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☆ Dagestan: Gas station explosion kills 35, injures dozens in Russian region
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Uliana Pavlova Duarte Mendonca Alex Stambaugh Aruzhan Zeinulla Ivana Kottasová | Uliana Pavlova | Duarte Mendonca | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —At least 35 people were killed and dozens more injured when a fire caused an explosion at a gas station in the southern Russian republic of Dagestan, local authorities said. Several children were among the dead, according to the head of the Dagestan republic, Sergey Melikov, and at least three bodies were recovered from the rubble, state media agency TASS reported. TASS reported that 80 people were wounded, citing a department of the Russian ministry of health, in an apparent revision of the injury toll that Melikov earlier put at 102. The emergency ministry said it sent a special aircraft to evacuate casualties from the blast to hospitals in Moscow. The Dagestan government declared Tuesday a day of mourning, TASS reported.

Persons: Sergey Melikov, Vladimir Putin “, ”, Abdulmuslim Abdulmuslimov Organizations: CNN, TASS, Federal Center for Disaster Medicine, Ministry of Health, Russia’s, RIA Novosti, Kremlin Locations: Russian, Dagestan, Dagestan’s, Makhachkal, Moscow, Makhachkala

The day is “full of honor and pride for Afghans,” Taliban deputy spokesperson Bilal Karimi told CNN. “Afghanistan was freed from occupation, Afghans were able to regain their country, freedom, government and will. “There is no such thing as women’s freedom anymore,” said Mahbouba Seraj, an Afghan women’s rights activist and 2023 Nobel Peace Prize nominee. “The women in Afghanistan are being slowly erased from society, from life, from everything – their opinions, their voices, what they think, where they are.”Video Ad Feedback 'They can't go to school? “The only reason why I’m in Afghanistan and I’m staying here is to be next to my sisters and try to help them,” said Seraj, the women’s rights activists.

Persons: Zahra, ”, “, ” Zahra, Bilal Karimi, Zahra –, Mahbouba Seraj, CNN “, I’m, who’ve, ” Zabiullah Mujahid, haven’t, Heather Barr, Seraj, Mahbouba, “ They’re, they’re, Barr, what’s Organizations: CNN, “, Nations, United Nations, CNN “ I’m, UN, Taliban, Human Rights Locations: Afghanistan, Kabul, States, “ Afghanistan, Zahra, Afghan, United

☆ Argentina's far-right surprise, Black Sea warning shots and the latest from Maui
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Read the transcriptA shock win to a far-right candidate in Argentina’s election as the country grapples with 116% inflation. The painful search for survivors continues in Maui -- we hear from a mother who escaped the flames with her 9-year-old. Warning shots by Russia in the Black Sea cause consternation along a key international shipping route. Visit the for information on our privacy and data protection practices. Further ReadingArgentine far-right outsider Javier Milei posts shock win in primary electionAfter Maui wildfires kill 96, search for the missing continuesKremlin blames loose monetary policy as rouble slides past 100 vs dollarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Javier Organizations: Apple, Google, Reuters, Reading Argentine, Thomson Locations: Maui, Russia

CNN —An attack on Chinese engineers in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan was thwarted by Pakistan’s military, leaving two militants dead and the Chinese workers unharmed, police say. In a statement to CNN, the Baloch Liberation Army, a militant separatist group, claimed responsibility for the attack. The Chinese Embassy in Pakistan said it strongly condemned the attack and urged the Pakistani authorities to punish the perpetrators and do all it could to prevent further attacks. But in recent years terrorist attacks targeting Chinese nationals and their interests in Pakistan have alarmed Beijing. More than a dozen people were killed after a bus carrying Chinese engineers fell into a ditch following a “fiery explosion,” according to local police.

Persons: Chakar Baloch Organizations: CNN, Baloch Liberation Army, Embassy, Pakistan Economic, University of Karachi’s Confucius Institute, Confucius Locations: Balochistan, Chakar, Gwadar, Pakistan, China, Afghanistan, Iran, Beijing

☆ Opinion: The shattering aftermath in Maui
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

CNN —The Polynesian demigod Maui was so powerful he could raise islands up from the ocean floor and capture the sun to slow it down. We know Lahaina will be rebuilt, and the government response — city, state and federal — will be a huge part of that. “You can beat the drum of ‘women’s rights’ and defend tooth-and-nail women’s sports, so long as you only do so to denigrate trans women.”For more on the World Cup:Shaista Aziz: This Women’s World Cup has been unlike any other. That’s a great thingAmy Bass: The US loss at the Women’s World Cup sends a clear messageBill Bramhall/Tribune Content AgencyLet’s make a deal? In a country where federal prosecutors overwhelmingly win their cases, Trump’s odds of going to trial and winning both federal cases are slim — and he may face similarly daunting odds in the other cases.

