test
Pakistan
1. Currency exchange rates in Pakistan today – 22 August 2026
Currency exchange rates in Pakistan today – 22 August 2026. KARACHI – Currency exchange rates in Pakistan are a crucial factor impacting everything from trade balances and inflation to remittances and investment alike the other world. The value of the Pakistani rupee (PKR) against other major currencies such as the US dollar (USD), euro, and the British pound has far-reaching consequences for businesses, consumers, and the government alike. The currency exchange rates are also closely monitored by overseas Pakistanis and investors on daily basis. Fluctuations in exchange rates also affect foreign direct investment (FDI).
2. Pakistan Army deployed in Rawalpindi for 6 months for 'sensitive security duties'
Pakistan Army deployed in Rawalpindi for 6 months for 'sensitive security duties'. The federal government has authorised the deployment of three companies of the Pakistan Army in Rawalpindi for six months for “sensitive security duties”, it emerged on Saturday. The interior ministry’s order, a copy of which is available with Dawn , is dated August 21. “Pursuant to the request made by the Punjab Home Department […] the federal government, in exercise of the powers conferred under Article 245 of the Constitution is pleased to authorise deployment of three companies of Pakistan Army for sensitive security duties in Rawalpindi to avoid any undesirable situation as well as to respond effectively in any unforeseen situation as per the requirement of the district administration for a period of six months with immediate effect,” the order said.
3. After Google, Apple likely to open office in Pakistan
After Google, Apple likely to open office in Pakistan. LAHORE – US Consul General Stetson Sanders has expressed hope that Apple will establish an office in Pakistan, highlighting the country’s growing use of technology. Speaking at an event in Lahore, Sanders said technology had transformed lives of people and it is increasingly being used in Pakistan. The US consul general said the prospect of an Apple office in Pakistan would be a positive development, adding, “We hope that Apple headquarters’ office will also be established in Pakistan.” He also highlighted education exchange initiatives and cooperation between Pakistan and the United States, particularly for young entrepreneurs. The announcement comes days after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sarif, Google Vice President Wilson White, US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker, and other dignitaries jointly unveiled a plaque to mark the inauguration of Google’s office in Pakistan.
4. US court halts immigrant visa suspension policy affecting Pakistan, 74 other nations - Geo News
US court halts immigrant visa suspension policy affecting Pakistan, 74 other nations - Geo News. US court halts immigrant visa suspension policy affecting Pakistan, 74 other nations Geo News
5. Exclusive: Pakistan sees path forward as US-Iran 60-day MoU ends - China Daily Global Edition
Exclusive: Pakistan sees path forward as US-Iran 60-day MoU ends - China Daily Global Edition. Exclusive: Pakistan sees path forward as US-Iran 60-day MoU ends China Daily Global Edition
6. Pakistan PM reprimands senior Islamabad officials over Independence Day buggy ride
Pakistan PM reprimands senior Islamabad officials over Independence Day buggy ride. ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reprimanded Islamabad’s top police officer and chief commissioner for arriving at an Independence Day event in a ceremonial horse-drawn buggy, warning them in an official advisory that the “display of pomp and show” undermines public confidence in government institutions. (retired) Sohail Ashraf and Inspector General of Police Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi drew flak on social media after they were seen riding a ceremonial horse-drawn buddy during an Aug.
7. SBP Urges Banks to Boost Retail Deposits, Private-Sector Lending
SBP Urges Banks to Boost Retail Deposits, Private-Sector Lending. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has urged banks to boost retail deposits and private-sector financing to support Pakistan’s next phase of sustainable economic growth. Addressing the 11th Pakistan Banking Awards 2026 in Karachi, SBP Governor Jameel Ahmed said the economy had shown resilience despite floods, geopolitical tensions and global trade uncertainties during FY26. The Governor said banks’ total assets had reached Rs69 trillion and deposits Rs43 trillion by end-June 2026, while capital adequacy and profitability remained strong. However, he highlighted the need to reduce reliance on cash and expand the banking deposit base, urging banks to offer competitive returns and better services to attract retail customers.
