FARUKH SHEHZAD

ISLAMABAD, DEC 11 – Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan, Nawaf bin Saeed Al Maliki on Friday called on Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination, Dr Fehmida Mirza in her office in Islamabad.

Dr Fehmida Mirza warmly welcomed the Saudi Ambassador and discussed matters pertaining to sports, tourism and other affairs of mutual interest. Saudi Ambassador briefed the Federal Minister that Saudi Arabia is planning to host Olympics 2030.

Dr Fehmida Mirza ensured all-out support from Pakistan for Saudi Arabia drive to host Olympics 2030. Federal Minister extended an invitation to the Saudi Ambassador to visit the Pakistan Sports Complex. 

Saudi Ambassador thanked Dr Fehmida Mirza for profuse hospitality and admired her profound concerns for the betterment of Sports infrastructure in Pakistan.

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ISLAMABAD, DEC 11 - The European Union will provide EUR 58 million (PKR 11.1 Billion) to support the Government of Balochistan in its efforts to address water scarcity and improve access and quality of primary and middle-level education in the province.

The announcement follows the signing of two new financing agreements today by Mr. Noor Ahmed, Secretary, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Ms. Androulla Kaminara, Ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan.

The five-year Euro 40 Million programme on water governance – to be implemented from 2021 – will contribute to the transition in the arid regions of Balochistan towards sustainable, low water intensive agricultural and livestock farming systems.

The support will include incentives for farmers to use water more efficiently and unleash the potential of livestock by supporting sustainable rangelands management, with a special focus on the most vulnerable groups.

 This will not only contribute to improved productivity by making better use of scarce water resources, but also help improve groundwater recharge in the medium to long-term.The programme will also focus onstrengthening public extension services to ensure farmers receive appropriate support on water for agriculture and livestock.

The programme will be implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with local partners. The European Union will also provide EUR 18 million (PKR 3.4 million) in support of the Government of Balochistan’s efforts to strengthen the education systems in the province.

The ‘Balochistan Education Support Programme II’, will work towards ensuring that all children have access to basic education and improving the quality of education.

The four-year programme will be implemented by the United Nations Children’s Fund – UNICEF. It will involve local communities in school development planning, help enhance the training of teachers, and support stronger education institutions.

In the COVID-19 context, the programme will also focus on SOPs for safe school reopening and operation, as well as on enrolment and retention drives in targeted districts to avoid massive dropouts due to the pandemic.

 The programme will also introduce innovative elements, such as work on inclusion of parallel education systems in mainstream education policy. Ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan, Androulla Kaminara said,“These new programmes are the result of a sustained collaboration between the European Union, the Government of Balochistan, and the Ministry of Economic Affairs to tackle the substantial development challenges in the province and unleash its potential.

Balochistan is one of the regions of Pakistan at greater risk from climate change, which threatens livelihoods. Also considering the socioeconomic impact of Covid-19, it is crucial to invest in low water agriculture to reduce poverty and malnutrition. In the education sector the EU is renewing its commitment to helping children, especially the most vulnerable, to receive an education and be able to follow their dreams, contributing to a better future for Pakistan.” Secretary EAD, Mr. Noor Ahmed hailed the EU and Pakistan’s long-term partnership and appreciated the EU’s support in Rural development, Education, Good Governance and Rule of Law under the Multiannual Indicative Programme (MIP 2014-20).

Ambassador of EU reiterated commitment of European Union to broaden and deepen the development cooperation with Pakistan, and to launch next Multi-annual Indicative Programme 2021-27 which will primarily be focused on priorities of the Government of Pakistan.

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COURTESY DNA NEWS

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SHANGHAI, DEC 11 - The management committee of Shanghai Cooperation Organization Demonstration Area (SCODA) exchanged views with the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on economic and trade cooperation.

According to Gwadar Pro, recommendations for nine industrial parks in Pakistan to interact with SCODA, investment policy and model of SCODA and other related issues were discussed.

Mr. Xiang Zhiqiang, member of the Party Working Committee and Deputy Director of the Management Committee of SCODA welcomed KCCI and its member enterprises to carry out trade cooperation.

He advocated KCCI to lead various business associations and enterprises to exchange visits, enhance mutual understanding, promote cooperation, seek common development in agriculture, transportation, science and technology, humanities and other fields with SCODA once the epidemic is over.

“We wish to establish a dedicated communication and coordination mechanism to deepen the cooperation,” he added.

Shamsul Islam Khan, Vice President of KCCI stated that Pakistan’s economy is based on agriculture, and its seafood, fruits and other high quality agricultural products can be sold in China and exported to neighboring countries through cooperation with SCODA.

