FARUKH SHEHZAD

ISLAMABAD, NOV 24: Nearly a million children in Pakistan will not return to their classrooms due to the COVID-19 crisis. TCF is committed to bringing these children back into their classrooms and reigniting their dreams. 

This Season of Giving, make a gift for education and give less privileged children the joy of dreaming again. Donate now: https://link.tcf.org.pk/3r5tvVv

#TCFGivingSeason

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BAKU, NOV 23: Azerbaijan is moving rapidly towards the reintegration of the liberated territories, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said in a video message posted on the Twitter page of Antalya Diplomatic Forum.

“As a result of the 44-day Patriotic War last year, we liberated our lands from the Armenian occupation. The victory opens a new era in the history of my country, restored international justice and the rights of 1 million people, forced to flee their homes,” he said.

“We are now facing the new task of demining and restoration of our liberated territories. We are moving rapidly on the way towards the reintegration of the liberated territories. In the nearest future, we will witness the return of the first families of the displaced persons to their homes,” Bayramov said.

The foreign minister expressed hope that lasting peace and stability would be established in the South Caucasus.

“Azerbaijan will continue efforts to strengthen peace, stability, and prosperity in the region,” he said.

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Courtesy report.az

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DUBAI, NOV 23: Dubai Cricket Council Chairman Abdul Rahman Falaknaz has offered to host Pakistan-India bilateral cricket series — almost a month after the arch-rivals played an ICC T20 World Cup match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

The recently-concluded T20 World Cup, claimed by Australia, was staged across three venues — Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi — in the UAE while some matches of the preliminary round matches were played in Oman.

“The best thing would be to get India-Pakistan matches here. When Sharjah used to host India and Pakistan all those years ago, it was like a war. But it was a good war, it was a sporting war and it was fantastic,” Falaknaz was quoted.

Owing to political tensions, Pakistan and India haven’t played bilateral cricket series since 2013, when the Green Shirts visited India to play three T20s and two One Day Internationals. “I remember [Bollywood actor] Raj Kapoor came once with his family. During the awards night, he took the mic and said, ‘How wonderful it is to have these India-Pakistan battles in Sharjah. Cricket brings people together, cricket has brought us together and let us remain this way,’” recalled the DCC chief.

“So this is what we would like to do. If we can convince India to come and play here against Pakistan once a year or twice a year, it would be fantastic.”

‘India welcome to play IPL matches in Dubai’

The DCC chief also expressed willingness to host more Indian Premier League (IPL) matches in future.

“In 2014, when they shifted the IPL to the UAE due to elections, we gave them a warm reception. It all depends on the BCCI to decide what they want to do,” Falaknaz recalled.

“We are very friendly with them,” he said, adding that the BCCI had seen “our potential in 2014 and more this year. In 2014, they played 20 matches. Out of the 20 matches, 19 were fully sold”.

“So, I would invite BCCI to come and hold their IPL matches. Even if it is part of IPL to start here and finish in India or to start in India and finish in Dubai,” he suggested.

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Courtesy Dawn News

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ISLAMABAD, NOV: Zonergy Solar development Pakistan has actively participated in 17th International Trade and Industrial Fair of Pakistan. The 3 days exhibition is organized by E-commerce pvt Ltd which has witness leading traders and manufacturers from the industry who displayed their top-of-the-line products.

Zonergy Showcased its Portable devices, Panels, On-grid and Hybrid Inverters and heating plates for visitors to experience our products. The event is graced by Governor Sindh Mr. Imran Ismail and Ministry of Commerce Mr. Dawood Ibrahim who visited the booths and appreciated the participants. They visited Zonergy Booth along with others booths to get brief about company products.

The Exhibition witness massive crowd from leading Industry producers and distributors. Center of attention is Zonergy Booth which has provided products experience and customer dealing to more than hundreds potential business Clients.

The various renowned companies from Solar Energy Sector, SME, Engineering firms and existing customers approached Zonergy to extend business cooperation. Some of the leading firms senior representatives shown interest in collaboration with Zonergy.

The 3 Days Exhibition attracted 5000 visitors from the industry to forge partnership and sign business deals. The Electronic Media channels provided extensive coverage to event in which Zonergy Sales Lead from South, Central and North region brief the TV channels about Zonergy projects and company footprint in Pakistani Market. 

Zonergy Team have taken lead in the exhibition to represent Zonergy as leading Solar brand of Pakistan with largest renewable energy market share.

GM Sales Mr. Zhang appreciated the E-Commerce for organizing Industry oriented Exhibition he further said “The exhibition played vital role in bridging the gap between end user and the industry. 

It’s a good omen in Post COVID Scenario and provide opportunity to give first hand experience to end product users.

Zonergy always believe in providing experience base products to its customers and welcome the client feedbacks to offer best competitive solar solutions. We’ll continue our journey towards excellence to elevate the solar industry in Pakistan and ensure to raise the bar for highest standards.

