Washington: (Reuters) Chinese President Xi Jinping is heading to Washington this week with a stronger economic hand than when he last met U.S. President Donald Trump, as China’s trade engine continues to expand despite years of American tariff pressure. Xi and Trump are due to meet on September 24, with expectations for a major breakthrough remaining limited. The immediate priority is whether the two sides can extend a trade truce agreed last year that helped prevent a deeper shock to the global economy. A Changing Balance of Power In the months since their previous meeting, China has continued to expand…
Author: Web Desk
WASHINGTON: The White House has launched a round-the-clock digital streaming channel, “TRUMP TV: The Essentials Station,” giving President Donald Trump’s administration a new direct outlet for distributing speeches, announcements, archival footage and other presidential content. The channel went live on YouTube on Monday and is also available through the White House website. When the stream began, it was showing archived footage of Trump delivering a speech at Mount Rushmore. The White House said the platform would be updated in real time with major moments, announcements and other administration content. The launch comes amid an escalating confrontation between the Trump administration…
Washington: President Donald Trump’s decision to bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House has triggered an unusually broad response from major US television networks, with rival broadcasters refusing to provide routine pool coverage of the president. The three outlets have also taken the administration to court, arguing that the ban violates the First Amendment and improperly restricts journalists because of their reporting. In a rare joint statement, ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC said the public has a vital interest in receiving accurate and independent information about the government. “No administration should restrict a news organization…
Islamabad: Pakistan has secured the safe passage of another liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipment from Qatar through the Strait of Hormuz after reaching an arrangement with Iran, Bloomberg reported. The development could provide some relief to Pakistan as the country faces pressure on its energy supplies amid continuing disruption in the region. According to Bloomberg, the LNG tanker loaded its cargo at Qatar’s Ras Laffan facility in late June. The vessel crossed the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend and was expected to reach Pakistan’s LNG import terminal by Tuesday, based on ship-tracking data. The passage was arranged through…
Islamabad: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has travelled to Tehran for talks with Iranian officials as tensions rise across the Middle East. His visit comes after recent attacks by Yemen’s Houthi movement on Saudi Arabia’s oil and economic infrastructure. Talks on Iran, Yemen and the US Naqvi left for Iran on Monday, according to reports. He is expected to discuss the regional crisis, Pakistan-Iran relations and efforts to restart stalled talks between Iran and the United States. He is also expected to discuss the situation in Yemen. Islamabad has warned that the latest escalation could further complicate an already tense…
LAHORE: Pakistan’s Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik has warned that petrol prices could reach Rs1,000 per litre if the country faces a fuel shortage. However, the minister said Pakistan currently has sufficient petrol supplies. Speaking to reporters in Lahore, Malik said global oil prices had increased by around 80 percent. He said petrol prices in Pakistan had risen by about 50 percent. Malik said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had taken measures to limit the impact of rising international oil prices on consumers. “Currently, there is no petrol shortage in the country,” Malik said. “If a shortage develops, the price could…
MOSCOW: Ukraine launched what Moscow officials called the largest drone attack yet on the Russian capital on Sunday. The attack came as Russians cast ballots on the final day of parliamentary elections. The strikes killed two people in the Moscow region, according to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. Two more people died in Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine’s Kherson region, according to Russian election authorities. An oil refinery in Moscow also suffered damage. Sobyanin said Russian air defenses stopped the attack. He called it an unprecedented assault and accused Ukraine of trying to disrupt the elections. Kyiv has not publicly claimed responsibility…
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have reported promising early findings from a two-year study examining whether rhythmic light and sound stimulation could help slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The study followed five people with mild Alzheimer’s who continued using an experimental treatment known as GENUS — short for gamma entrainment using sensory stimuli. The noninvasive therapy delivers light and sound at a frequency of 40Hz, with the aim of stimulating brain activity associated with memory and learning. Three participants with late-onset Alzheimer’s showed better results on several cognitive measures than comparable patients in national Alzheimer’s databases.…
The rapid development of artificial intelligence is raising increasingly serious questions about who controls the technology, how far its development should go and whether the race between the United States and China could create a new form of global technological confrontation. In a discussion hosted by Ayaz Khan Lohani, Business Intelligence Analyst Kareem Shehadeh-Rifai examined the growing concerns within the US technology industry over the pace of AI development, the strategic competition with China and the possibility that governments could eventually seek greater control over advanced artificial intelligence. The discussion followed recent warnings from leading figures in the AI industry,…
Washington: The U.S. military came dangerously close to intercepting a Chinese vessel in the Middle East after an intelligence report incorrectly claimed that the ship was carrying components linked to a nuclear weapons program, a CNN report claimed. According to report, the intelligence assessment circulated within the U.S. military during the war with Iran and prompted officials to prepare for a potential operation against the vessel. Sources familiar with the incident told CNN that armed personnel were preparing to board the ship and that military aircraft had already been deployed. The situation changed when officials examined the intelligence more closely…
