Pope Francis on Wednesday condemned people he said were exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to turn a quick profit and decried the "hypocrisy" of how some politicians are dealing with the crisis.
World Health Organization officials on Wednesday denied that the body was "China-centric" and said that the acute phase of a pandemic was not the time to cut funding, after US President Donald Trump said he would put contributions on hold.
Global trade growth is expected to plummet by up to a third in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the World Trade Organization said Wednesday, warning that the numbers would be "ugly".
Prime Minister Imran Khan has said the biggest challenge for the government after the lockdown has been how to provide relief to the vulnerable. He said that disbursement of financial assistance of Rs12,000 each to 12 million families would start from tod
The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) will make mandatory for securities exchange, clearing house and central depository to obtain clearance from the commission, on the fit and proper of the directors prior to their appointment or elec
Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) has integrated and successfully completed the pilot run of the surveillance system in the last week of March 2020 in close coordination with the SECP.
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has directed steel melting and re-rolling mills to submit consumer number of electricity meters and electricity units consumed during month (kWh) to collect actual excise duty in sales tax mode payable and verify electri
The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet on Thursday (today) is likely to approve issuance of long-awaited Pakistan Energy Sukuk-II worth Rs 200 billion to clear some receivables of power sector entities which is on the brink of default, w
The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet has decided to approve Rs50 billion for the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) as part of the government relief package announced subsequent to coronavirus pandemic in the country. An official said th
A spokesman of the Chinese Mission to the UN has rejected Indian media reports that China, during its presidency of the Security Council in March, had ignored Pakistan's call for urgent consideration of the situation in Indian occupied Kashmir at the 15-m
A Bangladesh military captain arrested after nearly 25 years on the run over the assassination of the Sheikh Mujibur Rahman will be executed, officials said Wednesday.
All international airlines have suspended the option of claiming refund through online system, offering vouchers for future travel instead of cash refunds of unused tickets.
After replacement of the FASTER system with "queue" system for refund payments, certain field formations of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) are not following queue in processing of sales tax refunds to the exporters under the prime minister's package f
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders suspended his campaign on Wednesday, making former Vice President Joe Biden the presumptive nominee to face Republican President Donald Trump in the Nov. 3 election.
Nausheen Javaid Amjad, a BS-22 officer of Inland Revenue Service has assumed the charge of the post of Chairperson, Federal Board of Revenue (HQ), Islamabad from April 8, 2020.
The government on Wednesday extended validity of all types of visas issued to foreign nationals as part of its measures to prevent the outbreak of coronavirus.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani urged the International Monetary Fund on Wednesday to give the sanctions-hit country a $5 billion emergency loan to combat its novel coronavirus outbreak.
Human rights groups urged three Gulf Arab states Wednesday to lift bans on free internet calls to help their large migrant workforces stay in touch during the coronavirus pandemic.
The government is likely to hand over alleged sugar subsidy and price hike scam to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after the "Probe Commission's" final report is submitted to the Prime Minister scheduled on April 25, 2020.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, giving his regular video briefing to the people of the country in general and Sindh in particular, said that during the last 24 hours two more patients of the coronavirus died while 50 new cases were detected.
The coronavirus pandemic is impacting economies around the world. The IMF recently declared that we are now facing a recession. Pakistan has witnessed a substantial economic slowdown and while the government is playing its part to aid the population, it i
From extravagant trips to the Amalfi Coast and sunset photoshoots on Dubai's beaches to an almost complete lockdown - the coronavirus has forced the Gulf's social media "influencers" indoors but hasn't lowered their glamour factor.
The spread of a virus named Covid-19 in this age of mass and fast communication has apparently brought faith(s) and science face to face. People of science do not believe in miracles or spiritual healing. In their world, the law of cause and effect govern
Several years ago a zealous head of Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) decided to emblazon all EPB ads with the logo "Export or perish". His boss, the Commerce Secretary, thought that was going over the top and the logo was withdrawn.
The manner in which protesting doctors were baton charged and arrested in Quetta on Monday was simply appalling. The Balochistan government must now explain not only the manner in which the protest was handled by the police, but also what caused it in the
The Sindh government must be appreciated for taking the most practical and timely steps among all provinces to contain the coronavirus. It was the first to register confirmed positive cases so naturally it had to be the first to take action. But it also r
Pakistan on Wednesday skipped the 'Trade Officials Video-Conference on Covid-19' of the SAARC countries arranged by India, saying 'such activities could only be effective if spearheaded by the SAARC Secretariat'.
Chinese scholar Prof Cheng Xizhong hoped the decision to launch a three-month tree plantation campaign to create new jobs for daily-wage workers affected by the countrywide lockdown would prove very productive.
Telenor Business has launched "Business Continuity Packages" (BCP) to facilitate the business community during this hour of need and to ensure business continuity.
