Author: i2wtc

Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple, speaks at the 2022 Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., May 4, 2022. Mike Blake | ReutersThe Securities and Exchange Commission’s years-long crusade against the crypto industry appears to be over.The final chapter closed on Wednesday, when Ripple announced that the SEC had officially dropped its four-year-old lawsuit against the company. The suit, filed on Jay Clayton’s last day as SEC chair, accused Ripple of raising $1.3 billion through the sale of its XRP token without registering it as a security. Crypto companies and exchanges Coinbase, Kraken, Robinhood, Binance, and OpenSea all previously saw lawsuits…

A piece of Paris has landed in New York City.French luxury retailer Printemps officially opened its first U.S. store this week in the city’s Financial District. The retailer celebrated its opening on Friday, which coincided with the start of spring — its namesake.The 55,000-square-foot store spans two floors and carries a wide range of merchandise, including clothing, shoes, handbags, makeup and more. About 25% of its brands are either not available or rare in the U.S., such as the Joseph Duclos brand, a French luxury name that made a handbag sported by Taylor Swift, Printemps CEO Jean-Marc Bellaiche said.In an…

Tourists are pictured among canola flowers in Meihua Village of Xidu Town in Hengyang County, central China’s Hunan Province, March 16, 2025. (Photo by Liu Xinrong/Xinhua)BEIJING, March 22 (Xinhua) — As the spring is approaching, young parents living in major cities in China are flocking to the suburbs to enjoy their two-day vacations at all-inclusive hotels and resorts, representing a new trend of traveling.In Shenzhen, a Chinese father surnamed Li no longer worries about finding places to take his daughter on weekends since experiencing a delightful getaway with his family at a local five-star hotel two years ago.”The moment we…

Listen to article March 20 marked two significant developments: Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to reopen the Torkham border partially; and an unusual but eventful meeting in Kabul led to the release of American hostage George Glenzman, facilitated by the Qatari government. Both events should raise concerns for Pakistan. The border issue: a recurring challenge The reopening of the Torkham border brought relief to traders, farmers, officials and daily wage workers on both sides, nearly four weeks after an exchange of fire forced its closure. The reopening followed multiple jirgas involving tribal elders, religious scholars and traders from both countries. Cargo vehicles once…

The armed group contradicts the army’s claim of having ‘destroyed’ the former ally in the Amhara region.Ethiopian troops have killed more than 300 Fano armed group fighters, former allies against rebels in the Tigray region, in two days of renewed clashes in the northern Amhara region, according to the army. The military claimed in a statement on Friday that the fighters had carried out attacks in various zones of the Amhara region before being “destroyed” by the army. The statement said that 317 Fano fighters were killed and 125 others injured. However, Abebe Fantahun, spokesperson of Amhara Fano in Wollo…

Listen to article KARACHI: The pre-budget debate in the Sindh Assembly concluded on Friday. Parliamentarians belonging to various parties as well as ministers, cabinet members and opposition leader gave their suggestions for the next financial year budget with special focus on problems the province is facing. Leader of the Opposition, Ali Khursheedi said that the budget should be made in consultation with the members. He expressed concern over the water supply to Karachi and said that Sindh water almost ends when it reaches metropolitan city. Government members should realise the water is a major issue of Karachi just like the rest of…

Australia’s Oscar Piastri claims his first Formula One pole at the Chinese Grand Prix with George Russell second.McLaren’s Oscar Piastri seized the first proper pole position of his Formula One career at the Chinese Grand Prix with the fastest lap yet around the Shanghai International Circuit. The Australian, a two-time race winner who previously only had sprint poles, lapped in one minute 30.641 seconds and was joined on the front row for Sunday’s start by George Russell after the Mercedes driver put in a storming final effort of 1:30.723. McLaren’s Lando Norris, the championship leader and winner of the season-opener…

LONDON: Mikel Merino’s 93rd-minute equaliser earned Spain a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands in Nations League quarter-final first leg action on Thursday, while Croatia have one foot in the semi-finals after beating France 2-0. Germany are in prime position to host the final stage of the tournament after coming from behind to beat Italy 2-1 in Milan while Rasmus Hojlund fired Denmark into a slender first-leg lead against Portugal. In Rotterdam, reigning champions Spain raced into an early lead through Nico Williams but needed an injury-time leveller by substitute Mikel Merino against the 10 men of the Netherlands to salvage…

Hong Bo (R) shows the way to cook to Zhang Fan, an employee with Down syndrome, at a dumpling restaurant in Hohhot, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Aug. 6, 2024. (Xinhua)BEIJING, March 22 (Xinhua) — In the first week after opening his car wash in Nantong, east China’s Jiangsu Province in late 2023, Ji Hui regretted the decision to start a business that employs people with Down syndrome.”I felt like I had opened an outlet just for myself,” said Ji, a former professional weightlifter, who is in his 20s. He ended up cleaning cars all by himself for a…

Listen to article ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has expressed displeasure over the absence of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Education Secretary during the hearing of a petition concerning the deplorable state of schools in in the province. Justice Jamal Mandokhail criticized the absence, saying that the court’s orders were being disregarded, which amounted to mocking the judiciary. He remarked that the secretary could travel from Peshawar within two hours and warned that the court knew how to ensure his presence. Following a brief adjournment, the hearing resumed, and Justice Jamal Mandokhail noted, “The medical report of the Secretary of Communications has been received. The report…