Author: i2wtc
WASHINGTON: Political and economic tensions between the United States and its 2026 World Cup co-hosts Canada and Mexico will make the tournament more exciting, US President Donald Trump said after signing an executive order to create a task force for the event. Speaking in the Oval Office alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino, Trump said the task force, which he will chair, would co-ordinate with federal agencies in planning, organising and executing the 48-team global football tournament. Earlier this week, the Trump administration imposed across-the-board 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico before announcing on Thursday a one-month reprieve for…
China’s Minister of Civil Affairs Lu Zhiyuan, Minister of Human Resources and Social Security Wang Xiaoping, Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Ni Hong, and head of the National Health Commission Lei Haichao attend a press conference on people’s livelihood for the third session of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing, capital of China, March 9, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie)China’s Minister of Civil Affairs Lu Zhiyuan, Minister of Human Resources and Social Security Wang Xiaoping, Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Ni Hong, and head of the National Health Commission Lei Haichao attend a press conference on people’s livelihood…
Listen to article LAHORE: As PTI works to bring Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) into the opposition fold, the party has laid its cards on the table, expressing reservations over firebrand Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s ‘derogatory remarks’ about Maulana Fazlur Rehman. JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah came down hard on Gandapur, demanding that PTI spell out whose agenda he was pushing, arguing that his repeated offensive remarks were muddying the political waters. “On one hand, Asad Qaiser and PTI’s leadership are reaching out to form an opposition alliance, while on the other, Gandapur is unnecessarily hurling insults at Maulana Fazlur Rehman,” Hamdullah…
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James left the game with a groin injury in a 10-point loss against the Boston Celtics.Jayson Tatum had 40 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, helping the Boston Celtics defeat the visiting Los Angeles Lakers 111-101 in a game where LeBron James exited the contest with an injury. Jaylen Brown added 31 points and six rebounds for the Celtics, who also received 14 points and nine rebounds from Al Horford in the Saturday night blockbuster clash between the NBA’s two winningest franchises. James, who had 22 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers, left the…
New Zealand won the toss and chose to bat first as they face unbeaten India in the Champions Trophy final in Dubai today (Sunday). India, who refused to play in host nation Pakistan, have produced clinical performances to win all four of their matches in the United Arab Emirates, including a 44-run group-stage victory over the Black Caps last weekend — although both teams had already reached the semi-finals by then. India are heavy favourites to claim a record third Champions Trophy but Rohit Sharma’s men face a New Zealand side with plenty of firepower in the first major white-ball…
Listen to article ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has suspended a cabinet sub-committee’s decision to place names of the family members of a petitioner, Usman Khan, on the Exit Control List (ECL). The court has noted that prima facie there was no underlying basis for placement of names of the individual on the ECL and that no material has been placed before the court to establish how Khan was involved in or linked to terrorist activities. An IHC bench comprising Justice Babar Sattar issued a written order on a petition filed against placement of the names of Khan and his eight…
Number one contender Magomed Ankalaev upsets UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira in the main event in Las Vegas.Magomed Ankalaev scored a stunning upset with a unanimous decision to take Alex Pereira’s undisputed light heavyweight belt at UFC 313 in Las Vegas. All three judges scored in favour of Ankalaev (21-1-1) in the Saturday night clash, with scores of 29-26 and two at 28-27. Ankalaev fought a tactical, measured bout to unseat Pereira, who struggled to generate opportunities in the Octagon to unleash his signature left hook against the Dagestan fighter. “I knew it would be a war,” said Pereira…
Israel is expected to send a delegation to Doha to negotiate truce extension deal on Monday after Hamas held talks with Egyptian officials in Cairo.Israel has confirmed it will send a delegation to Qatar’s capital for talks on extending a fragile ceasefire with Hamas. On Saturday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a delegation would be sent to Doha on Monday in “an effort to advance negotiations”. This comes after a Hamas team met Egyptian officials in Cairo on Saturday to negotiate the second phase of the ceasefire deal. “The delegation emphasised the necessity of adhering to all terms of…
Listen to article LAHORE: The expansion of the federal cabinet, along with an anticipated reshuffle in Punjab, has put to rest speculation about the PPP formally joining the government — with insiders claiming that the decision to stay out aims at keeping its chances alive for forming the next government. A senior PPP leader claimed that the party’s decision to steer clear of the cabinet was not reflective of any principles but about keeping its powder dry for the 2028 elections. Since the formation of the current government, political circles have been abuzz with speculation over when PPP would finally take cabinet positions.…
Listen to article JEDDAH: International support grew on Saturday for an Arab counterproposal to US President Donald Trump’s plan to take over Gaza and displace its residents, with Islamic nations endorsing it and European governments giving their backing. Unlike the Trump plan, the Arab proposal aims to rebuild Gaza without displacing the territory’s 2.4 million inhabitants, who endured more than 15 months of devastating conflict before a fragile ceasefire took effect on January 19. The 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation formally adopted the counterproposal at an emergency meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, three days after the Arab League ratified it at a…