Persons: Bill Weir, Jeff Melichar, ” Clay Jones, Melichar, “, Shaw, Naka Nathaniel, Kaua’i “, ”, ALICE, Lawrence Downes, ” Drew Sheneman, Peter Bergen, Laura Tillman, ” “, David Petraeus, ” Bergen, Tillman, Donald Trump’s, Joe Biden’s, ” Mary Ziegler, ” Ziegler, Roe, Patrick T, Brown, Wade, Kevin McCarthy, Biden, “ Biden, Julian Zelizer, ” Dana Summers, Donald Trump, Podcaster Megyn Kelly, “ I’m, Nicole Hemmer, Megan “ Rapinoe, Kelly, Shaista Aziz, Amy Bass, Bill Bramhall, Will Handelsman, it’s, Trump, William D, Cohan, Puck, David Rubenstein, Scott Galloway, Jill Filipovic, “ Trump, Galloway, pardoning, ” Filipovic, …, Jesus, Kelli Rhee, Rhee, ” Don’t, Drew Sheneman, Agency Brian Elmore, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Adam Kinzinger, Ukraine Aanchal Saraf, Rebecca H, Oppenheimer’s, Joseph, I’ll, Neil J, Holly Thomas, Sara Stewart, “ Oppenheimer, Christopher, “ Barbie, “ Barbie ”, ” Stewart Organizations: CNN, Coast Guard, Honolulu Civil, ‘, Aloha, New York Times, …, Agency, UN, Republican, GOP, ”, Republicans, Democratic, Federal, FIFA, US, National Soccer Team, New York University, Trump, Arnold Ventures, Ukraine Aanchal, Warner Bros . Locations: Maui, Lahaina, Hawaii, Naka, Hilo, Kaua’i, Afghanistan, Afghanistan’s, Kabul, Ohio, California , Vermont, Michigan, Georgia, Trump, Ukraine

☆ K2 Climbers Criticized Over Continuing Ascent After Finding Dying Porter
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Chris Cameron | More About Chris Cameron | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mr. Hassan fell from a particularly dangerous stretch of the climbing trail on K2 known as the bottleneck and later died. “There was no rescue mission,” Wilhelm Steindl, an Austrian climber who provided video footage of other climbers stepping over Mr. Hassan on the narrow mountain path, said in an interview with Sky News. “Seventy mountaineers stepped over a living guy who needed big help at this moment, and they decided to keep on going to the summit.”The authorities in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region, where a portion of the mountain is located, identified Mr. Hassan as a “high-altitude porter.” They said they were investigating whether “adequate efforts were made to rescue” Mr. Hassan, whom Ms. Harila said was part of another team. The authorities said they would examine the conditions of Mr. Hassan’s climbing gear and “ascertain who authorized him to climb with equipment that might have been insufficient for such high-altitude expeditions and his level of experience.”People frequently die summiting the tallest mountains in the world, including Mount Everest and K2. The treks are so dangerous that the bodies of fallen climbers are sometimes left behind, and some are never recovered.

Persons: Hassan, ” Wilhelm Steindl, ”, Mr, Harila, Mount Organizations: Sky News, Mount Everest Locations: Austrian, Pakistan’s Gilgit, Baltistan

The Pakistani government named a caretaker prime minister on Saturday, a move that kicks off preparations for the country’s next general elections and comes amid a year of political turmoil. The close ties that the new leader, Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar, has to the country’s powerful military reinforces its dominance over Pakistan’s politics, sending a clear message: After a year of political turmoil that challenged the authority of military leaders, they have a firm hand on the wheel once more. “He is undoubtedly a choice of the establishment,” Khalid Mahmood Rasool, a political analyst and newspaper columnist, said, referring to the military establishment. The term of the outgoing government, led by Shehbaz Sharif, who is also close the military, ended on Thursday. In Pakistan, once a government’s term ends, a caretaker must be established to oversee the next general elections.

