The US said on Monday it had tested a conventionally configured ground-launched cruise missile in California [US Department of Defense/Reuters] Published in AlJazeera on Aug 22nd, 2019, Moscow and Beijing warn of ‘threats to international peace and security’ after latest US test of new cruise missile. Russia and China have asked the United Nations Security Council to meet on Thursday over “statements by US officials on their plans to develop and deploy medium-range missiles”. Moscow and Beijing want to convene the 15-member council under the agenda item “threats to international peace and security” and have requested that UN disarmament affairs chief Izumi Nakamitsu…
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In this file photo taken on August 19, 2019, an occupying force personnel patrols on a deserted road of the Lal Chowk area in Srinagar. PHOTO: AFP Published in The Express Tribune on Aug 22nd, 2019, ISLAMABAD: With relations between the nuclear-tipped but hostile neighbours, Pakistan and India sparring over the disputed Himalayan territory of Jammu and Kashmir, a former foreign secretary and Pakistan’s envoy across the Radcliff Line have said that Islamabad should engage in dialogue with New Delhi but not beg for it. This was stated by former foreign secretary Riaz Khokar while delivering a guest lecture…
Published in AlJazeera on Aug 22nd, 2019, Abdalla Hamdok sworn in as prime minister alongside a top general who is tasked to oversee a military-civilian council. A new prime minister and a sovereign council with military and civilian members have been sworn in Sudan, ushering in a new era in the country following months of political uncertainty and violence. Abdalla Hamdok, who was chosen by the protest movement to be prime minister, took the oath of office late on Wednesday in the capital, Khartoum. Hamdok has 21 days to name a 20-member cabinet, excluding the interior and defence ministers. The pair will…
Published in BBC on Aug 21st, 2019, Five Labour-supporting groups have urged the party to adopt election candidate shortlists where half of the hopefuls are from an ethnic minority. In a letter to party bosses, the “Friends” groups also called for Labour to ensure diversity on candidate selection panels. Labour is currently deciding on candidate selections ahead of a possible general election this autumn. The party said it was committed to greater ethnic diversity at all levels. The letter was signed by Sikhs for Labour, Chinese for Labour, Labour Friends of Somalia, Labour Black Network, and Kurds for Labour.…
GULF STATES| ECONOMICS & FINANCE Phone scam warning for UAE residents Scammers and fraudsters have become bolder and are now using scare tactics to extract money from unsuspecting people. Many gullible residents have lost hundreds of thousands of dirhams, authorities said. Phone fraudsters now call people directly or send them a WhatsApp message to tell them that their ATM or credit cards are blocked and they need to call a certain number to fix the problem, Abdullah Buali, information security analyst at UAE’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) said on Thursday. The podcast was part of the social media campaign by…
INDIAN ECONOMY: OVERVIEW, GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT Govt withdraws surcharge on long, short term capital gains Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is addressing a press conference amid concerns over the on-going economic slowdown in the country. This development came after Moody’s Investors Service on Friday cut India’s GDP growth forecast for 2019 calendar year to 6.2 percent from the previous estimation of 6.8 percent. For 2020 calendar year, it reduced the estimate by a similar measure to 6.7 percent. There are concerns around the declining GDP growth too, which is a sign of worry for the government. The GDP growth has…
ECONOMIC TIMES OF PAKISTAN Conditions eased for solar panel import The government has relaxed some conditions for an extended period in a bid to clear and release hundreds of containers carrying solar panels and related equipment stuck at the port. The matter of delay in release of containers holding solar panels and related equipment was taken up in a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan on August 20. Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda drew attention of the cabinet to the issue. Consequently, PM Imran took notice of the matter and gave directive for resolving it. Now, the…
UIT students celebrate the spirit of independence through wall painting drive The students and faculty of Usman Institute of Technology (UIT), one of the country’s top technology institutions, got together to celebrate the spirit of independence through a wall painting drive in Karachi. Hundreds of UIT students converged on different street spots in Karachi to beautify the city walls and paint messages of love, peace, patriotism, and civic sense in a commendable effort undertaken in collaboration of the District Municipal Corporation (DMC) East. In addition to powerful messages, the walls paintings displayed creations inspired by Pakistan’s culture, landscapes, and personalities…
Kibor rate is the average interest rate at which term deposits are offered between prime banks in the Pakistani wholesale money market or interbank market. KIBOR as a benchmark, to encourage transparency and improve management of the market risk undertaken by banks. [ads1] KIBOR RATES IN PAKISTAN TENOR BID OFFER 1 – Week 13.22 13.72 2 – Week 13.27 13.77 1 – Month 13.30 13.80 3 – Month 13.66 13.91 6 – Month 13.83 14.08 9 – Month 13.90 14.40 1 – Year 13.95 14.45 2 – Year 13.92 14.42 3- Year 13.92 14.42
[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Paulo Barreto Senior Research, IMAZON- Instituto do Homem e Meio Ambiente da Amazônia Robert Muggah Co-founder, Igarape Institute and SecDev Group[/box] News coverage of the catastrophic impacts of global warming are everywhere. From the Arctic to Brazil, the house is clearly on fire. One study recently estimated that the productivity of the 10 most important agricultural crops has on average decreased worldwide due to a warmer and drier climate. Make no mistake, climate change is already contributing to hunger, migration and conflict. And while we face a climate emergency of unprecedented scale, there are also signs of possible solutions. Scaling measures to…
[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Brad Power Founding member, myCancerDB[/box] Cancer treatment is not one-size-fits-all. Thanks to medical advancements, people receiving a cancer diagnosis might have many potential treatment options, ranging from established, “tried-and-true” treatments to experimental ones. But in many cases, it’s up to you, the patient, to drive conversations with your medical team about the options and determine which treatments are best for you. Data can help. Data is behind the explosion of “precision medicine” and “personalized medicine”—and now, data can be used to identify the best treatment options for an individual. While it can be difficult to gather this…
