LAHORE: The agriculture is again facing hard times as farming community is experiencing a double jeopardy; on the one hand, cost of production has doubled since 2023 and, on the other, commodity prices of major crops (wheat, cotton and maize) have slid by 25 per cent on an average basis. Khalid Mahmood Khokhar, president of Pakistan Kissan Ittehad (PKI), said …

KARACHI: The 10 gram and one tola gold rates climbed to an all-time high of Rs216,221 and Rs252,200 on Saturday — up by Rs1,286 and Rs1,500 on the Friday figures. As per rates issued by All Sindh Saraf Jewellers Association (ASSJA), gold rates surged on Saturday due to an $11 per ounce rise in the international market which took the …

ISLAMABAD: Russia has warned Pakistan that it will ban rice imports again if their phytosanitary concerns are not addressed in future consignments. The Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (FSVPS) of the Russian Federation issued a notification regarding violations of international and Russian phytosanitary requirements over a shipment of rice imported from Pakistan. The notification, numbered FS-SA-3/6592 and dated …

WASHINGTON: Finance Minister Muhammad Aura­ngzeb revealed on Saturday that an IMF team is anticipated to visit Pakistan by mid-May to negotiate a new long-term process, aiming to secure a staff-level agreement by mid-July. Speaking to US-Pakistani media at the conclusion of his week-long visit, the minister mentioned the Fund’s intention to expedite the process. “The contours of the new programme will shape …

LAS PALMAS: Ministers from five Mediterranean nations on Saturday urged the EU to “deepen” bilateral agreements with migrant countries of origin and increase funding to tackle the root causes of migration. Meeting on Gran Cana­ria Island, interior and migration ministers from the so-called MED5 nations — Cyprus, Gree­ce, Italy, Malta and Spain — discussed the new migration and asylum pact …

BEIJING: Russia remained China’s top oil supplier in March, data showed on Saturday, as refiners snapped up stranded Sokol shipments. China’s imports from Russia, including supplies via pipelines and sea-borne shipments, jumped 12.5 per cent on the year to 10.81 million tonnes, or 2.55 million barrels per day (bpd) last month, according to data from the General Administration of Customs. …

ISLAMABAD: Iran’s Ambassador Dr Reza Amiri Moghaddam met Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday to discuss arrangements for the Iranian president’s upcoming visit to Pakistan. The two officials deliberated upon the details of President Ebrahim Raisi’s visit. The Iranian ambassador congratulated Mr Naqvi on assuming the charge of interior minister and appreciated his performance as caretaker chief minister of Punjab. …

PANAMA CITY: Hear­ings in the money-laundering trial of the heads of the now-defunct law firm Mossack Fonseca, the epicentre of the global “Pana­ma Papers” scandal, concluded on Friday in the Panamanian capital. Following 10 days of hear­ings, a sentence is expected in the coming weeks, with judge Baloisa Marquinez saying she would take advantage of a law giving her 30 …

WASHINGTON: The US House of Represe­ntatives on Saturday with broad bipartisan support passed a $95 billion legislative package providing security assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, over bitter objections from Republican hardliners. The legislation now proceeds to the Democratic-majority Senate, which passed a similar measure more than two months ago. US leaders from Democ­ratic President Joe Biden to top Senate Republican Mitch …

ISLAMABAD: Russia has warned Pakistan that it will ban rice imports again if their phytosanitary concerns are not addressed in future consignments. The Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (FSVPS) of the Russian Federation issued a notification regarding violations of international and Russian phytosanitary requirements over a shipment of rice imported from Pakistan. The notification, numbered FS-SA-3/6592 and dated …