8. Pakistan Supreme Court Order Fails as Imran Khan Returns to Adiala Jail After Hospital Confusion - NewsCord
Pakistan Supreme Court Order Fails as Imran Khan Returns to Adiala Jail After Hospital Confusion - NewsCord. Pakistan Supreme Court Order Fails as Imran Khan Returns to Adiala Jail After Hospital Confusion NewsCord
USA & Americas
1. The beneficiaries of war
The beneficiaries of war. WARS are generally assessed through a binary lens. Strategic analysts, policymakers and the media tend to focus on a simple question — who won and who lost? In the case of the US-Iran conflict, the most obvious beneficiaries may ultimately be neither Washington nor Tehran. The beneficiaries of modern conflict are no longer limited to companies manufacturing tanks and missiles.
2. Canada vows to match Trump’s 50% tariffs after trade deal talks fail
Canada vows to match Trump’s 50% tariffs after trade deal talks fail. Mark Carney accuses Washington of ‘unfair’ last-minute changes to deal, as US and Canada fail to reach agreement after three-day extension of talks Canadian prime minister Mark Carney has promised to match US tariffs “dollar for dollar”, after the two sides failed to agree a trade deal by the deadline of midnight on Friday. Canadian officials had worked hard in good faith but “last-minute changes in the US proposed terms were unfair, uneconomic and called into question the reliability of any deal”, Carney said in a statement.
3. Japan’s crown prince honours settlers who built Paraguay ties
Japan’s crown prince honours settlers who built Paraguay ties. Japan’s Crown Prince Fumihito and his wife Crown Princess Kiko attended a ceremony on Friday marking 90 years of Japanese immigration to Paraguay, with the prince praising in a speech the contributions made by the immigrants and their descendants to the South American country. In an address at the event near the Paraguayan capital Asuncion, the crown prince, the younger brother of Emperor Naruhito, touched on how the immigrants overcame hardships and have taken root in Paraguay.
4. Statement by Prime Minister Carney on Canada-U.S. trade negotiations
Statement by Prime Minister Carney on Canada-U.S. trade negotiations.   submitted by   /u/mxg308 [link]   [comments]
5. First deportation flight lands in Haiti after TPS suspension
First deportation flight lands in Haiti after TPS suspension. ICE charter carrying more than 160 Haitian nationals landed in Cap-Haïtien, after temporary protection status was revoked The first deportation flight to Haiti since the US supreme court upheld Donald Trump’s power to strip 350,000 Haitians – and others – of a key type of legal status in the US landed in the troubled nation on Thursday. The flight was carrying more that 160 Haitian nationals and landed in Cap-Haïtien, Haiti’s second-largest city, aboard an Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) charter.
China & Asia Pacific
1. Reading Thucydides in the wolf world
Reading Thucydides in the wolf world. The term Thucydides’s Trap has caught on since Professor Graham Allison wrote his 2017 book, Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides’s Trap? The core concept comes from Greek soldier-historian Thucydides’s History of the Peloponnesian War who identifies the structural stress that occurs when a major rising power is perceived to threaten to displace an established power. My intention here is not to explain Allison’s work or his treatment of the trap but to point to how modern-day scholars and policymakers cherrypick episodes from Thucydides’s work to justify their own approaches. I believe, as the post-World War II international security architecture unravels and we enter what some describe as the wolf world, that it is important to analyse Thucydides’s history in view of the book’s hermeneutics rather than picking up episodes that suit one’s own predilections.
2. Weather tracker: Extreme rain deluges Japan and South Korea
Weather tracker: Extreme rain deluges Japan and South Korea. Downpours break records and cause transport chaos, evacuations and deaths, as people get trapped inside vehicles South Korea and Japan were hit by extreme rain late last week and into this week. On 13 August in the city of Chiba near Tokyo there was a record-breaking 115mm of rainfall in just one hour, while the nearby city of Sakura broke its own record with 97mm in one hour. Local authorities issued a level 5 emergency warning for heavy rain, the highest alert level and the first time one has been issued since the system was implemented in May.
3. China’s Own Version of Ambiguity in the Taiwan Strait
China’s Own Version of Ambiguity in the Taiwan Strait. Taipei spent 10 days in August rehearsing a war with Beijing. Its annual Han Kuang exercise in 2026 simulated a blockade, attacks on critical infrastructure, disrupted internet, and the transition from peacetime to full-scale conflict. But this time, Beijing waited until the final day to issue its first official comment, dismissing the drills as a “wasteful charade.” Beijing, in fact, appears to be cultivating a new form of “ambiguity” of its own. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) remains active around Taiwan, but the balance of pressure has begun to look different.
