The Government of Gilgit-Baltistan has issued a notification detailing new fees for mountaineering and trekking permits, including a significant hike in the cost of permits for climbing K2. According to the notification from the Gilgit-Baltistan Tourism, Sports, Culture, Archaeology, and Museum Department, the permit fee for foreign climbers to scale K2 has been set at $5,000 for the summer season …

The Cabinet Division has decided to estimate the value of gifts received in the Toshakhana. As per details, the division has invited bids from private appraisers by September 30 to evaluate the value of various categories of gifts, including jewelry, watches, carpets, and other items. The aim is to determine the actual value of these gifts, and the selected appraisers …

In an effort to mitigate potential protests and disruptions related to the privatization of state-owned electricity companies, the federal government has implemented the Compulsory Service Act. The latest move applies to all entities involved in the power sector, including DISCOs, NTDC, and JUNCOS. According to sources, the Compulsory Service Act bans protests and strikes by employees of these power sector …

A surface-to-surface missile was fired at central Israel from Yemen on Sunday, hitting an unpopulated area and causing no injuries, Israel’s military said. Air raid sirens had sounded in Tel Aviv and across central Israel moments before the missile landed at around 6:35 a.m. local time (0335 GMT), sending residents running for shelter. “Following the sirens that sounded a short …

Pakistan Constitution of 1973 has been amended 25 times so far and now the ruling alliance is bringing 26th Constitutional amendments into the Parliament National Assembly and Senate in the name of judicial reforms. The first Amendment was enactment on 4 May 1974 which redefined the boundaries of Pakistan and removed references to East Pakistan after the separation of Bangladesh. …

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the nomination of Saleema Imtiaz to the ICC International Panel of Development Umpires. This appointment makes her the first Pakistani woman to join the panel, where she will officiate in women’s bilateral international matches and ICC Women’s events. The PCB shared this historic achievement on Sunday, underscoring the growing presence of women in the …

The federal government has announced changes in the timings of key parliamentary sessions. The National Assembly session, initially scheduled for 11:30 am, has been rescheduled to 4:00 pm.  The federal cabinet meeting will now occur at 3:00 pm, instead of the previously set time. The Senate session will be held at 6 pm. Bilawal-Dar meeting ends; Proposed Constitutional amendments still …

GAZA: At least five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a school housing displaced people southeast of Gaza City, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources on Saturday. Palestinian security sources told Xinhua that Israeli warplanes attacked the Shuhada’ al-Zaytun school in the Al-Zaytun neighborhood. Medical sources said that the airstrike killed five Palestinians, including children and women, and …

BEIJING: A Chinese defense spokesperson on Saturday expressed firm opposition to other countries’ actions aimed at provoking China or harming China’s sovereignty on the pretext of “freedom of navigation.” Wu Qian, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to a question about two German warships sailing through the Taiwan Strait on Friday, citing “freedom of …

Fatigue and body pain are common and can happen for many reasons. Muscle weakness and chronic tiredness can often be treated effectively with natural at-home remedies. Aches, pain, and fatigue are common complaints practically everyone has on occasion. While over-the-counter medications can provide temporary relief, overuse of pain relievers can cause unwanted side effects, such as stomach upset. Natural remedies …

The Sindh government has raised concerns over removing the Mohenjo-Daro image from Pakistani currency notes. Sindh’s Minister for Culture and Tourism, Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah, has sent a letter to the Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) in response. The letter expressed reservations about the decision to replace the historic site’s image with the Khyber Pass on the …

Saudi Arabia has offered fifteen percent investment in the mega Reko Diq gold and copper project. The Kingdom has also offered grants to build road infrastructure around the Reko Diq project.Special Investment Facilitation Council has approved the structure of the offer but the final decision has been left to the Cabinet Committee on Intergovernmental Transactions. Pakistan expects Saudi investment of …

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, on Saturday, said that Pakistan considered the United States’ decision to impose sanctions on commercial entities over alleged connections to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program as biased and politically motivated. In response to media inquiries about the US decision to impose sanctions on commercial entities over alleged connections to Pakistan’s ballistic …