Persons: Anwar, Haq Kakar, ” Khalid Mahmood Rasool, Shehbaz Sharif Locations: Pakistan

CNN —A record-breaking Norwegian climber has hit out at what she calls “misinformation and hatred” surrounding claims she and her team climbed over a dying porter on K2 to summit the deadly peak. In a statement posted to her website on Thursday, Harila insisted she and her team did everything they could to save Pakistani mountain porter Mohammad Hassan. Pakistani mountain porter Mohammad Hassan died after slipping on K2, the world's second highest mountain. Kristin Harila/InstagramSteindl and Flämig said they later spoke with witnesses to confirm what had happened and ascertain the victim’s identity. We did not fully understand the gravity of everything that happened until later,” Harila added.

Persons: Kristin Harila, Lama –, Harila, Mohammad Hassan, Wilhelm Steindl, Philip Flämig, Flämig, ” Flämig, ”, Hassan, Steindl, ” Harila, “ Lama, Gabriel, Niranjan Shrestha, “, Lama Organizations: CNN, Austrian, Süddeutsche Locations: Austrian, Pakistani, Hassan, Base

☆ Fact Check-Video of Kabul airport dates to 2021, not Mali and Niger forces in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A video filmed at Afghanistan’s Kabul airport that dates to August 2021 is being shared in 2023 with a caption that falsely says it shows soldiers from Mali and Niger preparing to fight Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States’ (ECOWAS). The claim is being shared after President Mohamed Bazoum was removed by Niger's military leaders on July 26, 2023. Reuters could not independently verify the source of the video, however, it predates the 2023 coup in Niger. It can be traced to August 2021 (here) when it was shared in relation to the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Video of Kabul airport dates to August 2021, does not show Mali and Niger forces in 2023.

Persons: Mohamed Bazoum, “, ”, Bola Tinubu, Read Organizations: Economic, West, Reuters, Watch, Force, Kabul Airport Locations: Kabul, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, States, West, Central Africa, Afghanistan, U.S

☆ Imran Khan Appeals Prison Sentence, Kicking Off High-Stakes Legal Battle
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Christina Goldbaum | More About Christina Goldbaum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The legal team for the former prime minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, appealed his three-year prison sentence on Wednesday, kicking off a high-stakes and hotly contested legal fight that will determine Mr. Khan’s future and the country’s political climate as it heads into general elections later this year. Mr. Khan was arrested and jailed on Saturday after being found guilty in a corruption case, the latest twist in a stunning downfall for the leader, who has been in a political showdown with the country’s powerful military since his ouster last year. His allies argue that the court verdict, which found him guilty of hiding assets after illegally selling state gifts, was little more than a politically motivated effort to sideline him. And for many Pakistanis, the spectacle of Mr. Khan’s imprisonment offered a striking reminder that the country’s military remains the ultimate and unmoving force behind Pakistan’s politics. In the Islamabad High Court on Wednesday, his legal team argued that the conviction represented a violation of Mr. Khan’s “fundamental right to due process and fair trial” and said it was decided by a biased judge determined to convict him “irrespective of the merits of the case,” according to court documents.

Persons: Imran Khan, Khan’s, Khan Organizations: Court Locations: Pakistan, Islamabad

☆ Pakistan: Imran Khan is banned from running for office for five years
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Sahar Akbarzai | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been disqualified from running for office for five years, according to a statement released on Tuesday from the Election Commission of Pakistan. Khan has been banned as a result of being found guilty last week in a corruption trial and sentenced to three years in prison, the statement said. The trial relates to an inquiry conducted by the election commission which found Khan guilty of unlawfully selling state gifts during his tenure as prime minister from 2018 to 2022. Khan was arrested at his home in Lahore after the court’s ruling on Saturday and was transported to the capital Islamabad. Several senior party leaders were also detained.

Persons: Imran Khan, Khan, ”, ” Khan, Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan’s Organizations: CNN — Former Pakistan, PTI Locations: Pakistan, Lahore, Islamabad

Yet the final days of Imran Khan’s political career tell a contrasting tale. Khan’s supporters – some armed with sticks and stones – marched through cities, chanting slogans against the ruling dispensation. To his supporters, Khan was seen as a political martyr, someone they had vowed to defend till the very end. Analysts say Khan’s arrest following a yearlong showdown with the military sends a pointed message to the former prime minister and his supporters. “Imran Khan’s political will wasn’t strong enough to begin with from what we saw.

