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Ghana's Partey loses bid to enter Canada for World Cup

Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey, who is facing trial on rape charges in Britain, lost a court challenge on Tuesday that would have allowed him to enter Canada for his side’s World Cup opener in Toronto. Ottawa denied the Villarreal player a visa over the British charges, blocking him from playing for Ghana against Panama on Wednesday. Accra filed a request for an injunction in federal court on Tuesday seeking to set aside Ottawa’s decision. But broadcaster CBC said Judge Roger Lafreniere had dismissed the challenge. Shortly before the decision was handed down, Ghana’s veteran coach Carlos Queiroz told reporters in Toronto that his side would be ready, regardless of the court outcome. “My business is to play with the cards that I have in front of me,” Queiroz said. “When the decision comes, we are ready.” Panama head coach Thomas Christiansen, also asked about Partey’s possible exclusion, said he believed Ghana would pose strong competition even if the former Arsenal player was not...
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US official unveils 14-point Iran agreement to halt conflict and reopen Strait of Hormuz

The United States on Wednesday read out the text of the interim US-Iran agreement to halt the war in Iran and open the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Reuters report. The agreement, read to reporters by a senior US official, outlines in 14 points a high-level understanding that defers many of the most difficult issues, such as how to wind down Iran’s nuclear program, until a final deal is reached. It paves the way for a broader 60-day negotiation period due to begin in Switzerland on Friday. Here is the full document, titled “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran”, as it was read out: 1. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran and their allies in the current war, by signing this MOU (Memorandum of Understanding), declare the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and undertake from now on not to initiate any war or any military opera...
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What happens when the Strait of Hormuz reopens?

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The vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane is expected to reopen on Friday after nearly four months, following the signing of a US-Iran agreement to end the Middle East war. AFP examines how the reopening could work and why a return to normal is likely to take time. Are ships ready? Once formal approval is given to reopen, stranded ships could theoretically begin to move through the strait almost immediately. Crews that have been idle for months will most likely have “performed regular onboard drills and maintained the ships’ machinery, technical installations and equipment”, Jakob Larsen, head of security at shipowners’ association Bimco, told AFP . However, some ships may require underwater hull cleaning to remove barnacles and other marine growth accumulated during the shutdown. The strait, through which roughly 20 per cent of the world’s crude oil supply normally transits, was effectively closed by Iran after it came under fire from the United States and Israel. ...
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Spoiler alert

AFTER the temporary peace deal between the US and Iran is physically signed in Geneva on Friday, an arduous process of negotiations begins between both parties to flesh out the nitty-gritty of a long-term arrangement for peace. At present, there are many unanswered questions that have been deferred for later, such as the status of the Strait of Hormuz, and the future of the Iranian nuclear programme. Suffice it to say, both parties must exercise a degree of flexibility if there is to be long-term peace between them. Yet both sides, as well as members of the international community, must keep a vigilant eye on one particular party that will do all possible to make sure the peace process collapses: the state of Israel. The reaction from Tel Aviv to the cessation of hostilities between the US and Iran has been negative, for it was fervently hoped by the Zionist regime that America would once and for all destroy their biggest nemesis in the region. That ...
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Bilawal warns of NA boycott if PPP’s demands not met

• Party claims budget differs from figures shared during pre-budget consultations • Questions provinces’ capacity to meet IMF-linked revenue targets • Another round of talks expected soon ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday once again conveyed his concerns over the federal budget to Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, indicating that he would not speak during the ongoing budget debate in the National Assembly unless all of the party’s reservations were addressed. “Bilawal sahib has decided that he will not deliver his speech unless all promises made by the government with the PPP regarding the budget are fulfilled,” a source close to the PPP chairman told Dawn after the meeting. In the huddle with Dar held at Parliament House, Mr Bhutto-Zardari was accompanied by senior PPP leaders, including Sherry Rehman, Naveed Qamar, Raja Pervez Ashraf and Ijaz Jakhrani. The source said Bhutto-Zardari appeared upset with the budget, stating that it ...
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Microsoft launches AI agent with pay-as-you-go pricing

Microsoft is changing how it charges for its software for the first time in two decades, moving to bill customers with a pay-as-you-go model each time they use its new AI agent. The change, prompted by the soaring cost of artificial intelligence, came Tuesday as the company launched Copilot Cowork — an AI “agent” that can independently carry out office tasks like drafting documents, building spreadsheets and sending emails. The tool still requires a paid Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription, but now every task it runs is billed separately, based on how much computing power it consumes. Copilot Cowork is Microsoft’s take on so-called “agentic” AI, a wave that has gripped Silicon Valley and turned the simple chatbot into an assistant capable of acting on a user’s behalf. Like rival tools on Google’s and Amazon’s enterprise platforms, it can be handed an assignment and run with it on its own, sometimes for several hours. Microsoft says one customer used it to compare nearly 4,000 docum...
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What we know about ‘14-point deal’ so far?

• Technical talks to begin this week • Geneva framework will be precursor to 60-day negotiations on N-programme, sanctions • Iran looks to administer Hormuz alongside Oman, wants ships to pay ‘maritime service’ fees MEDIATED by Pakistan and Qatar, a peace deal to end more than 100 days of war between the Iran and the United States is likely to be formally signed in Geneva on Friday. On Monday, US President Donald Trump said the Strait of Hormuz, which has been under a de facto Iranian blockade, will open to all shipping by June 19, while Tehran said the US naval blockade on its ports will be lifted immediately. In a statement, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said that negotiations for a final agreement will be postponed until after the US has fulfilled its obligations. US Vice President J.D. Vance hoped the peace agreement would usher in “a new era with the Iranians”. Meanwhile, Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, confirm...
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