Business Recorder

SYLHET: Bangladesh is battling to contain the world’s worst measles outbreak, a crisis exacerbated by weak data, inadequate outreach and vaccination gaps that experts say offers a warning to other nations about the deadly risk of falling immunisation rates. Bangladesh, whose routine vaccination programme faltered in 2025, reported 202,000 suspected…

BAGHDAD: Iraq has lost around USD60 billion during the Middle East war, Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said on Thursday, with Iran blockading a waterway that is crucial to global energy flows. OPEC member Iraq was producing about four million barrels of oil per day before the conflict, exporting about 3.5…

HOUSTON: Brent touched USD110 a barrel for the first time since May on Friday on worries that escalating tensions in the Middle East could further tighten supplies, while investors assessed how much diesel Russia could supply to the global market. Brent crude futures settled USD3.94, or 3.7 percent, higher at…

RIYADH: The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthis said on Friday that it intercepted missiles and drones over Riyadh and other areas, as the kingdom comes under sustained attack. Since Yemen’s civil war flared back to life in July, the Houthis have repeatedly struck Saudi targets including Red Sea tankers, oil…

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Friday approved a motion authorizing Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq to constitute a parliamentary committee, in consultation with the chairman Senate, to recommend electoral reforms aimed at ensuring free, fair and transparent elections in the country. Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry moved…

ISLAMABAD: The government on Friday reduced the price of petrol by Rs3.93 per litre for next three days effective from October 17. However, the price of High Speed Diesel (HSD) has been kept unchanged for the period. According to an official notification, the price of petrol declined to Rs386.30 per…

WASHINGTON: Democratic candidates have outraised Republican rivals by huge margins in key US congressional races, new campaign finance filings show, even as tech billionaire Elon Musk pumped record sums into efforts to keep President Donald Trump’s party in power. The figures emerged after candidates and political groups submitted their third-quarter…

BEND, (United States): A teenager shot and killed three children and a teacher on Thursday at an elementary school in the US state of Oregon, police said, adding the assailant was later killed by an armed bystander who pursued him into the building. Officers rushed to Silver Rail Elementary in…

ISLAMABAD: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) is initiating regulatory action over material discrepancies in the IPO prospectus of SE Fruits and Vegetable Limited, which was based on information provided in the company’s audited financial statements. SECP suspended further proceedings subsequent to the book building process to protect…

BRUSSELS/KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy took aim on Friday at US President Donald Trump’s diesel deal with Russia and welcomed the prospect of European allies stepping up their role in talks, calling Moscow’s stance a “parody” of peace negotiations. At a European Union summit in Brussels, Zelenskiy said Russia did…

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has implemented a comprehensive framework for conducting tax audits, income tax assessments and related income tax and sales tax recovery proceedings against the taxpayers through the National Faceless Centre (NFC) with the help of artificial intelligence from October 15, 2026. According to SRO…

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has been named to head the Boards of Governors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG) in 2027, marking the country’s first return to the position since 1953, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said on Friday. Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan…

NEW DELHI: Police detained India’s ‘cockroach’ movement founder Abhijeet Dipke, student leaders and supporters on Friday as hundreds poured into central Delhi, waving the national flag and demanding the resignation of India’s election chief. The youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), opposition groups and student organisations have held near-daily protests this…

KARACHI: Adrian Hamilton Manns, chief executive of Oman’s Salam Air, has been nominated as the next CEO of Pakistan International Airlines and is expected to take charge by the end of October. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed his nomination as CEO PIA, saying that security and…

ISLAMABAD: The newly appointed Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Pakistan, Dr Rajeh Tami Albugamy, called on Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister (DPM/FM), Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, here on Friday. The DPM/FM underscored the longstanding fraternal bonds and strategic partnership between Pakistan and KSA, reaffirming the shared…

ISLAMABAD: The Petroleum Division has submitted a set of measures to improve the LPG supply position in the market. One of these measures is the disposal of locally produced LPG through a transparent and competitive process, while ensuring the availability of the product in far-flung and hilly areas in accordance…

KARACHI: The country’s current account deficit widened by 16 percent in the first quarter of this fiscal year, mainly due to a higher goods import bill. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reported on Friday that Pakistan posted a current account deficit of USD 874 million during July-Sep of FY27…

LAHORE: The Punjab agriculture department has advised farmers to ensure timely sowing of chickpea to achieve higher per-acre yields, with the recommended planting period varying according to the agro-climatic conditions of different regions. According to a department spokesperson, the suitable sowing period in Gujrat, Narowal, Jhelum and Rawalpindi is from…

ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Index-based inflation for the week ended on October 16, 2026 recorded a slight reduction of 0.04 percent owing to a reduction in the prices of tomatoes that fell by 23.05percent, onions by 4.90percent, and bananas by 2.59percent. The SPI data released here on Friday by the…

LAHORE: A 20-member delegation of Chinese investors called on Punjab Minister for Industries and commerce Chaudhry Shafay Hussain on Friday and expressed keen interest in establishing electric bus and truck manufacturing plants, investing in information technology and tourism, and setting up a China pavilion in the province to showcase Chinese…

KARACHI: Uncoordinated digging and pickaxing remains one of the leading causes of unplanned power outages in Karachi, with K-Electric (KE) reporting 1,935 incidents in FY26 alone, says KE. In some cases, restoration extended beyond 24 hours due to the complex nature of repairing damaged underground cables. Out of the total,…

LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Friday inaugurated four development projects worth Rs5.61 billion in Sahiwal and laid the foundation stone for 10 model agriculture malls across the province. The inaugurated projects include the Maryam Nawaz Sports Arena, the beautification and renovation of Model Saddar Bazaar, a Model…

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain on Friday said the government is taking various measures to increase wheat yield to 3.5 tons per hectare and is strengthening cooperation with private partners to support national food security objectives. The minister said this during a meeting…

WASHINGTON: The US budget deficit rose by USD217 billion to nearly USD2 trillion in the 2026 fiscal year, fuelled in part by tariff refunds and record spending to service the nation’s more than USD40 trillion in debt, marking the largest budget shortfall in five years, Treasury Department figures showed on…

LAHORE: The Punjab government introduced a biometric verification system on Friday for the registration and issuance of birth, death, and marriage certificates at union councils. This initiative aims to curb fraudulent registrations and ensure transparency in the process. Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique inaugurated the new Civil Registration Management…

LAHORE: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has asked the political leaders to set aside their differences and work together to address Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s security challenges. “What Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) requires right now is peace, stability and collective efforts, but not political confrontation,” Naqvi said while talking to media informally, here Friday.…

LAHORE: Speaker Punjab Assembly Malik Ahmad Khan has assured the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) that its concerns and proposals regarding regulatory enforcement, taxation, industrial development and investment facilitation will be taken up with the relevant authorities. “Effective legislation requires consultation with stakeholders and that excessive regulation can…

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar chaired a meeting of the Cabinet committee to review the stocks and prices of essential commodities. The committee, which met here on Friday, reviewed the stock position, supply arrangements and prices of essential commodities. The DPM/FM was apprised that…

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister (DPM/FM) Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Friday chaired a meeting to review developments and key priorities in the civil aviation sector. The meeting focused on evaluating operational frameworks, infrastructure upgrades and measures to enhance air connectivity, with a specific focus on developing and…

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal emphasized that the honest and efficient use of national resources could significantly improve development outcomes and accelerate progress across the country. Addressing a roundtable meeting on building a value-based society, character development and the promotion of shared responsibility…