Sri Lanka’s economic crisis risks starvation across the Island nation
Sri Lanka’s crippling economic crisis risks starvation across the Island nation of 22 million while acute shortages and blackouts will get worse, the speaker of parliament warned Wednesday. Public anger is at a fever pitch, with crowds attempting to storm the homes of several government figures — including President Gotabaya Rajapaksa — and large demonstrations elsewhere. “We are told this is the worst crisis, but I think this is just the beginning,” Abeywardana said at the start of a two-day debate on the worsening economic woes. Rating agencies have warned of a potential default on Sri Lanka’s $51 billion foreign debt, and authorities are unable to raise more commercial loans because of credit downgrades. Economists say the crisis has been exacerbated by government mismanagement, years of accumulated borrowing and ill-advised tax cuts.
Source:The Nation
April 06, 2022 20:39 UTC
FBR revises GST on steel products
ISLAMABAD – The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Tuesday notified fixed GST (general sales tax) of Rs 164,037 per metric tonne on steel bars and other long profiles. The FBR has increased the minimum prices of steel products through amendments in SRO-985 issued in November 2021 after increased prices of steel products in domestic and international markets. The FBR has issued a notification yesterday to revise the GST on steel products. As per its notification, the FBR has imposed GST of Rs133,8137/metric tonne on steel billets, Rs126,000/metric ton on steel ingots/bala, Rs129,584/metric tonne on ship plates, and Rs125,688/metric tonne on other re-rollable iron, and steel scrap. FBR notifies fixed GST of Rs164,037 per metric tonne on steel bars and other long profilesOfficials informed that an upward revision was essential in the wake of the recent surge in local and international prices of steel products and to prevent a possible loss of revenue.
Source:The Nation
April 06, 2022 08:39 UTC
GDB 71.0 Wrap Up: It took a minute but we got there, Oilers complete the comeback with 2-1 OT win in San Jose
Final Score: 2-1 Oilers in OTCan I start the wrap by complaining about 8:30 PM starts for a second or nah? It’s not that San Jose was playing all that well but rather that the Oilers took about 18 minutes to finally get themselves going. Connor McDavid completed the comeback with the OT winner (2-1) after Mike Smith (MIKE SMITH!) completed the comeback with the OT winner (2-1) after Mike Smith (MIKE SMITH!) Unfortunately, on a night when we desperately needed a goal, the Oilers finished at 0-for-2 with the man advantage.
Source:The Nation
April 06, 2022 07:40 UTC
Browns re-sign PK McLaughlin despite late season swoon - The Tribune
CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Browns aren’t ready to kick Chase McLaughlin aside just yet. McLaughlin made 16 of 21 field-goal attempts last season, but his struggles down the stretch — 4 of 9 in his last five games — had the Browns looking for other options. They don’t have a better one to this point, so they’re bringing back the 26-year-old to compete for the job. The Browns also have kicker Chris Blewitt on the roster but could bring in another kicker either in free agency or the draft. McLaughlin did make all four of his field-goal attempts over 50 yards and went 36 of 37 on extra points.
Source:The Express Tribune
April 06, 2022 05:20 UTC
PM rules out option of allies in new set up
Prime Minister Imran Khan has ruled out the option of keeping allies in the new set up, saying that the coalition government is susceptible to blackmailing. “This time we will form a government with majority of our people – ‘ideological workers’,” Premier Imran said while addressing a public gathering on Tuesday. In this regard, the prime minister directed for speeding up preparations for the elections. The prime minister said with such a trend, any foreign country could purchase the loyalties of the lawmakers and topple an elected government. During his Lahore visit, the prime minister also met with PML-Q leaders Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and Chaudhry Moonis Elahi who called on him at the Governor House.
Source:The Express Tribune
April 06, 2022 02:25 UTC
The central bank failed to address supply-side inflation – Latest News – The Nation
Have the Pakistani interest rate hikes already gone high enough to push the economy into a recession? Ironically, in Pakistan, post the central bank reforms, this decision has been rather one sided. For example, Yellen only recently presided over a moot on how high interest rates can go without tipping the US economy into a recession. The decision facing our central bank is how hard to tap the brakes. So, why would the central bank want to hike interest rates?
Source:The Nation
April 06, 2022 02:19 UTC
Problems of Kashmiris
There is a new government while the problems are old. Having a new government does not mean that it is unaware of the basic and priority issues of the people. One problem is tourism. The independent government should promote tourism to meet the shortage of problems from which foreign exchange can be earned. The struggle of Kashmiris has not diminished in spite of India.