[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Andrew Baker, University of Sheffield and Richard Murphy, City, University of London[/box] A major priority for the French government in hosting the 2019 G7 summit at Biarritz is to combat inequality, both within advanced economies and between countries. But if the G7 are serious about tackling inequality, there is a need to tackle the “race to the bottom” in taxation that affects governments around the world. In our recent research, we’ve developed a new evaluation framework to assist in that task. The Biarritz agenda is just the latest example of a strong international consensus that reducing…
[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Ian Lambert, Edinburgh Napier University[/box] Beachcombing has long been a part of life for island communities. On the southwestern edge of Scarp, a small, treeless island off the coast of Harris in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, the Mol Mòr (“big beach”) was where locals went to collect driftwood for repairing buildings and making furniture and coffins. Today there is still much driftwood, but as much or more plastic. Scarp was abandoned in 1972. The island is now used only in summer by owners of a small number of holiday homes. But across Harris and the Hebrides, people…
[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Beñat Bilbao-Osorio Head, Frontier Insights, World Economic Forum[/box] The end of this week will showcase two important events for global economic governance. First, central bankers, leading academics and representatives of international organizations from around the world will meet in Jackson Hole, Wyoming starting Thursday. Then, over the weekend, leaders from the Group of Seven (G7) will gather in Biarritz, France. High on both agendas will be an analysis of the latest economic indicators that seem to point to an acceleration of the global economic slowdown and the risk of a looming global recession. The leaders will be confronted…
[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Brett Walton Reporter, Circle of Blue This article was originally published by Circle of Blue[/box] In Chennai and Harare today, millions of Indians and Zimbabweans find themselves short of water. History, unfortunately, is repeating. São Paulo, in 2014, nearly drained its main reservoir as officials sluggishly responded to a drought. Cape Town came close to doing the same last year when dry weather exposed the fragility of a water system that relied primarily on rainfall. What is the next center of population and commerce to be roiled by a severely constricted water supply? It’s an urgent question. Climate change is loosening the…
[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]by Niall McCarthy, Aug 20, 2019[/box] Amid Brexit, the unpredictability of Trump’s presidency ongoing conflicts in Yemen and Syria and countless other factors, the world is becoming less stable and increasingly fragile. Given the situation in 2019, the results of The Fund For Peace’s Fragile State Index is particularly interesting this year. Yemen has been named the most fragile state, ahead of South Sudan and Syria. Considering the political situation in both three countries their place at the top of the index is hardly surprising. What is particularly interesting this time around is the list of the countries who…
[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]by Felix Richter, Aug 19, 2019[/box] According to Nielsen’s latest Total Audience Report, television is still the most used electronic medium for U.S. adults. On average, Americans aged 18 and older spend almost four and a half hours a day watching TV, still beating the three hours they interact with their smartphone on an average day. While these findings certainly show that television is still relevant and shouldn’t be written off prematurely, a closer look reveals a trend that could spell doom for TV networks in the long run. According to Nielsen’s findings there appears to be a…
[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]by Sarah Feldman, Aug 16, 2019[/box] The time people spend with print newspapers and magazines has dwindled, with media attention being dominated by the internet in 2019. That trend will only increase over the next two years, according to Zenith Media Consumption Report. Consumers have limited time and attention, pushing print to the side as they move onto digital channels. The daily time each consumer worldwide will spend on the internet this year is forecasted to hit 170 minutes daily, roughly 3 hours a day. By 2021, consumers are estimated to spend 192 minutes per day on the internet. Specifically,…
[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]by Martin Armstrong, Aug 19, 2019[/box] On 6 August 1991, British physicist Tim Berners-Lee at CERN in Switzerland published the first ever website, the WorldWideWeb (W3). By the end of 1992 there were ten websites online and, after CERN made the W3 technology publicly available on a royalty-free basis in 1993, the internet gradually started to grow into the all-encompassing giant that it is today. By 1994, there were close to 3 thousand sites, one of which was a fledgling Yahoo! which, originally called ‘Jerry and David’s Guide to the World Wide Web’, started its online life as a…
Index hits 4-year low on Pakistan-India tension over held kashmir and number of political arrests Summary If it is considered that ‘Stock Exchange’ is the ‘barometer’ of economy than last week long week (Eidul Azha and Independence Day holidays) it has shown that Pakistan’s economy is standing at its lowest ebb with KSE-100 Index standing on Friday at 29,429.07 — the lowest level in more than four years. The incident of India occupied Kashmir where Indian parliament revoked the special status of it and number of political arrests has shaken the stock exchange, which remained red in all five days…
Disney has announced its plans to reboot Home Alone, the 1990 Christmas classic starring Macaulay Culkin. Photo: 20th Century Fox Published in Geo News on Aug 8th, 2019, Disney is rebooting Home Alone and Night at the Museum for its new TV streaming service, which launches in the US in November and is intended to rival Netflix. The beloved and high-grossing film franchises were acquired by Disney during its takeover of 21st Century Fox. Chief executive Bob Iger said Disney was “focused on leveraging Fox’s vast library of great titles… for example reimagining Home Alone, Night at the Museum, Cheaper by the Dozen, and Diary of a…
© Danny Moloshok/Shutterstock Published in MSN on Aug 7th, 2019, By Nellie Andreeva For the fourth time in history, the Primetime Emmy Awards are going host-less. Fox, which carries the ceremony this year, and the Television Academy, have decided to not have a host on the show, which takes place a month and a half from now, on September 22. Fox Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier just confirmed the news during the network’s TCA executive session. The last time the Emmys went without a host was in 2003, also on Fox. The other previous host-less Emmy broadcasts were in 1998 (on NBC) and 1975…
