Author: i2wtc
Eight pallbearers – some wearing tracksuits emblazoned with the FIFA logo – carried a coffin on their shoulders. Alongside them, referee whistles echoed the tune of a song being sung by the funeral procession. It was September 2020, and hundreds of people had gathered at a sports stadium in the Central African Republic (CAR) to bid farewell to Jean Claude Sendeoli. Sendeoli was a teacher at a secondary school in the capital, Bangui, and a referee for the country’s football federation. After his death, students posted messages on the school’s Facebook page to remember their much-loved teacher while FIFA named…
Activists in world’s third-largest democracy warn that changes to the law could signal a return to military rule.Indonesia’s parliament has ratified a contentious law allowing members of the military to hold more government roles, despite criticisms that it could expand the armed forces’ role in civilian affairs. Thursday’s revision to the armed forces law, pushed by President Prabowo Subianto’s coalition, is aimed at expanding the military’s remit in a country long influenced by its powerful armed forces. The amendments have been criticised by civil society groups, who say they could return Indonesia to the draconian era of former President Soeharto…
PYLOS (Greece): The slow-burn race for the most powerful job in world sport roared into life on Wednesday, set against the dazzling backdrop of the Ionian Sea, where the seven contenders for the International Olympic Committee presidency made their final moves ahead of a vote that will shape the sporting landscape for the next decade. Behind the gilded facades and five-star hospitality of the Costa Navarino resort in Greece’s southwestern Peloponnese, whispers of alliances and voting tactics swirled as IOC members met for the 144th Session the last with Thomas Bach at the wheel. The winner of the presidential election…
Listen to article The World Bank’s Board of Directors approved $102 million in financing for Pakistan’s Resilient and Accessible Microfinance (RAM) Project on Wednesday. The project aims to improve access to microcredit and bolster the resilience of the microfinance sector, particularly for borrowers who face challenges due to climate-related shocks. According to the World Bank, the funds will be utilised to offer loans to poor and low-income families, particularly those who are typically excluded from traditional financial services. The loan is intended to improve access to financial services for Pakistan’s disadvantaged communities, with nearly 1.9 million people expected to benefit from the…
Luka Doncic led Los Angeles with 31 points as the Lakers defeated the Denver Nuggets 120-108.Luka Doncic scored 21 of his 31 points in the first quarter, Austin Reaves added 22, and the Los Angeles Lakers turned a fast start into a 120-108 home victory over the short-handed Denver Nuggets. Dorian Finney-Smith scored 14 points, and Gabe Vincent and Dalton Knecht each added 12 as the Lakers earned their third straight win and ninth consecutive home victory on Wednesday despite playing without starters LeBron James for the fifth straight game and Rui Hachimura for the ninth straight. The victory allowed…
LAHORE: The Pakistan football team is set to depart for Dammam, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday ahead of their first match in the AFC Asian Cup qualifier, where they will face Syria on March 25. The match will be held at a neutral venue in Dammam, following the conclusion of the team’s training camp at the Model Town C Block ground here on Wednesday. A spokesperson for the Pakistan Football Federation’s Normalisation Committee confirmed that all team members and supporting staff have received their visas. The squad will board a direct flight from Lahore to Dammam on Thursday night. Head coach…
Listen to article Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Jeddah on Wednesday for a four-day visit to Saudi Arabia aimed at deepening bilateral trade and strengthening economic cooperation. According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Sharif was welcomed by Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz, the deputy governor of Makkah, upon his arrival. During his visit, Sharif is set to meet with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman to discuss strategies for enhancing trade, fostering partnerships in key sectors, and expanding overall economic collaboration. The visit follows the signing of 34 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) worth…
A jury in the United States has ordered Greenpeace to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in damages in a defamation lawsuit brought by oil pipeline operator Energy Transfer, raising serious free speech concerns. The environmental advocacy group has said it will appeal Wednesday’s verdict, which came almost a decade after activists joined a protest led by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe against the Dakota Access Pipeline, in one of the largest anti-fossil fuel protests in US history. The jury in North Dakota awarded more than $660m in damages across three Greenpeace entities, citing charges including trespass, nuisance, conspiracy and…
These are the key developments on day 1,120 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.Here is the roundup of key events as of Thursday, March 20. Fighting Regional authorities in northeast Ukraine’s Sumy region said Russian drone attacks damaged two hospitals there, while a 29-year-old man was killed and three others were injured in a separate attack on a residential building. Kyiv region’s Governor Mykola Kalashnyk said Kremlin drones damaged several houses near the Ukrainian capital, resulting in a 60-year-old man being injured. Ukraine’s state railway network Ukrzaliznytsia said Moscow’s forces attacked its power system twice in the city of Dnipro, with…
PAKISTAN batter Abdullah Shafique in action during a practice session at the LCCA Ground on Wednesday.—courtesy PCB LAHORE: Pakistan opener Abdullah Shafique, who is set to make a comeback to the national One-day International side, after missing the recent ICC Champions Trophy, has acknowledged that the upcoming series against New Zealand will be held in tough playing conditions. The right-hander, however, emphasised that despite being a young side, Pakistan will give their best effort in the three-match series against the Black Caps, which starts from March 29. Speaking to reporters on the first day of a short preparatory camp at…