ISLAMABAD, Aug 18 (ABC): Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Miftah Ismail here on Thursday announced lifting of ban on import of non-essential and luxury goods on the demand of International Monetary Fund (IMF), however said that the Regulatory Duties (RDs) would be enhanced manifold to discourage import of such products. “It is requirement of international community that there should …

 ISLAMABAD, Aug 18 (ABC): Minister for Aviation Khawaja Saad Rafique said on Thursday that Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and other coalition parties, having solid footprints in all provinces, were political realities and could not be eliminated from political arena. Responding to a Calling Attention Notice in Senate, he admitted that  Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)  had a support base and it …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 18 (ABC): Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Thursday agreed to further improve the coordination between the interior ministries of both the countries to deal with common challenges. The agreement reached at the meeting held at Jeddah between Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and his Saudi counterpart party, said a statement issued here. Earlier, Saudi Deputy Interior Minister Dr. Nasir …

KARACHI, August 18(ABC): Car drowned in Malir river at Karachi Highway Link Road was found on Thursday, while the rescue operation is going on to search for five to six people in the car. As per details, the Edhi team has recovered the car that sank into the river at Kathor in Karachi, but the family in the car is …

ISLAMABAD, August 18(ABC): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has directed NDMA, PDMA and the provincial government to speed-up relief operations in the flood-affected areas immediately. According to PM Office, Shehbaz Sharif said the first priority in a flood situation is the rescue of the affected people and their immediate assistance. He also directed that 50000 rupees should be provided immediately …

ISLAMABAD, August 18(ABC): A four-member medical board has unanimously recommended that PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s chief of staff Shahbaz Gill be monitored further and assessed by specialists. Gill is at the Pakistan Institute Of Medical Sciences (PIMS), where he is under treatment after being shifted to the medical facility from Adiala Jail. The medical board unanimously concluded in a post-examination …

ISLAMABAD, August 18(ABC): The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday served notices to the Islamabad advocate general, additional attorney general and other officials, summoning them for the hearing of PTI’s plea against the physical remand given to police of senior PTI leader Shahbaz Gill in a sedition case. Yesterday, a district and sessions court ordered Gill — who has been behind bars …

LONDON, August 18(ABC): The British government has signed a new agreement under which foreign criminals and immigration offenders will be returned from the United Kingdom to Pakistan. Home Secretary Priti Patel announced the development on Wednesday after signing the new deal with Pakistan’s Interior Secretary Yousaf Naseem Khokhar and the Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK, Moazzam Ahmad Khan. A …

ISLAMABAD, August 18(ABC): In an effort based on humanitarian grounds, the United States has pledged $1 million to Pakistan “to build resilience against natural disasters”. The announcement follows an earlier decision to provide $100,000 in immediate relief, as floods caused by torrential rains wreak havoc in the country. “We stand by Pakistan in hard times and offer our support to flood victims. …

ISLAMABAD, August 18(ABC): PTI leader Murad Saeed on Thursday claimed that some armed men dressed in plain clothes came by his residence in his absence last night when he was at PIMS Hospital, Islamabad to meet Shahbaz Gill. “When I was at PIMS, Islamabad, armed motorcyclists dressed in plain clothes came to my doorstep at 2am. I contacted some friends …

ISLAMABAD, August 18(ABC): The government has assured the International Monetary Fund (IMF) it will increase the petroleum levy to Rs50 per litre in the Letter of Intent (LoI) sent back ahead of the Fund’s board meeting on August 29. Pakistan sent back its LoI after the document was signed by Minister for Finance Miftah Ismail and Governor State Bank of …

ISLAMABAD, August 17(ABC): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supremo and former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Chief of Staff Shahbaz Gill was shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital over a serious medical condition. The PTI leader was shifted to PIMS under high alert security while a medical team has been formed comprising heart, lung specialists doctors and medical officers. …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 17 (ABC): Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Wednesday accused Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and his party associates of launching a smear social media campaign against the state institutions after the Lasbela helicopter crash. The PTI leadership tried to divert the attention from the Pakistan Election Commission’s decision in the foreign funding case, which was …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 17 (ABC): Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday underlined the need to fully utilize the existing potential between Pakistan and Iran in energy, air links, and connectivity. The foreign minister received Minister for Roads and Urban Development of Iran Rostam Ghasemi, Foreign Office Spokesperson said in a press release. Welcoming the delegation, the foreign minister highlighted fraternal …