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AIOU has offered admission in these programs in accordance with HEC 's
revised notification dealing with the subject matter.

HEC has granted special permission to the universities to invite
applications for admission in master's degree programs in the context of
COVID-19 pandemic till June 22.

Two-year MA Programs include M Com, History, Urdu, Islamiat, Arabic,
TEFL and Library and Information Sciences whereas M Sc programs include
Administrative Sciences, Economics, Sociology, Gender and Women Studies,
Mass Communication, Pakistan Studies as well as Public Nutrition and
Sustainable Environmental Design.

Moreover, one year M Ed programs include Elementary Teacher Education,
Special Education, Teacher Education and Science Education. On the other
hand, M Sc (face to face) programs include Physics, Chemistry,
Mathematics, Botany, Microbiology and Environmental Sciences.

It is pertinent to mention here overseas Pakistanis and foreigners can
also apply for admission in these programs. For international students,
these programs will be offered through university's uniquely customized
learning management system. All academic activities including
examinations will be conducted online.

However, Pakistani students will appear in face-to-face examinations.
Admission application forms and prospectuses for all programs are

ISLAMABAD, NOV 22: Since early 2020, Covid-19 put a stop to all social activities including fundraising events, across the globe. In Pakistan, education got a big hit! It became a challenge to continue the education process online for children in all educational institutions, in particular children of lower income groups. 

After a gap of nearly 2 years, the Supporters of TCF (STCF) organised an exciting event, Cycle For Change for much needed funds and support, in order to continue the journey of literacy. This was a wholesome and fun experience for individuals and members of leading cycling clubs of Karachi. The cyclists dedicated this day to cycle and raise funds for the children of TCF. Over 250 cyclists from Karachi as well as a few from Lahore participated in the event. 

They cycled early morning from Seaview and other areas of Karachi to TCF Qayummabad Campus where they met TCF students and took a tour of the school. They applauded the efforts of TCF to promote quality education in Pakistan and to nurture the dreams of the most deserving children.

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ISLAMABAD, NOV 22: Getz Pharma Pvt. Ltd.,in partnership withTabba Heart Institute, announced the launch of Pakistan Study of Premature Coronary Atherosclerosis in Young Adults (PAK- SEHAT)

Cardiovascular diseases continue to have a significant impact across the world among different populations. To address the issue of the rising health burden of ASCVD in Pakistan, Getz Pharma Pvt. Ltd and Tabba Heart Institute (THI) formally launched PAK-SEHAT- Pakistan Study of Premature Coronary Atherosclerosis in Young Adults, a nationwide study conducted through Pakistan's first state of art mobile lab. PAK SEHAT project is the largest, first-of-its-kind, longitudinal cohort study on Atherosclerotic Risk Assessment in Pakistani Population. This 10-year joint venture of Getz Pharma &THI (PAK SEHAT) will help determine risk factors for coronary heart disease so that early detection can be done and disease can be prevented rather than treated. 

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, causing approximately 32% of annual deaths. The risk of cholesterol-associated CVD varies among different ethnicities; however, the risk is four fold in the South Asian (SA) Population compared to other races. Furthermore, almost 75% of all CVD deaths are in low and middle-income countries (LMIC), where there are finite health resources and a multitude of health-seeking barriers. 

The state of heart diseases in Pakistan also reflects a concerning picture. According to the World Health Organization data published in 2018, coronary heart disease deaths in Pakistan reached 20% of total deaths, and Pakistan ranks 18 in cardiac mortality in the global ranking. Moreover, the numbers of potential CVD risk factors, including hypertension and diabetes, are also alarming in Pakistan, with 50% hypertension and 17.1% diabetes in the adult population. There is a drastic shift in CVD occurrence in young ages in the SA population, as evidenced by the groundbreaking INTERHEART study suggesting 10.6% of SA participants presented with a heart attack at <40 years of age. Therefore, this study primarily envisions screening the Pakistani individuals at a younger age to prevent increasing CVD burden in the future.

This study aims to recruit healthy volunteers <40 years of age, from selected urban and rural areas of Pakistan, who are asymptomatic and have no cardiovascular disease. This would allow for assessing the participants' risk factor profiles and follow them up for at least five years to document the incidence of ASCVD. The objectives of PAK SEHAT includes: 

1. To characterize the prevalence and severity of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis among young Pakistani men and women free of clinical CVD

2. To understand the impact, in terms of 5-year rates of cardiovascular events, by using the prognostic information provided by cardiac CTA and the other study tests and measurements to optimize cardiovascular prevention management in young Pakistanis.

While Pakistan is the second-most populous country in South Asia, most of the data on the prevalence of ASCVD from South Asian regions is derived from India. As a result, the Pakistani Population is highly underrepresented in global research, as there is currently no comprehensive database on the native Pakistani Population to assess the likelihood of developing ASCVD. Due to this high burden of disease, there is an urgent need for primary prevention and early screening for ASCVD in Pakistan. 

