Author: i2wtc
Artists perform a dance drama during the 7th China Xinjiang International Dance Festival at the Xinjiang People’s Hall in Urumqi, capital of northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 20, 2025. (Xinhua/Xin Yuewei)URUMQI, July 21 (Xinhua) — The 7th China Xinjiang International Dance Festival opened on Sunday in Urumqi, capital of northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, featuring 52 performances over 17 days until Aug. 5.The event brings together 24 art troupes, including groups from eight countries — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, the United States, Italy, and Cambodia, as well as 16 domestic teams from China. Performances cover dance…
LAHORE: From questioning the honourability of suspended assembly members to calling their disorderly conduct a sheer violation of oath warranting disqualification, Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan has now taken a sharp U-turn — asking PML-N lawmakers to approach the judiciary to prove the veracity of their claims. The climbdown has raised eyebrows with some suggesting that the speaker, who had wrapped himself in the flag of constitutionalism, may have overreached and was now quietly trying to retreat. Pitched as a principled stand against parliamentary disorder, the move is now being read as an overzealous solo flight. In the…
ISLAMABAD: In a bid to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and energy-efficient transportation, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has imposed Energy Vehicle Adoption Levy on all locally manufactured, assembled and imported vehicles that run on traditional internal combustion engines (ICE). The FBR has formally issued a notification outlining the rates of the levy, which is structured to favour environment-friendly vehicles over conventional fuel-powered ones. Officials said the new tax regime aims to discourage reliance on fossil fuel and promote a shift toward modern, low-emission technology. As per the First Schedule of the Finance Act, ICE vehicles with…
Annealed neodymium iron boron magnets sit in a barrel at a Neo Material Technologies Inc. factory in Tianjin, China on June 11, 2010.Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesChina’s exports of rare-earth magnets to the United States in June surged more than seven times from the prior month, as American firms clamor to get hold of the critical elements following a preliminary Sino-U.S. trade deal.In April, Beijing placed restrictions on several critical magnets, used in advanced tech such as electric vehicles, wind turbines and MRI machines, requiring firms to receive licenses for export. The move was seen as retaliation against U.S.…
LONDON: England will stage the next three World Test Championship finals after the successful hosting of the first three showpiece matches, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Sunday. The most recent final took place last month, when South Africa were crowned champions for the first time after defeating holders Australia at Lord’s. Nearly 110,000 people went through the gates of the London ground. India were reportedly keen to host the next final in two years’ time but England have been awarded the finals of the 2027, 2029 and 2031 editions. At its annual conference in Singapore, the ICC noted…
Listen to article ISLAMABAD: Security forces killed four terrorists belonging to an outlawed separatist group during an intelligence based operation (IBO) in Kalat district on the night between Saturday and Sunday. The operation was carried out in the Pahrod area of the district on the basis of reports regarding the presence of terrorists. According to an official statement, troops effectively took position near the hideout of the terrorists, who were neutralized after an intense exchange of fire. The forces also seized a large cache of arms, ammunition and explosive material from the hideout. A sanitization and clearance operation was underway in the…
SYDNEY: Iran has booked the final ticket to the women’s Asian Cup, beating Jordan 2-1 with the cast now set for the 2026 tournament in Australia. Marziyeh Jafari’s side defied the odds with victory in Amman on Saturday to ensure they will be at the event in Perth, Gold Coast and Sydney from March 1-21. Defending champions China, Asian powerhouses Japan and South Korea, along with the host nation all qualified automatically. Joining Iran in batting through the qualifiers was India, Bangladesh, Taiwan, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, the Philippines and North Korea. “It’s an incredibly exciting time for the AFC Women’s Asian…
Listen to article QUETTA: A horrifying video emerged on social media on Sunday, depicting the brutal killing of a man and a woman in Balochistan, in the name of so-called honour, sending shockwaves across the country and beyond. As the video spread like wildfire, the public recoiled in disbelief. The graphic images sparked immediate outrage, igniting a firestorm of condemnation from civil society, religious scholars, and political leaders alike. The victims, whose identities were not immediately known, were allegedly targeted by their own family or community members — a grim reminder of the archaic and deadly tradition of honour killings that continues…
MANAMA: Pakistani cueists enjoyed a strong showing in the IBSF World 6Red Snooker Championships here at the Crowne Plaza hotel on Sunday as Mohmmad Hasnain Akhtar, Ahsan Ramzan and Mohammad Asif registered thumping wins. Mohammad Hasnain Akhtar, the reigning U-17 champion, delivered a commanding performance, defeating Mohamed Abdelkader of Egypt 4-0 [70(70)-0, 45-11, 57(35)-7, 48-2]. However Hasnain experienced his first defeat of this campaign in the other match of the day as he fell to Chau Hon Man of Hong Kong 4-2. The match saw Hon Man take the first two frames (41-9, 38-16), Hasnain respond strongly to level [69(69)-0,…
The Huawei booth at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, 2025.Arjun Kharpal | CNBCDespite being beaten down by years of U.S. trade restrictions, China’s telecom giant Huawei has quietly emerged as one of the country’s fiercest competitors across the entire AI landscape. Not only does the Shenzhen-based firm appear to represent Beijing’s answer to American AI chip darling Nvidia, but it has also been an early adopter of monetizing artificial intelligence models in industrial applications. “Huawei has been forced to shift and expand its core business focus over the past decade… due to a variety of external pressures on the company,” said…