The movie managed to win the Jury Prize while Nayyar Ejaz won the Best Supporting Actor award. Published in Dawn News on Aug 8th, 2019, The movie managed to win the Jury Prize while Nayyar Ejaz won the Best Supporting Actor award. It hasn’t even been two months since Baaji’s release and the film already has two awards under its belt. The Meera-starrer was selected for a screening at the Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival in Ontario, Canada where it won the Jury Prize while Nayyar Ejaz won the Best Supporting Actor award. Co-star Ali Kazmi was a runner-up in…
Published in Gulf News on Aug 7th, 2019, The 28-member band of musicians are known for performing Gulf hits and fan favourites The Dubai Arabic Orchestra will perform in Saudi Arabia for the first time for Eid Al Adha celebrations. In collaboration with Dubai Opera, the King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture will welcome the orchestra at Ithra Theatre. The 28-member Dubai Arabic Orchestra, which was founded in 2017, performs Gulf classics and fan favourites, including songs by Mohammed Abdo, Talal Maddah, Eid Al-Faraj and Abdulrab Idris. [ads1] “It has become absolutely vital to highlight our Gulf and…
Dwayne Johnson poses at the premiere of “San Andreas” in Hollywood, California, US, May 26, 2015. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/Files Published in Geo on Aug 5th, 2019, Hollywood actor and professional wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson thanked a Pakistani fan on Twitter this weekend for praising his latest movie Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. The iconic actor brought happiness to the fan for his love for the legendary star, saying: “Wow – this is huge / thank you Pakistan for the love and enjoy @HobbsAndShaw.” The Pakistani fan, @AliFaraz15, had written: “No one but Dwayne Johnson Can. @TheRock. A must Watch…
Published in Ary Sports on Aug 8th, 2019, By Shahzad Malik Pakistan Cricket Board has reduced the number of central contracts from 33 players to 19 players, which are divided into three categories, A, B and C. According to the Managing Director PCB, Waseem Khan, the board has raised players’ remunerations significantly. “We have set big goals for the next season,” said the MD. “We have also raised the bar for central contracts. We are confident that players given the central contracts will help us achieve our goals with their performance.” The board issued contracts for 2019-20, which have three players,…
The five-member delegation was led by Sri Lankan board’s secretary Mohan De Silva. — Dawn/File Published in Dawn News on Aug 8th, 2019, KARACHI: A delegation of Sri Lanka Cricket visited the Central Police Office on Wednesday and met Inspector General of Police Dr Kaleem Imam to discuss arrangements for security of the upcoming matches at the National Stadium Karachi. The five-member delegation was led by Sri Lankan board’s secretary Mohan De Silva. A five-member delegation of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), led by director international cricket operations Zakir Khan, was also present during the meeting. The Sindh home…
Published in Geo News on Aug 7th, 2019, LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board on Wednesday announced it has decided not to renew contracts of head coach Mickey Arthur, bowling coach Azhar Mahmood, batting coach Grant Flower and trainer Grant Luden. The PCB Cricket Committee, which met on Friday, was unanimous in its recommendations for a revamp of the coaching setup. The recommendations were forwarded and discussed with PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani, who approved the changes. As part of the recruitment process, the PCB will now advertise the four available roles and will invite high-level applications from interested candidates, a press…
Williams, a 23-times Grand Slam champion, topped the annual list for a fourth consecutive year. — AFP/File Published in Dawn on Aug 8th, 2019, Reuters LONDON: Naomi Osaka’s Grand Slam title wins at the US and Australian Opens have helped catapult the Japanese tennis player up to second, behind Serena Williams, in Forbes’ list of the highest-paid female athletes over the last year. Williams, a 23-times Grand Slam champion, topped the annual list for a fourth consecutive year with estimated total earnings of $29.2 million, the business magazine said. Osaka’s total income grew to $24.3 million, driven mainly by…
The England defender becomes Old Trafford club’s second most expensive recruit after French midfielder Paul Pogba [Matthias Schrader/AP] Published in AlJazeera on Aug 5th, 2019, Media reports say the transfer fee was about $97m, making Harry Maguire the most expensive defender in the world. Manchester United has made Harry Maguire the world’s most expensive defender after signing him from Leicester for around $97m, according to media reports. The British football club said on Monday that the 26-year-old centre back signed a six-year contract with an option for a further season. “Manchester United is delighted to confirm the signing of…
Prime Minister Imran Khan chairs a National Security Committee meeting along with armed forces chiefs and other government officials in Islamabad. Image Credit: AFP Published in Gulf News on Aug 7th, 2019, Islamabad’s move came after India declared the abrogation of provisions of Article 370 New Delhi/Islamabad: Pakistan’s top civil and military leadership has decided to expel Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria and suspend bilateral trade with India in the wake of New Delhi’s move of revoking special status for Jammu and Kashmir. The decision was taken on Wednesday at a meeting of National Security Committee (NSC) – the…
Published in AlJazeera on Aug 8th, 2019, As lockdown continues for a third day, business owners, journalists and trapped non-local workers face grim situation. Editor’s note: Al Jazeera has withheld the identity of the reporter(s) of this story out of safety concerns. Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir – For a third straight day, Indian-administered Kashmir has been under a strict lockdown imposed by Indian security forces in the wake of the abrogation of the special status of the Muslim-majority state. The Himalayan region’s booming tourism industry has come to a grinding halt, with business owners facing major losses. “His (Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s) government gave…
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to Customs and Border Protection officers in the wake of last weekend’s mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, U.S., August 7, 2019. REUTERS/Leah Millis Published in Reuters on Aug 7th, 2019, By Jeff Mason EL PASO, Texas (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump met victims and first responders from last weekend’s deadly shootings in Texas and Ohio on Wednesday, as chanting protesters accused him of inflaming tensions with anti-immigrant and racially charged rhetoric. Trump visited hospitals where victims were treated in El Paso, Texas, on the border with Mexico, and in Dayton, Ohio, after…
