FARUKH SHEHZAD

ISLAMABAD, DEC 6: Huawei held its TrustInTech Summit 2021online, under the theme of "Global Collaboration for Shared Value".Leaders from across the globe attended the event, including Pascal Lamy, Former WTO Director General, 2018 Economics Nobel Prize winner William Nordhaus, ASEAN Deputy Secretary General Satvinder Singh, NASA Solar System Ambassador Derrick Pitts,and Hou Jinlong, Senior Vice President of Huawei and President of Huawei Digital Power.

Attendees acknowledged that humanity has entered an era in which interests, fates, and futures are all intert wined, and called for coordinated efforts to address common challenges. "We need to mitigate de-globalization, in order to avoid making this world a worse place,"Pascal Lamy noted.

Today, fighting climate change is a mission that is shared worldwide, with many countries having announced low-carbon pledges.William Nordhaus said that governments should increase investment in low-carbon technologies and research.

Hou Jinlong further expanded, "Over the next 30 to 40 years, we will continue to see intelligence and low-carbon gain traction. Going intelligent requires digital technologies, while decreasing our carbon footprint requires power electronics technologies. As these trends progress, the global energy industry will change from resource-dependent to technology-driven."

Hou said, "By pursuing innovations in clean power generation, energy digitalization, transportation electrification, green ICT infrastructure, and integrated smart energy, we are working with global customers and partners to build low-carbon homes, factories, campuses, villages, and cities. This will support the shift from a low-carbon world to a net-zeroworld.”

As of September 30, 2021, Huawei Digital Power has helped customers generate 443.5 billion kWh of green power and save 13.6 billion kWh of electricity. This is equivalent to reducing carbon emissions by 210 million tons and planting 290 million trees.

Participants warned that geopolitics should not stand in the way of technological cooperation and innovation. Neil Bush expressed his concerns about growing global decoupling, "Many are embracing a dangerous zero-sum mentality that defies common sense. China's success does not take away from ours, and vice versa." He added, "Particularly in the area of technology, when China and the United States collaborate, we can innovate in foundational and revolutionary ways."

International research cooperation has yielded scientific advances. Dr. Derrick Pitts noted the collaboration of seven countries in the International Brain Initiative, the Thirty Meter Telescope, and several other international scientific research cooperation projects. He highlighted that science flourishes best in a climate that encourages diversity and cross-domain partnerships.

Satvinder Singh delivered the closing remarks at the summit, speaking highly of the key role that private companies like Huawei play in inclusive and sustainable economic recovery across ASEAN and beyond. Singh called upon all sides to take action, "We should seize this opportunity to make our societal and economic recovery truly transformative by investing in solutions to the crisis that address social, environmental, and economic transitions needed by our society and the planet."

------------------------------------------

DHAKA, DEC 5: Play on the second day in the second Test between Bangladesh and Pakistan was called off due to rain at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Sunday.

Only 6.2 overs of play were possible with a short resumption after lunch before the rain returned, with Pakistan reaching 188-2 after adding 27 from their overnight total.

Skipper Babar Azam was unbeaten on 71 alongside Azhar Ali on 52.

Only 57 overs of play were possible on the first day when Pakistan reached 161-2, with skipper Babar Azam unbeaten on 60 alongside Azhar Ali, 36 not out.

After the delayed resumption of the game, Ali managed to score his half-century with skipper reaching 71 off 113 balls.

Earlier after inspecting the ground several times through the morning, the umpires took the decision to take an early lunch with hopes of play resuming in the afternoon session.

Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam (2-49) had bowled brilliantly in the first session on Saturday to put Bangladesh on top after the visitors seemed headed toward a big score.

Openers Abid Ali and Abdullah Shafique brought up 50-run partnership in the first hour after Babar won the toss and chose to bat first. But Taijul broke the 59-run partnership, taking both wickets with straight deliveries.

After his 133 and 91 in the first Test, Abid had appeared set for another big score but fell for 39 when Taijul again struck with a straight delivery that didn’t turn as much as he expected.

