Officials attribute decline to students’ preference for colleges and other institutions RAWALPINDI: A sharp decline has been witnessed in post-matric admissions to government higher secondary schools in Punjab, with enrolment dropping by around 90 per cent. According to the Education Department, a large number of students this year preferred colleges and other educational institutions over … Read more

MOGADISHU: Somali pirates have freed a vessel they hijacked in April with its 17-men crew and used as a mothership, security sources in the Somali state of Puntland told AFP adding a ransom was paid. The Gulf of Aden and Somalia coasts have seen a resurgence in piracy since April, according to figures from the … Read more

Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti. Photo APP QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti has said the fight against terrorism will continue until the “last terrorist” is eliminated, stressing that the civil and military leadership is united against the menace. “There is no ambiguity or confusion on this matter,” Bugti said while speaking via … Read more

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced a major administrative reshuffle, promoting four BS-19 officers to BS-20 and transferring 54 BS-17 officials across the country with immediate effect. The orders, issued with the approval of the Chief Election Commissioner, also include key postings at the provincial and secretariat levels. According to a notification, … Read more

‘NAZA’, which covers mass killing of Palestinian civilians, is critics’ highest-rated film at event VENICE: The Venice Film Festival hands out its top awards on Saturday after two weeks of often dark, violent programming including a chilling Israeli-made documentary about Gaza and an oddball drama starring John Malkovich. “NAZA”, which features Israeli whistleblowers analysing the … Read more

ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to offer a paltry monthly compensation to motorcyclists, as the finance ministry has again turned down a suggestion by some cabinet ministers to cut petroleum levy and utilise a Rs430 billion available contingency budget to offset any revenue impact. The finance ministry is again resisting the demand to utilise the … Read more

. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries on Earth where wild poliovirus remains endemic. Every other nation – from war-torn Somalia to resource-poor Malawi – has interrupted transmission. But we have excuses at every corner. We developed nuclear weapons on a shoestring budget and are still one of only eight nuclear-armed nations. Yet … Read more

. The writer is an Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Nebraska and has worked for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He can be reached at jasghar@gmail.com When I was living in the UK and then the US in the 90s, Sunday newspapers were massive. Especially in the US where … Read more