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ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kiani has said that QR codes have been made mandatory for retail outlets in Islamabad and across the provinces. “The government is promoting a cashless economy, and executive orders have made QR codes mandatory in Islamabad and provincial regions, requiring every retail outlet to provide at least one digital payment option,” the state minister said on Saturday. He was speaking at a policy discussion organised by the Institute for Public Opinion Research (IPOR) to present findings from its nationwide study titled Track and Trace Compliance in the Tobacco Industry-Volume II. The minister added that all retailers and merchants have been instructed to adopt digital payment methods. He said federal and provincial authorities were working on legislation to support the initiative, which aims to formalise the economy and strengthen the “Cashless Pakistan” programme. The study revealed significant regulatory gaps in compliance with the Federal Board of Revenue’s Tra...

ISLAMABAD: Pakis­tan’s trade deficit with nine neighbouring countries widened by 44.42 per cent to $7.683 billion in the first half of FY26 compared to $5.320bn during the same period last year. The soaring deficit was mainly due to a decline in Pakistan’s overall exports to regional countries, led by a drop in shipments to China, followed by Afghanistan and Bangla­desh. Pakistan has suspended all kinds of trade, including exports, with Afghanistan since Oct 10, 2025. In percentage terms, exports to India increased marginally, but in value terms, it is negligible. The shipments to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka registered negative growth during the period under review, according to the latest data compiled by the State Bank. In FY25, the trade deficit with these nine neighbouring countries widened by 29.42pc to $12.297bn, up from $9.502bn in the preceding year. The value of exports to Afghanistan, China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, Iran, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives dipped 18.56pc to $1.965bn in July-December F...

Ben-Gvir will call the Joint List a 'Terror Representative Alliance,' even though Arab MKs condemn Palestinian terrorism far more than he will ever condemn Jewish terrorism. The right prefers a soldier who commits war crimes to an Arab MK, simply because he is Arab

De onderhandelende partijen D66, VVD en CDA zijn ‘echt heel ver’ met de afspraken over de financiën, meldt D66-leider Rob Jetten na onderhandelingen die tot in de nacht duurden. „Maar het is helaas nog niet helemaal af.”

For two years, Haredi lawmakers have been smearing the other MKs with exaggerations and fabrications. One day they demand dialogue, the next day they claim that the IDF isn't ready, and a week later they shed crocodile tears over the starving yeshiva students

Sebeș, un oraș cu mai puțin de 27.000 de locuitori, din vecinătatea municipiului Alba Iulia, a profitat din plin de poziția sa strategică, la răscrucea unor autostrăzi importante. Investițiile atrase aici sunt impresionante și au rezolvat problema locurilor de muncă.

Официальные лица отметили "неожиданную химию", возникшую на переговорах в Абу-Даби между российской и украинской сторонами. Атмосфера, в которой все прошло, "превзошла ожидания".

In the Luhansk region, the temporarily occupied city of Alchevsk has been left without electricity due to a system overload caused by the lack of a centralized heating supply.

Interim-president van Venezuela Delcy Rodríguez heeft zaterdag opgeroepen tot gesprekken met de oppositie om tot ‘akkoorden’ voor vrede te komen. Ze deed de uitspraken drie weken nadat de Verenigde Staten president Nicolás Maduro afzetten, gevangennamen en naar een Amerikaanse gevangenis brachten.

Een vierdaags staakt-het-vuren tussen de Syrische regering en de door Koerden geleide Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is met vijftien dagen verlengd. Dat bevestigen beide partijen nadat ingewijden eerder al een akkoord hadden gemeld.

București a înregistrat în decembrie 2025 cea mai mare creștere a prețului mediu pentru apartamente dintre marile orașe ale României (+20%), a doua cea mai mare scumpire fiind înregistrată în Craiova.

Russia's leadership is trying to push U.S. President Donald Trump to abandon the negotiation process with Ukraine and Europe and make concessions to Moscow's demands put forward at the August 2025 summit in Anchorage, Alaska.

Поздно вечером 24 января в российском городе Белгород прогремела серия мощных взрывов, после чего в ряде районов исчез свет. Россияне пишут, что город якобы атаковали ракеты HIMARS.

Most respondents emphasized that merchants lack the infrastructure to support crypto payments for everyday transactions.

Russia has stepped up the activities of so-called “Russian Houses” in African countries, using them not only as centers for promoting Russian influence under the guise of cultural diplomacy, but also as hubs for recruiting mercenaries to fight against Ukraine.

Real Madrid heeft zaterdagavond de uitwedstrijd bij Villarreal met 0-2 gewonnen. Kylian Mbappé maakte beide goals voor de ploeg van interim-trainer Álvaro Arbeloa.

România, Slovacia și Ungaria sunt țările în care se trăiește cel mai puțin în chirie. 68% dintre persoanele care locuiesc în gospodăriile din UE dețin în proprietate locuințele și doar 32% au calitatea de chiriași.

De oorspronkelijke K3-leden Karen, Kristel en Kathleen hebben zaterdag tijdens de uitreiking van de Kastaars in Lint de prijs voor 'Nieuwkomer van 2025' ontvangen. De Kastaars zijn de Vlaamse equivalent van de Televizier-Ring.

Переговоры в Абу-Даби между США, Украиной и Россией прошли хорошо и создают потенциальные условия для встречи президента Владимира Зеленского с главой Кремля Владимиром Путиным.