Babar and Azhar survived several tricky moments at the outset of their innings, particularly against Taijul.

The hosts could have swung the momentum had Khaled Ahmed not put down a tough chance, offered by Babar on 39 off left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan’s bowling.

Pakistan lead the two-Test series 1-0 after winning the first Test in Chittagong by eight wickets.

The visitors fielded an unchanged squad from the first Test while Bangladesh handed Mahmudul Hasan a Test debut and brought in Shakib and Khaled Ahmed in three changes to the team.Saif Hassan, Yasir Ali and Abu Jayed were dropped from the opening Test.

----------------------------------------

Courtesy Dawn News

------------------

Cape Town, DEC 5: Precursors of the recently discovered Omicron coronavirus variant are likely to have existed for a very long time, according to their co-discoverer, who hails from Germany.

“According to current knowledge, an early form of Omicron evolved as a separate virus type even before Alpha and Delta emerged,” Wolfgang Preiser of Stellenbosch University near Cape Town told dpa. He is a member of the research consortium that discovered the variant.

This type of virus then probably evolved over many months without attracting attention, Preiser said. “The question is: Why did Omicron remain hidden for so long and only now get going? Were one or two mutations still missing to be able to spread quickly?”

The oldest known evidence of the variant so far dates from the first half of November.

The variant, which was first discovered in South Africa and Botswana, has a particularly large number of mutations. Among other things, they affect the spike protein through which the viruses dock onto human cells.

In addition, there are mutations near the so-called furin cleavage site, a region that plays a role in the uptake of the virus into human cells.

In Germany, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) disease control body, four cases of the Omicron variant had been confirmed by genome sequencing by Wednesday – all of them travellers returning from South Africa. The variant is suspected in eight other cases in Germany. Experts, however, assume that there are already more cases.

According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Omicron could be the dominant variant in Europe within a few months.

The EU health authority recently pointed out that while there are still a number of uncertainties regarding transmissibility, the severity of an infection and possible impact on immune defences, preliminary data suggests that the disease is already present in Europe.

However, preliminary data indicated that Omicron had a clear advantage over the Delta variant.

The WHO classifies Omicron as “of concern.”

--------------------------------------

Courtesy Anews

-----------------

DHAKA, DEC 4: Captain Babar Azam struck a fifty to help Pakistan make steady progress against Bangladesh before bad light forced early stumps on the first day of the second Test in Dhaka on Saturday.

Play did not resume after the tea break, with Pakistan, who chose to bat, on 161-2 as Azam hit an unbeaten 60 off 99 balls.

Number three Azhar Ali was accompanying Azam on 36 not out when play was suspended.

The duo put on 91 runs in their unbroken third-wicket stand after Bangladesh left-arm spinner Taijul Islam removed both openers in the morning session.

Azam led the batting charge hitting seven fours and a six so far, and brought up his 19th Test fifty after rain briefly halted the game.

Islam earlier ended a 59-run opening partnership when he bowled Abdullah Shafique for 25 runs through the gate, before Abid Ali chopped one onto his stumps after knocking up 39 runs including six boundaries.

Islam could also have dismissed Azhar if the third umpire had not given him the benefit of the doubt.

Bangladesh reviewed the not out call from the on-field umpire and with the ultra-edge showing an inconclusive touch of the ball to bat, the decision could not be overturned.

Pakistan lead the two-Test series 1-0 after winning the first Test in Chittagong by eight wickets.

The visitors fielded an unchanged squad from the first Test while Bangladesh handed Mahmudul Hasan a Test debut and brought in Shakib Al Hasan and Khaled Ahmed in three changes to the team.

Saif Hassan, Yasir Ali and Abu Jayed were dropped from the opening Test.

Playing XIs

Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam (captain), Fawad Alam, Mohammad Rizwan, Faheem Ashraf, Nauman Ali, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Sajid Khan

Bangladesh: Shadman Islam, Mahmudul Hasan, Najmul Hossain, Mominul Haque (captain), Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Ebadot Hossain, Khaled Ahmed

Umpires: Michael Gough (ENG), Sharfuddoula (BAN) TV Umpire: Gazi Sohel (BAN) Match Referee: Neeyamur Rashid (BAN).

