Author: i2wtc

WASHINGTON: In a sign of rapidly warming US-Pakistan relations, US President Donald Trump Tuesday spoke of his Oval Office meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir. “The prime minister of Pakistan was here along with the Field Marshal (Asim Munir) who’s a very important guy in Pakistan. And he was here three days ago,” he told American military commanders at Quantico, Virginia, near Washington DC, referring to last Friday’s meeting. The US president said he was honoured by Pakistani military chief’s words. “And I didn’t even realize it as beautifully as he (Asim Munir)…

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Limited at Hsinchu Science Park.Annabelle Chih | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesTaiwan will not accept Washington’s proposal to locally manufacture half the chips it currently supplies to the U.S., the island’s top trade negotiator said.Speaking to reporters, Cheng Li-chiun, also the country’s vice premier, said on Wednesday that the proposal for a “50-50” split in semiconductor production was not even discussed, as she returned from trade talks in the U.S., according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency.Cheng said the talks were focused on lowering tariff rates, securing exemptions from tariff stacking — additional duties — and…

MUZAFFARABAD/ISLAMABAD: At least nine people, including three policemen, were killed after violence erupted in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on the third day of a general strike called by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) for reforms and public facilities in the region, officials said on Wednesday. According to media reports, business and other activities remained shut in AJK because of the strike amid a communications blackout, while incidents of violence took place in Dhir Kot and other areas. The AJK government said 172 policemen and 50 civilians had also sustained injuries in the clashes. The AJK government said in…

Security forces killed 10 Indian-backed terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the hilly area of Aghbarg, on the outskirts of Quetta, late Tuesday night, officials said. Express News, citing security sources, reported the operation was launched after credible intelligence indicated the presence of a terrorist formation in the Ghaza Band mountains. The group was reportedly linked to banned outfits and accused of involvement in multiple past attacks. When forces surrounded the area, the terrorists opened fire, triggering a two-hour gun battle. Ten terrorists were killed, several of whom were later identified as suspects in a previous terrorist attack. Two…

Headquarters of Samsung in Mountain View, California, on October 28, 2018. Smith Collection/gado | Archive Photos | Getty ImagesShares of South Korean chip heavyweights Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix surged Thursday, a day after the two companies partnered with artificial-intelligence major OpenAI as part of the U.S. firm’s Stargate initiative.Samsung shares hit their highest since January 2021, rising over 4%, while SK Hynix stock surged more than 9% — highest since 2000.OpenAI said in a statement that this partnership will “focus on increasing the supply of advanced memory chips essential for next-generation AI and expanding data center capacity in Korea.”The…

A constitutional bench of the Supreme Court questioned on Wedensday whether the super tax could be imposed on already taxable income.  A five-member bench, headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan, was hearing a set of pleas challenging the imposition of super tax by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government in 2015.  “How can a super tax be imposed on a system that is already subject to taxation?” asked Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail. Petitioners’ counsel Farogh Naseem apprised the court that once income was assessed, a super tax or surcharge could apply. “For instance, if an account is opened in January 2021 and…

Fireworks celebrating the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China illuminate the sky over Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, south China, Oct. 1, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Duo)Fireworks celebrating the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China illuminate the sky over Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, south China, Oct. 1, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Duo)Fireworks celebrating the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China illuminate the sky over Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, south China, Oct. 1, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Duo)Fireworks celebrating the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of…

RAWALPINDI: Security forces killed three terrorists and arrested four others, during two intelligence-based operations in Balochistan. The killed and arrested terrorists belong to Fitna al Hindustan, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported. According to ISPR, an IBO was carried out in Kech District, where security forces raided a hideout and gunned down three India-sponsored terrorists. A large quantity of weapons, ammunition, and explosives was recovered. The slain militants were actively involved in a number of terrorist activities, the ISPR added. “Security forces of Pakistan remain determined to eliminate India-sponsored terrorism from our soil and are committed to bringing all perpetrators…

President of Microsoft North America Judson Althoff speaks on stage during We Day at KeyArena in Seattle, Washington, on April 23, 2015.Mat Hayward | Getty ImagesMicrosoft’s top-ranking sales leader, Judson Althoff, has been promoted to a bigger role as CEO of the company’s commercial business.Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO, wrote in a memo on Wednesday that marketing and operations will move under Althoff’s organization. Most of Microsoft’s revenue comes from commercial offerings such as productivity software subscriptions and cloud-based Nvidia chips for running artificial intelligence models.”Our success depends on enabling commercial and public sector customers and partners to combine their human…

Migrants walk in a caravan during U.S. Presidential election day, in an attempt to reach Mexico’s northern border, in Tapachula, Mexico November 5, 2024. Daniel Becerril | ReutersA group of about 1,200 migrants set out walking before dawn in southern Mexico on Wednesday aiming for the capital where they hoped to legalize their immigration status and find more work opportunities after a long frustrating wait near the Guatemala border.Cubans made up the majority of the migrants, but there were also people from Honduras, Ecuador, Brazil and Haiti.Unlike earlier migrant “caravans” with a goal to reach the United States, Wednesday’s group and others over the past year are…