. SCORCHED EARTH: A drone view shows Belgian army firefighters using a truck to spray burnt fields and forests during a wildfire burning near Waimes, in the High Fens (Hautes Fagnes) region. PHOTO: REUTERS BELGIUM: Crucial air support swung into action Sunday to help firefighters tame Belgium’s largest modern-day wildfire, which has mushroomed in size … Read more

China-aided project rebuilds 50 schools, but 8 more institutions, 21 district buildings remain wrecked KHYBER: Despite repeated claims of reconstruction, several government schools in Bara sub-division that were destroyed during the years of militancy remain without proper buildings. Children continue to study in tents, temporary structures, under the open sky, or amid the rubble of … Read more

With food inflation remaining volatile and energy prices facing global and domestic uncertainties, economists warn that price stability in the coming months will depend on supply chain management, fiscal discipline and policy coordination. photo: file LAHORE: Ongoing monsoon rains and a strike by goods transporters have disrupted supplies of essential perishables, putting pressure on food … Read more

Rawalpindi Council funds shift to tehsils; 286 schemes fall victim to restructuring RAWALPINDI: The funds of all 40 district councils across Punjab, including the Rawalpindi District Council, have been frozen following the introduction of the new local government system, resulting in the cancellation of all 286 small and large development schemes of the Rawalpindi District … Read more

. LAHORE: The PPP will announce its position on elections to reserved seats in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly today (Monday), while the PML-N has reportedly finalised its candidates for the seats. The AJK Election Commission has announced the schedule for elections to all eight reserved seats despite polling on seven of … Read more

As federal debt nears $40tr, rising interest costs and inflation are reshaping risks KARACHI: The US federal debt is swelling to a level that nobody would have imagined a generation ago: $40 trillion. As of July 30, the federal debt stood at $39.84 trillion, jut $159 billion shy of the symbolic milestone, according to Treasury … Read more

KARACHI: Pakistan should now set a clear sovereign rating objective: S&P’s B+ within two years and Moody’s B1 within three to five years. S&P raised Pakistan to B in July 2026, while Moody’s has kept it at Caa1 since August 2025. The country deserves recognition for avoiding default and restoring stability, but ratings are earned … Read more