ISLAMABAD: The government on Monday cautioned about the impending risks of Omicron on the economy including the concerns of the policymakers about the inflationary effects and the resulting policy response. Omicron has forced economists across the globe to cast a shadow of doubt on the ongoing global economic gro­wth recovery. Pakistan’s eco­n­omy cannot ignore the imp­e­nding risks of this spread, …

ISLAMABAD: The government has chalked out a comprehensive agricultural transformation plan “for the very first time in the country’s history” and was implementing it on a priority basis, Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Monday. Chairing a series of meetings regarding the priority sectors, the prime minister directed the authorities concerned to take action against urea hoarders and facilitate investors …

ISLAMABAD: After a month-long impasse, the government on Monday conditionally agreed to provide 50 per cent gas supply to textile manufacturers for co-generation on a best effort basis provided they surrender in writing their stay orders and get their energy audits conducted. Energy Minister Hammad Azhar told Dawn that a government team and a delegation of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) …

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka announced on Monday the closure of three overseas diplomatic missions in a bid to save foreign currency reserves, as the country’s central bank slapped tighter controls on dollars needed to finance essential imports. The Sri Lankan High Commission (embassy) in Nigeria and consulates in Germany and Cyprus will be closed from January in the restructuring, the foreign …

MOGADISHU: A long-running political crisis in Somalia escalated on Monday as the president suspended the prime minister, who blasted the move as an “attempted coup” and asked the armed forces to follow his orders. The angry exchange came a day after President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, who is better known as Farmajo, sparred with Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble over the …

BANGKOK: A court in military-ruled Myanmar postponed its verdicts on Monday on two charges against ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi in which she is accused of importing and possessing walkie-talkies without following official procedures, a legal official familiar with the case said. The case in the court in the capital, Naypyitaw, is among many brought against the 76-year-old Nobel …

BAGHDAD: Iraq’s top court on Monday ratified the country’s October parliamentary election results after rejecting a complaint of irregularities filed by the pro-Iran Hashed al-Shaabi former paramilitary alliance. The long-awaited ruling will allow parliament to meet and pave the way for the election of a president who will then appoint a prime minister tasked with forming a new government. Iraq …

MOSCOW: The security situation at the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border is a concern, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday, a risk Moscow has sought to mitigate by strengthening its military base in Tajikistan with weapons and other equipment. The possibility of Islamist militants in Afghanistan infiltrating Tajikistan and other former Soviet republics in Central Asia is a worry for Moscow, which …

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Monday executed a Yemeni man accused of plotting a suicide attack in the kingdom and of links to the militant Islamic State group, the interior ministry said. The wealthy Gulf country, with one of the world’s highest execution rates, has been the target of a series of deadly IS shootings and bombings since late 2014. “Mohammed …

RAWALPINDI: Chief of the General Staff (CGS) of Turkish Land Forces, Lt Gen Veli Tarakci, on Monday acknowledged the professionalism of Pakistan armed forces and vowed to enhance cooperation in various fields. This he said during a meeting with Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa at GHQ. Matters about regional security situation and of mutual and …