Service Industries Limited (PSX: SRVI) was established in 1957 under the Companies Act, 1913 (now Companies Act, 2017) as a private limited company. Two years later in 1959 it was converted into a public limited company.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has said that 15,000 Afghan nationals went back to Afghanistan through Torkham after the opening of the border to facilitate their return. He expressed these views while addressing the National Coordination C
Pakistan on Wednesday decided to allow the Afghanistan-bound cargo trucks and containers thrice a week - Monday, Wednesday and Friday - from tomorrow (Friday) on "humanitarian grounds".
The Islamabad wholesale fruit and vegetable market, which is one of the main markets in the region, may turn into a big source for the spread of coronavirus as its management has failed to enforce the standard operating procedures (SOPs) devised for contr
Islamabad High Court (IHC) Wednesday rejected the government's plea to grant stay against a single bench's verdict, which had set aside the termination orders of the chairperson and members of the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP).
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to have its offices constructed in the various districts across the country where the ECP has its own plots, and to acquire plots in the districts where the electoral body does not have real estate pro
President of Zonergy Company Limited of China Richard J. Guo, Vice President Kevin Qiu, General Manager Li Kan from China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) called on Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday and donated Rs5 million to the PM's COVID-1
A special flight of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) carrying 136 stranded Pakistanis from Baghdad has arrived here. The passengers include disabled persons, women, children, and elderly.
The confirmed coronavirus cases in Pakistan have surged to 4,072, the National Command and Control Centre (NCCC)'s statistics released here on Wednesday said.
The Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) on Wednesday directed all private educational institutes under the domain of the federal government to cut 20 percent tuition fee received during holidays due to coronavirus pandemic.
The opposition political parties are not satisfied with the measures taken by the government to combat Covid-19 pandemic, saying there is no unified strategy in collaboration with all the provinces to effectively take on the deadly disease.
Dewan Rizwan Farooqui, Chairman of Pakistan Ship Breakers' Association (Psba), on Wednesday sought a financial and taxation relief package, saying that this major raw material ancillary sector needs attention from the government.
Leader of the Opposition in Sindh Assembly Firdous Shamim Naqvi has asked the Sindh government to make and announce its strategy about the lockdown before April 14, and the lockdown should be relaxed after following the code of conduct regarding the coron
A complete lockdown was observed in Hyderabad to fight the coronavirus on Wednesday. All business and social activities remained standstill. Bazaars and markets remained completely closed in the city. Only retail shops were opened till 5pm to provide nece
Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday acquitted journalist Nasrullah Chaudhry in a case of possessing banned literature and overturned his sentence by ordering his release from jail.
The Secretary-General of the United Business Group (UBG) and former president of the FPCCI, Zubair Tufail, has urged Prime Minster Imran Khan to announce special incentive package for all the industries similar to the package announced recently for the co
Chief Minister Balochistan Jam Kamal Khan has welcomed the decision of Young Doctors Association for calling off their strike after successful parleys held between government team and Young Doctors Association, a Chief Minister's Secretariat statement sai
Qingqi rickshaws continue to defy the government's decision of lockdown in the provincial capital and thus they are seen on roads fully loaded with passengers even though the cases of Coronavirus are on the rise.
Sindh Minister for Information, Local Government, Housing & Town Planning, Religious Affairs, Forest and Wildlife Syed Nasir Hussain Shah has said that it was extremely regrettable that mobile companies were deducting the balances of all those needy peopl
KARACHI: Business and industrial community has said that the Sindh government should take notice of the situation and order the committee to notify standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the industries at the earliest while the labor department should o
China and other nations could be burdened with costly and environmentally damaging coal power for decades if they forge ahead with new capacity to boost their economics after the COVID-19 pandemic, research showed Wednesday.
Germany and France, the EU's two largest economies, are bracing for a painful recession as the coronavirus pandemic slashes output to the lowest levels in decades, forecasts said Wednesday.
European Union finance ministers failed in all-night talks to agree on more economic support for their coronavirus-stricken economies, spurring Spain to warn the bloc's future was on the line if it did not forge a joint response to the crisis.
Some 16,500 Air Canada employees who were laid off because of the coronavirus pandemic will be rehired under a government relief package for businesses, the airline said Wednesday.
Britain's biggest retailer Tesco has recruited more than 45,000 staff in two weeks, largely to cover supermarket workers affected by the coronavirus outbreak, it said Wednesday.
The US Federal Reserve permitted Wells Fargo to boost loans to small businesses harmed by coronavirus shutdowns Wednesday amid fresh signs of trouble in the rollout of a massive aid program.
The global chemical weapons watchdog on Wednesday for the first time explicitly blamed Syria for toxic attacks, saying President Bashar al-Assad's air force used the nerve gas sarin and chlorine three times in 2017.
Sweden on Wednesday rejected claims by US President Donald Trump that its approach to containing the coronavirus was too soft and that it was "suffering" more than others.
Two million protective masks purchased by Finland from China have turned out to be unsuitable for use in hospitals, the Finnish government admitted on Wednesday.
Physics experts are working at Europe's CERN lab to create a basic ventilator for mild coronavirus sufferers and recovering patients, the facility said on Wednesday.
