Author: i2wtc
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday announced central contracts for 30 male cricketers for the upcoming 2025–26 international season, with no players placed in the top-tier Category A. Last month, the number of male and female players in the central contract lists rose, according to PCB’s 2025-26 budget documents. According to a press release by PCB today, the contracts, effective from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, “reflect the board’s continued commitment to recognising and supporting national talent.” This year’s roster sees ten players each placed in Categories B, C, and D, with the PCB acknowledging that “no…
ISLAMABAD: As the heads of all superior courts have agreed to evolve a mechanism to end external interference, debate has begun on how effective the high court SOPs will be in curbing extraneous influence without adjudicating the 26th Constitutional Amendment, which, by admission, increased the executive’s influence in judicial appointments and the selection of constitutional benches (CBs). The National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (NJPMC), comprising all chief justices, on Monday commended the high courts for formulating SOPsStandard Operating Proceduresfor judicial independence. The SOPs are expected to be notified soon. Lawyers are questioning how external interference can end when NJPMC members…
Lip-Bu Tan, CEO of Intel, departs the White House in Washington, DC, U.S., on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025. Alex Wroblewski | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesThe Trump administration is discussing taking a 10% stake in Intel, according to a Bloomberg report on Tuesday, in a deal that could see the U.S. government become the chipmaker’s largest stakeholder.As part of a potential deal, the government is also considering converting some or all of Intel’s grants from the 2022 U.S. CHIPS and Science Act into equity in the company, the report said, citing a White House official and other people familiar with the…
An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 11, 2025 shows an offshore wind farm near the coast of Yancheng, east China’s Jiangsu Province. (Photo by Wang Yan/Xinhua)SHENZHEN, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) — China’s southern metropolis of Shenzhen has officially launched an incentive program to encourage new energy vehicle (NEV) owners to charge their rides with electricity from renewable sources.Under the initiative, “Green Car, Green Electricity,” NEV owners who charge their cars at any of the 11 green electricity charging stations in the city can receive a personal exclusive green certificate issued by the National Energy Administration (NEA) for every 1,000 kWh…
Jonathan Raa | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesShein is considering moving its headquarters back to China from Singapore in a bid to convince Beijing authorities to approve the online fast-fashion company’s Hong Kong initial public offering, according to a Bloomberg report on Tuesday. The report said that Shein had gone so far as to consult lawyers about setting up a parent company in mainland China, citing people familiar with the matter. However, it added that there was no guarantee that Shein would act upon the preliminary discussions.Shein, which sources a significant amount of its goods from China, confidentially filed for an initial…
JOHNS CREEK (Georgia): Pakistan’s Mohammad Ashab Irfan solidified his standing within the country’s competitive squash scene by capturing the Johns Creek Open title on Monday, defeating Malaysia’s Nathan Kueh 3-1. The 21-year-old Ashab, already a two-time title winner this year, recovered from losing the first game to secure victory 8-11, 11-2, 11-2, 11-6 in a 40-minute match. As many as 20 players competed in the Professional Squash Association (PSA) Challenger Tour event, which offered a total prize purse of $12,000. Irfan entered the tournament as the second seed. He was among seven Pakistani players participating, joining Mohammad Asim Khan, Mohammad…
Fearing an imminent Israeli ground offensive, thousands of Palestinians have left their homes in eastern areas of Gaza City, now under constant Israeli bombardment, for points to the west and south of the shattered territory. Israel’s plan to seize control of Gaza City has stirred alarm abroad and at home where tens of thousands of Israelis held some of the largest protests seen since the war began, urging a deal to end the fighting and free the remaining 50 hostages held by Palestinian militants in Gaza. The planned offensive has spurred Egyptian and Qatari ceasefire mediators to step up efforts…
Carlos Alcaraz won the Cincinnati Open after top seed Jannik Sinner retired as he was feeling unwell on Monday, raising concerns about the Italian’s fitness just days before he is due to begin the defence of his US Open title. The Spanish second seed snapped the world number one’s 26-match winning streak on hardcourts when his ailing rival signalled he could no longer continue while trailing 5-0 in the first set of the final. “This is not the way that I want to win trophies, I just have to say sorry, I can understand how you must feel now,” Alcaraz…
A senior Iranian official warned Monday that war with Israel could erupt at any moment, describing the current lull after June’s 12-day conflict as only a temporary halt. “We must be prepared at every moment for confrontation; right now, we are not even in a ceasefire (agreement); we are in a cessation of hostilities,” said First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref. The fighting in June saw Israel bombard Iranian nuclear and military sites, as well as residential areas, killing more than 1,000 people, including senior commanders and nuclear scientists. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes that killed dozens in…
The US State Department has revoked 6,000 student visas since Secretary of State Marco Rubio took office seven months ago, it said Monday. Rubio, to the delight of President Donald Trump’s right-wing base, has proudly moved against students using an obscure law that allows him to rescind visas for people deemed to counter US foreign policy interests. The Trump administration has also more broadly sought mass deportations of people in the United States illegally. “The State Department has revoked over 6,000 student visas for overstays and law violations, the vast majority being assault, DUI, burglary and support for terrorism,” a…