Persons: Imran Khan’s, Khan, Khan’s, –, ”, Arifa Noor, “, Imran Khan, Jemima Goldsmith, Patrick Durand, Sygma, Pervez Musharraf, Arif Ali, Noor, “ Imran Khan’s, Shehbaz Sharif, Aamir Qureshi, Mr, Syed Zulfiqar Bukhari, Salaar Khan, Khawaja Asif, Khan won’t, “ Imran, ” Noor Organizations: CNN, Cricket, Getty, Oxford University, Movement for Justice, PML, AP, Pakistan’s, PTI, CNN Monday Locations: Pakistan, Lahore, Islamabad, British India, It’s, Melbourne, Australia, Khan, British, AFP, India, Afghanistan, United States, Gujranwala

☆ At least 15 killed, 40 injured after train derails in Pakistan
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Benjamin Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

CNN —At least 15 people were killed and 40 injured after a train derailed in Pakistan on Sunday, according to state public broadcaster Radio Pakistan. The train derailed near Nawabshah in the southern Sindh province of Pakistan, the public broadcaster reported, adding that it was heading from Karachi to Havelian. Pictures from the scene showed twisted wreckage and people clambering on the train’s roof. Pakistan’s railway system has a poor safety record, with a series of deadly accidents in recent years a tragic reminder of the country’s ageing infrastructure and safety standards. More to follow…

Organizations: CNN, Radio Pakistan Locations: Pakistan, Nawabshah, Sindh province, Karachi, Havelian

Islamabad CNN —Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been sentenced to three years in prison after he was found guilty in a corruption trial, a verdict that disqualifies him from holding political office. Khan was arrested at his home in Lahore after the court’s ruling and is now being transported to the capital Islamabad. The trial relates to an inquiry conducted by the election commission which found Khan guilty of unlawfully selling state gifts during his tenure as prime minister from 2018 to 2022. The former prime minister has repeatedly denied all wrongdoing. The army has previously rejected Khan’s claims it had anything to do with past purported attempts on his life.

Persons: Islamabad CNN —, Imran Khan, Khan, Saturday Khan, ”, ” Khan, Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan’s, “ Imran, Maryam Aurangzeb, ” Aurangzeb, Khan’s Organizations: Islamabad CNN, PTI, Saturday, country’s Locations: Islamabad, Lahore, United States

☆ Imran Khan Sentenced to Prison, Dashing Hopes of Political Comeback
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Salman Masood | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested on Saturday after a trial court sentenced him to three years in prison, a verdict that will most likely end his chances to contest upcoming general elections. Mr. Khan was taken into custody by the police from his home in the eastern city of Lahore soon after the court decision was announced in Islamabad. He was found guilty of hiding assets after illegally selling state gifts. “The allegations against Mr. Khan are proven,” said Humayun Dilawar, the judge who announced the verdict in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital. The case is related to an inquiry by the country’s election commission, which found last October that Mr. Khan had illegally sold gifts given to him by other countries when he was prime minister and concealed the profits from the authorities.

Persons: Imran Khan, Khan, Mr, ”, Humayun Dilawar Locations: Lahore, Islamabad, Pakistan’s

☆ ISIS Affiliate Claims Responsibility for Deadly Attack at Rally in Pakistan
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Christina Goldbaum | More About Christina Goldbaum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Islamic State affiliate in South Asia claimed responsibility on Monday for a suicide bombing in northwest Pakistan that killed dozens of people and injured about 200 more, in the latest bloody sign of the deteriorating security situation in the country. The death toll from the explosion on Sunday, which targeted a political rally in the Bajaur district near Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan, rose to at least 54 people, Shaukat Abbas, a senior officer at the provincial police’s counterterrorism department, said on Monday. The Islamic State affiliate, known as the Islamic State Khorasan, or ISIS-K, claimed on Monday that a suicide bomber had carried out the attack, characterizing it as part of the group’s war against democracy as a system of government, according to the SITE Intelligence Group. The blast was among the deadliest terrorist attacks in months in Pakistan, where some militant groups operating along the border with Afghanistan have become more active over the past year. The rise in violence represents a grim shift: Since 2014, when security forces carried out a major military operation to flush militants out of Pakistan, the country has experienced relative calm.

Persons: Shaukat Abbas Organizations: Islamic State, SITE Intelligence Group Locations: South Asia, Pakistan, Bajaur, Pakistan’s, Afghanistan, State Khorasan

☆ At Least 35 Dead in Blast at Political Rally in Pakistan
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( Christina Goldbaum | More About Christina Goldbaum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

An explosion at a political rally on Sunday in northwest Pakistan killed at least 35 people and injured 200 more, officials said, the latest sign of the deteriorating security situation in Pakistan, where some militant groups have become more active over the past two years since finding a haven in neighboring Afghanistan under the Taliban administration there. The blast occurred about 4 p.m. in Bajaur, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province near Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan, said Feroz Jamal, the provincial information minister. It targeted a political rally organized by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, an Islamist party that is part of the governing coalition in Pakistan. A state of emergency has been imposed in the hospitals in Peshawar, the provincial capital. A local leader of the political party who was onstage when the explosion occurred, Maulana Ziaullah, was among those killed.

