Category: English

Pakistan’s economy is ​expected to grow by more than 4% this fiscal year despite elevated oil prices, as the government looks to ‌push for the privatisation of five to six entities that could raise upwards of $1 billion, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb told Reuters on Monday. Pakistan’s economy is considered to be vulnerable to a prolonged Middle East conflict given its dependence on Gulf energy imports, remittances and financing support from the region, even as it remains reliant ​on external financing to bolster foreign exchange reserves and meet debt repayments.…

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Authorities closed six metro stations and warned of traffic disruptions in Delhi ​on Monday, as opposition parties planned to march to the Supreme Court in protest against a controversial revision of ‌voter lists that has sparked days of unrest in the Indian capital. Opposition parties and supporters of the “cockroach” youth movement have taken to the streets almost daily this month to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the revision that critics say benefits Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata ​Party (BJP). The revision that started…

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The death of veteran Bollywood actor Nana Patekar has renewed debate over sexual harassment allegations previously made against him, with singers Chinmayi Sripaada and Sona Mohapatra questioning whether public tributes should overlook past controversies. Patekar reportedly died of a heart attack in Goa on October 8 at the age of 75. While colleagues and admirers have paid tribute to his contribution to Indian cinema, his death has also brought renewed attention to allegations that emerged during India’s MeToo movement. The latest discussion began after Mohapatra shared a social media post…

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An Israeli strike killed at least two Palestinians in the southern ​Gaza Strip on Monday, health officials ‌said. The Israeli military said it targeted a militant in the area, without giving further ​information. Israel, which says Hamas has ​been rearming and launching attacks in ⁠violation of a ceasefire, has stepped ​up strikes on the group in recent ​weeks. Hamas has denied trying to carry out attacks or rebuild its arsenal and accuses Israel ​of undermining the Gaza peace ​deal. Last year’s US-brokered Gaza ceasefire calls for eventual reconstruction ‌of ⁠the…

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Elon Musk’s net worth rose above $1 trillion again on Friday as a rally in Tesla and SpaceX shares added $22 billion to his fortune, a day after he briefly lost his trillionaire status. According to Forbes, Musk’s wealth reached an estimated $1.012 trillion at around 10am on Friday, up 2.15% from the previous day, when a decline in the two companies’ shares wiped $36 billion off his fortune. Tesla shares gained more than 2.5% after data from China’s Passenger Car Association showed that sales of electric vehicles built at…

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Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed the latest regional escalation and efforts to ease tensions with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, as Riyadh continued diplomatic contacts following attacks on the Kingdom, media reports said. In a Telegram post on Sunday, Araghchi said that Iran was ready to provide any assistance to facilitate dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The conversation was the first publicly reported contact between the two foreign ministers since attacks on Saudi Arabia by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group intensified, Arab News said in a report.…

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Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia condemned attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militants on Riyadh’s international airport, saying they were a “dangerous escalation that cannot ​be justified or accepted under any pretext”. One person was killed and ‌nearly a dozen were hurt in a new attack on Riyadh’s international airport on Sunday, Saudi authorities reported, a day after a strike claimed by the Houthis that killed 13 people and wounded ​more than 300. Report Ad The group of regional powers – dubbed the R4 – reaffirmed their ​solidarity and support…

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US President Donald Trump made a surprise announcement of an energy ​ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine on Sunday that he said was “effective immediately”, but Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky said he was still waiting to see details of the deal. There was no ‌word from Moscow on the ceasefire announcement, which followed days of intense pressure from Trump for Ukraine to halt its attacks on Russian oil refineries. He blames those strikes for a rise in diesel prices that is hurting his Republican Party ahead of US midterm elections next…

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Authorities closed six metro stations and warned of traffic disruptions in Delhi ​on Monday, as opposition parties planned to march to the Supreme Court in protest against a controversial revision of ‌voter lists that has sparked days of unrest in the Indian capital. Opposition parties and supporters of the “cockroach” youth movement have taken to the streets almost daily this month to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the revision that critics say benefits Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata ​Party (BJP). The revision that started…

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An oil tanker struck a naval mine while attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz, triggering an explosion in its engine room, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has said. The IRGC Navy said on Sunday the supertanker, which can carry around two million barrels of oil, was attempting to transit the strategic waterway with its navigation system switched off. It was the third vessel to strike naval mines along what the IRGC described as a prohibited route through the strait since Saturday, the statement added. The navy did…

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