Budget 2018-19

  Oil prices fell on Tuesday due to investor worries about demand after renewed restrictions were imposed in Europe and Asia amid a rise in coronavirus cases Oil prices fell on Tuesday due to investor worries about demand after renewed restrictions were imposed in Europe and Asia amid a rise in coronavirus cases. Brent crude oil futures eased by 34 cents, or 0.5%, to $74.05 a barrel by 0401 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell by 35 cents, or 0.5%, to $70.94. “Energy traders don’t want to bet against OPEC+ but all the short-term risks from Omicron to Fed tightening is proving to be very disruptive to the short-term outlook for oil prices,” said Edward Moya, senior analyst at OANDA. “The virus spread across Europe is delivering a bigger hit than expected and when you calculate family gatherings for the holidays, the short-term outlook could get slashed over the next month.” Governments around the world, including most recently Britain and Norway, were tig...

  Pakistan’s Balochistan province, battered by a harsh winter, a locust invasion, COVID-19, and drought-like conditions, faces a food emergency for about 500,000 people, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday Pakistan ‘s Balochistan province, battered by a harsh winter, a locust invasion, COVID-19, and drought-like conditions, faces a food emergency for about 500,000 people, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday. “An estimated 500,000 people are facing crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity while another 100,000 people require immediate life-saving assistance. The dry spell and reduced water availability are destroying crops and threatening the survival of livestock which are the main livelihood and food source for many families in the affected areas,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. Meteorologists forecast drought-like conditions through the end of the year for southwestern Balochistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan. “Low rainfall during Octobe...

  Special Envoy of the   UN Secretary-Gene ral on Myanmar has warned that the regional threat of the crisis is real About 10,000 refugees have fled from Myanmar to India and Thailand as nationwide clashes in the country led to “acute” new displacements of hundreds of thousands of civilians, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General on Myanmar has said, warning that the regional threat of the crisis is real. In my daily contacts with stakeholders in Myanmar, I hear first-hand accounts about the dire situation. People suffer from deprivation, have no hope and live in fear, Christine Schraner Burgener, Special Envoy of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Myanmar, told the UN General Assembly on Friday. In the absence of international action, civilians are forming people’s  defence forces , she said. They use self-made weapons and receive military training from ethnic armed organisations in their resistance grounded on democratic solidarity. Multiple regions of the country ...

  The United States has added Syria’s Central Bank, seven Syrians including a high-ranking official and nine Syrian entities to its Specially Designated and Nationals and Blocked Persons List The United States has added Syria’s Central Bank, seven Syrians including a high-ranking official and nine Syrian entities to its Specially Designated and Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List), the Treasury Department announced in a press release on Tuesday. “The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned a high-ranking official in the Syrian government; her husband, a member of the Syrian People’s Assembly; and their business entities,” the release said. “In total, OFAC added two individuals, nine business entities, and the Central Bank of Syria to the SDN List, pursuant to Syria sanctions authorities.” The Treasury Department explained that the latest sanctions target senior Syrian official Lina Mohammed Nazir al-Kinayeh, who serves in the Offi...

  Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday spoke to his Bhutanese counterpart Lotay Tshering and underscored the importance Pakistan attaches to its ties with Bhutan Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday spoke to his Bhutanese counterpart Lotay Tshering and underscored the importance Pakistan attaches to its ties with Bhutan. Khan highlighted the significance of regular bilateral contacts and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. The two leaders discussed matters of mutual interest, including COVID-19, according to a statement by the PM Office.  Imran Khan  also extended an invitation to the Bhutanese prime minister to visit Pakistan. He commended measures taken by the leadership of Bhutan to contain the coronavirus pandemic. He highlighted the adverse economic impact of COVID-19 on the developing countries, for which he had also called for the Global Initiative on Debt Relief. Appreciating the Bhutanese model of tourism promotion and conser...