Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb says his singular agenda is to focus on the implementation of much-needed reforms and to negotiate a new larger deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to pull the economy out of the crisis. “No debates, no waste of time — just a steadfast commitment to implementation,” the former Habib Bank chief told Dawn soon after being sworn …

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Monday chose to maintain the status quo by upholding the key policy rate at 22 per cent for the sixth policy meeting in a row. The decision was the first under the newly elected government. It also comes ahead of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s last review due on March 14 -18 for …

The initial brouhaha notwithstanding, the Sindh government’s plan to produce gas and liquid fuels for urea production, electricity generation, and transport doesn’t seem to be getting anywhere even after the passage of several years and despite investor interest. Sindh Coal Authority officials blame the federal government’s failure to devise a policy to “support investment as a main impediment to any …

SEOUL: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived on Sunday in South Korea on the first stop of a brief Asia tour also including the Philippines, as Washington moves to reinforce ties with two key regional allies. Blinken landed on Sunday afternoon ahead of the third Summit for Democracy on Monday, an initiative of US President Joe Biden, which Seoul …

CAIRO: The European Union and Egypt on Sunday signed a 7.4-billion-euro financial package to support the indebted north African country, boost energy sales to Europe and stem irregular migrant flows. European Commission Presi­dent Ursula von der Leyen was joined in Cairo by the leaders of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Greece and Italy for the signing ceremony with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah …

CAIRO: Trucks of flour have reached northern Gaza for distribution to areas that have had no aid in four months, Palestinian media reported on Sunday, with famine looming in the enclave. A convoy of 12 trucks arrived in the north — six in Gaza City and six in the Jabalia refugee camp — carrying supplies to also be distributed to …

NEW DELHI: India’s “lottery king”, accused by the authorities of fraud and money laundering, has emerged with his company as the nation’s top political donor under an opaque funding system that has just been partially opened to scrutiny. Santiago Martin’s Future Gaming and Hotel Services spent 13.68 billion Indian rupees ($165 million) between 2019 and 2024 — 40 per cent …

TEHRAN: Iran on Sunday sealed contracts worth billions of dollars with domestic companies to boost its oil production in the face of Western sanctions. In a ceremony broadcast on state TV, the oil ministry and Iranian businesses signed deals worth $13 billion to increase daily oil production in six major fields. Shana, the official news agency for the oil industry, …

NEW DELHI: Students from different countries were assaulted on Gujarat University campus on Saturday evening, allegedly by a group that did not want them to offer namaz at the hostel, The Wire said on Sunday. It said some injured students have been admitted to SVP Hospital in Ahmedabad. “Around 300 foreign students from Africa, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and other countries study here at the …

UNITED NATIONS: Voting trends in the February 8 elections demonstrated that there is a strong desire for change among the Pakistani youth, according to a senior US diplomat. The remarks by Elizabeth Horst, a senior US diplomat overseeing Pakistan affairs at the State Depart­ment, came during a seminar held on the sidelines of an ongoing UN debate on the nexus between gender …