Harry and Meghan Change Children’s School After Talks With Security Team
The couple’s private security team had raised concerns about the difficulty of securing the route to school in traffic, according to a family spokesman.
Lucy Letby Murder Inquiry Says Some Babies’ Deaths Were Avoidable
While significant questions remain about the evidence used to convict a British nurse of murdering seven babies, a report predicated on her guilt was released on Tuesday.
Oman’s Muttrah cable car clears global safety test, nears launch
The much-anticipated Muttrah Cable Car project in Oman has reached a major hurdle towards being officially launched as a commercial project following successful completion of stringent international safety certification standards.
CEO of Sabeen Group and project developer owner of the cable car project, Khalid al Nabhani said the project has undergone comprehensive structural and security evaluation reports prepared by international European experts specialized in cable car safety auditing standards which has now been completed in accordance with every aspect.
The reports now will be handed to relevant government bodies for their final review towards operational readiness and under the operational management of its appointed operator, Muttrah Teleferik.
While there has been no specific opening date announced by authorities, construction on all three main stations has now been fully physically completed with several tenants present on site to actively complete works for their units on the commercial side of the project.
Omani experience with large aerial cable car networks is limited, so international engineers were brought in to build and verify a set of precise safety standards and regulations based on European technical standards – ensuring a diagnostic protocol on the infrastructure itself by means of high resolution imaging and diagnostic tools similar to what would be used in medical settings.
Following completion of this diagnostic protocol and given pre-approval by project consultants and authorities involved, the project has now entered its next phase of regulatory sign-offs including safety certification sign-off from the Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority and the Royal Oman Police and Muscat Municipality.
The project encompasses three key stations serving as the landmarks, Sultan Qaboos Port, the Mountain Summit with a leisure plaza and soon-to-open Marah Basin Park, and the Hayy Al-Ward Water Fountains leisure zone station.
Under its urban mobility function, the aerial network will support 18 cable cars including 8-Passenger regular cabins and 2-4-Passenger VIP cabins to optimise the leisure and family experience.
The high-capacity Omani urban cable car system is set to complement Muscat’s tourism profile with direct views over the city’s emirate coastline and historic sites.
As Museum Honors Otto Muehl’s Art, Protesters Want to Focus on His Sex Crimes
A Vienna exhibition showcases the work of Otto Muehl, who went to prison for abusing members of a commune he led.
Rupee sees improvement against US dollar
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The Pakistani rupee extended its marginal gains against the US dollar in the interbank market on Tuesday.
The local unit closed the day at 277.30, a gain of Re0.01 against the greenback.
On Monday, the Pakistani rupee settled at 277.31 against the dollar.
Internationally, the US dollar inched up to trade near a two-week high on Tuesday as surging oil prices lifted Treasury yields and reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates this week.
It also gained support as risk appetite weakened after stock markets tumbled, with AI-related shares under pressure after industry leaders called for slower development to contain potential threats to humanity.
Markets now see a Fed hike on Wednesday as a near certainty, with CME’s FedWatch tool pricing in a roughly 93% chance of an interest-rate increase, which would be the first in more than three years.
Near-term support may persist, but with a hike now heavily priced in, further dollar upside will likely require the Fed to keep the door open to additional tightening, he added.
The dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, was last at 99.55.
The euro was slightly weaker against the dollar at $1.1538, as was sterling at $1.3494.
The yen also pulled away from a seven-month high, last down roughly 0.2% at 154.72 ahead of an expected Bank of Japan rate hike on Friday.
Oil prices, a key indicator of currency parity, rose more than 2% on Tuesday after attacks on Saudi Arabian energy infrastructure left the kingdom’s East-West pipeline offline, raising fears that damage to energy infrastructure and transport routes could take longer to repair.
Brent crude futures rose $2.5, or 2.37%, to $108.18 a barrel at 0813 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate futures were up $2.46, or 2.43%, at $103.85 a barrel.
Concerns over oil supplies intensified after Houthi forces in Yemen launched fresh attacks on Saudi Arabia on Monday, while Gulf Arab states postponed planned discussions with Iran.
Inter-bank market rates for dollar on Tuesday
BID Rs 277.30
OFFER Rs 277.50
Open-market movement
In the open market, the PKR gained3.00 paisa for buying and 11.00 paisa for selling against USD, closing at 278.16 and 279.02, respectively.
Against Euro, the PKR gained 61.00paisa for buying and 1.31rupee for selling, closing at 319.99and 322.63, respectively.
Against UAE Dirham, the PKR gained 3.00 paisa for buying and 11.00 paisa for selling, closing at 75.60 and 76.16, respectively.
Against Saudi Riyal, the PKR gained 6.00 paisa for both buying and selling,closing at 73.88 and 74.42, respectively.
