KARACHI: Rating agen­­cy Moody’s in its latest report said the credit profile of Pakistan (issuer rating B3) reflects the country’s “baa2” economic strength, which is underpinned by the robust long-term GDP growth potential and large scale of the economy, balanced against low per capita incomes and global competitiveness. Its “b2” institutions and governance strength that balances still weak executive institutions …

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday launched the ‘Ehsaas Savings Wallets’ pilot initiative for seven million poorest of the poor women registered with the government as Kafaalat beneficiaries under its Ehsaas programme. Addressing the inauguration ceremony, the prime minister said that most of the digitally and financially excluded segments in the country were destitute women. For the first time, …

ISLAMABAD: The federal government will allocate funds in the upcoming budget 2021-22 to develop high-yielding crops to meet growing domestic demand and reduce dependence on import of basic food items. Ahead of the budget, the National Price Monitoring Committee (NPMC) has constituted a two-member sub-committee comprising Minister for National Food Security Fakhar Imam and Industries Minister Khusro Bakhtyar to work …

KARACHI: The first lunar eclipse of the Year 2021 will take place on Wednesday, May 26 (tomorrow). The lunar eclipse being named as Super Flower Blood Moon will not be visible in Pakistan due to daylight. The eclipse of the moon will be started at 11:39am in day. The total lunar eclipse will start from 4:11pm, and it will end …

LONDON: The BBC said on Monday it would review its editorial policies and governance after an independent report found one of its journalists used deception to secure a landmark interview with Princess Diana. The British broadcaster’s board said the internal probe would be conducted by a group of non-executive directors led by Nick Serota, its senior independent director, and report back by …

NEW DELHI: An Indian couple chartered a passenger jet to stage a mid-air wedding that hijacked coronavirus restrictions by taking more than 160 guests, reports said Monday. India´s civil aviation authority has ordered an investigation and suspended the crew of the jet, officials said. Because of a brutal new coronavirus wave — that saw India´s death toll pass 300,000 on …

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has asserted that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will no longer be in a position to “fudge” the Palestine issue any longer and will have to take a decision. In an interview that was recorded after a 193-member emergency UN General Assembly (UNGA) meeting on the Palestine issue and aired on Turkish television channel TRT on Monday, Qureshi …

PARIS: Scientists have for the first time managed to partially restore the sight of a blind patient by altering his cells, according to the results of a groundbreaking study published on Monday. The technique known as optogenetics, which has been developed in the field of neuroscience over the last 20 years, involves genetically altering cells so they produce more light-sensitive …

MIHTARLAM: Afghan forces clashed with the Taliban in a provincial capital about 120 kilometres from Kabul, officials and witnesses said, prompting the defence minister to take charge of a counteroffensive. Violence has soared in Afghanistan since US forces began their final pullout on May 1, as the insurgents press on with a campaign to seize new territory. Fierce fighting erupted …

BRUSSELS: European countries moved to isolate Belarus on Monday by cutting air ties after it provoked an international outcry by forcing a commercial airliner to land so it could arrest an opposition activist. EU leaders meeting in Brussels eyed proposals to stop Belarus’ state airline flying to the bloc and prevent European carriers from using the country’s airspace, after several nations started …