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Europe on brink: Water reserves plunge amid worsening climate breakdown

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Scientists in a new analysis of satellite data ranging from 2002 to 2024, have discovered that Europe is reeling from the water crisis due to climate breakdown. As per University College London (UCL) data in collaboration with Watershed Investigations and the Guardian, the large swathes of southern and central Europe are drying up, leading to depletion of freshwater, including groundwater. The findings also unveil stark imbalance as, contrary to southern and central parts, North and north-west Europe, such as Scandinavia, Portugal, and parts of the UK are becoming wetter. On…

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Mysterious crackles on Mars believed to be lightning, scientists say

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Scientists have successfully detected lightning on Mars for the first time by capturing the crackling sounds of electrical discharges using NASA’s Perseverance rover. The crackling sound of discharges was primarily captured by a microphone on the rover, according to a French team’s report published Wednesday. However, researchers catalogued 55 instances of what they call “mini lightning” over two Martian years, mainly during dust storms and devils. It has been observed that they have occurred on the blustery days of dust storms. Scientists have been looking for lightning for a longer…

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Scientists finally crack ‘Burtele Foot’ mystery, challenging human evolution

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Scientists have finally cracked the mystery wrapped around 3.4 million-year-old fossils called the “Burtele Foot” which was discovered in 2009 in Ethiopia. According to recent discovery, the foot belonged to a mysterious human ancestor, thereby reshaping the human evolution timeline. According to researchers, the fossils characterized by eight foot bones, belonged to the species Australopithecus deyiremeda, demonstrating the combination of both human-like and ape-like traits. These fossils also showed the co-existence of two closely related hominins, as both species, Australopithecus deyiremeda and Australopithecus afarensis, including Lucy, lived at the same…

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Iran announces discovery of major gold deposit: media

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Iran has announced the discovery of a major gold deposit at one of the country’s biggest mines for the precious metal, local media reported Monday. The new vein structure was found at the privately owned Shadan gold mine in the eastern province of South Khorasan, which Fars news agency described as “among the country’s most important”. The agency said the new reserves have been officially validated by the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Trade. “The proven reserves of the Shadan gold mine in the east of the country have experienced…

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Russia introduces 30-day visa-free access for select Chinese travellers under new decree

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Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed off on a decree introducing visa-free entry into Russia for some categories of Chinese citizens for a period of up to 30 days. The decree, published on the government portal, provides visa-free entry into Russia for Chinese citizens arriving for business, tourism, or participation in scientific, cultural, and sports events. The measure will stay in effect until Sept. 14, 2026, the decree said, adding that it does not apply to some categories, including those coming for work or education. In September, China announced…

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PSX to break 200,000 barrier by December 2026

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KARACHI: Pakistan’s stock market is expected to extend its record-breaking rally into next year, with analysts at Taurus Securities projecting that the KSE-100 index may surpass 200,000 points by December 2026, supported by strong corporate earnings, improved investor confidence, and continued policy anchoring under the IMF programme. The bullish forecast builds on the index’s performance in 2025, as the market absorbs domestic political instability, falling global commodity prices, and active reforms in the energy and fiscal sectors. “We expect the KSE-100 index to reach 206,000 points by the end of…

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Bitcoin drops 5% to less than $90,000

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LONDON: Bitcoin fell below $90,000 on Monday as a sell-off gathered pace following the steepest monthly decline since mid-2021 and as renewed risk aversion drove investors out of stocks and digital assets. The world’s largest cryptocurrency fell 6.1% at one point. By 1120 GMT, it was down 5.2% at $86,461, set for its biggest one-day fall in a month and hovering near last month’s eight-month low of $80,553. Bitcoin shed more than $18,000 in November as a record amount of money rushed out of the market, making this its largest…

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Giving jobs is not the government’s responsibility: FinMin

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ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb reiterated on Monday that it was not the government’s job to give jobs, in a statement that came on the heels of capital flight in the absence of an enabling business environment and a high unemployment rate. Addressing a seminar on population growth, the finance minister said “it is not the government’s job to give jobs and we have to get out of that mindset; it is the ladies and gentlemen who are freelancers today, leading our IT services, leading the IT economy”. Soon after…

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Inflation holds at 6.1% as calls grow for sharp interest rate cuts

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ISLAMABAD: The inflation rate stayed above 6.1% for the second consecutive month, but the underlying inflationary pressure receded in November amid strong calls to cut interest rates to reflect ground realities. The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported on Monday that the headline inflation rate remained stable at around 6.1% in November compared to a year ago. But the other two indicators, the monthly inflation and non-food, non-energy inflation, decelerated, which showed that there was no buildup of price pressure last month. The central bank has been resisting demands from…

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