A blistering row erupted Wednesday after the head of the EU's top science funding agency resigned and attacked the bloc's handling of the coronavirus crisis.
Fire broke out Wednesday at the central Berlin site where the German imperial family's palace is being reconstructed, injuring one and sending black smoke pouring into the sky.
The Afghan government released 100 low-risk Taliban prisoners Wednesday, officials said, a day after the insurgents announced they were walking out of talks with Kabul.
US and British cybersecurity agencies warned Wednesday that foreign government-backed hacking groups are using coronavirus themes to ply their way into computers and networks.
Punjab School Education Minister Murad Raas on Wednesday asked parents not to deposit the fees on old vouchers and directed private schools to issue new fees vouchers with 20 percent discount as announced by the Punjab government.
Employers Federation of Pakistan has been in continued discussion with K-Electric to revisit its notice to bill consumers on average basis citing the difficulties faced by meter readers during the lockdown. The efforts of EFP paid off and KE has agreed to
Shaikh Mohammad Shafiq, chairman (central) of Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA), and Amir Amil Khotawala, chairman (south zone), have appreciated the initiatives of Prime Minister Imran Khan in announcing the rel
The Lahore High Court has observed that no immunity from accountability is available to any person particularly when facing a charge of causing loss to the public exchequer and misuse of public power.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO), Engineer Naeem Khan has suspended two senior officials of the 17MW Ranolia Hydel Power Project, Kohistan over the closure of the operation of the power station in violation
The federal government has prepared and issued detailed guidelines with the support of National Command and Operation centre (NCOC) and National Institute of Health (NIH) on use of masks and personal protection equipment (PPE) kits to ensure safety of all
Some garment industrial units has started production in Lahore and Faisalabad following the government's permission in the lockdown. PHMA welcomed the decision, pledging to take strict precautionary measures directed by the government and health experts d
K-Electric (KE) has decided to resume meter reading in select areas of the city from April 9, 2020. The power utility has taken this step in consultation with the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) after considering customers' demands an
National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser has stressed upon the religious scholars and ulema to play their role in creating harmony and awareness among their followers for countering the challenges posed by the deadly coronavirus pandemic.
Dalian iron ore futures closed more than 2% lower on Tuesday, a two-week low, as overseas demand for the steelmaking ingredient took a hit due to the coronavirus pandemic.
European wheat was little changed on Tuesday as the market weighed up the positive factors of brisk short-term export demand and dry weather in Europe against good US wheat crop conditions which pushed Chicago futures lower.
Chicago corn futures prices gained traction on Tuesday as energy prices firmed earlier in the session, a bit of relief from seven days of consecutive losses that plunged corn prices to 3-1/2 year lows, traders said.
The Karachi Port handled 112,390 tonnes of cargo comprising 68,840 tonnes of import cargo and 43,550 tonnes of export cargo including 7,592 loaded and empty containers during the last 24 hours ending at 0700 hours on Wednesday.
The official spot rate was unchanged as there was no physical activity seen on the cotton market these days due to lockdown to tackle with the coronavirus, some sealers said on phone on Wednesday.
US natural gas futures jumped for a third day in a row to a three-week high on Tuesday on a confirmation of forecasts for cooler weather and higher heating demand next week.
Stock markets in the United Arab Emirates backtracked from two sessions of gains on Wednesday as investors fled risk on coronavirus fears, while Saudi equities edged up ahead of an OPEC+ meeting on output cuts.
Britain's FTSE 100 pulled back on Wednesday, as a rising global death toll crushed hopes that the coronavirus crisis was subsiding, while insurers took a hit over halts in dividend payments and Tesco warned of a surge in costs.
Chinese shares pulled back on Wednesday after a doubling of new coronavirus infections in mainland China highlighted continued risks posed by the pandemic, even as Wuhan, the Chinese city at the heart of the outbreak, ended its lockdown.
Wall Street rose on Wednesday on hopes the coronavirus outbreak in the United States was close to its peak and expectations that Congress will inject hundreds of billions more in the battered economy.
Wall Street fell on Tuesday, as a drop in oil prices steepened in the latter stages of the session and erased early gains built on tentative signs that coronavirus outbreaks in some of the biggest US hot spots may be leveling.
Most Southeast Asian stock markets closed lower on Wednesday as a mounting death toll from the global coronavirus outbreak prompted investors to book profits after sharp gains earlier this week.
European stock markets inched higher to post a third straight day of gains of Wednesday, tracking a rally on Wall Street, but sentiment remained fragile with all eyes on whether euro zone finance ministers will agree an economic rescue package.
Most Asian currencies slipped against the dollar on Wednesday, with the Indonesian rupiah leading the pack, as a rising global death toll from the novel coronavirus soured risk sentiment.
Sterling gained ground against the dollar on Wednesday as the US currency's rally eased a touch, and on news that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was in "clinically stable" condition after being rushed into intensive care.
The US dollar edged higher on Wednesday in choppy trading, attracting safe-haven bids, as optimism faded that the coronavirus crisis may be nearing a peak and investor concerns remained over the economic fallout of the pandemic.