4. As natural disasters rage, does China’s ‘top-down’ climate model provide a way forward?
As natural disasters rage, does China’s ‘top-down’ climate model provide a way forward? A punishing drought is draining Europe’s great rivers, pushing the Loire, the Danube and the Rhine towards record lows. At the Kaub gauging station, the reference point for shipping on the Rhine – Germany’s economic artery – the water level fell to 17cm (6.7 inches) this month, a low unseen since measurements began in 1880.
5. China and Indonesia reaffirm economic commitment during Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s Jakarta visit
China and Indonesia reaffirm economic commitment during Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s Jakarta visit. China and Indonesia reaffirm economic commitment during Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s Jakarta visit
Russia & Europe
1. European wildfires reveal a hidden danger: buried bombs and mines from WWI and WWII
European wildfires reveal a hidden danger: buried bombs and mines from WWI and WWII. ELSENBORN: The wildfires burning across Europe this summer have exposed a potentially deadly threat lurking beneath the blackened landscape: rusty bombs and mines from World War I and II that threaten crews responding to the flames. Some of the weapons have exploded in the intense heat.
2. Gun stash in German forest believed to be linked to Russia, say reports
Gun stash in German forest believed to be linked to Russia, say reports. Germany seeking to extradite suspect from Romania over guns it is feared could have been used in assassinations Germany is seeking to extradite a suspect from Romania over the discovery of an underground stash of weapons in a forest near Berlin that German media reports have linked to Russian intelligence. Two weeks after German authorities found a drone carrying explosives at Leipzig airport , the interior minister, Alexander Dobrindt, confirmed federal prosecutors had opened an investigation related to the secret cache of guns “on suspicion of preparing a serious act of violence that threatens national security”.
3. Attack on Ukraine shopping centre that killed 16 is ‘terror by design’, says EU foreign policy chief
Attack on Ukraine shopping centre that killed 16 is ‘terror by design’, says EU foreign policy chief. Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat, threatens harshest sanctions yet on Russia after strike on Kryvyi Rih, the home town of Volodymyr Zelenskyy Russian drones have slammed into a busy shopping centre in central Ukraine, killing 16 people in an attack that Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned as “cynical and despicable”. The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, condemned Friday’s attack on Kryvyi Rih – the president’s home town – as “terror by design” and said she was “putting forward the most far-reaching Russia sanctions listings since the start of the war” when ministers meet in Ireland next month.
4. Belgium condemns Israel’s E1 settlement expansion
Belgium condemns Israel’s E1 settlement expansion. Belgium condemns Israel’s E1 settlement expansion Belgium has condemned Israel’s decision to advance settlement construction in the E1 area of the occupied West Bank, warning that the project would further fragment Palestinian territory. In a joint statement issued on Friday, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom called Israel’s move to issue construction tenders “unacceptable.” “The E1 settlement will compromise the prospects for a two-state solution by dividing the West Bank and undermining Palestinian territorial contiguity,” the countries said. The planned settlement would cut the occupied West Bank between its northern and southern regions while separating occupied East Jerusalem from surrounding Palestinian communities.
5. Russian expert warns of impending social crisis as Ukraine death toll rises
Russian expert warns of impending social crisis as Ukraine death toll rises. Putin's forces continue to bring horror to Ukrainian civilians as Kyiv destroys key sections of Russian infrastructure.
India & South Asia
1. Dynamics of reorganisation
Dynamics of reorganisation. WHILE debating the question of carving out more ‘administrative units’ from Pakistan’s existing four provinces, we may find it relevant to study how India has reorganised its states (equivalent to our provinces) since independence. The example is pertinent because of the shared circumstances of the two countries created out of undivided India. The reorganisation of Indian states was triggered by language riots after a political activist, who had been demanding a separate state from Madras for Telugu-speaking people, died in 1952 following a fast unto death. The Indian government constituted a three-member States Reorganisation Commission in December 1953, headed by a former judge of the supreme court.
2. 49 terrorists killed in Balochistan, K-P IBOs
49 terrorists killed in Balochistan, K-P IBOs. 49 terrorists killed in Balochistan, K-P IBOs The Express Tribune 2h Balochistan Terrorism India
3. Presidents of India, Pakistan, Nepal greet Fakhrul - New Age BD
Presidents of India, Pakistan, Nepal greet Fakhrul - New Age BD. Presidents of India, Pakistan, Nepal greet Fakhrul New Age BD
4. Balance of power in South Asia!
Balance of power in South Asia! A diplomatic reset is quietly unfolding across South Asia. For decades, foreign policy circles in New Delhi operated under the implicit assumption that Bangladesh was an unshakeable node within India’s strategic orbit. Dhaka’s firm stance marks a pivotal evolution in the broader balance of power across South Asia. This rebalancing reflects a growing structural trend across South Asia, where states increasingly seek multi-vector foreign policies rather than reliance on a single regional hegemon.