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a high-level meeting on the promotion of electric vehicles (EVs) in Pakistan, highlighting the government’s commitment to prioritizing sustainable transportation. During the meeting, the PM said the government was taking priority measures for the promotion of electric vehicles in the country. He directed the relevant authorities to prepare a comprehensive financial model for electric vehicles, …

Hareem Farooq, one of Pakistan’s leading actresses, recently opened up about her role in the popular drama serial Bismil. The show, which has quickly gained high ratings and significant viewership, revolves around a complex love triangle and themes of greed and toxicity. Hareem Farooq stars alongside veteran actors Nauman Ijaz and Savera Nadeem, with the plot taking a controversial turn …

Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan urged on Saturday white-ball captain Babar Azam to merely focus on his game. Expressing his thoughts, the T20 World Cup 2009-winning captain said: “The reason why Babar Azam was made the captain of the national team was because he was the top-performer. Babar Azam had achieved plenty of milestones at the very young age.” He …

Former President Donald Trump has announced plans for mass deportations of migrants from Springfield, Ohio, in response to unfounded claims that Haitian immigrants in the area have been involved in disturbing acts such as eating pets. This announcement has ignited controversy and heightened tensions in the community. Speaking at a press conference from his golf course in Los Angeles, Trump …

A majority bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Saturday warned the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that non-implementation of its judgment on reserved seats would result in serious consequences. The clarification comes after the electoral watchdog and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) filed petitions regarding the court’s July 12 decision on the matter. The eight-member bench, led by Justice Mansoor …

GREATER NOIDA: The one-off Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand was washed out on Friday after five days of rain, just the eighth Test in history to be abandoned without a ball being bowled. Afghanistan’s adopted home ground at Greater Noida, on New Delhi’s outskirts, has been hit by persistent rain over the past fortnight, forcing officials to call the …

LONDON: Prince Harry was once one of the British royal family’s most popular members, but as he celebrates his 40th birthday this weekend he is increasingly distanced from the UK public and his own family. The younger son of King Charles III, now living in California with his American television actress wife Meghan and their two young children, reaches the …

LOS ANGELES: Which series will succeed three-time winner ‘Succession’ as television’s best drama? Emmy voters will reveal their selection on Sunday at a red-carpet ceremony where historical epic ‘Shogun’ enters as the favorite. The story set in feudal Japan already has collected a record number of Emmys for a single season of a television series. ‘Shogun’ picked up 14 trophies …

UKRAINE-BELARUS BORDER: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Friday that 49 Ukrainian POWs had been returned from Russia, with AFP witnessing the group being greeted at the border with Belarus. Zelensky did not clarify whether it was part of an exchange with Russia, as is usually the case, but AFP journalists had earlier seen Russian prisoners of war being loaded onto …

HANOI: The death toll in Vietnam from typhoon Yagi and the landslides and flash floods it triggered rose to 254 on Friday, the state disaster management agency said, as flood waters receded and search efforts pressed on. The Southeast Asian country is reeling from the impact of the strongest storm to hit Asia this year which made landfall on its …

BEIRUT: Hamas chief Yehya Sinwar thanked the leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah for his group’s support in the conflict with Israel, Hezbollah said on Friday, in the first reported message since Sinwar became Hamas leader in August. The Iran-backed Hezbollah has been waging attacks on Israel for nearly a year in a conflict across the Lebanese-Israeli border that …

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Friday approved a $320-million loan to support the rehabilitation of roads in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, enhancing safe and all-weather connectivity in rural areas. As per a statement released by the ADB, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rural Roads Development Project will upgrade around 900 kilometers of rural roads in the province that are susceptible to floods and …

A sessions court in Karachi rejected on Friday the post-arrest bail application of Natasha Danish, the driver booked in the Karsaz accident case that claimed two lives. During the hearing today, Additional District and Sessions Judge (East) Shahid Ali Memon announced the verdict which was reserved earlier. On September 6, Natasha was granted bail in the murder case after the …

