The Sindh government announced on Wednesday that all public and private schools and colleges across the province will remain closed on Thursday, August 18, due to the flood-like situation following a fresh spell of monsoon rains, Aaj News reported. "All schools and colleges across Sindh will remain closed tomorrow due to the ongoing monsoon rains," Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah said in a statement. His statement comes after all Sindh Private Schools and Colleges Association announced to close educational institutions in Karachi on Thursday.

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KARACHI: Sindh on Monday revoked the condition of submission of domicile and PRC at the time of admission in Intermediate. The director of colleges Sindh in a press release announced to extend the date of admission in the first year till August 20 owing to continuous rain across the province. The condition of submitting domicile and PRC has been revoked and now the students will submit the said documents at the time of examination of intermediate and registration. In this context, the directions have been forwarded to all colleges in the province.

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ISLAMABAD: Floods have wreaked havoc on villages in Balochistan and southern Punjab, leaving the flood-hit people trapped under the open sky, waiting for some aid from the government on Monday. The heavy rain has also left the sewerage system of many areas choked, forcing the people to reach their destinations after passing through the dirty water accumulated in the streets and roads. Dozens of villages in Sibi and Kot Chattha submerged. Dozens of villages were flooded in Lehri tehsil, Sibi district, Balochistan due to the inflow of 140,000 cusecs of water in Lehri River.

https://www.brecorder.com/news/40191838/floods-wreak-havoc-on-villages-in-balochistan-southern-punjab

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PESHAWAR: The Board of Directors (BoD) of Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) has decided to issue Letters of Intimation (LoI) under land sharing formula to the land owners of the New Peshawar Valley Project. The letters of intimation would be issued during the current week. The decision was taken in the 9th BoD meeting of Peshawar Development Authority which was held here on Monday with Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mehmood Khan in the chair. Besides, Provincial Ministers Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Ishtiaq Umar and Faisal Amin Gandapur, Additional Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, Principal Secretary to CM Amjad Ali Khan, Secretary forest Abid Majeed, DG PDA and other board members attended the meeting.

https://www.brecorder.com/news/40191846/new-peshawar-valley-project-pda-decides-to-issue-loi-under-land-sharing-formula

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ISLAMABAD: The 5th edition of Leaders In Islamabad Business Summit, is to be held on August 17 and 18, 2022 at the picturesque Serena Hotel in Islamabad. The summit will be jointly hosted by Nutshell Conferences Group and Martin Dow Group, in strategic partnership with OICCI - Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry LIIBS 2022 is 5th in the series and brings together the top local and international business and corporate leaders, as well as notable government and political personalities, entrepreneurs, strategists, tech gurus and intelligentsia, to discuss and share best practices and routes, reflect on challenges, envision the future, and share creative and innovative strategies.

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WASHINGTON: A group of journalists and lawyers sued the CIA and its former director Mike Pompeo over allegations the intelligence agency spied on them when they visited WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange during his stay in Ecuador's embassy in London. The lawsuit said that CIA under Pompeo violated the privacy rights of those American journalists and lawyers by allegedly spying on them. The plaintiffs include journalists Charles Glass and John Goetz and attorneys Margaret Kunstler and Deborah Hrbek, who have represented Assange.

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MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin on Monday promoted Russian weapons to his foreign allies, saying they had all been tested on the field of battle. 'We are ready to offer allies and partners the most modern types of weapons — from small arms to armoured vehicles and artillery, combat aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles,' Putin said in televised remarks at the opening of a military forum outside Moscow. He said Russian weapons are valued by military professionals for their 'reliability, quality and most importantly — high efficiency'.

https://www.brecorder.com/news/40191792/putin-pushes-russias-combat-tested-arms-for-export

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NEW YORK: U.S. stocks were higher in afternoon trading on Monday, adding to recent strong gains, with megacap growth shares rising as U.S. Treasury yields eased. Shares of Apple Inc, up 0.5%, and Microsoft Corp, also up 0.5%, were among the biggest boosts to the S&P 500 and Nasdaq. Treasury yields were slightly lower, while China's central bank cut key lending rates in a surprise move to revive demand after the economy unexpectedly slowed in July. Stocks extended gains from last week when signs that inflation may have peaked in July increased investor confidence that a bull market could be under way.

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UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations on Monday implored the world to not forget the plight of Afghanistan's women and children despite other international crises, one year after the Taliban's return to power. The war-ravaged nation is suffering profound hardship including a staggering 95 percent of its population undernourished, United Nations Population Fund executive director Natalia Kanem warned in a statement on the anniversary of the Taliban capturing Kabul. 'As the world faces multiple, overlapping crises, we must not forget the women and girls of Afghanistan.

