Author: i2wtc
WASHINGTON: The US government noted abuses in India and Pakistan in a shortened human rights report released on Tuesday that said India “took minimal credible steps” to combat the abuses while Pakistan “rarely took credible steps”. The Trump administration scaled back the annual US government report on human rights worldwide, dramatically softening criticism of some allies and countries that have been President Donald Trump’s partners. The State Department human rights documentation for India and Pakistan was also much shorter and scaled back this year. India has been an important US partner in recent years in Washington’s effort to counter China’s…
CHENGDU: Pakistan’s snooker hopes were dashed at the World Games as Mohammad Asif suffered consecutive defeats in the semi-final and bronze medal match, despite producing a breathtaking 141 clearance here at the Civil Aviation Flight University’s Tianfu Campus Gymnasium on Wednesday. Asif, aiming for a podium finish as an independence day gift for Pakistan, first fell to China’s Xiao Guodong in the semi-finals. Guodong — who won the Wuhan Open title last year — dominated the encounter, securing a commanding 2-0 victory. The 36-year-old home player sealed the first frame emphatically 80-0, featuring a 58-break, and clinched the second frame…
KARACHI: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday inaugurated the newly constructed New Hub Canal – a Sindh government and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) project – aimed at addressing the chronic water shortages. The project will provide an additional 100 million gallons per day to the metropolis. The PPP chairman expressed strong displeasure over the prolonged delay in the completion of the K-IV mega water project by the federal govt. “It is unacceptable to operate with ‘Shehbaz Speed’ for Lahore and switch to ‘Shehbaz Slow’ for Karachi,” he remarked. He said water scarcity had been a long-standing issue for Karachi and…
Foxconn Hon Hai Technology Group signage during the Nvidia GPU Technology Conference (GTC) in San Jose, California, US, on Thursday, March 20, 2025. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesTaiwan’s Foxconn, the world’s largest contract electronics maker, reported Thursday that its second-quarter operating profit rose 27% year over year, on the strength of its growing artificial intelligence server business.Here’s how Foxconn did in the second quarter of 2025 compared with LSEG SmartEstimates, which are weighted toward forecasts from analysts who are more consistently accurate:Revenue: 1.79 trillion New Taiwan dollars ($59.73 billion) vs. NT$1.79 trillionOperating profit: NT$56.596 billion vs. NT$49.767 billionThe company’s…
KARACHI: Chief Justice Sindh High Court (SHC) Justice Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar has said that a plan to set up more courts and increase the number of civil judges has been finalised. He also urged that social media be used positively and not for spreading negativity in society. He was speaking at the inauguration of the Free Legal Research Service organised by the DG Lawyers. Justice Ghaffar said that through recent amendments, civil cases had been shifted from the SHC to the district courts to minimise inconvenience to litigants and simplify the transfer process. Issues relating to jurisdiction in civil matters…
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s standing in the West may be pretty low, but he’s a skilled and seasoned statesman who shouldn’t be underestimated, analysts say — and he’s likely to be looking to outmaneuver his less experienced U.S. counterpart when the leaders meet in Alaska on Friday. Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump are meeting to try to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, but close followers of Moscow’s leadership are skeptical that any lasting resolution will be reached at the summit. “Let’s be clear, Putin does not take Trump seriously,” Tina Fordham, founder of Fordham Global Foresight,…
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Wednesday passed the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2024, granting military and civil armed forces the authority to place individuals facing terrorism charges under preventive detention for up to three months. The bill was moved by Minister of State for Interior and Narcotics Control Talal Chaudhry and sailed through clause-by-clause reading with a majority vote, rejecting amendments proposed by JUI-F’s Aliya Kamran while incorporating an amendment suggested by PPP’s Syed Naveed Qamar. Section 11EEEE of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), which allows preventive detention for questioning, was first inserted in 2014 after the Army Public School attack in…
A robot band performs at a themed restaurant in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 6, 2025. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)BEIJING, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) — As the doors swing open at Beijing’s new robot-themed restaurant, diners are greeted by humanoid waiters who nod and speak in lifelike gestures, while robotic servers glide between tables delivering dishes and a robot band plays drums and guitars, turning a meal into a futuristic spectacle.”The restaurant gives me a fresh sense of technology. It’s quite an amazing attempt,” said Ding Wenjun, a tourist from east China’s Jiangxi Province.”It is not only an immersive dining place integrating cuisine,…
ISLAMABAD: Moody’s on Wednesday upgraded Pakistan’s credit rating to the speculative grade of Caa1, lifting it from the brink of default, and noted that while debt affordability has improved, it remains the weakest among peers. The rating agency — one of the world’s top three — raised Pakistan’s standing for the first time in a year and assigned a “stable” outlook, citing overall improvements in the country’s external and fiscal positions. Pakistan had been at serious risk of default less than two years ago. The global credit rating agency has acknowledged the efforts that the government put in the past…
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday renewed his call for national unity and invited all political parties, stakeholders and civil society to join Misaq-i-Istehkam-i-Pakistan, as the nation marked its 78th Independence Day alongside celebrations for the Marka-e-Haq victory. Addressing a grand ceremony in the federal capital, the prime minister announced the creation of the Army Rocket Force to strengthen the country’s combat capabilities. He also inaugurated the symbolic Bunyanum Marsous memorial. The special event, held at Islamabad’s Jinnah Sports Stadium, brought together the country’s top civil and military leadership, foreign dignitaries, and thousands of citizens. The high-profile gathering was…