Author: i2wtc
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…
Listen to article ISLAMABAD: The International Monetary Fund has rejected Pakistan’s proposal to impose 1% water storage cess on goods to build mega dams and instead suggested to increase the 18% standard sales tax rate for funding any enlarged size of the federal development programme. The development came amid an anticipated revision in the cost of the Diamer-Basha dam and needing funds to build a new Chenab dam over the Chenab river, which will require at least additional Rs800 billion, according to the government sources. Official sources said that the global lender did not endorse the proposal to impose water storage cess,…
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Thursday formally replied to a set of pointed questions from the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget about the renovation of the Fed’s Washington headquarters.Powell pointed to a newly launched page on the Fed’s public website dedicated to answering questions about the project, which is over budget. He also batted down accusations by OMB director Russell Vought that the renovated buildings will feature luxurious amenities like a private elevator, VIP lunch rooms or a rooftop garden.”The Board believes it is of the utmost importance to provide transparency for our decisions and…
Portrait of American financier Jeffrey Epstein, left, and Donald Trump as they pose together at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, in 1997.Davidoff Studios Photography | Archive Photos | Getty ImagesA “bawdy” letter to Jeffrey Epstein bearing President Donald Trump’s signature was included in an album of letters Epstein received for his 50th birthday in 2003, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday evening, citing documents reviewed by the newspaper.The letter, which the Journal said Trump sent at the request of Epstein’s friend Ghislaine Maxwell, would have been written 16 years before the Justice Department charged the now-dead Epstein…
Listen to article ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund expressed hope that joint efforts between Afghanistan and Pakistan would be effective in addressing existing challenges, particularly in facilitating the dignified return of Afghan refugees to their homeland. This statement was made following a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and the Afghan PM at the Gulkhana Palace on Thursday. The Afghan PM welcomed Dar and his delegation, expressing hope that the visit would contribute positively to the advancement of bilateral relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Read More: Dar hails UAP railway agreement as milestone in regional connectivity…
U.S. President Donald Trump listens during a multilateral lunch with African leaders in the State Dining Room of the White House July 9, 2025 in Washington, DC.Win Mcnamee | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump, facing growing pressure to publicly release Justice Department files related to Jeffrey Epstein, said on Thursday night that he had asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the unsealing of grand jury testimony related to the criminal prosecution of the notorious pedophile.Bondi replied in a social media post, writing, “President Trump — we are ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the…
Listen to article Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar attended the signing ceremony of the Framework Agreement on the Joint Feasibility Study for the Naibabad–Kharlachi rail link under the Uzbek–Afghan–Pakistan (UAP) Railway Corridor in Kabul on Thursday. Taking to X, Dar congratulated the leadership of the three countries, saying, “I congratulate the people & governments of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan on the signing of the Framework Agreement on the Joint Feasibility Study for the Naibabad–Kharlachi rail link under the UAP Railway Corridor.” Deputy Prime Minister / Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 met with Afghan Acting Foreign Minister Amir…
Visitors are seen at the pavilion of Thailand during the third China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) in Beijing, capital of China, July 17, 2025.Held from July 16 to 20, the 2025 CISCE kicked off in Beijing on Wednesday.Thailand serves as the guest country of honor at the expo, while east China’s Shandong Province and south China’s Guangdong Province act as the guest provinces of honor. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)Visitors from Nigeria learn about agricultural products at the pavilion of Thailand during the third China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) in Beijing, capital of China, July 17, 2025.Held from July 16 to…
Listen to article ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), along with the federal ministers for climate change and planning, to closely coordinate with provincial governments in formulating a comprehensive disaster management plan, as the death toll from this year’s torrential rains and cloudbursts reached 178 on Thursday. He issued the directive during his visit to the National Emergencies Operation Centre (NEOC) at the NDMA headquarters, where he was briefed on the current monsoon situation, ongoing disaster response efforts, and the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Also Read: Punjab declares emergency…
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi discusses a drug enforcement-related announcement during a press conference at DEA Headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., July 15, 2025. Umit Bektas | ReutersThe Department of Justice on Thursday asked California sheriffs for data on their inmates who are not U.S. citizens — including the crimes they committed and their release dates — in the latest escalation of President Donald Trump’s mass-deportation plans.The federal law enforcement agency said it told sheriffs in Los Angeles, San Francisco and other California counties to turn over “lists of all inmates in their jails who are not citizens of the…