At least four people were killed and eight others were injured when a vehicle exploded in the central Israeli city of Ramla on Thursday in an apparent gangland hit, medics and police said. Liad Aviel, spokesman for the Asaf Harofe Medical Center in central Israel, said it “mourns the deaths of four individuals injured in the Ramla incident”, adding that six other casualties were receiving treatment there. The Israeli police said it had launched an investigation into the cause of the explosion which was suspected to be linked to “a criminal conflict between crime families in the Arab neighbourhood.” Israel’s far-right…
Author: Hasnain Abid Khanzada
PILDAT Calls for Constitutional Adherence and Strategic Dialogue to Strengthen Democracy in Pakist ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT) has called for unwavering adherence to the Constitution and the initiation of strategic dialogue to bolster democratic governance in Pakistan. In a statement issued on Thursday, PILDAT emphasized the necessity of dialogue among all institutions and stakeholders to safeguard Pakistan’s fragile democracy. The organization noted that this dialogue, which has been delayed, is vital for the country’s democratic progress and stability. As the International Day of Democracy approaches on September 15, PILDAT highlighted ongoing challenges to Pakistan’s…
SOUTHAMPTON: Travis Head made a valuable 59 and leg-spinner Adam Zampa took two cheap wickets as Australia beat England by 28 runs in the first T20 international at Southampton on Wednesday. Opening batsman Head’s quickfire innings was the cornerstone of Australia’s seemingly below-par 179 all out. But with Zampa taking an economical 2-20 in a match where England’s slow bowlers also impressed, it was more than enough as the hosts were dismissed for 151 to leave Australia 1-0 up in a three-match series. “It was a nice start,” said player-of-the-match Head at the presentation ceremony, adding: “For me it was…
GREATER NOIDA: Rain forced the fourth successive day of the only Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand to be called off on Thursday, leaving the match in danger of being washed out without a ball being bowled. With overnight downpours falling on an already saturated Greater Noida ground, umpires inspected before the scheduled start time of 9:30am (0400 GMT) and declared that no play would be possible. The officials will inspect again at 8:00am (0230 GMT) on Friday’s final day with the Test set to become only the eighth in history to be abandoned without a ball being bowled — and the…
HULUNBUIR: Pakistan stormed into the semi-finals of the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy with a resounding 5-1 victory over hosts China at the Moqi Hockey Training Base on Thursday, setting up a potential showdown with arch-rivals India in the final. In a dominant display, Nadeem Ahmed and Hannan Shahid scored two goals each, while Abdul Rehman added another to seal a comfortable win for Pakistan. The victory marked Pakistan’s second win in the tournament, following a 2-1 triumph over Japan in their previous match on Wednesday. Pakistan’s captain, Ammad Shakeel Butt, led by example as his team showcased their defensive and…
KARACHI: Shrugging off overnight gloomy conditions stemming from mounting political tensions and a delay in loan approval by the IMF board, the equities staged a recovery ahead of the announcement of an anticipated cut in the interest rate, propelling the index above 79,000 on Thursday. Ahsan Mehanti of Arif Habib Corporation said stocks closed bullish amid speculations over SBP key policy rate announcement. He said a steady rupee, falling inflation, surging remittances and exports, and an expected resolution of the external financing gap for securing IMF’s board approval for a 37-month $7bn Extended Fund Facility boosted investor confidence. In its…
ISLAMABAD: South Asia’s economic outlook is expected to remain strong, outperforming other regions. The GDP is projected to grow by 5.8 per cent in 2024 and 5.7pc in 2025, the United Nations says in its latest report. The ‘World Economic Situation and Prospects September 2024 Update’, released by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), notes that risks to the region’s prospects are tilted to the downside, however, further escalation of geopolitical conflicts and adverse weather conditions could disrupt supply chains and induce commodity price volatility. In developed Asia and the Pacific, Japan’s GDP growth projections have…
ISLAMABAD: Following an IMF announcement that Pakistan’s case would be taken up by its board later this month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday expressed gratitude to some friendly countries, which had monetarily supported Pakistan in its negotiations with the lender. “Our friendly and brotherly countries have come all the way to support us again,” he said while chairing a meeting of the federal cabinet. Pakistan has now met the prerequisites to secure a loan from the IMF, he said. He also welcomed the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) decision to reduce the policy rate from 19.5 to 17.5 per cent, expressing optimism that…
Shares at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) rallied on Friday, a day after the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) cut its key policy rate by 200 basis points. The benchmark KSE-100 index climbed 868.08, or 1.1 per cent, to stand at 79,857.77 points from the previous close of 79,017.61 points at 11am. The index closed at 79,333.05, up by 315.44 points or 0.4pc, from the previous close. Mohammed Sohail, chief executive of Topline Securities, confirmed that the IMF board meeting date and rate cut helped propel market sentiment. However, he cautioned that “some uncertainty on expected foreign selling due to FTSE rebalancing”…
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Friday approved a $320 million loan to support the rehabilitation of roads in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and enhance their safety. A press release issued by the ADB today said, “The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rural Roads Development Project will upgrade around 900 kilometres of rural roads in the province that are susceptible to floods and are in poor condition. “These cover key routes that link remote communities to education, health care, and markets,” the statement read, adding that the project included “measures to incorporate climate-resilient design, road safety enhancement, and sustainable maintenance practices”. “Road transport is both a lifeline to the…
