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. PARIS: French voters cast votes on Sunday to pick mayors and councillors in elections widely seen as a barometer of France’s political mood ahead of the high-stakes 2027 presidential race. Marine Le Pen’s ascendant far-right party views next year’s contest as its strongest chance yet to take power, with centrist President Emmanuel Macron constitutionally … Read more
. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. PHOTO: REUTERS BUDAPEST: Huge crowds joined rival marches staged by Hungarian premier Viktor Orban and his main opponent Peter Magyar in Budapest on Sunday, as both push allegations of foreign interference just four weeks before tightly-fought elections. Orban — who faces an unprecedented challenge to his 16-year rule — has sought … Read more
[ Without structural reforms that expand productive capacity, poverty risks becoming entrenched KARACHI: The juxtaposition is as jarring as it is unsustainable. At a time when reports of the Punjab government’s acquisition of a private jet and the multibillion-rupee expenditures on a controversial internet firewall dominate the national discourse, the Planning Commission has released a … Read more
. ALMATY: Kazakhs voted Sunday in a constitutional referendum that authorities say will strengthen democracy — though several proposed amendments appear rather to boost presidential powers in Central Asia’s richest country. The vote on changing around 80 percent of the country’s basic law has been pushed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who is seeking to balance the … Read more
[ LONDON: Pakistan suffered a devastating flood season last year, prompting massive state compensation. While the compassion behind this response is unquestionable, the way relief is structured may unintentionally deepen long-term vulnerabilities. This reflects what Nobel laureate James Buchanan termed the Samaritan’s dilemma – a situation in which unconditional aid reduces the recipient’s incentive to … Read more
“I’m not joking,” Kumail Nanjiani said while presenting the award for best live action short film.
. BRAZZAVILLE: Congo-Brazzaville voted on Sunday in an election expected to extend 82-year-old President Denis Sassou Nguesso’s more than four decades in power in the oil-rich central African country. Six candidates stood against Sassou Nguesso but the main opposition was divided and largely absent, leaving him set to win another five-year term. The former paratrooper … Read more
[ Govt should ask for subsidised loans or such funding that can be repaid in local currency Net financial inflows, though tepid during 1HFY25, are expected to improve as a sizable part of official debt repayments has already been made. photo: file LAHORE: The capitalist system is based on debt. Business firms and governments are … Read more
. Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike that targeted a police vehicle in Zawaida, in the central Gaza Strip. Photo: AFP GAZA CITY: Gaza’s Hamas-run interior ministry said an Israeli air strike on a police vehicle Sunday killed nine officers in the centre of the Palestinian territory, updating an earlier hospital toll of … Read more
[ Weak industrial, agri-capacity is fuelling debt, inflation and widening social instability ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is celebrating its success in avoiding default and achieving economic stabilisation. The government claims that the economy is in a recovery phase and that the country will soon experience rapid growth. However, independent experts partly agree and partly disagree with these … Read more