Author: EchoAsiaNews

The United States ambassador to an international forum sparked controversy this week by suggesting that it would be “fine” if Israel expanded across much of the Middle East, framing the issue in terms of what he described as the Jewish people’s right to ancient lands, according to a report by Al Jazeera. In an interview aired Friday with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, U.S. envoy Mike Huckabee was asked whether he would be opposed to Israel extending its geographical borders beyond their current internationally recognized limits. Carlson cited a biblical verse referencing land promised to the descendants of Abraham spanning from…

Pakistan will begin their Super Eights campaign in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup against New Zealand undermounting pressure, with senior players Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi facing intense scrutiny over recent performances. Pakistan advanced to the Super Eights after finishing second in their group, but inconsistent displays have raised questions about the team’s stability ahead of the crucial stage of the tournament. The clash against New Zealand at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium is being viewed as a defining test of Pakistan’s title ambitions. Former captain Babar Azam, once regarded as the backbone of Pakistan’s batting order, has struggled…

TXNM Energy said on Friday that the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has given approval for its $11.5 billion acquisition by Blackstone Infrastructure, clearing a key regulatory hurdle for the transaction to proceed. The deal, agreed last year, would see Blackstone Infrastructure take over the U.S. utility company in a transaction that includes assumed debt. FERC concluded that the proposed acquisition would not impair federal or state regulatory oversight and would not have an “adverse effect on rates” for consumers, according to the company statement. In addition to the FERC clearance, the statutory waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust…

U.S. President Donald Trump met Vietnamese leader To Lam at the White House on Friday and pledged to work toward removing Vietnam from U.S. restricted export lists, according to details released following the talks The meeting marked the first formal in-person engagement between Trump and To Lam, who heads Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party. The discussions focused on strengthening bilateral ties, expanding trade cooperation and enhancing technological partnerships between the two countries. According to information released after the meeting, Trump expressed support for reviewing U.S. restrictions that limit Vietnam’s access to certain advanced American technologies, including aerospace, semiconductor and high-tech industrial…

U.S. President Donald Trump has moved swiftly to impose a new 10 percent tariff on imports from virtually all trading partners after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down his earlier global tariff program, deepening uncertainty in international trade relations. In a 6–3 decision issued on Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that Trump exceeded his constitutional authority by using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose broad tariffs without explicit approval from Congress. Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, said only Congress has the power to levy taxes and duties, undercutting a central pillar of Trump’s economic…

The United States has significantly increased its military presence in the Middle East, rapidly deploying forces and assets near Iran amid rising tensions between the two countries. The build-up includes naval strike groups, airpower, logistics support and advanced missile defenses positioned in and around the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Sea as diplomatic efforts continue alongside mounting rhetoric. US deployments consist of multiple aircraft carriers, escort vessels and fighter aircraft to project power and prepare for possible contingencies should diplomatic negotiations with Tehran fail. President Donald Trump has intensified pressure on Iran over its nuclear and regional activities, warning…

Israeli authorities have severely limited Palestinian access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound for the first Friday prayers of the holy month of Ramadan, allowing only a small portion of worshippers from the occupied West Bank to enter. Only 10,000 Palestinians with permits were permitted to enter the compound in occupied East Jerusalem, a sharp reduction from the hundreds of thousands who have traditionally prayed there on the first Friday of Ramadan. Eligibility was restricted to children under 12, men over 55 and women over 50, according to Israeli officials. By mid-morning, only about 2,000 worshippers had passed through the Qalandiya…

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has welcomed Pakistan’s economic reform progress, saying policy measures under the IMF-supported program have helped stabilise the economy, contain inflation and rebuild investor confidence. An IMF spokesperson confirmed that a staff team will visit Pakistan from February 25 to begin discussions on the third review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the second review of the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). According to the IMF, Pakistan’s fiscal performance remained strong, with a primary fiscal surplus of 1.3% of GDP in the fiscal year 2025, aligning with programme targets. The economy also recorded its first…

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman, Niaz Ahmed Akhtar, has announced that students selected under the Prime Minister’s Youth Laptop Scheme should now collect their laptops from their respective universities. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), he confirmed that laptop distribution is now fully underway and urged eligible students to visit their university, submit the required documents to the focal person, and collect their laptops. The laptop initiative was announced in August 2025 by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, with a plan to provide 100,000 free laptops to talented students across Pakistan based on merit. Students from all four provinces, the Federal…

Semiconductor giant NVIDIA is close to finalising a $30 billion investment in OpenAI, the artificial intelligence company behind ChatGPT, according to a report by the Financial Times citing people familiar with the matter. The deal would be part of OpenAI’s current fundraising round and replace an earlier, larger $100 billion commitment that was announced last year but never finalised. The proposed investment is expected to be completed as early as this weekend, the report added, and would be included in a broader capital raise that could see OpenAI secure more than $100 billion in total funding, potentially valuing the company at around $830 billion.…