Year: 2020

The world’s largest economy sank at an annual rate of 4.8%, according to official figures released on Wednesday. It marked the first contraction since 2014, ending a record expansion. But the figures do not reflect the full crisis, since many of the restrictions were not put in place until March. Policymakers at the America’s central bank, who met this week, said on Wednesday that the crisis had caused “tremendous human and economic hardship across the United States and around the world”. “The ongoing public health crisis will weigh heavily on…

A period drama about the trials of a Jewish midwife airing on Saudi-controlled MBC for Ramadan has drawn both criticism as an attempt to promote Arab “normalization” with Israel and praise for a rare exploration of the Gulf’s social history. “Umm Haroun,” a fictional series about a multi-religious community in an unspecified Gulf Arab state in the 1930s to 1950s, began airing on Friday as part of MBC‘s lineup for the Muslim holy month, when viewership typically spikes. It comes at a time when several Gulf states have broken with the recent past and…

More than 500 garment factories in Bangladesh that supply to global brands reopened on Monday after a month-long shutdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus, while India considered ways to scale back its vast lockdown to reduce economic pain. Some of the world’s biggest clothing firms including Gap Inc, Zara-owner Inditex and H&M source their supplies from Bangladesh, which allowed garment manufacturers in the capital Dhaka and the port city of Chittagong to resume work from the start of this week. “We are making sure the workers wear masks,…

President Donald Trump said that he was being sarcastic when he raised the possibility of using disinfectant inside people’s bodies to fight the coronavirus, seeking to walk back comments that alarmed medical professionals worldwide.

تاریخ ہمیں بتاتی ہے کہ ملتان ایک شہر ہی نہیں ایک تہذیب اور ایک سلطنت کا نام بھی ہے۔قلعہ ملتان ایک اندازے کے مطابق 1000 قبل مسیح میں تعمیر ہوا۔ جسے برطانوی افواج نے تباہ کردیا تھا۔ اس کے 4 دروازے تھے جس میں سے صرف ایک ـ ’قاسم گیٹ ‘ ہی سلامت بچا ہے۔اس زمانے میں دریا راوی قلعے کے ساتھ بہتا تھا۔ اور اسے بندرگاہ کی حیثیت حاصل تھی۔ کشتیوں کے ذریعے ایران ،عراق، دلّی اور دکّن تک تجارت ہوتی تھی۔اس طرح ملتان کو ایک بڑے تجارتی، علمی…

two sources who were on a conference call with NYSE Chief Operating Officer Michael Blaugrund told CNN Business. The sources also say the timing could change.Blaugrund was speaking with NYSE employees, heads of firms and brokers on the 40-minute call. He said when the floor does open, there will be a reduced head count on the floor and social distancing guidelines will be followed, according to the two sources.The NYSE closed its trading floor in March temporarily and shifted to fully electronic trading to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The move came…

The leader of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has promised a “crushing response” to any American military attacks in the Gulf after United States President Donald Trump threatened to “shoot down and destroy” Iranian vessels. Iran officials on Thursday also accused Trump of “bullying” and said he should focus on caring for US service members infected with the coronavirus instead of making threats.

The Taliban have killed at least 23 Afghan troops and nine civilians, officials said Monday, as a fresh wave of violence grips Afghanistan despite a deal with the US and a worsening coronavirus crisis. Under the terms of the US-Taliban deal, the Afghan government and the insurgents were by now supposed to have concluded a prisoner exchange and started talks aimed at bringing about a comprehensive ceasefire. But the stalled prisoner swap has been beset with problems — with Kabul claiming the Taliban are demanding the release of some of…