Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Amid app­arent reluctance by the federal government to use the Benazir Income Support Pro­gramme (BISP) to help the flood survivors, the PPP has once again urged the Centre to disburse stipends among displaced citizens via the “efficient and proven” BISP. Over the past weeks, the PPP chairman and senior leaders have encouraged the use of the flagship income support initiative to provide relief to thousands of citizens affected by the monsoon floods. Earlier this week, its vice president, Sherry Rehman, had “strongly and repeatedly” advocated the use of BISP for the purpose in a Senate committee meeting. On Saturday, another PPP leader Humayun Khan urged the government to do the same. His statement came days after PML-N leader and PM’s aide Rana Sanaullah expressed apprehensions about the BISP, calling it unviable for a cash-strapped government. Rana Sana said the BISP could not be continued in its current form — it either needed to be wrapped up or be completely revamped. The PML-N leader had sugge...

• Price control secretary says geotagging, verification of wheat stock decided for proactive planning; defends inter-provincial curbs to ensure ample supply • Mills barred from using wheat for manufacturing poultry feed LAHORE: The Punjab government has stepped up measures, including geotagging of stocks, to avert a potential wheat crisis in the province after floods in the eastern rivers washed away farmlands and destroyed stockpiles in its central districts. The move comes amid restrictions on the interprovincial movement of the commodity by the provincial government, which has raised prices in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by up to 68 per cent, also prompting protests by Sindh and KP. Sources told Dawn that the decision to restrict the wheat trade was taken to ensure an ample supply of the grain in the province and to avert a looming crisis. Besides this measure, the Punjab Price Control and Commodities Management also decided to start geotagging and physically verifying wheat stocks in warehouses across the province...

ISLAMABAD - The China-Pakistan Study Centre (CPSC) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) organised the launch of its latest book titled “Pakistan and China: Connecting at People’s Level” here.

Rawalpindi - The number of dengue patients continues to rise in the garrison city as 23 new cases were reported in last 24 hours on Saturday and 20 cases on Friday.

A female camel, tortured allegedly by a landowner in Sukkur, was handed over to a private animal shelter in Karachi on Saturday, officials said. A first information report (FIR) of the incident was registered at Sukkur’s Kandhra police station under sections 114 (abettor present), 428 (mischief by killing or maiming animal with value of Rs10 or more), 429 (killing or maiming cattle, etc, of any value), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) on the complaint of Ghulam Mustafa. The incident took place at 2pm yesterday, according to the FIR, wherein three suspects were nominated. According to the complainant, when his camels were returning after drinking water from a pond on the land, one of the suspects hit one of them with an axe, breaking its leg. Then he dragged the camel with his tractor. The complainant said he kept pleading with the suspects to spare the camel, but they did not listen. According to the...

Riyadh rolls over $5b loans at 4% interest rate; No additional cost on cash deposits rollover; 3 countries gave $12b

Gul Rahman killed in Afghanistan under mysterious circumstances

Two teams gear up for crucial Asia Cup match

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Adds recovery prospects to sovereign rating framework; specifically flags global sukuk programme in six-month reassess

Urges ratification of digital trade pact; cites fragmented regulations, lack of data integration as major barriers

Minister links security to strong economy, urges engineers to drive exports

Chaudhry links textile waste to $200m annual fisheries losses, rising climate risks; urges to curb pollution, losses

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Warns ministries of strict action over $8b CPEC 2 delays, stresses follow-up on MOUs worth $8.5b signed at B2B meet

UN Climate Chief says boost in engagement has come as antidote to Trump administration's attitude to climate change

PSMA warns of shortages, price hikes; tax body to audit lavish lifestyles displayed on social media

Pakistan on Saturday cancelled their pre-match press conference ahead of their second encounter with India in the men’s Asia Cup tomorrow, according to a statement by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). “Pakistan will not be holding their pre-match press conference today,” ACC said in a short statement. Andy Pycroft will be officiating the match as the referee again after last week’s controversy. A senior Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official confirmed to Dawn.com that the board had moved on after Pycroft’s ‘apology’ and had no issue with his appointment for the Pakistan-India match. The Group A clash between the fierce rivals last Sunday ended on a bitter note when Indian players refused to shake hands with their opponents. It was the first meeting between the regional neighbours since a four-day conflict in May left more than 70 people dead. While the match itself passed without incident, there was no shaking of hands between the captains at the toss or among the players at the end. Then, at the post-match cer...

Iran’s top security body said on Saturday that action by Britain, France and Germany to reimpose United Nations sanctions will “effectively suspend” its cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog. “Despite the foreign ministry’s cooperation with the [International Atomic Energy] Agency and the presentation of plans to resolve the issue, the actions of European countries will effectively suspend the path of cooperation with the agency,” the Supreme National Security Council said in a televised statement. Britain, France and Germany were among the parties to a 2015 deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that gave Iran relief from UN sanctions in return for UN-monitored restrictions on its nuclear activities. The three governments say Iran has reneged on its commitments under the deal which has been effectively moribund since Washington pulled out in 2018 during President Donald Trump’s first term. The UN Security Council voted on Friday, after European pressure, to reimpose the UN sanctions ...

US President Donald Trump on Friday ordered an annual $100,000 fee be added to H-1B skilled worker visas, creating potentially major repercussions for the tech industry where such permits are prolific. The new measure, which could likely face legal challenges, was announced alongside the introduction of a $1 million “gold card“ residency programme that Trump had previewed months earlier. “The main thing is, we’re going to have great people coming in, and they’re going to be paying,” Trump told reporters as he signed the orders in the Oval Office. Later, the White House issued a major clarification to the new visa policy, saying the $100,000 fee will be a “one-time” payment imposed on new applicants. “This is a one-time fee that applies only to the petition. It only applies to new visas, not renewals or current visa holders,” a White House official said on condition of anonymity. H-1B visas allow companies to sponsor foreign workers with specialised skills — such as scientists, engineers, and computer programm...