Pakistan Today

LAHORE: As many as 4.648 million cotton bales reached ginning factories across the country between November 16 and December 1, as compared to 7.448 million bales that reached the industries during the same period last year. According to figures shared by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners' Association (PCGA), a shortfall of 2.799 million cotton bales was recorded during the period under...

The federal government has approved a Rs1 billion package to replace 40-year-old gas pipelines in Quetta for resolving the issue of low gas pressure. The announcement was made by National Assembly (NA) Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri at a press conference along with Parliamentary Secretary for Quetta Development Authority (QDA), Urban Development Mobin Ahmed Khilji, and Sui Southern Gas Company’s...

KARACHI: Foreign exchange reserves held by the central bank fell $305 million on a weekly basis, according to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Thursday. As per details, forex reserves held by the SBP were recorded at $13,110.9 million as on Nov 27, down 2.27pc compared with $13,415.5 million in the previous week. The central bank said the...

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: Indian government ministers began talks with farmers’ leaders on Thursday to try and break a deadlock over laws passed earlier this year seeking to deregulate the agriculture sector that has ignited the country’s biggest farm protests in years. Tens of thousands of growers have camped out at the entrance to capital Delhi in protest against the laws seeking...

BRUSSELS: European Union diplomats said on Thursday they hoped a Brexit trade deal with Britain could be agreed by Friday or at the weekend, and EU officials said negotiators were likely to review progress in the next two days. A British minister said he believed “good progress” was being made at talks but cautioned that London would not sign up...

LONDON: OPEC and Russia resume talks on Thursday in a bid to define policies for 2021 after an initial round of discussions this week failed to bring a compromise on how to tackle weak oil demand amid a second coronavirus wave. The group of OPEC and allies, known as OPEC+, had been widely expected to roll over existing oil cuts...

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration expanded economic pressure on China’s western region of Xinjiang, banning cotton imports from a powerful Chinese quasi-military organization that it says uses the forced labor of detained Uighur Muslims. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency said on Wednesday its “Withhold Release Order” would ban cotton and cotton products from the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps...

DALLAS: Boeing Co’s 737 MAX staged its first post-grounding flight with media on board on Wednesday, as carriers seek to demonstrate to passengers that the redesigned jet is safe after a 20-month safety ban. In another display of confidence, European budget airline Ryanair was set to place a hefty order for up to 75 additional 737 MAX jets, industry sources...

WASHINGTON: The U.S. House of Representatives passed a law to kick Chinese companies off U.S. stock exchanges if they do not fully comply with the country’s auditing rules, giving President Donald Trump one more tool to threaten Beijing with before leaving office. The measure passed the House by unanimous voice vote, after passing the Senate unanimously in May, sending it...

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the ex-mill price of sugar came down by Rs20 per kilogramme in 20 days due to the government's effective intervention in the matter. "Distribution of imported sugar at control rates & timely start of crushing season also ensured. I have asked provinces to ensure fair & swift cane payments are made to farmers,"...

In order to facilitate passengers during winter holidays and school vacations, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has introduced special fares, offering up to 30pc discount on domestic flights operating between Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Quetta, Faisalabad, Sialkot and Peshawar from December 3 (Thursday) onwards. Passengers would now be able to travel between these cities on a one-way minimum fare of Rs8,500 and...

CDWP okays Rs7.5bn for education-related projects in AJK; Rs3.48bn for establishment of National Aerospace Science & Technology Park

ISLAMABAD: In line with the prime minister's promise to the small & medium industries, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has decided to decrease industrial tariff by Rs4.96 per unit. According to NEPRA, the commercial electricity price for small industries has been reduced from Rs12.96 to Rs8 per unit, effective from November 1, 2020. The new tariff, which is for...

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Economic Affairs Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar has said that Pakistan and China are strategic partners and their relations will be further strengthened in future through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Talking to newly appointed Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong on Wednesday, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar underlined that Pakistan and China have always supported each other on the issues of their...

GILGIT: Prime Minister Imran Khan has inaugurated Himalaya and Nanga Parbat National Parks, spanning a huge area of 3,600 square kilometres in Gilgit-Baltistan, to protect endangered wildlife and promote eco-tourism in the area. This was stated by Prime Minister's Special Assistant on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam while addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Wednesday. He said these parks will...