--------------------------------------------------

Courtesy Dawn News

-----------------------

MOSCOW, DEC 4: Russia has dismissed new U.S. media reports about a possible Russian attack on Ukraine, accusing Washington of trying to aggravate the situation while blaming Moscow, the Kommersant newspaper said on Saturday, citing the Foreign Ministry.

The Washington Post cited officials and an intelligence document on Saturday as saying U.S. intelligence thought Russia could be planning a multi-front offensive on Ukraine as early as next year involving up to 175,000 troops.

“The (United) States is conducting a special operation to aggravate the situation around Ukraine while shifting the responsibility onto Russia,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova was quoted as saying by Kommersant.

“It is based on provocative actions near Russia’s borders accompanied by accusatory rhetoric,” she said.

The United States, its NATO allies and Ukraine have accused Moscow of massing troops near the Ukrainian border, and Kyiv says it fears Russia is planning an attack.

Moscow has denied any plans to invade Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of building up its own forces to attack territory held by pro-Russian separatists.

It has said it can move troops around on Russian territory as it sees fit and that they pose no external threat.

-------------------------------------

Courtesy Anews

----------------

GUJRANWALA, DEC 4: A mega farmer gathering was organized at Govt Seed Farm, Chillianwala by Agricultural Engineering Institute (AEI) with collaboration of Adaptive Research Farm, Gujranwala. 

AEI, PARC successfully demonstrated a newly developed Combine Seeder or Super Seeder machine with collaboration of Greenland Engineers, Daska.

A large number of farmers, Agricultural Extension Officers participated in the event. The Seeder can plant wheat crop directly in combine-harvested rice stubbles and residue in a single operation by incorporating it in the soil. 

Using this technology, the farmer will not need to burn their crop residue in the field, which is a big threat for environment and causes SMOG and road accidents.

Director Agriculture (FT&AR), Gujranwala, Dr. Muzzammil Hussain, Director Agriculture (Ext), Gujranwala, Javed Iqbal, DG Agriculture Engineering Division, PARC, Islamabad, Engr. Zulfiqar Ali, Director, Agricultural Engineering Institute, NARC, Dr. Hafiz Sultan Mahmood addressed the participants and farmers for adopting Combine Seeder, which is an ideal solution against burning of rice crop residues and saving of organic matter and land preparation cost.

--------------------------------------

LAHORE, DEC 4: Get Pakistan Mint Jobs 2021 | Government of Pakistan Mint Lahore Jobs 2021 Application Form Download which is a reputed Governmental body that is responsible to issue the latest designs of currency in Pakistan. Pakistan Mint Lahore has announced a Jobs program at the end of 2021 for the Punjab Sindh, KPK, Balochistan, Gilgit Baltistan / FATA residents for the following trades given below.

Pakistan Mint Jobs to apply are such as (Warden (BS-14), UDC (BS-11), Teacher (Female) (BS-09), Switch Board Attendant Grade-III (BS-06), Skilled Grade-II (BS-06) (Plumber, Turner, Fitter), Security Guard (BS-05), Skilled Grade-III (BS-05) (Carpenter, Fitter, Machinist), Skilled Grade-III (BS-05) (Musterman, Enameller, Die & Stamp Engraver), Semi-Skilled Grade-I (BS-04) (Checker, Pressman, Roll Feeder), Sanitary Worker (BS-01)) are the government jobs which need to be filled by those who possess the qualification Graduation / Intermediate / Matric / Middle and relevant experience as per the demand of trades. Age limits are different which can be seen from the given advertisement image.

If you are highly educated then we suggest you apply for the latest Pakistan Mint Jobs announced for Pakistani Nationals. So, only eligible candidates fulfilling criteria should apply as per the following how to apply the procedure given below.

