KARACHI: Huawei Cloud has announced the launch of ‘Spark’, a new startup ecosystem support programme, aiming at empowering the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to develop their cloud capabilities, a statement said. This initiative is the first step towards supporting Huawei Cloud partners in line with the recently launched Oasis Programme, where Huawei announced plans … Read more
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed Faisal Hussain as the new chief executive after Wasim Khan stepped down. He will formally assume his duties in January 2022. On their official Twitter handle, the PCB congratulated the newly appointed chief executive. We congratulate Faisal Hasnain on his appointment as Chief Executive and look forward to … Read more
KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has issued revised prudential regulations for microfinance banks to streamline the requirement of obtaining credit information report (CIR) and simplifying the documentary requirements from the microfinance borrowers, a statement said. Earlier, the Credit Bureau Act (CBA) 2015 was promulgated to provide a basis for incorporation and functioning of … Read more
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has launched the much-awaited prize scheme for the shoppers from POS-integrated Tier-1 retail outlets, a statement said. Thousands of prizes worth hundreds of thousands of rupees will be distributed among the shoppers through a computerised ballot, who opt to shop from the POS-integrated retail outlets spread across the … Read more
KARACHI: Provincial Minister for Excise, Taxation, Narcotics Control Department, Parliamentary Affairs and Food Mukesh Kumar Chawla has said that a total of Rs1.248 billion property tax was collected during the five months (July to November) of the current financial year 2021 as against Rs1.057 billion during the corresponding period of the previous year. Sharing the … Read more
ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi has rejected four separate representations, filed by the State Life Insurance Corporation (SLIC) against the decisions of the Federal Ombudsman, ordering it to pay a collective amount of over Rs1.6 million to the families of the deceased life insurance policyholders. The corporation had refused to pay the amount assured in … Read more
KARACHI: The year’s last seven-day anti-polio campaign, already underway in the country, commenced in Sindh on Monday to vaccinate over 9 million children under the age of five. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah inaugurated the campaign in the province by administering polio drops to children during an inauguration ceremony in Karachi. Read more: Policeman … Read more
Legendary Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar shared a video on his social media where he can be seen taking a painkiller injection in his knees after his operation was delayed by 2 months. Akhtar was one of the fastest bowlers during his career. However, his career was cut short amid several injuries. He was fondly known … Read more
UNITED NATIONS: The coronavirus pandemic is likely to halt two decades of global progress towards Universal Health Coverage, according to reports released on Sunday from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Bank, which reveal more than half a billion people are being pushed into extreme poverty because they have to pay for health … Read more
BEIJING: China’s inclusion in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has not only helped China open up and promote free and inclusive trade liberalisation, but also the other countries, especially the developing world. Many developing nations have benefited since China’s inclusion in the WTO, Ambassador of Pakistan to China Moin Ul Haque told CGTN on the … Read more
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam during the pre-match virtual press conference refused to share the details about the talks with Indian skipper Virat Kohli during the Pak-Indo T20 World Cup clash. A reporter asked Babar about some videos that were circulating over the internet where he and Kohli can be seen talking about something during their … Read more
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia expects a budget surplus of SR90 billion riyals ($24 billion), Saudi Press Agency reported, citing a cabinet statement. The total revenues for 2022 is estimated at SR1.05 trillion, while the spending is at SR955 billion, the statement said; following a meeting chaired by King Salman. With the Saudi budget statement for the 2022 fiscal … Read more
KARACHI: The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), a United Nations specialised agency, expressed satisfaction over the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA)’s performance in implementing the international laws in the sector of airworthiness, said Bol News in its report on Monday. Read more: CAA verifies licenses of 58 PIA pilots The CAA reportedly succeeded in passing … Read more
DUBAI: Gulf exchanges are likely to have another busy year of initial public offerings in 2022, possibly surpassing this year’s bumper crop, a Bank of America executive told Reuters. After a year that featured three major IPOs on both Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul and Abu Dhabi’s ADX markets, Dubai has announced plans to list as many as … Read more
