Author: i2wtc

Listen to article Pakistan has unexpectedly become one of the world’s top importers of solar panels, importing 17 gigawatts’ worth in 2024 alone—more than doubling its intake from the previous year, according to the Global Electricity Review 2025 by UK-based think tank Ember. This growth has occurred without sweeping government mandates or international green finance. Instead, it is being driven by a bottom-up surge in rooftop solar installations across households, small businesses and commercial users seeking relief from rising energy costs and chronic power outages, according to the report published in The Independent. “It marks a structural shift in how energy is perceived…

Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria’s new leader, would like better relations with Moscow, Qatar said.Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has told Russian President Vladimir Putin that Syria’s new leader is keen to build ties with Moscow. At talks in the Russian capital on Thursday, Al Thani assured the Russian leader that interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa was seeking to build relations with Russia, after the removal of former President Bashar al-Assad, who was a close ally of Moscow. “As for Syria, a few days ago President al-Sharaa was in Qatar, and we spoke with him about the historical and strategic…

Visitors look at the display of SK Hynix Inc. 12-layer HBM3E memory chips at the Semiconductor Exhibition (SEDEX) in Seoul, South Korea, on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesSouth Korea announced Tuesday a support package of 33 trillion won ($23.25 billion) for its vital semiconductor industry, as heightened uncertainty over U.S. tariffs threatens domestic companies.This comes after U.S. president Donald Trump reportedly said he would be announcing the tariff rate on imported semiconductors soon, after exempting them from his steep “reciprocal” tariffs last Friday.In a social media post Monday, Trump vowed to investigate the “whole electronics…

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, meets with Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Tran Thanh Man at the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee headquarters in Hanoi, Vietnam, April 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)HANOI, April 14 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday called on China and Vietnam to march toward modernization hand in hand.In his meeting with Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Tran Thanh Man, Xi also urged the two sides to inject more stability and positive energy into the world.Xi pointed out that his state…

Listen to article The lawyer representing Pakistani neurologist Dr. Aafia Siddiqui in the United States, Clive Stafford Smith, has decided to visit Pakistan to attend a case hearing regarding her release and repatriation. Imran Shafique, Aafia Siddiqui’s local lawyer, informed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) of Smith’s decision during a hearing on Monday. Smith is scheduled to arrive in Pakistan on May 4, as confirmed by Shafique. In light of this development, Shafique requested that the IHC adjourn the current hearing and set the next date for May 6 to allow for consultation with Smith. Justice Sardar Ijaz Ishaq Khan, who was…

US president says he is looking at offering relief to automakers as they adjust their supply chains.United States President Donald Trump has advanced plans to introduce tariffs on semiconductors and pharmaceutical products, even as he floated the possibility of a reprieve from his duties on the auto industry. In the latest flurry of trade announcements on Monday, the Trump administration launched investigations into the national security implications of importing the items and related products, including chip-making equipment and pharmaceutical ingredients. The probes follow Trump’s remarks over the weekend that he would announce details of new tariffs on semiconductors within days,…

A person runs past Dunster House at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, March 17, 2025.Scott Eisen | Getty ImagesThe Trump administration on Monday night said it was freezing $2.2 billion in grants to Harvard University over concerns about antisemitism on campus and other issues.The freeze was announced hours after Harvard flatly rejected demands by the Trump administration to eliminate its DEI programs and screen international students for ideological concerns, including antisemitism, putting nearly $9 billion in federal funding for the university at risk.”No government — regardless of which party is in power — should dictate what private universities can teach,…

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, meets with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee headquarters in Hanoi, Vietnam, April 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)HANOI, April 14 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday urged China and Vietnam to jointly oppose hegemonism, unilateralism and protectionism.In his meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Xi said that under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Vietnamese government, the country has achieved political and social stability, and made impressive achievements in its…

Listen to article Pakistan received a record $4.1 billion in remittances in March 2025, the highest monthly inflow on record, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Jameel Ahmad said on Monday. Addressing an event at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), Ahmad confirmed that the surge in inflows provided crucial support to the economy, foreign exchange reserves, and liquidity for importers. This marks the first time that remittances have crossed the $4-billion threshold in a single month. The inflow represents a 37% increase year-on-year compared to $2.95 billion in March 2024. Month-on-month, remittances rose by nearly 30%, up from $3.12 billion in February…

Rights activists and some legal scholars condemn the law, arguing that it effectively criminalises LGBTQ+ expression.Hungary’s parliament has approved a constitutional amendment allowing the government to ban all public events organised by LGBTQ+ groups. Passed on Monday, the amendment formalises a law introduced earlier this year that bans such gatherings, including Budapest’s annual Pride March. It’s seen by critics as another authoritarian lurch by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s right-wing government. Human rights activists and some legal scholars have condemned the law, arguing that it effectively criminalises LGBTQ+ expression in public spaces. Orban’s government has consistently argued that the legislation…