Pakistan

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) will officially launch its latest payment and settlement system, named Prism Plus, on Tuesday. A statement issued on Monday by the central bank said Prism Plus is built on the ISO 20022 financial messaging standard, which supports structured and data-rich financial communication, enabling enhanced transparency, interoperability, and automation across the payment and settlement ecosystem. The system includes new features for liquidity management, transaction queuing and prioritisation, and scheduling of future-dated payments. Prism Plus will make Pakistan’s financial system faster, safer and more modern, according to the SBP. It said efficient money transfer, better liquidity management of securities transactions and minimal risks in the system would be achieved with the introduction of Prism Plus. The statement added that the launch event will be chaired by State Bank Governor Jameel Ahmed and will be attended by senior SBP officials, representatives of financial institutions ...

The 28-year-old son of Norway’s crown princess has been charged with raping four women and several acts of violence, and risks up to 10 years in prison, a prosecutor said on Monday. Marius Borg Hoiby, who was born out of a relationship before Crown Princess Mette-Marit married Crown Prince Haakon, has been under investigation since his arrest on August 4 last year on suspicion of assaulting a girlfriend. He is accused of raping four women while they were sleeping. In at least three of the cases, he met the women the same day and had consensual sex before the alleged rapes, public prosecutor Sturla Henriksbo told reporters. Hoiby is also charged with filming their genitals without their knowledge. State Attorney Sturla Henriksbo addresses the press to report on the decision on the indictment of Marius Borg Hoiby, son of Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit, in Oslo, Norway, August 18. — AFP Henriksbo said investigators had video clips and photographs as evidence. The four rapes allegedly took place in 2018, 20...

United States President Donald Trump said on Monday that if his meeting with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky went well, he expected to hold a trilateral meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin with the goal of ending the Ukraine-Russia war. Trump is pushing Ukraine to make major concessions following his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week, saying Kyiv must give up Crimea and abandon its Nato ambitions. Those are two of Moscow’s top demands. But Zelensky, who huddled with the Europeans before they all went to the White House to meet Trump, urged Trump to bring “peace through strength” against Russia and stressed the need for United States security guarantees. “We’re going to have a meeting. I think if everything works out well today, we’ll have a trilat (trilateral summit) and I think there will be a reasonable chance of ending the war when we do that,” said Trump, sitting alongside Zelensky at the White House. “I just spoke to President Putin indirectly and we’re goin...

Hamas has accepted a new ceasefire proposal for Gaza, a senior member of the group said on Monday, after a fresh diplomatic push to end more than 22 months of fighting. Israel has been facing growing international criticism over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza caused by its offensive since October 2023, with Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and experts already declaring its actions in Gaza as a “genocide”, which Tel Aviv rejects. Mediators Egypt and Qatar, backed by the United States, have struggled to secure a lasting truce in the conflict, which has triggered a dire humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. But after receiving a new proposal from mediators, Hamas said it was ready for talks. “The movement has submitted its response, agreeing to the mediators’ new proposal. We pray to God to extinguish the fire of this war on our people,” senior Hamas official Bassem Naim said on Facebook. A general view shows the destroyed Rashad al-Shawa cultural centre in Gaza City on August 18. — AFP Earlier, a Ham...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday said that the country was “running well” and experiencing stability and economic improvement, adding that there was no need for a 27th Constitutional Amendment. Even though the 26th Amendment remains mired in controversy, the power corridors in Islamabad had been abuzz with talk of a possible 27th Constitutional Amendment, which, according to insiders, would further ‘fine-tune’ the structure and the functioning of the superior judiciary. Speaking to reporters in London during a visit to the United Kingdom, the deputy PM said: “We are still digesting the 26th Constitutional Amendment, so there is no need for a 27th right now. The country is running well. There is stability and economic improvement. “We are putting our full attention towards GDP growth and development. Under [Prime Minister] Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership, all efforts are being made.” Dar added that under the leadership of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in 2017, Pakistan was “the 2...

A three-day international symposium on “Radiation Techniques in Health and Environment” began at the Pakistan Academy of Sciences (PAS) on Monday.

Chairman Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani has called for practical collaboration through joint task forces, parliamentary exchanges, and research partnerships to mitigate the hazardous impacts of climate change.

Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar Monday, received a call from Malaysian Foreign Minister, Dato Seri Utama Haji Mohamad Bin Haji Hasan, who expressed condolences over the tragic loss of lives in northern Pakistan due to flash floods.

K-P monsoon death toll climbs to 341 Govt releases Rs3 billion for relief PDMA warns of more rains until 21st

Dy PM says 'we are still digesting the 26th Amendment'

Security forces thwart August 14 plan; CM Bugti links academic to deadly Quetta bombing

Judge says violent protesters attacked state, military sites in 'coordinated assault'

US president strikes friendlier tone with Zelensky, EU leaders

Reiterates need to ensure production of detained person before magistrate within 24 hours

Says he will lead movement ahead of 2026 US elections

Lawmakers left state to stymie redistricting push

New Delhi plans a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile test later this month

Panicked residents run to higher ground after more rain

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