Tue, 21-Oct-2025

Reasons behind hockey players’ drought in Karachi

hockey

There was a time when the metropolitan city of the country, Karachi, used to produce numerous hockey players for the national team. However, it has been years since the city, which has an estimated population of more than 20 million, has not produced a single hockey star for Pakistan. Bol News talked exclusively to former … Read more

Global firms fall short on forest protection vows: report

PARIS: Global companies and financial institutions with the highest potential for curbing deforestation are largely failing to do so, undermining pledges to protect forests made at the COP26 climate summit in November, a report said on Thursday. The Forest 500 analysis by non-profit research group Global Canopy graded 350 companies most responsible for producing, using or … Read more

Crypto boom and financial stability

Crypto

Crypto assets offer a new world of opportunities: Quick and easy payments, innovative financial services, inclusive access to previously ‘unbanked’ parts of the world. All are made possible by the crypto ecosystem. But along with the opportunities come challenges and risks. The latest Global Financial Stability Report describes the risks posed by the crypto ecosystem … Read more

FBR registers revenue growth of 32.5% in second half of 2021

FBR

ISLAMABAD: The collection of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has registered a growth of 32.5 per cent in July-December of 2021, according to the provisional figures of the revenue collection released for the months of July-December of the current financial year 2021/22. The revenue board has collected the net revenue of Rs2.920 trillion during … Read more

Turkish president announces new measures to cope with currency depreciation

Turkish president

ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan unveiled a new package of measures on Monday to support deposits denominated in Turkish lira, after the currency has lost about 50 per cent of its value against the dollar this year. Speaking at a press conference after a cabinet meeting, Erdogan said Turkey would introduce new measures within … Read more

IMF examines extent of Lebanon’s financial sector losses

IMF

WASHINGTON: Amid ongoing talks on a new aid programme, the IMF is examining data from Lebanon’s government on the scope of financial sector losses, estimated at about $69 billion, a fund spokesman said on Thursday. “I’d say there’s been considerable progress in identifying financial sector losses,” IMF spokesman Gerry Rice told reporters in reference to the … Read more

Saudi Arabia takes longer view of oil price in budget calculation: minister

Saudi Arabia

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Finance Ministry said it looks at long-term and historical periods to ensure oil price outlook is more accurate, Arab News quoted Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan, as saying. Speaking at a budget forum in Riyadh, the finance minister said revenues are calculated based on structural income factors. He said the Saudi budget surplus … Read more

Saudi economy expands in third quarter at highest rate since 2012

Saudi economy

CAIRO: The Saudi economy expanded by an annual rate of 7 per cent in the third quarter of this year driven by higher oil production, Arab News quoted the data released by Gastat. This is the highest yearly growth rate since 2012. Growth was also upwardly tweaked to 7 per cent compared to an initial estimate of … Read more

PCB appoints Faisal Hussain as new chief executive

Faisal

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

Bank Alfalah Islamic, Grand City sign MoU to promote housing finance

Bank Alfalah Islamic

KARACHI: The Bank Alfalah Islamic, Pakistan’s premier financial institution providing Shariah-compliant consumer financing products, has joined hands with Grand City Kharian, a project of Eurobiz Corporation, to facilitate the customers in fulfilling their dream of buying their own house, a statement said. The signing ceremony took place at the Grand City’s office in Phase 6, … Read more

Libyan central banks to reunite after seven-year split

Libyan central banks

TRIPOLI: Libya’s rival central banks said on Monday they had reached a reunification deal, seven years after they divided as conflict tore the country apart. The original bank, which manages the North African state’s vast oil revenues, had been severed in 2014 when a complex civil war gave rise to rival administrations in the east and … Read more

Global shipping outlook turns stable from positive

Global shipping

RIYADH: As the demand slightly outstrips supply, Moody’s Investors Service has changed the outlook for the global shipping industry to stable from positive for the next 12 to 18 months, Arab News reported. A report issued on Monday said the change is driven by tough comparisons with the very strong cash flows generated this year rather than … Read more

Twitter founder points to blockchain future with Square rebrand

Twitter founder

LONDON: Just days after stepping down from his role as CEO of Twitter, Jack Dorsey is ringing the changes at Square, the other major company he founded, which has changed its name to Block, Arab News reported. While Dorsey is a renowned crypto enthusiast, the rebrand is not all about the blockchain, according to the company: “The … Read more

