Author: i2wtc
Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Kuomintang party chair Cheng Li-wun in Beijing on Friday, the first encounter between Xi and a sitting Taiwanese opposition leader in nearly a decade. In a readout released by Chinese state media, Xi said Beijing “welcomes any proposals conducive to the peaceful development of cross-strait relations.” That’s according to a CNBC translation of the statement in Chinese. Xi also reiterated that “‘Taiwan independence’ is the primary threat undermining stability across the Taiwan Strait,” calling on party leaders on the mainland and Taiwan to oppose “separatism and foreign interference.” Cheng took the helm last October…
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, meets with a delegation of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party led by its chairwoman Cheng Li-wun in Beijing, capital of China, April 10, 2026. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)BEIJING, April 10 (Xinhua) — Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Friday morning met with Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, in Beijing.Invited by the CPC Central Committee and Xi, Cheng is the first KMT chairperson to have led a delegation to the Chinese mainland in the past decade. The delegation…
OGRA, FIA empowered to fine violators, cancel licences An employee checks empty LPG cylinders inside Vidyarthi Bhavan restaurant, as restaurants and hotels in southern India, including the IT hub of Bengaluru, have warned of shutdowns amid disruptions in commercial LPG supply, following the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Bengaluru, India, March 10, 2026. Photo: Reuters ISLAMABAD: The government has ordered a nationwide crackdown to ensure the supply of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) at officially notified prices, directing regulators and enforcement agencies to take strict action against violations. Acting on the prime minister’s directive, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA)…
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s logo is seen in the background beside a printed circuit board. Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. on Friday posted another quarter of record revenue driven by demand for AI chips.For January to March, the world’s largest chipmaker reported revenue of 1.13 trillion new Taiwan dollars ($35.6 billion), exceeding analyst forecasts of 1.12 trillion new Taiwan dollars, according to LSEG’s compiled estimates. That marks a 35% year-on-year increase.For March alone, TSMC reported a 45.2% year-on-year rise in revenue to 415.2 billion new Taiwan dollars. The chip giant is benefiting from sustained demand…
The government has agreed to the need for a mini-budget if revenues fall short of expectations by end-December 2025, according to the IMF. Photo: file WASHINGTON: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects to have to provide up to $50 billion in immediate financial assistance to countries affected by the Middle East war, its managing director said on Thursday, with the crisis likely to have lasting economic effects. “Given the spillovers of the Middle East war, we expect near-term demand for IMF balance-of-payments support to rise to somewhere between $20b and $50b, with the lower bound prevailing if the ceasefire holds,”…
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, meets with a delegation of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party led by its chairwoman Cheng Li-wun in Beijing, capital of China, April 10, 2026. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)BEIJING, April 10 (Xinhua) — Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Friday morning met with Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, in Beijing.Invited by the CPC Central Committee and Xi, Cheng is the first KMT chairperson to have led a delegation to the Chinese mainland in the past decade. The delegation…
ISLAMABAD: For the first time, the federal government has challenged the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) judgement which had upheld the validity of legislation enacted by the Balochistan Assembly, empowering the provincial government to levy excise duty on minerals to fund labour welfare in the mining sector. The federal government through law ministry has filed a review petition against December 11, 2025 judgement which was authored by FCC judge Justice Aamer Farooq. The decision settled a constitutional challenge to amendments introduced through the Balochistan Finance Act, 2020, affirming the province’s legislative competence to impose the levy and reinforcing the post 18th…
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan. Photo: File ISLAMABAD: The PTI has decided to organise a major power show in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa later this month after postponing its planned April 9 rally in Rawalpindi. The decision follows a meeting between Imran Khan’s lawyer, Barrister Salman Safdar, and the PTI founder at Adiala Jail on April 8, the first substantive interaction after nearly three months. During the session, Imran Khan directed the party to postpone the Rawalpindi gathering in view of the sensitive US-Iran talks taking place in Islamabad, emphasizing the need to support Pakistan’s diplomatic peace efforts. While addressing a news conference…
The Trump administration is increasingly on a collision course with the European Union over Big Tech fines.Google, Apple and Meta are contesting fines from the EU over violations of the bloc’s antitrust and competition laws, which total over 6 billion euros, or $7 billion, since the start of 2024.They’re an increasing bone of contention, as both companies and the White House say the fines reflect the bloc’s hostility to innovation, while the EU tells CNBC that its tough line is getting companies to make decisions that benefit consumers.Six fines have been imposed since 2024:March 2024: Apple fined €1.84 billion under…
PM, CDF discuss mediation efforts, Capital under unprecedented security lockdown, dialogue being closely monitoredUS imposed new sanctions on Iran . PHOTO: ANADOLU ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is set to host what could prove to be one of the most consequential diplomatic engagements in recent history, as senior leaders from the United States and Iran arrive in Islamabad for high-stakes negotiations following a devastating six-week war that has left thousands dead and pushed the global economy to the brink of recession. Just three days after a fragile and hard-won ceasefire, the talks, scheduled for Friday, aim to determine whether the tenuous truce can…