Author: i2wtc

Australia’s white-ball pace spearhead Mitchell Starc has retired from Twenty20 internationals six months out from the World Cup in India and Sri Lanka to focus on extending his career in test and one-day cricket. The 35-year-old left-armer retires as the nation’s most prolific fast bowler in the format, with 79 wickets from 65 T20Is, second on the all-time Australia list to spin bowling teammate Adam Zampa. Test cricket is and has always been my highest priority,” he said in a Cricket Australia statement on Tuesday. “I have loved every minute of every T20 game I have played for Australia, particularly…

PESHAWAR/ ISLAMABAD: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said on Monday that construction of Kalabagh Dam was ‘essential for the state’ and urged that concerns over the controversial project should be addressed through dialogue. Speaking to reporters after a party meeting at K-P House in Islamabad, Gandapur blamed the absence of large dams for the devastation caused by rains and floods. “We are afraid to even name some dams. Kalabagh Dam is necessary for the state, and if there are reservations, they should be addressed through talks,” he said. “We are ready to contribute our share in its construction,…

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has attributed the recent flood damages to encroachment on riverbeds and natural waterways, urging the government to prioritise the construction of small dams instead of decades of planning to initiate mega projects. Speaking on the floor of National Assembly on Monday, defence minister said rain is a blessing, not a calamity, and urged the nation to take responsibility of the consequences, caused by encroachment as well as poor urban planning. “Rain is a blessing. The destruction is caused because we have built housing societies and commercial structures on land that belongs to rivers and stormwater drains,” Asif…

Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump pose for pictures outside the Nasdaq building after ringing the opening bell to celebrate the closing of ALT5’s $1.5 billion offering and adoption of its $WLFI Treasury Strategy at the Nasdaq Market, in New York City, U.S., August 13, 2025. Eduardo Munoz | ReutersThe digital tokens backing the Trump family’s cryptocurrency venture, World Liberty Financial, fell in value on Monday in their first day of trading.The World Liberty tokens, known as $WLFI, were sold to investors after the Trump family and its business partners last year launched the venture, a decentralized finance platform that has…

Chinese President Xi Jinping chairs the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and delivers a speech titled “Staying True to SCO Founding Mission And Ushering in a Better Future” in Tianjin, north China, Sept. 1, 2025. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)TIANJIN, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday called on Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) members to forge ahead with solid steps for a better future as the organization convenes its largest-ever summit in China’s port city of Tianjin.Addressing the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO,…

MIRANSHAH: A policeman was martyred and another seriously injured when armed terrorists attacked a police checkpoint in Mir Ali tehsil on Monday morning. Police confirmed that Constable Nizamullah was killed in the assault, while Constable Inam sustained critical injuries while three attackers were also killed in return fire. According to the police spokesperson, the attackers opened indiscriminate fire with automatic weapons. However, the policemen retaliated promptly, killing three assailants on the spot. The bodies of the assailants and the injured policeman were shifted to Mir Ali Hospital, where doctors described Inam’s condition as critical. Eyewitnesses told The Express Tribune that…

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent looks on during an event with U.S. President Donald Trump and Apple CEO Tim Cook in the Oval Office of the White House on August 6, 2025 in Washington, DC. Win Mcnamee | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesU.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday expressed confidence that the Supreme Court will uphold President Donald Trump’s use of a 1977 emergency powers law to impose sweeping tariffs on most trading partners, but said the administration has a backup plan if it does not.Bessent told Reuters he was preparing a legal brief for the U.S. solicitor…

TIANJIN: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday proposed the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) at the largest-ever summit of “Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Plus” in the Chinese port city of Tianjin. “I look forward to working with all countries for a more just and equitable global governance system and advancing toward a community with a shared future for humanity,” Xi said in his address at the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO. Five principles highlighted by President Xi for the GGI include sovereign equality, international rule of law, multilateralism, people-centered approach, and focus on real actions.…

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif underscored the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) issue at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) summit in China on Monday and called for  “dialogue, diplomacy and consultation” instead of confrontation on all outstanding disputes.  The premier reached Tianjin on Saturday to attend the SCO Council of Heads of State (CHS) summit, which was being held from August 31 to September 1.  Apart from Pakistan, the SCO comprises of China, India, Russia, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Belarus. Another 16 countries are affiliated with the organisation as observers or “dialogue partners”.  “We respect all international and bilateral treaties and expect similar…

Chinese President Xi Jinping chairs the “Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Plus” Meeting and delivers a speech titled “Pooling the Strength of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization To Improve Global Governance” in Tianjin, north China, Sept. 1, 2025. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)TIANJIN, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday proposed the Global Governance Initiative (GGI), calling on countries to work in concert for a more just and equitable global governance system.Xi made the remarks when chairing the “Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Plus” Meeting in north China’s port city of Tianjin, where the SCO held the largest summit in its 24-year history,…