Persons: Feroz Jamal, Fazl, Mr, Jamal, Maulana Ziaullah Organizations: Jamiat Ulema, Islamic Locations: Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bajaur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan’s, Peshawar, Islamic State, Jamiat

CNN —Afghans who were promised a home in the United States after their country fell to the Taliban say they have waited so long for the US to process their applications that they are now being sent back to the enemy they fled. “They did not hand us over to the (Taliban) Afghan border forces,” he said. Many Afghans fled the Taliban after the August 15, 2021 fall of Kabul to the hard-line group. At least two Afghans awaiting P-2 visas have been swept up in this crackdown, CNN has learned, and complain of Pakistani police persecution. Afghans waiting in Pakistan have reported harassment by Pakistani police, including arrest and demands for money.

Persons: “, ”, Haseeb, Aafaq, ” Aafaq, “ I’m, Biden, sobbed Organizations: CNN, State Department, Pakistan’s, Interior Ministries, Afghanistan Immigrants Refugees Council, Getty, Support Center, US State Department, Foreign Locations: United States, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Afghan, Kabul, Taliban, USA, Pakistani, Chaman, AFP, Islamabad, Turkey, Tajikistan

☆ Norwegian woman and Nepali guide set record for summit of 14 ‘super peaks’
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Caolán Magee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A Norwegian woman and a Nepali man smashed the record on Thursday for the fastest summit of all 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre (26,000-feet) mountains, their team said in a statement. The pair surpassed Nepal-born British adventurer Nirmal Purja’s record of six months and six days, set in 2019. Purja is now attempting to set the record for the fastest ascent of all 14 peaks without supplemental oxygen, he said on Twitter. Mount Everest, the tallest of the 14 highest peaks, issued permits for a record number of climbers this year, for this spring season’s expeditions. According to Nepali officials as the spring climbing season came to an end in June, 12 people died and five were missing on Everest.

Persons: Kristin Harila, Lama –, “, Nirmal Purja’s, Nirmal Purja, Mount Everest, Nirmal, ” Lama, Everest Organizations: CNN, Twitter Locations: Norwegian, Nepal, Purja, Mount

CNN —At least 31 people have been killed in devastating flash floods that hit parts of Afghanistan over the weekend, authorities said Sunday. In a press conference from Kabul, Shafiullah Rahimi, spokesman for Taliban’s Ministry of Disaster Management, added that 74 people are injured and at least 41 remain missing. An excavator removes mud and rocks from a damaged house after heavy flooding in Maidan Wardak province. APA damaged house is seen after heavy flooding in the Maidan Wardak province in central Afghanistan on Sunday, July 23, 2023. APAfghan boys look at a truck that was damaged in flash floods in Maidan Wardak province on July 23, 2023.

Persons: Shafiullah Rahimi, Rahimi, ” Organizations: CNN, Taliban’s Ministry of Disaster Management, AP, Getty, Ministry of State for Disaster Management Locations: Afghanistan, Kabul, Red Crescent, Maidan Wardak, AFP

☆ The Dark Magic Wrought by a Nazi Occultist and a Doomed Horror Film
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Miguel Salazar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

SILVER NITRATE, by Silvia Moreno-GarciaSilvia Moreno-Garcia’s dexterity with genre — oscillating between horror, thriller, crime and gothic — is well known by now, as is her penchant for mashing them with historical Mexican settings. Her stories have ranged from a quest narrative and romance in an alternate 1920s Mexico to a reimagining of H.G. She has three loves: horror movies, her white Volkswagen and her childhood friend Tristán Abascal, a tall, handsome, washed-up actor. When he reaches out to reconnect, it means he’s between relationships; this time he also needs to borrow her car. The plot is set into motion only after a long conversation between the two friends and Abel Urueta, Tristán’s neighbor and a once-famous Mexican horror film director.

