Corporate rules still blocking women out

KARACHI: Pakistan has one of the lowest rates of female entrepreneurship in the world. According to the World Bank and the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi), only around 1% of entrepreneurs in Pakistan are women. The Asian Development Bank further reports that women own less than 8% of the country’s small and medium-sized enterprises, with…

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France sends water bombers to tackle wildfire outside Paris

Fontainebleau blaze scorches 800 hectares, forces A6 highway closure as smaller fires disrupt train services Firefighting planes, Canadair CL-415, fly over the church of Noisy-sur-Ecole, amid a wildfire affecting the area near Fontainebleau, France, July 13, 2026. PHOTO: REUTERS More than 400 French firefighters worked through the night to contain a wildfire in the historic Fontainebleau forest…

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Auto sector fails, aerospace soars

ISLAMABAD: Few industries contribute more to international trade, economic growth, skilled employment, and technological innovation than the automobile industry. Countries proudly showcase their automotive achievements at major international motor shows. Yet Pakistan has never enjoyed that distinction, despite assembling cars since the 1950s and devoting substantial national resources to the sector. In stark contrast, Pakistan’s…

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Five terrorists killed as Operation Shaban continues in Balochistan: security sources

Five terrorists were killed during the latest phase of Operation Shaban, taking the total number of terrorists killed in the operation and other intelligence-based operations across Balochistan since July 5 to 114, security sources said on Monday. The joint operation by the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps (FC), and Balochistan Police was launched in the aftermath…

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Trade promotion paradox: billions spent, exports fall

Pakistan can no longer afford to treat export growth as administrative luxury; it is macroeconomic necessity ISLAMABAD: Let us monetise the total export subsidies and incentives, foregone taxes on exporters, expenses on the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), commercial diplomacy, and the overseas exhibitions and trade fairs organised; the net exports of Pakistan will…

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Bangkok pub fire kills 27, police investigating possible negligence

Blocked emergency exits, flammable materials under scrutiny as 63 hurt, 22 critically Forensic police officials inspect the site of a deadly fire at a pub in Bangkok, Thailand, July 13, 2026. PHOTO: REUTERS An explosive fire at a pub in Thailand’s capital Bangkok killed 27 people and injured dozens, officials said on Monday, with police investigating possible negligence including obstructed emergency exits as people scrambled to flee the burning…

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Fresh controversy cloudsRing Road’s inauguration

RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Ring Road project, which has faced prolonged delays and repeated controversies, is again shrouded in uncertainty over whether it will be inaugurated on August 14, despite completion of the main route, following a fresh controversy over the no-objection certificate (NOC) for its service area. The Ring Road controversy has, for a second…

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A tax system based on extortion

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s taxation debate returns every year pre- and post-budget with the same predictable outcome: higher taxes, harsher enforcement, and deeper pressure on an already shrinking formal economy. Yet despite repeated fiscal tightening, the country continues to face low compliance, weak documentation, capital flight, and slowing economic activity. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb in his budget…

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