Monday Briefing: Would Ukraine Give Up the Donbas?
Also, the U.S. Open gets going.
Month: August 2025
Irregularities and mismanagement
The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has uncovered an astounding Rs375 trillion in financial irregularities and mismanagement across federal government entities in the previous fiscal year. The unprecedented figure highlights the abject failure of a government that has made austerity a core policy to actually pay any respect to the taxpayer’s hard-earned money. At the … Read more
SpaceX Starship 10th Test Flight: How and When to Watch the Launch
After setbacks in its last three flight attempts, Elon Musk’s company has a lot riding on the latest trip of its Starship prototype.
Minister hails Pakistan’s emerging role in global Crypto economy
[ Minister of State for Crypto and Blockchain, Bilal Bin Saqib, has said that Pakistan’s evolving crypto diplomacy is reshaping its role in the global digital economy, positioning the country as a builder rather than merely a recipient of innovation. In a recent statement, the minister highlighted the country’s growing presence in the blockchain and … Read more
Gold smuggling foiled as PIA staff nabbed at Peshawar Airport
PESHAWAR: The Airport Security Force (ASF) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested two officials of the national flag carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), and foiled a bid to smuggle 7.74 kilograms of gold worth millions of rupees from Peshawar to a foreign country. According to FIA spokesperson, the FIA Commercial Banking Circle Peshawar and … Read more
Typhoon Kajiki prompts mass evacuations in Vietnam, closures in southern China
Vietnam announced plans to evacuate more than half a million people and ordered boats to stay ashore, while the southern Chinese city of Sanya closed businesses and public transport on Sunday as both braced for an intensifying Typhoon Kajiki. The storm is forecast to “brush past” the southern coast of China’s island province of Hainan … Read more
Pakistan Railways unveils Karachi-Lahore bullet train plan
Pakistan Railways has unveiled an ambitious bullet train project between Lahore and Karachi, aiming to slash travel time from nearly 20 hours to just five by 2030. The project forms a pivotal part of the $6.8 billion ML-1 upgrade under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The 1,215-km line is expected to operate at speeds of … Read more
WhatsApp tests voicemail-style feature for missed calls
WhatsApp is testing a new feature that will allow users to leave a voice message when their call is not answered. The update, spotted by specialist website WABetaInfo, is currently available only to beta testers of the messaging platform. Read More: As mental health systems strain, AI chatbots emerge as 24/7 therapy friends At present, … Read more
Torrential rains trigger flooding across Pakistan, dam levels near capacity
LAHORE: Torrential monsoon rains have inundated large parts of the country, swelling rivers, damaging crops, and leaving dozens dead as authorities warn of further flooding through the end of August. The Flood Forecasting Division reported that Tarbela Dam has reached 99 percent of its capacity at 1,549.20 feet, while Mangla Dam is 76 percent full … Read more
Ukraine drone strike cuts reactor output at Russian biggest nuclear plant
Ukraine launched a drone attack on Russia on Sunday, forcing a sharp fall in the capacity of a reactor at one of Russia’s biggest nuclear power plants and sparking a huge blaze at the major Ust-Luga fuel export terminal, Russian officials said. Despite talk of peace by Russia and Ukraine, the deadliest European war since … Read more
