Sindh cabinet approves Rs656b budget for FY2026-27

Total development outlay set at over Rs656 billion, Rs641 billion allocated for the Provincial Development Programme Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah chairs a cabinet meeting to approve Budget 2026-27. SCREENGRAB KARACHI: The Sindh cabinet on Wednesday approved the provincial budget for the 2026-27 financial year, which Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah would present during…

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Elon Musk’s AI tool Grok was used in strikes against Iran: US govt

US military’s AI-assisted targeting program is initially powered by Anthropic’s Claude model Elon Musk’s company The company’s current market capitalization is around $1 trillion. Nvidia, currently the world’s most valuable company, is worth around $4 trillion.PHOTO :REUTERS  Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence tool Grok was used in strikes against Iran, the United States government revealed in…

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Centre to fund 100MW G-B solar project: PM

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Photo: X ISLAMABAD: The federal government would bear the cost of a 100-megawatt solar power project for Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday while chairing a review meeting in Islamabad on the initiative, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The prime minister directed…

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Beijing sees tougher US-Iran talks ahead

BEIJING: China’s top diplomat told his Pakistani counterpart on Tuesday that the next phase of negotiations between the United States and Iran—which Pakistan has helped mediate—will be “more difficult”. In a phone conversation ahead of the planned signing on Friday of a US-Iran memorandum of understanding to end their war, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi…

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US lifts Iran blockade ahead of MoU signing

TEHRAN: Tehran announced on Tuesday that a two-month US naval blockade of Iranian ports had been lifted ahead of the formal signing of an agreement in Switzerland this Friday aimed at ending the recent Middle East conflict, as the two countries are set to begin two months of negotiations on a final settlement. Iranian Deputy…

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Punjab pairs austerity with growth

• Rs5.9tr surplus budget unveiled • Current spending reduced by 3.1% under fiscal consolidation push • Salaries up LAHORE: The Punjab government unveiled on Tuesday Rs5.903 trillion surplus budget for coming fiscal year, showing reduced current expenditures, despite a 7% increase in salaries and 3.5% hike in pension, while a substantial amount of Rs803.88 billion…

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Pakistan’s nimble strategy helped shape Iran-US deal

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s quiet but intensive diplomatic efforts played a pivotal role in preventing a potentially devastating regional conflict among the Muslim countries, revealed security sources on Tuesday, as preparations enter the final phase for the signing of a landmark peace agreement between Iran and the United States in Switzerland later this week. At a background…

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