KARACHI: Saman*, a resident of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), was at her workplace when a loud explosion occurred in Abu Dhabi — a retaliatory strike by Iran against US-Israel strikes on its territory. Her two children were at home, while her husband was also at work. Her workplace was far from the site of the explosion, so she did not hear it. However, she remained in denial that such an incident could occur in a safe and secure country like the UAE. “Neither did I hear the sound of the first explosion, nor did I concentrate on it as it was another super busy day at work,” Saman told Dawn , adding that her colleagues, who were surprised by the incident, shared the news with her. While still in denial, she immediately checked the news and learned about the incident. Her focus then shifted from the event to the safety of her children and her husband. “My husband checked on my safety through messages, while my daughter, who was terrified by the incident, sent me a text. We soon spok...
India is considering shelving three planned privatisation sales amid weak investor appetite, two government sources said, a slump that has already derailed its attempt to sell a stake in IDBI Bank and is a fresh blow to the government’s flagship divestment programme. The privatisation plan, delayed for years, is now facing fresh setbacks that include dwindling interest in state-run firms such as Shipping Corporation of India and HLL Lifecare, besides the collapse of the IDBI Bank stake sale last week after bids fell short of the government’s minimum price. India’s finance, shipping and health ministries and the companies did not respond to Reuters ’ queries. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious privatisation plan was aimed at having the state exit most sectors while remaining only in sensitive ones such as telecom and banking. But the government could only sell Air India to Tata Sons, and indirect holdings in steel-maker Neelachal Ispat Nigam Ltd to Tata Steel, and Fe...