Those arrested were taken to a military hangar to be processed for immigration violations [Rogelio V Solis/AP] Published in AlJazeera on Aug 8th, 2019, Family members and friends in tears as 680 mostly Latino workers were taken away by immigration agents in Mississippi. US immigration officials have raided seven meat processing plants in the southern state of Mississippi, arresting 680 mostly Latino workers in the largest workplace sting in at least a decade. The raids on Wednesday happened just hours before President Donald Trump visited El Paso, Texas, the majority-Latino border city where a man linked to an online screed about…
China’s foreign ministry says it is an international consensus that the Kashmir issue is an issue left from the past between India and Pakistan. — AP/File Published in Dawn on Aug 6th, 2019, China said on Tuesday it opposed India’s decision to revoke the special status of Kashmir, a disputed region sandwiched among India, Pakistan and China, because it undermined China’s territorial sovereignty. In a move to tighten its grip on the Himalayan region, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government dropped a constitutional provision that allowed the only Muslim-majority region occupied by India to make its own laws. “China is always…
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping pose for a photo ahead of their bilateral meeting during the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo Published in Reuters on Aug 6th, 2019, By Susan Heavey WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday vowed to protect American farmers against China by signaling to provide further aid if needed, a day after Chinese firms stopped agricultural purchases and Beijing threatened more tariffs on U.S. farm products. “Our great American Farmers know that China will not be able to hurt them…
GULF STATES – ECONOMICS & FINANCE Guests from UAE and Saudi Arabia dominate hotel eid bookings UAE residents and visitors from Saudi Arabia are dominating hotel bookings across the UAE, as the country prepares for the long Eid break, hospitality experts revealed. Speaking to source, many hotel and travel officials noted that Dubai remained a popular destination in the GCC, especially during the Eid breaks, due to its wide range of family friendly offerings. “With the long Eid break, we can really expect to see more guests from the UAE and Saudi Arabia in our hotel since we are very…
INDIAN ECONOMY: OVERVIEW, GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT Auto industry unanimous on its demand for gst cut to 18pc The auto industry says all stakeholders have unanimously sought a reduction in Goods and Services Tax (GST) to 18 percent from 28 percent due to a major slowdown in the sector. Rajan Wadhera, President, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), said there’s an urgent need for the GST reduction to 18 percent. “Need for an immediate reduction in the GST rates has been agreed unanimously by all automobile manufacturers, including the two-wheeler OEMs. This was also reiterated at a recent meeting with the…
ECONOMIC TIMES OF PAKISTAN FBR recovers just $6mn from OECD treasure trove Despite high priority of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the government could dispose of just 19 cases and recovered a paltry sum of Rs883 million ($6 million) out of total 57,450 cases worth $7.5 billion referred by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Thursday gave a detailed briefing to the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance about the recovery status and actions taken in offshore cases, referred to it by the OECD. Pakistan had received the information from OECD in…
Uzbekistan Is An Emerging Market For Islamic Finance AlHuda CIBE holds two-day training workshop on Takaful at Uzbekistan Banking Association The Two Days Specialized Training Workshop on Takaful organized by AlHuda Centre of Islamic Banking and Economics was successfully concluded at Uzbekistan Banking Association, Uzbekistan on August 5-6, 2019. The purpose of the training was to equip the professionals with Islamic finance knowledge keep focusing on the Islamic Insurance models and operational mechanism. Alongside, the Islamic finance promotion and to strengthen the industry in the region were also the agenda of the training. The world well know trainer and consultant…
Kibor rate is the average interest rate at which term deposits are offered between prime banks in the Pakistani wholesale money market or interbank market. KIBOR as a benchmark, to encourage transparency and improve management of the market risk undertaken by banks. [ads1] KIBOR RATES IN PAKISTAN TENOR BID OFFER 1 – Week 13.27 13.77 2 – Week 13.29 13.79 1 – Month 13.32 13.82 3 – Month 13.66 13.91 6 – Month 13.83 14.08 9 – Month 13.88 14.38 1 – Year 13.96 14.46 2 – Year 13.93 14.43 3- Year 13.91 14.41
[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Garfield Benjamin, Solent University[/box] Not content with monitoring almost everything you do online, Facebook now wants to read your mind as well. The social media giant recently announced a breakthrough in its plan to create a device that reads people’s brainwaves to allow them to type just by thinking. And Elon Musk wants to go even further. One of the Tesla boss’s other companies, Neuralink, is developing a brain implant to connect people’s minds directly to a computer. Musk admits that he takes inspiration from science fiction, and that he wants to make sure humans can…
[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]David Flynn, Heriot-Watt University and Valentin Robu, Heriot-Watt University[/box] The modern world depends on the smooth provision of vital services such as energy, transportation, telecommunications, food, water and healthcare. But the systems underpinning these sectors are increasingly complex and interdependent, interacting at a global scale – which makes them susceptible to potentially catastrophic failures when they come under stress. The recent blackout in the UK is a good example. While relatively brief, this outage – caused by the simultaneous failure of two generators, a gas-fired plant in Barford and the Hornsea offshore wind farm – left…
[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Julian Torres Santeli Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Fellow, World Economic Forum, Manager at Deloitte Canada’s AI practice Sabine Gerdon Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Fellow, World Economic Forum, Senior Policy Adviser at the UK’s Office for Artificial Intelligence[/box] From transportation solutions to video-streaming applications, artificial intelligence (AI) permeates almost every aspect of our lives. This includes government, where AI is increasingly making an impact. Consider the two examples below: Emma chatbot: US Citizenship and Immigration Services receives a considerable amount of service requests daily. In response, a chatbot named Emma was deployed to address immigration questions.…
[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Matt Davis Writer, The Big Think This article was originally published by Big Think[/box] The humble shipping container is finding new life in the U.K., where Fraser Brown MacKenna Architects has obtained approval to construct a series of homes out of the ubiquitous containers. This “cargotecture” project is aimed at providing cheap, social housing using recycled materials. These microhomes will have a kitchen and living room in the front and a private bed and bathroom in the back, with a deck at either end. The top of the containers will be covered with sedum, a kind of succulent…