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LONDON: England fast bowler James Anderson says the team's 'incredible' Test revival has left him eager to return to the fray in the upcoming series against South Africa. New Test captain Ben Stokes and red-ball coach Brendon McCullum have revitalised the side with their attacking philosophy since taking charge earlier in the English season. England beat Test world champions New Zealand in all three matches of their series before chasing down a huge target to beat India in early July in a match that was postponed last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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BEIRUT: The first ship to depart Ukraine under a deal to resume grain exports from the country two weeks ago was approaching the Syrian port of Tartous on Sunday, two shipping sources said, after the vessel's had been sailing with its transponder off. The Sierra Leone-flagged Razoni set sail from Ukraine's Odesa port on Aug. 1 under the deal between Moscow and Kyiv, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, but its location had not been clear in the past days without the transponder. The cargo of 26,000 tonnes of corn had originally been destined for Lebanon, which has been suffering an economic crisis that has plunged about half of its population into food insecurity.

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ISLAMABAD: Speaker National Assembly Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has said that Parliamentarians are the precious asset of Pakistan's democratic and constitutional struggle and the nation is proud of them. 'These are parliamentarians whose efforts and sacrifices have protected the right of expression and sanctity of speech in the beloved country,' the Speaker expressed these views during his speech to the Convention of Parliamentarians held in connection with Diamond Jubilee Celebration of 1st constituent Assembly in National Assembly Hall on Saturday.

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KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that the minorities, particularly the Christians, Parsis and Hindus, have played a remarkable role in the education, health, and economic sectors of the country. 'Their services started much before participation and the brilliant students passed out from the educational institutions established by Christians and Hindus became the backbone in the struggle for Pakistan. Speaking as a chief guest in the Independence of Pakistan celebrations at St Joseph College, he said quoting from Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah's speeches said: 'You are free; you are free to go to your temples; you are free to go to your mosques or to any other places of worship in this state of Pakistan.

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KARACHI: Allama Iqbal International Airport (AIIAP) Lahore has entertained 17,609 pilgrims during its post-Hajj flight operation, which was completed on August 11. According to the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), the post-Hajj flight operation at AIIAP, which commenced on July 14, ended on August 11. Around 13,393 passengers were brought back home via 128 scheduled flights, and around 4,216 pilgrims returned home through 15 special flights. The AIIAP handled 143 flights that brought 17,609 pilgrims to their homes.

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KARACHI: The British Council and Koel Gallery have partnered to launch the ‘Saahil ki Kahaaniyan - Stories from the Coast' project exhibition at the Koel Gallery in Karachi on Friday, 12th August. The exhibition which continues until 19th August features multidisciplinary works that aim to raise awareness of the impact of climate change on the coastal areas of Pakistan, particularly its fragile mangrove ecosystem, with a view to promoting sustainable coastal development. The project is part of the British Council's Pakistan-UK Season: New Perspectives programme to mark the 75th anniversary of Pakistan.

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KARACHI: US Ambassador Donald Blome visited Karachi (August 10-12) to further strengthen the robust economic partnership and bilateral trade between Pakistan and the United States. During his visit, Ambassador Blome met with the Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, the Chief Ministers of Balochistan and Sindh, Karachi Administrator, the Commander of Pakistan Navy Pakistan Fleet (COMPAK), government officials, financial and business leaders, trade and energy executives, and other business and commercial representatives.

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LONDON: Britain's Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is 22 percentage points ahead of her rival Rishi Sunak in the contest to become the country's next prime minister, a poll of Conservative Party members by Opinium showed on Saturday. The survey of 450 party members who had decided how theywould vote in the ongoing leadership election put Truss, whoother polls have also shown to be the clear frontrunner, on 61%, with former finance minister Sunak on 39%, Opinium said.

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CAIRO: Egypt's foreign currency gap narrowed to $400mn last month from $3.9bn in February, deputy governor of the Central Bank of Egypt Gamal Negm said on Saturday. Egypt has seen billions of dollars leave its markets since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February as investors have fled emerging markets for safer havens. But Negm told Egypt's official news agency that the foreign currency gap – the difference between the country's foreign currency needs and its current holdings – had narrowed last month thanks to the central bank's decisions regarding 'imports regulation'.

https://www.brecorder.com/news/40191429

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KYIV: Securing a new $5 billion loan from the IMF would help assure Ukraine's other creditors that the war-torn country's macroeconomic situation was under control, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's chief economic adviser told Reuters on Friday. Fresh financing from the International Monetary Fund for around 18 months could serve as the anchor for a larger package of $15 billion-$20 billion to help Ukraine weather the economic crisis caused by Russia's invasion, the adviser, Oleg Ustenko, said. He said Ukrainian officials were in touch with the global lender about the potential request, adding that the goal should be to move forward as quickly as possible.

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Pakistan's track and field athlete Arshad Nadeem on Friday bagged a gold medal for the country at the 2022 Islamic Solidarity Games in Konya, Turkey. Nadeem threw the javelin at a distance of 79.40 metres in his first attempt, followed by a distance of 88.55m. He then registered a throw of 75.50m, 82.40m, and then 83.33 metres. This is Arshad's second gold medal in less than a week, as he had registered a similar feat at the recently-concluded Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, UK.

