Author: i2wtc
COLOMBO: Pakistan’s snooker teams launched their Asian team championship campaigns impressively on the opening day of the team event, with both teams securing victories in their respective group matches here on Thursday. Pakistan 1, featuring the formidable pairing of defending Asian 6-Red singles champion Awaisullah Munir and recent singles bronze medalist Mohammad Asif, showcased their class with two commanding performances. They began their campaign with a resounding 3-0 whitewash of Cambodia. The Pakistani duo dominated the match, sealing victory with significant breaks: a 69 break [82(69)-30], a 51 break [59(51)-16] and culminating in a flawless 78 clearance [78(78)-0]. Their momentum…
Listen to article LAHORE: At least seven people died and 46 others were injured in rain-related incidents across Punjab, as heavy monsoon showers lashed several districts of the province over the last 24 hours, rescuers and disaster-management authorities said on Thursday. According to the Rescue 1122 – Punjab’s emergency rescue service – 39 people were brought to various hospitals. Among them, it added, two people died each in Jhelum, and Muzaffargarh districts and one each in Okara, Bahawalnagar and Khanewal. Okara was worst affected, eight emergencies were reported, a spokesperson said. Four emergencies were reported in Multan, two each in Faisalabad, Mandi…
Masayoshi Son, chairman and chief executive officer of SoftBank Group Corp., speaks during the company’s annual general meeting in Tokyo, Japan, on Friday, June 27, 2025. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesSoftBank is “all in” on OpenAI, CEO Masayoshi Son said on Friday, as the Japanese tech giant looks to realize its vision of “artificial superintelligence.”This year, the Japanese multinational conglomerate has been increasing its investments in OpenAI and participating in joint ventures such as the $500 billion Stargate project. According to Son, SoftBank is now “all in” on the artificial intelligence company, with total planned investments in the company reaching…
LAUSANNE: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will spearhead discussions on gender eligibility criteria in sports, its new president Kirsty Coventry said on Thursday, four years after the ruling body had urged federations to handle the issue independently. Coventry, who officially took over the presidency from Thomas Bach this week following Monday’s ceremony in Lausanne as the first woman and first African to hold the position, said she now wanted the IOC to “protect the female category”. She announced the formation of a working group to lead these discussions and another to review the election process for future Olympic host cities.…
Listen to article UNITED NATIONS: In the wake of “brutal surge” in violence against children in 2024, Pakistan told the UN Security Council that youths living under foreign occupation are particularly vulnerable to widespread abuses, and called for steps to ensure their safety and protection. Speaking in the 15-member Council’s debate on ‘Children and Armed Conflict’, Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said that record high child rights violations were leaving “countless young lives maimed, starved, burned, frozen to death, or weakened by severe malnutrition.” In this regard, he drew attention to, among others hotspots, the suffering of children in war-shattered Gaza…
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) is seeking funds from the government to ensure the national team’s participation in the 2025-26 FIH Pro League in case New Zealand withdrew from the said event. Funding of $2.5 million is required by Pakistan to participate in the event if New Zealand, who outplayed Pakistan 6-2 in the FIH Nations Cup final in Kuala Lumpur recently, pull out. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Thursday, PHF secretary Rana Mujahid, alongside Pakistan Sports Board director general Yasir Prizada, said that the federation would look to send the team to the FIH Pro League…
Listen to article ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Thursday approved the Rs17.6 trillion worth budget along with Rs463 billion new taxes, bringing the digital economy under the purview of tax laws but almost nullified the single largest enforcement measure to ban economic transactions by ineligible persons. The National Assembly approved the second budget of the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with a comfortable majority. During a voting on one clause, the coalition government mustered the support of 201 Members of the National Assembly as against 57 votes of the opposition parties. It was also the second budget presented by Minister for…
Visitors communicate with Chinese exhibitors at the China Brand Fair in Budapest, Hungary, June 26, 2025. The China Brand Fair 2025 kicked off here on Thursday, bringing together over 270 companies from 17 Chinese provinces and municipalities. Since its inception in 2015, the China Brand Fair has been held seven times in Hungary. The 2025 edition features 10,000 square meters of exhibition space and products spanning electronics, machinery, building materials, fitness equipment, textiles, daily goods, and food items. (Photo by Sandor Bankuti/Xinhua)BUDAPEST, June 26 (Xinhua) — The China Brand Fair 2025 kicked off here on Thursday, bringing together over 270…
Listen to article Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to ensure strict law and order during Muharram-ul-Haram processions and majalis across the country. While chairing the federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad on Thursday, Shehbaz Sharif instructed the Interior Minister to coordinate with provincial governments, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir to maintain peace and security throughout the month. The premier praised the government’s economic team, especially Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, for their dedication in preparing Pakistan’s federal budget for the fiscal year 2025-26. He also expressed gratitude to the federal cabinet and allied political parties for their collective support in finalising…
The National Assembly on Thursday approved the Rs17.57 trillion federal budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 with certain amendments, rejecting opposition calls for public consultation and clearing the way for a raft of tax reforms, revenue measures, and government spending plans for the coming year. The Finance Bill 2025 — aimed at giving effect to the federal government’s financial proposals for the fiscal year starting July 1, 2025, and amending various existing laws. The session, chaired by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, began with Finance Minister Mohammad Aurangzeb moving the Finance Bill 2025, which was taken up for a clause-by-clause review. Opposition…