Author: i2wtc

Olympic champion Sifan Hassan and Ethiopian Hailemaryam Kiros both ran course record times to win the titles at the Sydney Marathon on Sunday as the race entered a new era as part of the World Marathon Majors series. Dutchwoman Hassan showed her class to cross the line at the city’s Opera House in two hours, 18 minutes and 22 seconds, well clear of former world record holder Brigid Kosgei of Kenya with last year’s champion Workenesh Edesa third. In the men’s race, Kiros broke clear of the leading pack with Addisu Gobena at about the 30 kilometre mark and outsprinted…

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tianjin, north China, Aug. 31, 2025. Modi is in China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)TIANJIN, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that China and India are cooperation partners, not rivals, and that the two countries are each other’s development opportunities rather than threats.As long as the two countries stick to this overarching direction, China-India relations can sustain steady and long-term growth, Xi said when the two leaders met in the port city…

Punjab is facing one of the most severe flood emergencies in recent history as water levels continue to rise in the Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej rivers, displacing millions across the province. Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director General Irfan Ali Kathia warned that the situation could worsen within the next 24 hours. According to PDMA, the Chenab River is flowing at 215,000 cusecs at Khanki Headworks and 203,000 cusecs at Qadirabad, while discharge at Trimmu Headworks has spiked to 299,000 cusecs. At Chiniot bridge, flows of 282,000 cusecs were reported, with officials terming the situation “stable.” A discharge of…

Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek proved they are only human at the US Open on Saturday, showing that even the world’s best players sometimes have to work things out on the fly when pure talent is not enough. Wimbledon champion Swiatek embodied the day’s theme of triumph through adversity, clawing her way back from 5-1 down in the opening set against Anna Kalinskaya before grinding out a 7-6(2) 6-4 victory. “I’m happy that I came back and kept … figuring out and problem-solving,” Swiatek said. “For sure, it wasn’t an easy match.” The Pole was far from her sharpest in…

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has approved a change in the constitution of the 11th National Finance Commission (NFC). The 11th NFC was constituted on August 22 to prepare a new award for sharing federal divisible resources between the Centre and the provinces. Chaired by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, the NFC includes four provincial finance ministers and four non-statutory members, one from each province. Its inaugural session, however, was postponed on the request of the Sindh government “due to the impending flood situation”. “The change became necessary after Government of Balochistan revised its nomination, recommending Mahfooz Ali Khan as its…

After a few rather quiet days in Islamabad, overseeing the Pakistan Under-23 team’s training camp, Nolberto Solano’s formal welcome to the country’s football fraternity took place in Lahore. It was a grand function arranged by the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) to celebrate his arrival. There were moments there where the 50-year-old Peruvian would’ve felt like royalty; garlanded by all the attendees turn by turn, some tugging at him for a picture on a sweltering summer night. There was also a mini-ceremony where the former Newcastle United legend was sat on the stage and a sehrabandi — where a decorative headdress…

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday arrived in Tianjin to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War in Beijing and other official engagements. Heads of state and delegations from across Asia and the Middle East will gather from Sunday in the Chinese port city for the two-day SCO summit. The Pakistani delegation accompanying the prime minister includes Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and senior government officials. At the summit, the prime minister will present Pakistan’s perspective on…

SHARJAH: Saim Ayub and Hasan Nawaz struck half-centuries as Pakistan thumped the United Arab Emirates by 31 runs in Sharjah on Saturday, making it two wins from two in their T20 tri-series also featuring Afghanistan. Opener Saim smashed a 38-ball 69, with four sixes and seven fours, while Hasan’s 26-ball 56 included six maximums, lifting Pakistan to 207 all out in exactly 20 overs. Asif Khan threatened to snatch an unlikely win for UAE with a brilliant 35-ball 77 before falling in the last over. The UAE managed 176-8 from their 20 overs. Skipper Muhammad Waseem also hit a breezy…

ISLAMABAD: An Indian national, Usman, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison in Pakistan on charges of espionage and terrorism, once again drawing attention to New Delhi’s state-sponsored activities inside the country. Usman, son of Abdul Rehman, who also holds Afghan citizenship, was arrested by security forces at the Chaman border in Balochistan while attempting to cross into Pakistan. According to sources, Usman had been under surveillance for several months before his arrest. Intelligence reports indicated his involvement in espionage and terrorist activities aimed at destabilising the province. He was reportedly attempting to enter Pakistan to carry out covert…

ISLAMABAD: The country’s power regulator is working towards establishing a single system operator with a unified basket for the entire country. Right now, K-Electric — Karachi’s private utility 1 and state-owned distribution companies (DISCOs) have separate systems for calculating electricity costs. The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) may take one to two years to establish the system, the Power Division told the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet during a recently held meeting. The Power Division apprised that Nepra is working towards establishing a single system operator with a unified basket for the entire country, and the K-Electric’s…