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Significant developments have been made in the new tariff policy as part of the ongoing negotiations between Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) regarding the fiscal targets of the 2025-26 federal budget. According to official documents, the IMF has accepted Pakistan’s proposal to reduce customs and regulatory duties under the 2025-30 Tariff Policy Framework. The IMF and the Pakistani government are aligning on policies aimed at modernizing the automotive sector, promoting environmentally friendly electric vehicles (EVs), and phasing out traditional fuel-based cars. It is projected that by 2030, 30% of new vehicles in Pakistan will be EVs. To facilitate…

BEIJING : Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Tuesday met with the Minister of International Department of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC), Liu Jianchao. During the meeting, both leaders agreed to deepen linkages between the political parties of Pakistan and CPC. The deputy prime minister appreciated China’s firm support to Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and issues of its core interest. Liu Jianchao reiterated that as All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partner and ironclad friend, China would continue to prioritise its relations with Pakistan.

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has officially launched a nationwide “Go Cashless” campaign on the occasion of  Eidul Adha. The campaign began on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, and will continue until the night of Eidul Adha. With support from the banking industry, the initiative seeks to facilitate smoother, safer, and more transparent transactions in dozens of livestock markets across the country during the busy sacrificial season. During this year’s campaign, a range of digital payment solutions will be made available for various transactions, including the purchase of sacrificial animals, payments for essential goods such as water and fodder, and even…

The Kremlin on Tuesday stated that there is no deadline for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, acknowledging the complexity involved in formulating a mutually agreed ceasefire and peace memorandum. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, in remarks carried by the state-run RIA news agency, said both Moscow and Kyiv would be required to exchange and revise draft proposals before any final agreement could be reached. “There are no deadlines and there cannot be any,” said Peskov. “It is clear that everyone wants to do this as quickly as possible, but, of course, the devil is in the details.” Peskov further clarified…

Israel has permitted the first limited delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip in nearly three months, amid mounting international pressure and growing fears of mass starvation across the besieged Palestinian enclave. According to the United Nations, a small number of aid trucks were allowed entry through the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing on Monday, marking the first such delivery since early March. The resumption of limited aid comes amid a continued and intensified Israeli military campaign, which has reportedly killed more than 150 Palestinians in the last 24 hours alone. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher described the…

Hollywood actor Tom Cruise has signalled that his acting career is far from over, even as he prepares to bid farewell to the long-running Mission: Impossible franchise with its upcoming instalment, Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning, set for global release on May 23. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at the film’s red carpet premiere in New York City’s AMC Lincoln Square, Cruise confirmed that the eighth film in the franchise would indeed be the last, stating, “It’s the final! It’s not called ‘final’ for nothing.” The film, which follows a successful debut at the Cannes and London premieres earlier this month, marks the apparent conclusion…

Microsoft has joined forces with Elon Musk’s AI startup, xAI, to host its controversial chatbot Grok on the tech giant’s Azure cloud platform, following a recent backlash over the bot’s troubling online responses. The partnership, announced at Microsoft’s annual Build conference, comes as Musk’s xAI faces scrutiny after Grok made unfounded political claims that echoed conspiracy theories. The collaboration is aimed at enhancing the reliability and transparency of the chatbot, which will now run on Microsoft’s Azure AI Foundry, a platform that already supports models from OpenAI, Meta, Stability AI, Mistral, and others. “It’s incredibly important for AI models to…

The Meteorological Department has issued a warning that most of the plains across the country will remain under the influence of an intense heat wave for the next four days, starting from today until May 24. According to the department, daytime temperatures in Sindh, South Punjab, and Balochistan are expected to rise 4 to 6 degrees Celsius above normal levels. Meanwhile, Central and Upper Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan are likely to see temperatures soaring 5 to 7 degrees Celsius higher than average during this period. Yesterday, the highest temperatures were recorded in Dadu and Jacobabad, reaching a…

United States President Donald Trump on Monday announced that Russia and Ukraine will “immediately start negotiations” aimed at reaching a ceasefire, following a more than two-hour phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The development comes amid renewed international efforts to halt a war that has stretched into its fourth year with heavy casualties and widespread destruction. Speaking to reporters near the Black Sea resort of Sochi, President Putin confirmed that Moscow is prepared to engage with Ukraine on drafting a memorandum for a future peace accord. He noted that the talks could cover key aspects such as settlement principles…

The backend system of the self-service equipment of a science and technology company based in Guangzhou, capital city of south China’s Guangdong Province, was subjected to a cyberattack with malicious code uploaded, according to a local police report released on Tuesday. Upon receiving the alarm, the police launched an investigation, collected relevant samples, and lawfully secured electronic evidence, according to the report. Following a technical analysis of the cyberattack methods and related malicious code samples, the police have initially concluded that the attack was carried out by an overseas hacker organization.