Author: admin aphd

Web desk: Pakistan has made eight requests to Saudi Arabia under long-term economic cooperation, including conversion of short-term existing deposits of $5 billion into a long-term facility of 10 years, enhancing oil facility on deferred payment from $1.2 billion to $5 billion with increased tenure, securitisation of Pakistani diaspora’s remittances of $10 billion and others. Top official sources confirmed to The News that Pakistan’s economic woes were multiplying in the aftermath of ongoing geopolitical tension amid the ongoing US-Israel-led war against Iran. On the other hand, Pakistan is negotiating with the IMF for completion of the third review under the $7 billion…

Web Desk: The State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) on Monday maintained its key interest rate at 10.5%, pausing its easing cycle as rising global energy prices and regional tensions pose new inflation risks for the import-dependent economy. “The Monetary Policy Committee has decided to keep the policy rate unchanged at 10.5%,” the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said on its website, adding that a detailed statement would be released soon. The SBP has cut the key rate by a cumulative 1,150 basis points since mid-2024, from a record 22% in 2023, as inflation cooled sharply from…

Web Desk: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi on Saturday convicted 47 persons, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Omar Ayub, Zartaj Gul, Murad Saeed, Shibli Faraz, Shehbaz Gill, and Hammad Azhar, to 10 years of imprisonment each in a case related to the May 9 riots. ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah also found Kanwal Shuzaib, Rashid Shafiq, Zulfi Bukhari, Muhammad Ahmed Chatha, Rai Hassan Nawaz, Rai Muhammad Murtaza, Shaukat Ali Bhatti, Usman Saeed Basra, and Ijaz Khan guilty of being the central conspirators in the May 9 incidents.

Web Desk: Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman held a meeting in which both sides discussed Iranian attacks on the kingdom within the framework of the joint strategic defence agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. In a statement posted on X early Saturday, Khalid bin Salman said the meeting focused on ways to stop the attacks, which he said do not serve the security and stability of the region. The meeting follows an escalation of tensions in the Middle East after the United States and Israel launched attacks on…

Web Desk: The Punjab government has decided to establish anti-drone units in all districts of the province to disable “unauthorised drones operated by enemies of Pakistan or miscreants using advanced jamming technology.” In a statement, the provincial Home Department said the units will conduct aerial surveillance using specialised drone fleets to monitor district airspace. The announcement follows the federal government’s decision last month to impose a ban on all drone operations across the country after tensions escalated between Pakistan and Afghanistan following border clashes. According to the Punjab Home Department, each anti-drone unit and its associated systems will operate under…

Web Desk: Pakistan’s armed forces are continuing ground and air operations against Afghan Taliban fighters and the militant group referred to as “Fitna al-Khawarij”, security sources said. According to the sources, security forces carried out a successful operation against Afghan Taliban positions in the Kurram sector along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, destroying several posts. The army reportedly targeted the positions of Afghan Taliban and Fitna al-Khawarij using heavy artillery fire, the sources added. Security officials said the operation, named “Ghazab lil-Haq”, remains ongoing and will continue until its objectives are achieved.

Web Desk: One of the biggest challenges in cancer treatment is that many therapies attack both tumors and healthy tissues, often causing serious side effects. To overcome this issue, researchers around the world are working to develop treatments that selectively target cancer cells while sparing normal cells. In a recent breakthrough, an international research team led by the University of Geneva and University of Marburg has identified a promising new approach involving a “mirror” form of the amino acid cysteine. The study found that a specific form known as D-cysteine (D-Cys), a sulfur-containing molecule, can significantly slow the growth of…

News Desk: The Punjab government has initiated decisive measures against the distribution of substandard medicines by ordering the immediate recall of two pharmaceutical products from the market due to safety concerns. According to the provincial Health Department, Cetirizine 10mg tablets and Ivermectin injections have been declared unsafe for both human and veterinary use following laboratory testing. Drug testing laboratories confirmed that certain batches of these medicines failed to meet quality standards and may pose potential health risks. In response, authorities have directed the concerned pharmaceutical companies to promptly withdraw the affected batches from circulation. Medical stores and pharmacies across the…

Web Desk: An unidentified illness has reportedly caused the deaths of four children in the village of Atta Muhammad Khosa, situated in the Kashmore district of Sindh, according to local sources and officials. Residents stated that the illness emerged suddenly, and within a span of one week, four children — including two brothers from the same family — lost their lives. The deceased have been identified as Irshad Ali and Irfan Ali Solangi, who reportedly passed away within 24 hours of each other after developing symptoms linked to the unknown condition. Local community members reported that the affected children experienced…

Lahore, Web Desk: Punjab Health Minister خواجہ سلمان رفیق has announced that free medical treatment worth over Rs3 billion will be provided annually to stroke patients under the Chief Minister’s Stroke Programme. While chairing the first meeting of the Advisory Committee for the Chief Minister’s Stroke Programme, the minister stated that the Punjab government is taking significant steps to introduce major healthcare initiatives aimed at improving patient care across the province. He noted that considerable progress has already been made in implementing the programme. He further explained that the primary objective of the initiative is to help save thousands of…