Author: i2wtc

PUBLISHED May 11, 2025 LAHORE: The propaganda warfare. The methodical dispensation of misinformation. The shrillest jingoism. The primitive bloodlust. The hatred of the other disguised in chants of patriotism. Destruction of the enemy hailed as revenge. Internal failures camouflaged in external blame game. Lust for TV TRPs and social media likes trumping responsibility to the traumatised audiences. Melodramatic slogans outlined in blood red trampling over veritable journalism. Vicious monologues drowning sensible discourse. Terrifying hashtags blinking on bright screens. That, tersely, was the Indian electronic and online media, barring a few channels and vlogs, on May 8, 2025. On April 22,…

Data shows that about 80 percent of all toys and 90 percent of Christmas goods sold in the US are manufactured in China.By Loreben Tuquero│PolitiFactPublished On 11 May 202511 May 2025Whether you are gift-wrapping a toy car or hanging Christmas ornaments, there is a strong chance you are handling products made in a Chinese factory. The day after President Donald Trump spoke in an interview about his tariff policies that girls in the United States do not need to “have 30 dolls”, some political commentators discussed China’s influence over the US toy market. The US currently has a 145 percent tariff…

Leo XIV, the first American pope, voted in past Republican primaries but is not formally registered with any party.By Grace Abels and Amy Sherman | PolitiFactPublished On 11 May 202511 May 2025Hours after Robert Prevost became the first United States-born pontiff on May 8, social media discussions in the US speculated whether Pope Leo XIV, as he is known after the election, was a “registered Republican”. “SCOOP: Our Turning Point Action team pulled the voting history for Pope Leo XIV,” conservative influencer Charlie Kirk wrote on social media platform X on May 8. “He’s a registered Republican who has voted in…

Polish cyclist Paweł Małaszko, aiming to be the first person to cycle to the K2 base camp from Karachi, started the final leg of his journey on Sunday. Małaszko, Aged 46, is cycling to the base camp as part of his adventure to cycle across Pakistan — from the shores of the Arabian Sea to the K2 base camp, the Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court provided a permit to the Polish cyclist to complete his adventure earlier this month. The legal battle between tour operators and GB tourism departments had stopped the issuance of mountaineering and trekking permits for foreigners. Talking to…

On May 10, United States President Donald Trump announced a “full and immediate” ceasefire between India and Pakistan brokered by his administration. US media reported that, alarmed by intelligence signalling further escalation, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles drove urgent mediation. Vance warned Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi of catastrophic risks and encouraged direct talks between India and Pakistan. The announcement of the ceasefire was received across the world with a sigh of relief. The spectre of a nuclear exchange, which according to one 2019 study could kill up…

PUBLISHED May 11, 2025 KARACHI: On an ordinary April morning, Shehzad Ghias, a Pakistani comedian and political commentator, opened his inbox to a message that would thrust him into the heart of a geopolitical standoff. His YouTube channel, The Pakistan Experience, had been blocked in India. No warning. No context. Just silence, except, of course, from the Indian government, which days earlier had banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, including major news outlets like Geo News and ARY, as well as independent creators, for allegedly spreading ‘anti-India propaganda’ in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. Pakistan…

U.S. President Donald Trump holds a chart next to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick as Trump delivers remarks on tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, D.C., on April 2, 2025.Carlos Barria | ReutersCommerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Sunday that the 10% baseline tariff rate on imports from other countries is likely to “be in place for the foreseeable future,” echoing President Donald Trump’s comments from days prior.”We do expect a 10% baseline tariff to be in place for the foreseeable future,” Lutnick told CNN’s Dana Bash on ‘State of the Union.’The commerce secretary rejected…

* A revised version of marriage registration rules started to take effect in China on Saturday, historically leaving out the former requirement of both loved ones showing their “hukou,” or the certificate of household registration status, which had been in place since 1980s.* On Saturday, there were approximately 1,700 pairs of marriage registrations recorded in Beijing, among which about 900 pairs are not permanent residents of Beijing.* Chinese provinces and cities have done more than reducing red tapes to boost marriage and fertility rates.BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) — In Beijing’s historic Qianmen district, a marriage registration office opened Saturday in…

PUBLISHED May 11, 2025 KARACHI: Did you know that India opposed a United Nations plan in 1947 which proposed the creation of a Jewish state in the Middle East? It voted against the UN Partition Plan for Palestine, citing concerns over religious nationalism and in solidarity with Arab nations. Although it recognised Israel in 1950, New Delhi refrained from establishing full diplomatic relations for decades. This was because India had adopted a secular polity rather than a religious one, and did not wish to alienate its large Muslim population or its Arab allies. What’s more, India became the first non-Arab…

At least seven people have died, and main roads were cut off after heavy rains led to flooding in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu. The regional administration spokesperson, Abdinasir Hirsi Idle, said on Saturday that rescue efforts were continuing. “The death toll could rise because the rains were heavy and lasted for several hours, causing nine houses to collapse across different neighbourhoods, and at least six major roads to suffer severe damage,” he said. Somalia has in the past suffered extreme climate shocks, including prolonged dry seasons that have caused droughts and heavy rains resulting in floods. Friday’s rains went on for…