Tue, 21-Oct-2025

Gas shortage worsens across the country

Gas shortages worsen across the country

ISLAMABAD: Gas shortage continues to worsen across the country with the onset of the winter season. Karachi, Hyderabad, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Gujranwala, Peshawar, Quetta among several other cities faced low gas pressure. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz legislator Aneeza Fatima tabled a resolution in the Punjab Assembly against the non-availability of gas and demanded that … Read more

Djokovic won’t want to risk missing Australian Open – Tiley

Djokovic

SYDNEY: Nine-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic won’t want to risk missing out on winning a record 21st Grand Slam title, tournament chief Craig Tiley predicted Thursday as a bumper series of lead-up events was announced. All players heading to Australia for the opening major of the year in January must be vaccinated against Covid, … Read more

Australians to spend big over Black Friday shopping weekend

Australians Black Friday

This weekend Aussies across the country are expected to crowd stores both in-person and online for one of Australia’s largest and most anticipated shopping holidays, Black Friday. Data from Australia’s largest commercial bank, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), showed that Aussies had spent more than ever over the four-day holiday in both 2019 and … Read more

FO condemns extrajudicial killings of Kashmiris in fake encounters by Indian forces

FO

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday strongly condemned India’s state-terrorism and extra-judicial killings of innocent Kashmiris in fake encounters and so-called “cordon and search operations” in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Indian occupation forces had martyred 35 Kashmiris in less than two months in the IIOJK. Three more civilians were martyred during a fake encounter … Read more

Pakistani scientist ranks among top one per cent computer science researchers

A Pakistani researcher Dr Mubashir Rehmani has been ranked among the top one per cent researchers in the field of computer science by Clarivate for the second year. Dr Rehmani is an assistant lecturer at Department of Computer Science, Munster Technological University (MTU). MTU, in a tweet, said Mubashir Rehmani has been selected for inclusion … Read more

Five killed in car bombing in Somalia capital: security official

Somalia capital blast

Five people were killed and over a dozen injured in a car bombing near a school in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu on Thursday, a security official said, in the latest attack to hit the troubled country.

“There was a car bomb blast… the death of five people was confirmed and fifteen others were wounded”, security official Mohamed Abdillahi told AFP, adding that students were among the injured victims.

Earlier in July, at least ten people were killed and nine others injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up at a busy restaurant at Jubba junction in the Somali capital Mogadishu, police and witnesses had said.

A police officer who did not want to be named told Xinhua that a suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest at a coffee restaurant, resulting in casualties.

“We can confirm that 10 people died in the blast and nine others sustained injuries. The death toll could rise,” he said.

Witnesses reported the blast, saying they heard a huge blast in Shibis district of Mogadishu.

“We heard the blast and then learned that a restaurant was hit,” a witness, Ahmed Abdi, said.

Other witnesses had said the huge blast destroyed buildings nearby.

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Rupee recovers 14 paisas against dollar at interbank opening

KARACHI: Pakistani rupee gained 14 paisas against the dollar in early trade at the interbank foreign exchange market on Thursday. The dollar is being traded at Rs174.90 at the opening of the interbank market. The exchange rate was closed at Rs175.04 on Wednesday, November 24, 2021. Analysts said that the local currency witnessed a gain … Read more

Man City, PSG and Real Madrid among Champions League qualifiers

City

PARIS: Manchester City beat Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 on Wednesday but both clubs qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League, along with Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Sporting Lisbon. Gabriel Jesus tapped in from Bernardo Silva’s deft knockdown on 76 minutes to settle an absorbing match at the Etihad after Raheem Sterling had cancelled … Read more

UAE announces $10 billion fund for investments in Turkey

Turkey

DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates has announced a $10 billion fund for investment in Turkey, the official Emirati news agency WAM said. The announcement comes after Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Wednesday, opening a new chapter in relations between the two … Read more

KSE-100 opens bearish today

KARACHI: The Pakistan bourse opened on a bearish note as the KSE-100 index declined 220.65 points, or 0.50 per cent, in the first hour of trading on Thursday. The Pakistan equity market plunged on Wednesday, following the announcement of removal of general sales tax (GST) exemption and rollover settlement, while selling pressure persisted during the … Read more

Thiago ends drought as Liverpool down Porto

Thiago

LIVERPOOL: Jurgen Klopp saluted Liverpool’s understudies after they dented Porto’s bid to qualify for the Champions League last 16 as Thiago Alcantara’s first goal since May inspired a 2-0 win on Wednesday. Klopp’s side had already booked their place in the knockout stages as Group B winners, but they did not rest on their laurels … Read more

1.3 million Canadian children live in poverty

Canadian children poverty

More than 1.3 million Canadian children, or 17.7 percent, live in poverty, according to an annual report issued by Campaign 2000 on Wednesday. That’s a pretty significant number of kids who are suffering from the harm and effects of missing meals, not having the right kinds of clothes and parents working really long hours. Using … Read more

FIA begins countrywide probe into ‘irregularities’ at ETPB on orders of SC

FIA

LAHORE: Following orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) launched a countrywide probe against the officials of Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) for causing a loss to the tune of Rs77 billion due to alleged irregularities. The FIA officials confirmed on Wednesday that they had started the probe into … Read more

