Author: i2wtc
Listen to article ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a three-member inquiry committee to investigate the alleged irregularities in the leasing of valuable Port Qasim Authority (PQA) land, following explosive revelations by Senator Faisal Vawda that the land was leased at throwaway prices during the current government’s tenure. According to a notification issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, the land was allocated for a small and medium industrial park. It added that the alleged financial irregularities in the leasing process will be probed by the panel. The committee will be led by the chairman of the prime minister’s inspection commission, who…
Balanced calmly on top of what was once a refrigerator door, fisherman Khaled Habib uses a makeshift paddle to propel himself through the waters of Gaza City’s fishing port. More than 15 months of Israeli bombardment has destroyed most of the boats in the harbour, wrecking the fishermen’s means of making a living. “We’re in a very difficult situation today, and struggling with the fishing. There are no fishing boats left. They’ve all been destroyed and tossed on the ground,” said Habib. “I made this boat from refrigerator doors and cork, and thankfully it worked.” To continue feeding his family,…
India captain Rohit Sharma has no plans to quit the 50-overs format anytime soon, the opener said after guiding the team to the Champions Trophy title in Dubai. Rohit quit Twenty20 Internationals immediately after leading India to their second 20-overs World Cup title in West Indies last year. Speculation was rife that the opener, who turns 38 next month, might do likewise after India beat New Zealand in the 50-overs final on Sunday. Though not asked about retirement plans, Rohit headed off speculation by ending his post-match press conference saying, “One more thing, I’m not going to retire from this…
Listen to article A 31-year-old woman died and 18 others remain in critical condition after an apparent adverse reaction to an injection at Mayo Hospital in Lahore, officials said on Monday. The incident occurred in the hospital’s Chest Surgery Ward, prompting immediate intervention from medical authorities. Dr Ehtesham, the hospital’s medical superintendent, confirmed the fatality and announced that the use of the suspected injection had been suspended. A high-level committee, led by Dr Haroon Hamid, has been formed to investigate the matter. The Punjab government has taken notice of the case, with Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz vowing to address systemic issues in…
More than a month into his second term, President Donald Trump has already made good on many of his dreadful campaign promises. He has ordered mass deportation of migrants and asylum seekers; cancelled federal Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) programmes; cut funding to underprivileged Black and Latino communities; and pledged to expel foreigners with legal residency who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests. It is clear that if we are to survive the next four years, minorities and oppressed people of all stripes must build solidarity networks to stand together and resist. To do so effectively, we must address any outstanding issues…
UK denounces ‘malicious and baseless accusations’ after FSB says it ‘identified signs of intelligence and subversive work’ carried out by the officials.Russia has accused two British diplomats of spying and ordered them to leave the country within two weeks, the latest in a series of tit-for-tat expulsions over alleged espionage. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Monday the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had revoked the accreditation of the diplomats, accusing them of providing false information when obtaining permission to enter Russia. The counterintelligence agency further said it had “identified signs of intelligence and subversive work” that the two…
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials’ absence from the Champions Trophy 2025 final’s presentation ceremony on Sunday has drawn criticism from the country’s former senior players of the game. India beat New Zealand in the final in Dubai, with the Men in Blue playing all their matches at the same venue after they refused to tour hosts Pakistan for the eight-nation event for unspecified reasons. Lahore was the alternate venue for the final had India missed out on qualifying for it. PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi was conspicuous by his absence from the occasion. Instead, Board of Control for Cricket in India…
A Long March-3B rocket carrying a test satellite for communication technology blasts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China’s Sichuan Province, March 10, 2025.Launched at 1:17 a.m. (Beijing Time), the satellite has entered the planned orbit, marking the success of the launch, according to the launch center. (Photo by Ma Wenbo/Xinhua)XICHANG, March 10 (Xinhua) — China sent a new test satellite for communication technology into space from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern Sichuan Province early on Monday.The satellite was launched by a Long March-3B rocket at 1:17 a.m. (Beijing Time). It has entered the…
Listen to article KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is set to announce its monetary policy decision on Monday, March 10. The ongoing rate-cutting cycle, which began in June 2024 from a peak of 22% and has gradually reduced to 12% by March 2025, has certainly helped restore macroeconomic stability. However, the debate is heating up regarding whether further cuts are advisable at this stage. Let’s recap the key economic developments influencing this decision. Inflation has collapsed, but the reasons are not all sustainable: Year-on-year inflation has plummeted from 38% in May 2023 to just 1.5% in February 2025. This extraordinary…
Listen to article A report has emerged following the exhumation of Mustafa Amir, who was murdered after going missing from Defence, Karachi. The report, prepared by the University of Karachi’s Industrial Analytical Centre, reveals that there is no evidence of drug use or poisoning in Mustafa Amir’s body. The findings came from samples collected from four different parts of the body, which showed no traces of intoxicants or harmful substances. The report bears the signatures of the Principal Investigator, Assistant Investigator, and Technical Manager. Mustafa Amir, 23, went missing from Karachi’s DHA on January 6, and it took police 39 days to…