Author: molexn

Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt won the 2025 Nobel economics prize on Monday for their work on how innovation and the forces of “creative destruction” can drive economic growth and lift living standards across the globe. Their research explains how technology gives rise to new products and production methods which replace old ones, resulting in a better standard of living, health and quality of life. “Over the last two centuries, for the first time in history, the world has seen sustained economic growth. This has lifted vast numbers of people out of poverty and laid the foundation of…

Former Pakistan Test batter Wazir Mohammad passed away on Monday, according to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). According to Cricinfo, the 95-year-old right-hander was born in Junagadh in 1929, and his siblings included renowned cricketers Hanif, Mushtaq and Raees Mohammad. “One of the four Mohammad brothers to represent Pakistan in test cricket, he featured in 20 matches for his country from 1952 to 1959,” the PCB wrote in a post on X, extending its condolences. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi expressed his condolences to Mohammad’s family in a statement, paying tribute to the batter’s services to test cricket. “Wazir Mohammad was…

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) plummeted by over 4,600 points on Monday due to continuing political uncertainty, the weekend conflict with Afghanistan and the ongoing crackdown on the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan. The benchmark KSE-100 index opened at 163,098.19 points before dropping by 4,654.77 points, or 2.85 per cent, to close at 158,443.42. The PSX had experienced a sharp decline over the previous week as a combination of global and domestic uncertainties dented investor sentiment. Intense border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan that started late on Saturday night and continued into Sunday morning cast a shadow over the bourse. The Inter-Services Public…

United States President Donald Trump told the Israeli parliament on Monday that the ceasefire he helped broker in the Gaza conflict had ushered in the “historic dawn of a new Middle East”. “And after so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still, and the sun rises on a holy land that is finally at peace, a land and a region that will live, God willing, in peace for all eternity,” he said. “This is not only the end of a war … This is the historic…

China is concerned about recent border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan and has asked the two countries to protect its nationals and investments in the region, Beijing’s foreign ministry said on Monday. Intense border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan started late on Saturday night and continued into Sunday morning. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that 23 troops were martyred and 200 Taliban and affiliated terrorists were killed when Islamabad responded to aggression by Kabul. Afghanistan claimed it carried out the attack as a “retaliatory” measure, accusing Islamabad of conducting air strikes in its territory earlier this week. For its…

QUETTA: The Balochistan High Court has ruled that prisoners convicted under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) of 1997 are not legally entitled to any form of general or special remission or pardon. The court declared that Section 21-F of the ATA explicitly excludes terrorists from eligibility for clemency or sentence reduction, leaving no room for interpretation or relaxation. A two-member bench comprising Justice Muhammad Kamran Khan Mulakhail and Justice Najamuddin Mengal announced the verdict while hearing several constitutional petitions filed in 2023 and 2024, dismissing all of them collectively. According to the judgement, the petitioners had argued that they were entitled…

Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) protesters, who had camped at Muridke after authorities blocked their route to Islamabad by digging up trenches, were dispersed on Monday after clashing with law enforcement personnel, according to police. Authorities moved to close roads and motorways again in and around Lahore and Islamabad — which had started reopening on Sunday — after the development as panic spread among citizens about the potential outcome of the clash. Meanwhile, some schools in Islamabad also closed earlier than usual. The TLP, which began its protest march in Lahore on Friday, was planning to reach Islamabad and stage a demonstration…

LAHORE – Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) announced stricter requirements for getting new electricity connections. According to official sources, online verification of the test report has now been made mandatory for all types of connections, including domestic, commercial, industrial, and tube wells. The relevant Electric Inspector will be responsible for verifying the test reports, and LESCO’s new connection system has been integrated with the Electric Inspector’s online reporting portal. Applicants will now be required to attach the test report along with other necessary documents when submitting their online application for a new connection. Once the Electric Inspector verifies the report…

Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail on Monday wondered whether judges comprising the Supreme Court’s (SC) Constitutional Bench (CB) hearing petitions against the 26th Amendment could do so if they were its “beneficiaries”. The Amendment was passed by the parliament during an overnight session in October last year, with the PTI claiming seven of its lawmakers were abducted to gain their favour as the party opposed the legislation. The Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) also alleged its two senators were being pressured, with both later defying party line to vote in the tweaks’ favour. The legislation, which altered judicial authority and tenure, has…

EGYPT – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif landed in Sharm El-Sheikh to participate in Gaza Peace Summit, after special invitation from US President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. The premier was received at Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport by Egypt’s Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. Ashraf Sobhi, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Egypt Aamir Shoukat, and senior diplomatic officials from both Pakistan and Egypt. The summit, aimed at securing a ceasefire and long-term peace in Gaza, is being attended by several world leaders, including the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.…