Author: i2wtc

Listen to article ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China are working on a proposal to establish a new regional organisation that could potentially replace the now-defunct South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Discussions between Islamabad and Beijing are now at an advanced stage as both sides are convinced that a new organisation is need of the hour for regional integration and connectivity, according to diplomatic sources familiar with the development. The recent trilateral meeting of Pakistan, China and Bangladesh held in Kunming, China, was part of those diplomatic maneuvers. The meeting attended by senior diplomats from three countries was first of its kind…

Napheesa Collier, #24 of the Minnesota Lynx, scores the game-winning basket during the game against the New York Liberty in Game 1 of the 2024 WNBA Finals at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on Oct. 10, 2024.Nathaniel S. Butler | National Basketball Association | Getty ImagesThe WNBA announced on Monday it has awarded three new expansion teams to Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia, growing the league to 18 teams over the next five years.WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert called it a “truly monumental day” for the league.”These are powerful cities filled with passionate fan bases,” she said. “This is a bold…

Listen to article A six-story residential building partially collapsed early Monday morning, near the Barra Imam bargah in Karachi’s Kharadar area, trapping at least 22 people, rescue officials said. The incident occurred around 7:30 am when a portion of the building’s roof collapsed onto the staircase, blocking all exits and leaving residents stranded on the upper floors. Initial reports suggest that the collapse extended from the roof down to the fourth floor.  Read: Civic infrastructure caves in to single rain spell All 22 people have been rescued. No casualties have been reported. Emergency response teams from Edhi Foundation, Chhipa Welfare, and local police…

Google on Monday announced a partnership with Commonwealth Fusion Systems, or CFS, a private company spun off from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which marks the tech giant’s first commercial commitment to fusion.The company unveiled plans to buy 200 megawatts of clean fusion power from what CFS describes as the world’s first grid-scale fusion power plant, known as ARC, based in Chesterfield County, Virginia.ARC is expected to come online and generate 400 megawatts of clean, zero-carbon power in the early 2030s, which is enough energy to power large industrial sites or roughly 150,000 homes, according to CFS. The agreement also…

Spanish authorities on Monday detained former top socialist party official Santos Cerdan in a corruption case that is a new blow for left-wing Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, judicial sources said. Former transport minister José Luis Ábalos has also been implicated in the investigation into kickbacks for public contracts, which has created the biggest political crisis Sanchez has faced since taking office in 2018. The sources said a Supreme Court judge ordered the detention of Cerdan, who has quit as the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party organisation secretary — the ruling party’s number three post — as there was a “risk” he…

Senators on Monday began offering amendments to President Donald Trump’s megabill, following a weekend of tense negotiations to try to get the president’s second term domestic priorities through the upper chamber.The process, called a “vote-a-rama,” began shortly after 9 a.m. ET, and it was not yet clear how long it could go on. Eight hours or more is not unusual.Senators are allowed to introduce an unlimited number of amendments to the budget bill, forcing the chamber to cast back-to-back votes.Some Senate Republicans, such as Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, have already signaled that they intend to file “a number of…

A Home Depot store in San Carlos, California, US, on Monday, Nov. 11, 2024.David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesHome Depot said Monday that it is buying GMS, a building-products distributor, for about $4.3 billion as the retailer moves to draw more sales from contractors and other home professionals.Shares of Home Depot were roughly flat in early trading Monday. GMS shares jumped more than 11%.As part of the deal, the Home Depot-owned subsidiary SRS Distribution will buy all outstanding shares of GMS for $110 per share, which adds up to about $4.3 billion and amounts to total enterprise value…

This photo shows a view of Guozigou scenic spot in Huocheng County, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, May 1, 2025. (Xinhua/Jia Zhao)URUMQI, June 30 (Xinhua) — Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has unveiled six new scenic highways, investing 10.7 billion yuan (about 1.5 billion U.S. dollars) to develop 965 km of tourism-focused roads.The routes connect diverse landscapes, from snow-capped mountains and grasslands to forests, lakes, deserts and oases, and aim to enhance the region’s “fast entry, slow travel” transportation network and enrich self-driving tourism experiences, according to the regional transport department.The newly constructed highways are designed to bridge…

Listen to article ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has officially declared Justice Sardar Sarfraz Dogar as the senior-most judge of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and confirmed the permanent transfer of Justice Dogar along with two other judges. Following the president’s decision, a new seniority list of IHC judges was released through a gazette notification dated June 27, 2025. According to the notification, Justice Sarfraz Dogar, who had earlier been serving on transfer, has been placed at the top of the seniority list of the IHC. Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani has been listed second and will serve as the senior puisne judge.…

Listen to article Two firefighters were shot dead while responding to a fire in northern Idaho and the body of a man was later found with a gun nearby, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office said on Sunday, as it lifted a shelter-in-place order. Sheriff Bob Norris had earlier said law enforcement officers and firefighters were taking sniper fire and urged people to stay clear of the area around Canfield Mountain, a nature zone popular with hikers near Coeur d’Alene, about 260 miles (420 km) east of Seattle. “This evening, members of the SWAT team located a deceased male on Canfield Mountain. A…