Category: English

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has said the government has assured the party that it will consider gradually reducing the petroleum levy following several rounds of negotiations. Speaking at a news conference in Lahore on Wednesday, Hafiz Naeem said nine to 10 rounds of talks had been held with the government on the issue. He said Jamaat-e-Islami had submitted its final draft and technical proposals to the government, but the latter was using the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme as an excuse to delay a decision. Presenting alternative proposals,…

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A tiny, $900 wearable device being developed by an Indian billionaire entrepreneur and showcased by some of ​the country’s top sportspersons has sparked criticism from doctors who say its claims of tracking blood flow to the ‌brain are exaggerated. The Temple device is less than 1 inch wide and weighs under 2 grams. It sticks to the side of the head between the forehead and the ear, or the temple area. Promotional materials for the device, developed by Deepinder Goyal, say that its BrainFlow feature shows how well the brain…

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Sri Lanka recovered from their early setbacks to put up a strong fight against Pakistan on Tuesday in the first Test at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. At tea on the third day, Sri Lanka were 348 for four, trailing Pakistan by 86 runs. Dhananjaya de Silva was unbeaten on 141, having struck 16 boundaries, while captain Kusal Mendis was batting on 90 in a commanding display. Sri Lanka’s dominance with the bat could be gauged from the fact that they maintained a scoring rate of more than four runs per over…

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The Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) has announced the discovery of new gas and condensate reserves in Khairpur district of Sindh. According to the company, the discovery was made at its Bitrisim North West-1 exploratory well. OGDCL has formally notified the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) about the development. During testing, the well produced 12.8 million standard cubic feet of gas and 175 barrels of condensate per day. The discovery was made in the Basal Sands of the Lower Goru Formation. OGDCL said drilling at the well began on…

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Light rain is expected in Karachi and several parts of Sindh on Friday as a fresh weather system, bringing westerly winds to the country’s upper regions, influences weather conditions across the country, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has said. According to the Met Department, light rain may occur at isolated places in Karachi, Thatta, Qambar Shahdadkot, Jamshoro and Naushahro Feroze on Friday, while most other districts of Sindh are likely to experience dry and cool weather. The department also forecast light fog in the plains of Sindh during the morning…

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Israeli forces killed at least seven Palestinians, including a father and his 13-year-old son, in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, local health officials said. Medics said Fadi Rajab and his son Abubakr were ​killed in an airstrike that hit the roof of a displacement ​shelter in the Zeitoun neighbourhood in Gaza City. A third Palestinian ⁠was killed in an Israeli airstrike near a school in Gaza City’s Daraj ​neighbourhood, health officials added. The Israeli military said it struck militants in both areas, ​without giving further details. In Khan Younis, in…

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Spanish workers went on a general strike on Wednesday, setting up ​picket lines despite stormy weather in a mass protest against the country’s housing affordability crisis a few weeks before ‌a snap general election. It is the first general strike in 14 years to be jointly backed by Spain’s two largest unions, UGT and CCOO, as well as other labour organisations and tenants’ associations angry about rising rents and evictions. “We won’t stop until we transform this country’s housing model from top to bottom so ​that houses are for living…

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Washington sees no need for further major military action against Iran, citing the impact of its economic pressure campaign as diplomatic efforts to end the eight-month conflict gather pace. Speaking after a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Paris on Tuesday, Rubio said economic measures against Tehran were proving sufficiently damaging to make additional military operations unnecessary. “The economic campaign is so devastating that right now there is no need for major combat operations,” he said. US President Donald Trump also pointed…

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A senior US Army soldier was arrested in Britain on suspicion of assisting Russian ​intelligence, British police said on Tuesday, after the US ‌removed aircraft from British military bases over a separate apparent threat from Iran. FBI Director Kash Patel said the arrest of the 41-year-old man was related to “allegations of espionage, ​which is of the utmost concern to the United States ​and our allies.” Brigadier General Sean Stinchon, the commanding general ⁠of US Army Counterintelligence Command, added: “The alleged conduct of a ​senior soldier, entrusted with sensitive information,…

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A former Iraqi parliamentarian has been found dead in an apartment in Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, prompting an investigation by Lebanese and Iraqi authorities. Ahmed Al Alwani’s body was discovered on Tuesday in the Tariq Jadida neighbourhood of Beirut, according to Anadolu news agency. Authorities have yet to disclose the circumstances surrounding his death or identify any suspects. Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that the Internal Security Forces’ Information Branch was investigating the case under the direct supervision of the country’s top prosecutor, Judge Ahmad Rami Al Hajj. Iraqi Ambassador to…

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