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Rupee touches new 3-month low

Pakistani currency registered another downtick of Rs0.05 to touch a new three-month low of Rs227.93 against the US dollar in the inter-bank market on Wednesday amid conflicting reports about the revival of International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan programme. The currency fell sharply by Re1 in the open market and reached Rs238 against the greenback while reports suggested that the rupee partially

Riyadh to use local uranium for nuclear fuel

Saudi Arabia plans to use domestically-sourced uranium to build up its nuclear power industry, Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said on Wednesday. He added that recent exploration had shown a diverse portfolio of uranium in the Gulf Arab state, the world’s top oil exporter. It is unclear where its ambitions end, since Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in 2018 that the kingdom

Farmers’ body demands agri-emergency

In view of the ongoing wheat crisis, Pakistan Kissan Ittehad (PKI) on Wednesday urged the government to impose an agricultural emergency in the country. Speaking at a press conference, PKI President Khalid Mehmood Khokhar criticised the government’s policies, saying that the country would have to continue importing wheat in 2023 because of that. Khokhar said instead of boosting domestic whea

Govt revives take-or-pay conditions

Ahead of the multi-billion-dollar sale of two power plants to a foreign nation, the government on Wednesday revived the compulsory take-or-pay conditions for the supply of gas and purchase of electricity aimed at making them attractive for buyers. The government also decided to increase the price of fertiliser by 9%, or Rs190 per bag, to cut subsidies. Headed by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, t

Cabinet opposes e-bike subsidy

A majority of cabinet members have opposed the idea of offering subsidy on e-bikes, believing that it will promote rent-seeking and will also be unsustainable. Sources told The Express Tribune that the Industries and Production Division informed the cabinet, in a recent meeting, that initially it was also against extending any subsidy. However, after discussion with industry representatives, it