[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Philip Roscoe, University of St Andrews[/box] Protests in Hong Kong have captured the world’s attention in recent weeks, with demonstrators closing streets and the airport, and Chinese forces amassing near the border with a none too subtle threat of violent reprisal. The protests began in response to a new extradition law, but have spilled over into a general unease about the future of Hong Kong’s special administrative status. This special status sets Hong Kong apart from mainland China in a number of ways. As well as enjoying various social and political freedoms, it has a free…
[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Wadia Ait Hamza Head of the Global Shapers Community, World Economic Forum Natalie Pierce Interactions & Programming Lead, Global Shapers Community, Foundations, World Economic Forum This article is part of the Global Shapers Annual Summit[/box] Young people coming together in joint action has served as a major engine of social transformation throughout human history. At key moments, younger generations have repeatedly acted to overthrow and dismantle systems of oppression, subordination and injustice. Today, youth-led collective action is proving decisive in combating global challenges. From fighting for the environment, to protecting and expanding the rights of women and…
[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Winnie King, University of Bristol[/box] The US has escalated its trade war with China by accusing the country of devaluing its currency to make its exports unfairly cheap. When China’s currency, the renminbi (RMB) fell below the symbolic seven-per-dollar level on August 5, President Donald Trump reacted by labelling China a currency manipulator on Twitter. His Treasury department followed suit, making it the official government position. It is the latest development in a fight that was never purely about economics. And it marks a fundamental shift in relations between the world’s two largest economies. What was…
[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]by Felix Richter, Aug 1, 2019[/box] While there is officially no such thing as a world currency, the U.S. dollar still is the closest thing to being just that. It may no longer be as important as during the Bretton Woods system, when most currencies were pegged against the dollar, but to this day the U.S. dollar remains the world’s de facto reserve currency. According to COFER (Currency Composition of Official Foreign Exchange Reserves) data disclosed on a quarterly basis by the International Monetary Fund, the U.S. dollar accounted for 61.8 percent of the $10.9 trillion in allocated foreign…
[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]by Sarah Feldman, Jul 31, 2019[/box] The ad market in the United States is two and a half times bigger than its nearest competitor, China, according to new analysis by Zenith. The combined advertising spending of the other nine markets in the top ten just pass the ad spend in the U.S., rounding out to around $245 billion collectively. The United States advertising market is huge, standing at roughly $229 billion dollars. Much of that size is now bolstered by digital ad spends. According to forecasts from PwC and IAB, digital ad spending surpassed traditional channels this year in the United…
[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]by Katharina Buchholz, Aug 1, 2019[/box] High inflation rates can hurt any country’s economy and point to underlying problems in economic policy. Currently, Iran, Turkey and Nigeria are three countries where high inflation rates are putting a strain on citizens and businesses, with effects ranging from exorbitant food prices, rising rents and falling sales on non-necessary items. But very low inflation, as Singapore, Ireland and Japan are experiencing at the moment, has its own set of problems. While low inflation will encourage consumers to make purchases, it can lead to less earnings for companies and decreased hiring and…
[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]by Sarah Feldman, Aug 1, 2019[/box] BeyondMeat, the company selling pea-based meat substitute has had the biggest IPO of the year so far, moving from startup to public company in an impressive succession and putting the spotlight on the agrifood startup world. Over the past six years, funding for agrifood tech startups has grown by 550 percent, hitting nearly $17 billion last year, according to Agfunder. Just between 2017 and 2018, that corner of the startup world grew by 43 percent. Startups in the agricultural space are using technology to improve animal health; breeding; farm management and techniques;…
[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]by Sarah Feldman, Aug 2, 2019[/box] Yesterday President Trump announced an additional 10 percent tariff on $300 billion in Chinese goods, which will be put in place on September 1st. Over the past three months, the world’s two largest economies were pursuing trade talks to come to an agreement over the trade dispute. The last round of tariffs was put in place at the beginning of June when China announced 25 percent tariffs on U.S. goods worth $60 billion. The move comes after President Trump placed 25 percent levies on $200 billion of Chinese goods late last week.…
In the present crisis of energy in the developing world, the harnessing of the solar energy has become urgency. The following is an interview with Mr. Ashar Aziz –Founder and Chairman, SkyElectric PAGE: Why did you choose to start SkyElectric, and launch the Solar System in Pakistan, considering your long history of building global companies out of Silicon Valley, USA? Ashar Aziz: I have spent the better part of my life as an entrepreneur, building products mostly for developed countries and the IT departments of the Global 2000. My last company, FireEye, is a global cybersecurity company, managing business globally, but…
Stocks remains under pressure on inflation and political noise Summary The KSE-100 Index is continuously under decline since week starting July 8 till close of August 2, 2019 coming down from 34,190 to 31,666 level. Investors are witnessing many economic and political events unfolding fast and continuous. It is difficult for stock investor to make a sense out of it and decision making of stock investors who prefer to look for stability and clarity. As such stock market is volatile with low participation. The stock index has hit its lowest level during the period. The foreigners remain positive and buyers…
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex visits the Smart Works career centre in West London, Thursday Jan. 10, 2019. Meghan on Thursday has become patron of the Smart Works charity that supports unemployed women to return to work. (Clodagh Kilcoyne/Pool via AP)Image Credit: AP Published in Gulf on Aug 01st, 2019, Smart Works helps unemployed women find work The Duchess of Sussex is launching a clothing line to support a charity that helps unemployed women find work. Meghan said the workwear collection would provide the charity, Smart Works, with continuity. The racks of clothing and array of shoes and bags…