5. Can Bangladesh Engage the Arakan Army Without Compromising Rohingya Rights?
Can Bangladesh Engage the Arakan Army Without Compromising Rohingya Rights? 9, 2017 file photo, hundreds of Rohingya people enter Bangladesh after fleeing from Rakhine State in Myanmar. Credit: Depositphotos Bangladesh is reportedly considering a dialogue between the Myanmar government and the Arakan Army, with a view to facilitating the repatriation of the 1 million Rohingya refugees currently living in Bangladesh. As the Arakan Army occupies significant territory in Rakhine State, there is a real need for effective communication. Will engagement with the Arakan Army ensure that Rohingya rights will be safeguarded – or little by little legitimize an armed authority that has allegedly committed serious abuses to the very people Bangladesh is trying to send back?
Afghanistan & Middle East
1. Middle Eastern powers condemn Israeli settlement policies, reject 'E1' West Bank plan
Middle Eastern powers condemn Israeli settlement policies, reject 'E1' West Bank plan. Middle Eastern powers condemn Israeli settlement policies, reject 'E1' West Bank plan The foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE condemned Israel's settlement policies in Palestinian territories and said they categorically rejected the Israeli construction called "E1" in the occupied West Bank. "The Ministers call for immediate action to halt the 'E1' settlement plan, rescind all measures taken in connection with it, and cease all settlement activities and other measures aimed at altering the geographic and demographic character of the Occupied Palestinian Territory," they said in a joint statement, adding that the plan constituted a "dangerous escalation" that further advanced settlement expansion and annexation of Palestinian lands.
2. Iran president says time to end war while Tehran is in position of strength
Iran president says time to end war while Tehran is in position of strength. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Friday it was time to end the months-long Middle East war with the US because Tehran appeared to be in a stronger position than Washington. Talks between the long-time foes remain on hold, and the war started by the US and Israel in February has been locked in a stalemate. Tehran is keeping the key Strait of Hormuz partially shut, and Washington is persisting with a naval counter-blockade of Iran.
3. Iran and Oman discuss resuming talks over Strait of Hormuz
Iran and Oman discuss resuming talks over Strait of Hormuz. Iran and Oman discuss resuming talks over Strait of Hormuz The Omani and Iranian foreign ministers discussed in a phone call ways to create suitable conditions for resuming dialogue and negotiations, and developments affecting navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, Oman's state news agency said on Friday.
4. Israeli forces make fresh incursion into Syria's Quneitra, search home
Israeli forces make fresh incursion into Syria's Quneitra, search home. Israeli forces make fresh incursion into Syria's Quneitra, search home Israeli forces entered the village of al-Basali in Syria’s Quneitra region and carried out a search operation in one of the houses before withdrawing from the area, state television reported. Since 2024, when Israel moved troops into a UN-monitored buffer zone and seized Syrian territory there, Israeli military vehicles frequently push into villages in Quneitra and parts of western Daraa, conducting house raids and detaining local civilians. Last week, a fire erupted following incursions by Israeli forces in the town of Al-Rafid in Quneitra. On 27 July, the Israeli army detained a civilian after raiding his home in the province.
5. Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan forge a military alliance amid Iran war - World Socialist Web Site
Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan forge a military alliance amid Iran war - World Socialist Web Site. Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan forge a military alliance amid Iran war World Socialist Web Site
Africa
1. Sudan farms lie barren as El Nino leaves Nile banks dry
Sudan farms lie barren as El Nino leaves Nile banks dry. GADAREF, Sudan: Along the bone-dry riverbanks of the Nile in Sudan, farmers struggle to pull water to their crops. Others gather to pray for rainfall over cracked earth.
