India’s ‘Cockroach’ Protesters Disperse, But Questions Remain on Education and Dissent
The ‘Cockroach’ movement dispersed, saying its demands had been met, but there are larger issues about the country’s education system and the future of dissent.
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Wildfires Live Updates: Extreme Heat Threatens New Blazes as Spain and France Confront ‘Unprecedented’ Fire Season
Firefighters and volunteers raced to contain wildfires on Monday. The crisis has forced hundreds of thousands to evacuate in central Spain and southwest France.
Why Restarting a Nuclear Power Plant Can Be Much Harder Than Expected
The first U.S. attempt at reopening a shuttered reactor has been held back by run-down equipment and a lack of planning.
Even China’s A.I. Powerhouses Can’t Figure Out How to Profit Off A.I.
Chinese A.I. models are gaining ground. But the companies behind them do not have a clear strategy to make money from that success.
Jeffries Kicks Off Midterm Sprint With Economic Pitch
Representative Hakeem Jeffries, the New York Democrat and minority leader, focused relentlessly on affordability in a swing district.
Grace Marks
The Provincial Management Service (PMS) examination in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa requires candidates to score at least 50 per cent in the Multiple Choice Preliminary Test (MPT) before proceeding to the written examination.
A recurring concern arises when candidates fall short by only one or two marks. Since the MPT serves primarily as a screening test rather than a final assessment of analytical ability, denying capable candidates an opportunity because of such a narrow margin may seem unfair. Limited grace marks could also address issues arising from ambiguous questions or technical errors.
Critics argue that grace marks may undermine transparency and encourage demands for further relaxations. However, examination authorities have previously awarded compensatory marks where justified, strengthening confidence in the system. A transparent and uniformly applied policy allowing one or two grace marks in exceptional cases would promote fairness without compromising merit or the credibility of the recruitment process.
DR. NABEELA GUL,
Swabi.
Merz Criticizes Terrorism Laws After Deadly Berlin Pride Attack
Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany called for tighter monitoring after the authorities said the suspect in the assault had tried to join ISIS and was released from detention in May.
New Heat Wave Could Intensify Wildfires in France and Spain
Soaring temperatures in parts of France, Spain and Portugal could combine with dry conditions and strong winds to worsen the wildfire threat. It is the fourth heat wave to affect Europe since May.
Central bank keeps policy rate unchanged at 11.5pc
The State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) on Monday kept the interest rate unchanged at 11.5 per cent.
The decision was announced by SBP Governor Jameel Ahmed during a press conference.
At the outset of the press conference, the governor said, “MPC has decided to keep the policy rate unchanged at 11.5pc”.
“There were several reasons for this, but I would like to explain some background: every time we hold committee meetings in January and July, we also issue projections for the next six months and what would be the level of economic growth, inflation outlook and situation of the external account; I will share that assessment as well.”
The governor explained that in the first half of the previous year, inflation was declining; however, “the fallout from the Middle East crisis impacted our domestic situation”.
“From July to February, our average inflation was 5.5pc,” which he said was within the government’s target range of 5-7pc.
Analysts had expected the central bank to keep the rate unchanged, saying it would be difficult to maintain macroeconomic stability with sluggish growth.
Surveys conducted by brokerage houses show that more than 90pc of stakeholders expected the SBP to leave the policy rate unchanged, while only a small number foresaw a modest increase.
The SBP cut its policy rate by 50 basis points to 10.5pc in December 2025 before raising it by 100 basis points to 11.5pc in April this year. It has since kept the rate unchanged despite persistent demands from the business community for a substantial reduction to support economic activity.
More to follow
Congress Budgeted Billions for Big Transit Projects. Trump Isn’t Spending It.
“It’s hard to look at the last year and see anything other than a deliberate slowdown of these grants.”
