BRUSSELS: Just a week before the deadline, Britain and the European Union struck a free-trade deal on Thursday that should avert economic chaos on new year’s day and bring a measure of certainty for businesses after years of Brexit turmoil. Once ratified by both sides, the agreement will ensure Britain and the 27-nation bloc can continue to trade in goods …

RAWALPINDI: Chahan Dam is almost complete but no work has been started to supply six million gallon daily (MGD) water from the reservoir to seven union councils of Rawalpindi due to insufficient funds. Due to the delay, the project cost has increased from Rs5.3 billion to Rs6.7 billion. The Punjab government approved the project worth Rs5.3 billion to bring six …

ROME: Police in Italy enforced fresh Covid-19 travel restrictions on Thursday aimed at limiting Christmas get-togethers involving far-flung family members as public health officials appealed for a drastic reduction in social contacts to prevent new infections over the holidays. A modified nationwide lockdown went into effect on Christmas eve with restrictions and closures similar to the 10 weeks of hard …

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that protests by farmers against three laws brought by his government were politically motivated, as he touted the success of an agricultural scheme launched last year. Thousands of farmers from several Indian states have been camped on the outskirts of New Delhi for over a month, blocking highways to demand that Modi’s …

ISLAMABAD: Interior Min­i­s­ter Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Thursday expressed the confidence that the op­­position would not resign from assemblies before the upcoming Senate polls. Talking to reporters during a visit to Directorate General of Immig­ration and Passports, he asked why the opposition was keen to take part in the by-polls for national and provincial assemblies’ seats if it was serious …

KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal-Bhutto Zardari claimed on Thursday that he and his party had solutions to the crises being faced by Pakistan while asking Prime Minister Imran Khan to quit after he had publicly conceded defeat against the national challenges and vowed that with the public support the PPP could bring the country out of every kind of …

MANSEHRA: Deputy commissioner Dr Qasim Ali Khan has said the Saudi government will supply over Rs640 million worth of hi-tech surgical equipment and machines for the King Abdullah Teaching Hospital, Mansehra, early next year saying the initiative will help improve healthcare in the district. “Most of the health issues raised by you will be addressed after the supply of surgical …

LARKANA: A group of lawyers led by vice president of High Court Bar Association have opposed inviting PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz to address the bar during her scheduled visit to Garhi Khuda Bux Bhutto on Dec 27 and urged Sindh High Court registrar to cancel the invitation “to avoid complications”. HCBA vice president Mazhar Ali Mangan and senior advocate …

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court was assured on Thursday that the provisions of the Punjab Compulsory Teaching of Holy Quran Act 2018 would be enforced in letter and spirit in all educational institutions from the next academic year. The undertaking was given by Secretary of School Education Department Dr Sohail Shehzad before a two-judge bench seized with an appeal seeking …

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) secretary general Muhammad Ali Durrani called on PML-N President and National Assembly Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif in Kot Lakhpat jail on Thursday and conveyed him a message from party chief Sibghatullah Rashidi better known as the Pir of Pagaro, asking him to play his role in convincing the opposition to not to quit assemblies to …