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Karachi Mall Inferno Leaves Dozens Missing and a City in Mourning

Emergency personnel search for survivors, following a massive fire that broke out in the Gul Plaza Shopping Mall in Karachi, Pakistan. A massive fire at Karachi’s Gul Plaza shopping mall has left at least 19 people dead and dozens more missing, plunging the city into shock as rescue teams continue searching through the burned structure. The blaze erupted over the weekend, rapidly engulfing the multi‑storey building that housed hundreds of small shops and stalls. Firefighters battled the flames for more than a day before gaining control, but large sections of the mall collapsed or were left dangerously unstable. Rescue workers have been combing through the debris, recovering bodies and searching for survivors as anxious families wait outside for news of loved ones. Authorities warn that the death toll may rise, with many victims still unaccounted for and several remains requiring DNA testing for identification. The incident has sparked public anger over emergency response times and r...

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Wall Street Rallies Despite Fed's Tapering Plans

 


Stocks rose on Friday, extending their gains for the week, as investors shrugged off the hawkish tone of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's testimony to Congress. Powell signaled that the Fed is ready to start tapering its bond purchases as soon as November, and that interest rate hikes could follow sooner than expected. However, he also acknowledged that the economic recovery is still facing headwinds from the delta variant of the coronavirus and supply chain disruptions.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.7%, or 238 points, to close at 35,677. The S&P 500 gained 0.8%, or 34 points, to end at 4,544. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.9%, or 139 points, to finish at 15,212. All three major indexes posted weekly gains of more than 1%.

The dollar weakened against a basket of major currencies, as traders reduced their bets on a faster pace of monetary tightening. The dollar index fell 0.3% to 93.38. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note edged lower to 1.45%, after hitting a three-month high of 1.54% on Thursday.

Wall Street analysts said that Powell's comments were largely priced in by the market, and that investors are focusing on the strong earnings outlook and the prospects of more fiscal stimulus from Washington. They also noted that the Fed's tapering plans are contingent on the economic data, which could change depending on the evolution of the pandemic and inflation.

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