Author: i2wtc

Oscar Piastri powered to victory at an incident-packed Dutch Formula One Grand Prix on Sunday, with home favourite Max Verstappen claiming second place as Piastri’s McLaren teammate Lando Norris suffered a dramatic breakdown late in the race. Piastri led from pole to chequered flag at the Zandvoort circuit in a race that saw the safety car deployed three times to stretch his lead over Norris to 34 points in the championship race. Racing Bulls’ 20-year-old French rookie Isack Hadjar finished third to become the fifth youngest podium finisher of all time. It was Piastri’s sixth Grand Prix victory of the…

Premier League champions Liverpool have agreed to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle United for a British record transfer fee, media reports said on Monday. The Swedish forward is set to join the Reds in a deal worth around 130 million ($176 million), according to reports by The Athletic and The Telegraph, among other outlets. The Athletic reported that Isak will undergo a medical on Monday before completing a six-year deal with the Merseyside club. The 25-year-old striker scored 23 goals in the Premier League last season — behind only Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah — as Newcastle qualified for the Champions League.…

PESHAWAR: The deadline for the repatriation of Afghan refugees and other foreigners residing illegally in Pakistan has expired, with authorities set to begin the return process from today (Monday). An official meeting chaired by the additional chief secretary home was held on Sunday to review the plan, attended via Zoom by district police and administrative officers. The provincial administration subsequently issued a 10-point directive to police and district authorities for the repatriation process. The guidelines instructed police to maintain close coordination with district administrations to ensure the safe and dignified return of all illegal foreigners, including Afghan refugees holding Proof…

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday announced a staggering increase in the prize money for the tournament set to be staged in India and Sri Lanka. The 13th edition of the women’s showpiece 50-over tournament will begin on Sept 30. Pakistan is set to play its matches in Sri Lanka following India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy earlier this year, which resulted in a “hybrid model” being decided upon. The overall prize money at the eight-team marquee tournament totals $13.88 million — a monumental rise of 297 per cent from $3.5m at the last edition…

Signage at the Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. headquarters in Hangzhou, China, on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. Qilai Shen | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesAlibaba’s Hong Kong listed shares surged more than 19% on Monday as the Chinese tech giant’s cloud computing unit drove strong quarterly results, while details emerged over its new AI chip development.It’s the highest level for the stock since March. Investors have backed the company’s improving performance in its key cloud unit and are content with the the tech giant’s investment into new areas — particularly in the so-called “instant commerce,” which has become incredibly competitive in China.The…

TIANJIN, CHINA: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to President Xi Jinping’s vision of shared prosperity, declaring that the government’s policies were closely aligned with the philosophy that has transformed China into the world’s second-largest economy. The Prime Minister spent a busy day in Tianjin, attending a banquet hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping for the leaders of the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of State summit. Shehbaz also engaged in informal conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Tajik President Emomali…

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Armenia on Sunday formally established diplomatic relations in what officials described as a historic step in Islamabad’s diplomatic outreach. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar exchanged a joint communiqué with his Armenian counterpart, Ararat Mirzoyan, during a meeting in Tianjin, China, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the principles of the United Nations Charter and agreed to explore avenues of cooperation in areas such as economy, education, culture and tourism. They also expressed their resolve to work together at bilateral and multilateral fora to…

SHARJAH: Pakistan’s emerging batter Hasan Nawaz believes he is a part of the country’s “best T20 team” following back-to-back wins in the opening two matches of the ongoing tri-series in the United Arab Emirates. In the tournament being played as warm-up ahead of the Asia Cup — which starts Sept. 9 — Pakistan have started with thrashings of Afghanistan and UAE thanks to a number of players chipping in with impactful contributions. After seasoned pacer Haris Rauf and skipper Salman Ali Agha led Pakistan to a 39-run win over Afghanistan in the opener, Saim Ayub and Hasan Nawaz himself scored…

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday formally exchanged a joint communique with his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan. The move is meant to establish diplomatic relations between the two countries, said a statement issued by the foreign ministry. Marking a historic step forward, both the leaders affirmed their commitment to the principles and objectives of the United Nations Charter and discussed possible avenues of cooperation in the fields of education, culture, tourism, and economy, the statement read. If further stated that the two leaders reaffirmed their desire to work closely with each other at bilateral and multilateral…

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic motored into the quarter-finals of the US Open on Sunday as reigning women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka kept her title defence firmly on track. Spanish second seed Alcaraz and tennis icon Djokovic — who are on course to meet in the semi-finals — both recorded straight-sets wins on the Arthur Ashe Stadium main court. Five-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz overpowered France’s Arthur Rinderknech 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 6-4 and has not dropped a set to date at the championships. “I think my style of tennis suits pretty well the energy here in New York,” the 22-year-old said.…