2. Ebola outbreak ‘growing faster, wider’ as DRC death toll passes 2,500: UN
Ebola outbreak ‘growing faster, wider’ as DRC death toll passes 2,500: UN. Epidemic remains out of control amid DR Congo conflict, funding shortages and attacks on health workers and facilities
3. 2,500 dead and rising -- UN says DR Congo Ebola outbreak 'growing exponentially'
2,500 dead and rising -- UN says DR Congo Ebola outbreak 'growing exponentially'. 2,500 dead and rising -- UN says DR Congo Ebola outbreak 'growing exponentially' The New Region 5h The New Region 5h Ebola DR Congo UN All sources
4. Africa: Lamola Calls for South Africa-Zimbabwe Ties to Deliver Jobs, Investment and Infrastructure
Africa: Lamola Calls for South Africa-Zimbabwe Ties to Deliver Jobs, Investment and Infrastructure. Africa: Lamola Calls for South Africa-Zimbabwe Ties to Deliver Jobs, Investment and Infrastructure
5. 5 Deportees Are Flown by US to Equatorial Guinea After they Resist Deplaning in Liberia
5 Deportees Are Flown by US to Equatorial Guinea After they Resist Deplaning in Liberia. At least five of the people flown to Liberia under the Trump administration’s third-country deportation program resisted leaving the plane. They were then flown to Equatorial Guinea.
Australia & Oceania
1. Crime Control Department constable held responsible for death of Australian girl in Chakwal
Crime Control Department constable held responsible for death of Australian girl in Chakwal. CHAKWAL: An inquiry into the killing of nine-year-old Australian national Hania Ahmed has found a Crime Control Department (CCD) Punjab constable guilty, concluding that he opened indiscriminate fire on a car without prior permission from senior officers. The incident took place on the night of June 10-11 outside the CCD police station in Chakwal city. Adeel Ahmed, an Australian national, his wife and two minor children were being robbed by two armed men when the constable fired at Adeel’s car. The 200-page report, obtained by Dawn , said the investigation was conducted by CCD Chakwal Sub-Inspector Muhammad Irfan.
2. Victorian Labor promises free dental care if re-elected in Australia-first move
Victorian Labor promises free dental care if re-elected in Australia-first move. Premier Ben Carroll says $230m would be earmarked for 10 public dental clinics to operate on a walk-in basis Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Victorians would be able to walk into a dental clinic and receive free checkups and treatment under an Australian-first proposal the Labor government will take to the November state election. The premier, Ben Carroll, will announce the plan – Labor’s first major election commitment – at a rally on Saturday to mark fewer than 100 days until Victorians go to the polls.
3. Sorrow as community pays tribute to ‘shining light’ Lily Hooper after NSW hiking tragedy
Sorrow as community pays tribute to ‘shining light’ Lily Hooper after NSW hiking tragedy. The 18-year-old remembered as a talented athlete with an infectious smile and ‘one of those people who everyone simply liked’ Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Tributes have flowed for 18-year-old Lily Hooper, remembered as an adventurous, multitalented athlete with an infectious smile, after her body was found on Thursday afternoon, eight days after she disappeared while hiking in the New South Wales southern highlands. The teenager was a fixture across local sporting and community groups in the Wollondilly region, training in martial arts, alongside her job as a Sydney BridgeClimb guide.
4. Coles website down after viral Reddit post sees customers buy cases of alcoholic drinks at nearly 80% discount
Coles website down after viral Reddit post sees customers buy cases of alcoholic drinks at nearly 80% discount. Supermarket’s website and app go offline as customers save more than $100 on some 24-packs Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The Coles website and app have gone offline hours after a viral Reddit post highlighted a nearly 80% discount on 24-packs of premixed alcoholic drinks. For several hours on Saturday, both the Coles website and app displayed a message advising “we’re currently offline – but not for long”. The website and app came back online, before the website went down again during the afternoon.
5. British rapper Yung Filly to face retrial on rape charges in Australia
British rapper Yung Filly to face retrial on rape charges in Australia. British rapper Yung Filly to face retrial on rape charges in Australia
Science & Technology
1. Nvidia partners with data center developer Cloverleaf
Nvidia partners with data center developer Cloverleaf. Nvidia partners with data center developer Cloverleaf
2. Artificial intelligence could push up inflation - SNB's Tschudin says
Artificial intelligence could push up inflation - SNB's Tschudin says. Artificial intelligence could push up inflation - SNB's Tschudin says
3. Nvidia is in talks to invest in clean-energy data center
Nvidia is in talks to invest in clean-energy data center. Nvidia is in talks to invest in clean-energy data center
4. Artificial Intelligence: Rogue AI Is a Scary But Fixable Problem
Artificial Intelligence: Rogue AI Is a Scary But Fixable Problem.
Climate
1. Climate change could triple the price of wheat
Climate change could triple the price of wheat. Climate change could triple the price of wheat
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