Author: i2wtc

Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl in the fourth Twenty20 against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui on Sunday as they bid to square the five-match series. Captain Salman Agha’s decision was no surprise, given that the chasing team has comfortably won each of the first three games of the series. New Zealand made two changes from the team that lost the third match convincingly in Auckland on Friday by nine wickets, leaving Pakistan trailing 2-1. Both are to their seam attack, with Zak Foulkes and Will O’Rourke replacing Kyle Jamieson and Ben Sears. Pakistan are unchanged from the…

Listen to article ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have made further adjustments to the economic liberalisation plan and agreed to cut weighted average applied tariffs to around 6% — a reduction of 43% over five years in the protection level available to local industries. The country has the third-highest trade-weighted average tariffs in South Asia at 10.6%, and after the implementation of the full liberalisation plan, it will have the lowest weighted average tariffs in the region. The final adjustments were made during a virtual meeting held on Thursday, according to government sources. It has been agreed that the…

Listen to article The nation is celebrating Pakistan Day on Sunday with a renewed commitment to transforming the country into an Islamic welfare state as envisioned by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The day marks the anniversary of the Lahore Resolution, passed on March 23, 1940, which laid the foundation for a separate homeland for Muslims of the Subcontinent. Celebrations began with a 31-gun salute in Islamabad and 21-gun salutes in provincial capitals. Special prayers were offered after Fajr for the nation’s progress and prosperity. This year, the Pakistan Day parade was held at Aiwan-e-Sadr instead of its traditional venue at Shakarparian Parade…

Workers install fixture wire at the Barkol convertor station of the Hami-Chongqing ±800 kilovolt ultra-high voltage direct current (UHV DC) power transmission project in Hami, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)HAMI, March 22 (Xinhua) –The Hami-Chongqing ±800 kilovolt ultra-high voltage direct current (UHV DC) power transmission project enters its final construction phase as the Barkol convertor station in Xinjiang starts adjusting and testing.With a total investment of 28.6 billion yuan (about 3.9 billion U.S. dollars), the 2,290-km power line winds from Hami of northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to Yubei District of southwest China’s…

Detained Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has denied “terrorism” charges brought against him, according to a court document seen by the Reuters news agency “I see today during my interrogation that I and my colleagues are faced with unimaginable accusations and slanders,” Imamoglu said Saturday in his defence during a hearing, the document showed. Later on Saturday, Imamoglu arrived at the Caglayan courthouse, where he was to be questioned by prosecutors, a spokesman for city hall said. Imamoglu will appear in court on Sunday as a judge is expected to decide whether to jail or release him. The mayor, a key…

Elderly residents gather to learn the popular AI model DeepSeek at a nursing home in east China’s Shanghai on Feb. 26, 2025. (Xinhua/Tang Siqi)Editor’s note: China is riding the wave of an AI-powered transformation. As AI reshapes industries and daily life, it is not only driving automation and increasing efficiency, but also unlocking new possibilities. Xinhua hereby presents a series of six stories on the “new frontiers of AI applications,” exploring how this technology is redefining sectors and enriching everyday experiences. The following is the fifth piece to explore how China’s silver-haired generation is welcoming AI companions and robotic assistants.BEIJING,…

Thousands of people in Israel have gathered in Tel Aviv to protest against the decision by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to dismiss the head of the Shin Bet domestic intelligence service and resume fighting in Gaza. Netanyahu said this week that he had lost confidence in Ronen Bar, who has led Shin Bet since 2021, and intended to fire him effective April 10, prompting three days of protests. On Saturday, the Israeli leader said the country will remain democratic despite the security chief’s dismissal. In Tel Aviv’s Habima Square, protesters waved blue and white Israeli flags and called for…

This photo taken on March 20, 2025 shows the opening ceremony of the 2025 Global South Financiers Forum in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Li He)BEIJING, March 22 (Xinhua) — “Global South” and “cooperation” were undoubtedly the keywords I heard most during the just concluded 2025 Global South Financiers Forum.The three-day event, hosted by Xinhua News Agency from March 19 to 21, was attended by scholars and representatives of government departments, financial institutions, multinational firms, international organizations and media outlets from more than 30 countries and regions.Focusing on topics such as the driving role of sci-tech innovation in capital development, the…

Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has highlighted the Pakistan Crypto Council’s (PCC) crucial role in shaping the country’s future in digital assets and blockchain technology. Speaking at the council’s inaugural meeting in Islamabad on Friday, Aurangzeb said the body would act as a central platform, bringing together regulators and industry stakeholders to develop a responsible and forward-looking regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fostering a transparent and future-ready financial ecosystem that attracts investment, empowers youth, and positions Pakistan as a leader in emerging technologies. The meeting concluded with a consensus on carefully navigating Pakistan’s approach to…

The removal of the bounty comes days after Afghan group releases US citizen.The United States has lifted a $10m reward for information leading to the arrest of a major Taliban leader, Sirajuddin Haqqani, an Afghan Ministry of Interior Affairs spokesperson says. Despite the announcement on Saturday, the FBI still lists the reward on its website, saying Haqqani was “believed to have coordinated and participated in cross-border attacks against United States and coalition forces in Afghanistan”. The move comes after the Taliban on Thursday released a US citizen who had been kept in captivity for two years. The release of George…