Author: i2wtc
PUBLISHED September 06, 2025 KARACHI: “I woke up to some muffled, disorienting sounds,” recalls Shafiullah, 38, from Mamagal village in Kunar’s Nurgal district, who was trapped under the debris with multiple wounds. “In a muffled silence, broken only by the brittle cracking of plaster shifting above, I could hear my own ragged breath loud in the dust-thick dark, catching in my throat. I managed to scramble out of the fallen wooden beams and a mountain of pebbles, dust and plaster, stood up trembling and in pain. I wanted to find my family but my cousin appeared to hold my arm.…
Pakistan will host South Africa for a series of test, one-day international (ODI) and Twenty-20 international (T20I) matches from October to November, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Saturday. In a press release, the PCB said that Pakistan’s new cycle of the ICC World Test Championship will begin with this visit by the Proteas, with the first test starting on October 12 in Lahore. “The first Test will be played at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium from October 12-16, which will also be the first five-day match at the stadium since its complete renovation earlier this year to host the ICC…
PUBLISHED September 06, 2025 PESHAWAR: shaam aae aur ghar ke liye dil machal uthe shaam aae aur dil ke liye koī ghar na ho [Evening falls, and the heart longs for home; Evening falls, and the heart has no home to return to] ~ Akhtar Usman Despite our love-hate relationship with those across the border, with home we share history, culture and a past, one wouldn’t lie about feeling a certain curiosity about the sights, smells, and sounds of Old Delhi in the capital of our archrival, India. Is it possible to go there and not be smitten by their…
PUBLISHED September 06, 2025 KARACHI: It began with a boy on a boat. A grainy video, barely thirty seconds long, posted by a festival-goer in a small Indonesian fishing village, showed a boy, 11 years old, dancing as if possessed by something both ancient and absurdly modern. His hips swayed in exaggerated loops, arms slicing the air, as he stood on the nose of a longboat in front of its rowers. Online, the clip was quickly tagged as “aura farming”—a phrase born of Internet slang where “aura” means vibe or presence. The boy wasn’t farming anything but joy, yet to…
PUBLISHED September 06, 2025 KARACHI: On August 15, Afghan activists around the world marked four years since the Taliban retook Kabul. In Washington, a virtual protest brought together human rights defenders, exiled activists, and diaspora leaders. Their message was urgent but bleak: Afghanistan is slipping into silence, not just under Taliban repression, but in the corridors of global power where its plight has been relegated to the margins. “Gender apartheid is one of the top strategic tools,” said Elika Eftikhari, executive director of the Washington-based human rights group JINA Alliance told the virtual protest. She stressed that the case for…
BUENOS AIRES: Argentina’s Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Venezuela at Estadio Monumental.—Reuters MONTEVIDEO: Lionel Messi made sure he had good memories of playing a home World Cup qualifier with Argentina’s national team for the last time in his illustrious career on Thursday, while Paraguay and Colombia secured berths at the 2026 tournament in North America. Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi scored twice Thursday in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Venezuela in front of a raucous sellout crowd that had gathered at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires to bid him farewell. “Being able to…
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday stopped short of directly accusing India of using water as a weapon to flood the country, but noted that the information shared by New Delhi about water flows was “not as detailed as in the past” and bypassed the established channel under the Indus Waters Treaty. Moreover, fresh discharge from India into the Sutlej River brought another wave of flooding in Punjab on Friday, while water from last week’s devastation surged downstream into Sindh. Officials said they were bracing for peak levels in the coming days. “I am not in a position to comment on whether…
Carlos Alcaraz overpowered Novak Djokovic in straight sets on Friday to set up a blockbuster US Open final showdown against world number one and defending champion Jannik Sinner. Spanish second seed Alcaraz produced a ruthlessly efficient display to end Djokovic’s latest bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title, winning 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 in two hours and 23 minutes. Alcaraz was then followed into the final by arch-rival Sinner, who was forced to work hard by Canadian 25th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime before wrapping up a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court. It means that…
LAHORE: The NDMA on Friday warned of worsening floods in Punjab with heavy rains forecast from Sept 7–9, raising the risk of urban flash flooding as high floods in rivers Chenab and Sutlej submerged villages near the bank of rivers. According to the National Emergencies Operation Centre (NEOC), intense monsoon activity is expected to hit Islamabad and several districts in Punjab, raising alarms over potential flash floods and hill torrents. The advisory has flagged cities including Rawalpindi, Murree, Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, and Sialkot, among others, where poor drainage systems could fail under the pressure of continued downpours. اسلام آباد اور پنجاب کے…
DUBAI: Could the Indian government’s own sports policy hold the key to reviving the most watched, most lucrative and most emotionally charged rivalry in Test cricket — Pakistan versus India? Upon reviewing India’s Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports’ policy on international events, a key clause stands out: “Indian teams and individual players will take part in international events that also have teams or players from Pakistan. Similarly, Pakistani players and teams will be able to participate in such multilateral events hosted by India.” Another important line states: “About international and multilateral events, in India or abroad, we are guided…