Author: i2wtc
Listen to article WASHINGTON: The White House on Thursday said that no visit of United States President Donald Trump was scheduled to Pakistan “at this time” after widespread reports of a trip. The White House dismissed the rumours. “A trip to Pakistan has not been scheduled at this time,” a White House official said. The reaction came after two local television news channels reported on Thursday that the US president is expected to visit Pakistan in September, citing sources familiar with the matter. Foreign Office spokesperson said he was not aware of Trump’s expected visit. The two TV news channels said that…
ISLAMABAD: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Thursday called for a humanitarian approach to issue of Afghan refugees and stressed for renewing dialogue between Pakistan and Afghanistan to ensure safe, voluntary, and dignified return of individuals. According to spokesperson Qaiser Khan Afridi, UNHCR called for constructive engagement between Pakistan and Afghanistan to facilitate voluntary, informed, and dignified returns, ensuring sustainability of reintegration efforts in Afghanistan, where human rights situation remained dire. The organisation acknowledged and praised Pakistan’s decades-long tradition of hosting Afghan refugees, many of whom had fled conflict, persecution, and instability since the late 1970s. “The…
Pakistani cueist Muhammad Asif has advanced to the final of the International Billiards & Snooker Federation (IBSF) World Masters Snooker Championship 2025, being held in Manama, Bahrain, the federation said on Thursday. According to the IBSF, the former world amateur champion secured a 4-2 win over India’s Manan Chandra in the semi-final held on Thursday at the Crowne Plaza Bahrain. The frame scores were 118-6, 0-84, 25-76, 92-11, 87-62, and 72-41. Asif will face India’s Brijesh Damani in the final on Friday (today). The match will be held at 6pm Bahrain Time, 8pm PKT, the IBSF said in a post…
The British government is set to give 1.5 million 16 and 17-year-olds the vote, unlocking a new voter base for competing political parties. Social media could be key to their success.The government on Thursday said that it plans to bring forward an elections bill which will grant 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote in all U.K. elections.It marks the biggest change to Britain’s electorate since the voting age was reduced from 21 in 1969.If approved by parliament, it would be a major overhaul of the country’s democratic system. The proposal, which was included in last year’s Labour manifesto, will…
ISLAMABAD: In an interesting development, the apex court has remanded back to the High-Powered Selection Board (HPSB) the case of a retired civil servant for him for proforma promotion “de novo”. A proforma promotion is a type of promotion given to an employee without a change in the current post, pay, or responsibilities, but with the intent to maintain parity with a junior or peer who may have been promoted due to structural or administrative reasons. The court has noted that the promotion should be considered in accordance with the exactitudes of Fundamental Rule 17 (FR 17) — with fair,…
Listen to article ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) chair and federal planning and climate change ministers to join heads with the provinces to develop a comprehensive disaster management plan based on the lessons learnt from this year’s devastating rains and cloudburst events. The prime minister visited the National Emergencies Operation Centre (NEOC) at the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) headquarters, where he was briefed on the country’s monsoon situation, disaster response efforts, and the increasing intensity of weather patterns. The prime minister commended the NDMA’s efforts and lauded the role of modern technology…
TUNIS: Three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur is taking a break from competitive tennis, the 30-year-old said in a social media post on Thursday. Tunisia’s Jabeur, the first Arab woman to reach a Grand Slam final, has struggled with her form in recent months, failing to get past the third round of a major this year. The two-time Wimbledon finalist’s campaign came to a disappointing end at the All England Club last month as she retired from her first-round clash against Viktoriya Tomova, unable to continue after a long medical timeout. The former world number two suffers from asthma and…
LAHORE: The negotiation committees of the treasury and opposition lawmakers in the Punjab Assembly met again on Thursday to resolve the matter of the suspension of 26 PTI MPAs. The two sides have yet to agree on what constitutes a rightful protest and what is a ruckus. The treasury has linked the restoration of the 26 suspended MPAs with the Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan’s final ruling. However, the opposition has warned that its MPAs will not attend any assembly sessions until the suspended lawmakers are restored. In the third round of talks, the negotiation committee apparently agreed to run…
BARCELONA’S Lamine Yamal poses with his new jersey. —Reuters BARCELONA: Three days after turning 18, Lamine Yamal received the most special gift of all — Barcelona’s iconic number 10 shirt, capping a remarkable breakthrough season for the youngster. Although the electric winger has eschewed comparisons to all-time Barca great Lionel Messi, he has followed in the Argentine’s footsteps by taking the number 10, also worn by Diego Maradona and Ronaldinho among other historic Barca stars. “I will try to continue this legacy,” said Yamal told reporters on Wednesday, undaunted by the shirt’s history. “Messi paved the way with the number…
Listen to article ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday directed the relevant authorities to present a policy framework for the provision of easy loans to the farmers for medium and small scale agriculture activities. Priority should be given to providing modern agricultural facilities to farmers owning less than 12 acres of land, the prime minister said while chairing a review meeting on planning for agricultural development and agri-financing. The prime minister directed to prepare and present a comprehensive plan by the end of this month for providing farmers with easy loans and introducing a system in the agri-financing sector aligned with…