Xi arrived in Pyongyang to a red-carpet welcome from Kim and his wife Ri Sol Ju, alongside a guard of honour Escorted by a convoy of motorcycles, the motorcade of Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, passed through the Arch of Triumph in Pyongyang. PHOTO: XINHUA Ties…
Two children among victims; teenager missing after tragedies at Sandspit, Korangi Causeway KARACHI: A day of relief from the city’s sweltering heat turned tragic on Sunday as five people, including two children, drowned in separate incidents at Sandspit and Korangi Causeway, while rescue teams continued searching for a missing teenager. The deadliest incidents occurred at…
Vocational skills offer faster jobs, higher earnings, resilience in AI-driven era KARACHI: Pakistan today stands at a crossroads. With one of the world’s youngest populations, a shrinking formal job market, and the rapid global rise of automation and artificial intelligence (AI), the country must rethink how it prepares its youth for work. For decades, the…
Tsunami alerts issued in southern Philippines, northern Indonesia and the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo island A road is blocked near the collapsed building after a magnitude 7.8 quake in General Santos, Philippines, June 8, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone. PHOTO: REUTERS At least 15 people were feared dead in the southern…
FBR has granted additional charge of key positions to 27 senior officers of the Inland Revenue Service ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has decided to introduce major administrative changes in order to meet tax collection targets and improve the efficiency of the country’s revenue system. As part of these measures, the tax authority…
Agriculture, retail and real estate stay undertaxed while the salaried class and corporate sector carry the load KARACHI: We often hear about the challenges Pakistan faces when it enters an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, yet we seldom spend enough time reflecting on our own structural shortcomings. It is always easier to criticise an external…
A Palestinian man holding the body of a child wrapped in a white sheet. PHOTO: ANADOLU AGENCY A meticulous investigative report by the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant documenting what journalists describe as the deliberate targeting of children in Gaza has been awarded the European Press Prize 2026, one of the continent’s most prestigious journalism honours….
People save only Rs6 out of every Rs100 earned; PIDE urges national savings drive ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s savings rate has fallen to its lowest level in three decades, with citizens now saving only Rs6 out of every Rs100 they earn, according to a new report by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE). The report warns…
Pakistan should not depend on foreign institutions for assessment of its budget. An Independent Fiscal Council with statutory authority will provide parliament with its own expert voice, independent of the executive’s fiscal claims. photo: file ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s fiscal strategy and productivity landscape have been marred by years of perpetual firefighting. Beyond the International Monetary Fund’s…
An Israeli airstrike targeted a petrochemical firm in Mahshahr, Iran on Monday, causing partial damage to the industrial complex, according to Iranian officials. According to the Mehr News Agency, Valiollah Hayati, deputy governor for security affairs in Khuzestan province, told reporters: “A few minutes ago, the Karun Mahshahr Petrochemical Company was attacked by the Zionist…