Author: EchoAsiaNews

LONDON: England captain Joe Root has confirmed there will be no team curfew during the upcoming three-Test home series against Pakistan, saying players should be trusted to act responsibly off the field as preparations begin for the series starting August 19. Root’s comments come after England’s team culture faced heightened scrutiny following a series of off-field incidents and disciplinary issues that led to calls for stricter conduct measures. Why has England decided against imposing a team curfew? Speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket podcast, Root said professional players should be trusted to make responsible decisions away from the field if…

WASHINGTON: A credible and imminent missile threat prompted the US Secret Service to secretly transfer President Donald Trump from Air Force One to a smaller government aircraft during his visit to Turkiye for the NATO summit last month, according to sources familiar with the operation. The security move was carried out on the final day of Trump’s visit to Ankara after intelligence indicated Air Force One could be targeted by a shoulder-fired missile. Trump departed Turkiye aboard a C-32A aircraft, while Air Force One left separately carrying senior US officials, White House staff and members of the travelling press. Why…

LONDON: Global oil prices edged lower on Thursday as weaker demand forecasts and a sharp rise in US crude inventories outweighed persistent concerns over supply risks linked to tensions in the Middle East. Brent crude futures fell 42 cents, or 0.47%, to $88.56 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude declined 55 cents, or 0.66%, to $82.72 a barrel, reversing part of the gains recorded in previous trading sessions. Why are oil prices falling despite Middle East tensions? Oil markets came under pressure after both the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the International Energy Agency…

LONDON: British television presenter Holly Willoughby has acknowledged criticism of her new YouTube series Together, saying both positive and negative audience feedback is valuable as the show continues following its launch last month. The former This Morning host thanked viewers for sharing their opinions in a video posted on Instagram, encouraging audiences to continue offering honest feedback after the series drew mixed reactions from critics and online viewers. Why is Holly Willoughby’s new show facing criticism? Since its debut, Together has received mixed reviews, with some critics comparing its lifestyle-focused format to Meghan Markle’s series With Love. One recent episode,…

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Norway on Thursday reaffirmed their commitment to expanding bilateral cooperation during the highest-level diplomatic engagement between the two countries in a decade, with both sides agreeing to strengthen collaboration in trade, investment, climate action, maritime affairs, education and people-to-people exchanges. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar held restricted and delegation-level talks with Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where both leaders reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations and exchanged views on key regional and international developments. The two countries also acknowledged the significant contribution of the Pakistani…

LAHORE: Pakistan’s Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem has decided to withdraw from the Lausanne Diamond League later this month in order to undertake a training camp in South Africa as he prepares for upcoming international competitions. Nadeem, who is currently training at Punjab Stadium in Lahore, has opted to prioritise overseas preparation instead of competing in the Diamond League meeting scheduled for August 21. Although his name was included in the event’s entry list, he will not participate. According to sources, the 28-year-old javelin thrower will travel to Potchefstroom, South Africa, for a two-week training camp after receiving his visa.…

CASCAIS, Portugal: Football star Cristiano Ronaldo and long-time partner Georgina Rodríguez have married in a private civil ceremony in Cascais, Portugal, ending years of speculation about the couple’s wedding plans. The ceremony took place on August 11, with reports indicating that the couple’s five children attended the intimate family event. Ronaldo appeared to confirm the marriage through a post on Instagram featuring the couple’s wedding rings with the caption, “C ❤️ G,” without releasing further details about the ceremony or guest list. The couple have been together since 2016, after meeting while Rodríguez was working at a Gucci store in…

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting dialogue between the United States and Iran as Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi held high-level meetings in Tehran focused on bilateral relations, regional security and ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing tensions in the Middle East. Speaking at the Foreign Office’s weekly media briefing, spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Naqvi met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other senior officials to discuss bilateral cooperation, regional stability and recent geopolitical developments. According to official sources, Naqvi also conveyed a special message from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF)…

AMSTERDAM: A growing digital detox movement is attracting large numbers of young people in Amsterdam, where “reading raves” are offering phone-free social gatherings as an alternative to constant online connectivity. The trend centres on The Offline Club, an Amsterdam-based initiative that hosts events in cafés, churches, parks and other public venues where participants are encouraged to disconnect from smartphones and spend time reading, writing, playing board games or engaging in other analogue activities. One of the movement’s most widely shared videos has attracted more than 42 million views on social media, showing around 250 participants gathered in a 400-year-old church…

MELBOURNE: An artificial intelligence (AI) agent exploited security weaknesses in a gym’s online booking platform while attempting to secure a Pilates class for its user, highlighting growing concerns over the unintended actions of autonomous AI systems. The incident involved Andrew Bird, an AI entrepreneur based in Melbourne, Australia, who assigned an AI agent the task of booking a place in an oversubscribed Pilates class. According to Bird’s account, the AI successfully secured bookings by manipulating the gym’s reservation system beyond its intended limits. The AI agent reportedly discovered that the gym’s application programming interface (API) lacked proper authorisation checks. It…