Bahrain launches $30 billion offshore cities plan

Bahrain launches

RIYADH: Bahrain has launched a new strategic project plan to invest $30 billion in over 20 new projects, with the construction of five new offshore cities, according to the Bahrain News Agency. The strategic project plan will see infrastructure development, including a new causeway connecting Bahrain to Saudi Arabia. Bahrain will also establish a 109km metro … Read more

IEA urges Opec to take ‘necessary steps’ to lower oil prices

Opec

PARIS: The head of the International Energy Agency on Wednesday called on Opec and its allies to take measures to help bring oil prices down to “reasonable levels”. “I very much hope to see in the next meeting or meetings they… make the necessary steps in order to comfort the global oil markets and help … Read more

Late Milan winner stuns Atletico and throws qualification race wide open

Atletico

MADRID: Atletico Madrid’s chances of reaching the Champions League last 16 were dealt a hammer blow on Wednesday after a 1-0 defeat by AC Milan left them needing to win at Porto in their final game in Group B. A scrappy contest at the Wanda Metropolitano looked set to end goalless until Milan substitute Junior Messias headed home a … Read more

Palestine welcomes Belgium’s decision to label Israeli settlements’ products

Palestine welcomes Belgium's decision to label Israeli settlements' products

Palestine on Wednesday welcomed Belgium’s decision to label products of Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories, saying it’s a move “in the right direction.”

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said in a press statement that Belgium’s decision was based on the fact that the Israeli settlements are “contrary to international laws and resolutions,” and expressed its “alignment with the values of truth, justice, and freedom.”

He called on countries worldwide “to follow the footsteps of Belgium by labelling the Israeli settlements’ products, condemn settlement expansion and act on putting pressure to halt the growing settlers’ assaults on the Palestinians.”

On Wednesday, the Belgian government decided to put clear labels on the products of Israeli settlements to show that these settlements are built on Palestinian lands.

According to Israeli media reports, the Israeli Foreign Ministry condemned the Belgian government’s decision, saying in a statement that “it harms the Israelis and the Palestinians alike.”

Israel took control of the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war and has ever since built dozens of settlements on it. Such action is considered by the international community as violating international law.

Read more

UK factory orders growth hits record, inflation climbs too

UK factory

LONDON: British industrial orders surged this month with a growth measure hitting its highest since at least 1977 and price expectations among manufacturers also climbed to a 44-year high, Reuters quoted a survey published on Wednesday. The survey is likely to add to unease at the Bank of England about growing inflation pressures ahead of the British … Read more

Man City secures top spot, PSG through to knockout stages despite defeat

City

MANCHESTER: Paris Saint-Germain face a potentially hazardous draw in the last 16 of the Champions League after Manchester City secured the top spot in Group A with a 2-1 win over the star-studded French side on Wednesday. Kylian Mbappe put PSG in front against the run of play at the Etihad five minutes into the second half. … Read more

Two killed in road accident on Karachi Northern Bypass

KARACHI: At least two people travelling to Iran were killed in a road accident on Northern Bypass on Thursday in Karachi. The passenger bus, which collided with a truck, was carrying mostly pilgrims. The mishap left one man and one woman dead and 12 others wounded. Officials from the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital said that the … Read more

Germany’s Covid death toll passes 100,000

Germany COVID cases

Germany announced record coronavirus fatalities and infections Thursday as its total death toll passed 100,000, with its most severe virus wave yet breaking just as a new government prepares to take the reins. Germany weathered earlier bouts of the pandemic better than many other European countries but has seen a recent resurgence, with intensive care … Read more

Below-strength South Africa seek breathing room from one-day series

South Africa

CENTURION: A below-strength South African team will be seeking a clean sweep when they play the Netherlands in a three-match one-day international series starting at SuperSport Park on Friday. The series forms part of the International Cricket Council‘s World Cup Super League which is a qualifying tournament for the 2023 Cricket World Cup. Hosts India and the best-placed seven … Read more

Huge blast heard in Somali capital: Police

Somali capital blast

A huge explosion rocked Somalia’s capital Mogadishu early on Thursday, triggering a plume of smoke that rose from the blast site amid gunfire. There was no immediate claim of responsibility but Islamist group al Shabaab frequently carried out bombings in the Horn of Africa country. Earlier in July, at least ten people were killed and … Read more

Babar Azam maintains top spot in ICC Men’s T20I rankings for batting

Babar

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam maintained his top spot in the Men’s T20 International player rankings released by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday. While he is still in the top spot since the last rankings were revealed, he slid from 839 to 809 points. England’s Dawid Malan has also maintained his second spot with … Read more

Australian bowlers want Paine as wicketkeeper for Ashes – Lyon

Lyon

BRISBANE: Australia’s bowlers want Tim Paine behind the stumps for the first Ashes Test against England because he is “the best keeper in the world”, spin king Nathan Lyon said Thursday. Paine quit as Test captain in disgrace last week over a historical text message scandal but is keen to keep playing. Read more: Tim … Read more