Author: i2wtc

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Bangladesh on Sunday signed a number of agreements aimed at enhancing cooperation in trade, diplomacy, media, education, and cultural exchanges, marking a significant step forward in efforts to reset relations after years of frosty ties, as Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar sought to move beyond the baggage of 1971. Dar, who is on a landmark visit to Dhaka, the first by a Pakistani foreign minister in 13 years, held a series of high-level meetings with Bangladesh’s top leadership and political figures. The foreign minister held talks with Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, Foreign Policy Advisor Touhid Hossain…

Over 120 people have died in Punjab during the past six weeks as torrential rains and flash floods swept through rural and urban settlements, according to official figures. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said the ongoing monsoon spell is expected to continue intermittently until August 27, bringing risks of riverine floods, urban flooding and waterlogging in low-lying areas. Nationwide, more than 700 people have lost their lives and nearly 1,000 others have been injured in rain-related incidents since the start of the season, including women and children. In Punjab alone, 54 fatalities were reported in the first half of…

China’s Foreign Ministry has applauded the leadership of Army Chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, describing the Pakistan Army as a stabilising force in the country and a steadfast guardian of the enduring China–Pakistan friendship, PTV World reported on Sunday. This acknowledgment followed a high-level meeting between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and COAS Munir in Islamabad on August 21. In its statement, the Foreign Ministry said Wang Yi praised the Pakistan Army as a pillar of national stability and a steadfast guardian of the China–Pakistan friendship, noting the military’s role in advancing consensus reached by the leadership of both countries.…

A pilot instructs students to learn about the instrument panel aboard an aircraft at a general aviation industrial park in Laixi, Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province, Aug. 24, 2025. Laixi City has made efforts in promoting general aviation industry, including establishing a professional industrial park, introducing airplane manufacture companies and developing flight training business, which have activated the vitality of low-altitude economy. (Photo by Zhang Jingang/Xinhua)An instructor (R) checks the aircraft with a trainee before the flight at a general aviation industrial park in Laixi, Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province, Aug. 24, 2025. Laixi City has made efforts in promoting…

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, met with Chief Adviser of Bangladesh Professor Muhammad Yunus in Dhaka on Sunday to discuss the revival of historical connections and boosting trade and economic cooperation. According to the Foreign Office, the talks also covered promoting youth linkages, enhancing connectivity, and reviewing recent developments in the region as well as prospects for wider regional cooperation. Dar conveyed the greetings of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to the Chief Adviser and briefed him on his engagements in Dhaka and the key outcomes of his visit. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister , Senator Mohammad…

Jakub Porzycki | NurPhoto | Getty ImagesEther rose to a new record over the weekend, after hitting an all-time high Friday for the first time since 2021.The price of the second largest cryptocurrency rose as high as $4,954.81 on Sunday afternoon. It was last higher by less than 1% at $4,776.46.Meanwhile, bitcoin at one point erased all the gains from its Friday rally, falling as low as $110,779.01, its lowest level since July 10. It was last trading lower by nearly 2% at about $112,000. The flagship cryptocurrency hit its most recent record of $124,496 on Aug. 13.Stock Chart IconStock…

PUBLISHED August 24, 2025 KARACHI: Karachi is faced with a triple threat that may eventually wipe us out of existence. The city is not a city in a traditional sense – it’s a cash cow for all stakeholders. The wealth of the city is generated and then shipped off for personal gain. As long as we can squeeze it for more money, it will remain a desirable place to live in for some – and the rest who serve them, until it has been skinned to the bones, at which point it could fade into oblivion as if the city…

China’s self-developed Haiqin, a 6,000-meter deep-sea remotely operated vehicle (ROV), is recovered from the sea, onboard ship Zhong Shan Da Xue, in the South China Sea, Aug. 23, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Jiansong)ONBOARD SHIP ZHONG SHAN DA XUE, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) — China’s self-developed Haiqin, a 6,000-meter deep-sea remotely operated vehicle (ROV), has successfully completed a deep-sea voyage in the South China Sea, scientists have told Xinhua.The deep-sea electric ROV system named Haiqin, which was designed and built by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, reached a depth of 4,140 meters during the sea trial early on Saturday morning.Equipped with high-definition cameras, robotic arms,…

PUBLISHED August 24, 2025 PESHAWAR: “My friends and I enrolled in science subjects at the matric level to become doctors or health practitioners after higher studies and serve humanity,” says Safia Babi, 15, a 9th-grade Afghan student in Pakistan, expressing her grievances over the recent government decision that Afghan refugees holding Proof of Registration (POR) cards must leave the country in September. “But the decision has shattered our dreams, and now we feel hopeless.” She added that due to the fear of repatriation to Afghanistan, she and her friends are concerned that they will not be able to continue their…

PUBLISHED August 24, 2025 LAHORE: Behind every law lies a promise to protect citizens—but when that promise is undermined by weak implementation, the law loses its force. A comprehensive 2023 study in Punjab laid bare this reality, showing that from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2023, conviction rates under Punjab’s local and special laws remained alarmingly low. Drawing on data from the Punjab Prosecution Department, the study traced prosecution outcomes across laws that directly shape daily life, from food safety and price control to child labour and epidemic prevention. The results revealed a troubling enforcement gap: According to the…