Wang Zihai, Deputy Director of Pakistan-China Center gave a brief introduction of their processing work and stressed that recently China has signed RCEP with 14 countries, which also brings great potential for Pakistan. Pakistan can work closely with RCEP countries through the platform of SCODA in China, he added.

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BEIJING, DEC 11 - China’s AI company eyes smart control of COVID-19 in Pakistan, China Economic Net (CEN) reported today.

The company will launch an AI Outbound Calling System for Epidemic Prevention and Control in Pakistan next month as the second wave of coronavirus grips Pakistan, according to iFLYTEK, a Chinese company well-known for its AI products and their sector-based applications.

It stated this while attending the 12th China Overseas Investment Fair (COIFAIR).

As per iFLYTEK, they are now collaborating with Pakistan’s National Center of Artificial Intelligence (NCAI) and National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) to work on the AI Outbound Calling System for Epidemic Prevention and Control, which had revealed rapid and efficient actions of COVID-19 control during the pandemic period in Wuhan, China and South Korea.

Mr. Badar U Zaman, the Commercial Counselor of Pakistani Embassy in China, lauded iFLYTEK’s effort to explore the Pakistani market.

“Pakistan is a big market and iFLYTEK’s products are doing very well. He said he visited the iFLYTEK before and in addition to translation machines, he was introduced with different technologies they are offering. “They are very active in education, healthcare and translation, he added.

“iFLYTEK is bringing China and the world together and it is going to get a great success in Pakistan,” said Badar U Zaman, adding that Pakistan is very quick at adapting new technologies.

“Our Voice Chatbot from the AI Outbound Calling System will telephone users to quickly learn their physical conditions and provide healthcare suggestions.

The system can quickly discover people at high risk of COVID-19 and the health center could immediately response if any to reduce the risk of infection and prevent coronavirus. People in close contact with confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Pakistan would receive phone calls.

And patients who have been treated and healed from COVID-19 will also receive follow-up calls and get registered,” said Mao Ning, DGM of South Asia District, International Cooperation Department, iFLYTEK.

They look forward to using this system and leveraging the AI technologies associated with the system to help the Pakistani government and agencies at all levels control and prevent the epidemic, he added.

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"Sports is generally considered an equaliser of sorts - something that doesn't take gender, class or skin colour into account. Instead, it focuses on your talent, skills, meritocracy, where your performance in the sporting field is more important than anything else."

In her TED Talk, Pakistani sports presenter Zainab Abbas revealed what it's like to be a woman in an industry that is predominated by men. Speaking about breaking barriers, how she made it into the cricketing world and the advice she has for newcomers, the television host opened up about all the prejudice she faced as a woman with a passion for sports.

Speaking up about her own childhood, the journalist remembered how she was bullied choosing to play games such as cricket, as she grew up around five boys.

"Sports became my passion. You cannot imagine how disappointed desi parents would be to find out that their child was skipping an exam to follow an event. That's how passionate I was. The World Cup was on at that particular time and I decided to watch that, and skip my event. I even saved money during the 2009 World T-20 and decided to watch all the games. I was broke by the end, but it was all worth it."

Having graduated from England, Abbas initially thought she wanted to do a corporate job but soon realised she wasn't cut out for it.

"I faced a racist boss, I was the only brown girl in the entire department and he would pick on me on every occasion," she recalled, saying that's when she eventually quit the job, did some soul-searching, looked for her true calling and decided to follow her passion.

"I thought the sporting world would be the torch-bearer of sportsmanship, free of racism, free of prejudices - but I was quite wrong," she divulged, reflecting back on the opportunity she received from a leading news channel.

"There was a man sitting with a smirk on his face, and he asked me condescendingly, 'Reverse swing kya hoti hai?' I had a smile on my face as I knew what he was asking about. I answered politely. He was half impressed so to speak and he decided in those five minutes that he would give me an shot. That's how my journey started."

She said her incident prepared her for never giving up on her dreams, regardless of how many were laughing.

"I had no mentors to look up to. When I entered the field, people made fun of me because they believed women should not be talking about sports, shouldn't be playing sports; she has no business there."

Because she had no formal training, Abbas faced many challenges both professionally and personally.

"I am deaf from my left ear," she recalled, "And while doing a show, your ears keep you facilitated. I had my earpiece in one ear listening to the director, and supposedly your other ear is there to listen to your guests; I realised it was about multi-tasking and there was no room for any errors on live TV. You get exposed very easily."

"I broke down that day, and I still remember calling my mother and telling her I don't think I can do this job because I have this issue. But I continued to train, master my skills and somewhat learnt how to lip-read. What helped me was my knowledge and research about the subject; everything else was improvisation."