The findings from a study of this scale can provide groundbreaking results. It would help in informing future health policy targeting the native Pakistani Population, and it would allow early interventions for patients with risk of ASCVD from a younger age. Getz Pharma and Tabba Heart Institute are proud to lead an initiative of this scale with the aim to contribute to the growing research database in Pakistan and promote early screening and prevention for cardiovascular diseases in the country.

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MOSCOW, NOV 21: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have discussed the situation in Karabakh and measures to stabilize it.

“The sides continued the discussion of the situation in the region and measures taken to stabilize it in the context of the implementation of the trilateral agreements on Karabakh dated November 9, 2020, and January 11, 2021.

Nikol Pashinyan expressed gratitude for the active mediation efforts of Russia,” the Kremlin said.

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Courtesy report.az

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KARACHI, Nov 21: The launch of the VI Edition of the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World will be celebrated in Karachi from 22-28 November 2021, this year it is dedicated to the theme "Tradition and perspectives of Italian Cuisine: awareness and enhancement of food sustainability", which combines the promotion of Italian agri-food products with the enhancement of the Mediterranean Diet, as a model of healthy and sustainable diet and lifestyle.

The Consulate of Italy in Karachi has invited two special guests from Italy; Chef Samuele Crestale hailing from Milan and Antonino Fracchiolla, a cheese expert from the south. The two gentlemen will take you on a gastronomical excursion to Italy.

The Cuisine week will consist of a series of activities aimed at promoting Italian Agri- food products, goods and services by organizing a Ho.Re.Ca Summit featuring live cooking by Chef Samuele Crestale and Display of Cheese by Antonino Fracchiolla together with local vendors.

A seminar will be held to create awareness about food sustainability jointly with CNH Industrial (former FIAT Group) to address the issues in the agri supply chain in Pakistan.

 From 25-28, the Italian Food Festival will be held at Avari Towers where Chef Samuele Crestale will welcome the guests and prepare traditional delectable Italian recipes for the people of Karachi to enjoy.

The food festival will continue for four days with the collaboration of Gerry's Group, Cassinetto, Emirates Airlines, Avari Towers Karachi and HBL.

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 21: Ambassador of Indonesia to Pakistan, Adam Mulawarman Tugio on Sunday has said that Indonesia has set US$50 billion e-commerce trade target by 2025 to connect with the biggest sector of global trade.

There are vast opportunities in e-commerce trade between Pakistan and Indonesia, which will increase bilateral trade and investment opportunities on both sides, Ambassador of Indonesia to Pakistan, Adam Mulawarman Tugio said.

The Ambassador said that Pakistan and Indonesia are countries with large youth populations that can make their mark in the global e-commerce trade and create vast employment opportunities in both the countries.

He said that global retail e-commerce sales in 2020 stood at US$ 4.28 trillion, which is expected to reach US$ 5.4 trillion by 2022. He said that there is an era of Information Technology (IT) and online connectivity in the world and now the big global brands are connected to small and big markets and are continuing their business activities.

The Ambassador said that Pakistan and Indonesia can be linked with e-commerce trade to increase bilateral trade as well as connect both sides’ youth in connection of business and trade. With such connections, young people from both the countries and people can benefit from each other’s experiences and skills to promote economic and cultural integration.

He said that e-commerce integration in both the countries could also help in promoting tourism in both of countries and strengthen the ties between the people of both countries.

Tugio said that Pakistan and Indonesia are among the most beautiful countries in the world and with the promotion of tourism in both countries mutual economic activities would reach its peak. He said that the two countries have similarities in many areas, including religion, culture, architecture, landscape, and cuisine which must be familiar to the people of both countries.

Replying to the question, he said Indonesia had made investments in Palm oil in Karachi which would enhance economic cooperation between the two countries, adding that in the near future while taking interest in investing in Faisalabad, steps would be taken for this in the near future.

Responding to another question about Indonesia’s rapid economic growth and economic reforms, he said Indonesia was the first to work on Ease of Doing Business (EODB) and business facilitation, which encouraged foreign investors.

The Ambassador said a number of achievements had been achieved following the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business (EODB) targets and then there was the devolution of power in Indonesia for strengthening of the local body system, which led to a strong federation.

The Ambassador said that Pakistan and Indonesia had strong prospects for the proposed bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which would help strengthen economic and trade ties between the two countries. The Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) already existed in both the countries which opened up the possibility of increasing bilateral trade, he said.

The Ambassador said Indonesia had recently reduced trade tariffs for facilitating to Pakistan in 20 trade items in the bilateral PTA review. The Ambassador said Indonesia had a strong role to play, adding, progress was being made to enhance economic and trade integration between Pakistan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Discussing the cultural and educational ties between the two countries, he said 11 percent of scholarships were awarded to Pakistani students this year, which was 52 percent of developing countries. He said this year 60 Pakistani students went to Indonesian universities to study.

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