Open-market rates for dollar on Tuesday
BID Rs 278.16
OFFER Rs 279.02
Mir Raza Ali case: MLO Dr Osama levels allegations against Dr Summaiya
KARACHI: Medico-Legal Officer (MLO) Dr Osama Sheikh, who conducted the first post-mortem examination of late entrepreneur Mir Raza Ali, on Tuesday levelled serious allegations against Karachi Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed, who conducted the second autopsy in the case.
In early August, Dr Summaiya pointed out discrepancies between the first medico-legal report prepared by Dr Osama and the available photographs. Following this, Ali’s body was exhumed at the request of his family and a second post-mortem examination was conducted.
Dr Summaiya told the judicial commission on Monday that she had faced “threats” after raising questions over the findings of the first post-mortem conducted in the murder case of young businessman Mir Raza Ali.
Speaking to ARY News on Tuesday, Dr Osama alleged that Dr Summaiya was trying to implicate him in the case.
“I swear that Dr Summaiya trapped me,” he alleged, adding that she had told him, “If I have trapped you, I will also save you.”
Dr Osama said he wanted to discuss the facts of the case before the commission but felt that the proceedings had shifted away from the central issues.
“I conducted Mir Raza’s first post-mortem. I am the primary evidence,” he said.
He said the facts should be brought before the court, expressing hope that the judge would give him an opportunity to present his position at the next hearing.
Responding to questions about discrepancies between his findings and the second post-mortem, Dr Osama said the issue was not necessarily about whether something was right or wrong, as certain details could sometimes be missed during an examination.
“No person is perfect. That does not mean things have gone wrong,” he said.
Read Also: Mir Raza Ali’s manager tells judicial commission of alleged police pressure
Dr Osama also discussed his experience in examining firearm injuries, saying that he had examined cases involving the same weapon being fired from different distances made different sizes of wounds.
He maintained that the size of an entry wound does not necessarily have to be smaller or larger depending on the location where a bullet strikes.
“I will try to prove the things I have written in my report,” he said, adding that a review of his timeline of events could clarify several aspects of the case.
Dr Osama further said he had arrived prepared to submit an apology but, unfortunately, did not get the opportunity to do so. He added that he had not been prepared during the previous hearing but had come fully prepared this time.
Kyrgyzstan Is Russia’s Trading Loophole
Kyrgyzstan has turned into a crucial middleman for Russia to import goods from China since the start of the Ukraine war. Paul Sonne, our Moscow bureau chief, traveled to Kyrgyzstan to see its skyrocketing economic growth.
U.S. Has Deployed Weapons in Space, Air Force Secretary Says
Troy E. Meink’s comments were the first public acknowledgment of American weapons in orbit. The Pentagon has been preparing for potential conflict in space with Russia or China.
PM Shehbaz orders measures to boost exports, diversify products and markets
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed the authorities to make export growth a cornerstone of Pakistan’s economic development and expand the country’s export base beyond traditional sectors.
Chairing a review meeting on boosting exports and accelerating economic growth, the prime minister called for more sectors and industries to be brought into export activities to diversify Pakistan’s trade and expand its presence in international markets, the PM Office stated.
He directed the authorities to align Pakistani products with global standards, strengthen quality assurance systems and ensure compliance with international standards and regulations. He also called for greater focus on value addition to enhance the value and competitiveness of Pakistani products in global markets.
The prime minister directed relevant authorities to promote modern technology, research and innovation in export-oriented industries and make greater use of digitalisation and emerging technologies to modernise the economy.
He also called for removing administrative and business-related hurdles faced by exporters and making the export process simpler, faster and more transparent.
The meeting was briefed on progress in implementing the approved strategic roadmap for export promotion. Various proposals were reviewed regarding access to new international markets, diversification of export sectors, improvement in product quality and ease of doing business.
The meeting also discussed measures to improve the global competitiveness of Pakistan’s export sectors.
Officials said steps were being taken to negotiate free trade agreements and preferential trade arrangements with friendly countries to expand access for Pakistani products in international markets.
The meeting was also informed that measures were being taken to include Pakistani horticultural products in the export basket. Efforts were also under way to increase exports of Pakistani surgical and medical equipment by encouraging local exporters to participate in international hospital tenders and procurement processes.
Officials said exhibitions including TEXPO, Health Engineering and Minerals Show, and FoodAg were being organised in different cities to introduce Pakistani products to international companies and buyers.
Work was also under way to bring intellectual property laws in line with modern requirements to promote innovation in exports, the meeting was told.
The restructuring of the Export Development Fund (EDF) had been completed, while further measures were being taken through the fund to facilitate the business community, officials said.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, and federal ministers Rana Tanveer Hussain, Jam Kamal Khan, Dr Musadik Masood Malik, Ahsan Khan Cheema and Muhammad Aurangzeb attended the meeting, along with Prime Minister’s Adviser Haroon Akhtar, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani and senior officials of relevant institutions.
It’s Boom Time in Kyrgyzstan, Courtesy in Part of the War in Ukraine
The economy of the Central Asian nation grew by 11 percent last year, partly by becoming a key conduit for goods flowing into Russia.