Persons: Silvia Moreno, Garcia Silvia Moreno, Wells’s, Doctor Moreau ”, ”, Tristán Abascal, James Bond, Abel Urueta, Wilhelm Ewers, Ewers, “ Organizations: Volkswagen Locations: Mexico, Mexico City, Montserrat, Nazi

☆ Greek migrant boat tragedy: Pakistani boy's fateful journey exposes impossible choice faced by millions
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Anna Coren Azaz Syed Sophia Saifi Jadyn Sham Helen Regan Rhea Mogul | Anna Coren | Azaz Syed | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

“It will all be OK,” Muhammad Abuzar told him. The boat was carrying up to 750 Pakistani, Syrian, Egyptian and Palestinian refugees and migrants. His uncle had decided to try and make it to Europe and Abuzar saw his chance. More than 600 people drowned on June 14 in what would become one of the deadliest migrant boat tragedies. Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP/Getty ImagesSpeaking to CNN in Pakistan, Mohammad Tahir said his brother Mubasher Sahzad, 29, was also on the boat.

Persons: Pakistan CNN — Pervez Akhtar, “, Muhammad Abuzar, ” Akhtar, gaunt, Abuzar, CNN Akhtar, –, we’ll, he’ll, Akhtar, – Abuzar, ’, “ Papa, Adriana, ” Akhthar, Rana Sanaullah, ”, Angelos Tzortzinis, Mohammad Tahir, Mubasher Sahzad, ” Tahir, Roberto Forin, ” Forin, Mia Sato, ” Sato, Forin, Qayyum Bibi’s, He’s Organizations: Pakistan CNN, CNN, UNICEF, Hellenic Coast Guard, Pakistani Interior Ministry, Medical, Getty, Migration, International Organization, Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency Locations: Gujrat, Pakistan, Pakistan’s, Europe, Italy, Karachi, Dubai, Egypt, Libya, Tripoli, Tobruk, North Africa, Greece's, Greece, Kalamata, AFP, East, Asia, Africa, Islamabad, Lahore, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, European Union, Bandali, Kashmir, ”

☆ Pakistan: IMF approves $3 billion bailout for cash-starved country
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Islamabad Reuters —The International Monetary Fund’s board approved a $3 billion bailout program for Pakistan which will immediately disburse about $1.2 billion to help stabilize the South Asian ailing economy, the lender said on Wednesday. Pakistan and the fund reached a staff level agreement last month, securing a short-term pact, which got more than expected funding for the country of 230 million people. The country has faced an acute balance of payments crisis with only enough central bank reserves to cover barely a month of controlled imports. Longtime allies Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates have deposited $3 billion in Pakistan’s central bank in the last two days. Sharif said China had rolled over $5 billion in loans in the last three months to save his country from default.

Persons: “, Shehbaz Sharif, ”, Sharif, Fitch Organizations: Islamabad Reuters, Monetary, IMF, “, Longtime, United, CCC Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, China

☆ Taliban compounds misery for women in Afghanistan with order to close all beauty salons
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The impending closure of beauty salons further diminishes the freedom of women and delivers a harsh economic blow to families who rely on them for income. An Afghan beautician attends to a customer at a beauty salon in Mazar-i-Sharif on June 27, 2023. My husband is jobless and this beauty salon is the only means to feed my family. “I don’t understand why beauty salons should be banned. According to their report, women are banned from working in most sectors outside the home, and are prohibited from attending public baths, parks, and gyms.

Persons: Mohammad Sidik Akif, Afghan beautician, Sharif, “, ”, Richard Bennett, Dorothy Estrada, Tanck, they’re, who’ve, Markus Potzel, Afghanistan’s “ Organizations: CNN, Ministry, United Nations, Getty, UN Locations: Afghanistan, United States, Afghan, Mazar, AFP, Kabul

Islamabad was racing against time to unlock $1.1 billion under the IMF's ninth review of a $6.5-billion Extended Fund Facility agreed upon in 2019. The Pakistan government was expecting around $2.5 billion from the IMF, Reuters has reported. PROCESSESPakistan earlier cleared eight of the 11 listed programme reviews, with the ninth review pending since November last year. HOLE IN FINANCESThe government has earmarked $2.5 billion in external receipts from the IMF in its federal budget for FY24. Pakistan needs upwards of $22 billion to service external debt, make interest payments, and finance its current account for FY24.

Persons: Shehbaz Sharif, Ariba Shahid, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Monetary Fund, IMF, IMF’s, Reuters, Pakistan, CCC, United, Thomson Locations: KARACHI, Pakistan, Islamabad, PAKISTAN, Caa3, Fitch, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, China, Karachi

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