Author: i2wtc

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Prime Minister of Senegal Ousmane Sonko, who is in China for the 2025 Summer Davos, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 27, 2025. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister of Senegal Ousmane Sonko in Beijing on Friday.Xi said that last September, he co-chaired the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, leading China-Africa relations into a new phase of jointly building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the…

Listen to article ISLAMABAD: India suffered a diplomatic humiliation on Thursday at the meeting of Defence Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) when member states refused to back New Delhi’s stance against Pakistan. The defence members from 10-nation SCO, including host China, Russia, Iran, India, Pakistan and others came together for a two-day huddle in the Chinese city of Qingdao. The meeting ended without the issuance of a joint communiqué as India refused to sign the document, citing reservations and claiming the statement to be aligned with Pakistan’s stance. The draft joint statement did not mention the Pahalgam attack, despite India’s best…

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, who is in China for the 2025 Summer Davos, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 27, 2025. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa in Beijing on Friday.Xi said this year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties and bilateral relations have maintained a good momentum.”Ecuador has joined the big family of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and China and Ecuador have signed a free trade agreement, carrying out fruitful…

Listen to article Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday agreed to strengthen bilateral relations between Pakistan and the United States, with a particular emphasis on boosting trade and economic cooperation. According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Secretary Rubio placed a telephone call to the prime minister during which both sides held a “warm and cordial” exchange of views on regional and bilateral matters. During the conversation, the prime minister appreciated what he described as President Donald Trump’s “bold and decisive leadership” in facilitating a ceasefire between Iran and Israel. He also…

COLOMBO: Pakistan’s snooker teams launched their Asian team championship campaigns impressively on the opening day of the team event, with both teams securing victories in their respective group matches here on Thursday. Pakistan 1, featuring the formidable pairing of defending Asian 6-Red singles champion Awaisullah Munir and recent singles bronze medalist Mohammad Asif, showcased their class with two commanding performances. They began their campaign with a resounding 3-0 whitewash of Cambodia. The Pakistani duo dominated the match, sealing victory with significant breaks: a 69 break [82(69)-30], a 51 break [59(51)-16] and culminating in a flawless 78 clearance [78(78)-0]. Their momentum…

Listen to article LAHORE: At least seven people died and 46 others were injured in rain-related incidents across Punjab, as heavy monsoon showers lashed several districts of the province over the last 24 hours, rescuers and disaster-management authorities said on Thursday. According to the Rescue 1122 – Punjab’s emergency rescue service – 39 people were brought to various hospitals. Among them, it added, two people died each in Jhelum, and Muzaffargarh districts and one each in Okara, Bahawalnagar and Khanewal. Okara was worst affected, eight emergencies were reported, a spokesperson said. Four emergencies were reported in Multan, two each in Faisalabad, Mandi…

Masayoshi Son, chairman and chief executive officer of SoftBank Group Corp., speaks during the company’s annual general meeting in Tokyo, Japan, on Friday, June 27, 2025. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesSoftBank is “all in” on OpenAI, CEO Masayoshi Son said on Friday, as the Japanese tech giant looks to realize its vision of “artificial superintelligence.”This year, the Japanese multinational conglomerate has been increasing its investments in OpenAI and participating in joint ventures such as the $500 billion Stargate project. According to Son, SoftBank is now “all in” on the artificial intelligence company, with total planned investments in the company reaching…

LAUSANNE: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will spearhead discussions on gender eligibility criteria in sports, its new president Kirsty Coventry said on Thursday, four years after the ruling body had urged federations to handle the issue independently. Coventry, who officially took over the presidency from Thomas Bach this week following Monday’s ceremony in Lausanne as the first woman and first African to hold the position, said she now wanted the IOC to “protect the female category”. She announced the formation of a working group to lead these discussions and another to review the election process for future Olympic host cities.…

Listen to article UNITED NATIONS: In the wake of “brutal surge” in violence against children in 2024, Pakistan told the UN Security Council that youths living under foreign occupation are particularly vulnerable to widespread abuses, and called for steps to ensure their safety and protection. Speaking in the 15-member Council’s debate on ‘Children and Armed Conflict’, Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said that record high child rights violations were leaving “countless young lives maimed, starved, burned, frozen to death, or weakened by severe malnutrition.” In this regard, he drew attention to, among others hotspots, the suffering of children in war-shattered Gaza…

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) is seeking funds from the government to ensure the national team’s participation in the 2025-26 FIH Pro League in case New Zealand withdrew from the said event. Funding of $2.5 million is required by Pakistan to participate in the event if New Zealand, who outplayed Pakistan 6-2 in the FIH Nations Cup final in Kuala Lumpur recently, pull out. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Thursday, PHF secretary Rana Mujahid, alongside Pakistan Sports Board director general Yasir Prizada, said that the federation would look to send the team to the FIH Pro League…