MUMBAI: India’s foreign exchange reserves extended their winning run for a fourth straight week to hit a record high of $689.24 billion as of Sept. 6, data from the central bank showed on Friday. The reserves rose by $5.3 billion in the reporting week, after having risen by a total of $13.9 billion in the prior three weeks. The RBI …

After declining in the previous session, gold prices in Pakistan jumped on Friday in line with their increase in the international rates. In the local market, the price of gold per tola gained Rs2,900, clocking in at Rs265,900, which is the latest record high in Pakistan. Similarly, 10-gram gold was sold at Rs227,966 after it registered an increase of Rs2,486, …

NEW DELHI: A top political opponent of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was granted bail on Friday after months behind bars on accusations his party took kickbacks in exchange for liquor licences. Arvind Kejriwal, chief minister of the capital Delhi and a key leader in an opposition alliance that battled Modi in national elections earlier this year, was first detained …

HONG KONG: A record 25 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were signed during the two-day Ninth Belt and Road Summit that concluded in Hong Kong on Thursday. The MoUs, including four between governments and 21 between businesses, involve government bodies and companies from Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Kazakhstan. A highlight of this summit is a new chapter dedicated to …

BEIJING: Chinese Premier Li Qiang returned to Beijing on Friday after wrapping up an official visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Li was seen off from a UAE airport by Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, the UAE president’s special envoy to China, and Chinese Ambassador to the UAE Zhang Yiming.

ISLAMABAD: Two terrorists were killed during an operation in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of police said on Friday. The CTD personnel conducted an intelligence-based operation in the Dera Ghazi Khan district of the province on reported presence of the terrorists in the area, the CTD officials told media. During the operation, two terrorists were killed by …

ISLAMABAD: China Cultural Center in Pakistan in collaboration with Culture Office of the embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Pakistan, launched a series of online activities to celebrate the 2024 Mid-Autumn Festival: ‘A Moon Moment to Remember’ in Pakistan and for people around the world on Friday. The “Mid-Autumn Day in Poetry”video series and other colorful events are …

The most recently held 23rd Meeting of Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Member States responsible for Foreign Economic and Trade Activities in Islamabad yesterday vividly reflecting the golden principles of Shanghai Spirit comprising openness, inclusiveness, mutual trust, political cooperation and last but not least economic cooperation among the SCO member countries. Going forward, all members’ countries should jointly persuade …

Cities that boast a Coastline are considered fortunate all across the globe, be it the Coastline of LA, or the more humble country Indonesia’s Coastline of Bali, it becomes the prime attraction of tourists and locals alike. The tourists visit the beaches for different reasons, to bask in the sun and see what local life and the shore is like, …

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif assuring all possible measures for the promotion of the football game in the country, announced that the government would soon unveil a comprehensive plan in this regard. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Pakistan’s street child football team on Wednesday, which recently delivered an outstanding performance at a tournament in Norway. The premier asked the authorities concerned …

Pakistan is likely to introduce mini budget as the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is facing difficulties in meeting its tax collection targets. According to sources, FBR needs to collect Rs2,654 billion in taxes for the first quarter of the fiscal year 2024-25, with Rs 1,190 billion required in September 2024 alone. If FBR fails to meet the target by …

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has emphasized that the protection of citizens’ lives and property is the government’s top priority, warning that any negligence in this regard will not be tolerated. The Punjab Home Department has issued orders to ban social media use among officials and also equip them with bodycams. As part of efforts to enhance transparency and improve …

The 10 arrested members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were brought to the Parliament House during an ongoing National Assembly session after the speaker issued their production orders a day ago. The detained lawmakers, including Sheikh Waqas Akram, Zain Qureshi, Yousuf Khan, Owais Jakhar, Malik Aamir Dogar, Ahmed Chatha, Zubair Khan, Shah Ahad Khattak, Syed Naseem Ali Shah, and Sher …

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) in a meeting held today the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided to cut the policy rate by 200 bps to 17.5 percent, effective from September 13, 2024. Both headline and core inflation fell sharply over the past two months. The pace of this disinflation has somewhat exceeded the Committee’s earlier expectations, mainly due to …