The Pakistani currency strengthened to over a 12-month high, closing just below the highly anticipated level of Rs280 against the US dollar in the interbank market on Thursday. According to data from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the domestic currency appreciated by 0.04%, or Rs0.12, concluding at Rs279.98 against the greenback. LNG pricesIn other developments, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) announced a modest decrease in the weighted average sale price of Re-gasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) for end consumers. The reduced RLNG prices are expected to benefit consumers of SSGCL and Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL). Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.

PHOTO: REUTERSDespite Pakistan protesting against Tehran’s recent airstrikes in a village in Panjgur district of Balochistan province, a senior administration official in Taftan town on Thursday told The Express Tribune that the Pakistan-Iran border remained open throughout the day. "We have not been instructed to shut down the border,” the official added, requesting anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media. He added that the delegation was discussing a host of issues with the Iranian officials when the attack took place. The two countries had established the JBC, which meets after every quarter to discuss issues relating to the Pakistan-Iran border. Senior government and security officials attended the meeting.

ISLAMABAD - Following staff level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in November 2023, Pakistan had received $1.6 billion inflows from various international lenders in December. In overall, Pakistan has received $8.16 billion loans from international lenders in the first six months (July to December) of the current fiscal year. The country has received $5.96 billion in budget and project financing and another $2.2 billion came in State Bank of Pakistan’s account. The break-up of the foreign reserves position showed that foreign reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan are $8.2 billion and foreign reserves held by commercial banks are $4.9 billion. Pakistan is expecting to receive more inflows from international financial institutions in the next couple of months.

Facing continuing uncertainty and a serious decline in funding, a number of Pakistani startups are either planning to shut down operations or undertake massive layoffs. Chief among those facing the heat are delivery service startup Cheetay, B2B startup Dastgyr, the Electronic Monetary Institute (EMI) known as YAP, and fintech company Paymob. Of these four prominent startups Cheetay, according to a source close to the founders, is on the brink of shutting down. Sources had informed Profit that the round was actually just under $20 million, raised by Jabberwock Ventures, and not Cheetay or Swyft alone. According to sources, Dastgyr had already let go of almost all of its warehouse staff before the new year, however, 2024 brought misfortune upon half of the white collar workforce, as well.

Polish military vehicles are transported during TUMAK-22 NATO exercises in an area known as the Suwalki Gap at a polygon in Klusy, Poland November 25, 2022. Some 90,000 troops are due to join the Steadfast Defender 2024 drills that will run through May, the alliance's top commander Chris Cavoli said on Thursday. More than 50 ships from aircraft carriers to destroyers will take part, as well as more than 80 fighter jets, helicopters and drones and at least 1,100 combat vehicles including 133 tanks and 533 infantry fighting vehicles, NATO said. But its top strategic document identifies Russia as the most significant and direct threat to NATO members' security. The last exercises of a similar size were Reforger - during the Cold War in 1988 with 125,000 participants - and Trident Juncture in 2018 with 50,000 participants, according to NATO.

1-ranked power play scored on all three of their looks, including twice in the third, to storm away 7-3 on Thursday at Amalie Arena and deflate the Wild after their 5-0 blowout vs. the Islanders earlier in the week. Tampa Bay's 3-for-3 night boosted the NHL's best power play to a whopping 31% efficiency, while the Wild blanked on their two chances. "Their power play is deadly, and we couldn't keep it out," said goalie Filip Gustavsson, who had 31 saves and dropped his second consecutive game since returning from injury. The Wild penalty kill remains last in the league at 71.3%. BOXSCORE: Tampa Bay 7, Wild 3Sign up for our Wild Update newsletterThe Wild improved initially: Marco Rossi had a slam-dunk tap-in at 10:52 after Middleton threw the puck toward the net.

When moving from her multi-story, single-family house, Brunzell also wanted a one-level unit where she could age in place. "She wanted [the condo] to have an alter ego to her 1920s house — a modern aesthetic, whereas she's always been pretty traditional," Bischoff said. "Loring Green East is one of the very first high-end high-rise condominiums built in Minneapolis in the early 1980s. To give the living room additional form and function, floating shelves, custom built-ins and an electric fireplace were added. Of course, Brunzell always makes time to play that baby grand piano, which is displayed prominently in her living room.