ISLAMABAD, August 17(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said that soldiers and officers of Pakistan Armed Forces never hesitated to sacrifice their lives to protect their motherland. PM Shehbaz met the grieved family of 12 Corps Commander late Lt General Sarfaraz Ali, who was recently martyred in a chopper crash in Balochistan s Lasbela area. Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif …

ISLAMABAD, August 17(ABC): Pakistan and the United Kingdom on Wednesday signed the landmark agreement for repatriation of convicted criminals and immigration offenders from the UK to Pakistan. “I’m proud to have signed a new landmark agreement with our Pakistani friends to return foreign criminals and immigration offenders from the UK to Pakistan,” British Home Secretary Priti Patel announced in a …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 17 (ABC): Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Wednesday alleged that the media faced the worst fascism during the four-year rule of Imran Khan, who himself had been declared “fascist” by the international media watchdog. The minister, in a news statement, said Imran Khan had no right to speak about media freedom as it was he …

ISLAMABAD, August 17(ABC): Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday refused to respond to the notice sent by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in a case pertaining to prohibited funding. Former PM and former Attorney General Anwar Mansoor Khan on behalf of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman sent a reply to Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). …

ISLAMABAD, August 17(ABC): The federal government has decided to increase the petroleum levy on petrol and diesel from September as it has reached an agreement with the International Monetary Fund. In the Letter of Intent sent to the IMF — after the prime minister and finance minister signed it — Pakistan has assured the global lender that it will phase-wise …

 RAJANPUR, Aug 17 (ABC): Hill torrents originated from Suleman Mountain Range following recent heavy spell of monsoon rains were the ferocious most during last four decades affecting over 100,000 people besides damaging nearly 4000 homes and over 200,000 acre crop area in Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur, the two districts sandwitched between hill torrents from mountains in the west and …

ISLAMABAD, August 17(ABC): The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Wednesday decided to expand the scope of prohibited funding received by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to foreign countries. FIA will now investigate the case in America, Britain and any other country where PTI received funding from. Investigation agencies of different countries will also be contacted and taken on board. FIA will …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 17 (ABC): Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Miftah Ismail here on Wednesday highlighted that self-reliance, export promotion, farm productivity enhancement and educating children were four basic principles to lead the country towards growth and development. Addressing the “Leaders in Islamabad Business Summit” here the minister said Pakistan was not at the place where it should have been …

ISLAMABAD, August 17(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday expressed Pakistan’s firm commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The prime minister, in a meeting with the UN Resident Coordinator Julien Harneis, highlighted that Pakistan had been contributing actively to the work of the UN, especially in the areas of peacekeeping, humanitarian action, climate …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 17 (ABC): Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) Attaullah Tarar on Wednesday said that foreign funding case was not an ordinary case as it proved that Jews and Indian people had funded Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) against Pakistan. Addressing a press conference here, the SAPM said that it had been proven that PTI was a foreign-funded party which …

ISLAMABAD, August 17(ABC): An Islamabad district and sessions court remanded senior PTI leader in police custody for another 48 hours in its verdict on a review plea seeking Gill’s physical remand in a sedition case. The court had reserved its verdict earlier in the day after the completion of arguments by all parties. The sessions judge Zeba Chaudhry had taken …

KARACHI, August 17(ABC): The Pakistani rupee snapped its 11-day winning streak against the US dollar during intraday trade on Wednesday as the local currency undergoes correction. In the interbank market, the rupee depreciated by 0.10 and fell to 214 against the greenback, according to Forex as of 1:10pm, down from 213.90 at the close of Tuesday’s trade. Head Of Research …

ISLAMABAD, August 17(ABC): Javed Iqbal received Rs74 million in pay and allowances during his nearly four and half year term as the chairman of Pakistan’s anti-corruption body. A detailed break-down of the former chairman of the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) pay was revealed to the Senate by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar earlier this month, in response to a question …

