Direct Bangladesh-Pakistan flights to resume after 14 years

Bangladesh and Pakistan are to resume direct flights after more than a decade, Dhaka’s national airline said on Thursday. Biman Bangladesh Airlines is scheduled to fly its first Dhaka-Karachi flight on January 29 and will be operated twice weekly, the first regular flights since 2012. “We are relaunching the Dhaka-Karachi route with two weekly flights,” … Read more

Iran condemns ‘interventionist statements’ by Trump, other US officials about its internal affairs

Iran, which accuses the US and Israel of fomenting the ongoing unrest in the Middle Eastern country, said on Monday it strongly condemned “interventionist statements” by American President Donald Trump and other officials regarding its internal affairs. Trump has warned Tehran of strikes over the crackdown on the protests and also said on Sunday that he was … Read more

Germany’s Merz floats possibility of EU-India trade deal by end of January

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz floated on Monday the possibility that the European Union and India could sign a landmark free trade agreement by the end of January, a move that could reshape global trade ties as protectionism rises and US-India talks remain stalled. Top EU leaders would travel to India to seal the deal if … Read more

Third time lucky as Poland beat Switzerland to clinch United Cup

SYDNEY: Poland battled past Switzerland 2-1 in the United Cup final on Sunday to banish the pain of title-round defeats in the previous two editions and secure a long-awaited maiden triumph in the season-opening mixed-team competition. Hubert Hurkacz continued his resurgence in his first event back after a near seven-month injury layoff by beating veteran … Read more

Former Test cricketer and chief selector Mohammad Ilyas passes away at 79

Former Test cricketer and chief selector Mohammad Ilyas passed away at the age of 79 after fighting a prolonged illness, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Monday. Ilyas — a right-hand batter and right-arm leg-spin bowler — played 10 Test matches along with 82 first-class and two List-A games between 1961 and 1976, PCB said in … Read more

ADB warns $360m loan for highway project risks lapsing

ISLAMABAD: The Asi­an Development Bank (ADB) has expressed concern that a $360 million (Rs108 billion) loan earmarked for the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Corridor (Car­ec) Development Inve­stment Programme’s Tran­che III could lapse next year without project’s completion. The significant delay in utilising the loan is mainly due to the failure of the Tranche III … Read more

Seafood export zone planned at Karachi’s Korangi

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry on Saturday announced plans to establish a 100-acre seafood processing and export zone at the Korangi Fisheries Harbour Authority (KoHFA), with an estimated cost of $80 million, to promote the blue economy and expand Pakistan’s footprint in global seafood trade. In a statement, the minister … Read more