Zainab said the initial reaction she received was mixed. While they acknowledged she knew what she was talking about, many envied her.

"I had fellow journalists alleging that I was imitating their content and I soon learnt how to develop a thick skin. I realised I needed to be even more focused and ambitious to reach where I wanted."

"There was also a time many cricket legends refuse to give me an interview because of my gender," she remembered. "That has happened. I was heartbroken because as a child these were the heroes I looked up to. After a couple of years, when I had cemented my place in the industry, those same two gentleman came forward to give me an interview. That was the irony."

Abbas said the world just wasn't prepared to watch a woman taking a lead in her field that is usually guarded by men. "Remember: never let the critics bother you or allow people to get under your skin," she advised her followers.

"Finally in 2019, I was picked by the International Cricket Council to represent Pakistan at the World Cup. That was the peak of my career because nobody from Pakistan had reached that level, certainly not a woman."

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COURTESY DAWN NEWS

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Israel and Morocco agreed on Thursday to normalise relations in a deal brokered with the help of the United States, making Morocco the fourth Arab country to set aside hostilities with Israel in the past four months.

As part of the agreement, US President Donald Trump agreed to recognise Morocco's sovereignty over the Western Sahara, where there has been a decades-old territorial dispute with Morocco pitted against the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, a breakaway movement that seeks to establish an independent state in the territory.

Trump sealed the agreement in a phone call on Thursday with Morocco's King Mohammed VI, a senior US official said.

Morocco is the fourth country since August to strike a deal aimed at normalising relations with Israel. The others were the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan.

Under the agreement, Morocco will establish full diplomatic relations and resume official contacts with Israel, grant overflights and also direct flights to and from Israel for all Israelis.

“They are going reopen their liaison offices in Rabat and Tel Aviv immediately with the intention to open embassies. And they are going to promote economic cooperation between Israeli and Moroccan companies,” White House senior adviser Jared Kushner told Reuters.

“Today the administration has achieved another historic milestone. US President Trump has brokered a peace agreement between Morocco and Israel — the fourth such agreement between Israel and an Arab/Muslim nation in four months.

“Through this historic step, Morocco is building on its longstanding bond with the Moroccan Jewish community living in Morocco and throughout the world, including in Israel. This is a significant step forward for the people of Israel and Morocco.

“It further enhances Israel's security, while creating opportunities for Morocco and Israel to deepen their economic ties and improve the lives of their people.”

A White House statement on the phone call between Trump and the king of Morocco said Trump “reaffirmed his support for Morocco's serious, credible, and realistic autonomy proposal as the only basis for a just and lasting solution to the dispute over the Western Sahara territory”.

“And as such the president recognised Moroccan sovereignty over the entire Western Sahara territory,” the statement said.

Palestinians have been critical of the normalisation deals, saying Arab countries have set back the cause of peace by abandoning a longstanding demand that Israel give up land for a Palestinian state before it can receive recognition.

With Trump to leave office on January 20, the Morocco deal could be among the last his team, led by Kushner and US envoy Avi Berkowitz, is able to negotiate before they give way to President-elect Joe Biden's incoming administration.

Much of the momentum behind the deal-making has been to present a united front against Iran and roll back its regional influence.

The Trump White House has tried to get Saudi Arabia to sign on to a normalisation deal with Israel, believing if the Saudis agreed other Arab nations would follow, but the Saudis have signaled they are not ready.

One more Middle East breakthrough is possible.

Last week Kushner and his team traveled to Saudi Arabia and Qatar seeking an end to a three-year rift between Doha and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

A tentative deal has been reached on this front but it was far from clear whether a final agreement to end a blockade of Qatar will be sealed.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt have maintained a diplomatic, trade and travel embargo on Qatar since mid-2017.

While Biden is expected to move US foreign policy away from Trump's “America First” posture, he has indicated he will continue the pursuit of what Trump calls “the Abraham Accords” between Israel and Arab and Muslim nations.

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COURTESY DAWN NEWS

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OSLO, DEC 10 - From January 1, everyone who wants to enter Norway will have to register their personal information in an infection control database created by the government.

The government is working to establish a digital system for registering travelers to Norway to improve infection control. 

According to the plan, the system will be used from January 1.

Everyone has to register

“Everyone who wants to come to Norway must register, among other things, their name, contact information, quarantine location, and any employer. 

“The main rule is that everyone, including Norwegian citizens, must register in this system,” Minister of Justice Monica Mæland said during the government’s press conference on Wednesday.

“It will be very important for the health sector when it comes to infection control and infection tracing work, but also for the police and the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority in the work they have to follow up on violations of quarantine provisions,” the Minister of Justice accentuated.

