At the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, a Russian MP came up to me. “Are you going to bomb Iran?” he asked. “I’m not planning to bomb anyone!” I replied. “I mean you, the British…” “Don’t you mean Donald Trump?” “He’s told what to do by Britain,” the man smiled. “And by the deep state.”…
Hundreds of journalists for Voice of America (VOA) – most of its remaining staff – have been fired by President Donald Trump’s administration, effectively shutting down the US-funded news outlet. The administration said the layoffs were because the agency was “riddled with dysfunction, bias and waste”. Steve Herman, VOA’s chief national correspondent, called the dismantling…
Saudi Arabia continues to be largest source of remittances for Pakistan The exchange rate of the Saudi Riyal (SAR) remained unchanged against the Pakistani Rupee (PKR) in the open market on Saturday, June 21, 2025, with the buying rate standing at Rs75.59 and the selling rate holding steady at Rs76.14. The stability in SAR comes…
Price of a tola of 24-karat silver decreases to Rs3,785 After five days of decline, the price of gold in Pakistan and globally showed an upward trend on Saturday. According to the All Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association, the price of 24-karat gold per tola saw an increase of Rs1,465 on Saturday to reach…
With the Friday notices, 85 percent of Voice of America’s workforce had been slashed. Layoff notices have been sent to 639 employees of Voice of America (VOA) and the United States agency that oversees it, effectively shutting down the outlet that has provided news to countries around the world since World War II. The notices…
Decision to import 750,000MT sparks criticism as prices soar to Rs190/kg ISLAMABAD: In a paradoxical move, the government on Thursday decided to import 750,000 metric tonnes of sugar after having already exported nearly the same quantity during the current fiscal year — a move that has driven domestic prices sharply higher, benefitting sugar millers. The…
NA committee also approves government’s proposal to impose 10% sales tax on solar equipment ISLAMABAD: As part of its global climate commitments, Pakistan intends to increase the manufacturing of electric vehicles (EVs) to 2.2 million units over the next five years, primarily electric motorbikes. However, the government is using new levies on conventional car buyers…
KARACHI: After a brief bullish start driven by the government’s approval of a circular debt settlement plan, the stock market came under selling pressure on Thursday, primarily due to escalating tensions in the Middle East. This pressure dragged the benchmark index below the 120,000 mark during intraday trading. According to Topline Securities Ltd, the Pakistan Stock Exchange…
PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government will transition from the unfunded pension scheme to a funded one by 2045 after all employees hired under the former are expected to retire, show official documents. The unfunded pension scheme for government employees was replaced by a contributory pension system in 2022. While unveiling the next budget a few days ago,…
ISLAMABAD: IT and Telecom Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja on Thursday reaffirmed the government’s commitment to launching 5G internet services, stating that work on the project was ongoing. She was speaking at a ceremony to mark a major milestone — Pakistan surpassing 200 million telecom subscribers, including 150m broadband users and over 2m fibre-to-home subscribers. Organised by…