The four minute video accurately flags some important points pertaining to child safety, child abuse and good/bad touch. Published in Dawn on July 31st, 2019, Two-time Academy Award winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy has released the fourth and final part from her animated series, Shattering the Silence. Titled as ‘Child Safety: Ways to Protect Yourself’, SOC Film’s video highlights the importance of saying no, aiming to create a consequential discourse pertaining to issues of child abuse. Growing up, we’ve all been repeatedly told to not be casual with our trust, not engage with strangers or take anything from them; while parents even…
Published in Ary Sports on Aug 1st, 2019, Pakistan’s living legend, Javed Miandad has suggested Wasim Akram’s name for the position of the cricket team’s head coach as the whole world is making use of his expertise. The contract of current head coach Mickey Arthur expired with the conclusion of World Cup and the board is weighing the idea of either hiring a new coach or giving the South African an extension to work with the team. “Look the world is availing expertise of Wasim Akram and our other players as they tell their players practically through demonstrations how…
Bernal won the Tour for Team Ineos. His team included Geraint Thomas, last year’s winner who finished second in this year’s race. Credit Credit Pete Kiehart for The New York Times Published in The New York Times on July 30th, 2019, By Sinar Alvarado Egan Bernal, 22, surged ahead to win Sunday’s race. Colombia has a strong cycling tradition, taking advantage of its mountainous terrain. BOGOTÁ, Colombia — Like most Colombian cyclists, Egan Bernal is a gifted climber. Unlike most Colombian cyclists, he took advantage of those climbing skills honed in the Andean country to reach the pinnacle of the…
If one English ground was designed to test the backbone of the Australian cricket team it is ‘fortress Edgbaston’. — AFP/File Published in Dawn on Aug 1st, 2019, BIRMINGHAM: If one English ground was designed to test the backbone of the Australian cricket team it is ‘fortress Edgbaston’ where the visitors will be offered a red-hot welcome on Thursday. Raucous Edgbaston is about as far removed from the refined surrounds of Lord’s as it can get — especially the notorious Eric Hollies stand, the spiritual home of England’s vociferous Barmy Army. Australian batsman David Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron…
Published in Ary News on July 31st, 2019, Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp and three players Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Virgil van Dijk headed nominations released Wednesday for the FIFA Best awards that will be presented in Milan on September 23. Klopp led Liverpool, and that vital trio of players, to the Champions League trophy and also second place to Manchester City in the Premier League. Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi also make the shortlist for the men’s award along with PSG’s Kylian Mbappe, Tottenham’s Harry Kane, Belgian Eden Hazard and Dutch duo Frenkie de Jong and…
Pakistan and India last met in Davis Cup competition in 2006 in Mumbai, when India won [File: Laurent Baheux/AP] Published in AlJazeera on July 31st, 2019, by Saba Aziz Despite political tensions, Indian squad will travel to Islamabad for Davis Cup tie in September, officials confirm. India will tour Pakistan for a Davis Cup tennis competition for the first time in 55 years despite strained relations between the two nuclear-armed countries. A six-player Indian squad, along with the support staff, captain, and other officials will travel to the capital, Islamabad in September for the two-day Asia/Oceania zone Group I…
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is the target of latest US sanctions on Iran as tensions rise between the two countries [File: Evgenia Novozhenina/Reuters] Published in AlJazeera on July 31st, 2019, Latest action targeting Iran’s top diplomat and nuclear deal negotiator comes as US extends nuclear sanctions waivers. The United States has imposed sanctions on Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said on its website. The Treasury Department said on Wednesday that it was imposing sanctions on Zarif for acting on behalf of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “Javad Zarif implements…
Published in BBC on Aug 01st, 2019, Plastic bags sales by the biggest supermarkets in England have halved in the last year, government data shows. Asda, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, the Co-op, Tesco and Waitrose sold 549 million single-use plastic bags in 2018-19, down from one billion in the previous year. Since 2015, when a 5p charge was introduced to tackle plastic pollution, the number being used is down by 90%. Customers now buy, on average, 10 bags a year compared to 140 bags in 2014. Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers said the figures were “a powerful demonstration that we…
Dr Anwar Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs – Image Credit: AFP Published in Gulf News on July 31st, 2019, ‘Qatari media does not realise that our alliance has been reinforced through sacrifices’ Dubai: UAE State Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Anwar Gargash lambasted Qatari media on Wednesday for trying to create a rift between the UAE and Saudi Arabia. “To create a rift between the UAE and Saudi Arabia through the gateway of Yemen, Iran or others, is impossible. The thoughtless Qatari media does not realise that our alliance has been reinforced through sacrifices, coordination, dialogue…
US officials have downplayed the threat of the launches to the US and its allies [Ahn Young-joon/AP] Published in AlJazeera on July 31st, 2019, State news agency says leader Kim Jong Un supervised the test firings and had expressed ‘satisfaction’ over the outcome. North Korea has announced that its leader Kim Jong Un supervised test firings of a new multiple rocket launcher system he sees as soon serving a “main role” in his military’s land combat operations. The report by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency on Thursday disputed the assessment by South Korea’s military, which had concluded that Wednesday’s…
Published in The Express Tribune on July 31st, 2019, ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Wednesday pointed out that the Indian ceasefire violations on the Line of Control negatively affected the country’s efforts for peace in Afghanistan and it had to move forward taking stock of these facts. “It must be realised that the situation in Afghanistan cannot be viewed in isolation from the situation on the eastern border,” he said at a news conference accompanied by Kashmir Committee Chairman Syed Fakhar Imam. Earlier, a special meeting of the parliamentary committee on Kashmir was held at the Foreign Office.…
FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. President Barack Obama addresses a town hall of young leaders from across Europe at an Obama Foundation event in Berlin, Germany April 6, 2019. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch Published in Reuters on July 31st, 2019, By Ginger Gibson WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Former President Barack Obama was not on the Democratic presidential candidate debate stage on Wednesday night, but he was omnipresent as 2020 hopefuls struggled with attacking the legacy of their party’s most popular member. Coming under heavy attack from more liberal, lower-polling candidates, front-runner Joe Biden frequently invoked Obama in his defense, the first black president,…
GULF STATES| ECONOMICS & FINANCE Loans get cheaper in UAE The Central Bank of the UAE on Wednesday said that it was cutting interest rates applied on the issuance of certificates of deposits starting from Thursday, immediately following the US Federal Reserve’s decision to cut rates by 25 basis points – the US central bank’s first such move since the financial crisis of 2008. The UAE central bank said in a statement its repo rate for borrowing short-term liquidity had also been cut by 25 bps, effective from Thursday. Lower interest rates, when passed on to the consumer, would mean…
INDIAN ECONOMY: OVERVIEW, GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT SBI share price falls over 3percent post q1 earnings State Babk of India stock fell 3.20percent on Friday to day’s low of Rs 307.20 after the public sector bank logged a lower than expected profit of Rs 2,312 crore in the first quarter ended June 30, hit by a tax expense even as bad loan provisions fell. The stock price of SBI opened 2 points lower against the previous close of Rs 317.20 and fell to day’s low of Rs 307.05, registering a decline of 3.20percent on the BSE. Shares of SBI were trading…
ECONOMIC TIMES OF PAKISTAN PKR stable against $ The rupee remained stable against the dollar at Rs159.5/160 in the inter-bank market on Friday compared with Thursday’s close of Rs159.5/160, according to forex.pk. Earlier, the SBP let the rupee depreciate massively in the inter-bank market after finalising an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a loan programme on May 12. The IMF has asked Pakistan to end state control of the rupee and let the currency move freely to find its equilibrium against the US dollar and other major world currencies. Also, the World Bank, which finances some of…
Standard Chartered organises ‘women in tech’ graduation ceremony Five women led companies win up to $10,000 in seed funding Standard Chartered, in partnership with INNOVentures Global (Pvt.) Limited, is excited to announce the five winners of this year’s Standard Chartered #SCWomenInTech Programme 2019. Today’s event saw five women led teams shortlisted from over 80 applicants win up to USD 10,000 in seed funding for their businesses. The Chief Guest at the occasion was Mr. Zubair Gilani, Chairman Board of Investment. The five teams were selected from a pool of the best 18 teams previously shortlisted and went through the #SCWomenInTech…
Kibor rate is the average interest rate at which term deposits are offered between prime banks in the Pakistani wholesale money market or interbank market. KIBOR as a benchmark, to encourage transparency and improve management of the market risk undertaken by banks. [ads1] KIBOR RATES IN PAKISTAN TENOR BID OFFER 1 – Week 13.22 13.72 2 – Week 13.27 13.77 1 – Month 13.30 13.80 3 – Month 13.66 13.91 6 – Month 13.78 14.03 9 – Month 13.84 14.34 1 – Year 13.88 14.38 2 – Year 13.87 14.37 3- Year 13.87 14.37
[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Shahzada Ahmad Ikerbasque Professor & European Research Council Principal Investigator[/box] Our planet is facing an unprecedented global emergency due to the climate crisis. To counter thus narrative we need new and disruptive energy technologies. Breakthroughs here can make our planet a better place to live, minimize the deleterious effects of climate change and ensure a high standard of living. Harvesting energy through green and clean means is the way forward to preserve our civilization. As Jimmy Carter once said: no-one can ever embargo the sun or interrupt its delivery to us”; the sun is the best…
[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Johnny Wood Writer, Formative Content[/box] Is our planet approaching a climate change cliff edge? Across the world, from the forests to the oceans, the consequences of humanity’s activities are being felt – and the effects could be catastrophic. Here are four key climate emergencies happening right now: 1. Arctic permafrost is melting Image: Nature Rising temperatures are destabilizing the frozen ground that covers almost a fifth of the planet’s surface, and which has remained intact for millennia. Permafrost binds soil, rock and sand in the ground. As it thaws, previously frozen organic matter in the ice decomposes,…
[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]John Bryson, University of Birmingham[/box] One of the beacons of UK social housing policy, the legislation from 1919 that became known as the Addison Act after its sponsor, the minister of health Christopher Addison, imposed for the first time a duty on councils to build good quality and affordable housing. But, as with most policies, it was only partially effective. Today, 100 years later, housing provision in the UK remains a major challenge, mired in problems of affordability and availability. Britain is a home-owning nation, where housing is considered an investment asset for individuals rather than…
[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Anna Pujol-Mazzini Journalist at Thomson Reuters Foundation This article was originally published by Reuters[/box] Tired of seeing Senegal’s seascapes spoiled by ever-growing mounds of cheap plastic bags, authorities plan to crack down on polluters by imposing fines and further restricting plastic use. The West African country, whose beaches on the Atlantic attract tourists from all over the world, is one of the world’s biggest contributors to ocean plastic despite having a population of just 15 million. A study in 2010, reported by the journal Science, put it 21st out of all nations for quantity of waste…
[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Aurore Julien, University of East London[/box] The warmer it gets, the more people crank up the air conditioning (AC). In fact, AC is booming in nations across the world: it’s predicted that around two thirds of the world’s households could have an air conditioner by 2050, and the demand for energy to cool buildings will triple. But unless the energy comes from renewable sources, all that added demand will generate more greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to global warming – and of course, to hotter summers. It’s a vicious cycle – but buildings can be designed…
[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Johnny Chi Jingtao Chairman, COFCO Corporation[/box] Journalists, politicians and regular citizens have spent much time in recent years discussing the ‘Chinese dream’. It’s our vision of China’s journey into the future. I believe the Chinese dream will see us break the link between growing incomes, rising production and degradation of the environment. Our businesses should continue to grow even as our cities, farmland and entire ecosystems become greener and more sustainable. Long-term wealth creation should go hand-in-hand with sustainability. Earlier this year, Lyu Jun, Chairman of COFCO Corporation, described how the commercial case for sustainable production…
