Author: i2wtc

The success in wetland conservation has not only benefited China’s biodiversity, but also contributed to the health of cross-border ecosystems by integrating wetland protection with other environmental goals, such as migratory bird conservation.by Xinhua writers Xu Zheng, Tafara MugwaraVICTORIA FALLS, Zimbabwe, July 31 (Xinhua) — Amid growing global attention to wetland conservation, China’s efforts and achievements in this field are particularly eye-catching at the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP15), due to conclude here on Thursday.From building the world’s largest number of international wetland cities to achieving legislative breakthroughs and…

HASSAN ABDAL/BALAKOT: Flash floods triggered by torrential rains in the upcountry areas continued to wreak havoc on Wednesday, as 10 people were swept away in a swollen stream in Hassan Abdal, while authorities braved heavy monsoon downpours in the Kaghan Valley to rescue 160 stranded passengers, officials said. The tragedy struck Jhary Kas, Hassan Abdal, when a vehicle carrying 10 people was swept away by a flash flood in a local stream. Officials said Rescue 1122 divers had recovered four bodies – all women from Wah Cantt – while the search continued for a missing child. The deceased included three…

META CEO Mark Zuckerberg (L) and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.Getty ImagesShares of Meta soared 12% and Microsoft popped 5% on Thursday, after the companies reported better-than-expected earnings that beat on top and bottom lines.Microsoft topped the $4 trillion market cap benchmark with the move, joining Nvidia in the club.Both Meta and Microsoft have been investing heavily in artificial intelligence infrastructure in recent years, and the companies said they expect to continue to shell out billions in capital expenditures.Meta said capital expenditures will range between $66 billion and $72 billion for the full year, raising the low end of the company’s previous estimate…

TORONTO: Top seeds Alexander Zverev of Germany and American Coco Gauff advanced to the third round of the Canadian Open on Tuesday after both players were pushed hard by their opponents. World number three Zverev, playing in his first match since his first-round loss at Wimbledon, was far from his best but emerged with a 7-6(8/6), 6-4 win over Adam Walton under the lights in Toronto. Momentum shifted firmly in Zverev’s favour when he won a 52-shot rally in the first set tiebreak, and he sealed the win on a double fault by the Australian in the second set. “It…

The Moderna Inc. headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on March 26, 2024.Adam Glanzman | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesModerna on Thursday said it plans to slash roughly 10% of its global workforce by the end of the year, as Covid shot sales continue to dwindle and the company grapples with uncertainty in the vaccine market. In a memo to employees, Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said the company expects to have fewer than 5,000 workers by the end of the year. Moderna had approximately 5,800 full-time employees in 18 countries as of Dec. 31, 2024, according to its 2024 annual report. Shares of Moderna have…

Listen to article PESHAWAR: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur drew attention on Wednesday with conflicting statements regarding the military operations — first blaming its “failure” on an “eroded trust between the army and the people,” and later describing the security forces as “guests of the nation who must be protected from harm”. “Our forces are our guests, and we will never tolerate any harm coming to them. Our ancestors taught us to protect our guests, and our security forces have given their lives for the country,” he said in a video message following an Apex Committee meeting on Wednesday. The chief…

TASHKENT: Pakistan and Poland players in action during their World U-19 Volleyball Championship match at the Yunnusobod Hall and the Sport University Center on Wednesday.—courtesy FIVB LAHORE: Pakistan’s valiant campaign at the World Under-19 Volleyball Championship ended in heartbreak on Wednesday, as they succumbed to a narrow 2-3 defeat against volleyball powerhouse Poland in a fiercely contested pre-quarterfinal match. The clash, held at Yunnusobod Hall and the Sport University Center in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, saw Pakistan exit the title race despite a performance brimming with fight. Having topped Group ‘A’ and entered the last 16 as a threatening force, Pakistan pushed…

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday expressed confidence that the U.S. and China are on the way to trade pact as a key tariff deadline nears.”I believe that we have the makings of a deal,” Bessent said during an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” “There’s still a few technical details to be worked out on the Chinese side between us. I’m confident that it will be done, but it’s not 100% done.”Bessent did not provide any details on what a final deal with China would look like.However, he stressed that he hasn’t discussed the issue yet with President Donald Trump,…

This photo shows the scenery of Fengwu Village, Yixian County, Huangshan City, east China’s Anhui Province, July 24, 2025. Fengwu Village in Yixian County is a small village with picturesque scenery. In recent years, design teams were invited by local authorities to revitalize rural public spaces through micro-renovations.In the village, a Village Memory Museum was built. The two-story building has its first floor serves as a semi-open public space, while the second floor houses an exhibition area displaying old artifacts donated by villagers, recreating the village’s living history.Not far from the museum, a covered bridge spans over a once-abandoned aqueduct.…

LAHORE: A three-member bench of the Lahore High Court, headed by Chief Justice Aalia Neelum, on Wednesday suspended the by-election schedule issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for NA-175 after the disqualification of PTI’s Jamshed Dasti. The petitioner had challenged his disqualification before the LHC’s Multan Bench. Due to the sensitivity of the matter, the bench proposed the constitution of a larger bench and referred the case to the court’s principal seat. Subsequently, the petitioner filed an additional plea seeking early hearing, drawing the court’s attention to the ECP’s announced by-election schedule. He argued that delaying the hearing…