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WASHINGTON: The only way to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal is for Tehran to abandon its extraneous demands, the U.S. State Department said on Monday, saying Washington believes everything that can be negotiated already has been. State Department spokesman Ned Price told a briefing that the United States would provide its response to the European Union's "final" text on reviving the deal in private but gave no timeline. The EU asked for a response on Monday, diplomats said, and Iran has said it will comply.

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The government on Monday increased the price of petrol by Rs6.72 per litre, but reduced that of high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs0.51 per litre. After the revision, the new ex-depot price of petrol is Rs233.91 while the rate of high-speed diesel (HSD) is Rs244.44 per litre. The old ex-depot price of petrol was Rs227.19 per litre while HSD was at Rs244.95 per litre. Govt reduces petrol price by Rs3.05, jacks up the rate of high-speed diesel by Rs8.95 Kerosene oil saw a reduction of Rs1.67 with the new price now at Rs199.

https://www.brecorder.com/news/40191747

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LONDON: Shares in GSK, Sanofi and Haleon fell sharply on Thursday, following declines earlier this week, amid growing investor concerns about U.S. litigation focused on a heartburn drug that contained a probable carcinogen. GSK shares were down just over 10%, Sanofi's stock had sagged about 3.3% and Haleon's shares had slipped nearly 5% at the close of trading on Thursday. GSK and Sanofi at various points sold the drug - originally branded as Zantac - which U.S. regulators ordered off the market in 2020.

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FRANKFURT: German gas storage facilities were slightly more than 75% full last Friday, a couple of weeks ahead of target, data from European operators group GIE showed on Sunday. Germany has 23.3 billion cubic metres (bcm) of underground gas storage, a little more than a fifth of the 100 bcm of gas used in 2021. The Rehden storage unit, which holds 4 bcm, was 54% full, the GIE data showed. Germany is at phase two of a three-stage emergency plan formulated after a reduction in gas flows from Russia, its main supplier.

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Director Bilal Lashari's latest offering, the highly-anticipated ‘The Legend of Maula Jatt', dropped a fiery trailer, leaving fans and critics looking forward to the film's release slated for October 13. The internet exploded with rave reviews, even attracting praise from across the border, with Bollywood filmmaker Anurag Kashyap tweeting his praise. The Punjabi-language action-drama blockbuster is reportedly the most expensive film to be made to date and is a remake of the 1979 classic ‘Maula Jatt.

https://www.brecorder.com/news/40191941

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Pakistan got its independence on August 14, 1947 through the selfless efforts of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Liaquat Ali Khan, Allama Iqbal and numerous others despite being opposed tooth and nail by Hindu leaders of the subcontinent and some obdurate Muslim leaders. Independence would not have come about and the British Raj in the Indian sub-continent would have continued unabated for a few more decades if the Second World War had not weakened the Empire, providing pro-independence movements the desired impetus to be rejuvenated.

https://www.brecorder.com/news/40191281

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SLOVIANSK: The combine harvester lies crippled in a field of eastern Ukraine, surrounded by a blackened patch of cropland. The machine was lumbering through a pasture outside the village of Maidan – around 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the frontline with Russian forces – when it struck a mine, according to farmer Pavlo Kudimov. One front wheel was wrenched off and the giant rotating reel prised aside, as the cabin was scorched by flames. The next morning the driver remained in hospital suffering serious burns as the wreck still smouldered, a reminder of the risks of tending land in a breadbasket that has become a brutal war zone.

https://www.brecorder.com/news/40191521

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SAN FRANCISCO: In the height of the pandemic, video games offered people solace in isolation. But now that life is slowly returning to pre-crisis normal, and inflation is soaring, gaming companies are feeling the pinch. Makers of consoles, accessories, and software for gaming are experiencing the same kind of post-pandemic effect as tech titans who saw business boom while Covid-19 fears kept people close to home. The squeeze has been exacerbated by steep inflation spurring belt-tightening and gaming fatigue after years of relying on indoor entertainment.

https://www.brecorder.com/news/40191523

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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed his deep grief over the human and financial losses caused by recent flash floods in Qila Abdullah district of Balochistan. Seeking an immediate report on the affected areas, the prime minister also directed the National and Provincial Disaster Management Authorities to expedite the rescue and relief operations in the flood-hit areas of Balochistan. A directive was also issued for the submission of a complete report regarding breaches in two dams and the subsequent damages caused by flood water.

https://www.brecorder.com/news/40191469

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KABUL: Flash floods triggered by heavy rains killed at least 29 people and destroyed scores of homes in eastern Afghanistan, officials said Monday. Scores of Afghans die every year in torrential downpours, particularly in impoverished rural areas where poorly built homes are at risk of collapse. Heavy rains over the past 24 hours lashed Parwan, Kapisa and Nangarhar provinces. Mohammad Naseeb Haqqani, spokesman for the Ministry of Disaster Management, said at least 20 people were killed in Parwan and more than 50 were injured.

https://www.brecorder.com/news/40191794/flash-floods-kill-29-in-afghanistan

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