Daily News Pakistan

Nasa's new flagship astronomical observatory was launched into space from Florida on Sunday on a mission to probe some of the biggest mysteries in astrophysics and cosmology. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, a roughly $4 billion project, was carried aloft from Nasa's Kennedy Space Center aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. The telescope is designed to investigate cosmic enigmas such as dark energy and dark matter, while also testing gravity at vast scales and searching for exoplanets, as planets beyond our solar system are called. There were some weather concerns ahead of the launch but the rocket carried the telescope into space through blue skies and some scattered clouds. Roman will travel through space toward an orbital location called Lagrange Point 2, situated about a million miles (1.6 million km) from Earth. Its mission is planned for five years, though the US space agency said the telescope may have enough fuel for five additional years. Roman will build on...

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyid Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei has described the United States and the Israeli regime as “sworn enemies” of unity among Muslims, stressing the need for greater solidarity and cooperation across the Islamic world. The Leader issued a message on Sunday, marking the birth anniversary of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and the Islamic Unity Week. The following is the full text of his message: In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful “Mohammad, the Messenger of God, and those who are with him are firm against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves” (Holy Quran 48:29). I extend my congratulations to the noble nation of Iran and the great Islamic Ummah on the occasion of the auspicious birth anniversary of the Great Luminary, the Noblest of Creation, the Radiant Lamp, God’s Chosen One, the City of Knowledge, the Mercy to the Worlds, the Honorable Messenger of Islam (PBUH), and the auspicious birth anniversary of his pure and vir...

Iran's top diplomat met his Qatari counterpart on Thursday in Tehran for talks on the strategic Strait of Hormuz, as a US naval blockade squeezes oil supplies to Iran amid a domestic shortfall. The visit by Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani follows a week of intense diplomacy in Iran involving separate meetings with Oman's top diplomat and senior Pakistani officials seeking ways to end the US war against Iran and reopen Hormuz. It also comes as Washington threatens wider secondary sanctions against countries, banks, and companies that continue doing business with Iran, part of a broader campaign it has called "economic asphyxiation". Iranian state television said Al Thani, who is also Qatar's prime minister, had met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, without providing details. Qatar's foreign ministry said they discussed de-escalation efforts as well as the proposed framework for Hormuz between Iran and Oman. ...

French-Saudi Investment Roundtable in Paris highlights strong investment flows, strategic sectors and expanded private-sector cooperation. The French-Saudi Investment Roundtable was held in Paris on Monday on the occasion of the visit of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to France, bringing together senior government officials, business leaders and chief executives of major companies from both countries to explore new opportunities for investment and economic cooperation. Saudi Minister of Investment Fahad bin Abduljalil Al-Saif said Saudi-French relations, which span a century, had entered a new phase of economic and investment cooperation, supported by the complementary strengths of French expertise in technology, industry, finance and innovation and the ambitious objectives of Saudi Vision 2030. Al-Saif said French foreign direct investment stock in Saudi Arabia reached €16.3 billion in 2024, doubling over five years and making France the K...

Russia is observing National Flag Day on August 22, commemorating the country’s tricolour as one of its official symbols of sovereignty, independence and national unity. National Flag Day was established by a presidential decree in 1994. Along with the national emblem and anthem, the Russian flag represents the country and reflects the continuity of generations of its multinational population. The history of Russia’s white, blue and red tricolour dates back more than three centuries. Peter the Great raised it as his personal standard in Arkhangelsk in 1693, while in 1705 he ordered the flag to be flown on Russian merchant ships. The tricolour was formally adopted as Russia’s national flag in 1896, ahead of the coronation of Emperor Nicholas II. A Federal Constitutional Law on the State Flag of the Russian Federation was adopted on December 25, 2000. Under the law, the flag consists of three equal horizontal stripes — white at the top, blue in the middle and red at the bottom. The ...

Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Saturday that Canada would impose tariffs starting September 8 on imports of US steel, electronics and other products in retaliation for President Donald Trump's 50% tariffs that took effect at midnight. After days of intense negotiations, the two countries did not reach a trade deal late Friday, worsening a delicate relationship between the longtime trade partners and allies and complicating the future of the continental free trade pact known as the US -Mexico-Canada Agreement. Trump's new tariffs hit sectors including wine, furniture, dairy products, cement, clothing, fishing rods and hockey equipment, and cover some $20 billion of Canadian exports to the US. These duties do not exempt Canadian products under the USMCA, which has shielded most Canadian exports to the US in the last 18 months. "Canada will match Washington's new tariffs dollar for dollar in order to protect Canadian workers, farmers, families, and businesses,...

The Government of Pakistan and Google have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote national digital transformation and innovation in Pakistan. Secretary Ministry of Information Technology Zarar Hashim Khan and Google's Senior Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy for Southeast Asia, David Weller, signed the MoU at a ceremony held in Islamabad today. Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, US Chargé d'Affaires, Natalie Baker and members of the Federal Cabinet witnessed the signing ceremony. The signing of the MoU is a significant milestone for establishing Google office in Pakistan. The cooperation between the government of Pakistan and Google will lay the foundation for a new era of digital transformation and innovation in Pakistan. The MoU aims to strengthen cooperation in Pakistan on digital skills, IT exports and innovation. Under the MoU, Pakistan and Google have also agreed to expand the Google Career Certificates programme to promote digital skills...