Author: i2wtc

BASSETERRE: Australia completed a 5-0 sweep of the West Indies in their Twenty20 international series with Ben Dwarshuis’s bowling paving the way for a three-wicket victory in Basseterre, Saint Kitts on Monday. Mitchell Owen top-scored for Australia with 37 off 17 balls, while Cameron Green (32), Tim David (30) and Aaron Hardie (28 not out) all made valuable contributions as the visitors reached their target of 171 with 18 balls to spare. The win sealed the first T20 series sweep by an Australian men’s team in the West Indies, and saw them end the tour with a perfect 8-0 record…

Visitors look at vehicles at the booth of BYD during the 2025 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Auto Show in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong Province, May 31, 2025. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)SHENZHEN, July 30 (Xinhua) — Earlier this month, BYD Shenzhen, the world’s second-largest car carrier of its kind, set sail from China to Europe with 6,817 BYD new energy vehicles (NEVs) on board, marking a notable shift in the world’s largest auto market, once dominated by European brands.Two weeks later, Chinese automaker BYD achieved a significant production figure by rolling out its 13 millionth NEV. The figures are very telling:…

Listen to article LAHORE: A troubling trickle-down effect is unfolding across Pakistan’s agricultural landscape, where a mix of government apathy, flawed policies and unchecked input costs is pushing the sector towards collapse. Once considered the backbone of the country’s economy, agriculture, especially cotton, is showing signs of irreversible decline, with millions of farmers suffering unprecedented losses. What began with a crisis in wheat and maize has now extended to cotton, vegetables and fruits, exposing deep-rooted policy failures and the lack of state intervention. According to official data for January-June 2025, Pakistani farmers endured collective losses of over Rs1.26 trillion. The most significant…

Listen to article Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed the Indian government for its handling of Operation Sindoor, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of launching the military campaign against Pakistan solely to protect his image. He described the operation as ending in an “immediate surrender” after just 30 minutes of action. Pakistan and India fought an intense four-day war in May that left more than 70 people dead before US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between the nuclear-armed neighbours. The conflict was sparked by an April attack on tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) that left 26 dead, mostly…

SINGAPORE: Katie Ledecky claimed a sixth 1,500 metres freestyle title and a record-extending 22nd world championships gold medal in Singapore on Tuesday as Romanian rocket David Popovici added the men’s 200 crown to his Paris Olympic triumph. There was also gold for Australia’s backstroke queen Kaylee McKeown, who foiled American rival Regan Smith once again to claim the 100 title in a thriller, while South Africa’s Pieter Coetze clinched the men’s race. Unbeaten in the 1,500 since the age of 13, world record holder Ledecky came home ahead of Italian Simona Quadarella with Australian Lani Pallister winning bronze at the…

Staff members pack matsutake mushrooms at a trade market in Jidi Village, Shangri-La City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, July 24, 2025.Jidi Village, a Tibetan settlement in Shangri-La City, is a veritable haven for matsutake mushrooms. Every July, villagers are busy harvesting and selling matsutake, from dawn to dusk.Among matsutake foragers is Chunpi, a 34-year-old local who was well-versed in the art of foraging for and trading matsutake mushrooms from a young age. After graduation in 2017, he returned to Shangri-La and has since been promoting matsutake sales through e-commerce.While keeping his focus on improving the quality of matsutake, Chunpi has…

Listen to article ISLAMABAD: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday projected Pakistan’s economic growth rate at 3.6% for the current fiscal year, below the government’s official target of 4.2%. The projection was released in the IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook Update report which kept Pakistan’s growth forecast unchanged. The government had set a higher growth goal based on expected recovery in agriculture and industrial sectors. However, the World Bank recently estimated that poverty in Pakistan affects nearly 45% of the population. Official data on poverty and unemployment is currently unavailable, though the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) is said to be…

Listen to article ISLAMABAD: Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan urged Chief Justice Yahya Afridi on Tuesday to intervene in the ongoing May 9 trials, alleging constitutional and procedural violations against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders. In a letter dated July 27, 2025, Ayub called the trials ‘politically motivated’ and accused anti-terrorism courts of rushing proceedings at odd hours, denying fair trial rights and legal counsel of choice. He further claimed that the hearings often continued from early morning until 3:00 am., undermining judicial transparency and exhausting defendants and lawyers alike. The opposition leader also alleged that FIRs were fabricated,…

The logo of LG Electronics is seen on the opening day of the Integrated Systems Europe exhibition in Barcelona on January 31, 2023. Pau Barrena | Afp | Getty ImagesSouth Korea-based LG Energy Solution announced Wednesday that it had signed a $4.3 billion contract for supplying batteries to a major corporation, without naming the customer.The effective date of contract — receipt of orders — began Tuesday and will conclude at the end of July, 2030. During this period, the counterparty will not be disclosed to maintain business confidentiality, the company’s filing with the Korea Exchange showed Wednesday. Reuters reported that Tesla…

Listen to article In another overture of peace, Pakistan on Tuesday once again extended the olive branch to arch-rival India and has offered composite dialogue with New Delhi to settle outstanding issues between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.  The latest offer was extended by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.  Addressing a news conference in New York, he stated that the dialogue would not be limited to terrorism, stressing that Pakistan has been one of the biggest victims of terrorism. Dar also noted that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged Pakistan’s sacrifices in the war against terrorism during a recent meeting. The deputy prime minister further…