Author: (PEN)

ISLAMABAD (PEN) : Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned what they cast as increasingly aggressive U.S. behaviour on Thursday and pledged to deepen their countries’ already close defence and military ties. In a clear snub to Washington, whose top diplomat flew into China last month to try to persuade Beijing to scale back its relationship with Moscow, Xi signalled Beijing and Moscow saw eye to eye on a range of important issues, including on Ukraine, and would resist Western pressure to downgrade their ties. “The China-Russia relationship today is hard-earned, and the two sides need to…

ISLAMABAD (PEN) : Amid the ongoing heatwave across several parts, the meteorological department predicted rain and thunderstorms in the northern regions offers a much-needed reprieve. From May 16 to 19, areas such as Chitral, Dir, Swat, Dera Ismail Khan, and Peshawar stand a chance to witness nature’s spectacle of rain accompanied by thunderous applause. Upper Balochistan, including locales like Ziarat and Barkhan, is also on the radar for potential showers during the same period, offering a brief reprieve from the scalding sun. Meanwhile, residents in Murree, Guliyat, Islamabad, and Rawalpindi can anticipate a break from the heat as the heavens…

GAZA STRIP: The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Thursday that at least 35,272 people have been killed in the territory during more than seven months of war between Israel and Palestinians. The toll includes at least 39 deaths over the past 24 hours, a ministry statement said, adding that 79,205 people have been wounded in the Gaza Strip since the war began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7.

ISLAMABAD (PEN) : Chinese Finance Minister Lan Fo’an Thursday met Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and reaffirmed his country’s continued support for Pakistan’s efforts to bring about financial stability. Appreciating bilateral financial and banking cooperation as the manifestation of the “All Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership”, the Chinese minister took note of the positive trajectory of Pakistan’s economy. As per the Foreign Office (FO), the high-level meeting saw the two sides discussing ideas to further enhance financial cooperation, especially in view of growing business-to-business (B2B) linkages between the two countries. Meanwhile, Deputy PM Dar underscored Islamabad’s reform agenda with its focus on…

ISLAMABAD (PEN) : Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan Thursday appeared before the Supreme Court via video link in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) amendments case. A five-member SC larger bench — headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi — is hearing the case. The hearing in the case is being held on the intra-court appeals filed by the federal and provincial governments against the NAB amendments struck down by the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, whether the hearing will be broadcast live or not…

ISLAMABAD (PEN) : The head of Ghana’s Foreign Service Training Institute, Ambassador AkuaSekyiwaAhenkora, emphasized the importance of South-South cooperation on emerging transnational challenges like climate change and cyber security. She was speaking at a roundtable discussion organized at the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) here on Wednesday. Ambassador Ahenkora maintained that since transnational challenges transcended boundaries, it was imperative for all states to join hands especially the developing countries which were suffering the most because of them. She shared that it was her first trip to Pakistan and added thatit helped her address a lot of misperceptions about the country…

LAHORE (PEN) : The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has requested details of the Orange Line Metro Train System (OLMTS) project from the Lahore Development Authority (LDA). The accountability watchdog, currently investigating alleged irregularities in the project, has sent a communique to the LDA for this purpose. The NAB has sought information on the project’s physical progress and financial status. It has specifically requested details on payments made to contractors and the disbursement of funds to the project’s primary contractors. The Bureau is inquiring about the increase in the estimated cost during the defect liability period. Questions have also been raised…

ISLAMABAD (PEN) : The prices of naan and roti for Islamabad have been fixed. The petition filed in the Islamabad High Court on fixing the new agreed prices of naan and roti has been withdrawn. The district administration and public prosecutor informed the court about the new prices. In the urban areas of Islamabad, the price of naan is Rs18 and that of naan is Rs22, while in rural areas, roti and naan will be available for Rs16 and Rs20, respectively. The lawyer for the Naanbai Association told the court that on the order of the court, discussions were held…

ISLAMABAD (PEN) : In a high-level meeting between Turkey and Pakistan, both nations have agreed to strengthen their economic partnership. Led by Turkey’s Ambassador, Mr. Mehmet Pekasi, and Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, Ahad Khan Cheema, the meeting aimed at bolstering the long-standing brotherly relations between the two countries. The focus of the discussions centered on various strategies to enhance cooperation, including leveraging the 2022 Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) between Pakistan and Turkey. Minister Cheema highlighted the importance of this agreement, emphasizing its role in fostering economic ties between the two nations. Additionally, Minister Cheema informed Ambassador Pekasi about…

ISLAMABAD (PEN) : The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed a remarkable boom today as the KSE-100 index soared, crossing the coveted 75,000 mark again. An impressive increase of 339 points propelled the index to trade at 75,003 points, signifying a significant uptick in investor confidence and market sentiment. However, that boom did not last too long as the index witnessed a slump of 138 points and traded at 74,525 points. This surge comes amidst a flurry of positive developments in the economic landscape, reflecting growing optimism among investors. The bullish trend underscores the resilience of the Pakistani stock market, despite…