DUBAI: Saudi Arabia-based asset management firm Sedco Capital has launched an additional offering of its real estate investment trust fund to increase asset value by SR702 million ($187 million), Arab News reported. The offering period will run for five days until December 16, the company said in a statement. The price is set at SR10/unit. Sedco Capital … Read more
Saudi Ports Authority, or Mawani, launched a new transshipment service connecting King Abdulaziz Port Dammam, Khalifa bin Salman Port in Bahrain, and various Far East ports. The new transshipment service comes under Mawani’s strategy that aims at increasing Saudi’s links with global seaports, attracting major international shipping lines to its ports. The authority aims at … Read more
KARACHI: The rupee recovered 21 paisas against the dollar on Monday at the opening of the interbank foreign exchange market. The dollar is being traded at Rs177.50 from last Friday’s closing of Rs177.71 in the interbank foreign exchange market. Last Friday’s closing at Rs177.71 was the highest level of the dollar against the rupee. Currency … Read more
West Indies acting T20I captain Nicholas Pooran is confident of a good start against Pakistan in the three-match T20I series at National Stadium, Karachi. West Indies has suffered a big blow after skipper Kieron Pollard was ruled out after an injury. The WI team suffered another blow after three of the players were tested positive … Read more
RIYADH: The Saudi Central Bank has issued the IT governance framework to streamline functions of financial institutions operating in the kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The framework will also be applicable to lending institutions, Saudi Payments and credit information companies. It is part of SAMA’s responsibilities to effectively identify and address potential IT risks and threats. … Read more
A joint military exercise Al-Kassah-III between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia began at King Khalid Military City Hafar Al Batin in Saudi Arabia on Monday, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in its statement. Read more: Saudi military delegation witnesses Pakistan Army’s battle inoculation exercise Commander Northern Area Major General Saleh Bin Ahmed Al Zahrani attended … Read more
RIYADH: Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company has completed issuing a SR2 billion ($533 million) Sukuk to support lenders in the kingdom’s housing market, Arab News reported. The 10-year Sukuk was issued at a fixed profit rate of 3.04 per cent marketed to Saudi institutional investors, the deal was oversubscribed 2.5 times, the company said in a statement. … Read more
HONG KONG: Chinese artificial intelligence start-up SenseTime said Monday it was postponing a planned $767 million initial public offering in Hong Kong after it was blacklisted by the US over human rights concerns in Xinjiang. The US Treasury announced the ban on Friday, saying SenseTime’s facial recognition programmes were designed in part to be used … Read more
KARACHI: High-flying Pakistan start as favourites against a Covid-hit West Indies team in the first of three Twenty20 internationals in Karachi on Monday. Already missing a number of top players including skipper Kieron Pollard, the West Indies were dealt an additional blow when left-arm pacer Sheldon Cottrell, and all-rounders Roston Chase and Kyle Mayers, tested … Read more
TOKYO: Business confidence among major Japanese nonmanufacturers recovered to pre-pandemic levels in December, enhanced by the lifting of the COVID-19 state of emergency. However, the improvement of sentiment among manufacturers was dragged by parts shortages and surging raw materials costs, local media reported Monday. According to the quarterly “Tankan” survey, the key confidence index for … Read more
CAIRO: Egypt announced it is ready to officially join the JPMorgan Government Bond Index-Emerging Markets (GBI-EM) for emerging markets by the end of January next year, CNBC Arabia reported citing the finance minister. Upon joining, Egypt will become one of only two countries in the Middle East North Africa region to make the index. Mohamed Maait said … Read more
KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) opened on a bearish note as the KSE-100 index witnessed a decline of 103.75 points, or 0.24 per cent, in the first hour of trading on Monday. The local bourse on Friday, closed lower on uncertainty over the monetary policy announcement next week, the surge in the National Savings … Read more
TRIPOLI: Libyan government pledged Sunday to deliver office to the next elected executive authority as general elections are expected to hold on Dec. 24. “The government has funded the High National Elections Commission in order to help hold free and honest elections,” Ramadan Abu-Janah, the acting prime minister of the Government of National Unity of … Read more
ST. JOHN’S: Three West Indies cricket players and a member of the team staff have tested positive for coronavirus on arriving in Pakistan and will miss the upcoming limited-overs series, Cricket West Indies (CWI) said on Saturday. Left-arm pacer Sheldon Cottrell, all-rounders Roston Chase and Kyle Mayers and a non-coaching staff member “returned positive tests in Karachi and will … Read more