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COURTESY NORWAY TODAY

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DOHA, DEC 10 - Qatar Airways has announced the launch of four weekly flights to Seattle from March 15th.

The service will be operated by Qatar Airways’ state-of-the-art Airbus A350-900 featuring 36 seats in the business class and 247 seats in economy.

The national carrier of Qatar also announced a frequent flyer partnership with Alaska Airlines.

From December 15th, Qatar Airways Privilege Club and Alaska Mileage Plan members will be able to earn frequent flyer miles and from March next year members will also be able to redeem frequent flyer miles on both carriers’ full networks, and elite status perks including lounge access.

The two airlines are also working closely on developing a codeshare agreement and commercial cooperation in line with the United States carrier joining oneworld on March 31st.

Qatar Airways Group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: “Qatar Airways is committed to enhancing connectivity within the United States market, and the launch of flights to Seattle, our second new United States destination since the onset of the pandemic, epitomises this commitment.”

He added: “Despite the challenges of 2020, Qatar Airways has remained committed to exploring every opportunity to further enhance the travel experience for our millions of passengers and is proud to secure another important strategic partnership in North America.

“In Alaska Airlines, we will have a very strong partner to connect customers from the United States West Coast to Doha and beyond via its hubs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle, complementing our existing strategic partnerships with American Airlines and JetBlue.

“We look forward to further deepening our cooperation with the newest joiner to the oneworld family and continuing to provide our passengers the reliable, safe and award-winning service that they have come to trust from us.”

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COURTESY BREAKING TRAVEL NEWS

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The European Commission has released a set of targeted contingency measures designed to ensure basic reciprocal air and road connectivity between the EU and the UK in the event of a no deal Brexit.

The plans also allow for the possibility of reciprocal fishing access by EU and UK vessels.

The aim of these contingency measures is, the commission said, to cater for the period during which there is no agreement in place.

If no agreement enters into application, they will end after a fixed period.

President Ursula von der Leyen said: “Negotiations are still ongoing.

“However, given that the end of the transition is very near, there is no guarantee that if and when an agreement is found, it can enter into force on time.

“Our responsibility is to be prepared for all eventualities, including not having a deal in place with the UK on January 1st.

“That is why we are coming forward with these measures today.”

The United Kingdom left the European Union in January this year.

At the time, both sides agreed on a transition period until the end of this month, during which EU law continues to apply to the UK.

The EU and the UK are using this period to negotiate the terms of their future partnership.

The outcome of these negotiations is uncertain – with talks between von der Leyen and British prime minster Boris Johnson having broken down last night.

While a “no-deal” scenario is expected to cause disruptions in many areas, some sectors would be disproportionately affected due to a lack of appropriate fall-back solutions and because in some sectors, stakeholders cannot themselves take mitigating measures.

The commission said it was, therefore, putting forward four contingency measures to mitigate some of the significant disruptions that will occur on January 1st.

These include:

• Basic air connectivity: A proposal for a regulation to ensure the provision of certain air services between the UK and the EU for six months, provided the UK ensures the same.
• Aviation safety: A proposal for a regulation ensuring that various safety certificates for products can continue to be used in EU aircraft without disruption, thereby avoiding the grounding of EU aircraft.
• Basic road connectivity: A proposal for a regulation covering basic connectivity with regard to both road freight, and road passenger transport for six months, provided the UK assures the same to EU hauliers.
• Fisheries: A proposal for a regulation to create the appropriate legal framework until December 2021, or until a fisheries agreement with the UK has been concluded – whichever date is earlier – for continued reciprocal access by EU and UK vessels to each other’s waters after December. In order to guarantee the sustainability of fisheries and in light of the importance of fisheries for the economic livelihood of many communities, it is necessary to facilitate the procedures of authorisation of fishing vessels.

SINGAPORE, Dec 10 — Britain signed a free trade deal with Singapore today, the latest in a series of agreements Britain is trying to broker around the globe as it prepares to end its transition out of the European Union on December 31.

Britain's secretary of state of international trade Liz Truss and Singapore's trade minister Chan Chun Sing signed the deal at a ceremony in the South-east Asian city-state.

The Singapore deal comes as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the European Union's chief executive gave themselves until the end of the weekend to seal a new trade pact after failing to overcome persistent rifts.

Britain formally left the European Union at the end of January and has spent the year negotiating its future relationship with Brussels and striking trade agreements with major economies such as Japan and Canada.

The deal with Singapore largely mirrors a standing agreement the South-east Asian nation has with the European Union. But it is an important deal for Singapore, which counts Britain among its top trading partners for goods and services globally and its top investment destination in Europe. 

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COURTESY malaymail.com

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