Author: i2wtc

The Asian Development Bank will fund upgrades to part of Pakistan’s creaking railway system, replacing China, after prolonged delays in securing financing from Beijing threatened to put a strain on a strategic mining project, two sources said on Friday. An extensive revamp of 1,800 km of railways has been the centrepiece of a $60 billion Chinese investment programme in Pakistan announced in 2015 as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative global infrastructure push. A decade of negotiations, however, have yet to produce a finance package for the rail upgrades – the single biggest project under the programme with China. And…

An aerial drone photo taken on Aug. 22, 2025 shows farmers harvesting Gordon Euryale seeds in Huisheng Village of Dongxing Town of Jingjiang City, east China’s Jiangsu Province. As the Chushu of the solar terms is approaching, farmers across the country are busy working in fields. (Photo by Tang Dehong/Xinhua)An aerial drone photo taken on Aug. 22, 2025 shows a harvester reaping rice in a field in Daizhuang Village of Tianwang Town of Jurong City, east China’s Jiangsu Province. As the Chushu of the solar terms is approaching, farmers across the country are busy working in fields. (Photo by Zhong…

Google CEO Sundar Pichai gestures to the crowd during Google’s annual I/O developers conference in Mountain View, California on May 20, 2025. Camille Cohen | Afp | Getty ImagesAlphabet shares rose on a Friday report that Apple is in early discussions to use Google’s Gemini AI models for an updated version of the iPhone maker’s Siri assistant.The company’s shares rose more than 3% on the Bloomberg report, which said Apple recently inquired of Google about the potential for the search giant to build a custom artificial intelligence model that would power a new Siri that could launch next year. Google’s…

Flash floods struck Roshan valley in Ghizer district of Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) early Friday after a glacier burst, damaging more than 100 houses and forcing hundreds of families to flee, said officials. Ghizer, about 200 km from G-B, was among the worst-hit valleys in the recent floods, with at least 10 fatalities reported. Last month’s torrential rains in G-B triggered flash floods and landslides, leaving over 200 tourists and travellers stranded. At least five people, including four tourists and one local resident, lost their lives. Authorities reported 14 to 15 major road blockages caused by boulders, debris, and sudden flooding, cutting off…

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg makes a keynote speech at the Meta Connect annual event at the company’s headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., on Sept. 25, 2024.Manuel Orbegozo | ReutersMeta is planning to use its annual Connect conference next month to announce a deeper push into smart glasses, including the launch of the company’s first consumer-ready glasses with a display, CNBC has learned.That’s one of the two new devices Meta is planning to unveil at the event, according to people familiar with the matter. The company will also launch its first wristband that will allow users to control the glasses with…

A top Department of Justice official repeatedly questioned sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell about interactions with President Donald Trump — a former friend of Epstein — during a two-day interview in July, newly released transcripts revealed Friday.Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Friday in a social media post that the DOJ was releasing the complete transcript and audio of their sitdown “In the interest of transparency.”Read the transcripts:Blanche, who previously served as Trump’s criminal defense lawyer, asked Maxwell last month, “Did you ever hear Mr. Epstein or anybody say that President Trump had done anything inappropriate with masseuses…

Power outages continued to torment Karachiites on Friday, hours after record-breaking monsoon rains battered the city, leaving several neighborhoods and apartment substations without electricity. Water seeping into underground cables has led to prolonged power cuts in different parts of the city, with some areas without power for four consecutive days. Electricity remained cut off for long hours in several neighborhoods, including Moinabad, Surjani Town, Yousuf Goth, Safora Goth, Kaneez Fatima Society, Madras Chowk, Nauman Square, Scheme 33, Baldia, parts of Defence Housing Authority, Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block 10, Bin Qasim, Gulshan-e-Hadeed, Manghopir, Razzaqabad, Urdu Bazaar area, and MA Jinnah Road. Residents of several areas are also…

Sanjay Beri, chief executive officer and founder of Netskope Inc., listens during a Bloomberg West television interview in San Francisco, California.David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesCloud security platform Netskope will go public on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “NTSK,” the company said in an initial public offering filing Friday.The Santa Clara, California-based company said annual recurring revenue grew 33% to $707 million, while revenues jumped 31% to about $328 million in the first half of the year.But Netskope isn’t profitable yet. The company recorded a $170 million net loss during the first half of the year. That…

A shopper looks at chairs for sale at an At Home store in Queens, New York City, U.S., July 15, 2025. Kylie Cooper | ReutersThe Trump administration has launched an investigation into imported furniture, President Donald Trump said Friday, setting the stage for new tariffs on a wide range of products.”Within the next 50 days, that Investigation will be completed, and Furniture coming from other Countries into the United States will be Tariffed at a Rate yet to be determined,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “This will bring the Furniture Business back to North Carolina, South Carolina, Michigan,…

The United Kingdom announced on Friday £1.33 million in humanitarian aid to support Pakistan’s response to the 2025 monsoon season, as heavy rains, flooding, and landslides continue to impact several regions. According to the British High Commission in Islamabad, the assistance will cover emergency and early recovery needs, including food ration, search and rescue operations, mobile medical camps, rehabilitation of drinking water systems, restoration of irrigation channels, livelihood and agricultural support. UK’s programmes are delivering vital aid in coordination with national and provincial authorities, said British High Commissioner Jane Marriott. “Through UK-funded programmes, vital assistance is reaching communities affected by flooding…