Recent Findex stats find that ownership of financial accounts in Pakistan – including those with commercial banks, microfinance institutions, and mobile money accounts – has risen to 21% of the adult population, compared to 10% in 2011. Albeit slow, the rise in account uptake is a cause for hope for Pakistan and has largely been enabled by leveraging technology to build advanced and inclusive financial solutions. The resolve of the government, regulatory authorities, and financial services institutions has also played an instrumental role in banking millions of unbanked Pakistanis, improving their access to swift and hassle-free financial solutions, and digitizing…
PM’S US visit euphoria subside over imf reforms and political concern as index down 1% wow Summary The three-day visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to the United States starting last Sunday and concluded on early morning hours of Thursday after premier Imran Khan landed in Islamabad the opposition parties start preparing to launch Protest Day on completion of one year PTI government on July 25. The stock index, which is sensitive to political and economic news, had a topsy-turvy performance during the week due to expected gains of the visit while investors were concerned over the implementation of IMF…
FILE PHOTO: Cast member Donald Glover poses as he arrives for the World Premiere of “The Lion King” in Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 9, 2019. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo Published in Reuters on July 25th, 2019, By Rebecca Rubin LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) – Simba and Mufasa reigned supreme this weekend as Disney’s “The Lion King” dominated box office charts. Director Jon Favreau’s remake of the animated classic collected a massive $185 million from 4,756 North American theaters during its first three days of release. In yet another win for Disney, the movie landed the best domestic launch for a…
Published in Ary News on July 25th, 2019, By Anees Hanif BEVERLY HILLS: The first episode of a possible prequel series to HBO’s global hit “Game of Thrones” has completed filming in Belfast, a network executive said on Wednesday. HBO executives will review the episode before deciding whether to make a full season but Casey Bloys, president of programming at the network owned by AT&T Inc, appeared upbeat about what he had seen so far. “It looks really good. The cast was amazing,” Bloys said in response to questions at a Television Critics Association event where networks preview upcoming…
The series is being done with Global Citizen, a group whose aim is to eradicate extreme poverty and its root problems Published in dawn on July 24th, 2019, AP Common, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Hugh Jackman are enlisting in the Global Citizen movement. They’re among the celebrities featured in a National Geographic docuseries highlighting efforts to fight global poverty. The series is being done with Global Citizen, a group whose aim is to eradicate extreme poverty and its root problems through advocacy and activism. [ads1] Titled Activate: The Global Citizen Movement, the program follows Common as he fights for criminal…
The top three all-time biggest box-office movies are now “Avengers: Endgame,” “Avatar” and “Titanic”/ Photo: Reuters Published in Geo News on July 24th, 2019, REUTERS LOS ANGELES: Director James Cameron on Monday handed over the baton for the biggest box-office movie of all time to the makers of “Avengers: Endgame” after it ended the 10-year record of “Avatar.” The Marvel Studios superhero movie “Avengers: Endgame” at the weekend overtook the $2.789 billion record set by Cameron’s 2009 sci-fi film “Avatar” to bring its global total to $2.790 billion, according to box-office data. “I see you, Marvel,” Cameron tweeted, using…
DESIGN of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic medals are unveiled during the ‘One Year to Go’ ceremony at the Tokyo International Forum on Wednesday. — Reuters Published in Dawn on July 25th, 2019, TOKYO: Tokyo promised a high-tech Olympics complete with robots as it marked a year to go until the 2020 Games on Wednesday, hoping to leave behind some bumps in the road including an ongoing corruption investigation. Organisers have battled everything from fears over deadly heat to persistent questions about the cost of the Games and how Tokyo won its bid. But as the one-year countdown began, they…
Mitchelton-Scott rider Matteo Trentin of Italy wins the 17th stage of Tour de France today. Image Credit: REUTERS Published in Gulf News on July 24th, 2019, Reuters Mitchelton-Scott team’s fourth stage win this year Gap, France: European champion Matteo Trentin won the 17th stage of the Tour de France, a hilly 200km ride from the Pont du Gard, on Wednesday. The Italian jumped away from a reduced group of breakaway riders at the foot of the last climb and further powered away in the descent to claim his third stage win on the Tour. [ads1] It was his…
The appointment was made last week by ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar during the Annual ICC Conference. — AFP/File Published in Dawn on July 23rd, 2019, Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ehsan Mani has been appointed as Chairperson of ICC’s Financial and Commercial Affairs Committee (F&CA). The appointment was made last week by ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar during the Annual ICC Conference. According to a PCB press release, the F&CA is one of the ICC’s most important committees, as it “assists the organisation in discharging its responsibilities in relation to all financial and commercial matters relating to and concerning it.”…
Published in Geo Sports on July 22nd, 2019, WASHINGTON: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday promised to fix Pakistan cricket after the team’s performance at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. “I went to England where I learned to play cricket. When we returned from there we raised the standard of other players. After the World Cup I have decided that I will fix the Pakistan cricket team,” Prime Minister Imran Khan told a packed arena of overseas Pakistanis [ads1] “The team you see in the next world cup, remember my words that team will be a professional team. We…
Published in AlJazeera on July 20th, 2019, by Djamila Ould Khettab Algerian fans pour onto streets to celebrate football triumph as popular demands for political system overhaul continue. Algiers, Algeria – Football-crazed Algeria burst into a paroxysm of euphoria on Friday night as the country’s national team emerged triumphant at the Africa Cup of Nations final held in Egypt. Firecrackers lit up the night sky and cries of joy filled the air in Algiers as soon as the final whistle blew in Cairo International Stadium, with jubilant crowds, many of them draped in Algerian flags, taking to the streets of the capital to celebrate the…