany rebuilt their economies after tough times. We have the examples of South Korea and Bangladeshi economies too. Once upon a time, Pakistan had a better per capita income than China but look at us now. Our currency was better than India’s. When India was ahead of us in the steel industry, we were ahead of them in textiles.”

    “There is no point crying over spilt milk but now it is time to rebuild our economy,” said PM Shehbaz. He said that it will be a difficult challenge but is not impossible to bring back our lost place in the comity of nations by strengthening our economy. “Rome was not built in a day.”

    “If we were economically strong, our foreign policy would have been stronger.”

    PECA

    The PM was asked if roll back of PECA was on the cards, to which he said that his government believes in freedom of media and media will not have to face any curbs but they need to differentiate between truth and fake news. “Media should highlight our mistakes. We welcome that. But it should not spread fake news.”

    Missing files

    When asked that there are reports that some files have been taken by the previous government from the PM House regarding sugar scandal and other scandals, Shehbaz said that if he is given evidence about the missing files, he will find them.

    Accountability

    He said that in the name of accountability, there will be no revenge. “Ehtesaab ke naam par intiqaam nahin leinge,” said PM Shehbaz. He said that businessmen say they will not invest here because the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) will either arrest them or harass them. “Businessmen kehte hain ya NAB giraftaar kar leinge ya zaleel kareinge unko.”

    Elections

    The PM said that we will go for elections after carrying out necessary reforms, especially electoral reforms.

    Threat letter

    PM Shehbaz said that the National Security Committee meeting issued a clear statement that there was no conspiracy. “The punchline of the statement was that there is no saazish, no conspiracy.”

    Shehbaz said that if the threat letter was received on March 7, why did the PTI government talk about it on March 28? “March tak moonh mein taalay kyun laga kar baithay thay?” He asked when did the previous government turn this letter into a conspiracy. “When they knew they were going to lose in parliament. There is no question of a conspiracy whatsoever.”

    Karachi attack

    “The attack in Karachi University is a huge tragedy where three Chinese nationals died. China is our friend. I went to the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad for solidarity,” said PM. He added that Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah will go to Karachi on Wednesday (today) and help and coordinate with the Sindh government. “After our Saudi visit, we will hold a comprehensive meeting on security.”

    Afghanistan

    Afghanistan is not just our neighbour but our “baraadar mulk” (brother country). “If there is peace in Afghanistan, there will be peace in Pakistan. What is good for Afghanistan is good for Pakistan.”

    PTI resignations

    PM said that they have found out that many resignations were taken by force from PTI MNAs and were not given voluntarily. “We will know the truth when the legal process has been completed.” He was asked whether the government could convince PTI to take back its resignations to be an effective Opposition.

    PTI long march

    While answering a question about Imran Khan’s call for march to Islamabad, PM said that if they won’t do anything unlawful, nothing will happen to them but he won’t allow anyone to spread anarchy on the roads.

    Pak Army

    The PM said that the Pak Army has given a lot of sacrifices for this country. “It is wrong to say anything negative about Pakistan’s army. It is condemnable,” said the PM when responding to a question about social media trends against the army.

  • ‘Will not allow anyone to relax’: PM Shehbaz says not to visit China until load-shedding over

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has taken notice of the long hours load-shedding across the country following his visit to different areas and departments in Lahore on Sunday, reports Geo News.

    “Immediate steps must be taken to reduce power outages by May. Until we get rid of load-shedding, I will not leave for China, neither will allow anyone to relax,” the premier declared.

    Shehbaz Sharif further said that tangible measures should be taken for the availability of oil and gas resources to operationalise closed thermal power plants.

    In the ongoing holy month of Ramazan, Pakistan has severely been hit by power outrages and various cities of the country are experiencing 10-12 hours power loadshedding.

    PM Shehbaz claimed that the previous government made the nation paid for Rs100 billion due to wrong decisions. “The nation will have to pay Rs500 billion extra this year as such due to the poor planning and incompetence of the previous government,” Shehbaz regretted.

    “Due to the negligence of the previous rulers, one Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) ship that was available for Rs6 billion is now costing Pakistan a humongous amount of Rs20 billion”, PM Shehbaz revealed. 

    On a weekly-day off, the PM paid a surprise visit to Ramazan bazaar in Johar Town and visited Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI) in the Punjab capital.