ISLAMABAD, August 17(ABC): A larger bench of the Islamabad High Court has been constituted to hear an appeal of the PTI against the decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on the prohibited funding case. A three-member larger bench has been formed under the chairmanship of acting chief justice of the IHC, Justice Aamer Farooq, and will consist of …

KARACHI, August 17(ABC): Former Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Wednesday said that former National Accountability Court (NAB) Chairman Javed Iqbal should reveal his assets to the public. Talking to media outside NAB court, Abbasi said people should know the reality of those who claim accountability. He said that PML-N supremo Mian Nawaz Sharif …

DUBAI, August 17(ABC): Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa received the UAE’s highest civil award, Order of Zayed or Order of the Union Medal, for making significant contributions in furthering bilateral ties between both countries. The award was bestowed on COAS General Bajwa by UAE President Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan at a ceremony in Abu Dhabi. …

ISLAMABAD, , August 17(ABC): A larger bench of the Islamabad High Court has been constituted to hear an appeal of the PTI against the decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on the prohibited funding case. A three-member larger bench has been formed under the chairmanship of acting chief justice of the IHC, Justice Aamer Farooq, and will consist …

SEOUL, August 16(ABC): Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) unveiled its latest high-end foldable smartphones on Wednesday, keeping prices at the same level as last year’s in a bid to cement its leadership in an expanding niche market. The smartphone maker priced its clamshell Galaxy Z Flip4 at $999.99, and the 5G-enabled top-line Galaxy Z Fold4 with a 7.6-inch main screen to start …

August 16(ABC): Russia’s space agency on Monday unveiled for the first time a physical model of what a planned new Russian-built space station will look like, suggesting Moscow is serious about abandoning the International Space Station (ISS) and going it alone. Russia, in the throes of what some Kremlin hardliners believe is an historic rupture with the West sparked by …

August 16(ABC): Redwire Corporation (RDW.N) said on Tuesday it would launch the first commercial space greenhouse in Spring next year to boost crop production research outside Earth and support exploration missions. The space infrastructure company’s project will help deliver critical insights for NASA’s Artemis missions and beyond, said Dave Reed, Redwire’s manager for the greenhouse project. The Artemis program of …

LEEDS, August 16(ABC): Australian swimmer Jessica Smith has had an uneasy relationship with prosthetics since a childhood accident, but her convictions are being challenged by a British bionic hand that can be updated remotely anywhere in the world. The 2004 Athens Paralympian was born without a left hand. Her parents were advised to fit a prosthesis to help with her …

ISLAMABAD, August 16(ABC): Pakistan has assured the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to remove all subsidies on petrol and electricity. Dunya News received a copy of the Letter of Intent (Lol) between Pakistan and IMF,  in the Lol, Pakistan assured the IMF of implementing the twenty-seven-point action plan. In the Letter of Intent to the IMF, assurances have been given that …

MOUNTAIN VIEW, August 16(ABC): Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google is combining the eyes and arms of physical robots with the knowledge and conversation skills of virtual chatbots to help its employees fetch soda and chips from breakrooms with ease. The mechanical waiters, shown in action to reporters last week, embody an artificial intelligence breakthrough that paves the way for multipurpose robots …

ISLAMABAD, August 16(ABC): Federal cabinet on Tuesday approved placing the name of former adviser on interior and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shahzad Akbar on the Exit Control List (ECL). The Federal Cabinet meeting was held in Prime Minister House Islamabad under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. During the meeting, the cabinet approved placing the names of 10 people, …

WARWICK, August 16(ABC):Scientists at the University of Warwick have shown how oxygen can be produced in microgravity with the help of magnets. The magnets attract bubbles of gas to one place where they fuse together. This can replace the heavy machinery that is used to harvest the gas in the low gravity of space. There is no natural buoyancy in …

ISLAMABAD, August 16(ABC): The government has decided to arrest all the people behind the negative propaganda against Lasbela helicopter crash on social media, sources privy to the investigation told. Sources said that the people who led the campaign will also be arrested after investigating the individuals involved in the propaganda. They added that the investigations have shown that Indian accounts …