Author: i2wtc

The United States bought $439bn worth of goods from China in 2024 – more than three times the $143.5bn it sold in return. That $295bn gap, known as the trade deficit, is something US President Donald Trump is determined to shrink. In an effort to close the gap, Trump has raised tariffs on China to 145 percent. This means Chinese goods sold to the US are now taxed at 2.45 times their original price, making them much more expensive and less competitive in the US market. China has retaliated with 125 percent levies on US goods. The tit-for-tat escalation of…

US State Department cable reveals that social media posts could lead to screening of visa applicants for national security threats.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered the State Department to review the social media accounts of foreign applicants for United States visas who have visited the Gaza Strip in the past 18 years, according to an internal cable seen by the Reuters news agency. The cable covers all immigrant and non-immigrant US visas – including students and tourists – of people who have spent “any length of time in an official or diplomatic capacity” in Gaza on or after…

ISLAMABAD: Local player Nadir Mirza set up a ITF World Juniors Tennis Championship final date with Japan’s Takaya Ishi after beating compatriot Abubakar Talha 7-5, 6-1 in the boys’ singles semi-final here at the PTF Tennis Complex on Thursday. Ishi, in the other semi-final, got the better of Kazakhstan’s Rodion Likashov 6-1, 6-4. In the girls’ singles semi-finals, Kazakhstan’s Alissa Korolyova overcame compatriot Yelizaveta Slepchenko 6-3, 5-7, 6-2. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Haniya Aman Minhas secured a convincing 6-2, 6-1 win against Turkey’s Serife Pelin Sari to book her spot in the final. In the boys’ doubles quarter-finals, China’s Yuxuan Li…

*During his meeting with the Cambodian King, Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed confidence in writing a splendid chapter of building an all-weather China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era.*For many years, China has been Cambodia’s largest trading partner and top source of investment, and industrial and supply chain cooperation between the two countries has continued to deepen. The entry into force of both the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and the China-Cambodia Free Trade Agreement has further strengthened the foundation for bilateral trade and investment.*In view of the headwinds on the international landscape, Xi said unilateralism and hegemonism…

Listen to article Pakistan’s current account posted a record surplus of $1.2 billion in March 2025, reversing a revised deficit of $97 million from the previous month, data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) showed on Thursday. On a year-on-year basis, the surplus surged 230% from $363 million recorded in March 2024. According to brokerage firms Topline Securities and Arif Habib Limited, March 2025 marked the “highest-ever monthly current account surplus” in the country’s history. The robust performance brought the cumulative current account surplus to $1.86 billion during the first nine months of FY2024–25, a sharp turnaround from a $1.65…

The US president says prospect of a trade deal with the EU is ‘100 percent’, praising the Italian prime minister as ‘fantastic’.US President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni have expressed optimism about a possible United States-European Union tariffs deal as the two leaders met at the White House, as economic uncertainly roils the market. Meloni has cast herself as the only European who can de-escalate Trump’s trade war, and she has highlighted their conservative common ground, declaring that she wants to “make the West great again.” “There will be a trade deal, 100 percent,” Trump declared on…

Listen to article Several senior leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), including National Assembly Opposition Leader Omar Ayub and the jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s sisters, were briefly detained and later released by Rawalpindi police on Thursday near Adiala jail, where the PTI founder is being held. The detentions occurred following a verbal confrontation at a police checkpoint after the group was denied permission to meet Khan. Those held included Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Ahmed Khan Bhachar, Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) chief Sahibzada Hamid Raza, and Khan’s sisters Aleema Khan, Uzma Khanum, and Noreen Khanum, along with his cousin Qasim Khan. Police…

Listen to article Pakistan and Hungary have signed an agreement to abolish visa requirements for diplomatic passport holders of both countries, along with two memoranda of understanding (MoUs) focused on cooperation in culture and archaeology. The agreements were signed on Thursday during the visit of Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Péter Szijjártó, who is in Islamabad on the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. The visit also commemorates the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations. Szijjártó is leading a high-level delegation, including 17 business representatives, to explore investment opportunities in Pakistan. Speaking at…

PodcastPodcast, The TakeWhat does Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s case say about the future of immigration under Trump? What happens when the US ignores its own courts? Kilmar Abrego Garcia was deported despite a judge’s order and imprisoned in El Salvador in one of the most notorious prisons in the world. The case reveals how gang allegations – often baseless – are still being used to deport immigrants. We unpack the decisions making it possible to turn Abrego Garcia’s life upside down. In this episode: Nayna Gupta, (@nayna_gupta), American Immigration Council Policy Director Episode credits: This episode was produced by Tamara Khandaker,…

blinking-dotLive updatesLive updates, These are the key events on day 1,149 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.Here is where things stand on Friday, 18 April: Fighting Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its air defence systems destroyed or intercepted 71 Ukrainian drones over six Russian regions overnight, of which 49 were downed in the Kursk region. The ministry said it seized the village of Preobrazhensky in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, state news agency TASS reports. Kyiv’s air force said Russia launched five missiles and 75 drones at Ukraine overnight, out of which 25 were shot down and another 30 did not reach…