ISLAMABAD - A meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) has been summoned today to discuss the evolving situation after the Iranian missile attack inside Pakistan and the latter’s retaliatory air strikes against terrorist hideouts in Iran. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwar ul Haq Kakar would chair the NSC meeting. According to sources, the NSC meeting will be attended by Minister for Defence Lt Gen (r) Anwar Ali Haider, Minister for Foreign Affairs Jalil Abbas Jilani, Finance Minister Shamshad Akhter, Federal Information Minister Murtaza Solangi. The PM would also address the meeting and would announce Pakistan’s strategy on the situation. The committee is expected to take important decisions on the Pak-Iran relations.

Pakistan conducted an intelligence-based operation inside Iran, carrying out effective strikes against terrorist hideouts, responsible for the recent attacks in the country. President Dr Arif Alvi, in a statement, lauded the professionalism of the armed forces, while avoiding civilian casualties in the strikes. However, he made it clear that Pakistan would not compromise on its national security and territorial integrity and would take all necessary measures to defend its soil. “Pakistan’s territorial integrity and the well-being of our citizens are paramount. The spokesperson said that Pakistan's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security were of utmost importance; hence no compromise would be made in this regard.

The general climate in the province is dire, according to reports from KP security authorities and recent statistics on incidents linked to terrorism. There is no doubt that the organisations in charge of maintaining internal security have a difficult job ahead of them: maintaining peace in the face of adversity. Arguments that the unfavourable security situation warrants a further postponement of the elections have been made time and again. Nonetheless, if given the necessary funding and backing from the government, Pakistan’s security and law enforcement agencies will surely succeed in handling any difficulties because they are sufficiently prepared to handle them. They are extremely capable of turning the tables on any hostile elements, provided they can maintain their focus on internal security.

Its story looks at four structural forces shaping global risks, such as climate change, demographic divides, technological acceleration, and geostrategic shifts. False information harms how people see the world, creating problems for society and individuals’ mental health. Vividly, the spread of false information can have far-reaching effects, influencing national elections and leading to protests or even violence. Regimes and wired platforms, in their efforts to safeguard free speech, face challenges in tackling false information and harmful content. It makes for sobering reading, but it is important to read from the perspective of taking care rather than causing a scare.

In many of those counties, all county roads are still impassable. All county roads are deemed impassable. All county roads are deemed impassable. All county roads are deemed impassable. All county roads are deemed impassable.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), acting in compliance with a Supreme Court order, has officially announced the election schedule, setting the stage for a crucial democratic exercise. Acknowledging the potential threats in various regions, government and security officials reassured the Election Commission of Pakistan of their preparedness to handle any situation that may arise. The ECP’s meticulous planning, as reflected in the recently unveiled election schedule, aligns with its commitment to conducting free and fair elections. Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, in an informal meeting with journalists, asserted the ECP’s readiness for the polls, dismissing any notions of potential delays. He emphasized that the training of Returning Officers (ROs) was underway and that the election schedule had been prepared, with adjustments being made as needed.

photo: afpPakistan experienced a surge in its current account surplus, reaching a six-month high at $397 million in December 2023. The increase in the current account surplus is attributed to a rise in workers’ remittances and a reduction in imports. Read Current account sees November surplusRahman anticipates that the current account balance will be maintained at the breakeven level on a monthly basis until the next political government takes charge after the planned general elections on February 8. The balance of the current account for FY24 is projected to remain less than 1% of GDP, ranging from $2.5-3 billion. Overall, FDI increased by 35% in the first half of FY24, totalling $863 million compared to $640 million recorded in the same period of FY23.

Pakistan’s information technology exports rose 17% and reached $303 million in December 2023 against exports of $259 million in November, as the country’s IT experts and freelancers continued to make inroads into international markets. On a year-on-year (YoY) basis, IT exports surged 22.7% in December as compared to exports valuing at $247 million in the corresponding month of last year. In December 2023, Pakistan’s overall services exports increased 15% month-on-month and stood at $727 million against $631 million in November 2023. However, on a YoY basis, services exports shrank 7%. In the first six months of the current fiscal year, services exports dipped 3% to $3.77 billion against $3.87 billion in the corresponding period of last year.