Source:The Nation
April 06, 2022 02:18 UTC
Nation to bury politics of traitors forever: Imran Khan
Prime Minister Imran Khan addressing a public gathering in Lahore on April 5, 2022. -- APPLAHORE: Prime Minister Imran Khan Tuesday said the Pakistani nation would teach a lesson to those traitors in the general elections who tried to topple an elected government that was pursuing an independent foreign policy. The prime minister, referring to his main political opponents, said the three stooges had been plundering the national wealth for the last 30 years and stashed it abroad. PM Imran held telephonic interaction with public Monday, one day after he was de-notified as the prime minister. Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday held a meeting with Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Q Chaudhry Moonis Elahi.
Source:The Nation
April 06, 2022 02:10 UTC
Maryam terms letter fake, asks military to reveal truth
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Vice President Maryam Nawaz has termed the foreign country’s letter seeking to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan through the no-trust motion as “fake”, asking the military to come forward and expose the truth behind this “lettergate” conspiracy. “This letter, which Imran Khan waived in the rally, has no origin, and it is fake.”The PML-N vice president questioned that if Imran could make all the contents of the letter public and expose all those who were behind it, what stopped him? She maintained that if the letter was of any value, the PTI would have kept it before the honorable Supreme Court. “The letter did not mention any conspiracy.” She said that the letter, that “they term as a cabal”, was actually drafted in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A day before the rally, wherein Imran waived the letter, they got their ambassador out of America and “smuggled” him into Brussels, knowing very well that America would inquire from the ambassador about the letter.
Source:The Express Tribune
April 06, 2022 01:21 UTC
Nation doesn't want any foreign interference in internal affairs of Pakistan: Qureshi
Nation doesn't want any foreign interference in internal affairs of Pakistan: QureshiVice Chairman of PTI Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said the nation does not want any foreign interference in the internal affairs of Pakistan. In a statement on Tuesday, he said our decisions should be in accordance with the constitution and public aspirations. He also regretted the use of money for buying the conscience of elected representatives. Rejecting the impression that the threatening document is fake, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the foreign personality linked with the communication did not reject rather resorted to silence when was asked by the Indian media about it.
Source:The Nation
April 05, 2022 05:24 UTC
‘Imran is insincere to nation’, Aleem Khan launches broadside at PM
Aleem Khan, the disgruntled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and once a close confidant of Prime Minister Imran Khan, on Monday launched a broadside at his former leader, saying he (PM) is insincere to the nation. - Advertisement -He believed that he was sidelined by the prime minister. He also accused Farah Khan, a close friend of the first lady, of being complicit in such postings. He asked the prime minister whether it was treacherous that he “met a US ambassador at the premier’s residence”. He also criticised the prime minister for Sunday’s dissolution of the National Assembly as well, questioning what had stopped him from doing so before.
Source:The Nation
April 05, 2022 04:38 UTC
Administrator for provision of civic facilities during Ramazan
KARACHI – Administrator district Kemari Iqbal Ahmed Mirani on Monday directed the officials concerned to ensure smooth provision of necessary civic facilities including proper lighting arrangements and cleaning in the surroundings of mosques and imambargahs during the holy month of Ramazan, especially at the time of Taraweeh prayers. He issued these directives while inspecting the lighting works around mosques in different areas of Kemari, said a statement. He said that standard and sustainable development works are being ensured during execution of projects especially construction of roads. He said that he is personally supervising and monitoring the development works. We will continue our efforts to ensure that all development works are standard and sustainable, he added.
Source:The Nation
April 05, 2022 02:23 UTC
SC adjourns suo motu on speaker's ruling till April 5
The chief justice also asked Naek that if he has no confidence in them, then they may rise from the bench. Justice Bandial further asked them regarding the ambit of Article 69 of the Constitution, which states that parliament proceedings could not be challenged in any court of law. "The ruling cannot come out of thin air," CJ Bandial said as he adjourned the case till 12:05 pm tomorrow. As a constitutional crisis gripped the country, the apex court took a suo motu notice to resolve the matter. The bench is headed by Justice Bandial while other members were Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel, Justice Munib Akhtar, and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail.
Source:The Express Tribune
April 04, 2022 21:18 UTC
Ibn e Khuldoon: The rise and fall of nations (Part-1)
Quoting Iqbal’s poem on the decline of once-a-powerful-nation is to point out how literature minutely deals with the rise and fall of civilizations. Allah Almighty in Quran explains various reasons behind the rise and fall of nations. The other famous historians who worked on the rise and fall of nations are Toynbee to Edward Gibbon. Both of them examined different civilizations in order to order to fully understand the causes behind the rise and fall of nations. Meanwhile, Edward Gibbon who is known for his volumes on the rise and fall of the Roman Empire also notes several critical aspects of the fall of the Roman Empire.
Source:The Nation
April 04, 2022 20:35 UTC