Saudi Arabia showcases NEOM in its first roadshow in London

Saudia Arabia

Saudi Arabia’s smart city NEOM has hosted its first UK roadshow event in London to promote investment opportunities. It was attended by over 250 leaders from the country’s business, financial, environmental and political circles, Launched by Saudi’s ambassador to the UK, the Discover NEOM event included presentations, panels and an exhibition of NEOM in film … Read more

Pakistan’s economy on track to achieve set growth target

Pakistan economy

ISLAMABAD: Rupani Foundation in partnership with Reenergia, Pakistan Institute of Economic Development (PIDE), and Karakorum International University (KIU), has formally inaugurated the GB Invest Initiative on November 29, 2021 in Islamabad and Gilgit, simultaneously. The launching ceremony was held at the National Press Club, Islamabad. This private sector-led GB Invest Initiative aims at mobilising the … Read more

Sports goods’ export surge 20.73% in 4 months

Sports

ISLAMABAD: The exports of sports goods witnessed an increase of 20.73 percent during the first four months of the current financial year (2021-22) as compared to the exports of the corresponding period of last year. Pakistan exported sports goods worth $105.120 million during July-October (2021-22) against the exports of $87.070 million during July-October (2020-21), showing … Read more

PGA Tour to boost 2022 prize money

PGA

LOS ANGELES: The PGA Tour said Monday it plans to increase prize money at its most lucrative events in 2022, pumping millions of more dollars into limited-field tournaments in a move that comes amid reports of a new Saudi Arabia-backed golf series. In a memo sent to players on Monday, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan … Read more

China’s slowdown raises questions for global economy

economy

WASHINGTON: The Chinese economy, weighed down by electricity shortages and a vast real estate crisis, has lost its lustre recently, to the point where economists are starting to question its impact on the global growth it has helped drive for more than 20 years. The difficulties of the real estate sector in China triggered by … Read more

Aramco requests bids for new work in the Jafurah field

RIYADH: The Saudi oil giant Aramco asked companies to send their technical and financial offers for a water desalination plant project in the Jafurah gas field, with a capacity of around 100,000 cubic metres/day, a banking source told CNBC Arabia. This reflects the company’s latest step to move forward in developing the field and to contribute … Read more

Squid Game: South Korea’s latest cultural phenomenon

Squid Game

A dystopian vision of a polarised society, Netflix smash hit “Squid Game” blends a tight plot, social allegory and uncompromising violence to create the latest South Korean cultural phenomenon to go global. It features South Korea’s most marginalised, including the deeply in debt, a migrant worker and a North Korean defector, competing in traditional children’s … Read more

Bangladesh Bank advises against using cryptocurrencies

Bangladesh

The public was asked by Bangladesh Bank to desist from trading or assisting in any sort of cryptocurrency or virtual money, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, and others.

The Bangladesh Bank (BB) continues to believe that cryptocurrency poses financial and legal hazards to its users, and has advised individuals to avoid transacting or trading with it.

The central bank clarified its stance on the use of cryptocurrency in a BB circular issued on Thursday after multiple media reports in this respect drew its notice.

BB claims that, contrary to previously published reports, cryptocurrency trading and transactions are not unlawful unless they are linked to money laundering, terrorist financing, or other violations of existing laws; the central bank continues to be antagonistic to this fin-tech.

“A confidential letter sent to an investigating officer of a particular case entailing an opinion has been upheld partially in the media,” stated the BB circular.

It further added, referring to its previous notice from December 24, 2017, that: “The notification is still being displayed on the BB website and the stance in this regard remains unchanged.”

“In this context, it is being reiterated to the public that no virtual currency/cryptocurrency is approved by Bangladesh Bank,” the circular added.

BB stated in its December 24, 2017 notice: “As these are not legal tenders issued by any legal authorities of the country, no one can make any financial claim against these.”

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SBP plans to integrate financial literacy into educational curriculum

SBP plans to integrate financial literacy into educational curriculum

KARACHI: The National Institute of Banking and Finance (NIBAF), a subsidiary of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), plans to integrate financial literacy education into the primary, secondary, and higher educational curriculum of Pakistan, a statement said on Thursday. This would enable the youth to develop a stronger understanding of basic financial concepts so that … Read more

Expo 2020 Dubai Unveils the Ticket Prices, Event Kick starts From July 18

Expo 2020 Dubai Unveils the Ticket Prices, Event Kick starts From July 18

Expo 2020 Dubai has recently unveiled the prices for the event tickets as the preparations enter the final stage. A one-day ticket will cost AED95 ($26). If anyone is interested in attending the whole event, the ticket will cost AED495 ($135). Expo 2020 Dubai tickets will be available worldwide from July 18. Organizers are confident … Read more