Jobs to Apply for Pakistan Mint Jobs:

• Warden (BS-14)
• UDC (BS-11)
• Teacher (Female) (BS-09)
• Switch Board Attendant Grade-III (BS-06)
• Skilled Grade-II (BS-06) (Plumber, Turner, Fitter)
• Security Guard (BS-05)
• Skilled Grade-III (BS-05) (Carpenter, Fitter, Machinist)
• Skilled Grade-III (BS-05) (Musterman, Enameller, Die & Stamp Engraver)
• Semi Skilled Grade-I (BS-04) (Checker, Pressman, Roll Feeder)
• Sanitary Worker (BS-01)

Download

Geneva, DEC 3: “The Omicron strain has been identified in 38 countries, but delta remains the dominant variant of COVID-19.”

The head of the technical group of the WHO Emergency Diseases Unit, Maria Van Kerkhove.

“Omicron has so far been identified in 38 countries in all six WHO regions, with the main increase in infections in Africa. But the delta variant remains dominant in the world,” Maria Van Kerkhove said speaking during an online session, answering questions about the coronavirus situation.

---------------------------------------

Courtesy report.az

-----------------

With more gatherings and an increase in people’s movements during the holiday season, people need to stay vigilant, said Takeshi Kasai, WHO regional director for the Western Pacific.

Geneva, DEC 3: Asia-Pacific countries must brace for a new surge in the number of Covid-19 cases due to the Omicron variant, which emerged ahead of the Christmas holidays, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday.

With more gatherings and an increase in people’s movements during the holiday season, people need to stay vigilant, said Takeshi Kasai, WHO regional director for the Western Pacific.

Initial data showed that Omicron, first detected in South Africa and recently declared a variant of concern, may be more transmissible than other coronavirus variants, Kasai said.

“Border control can delay the virus coming in and buy time, but every country and every community must prepare for new surges in cases,” he told an online press briefing from the regional headquarters in Manila.

“The positive news in all this is that none of the information we have currently about Omicron suggests we need to change the direction of our response,” he added.

Kasai urged countries to use their experience in dealing with the Delta variant as a guide on “how to cope with future surges in a more sustainable way.”

He stressed the need for countries to vaccinate more people, boost their health care capacities to ensure that hospitals are available for severe cases, and strengthen surveillance to detect cases in preparation for a surge.

People must also continue implementing public health and safety measures such as mask-wearing and physical distancing which are known to be effective in stopping the spread of the virus.

“We can adapt, so that Covid-19 has less impact on our lives in 2022, and we can start to regain – and hopefully retain – a sense of normality,” Kasai said.

------------------------------------------

Courtesy Anews

-----------------

ISLAMABAD, DEC 3: The official Twitter account of Pakistan's embassy in Serbia tweeted criticism targeting Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday, citing rising inflation and alleged non-payment of salaries for three months. Two hours later, the Foreign Office issued a statement, saying social media accounts of the embassy had been hacked.

The tweets have since been deleted.

"The Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts of the Embassy of Pakistan in Serbia have been hacked. Messages being posted on these accounts are not from the Embassy of Pakistan in Serbia," the Foreign Office spokesperson tweeted.

Later, Pakistan's embassy in Serbia also said the account had been hacked and a "baseless" tweet was posted on it from a device in Karachi.

"The Twitter account of the Embassy of Pakistan [in] Belgrade, Serbia (@PakinSerbia) was hacked and logged in from a Chrome desktop on a Windows device in Karachi, Pakistan at 05:59 hours local time (09:59 PST)," a statement issued by the embassy said, adding that a message was posted from the hacked account at 6:59am local time (10:59 PST), which was not from the embassy.

"After the hacking of the Twitter account, a baseless and unfactual post was [...] made regarding the non-payment of salaries. This was totally false and far from reality."

The tweet from the embassy's verified account stated: "With inflation breaking all previous records, how long do you expect @ImranKhanPTI that we [government] official will remain silent & keep working for you without been paid for past 3 months & our children been forced out of school due to non payment of fees. Is this #NayaPakistan ?"

The tweet along with the text critising the premier included a parody song with the "Ghabrana nahi hai (we do not have to worry)" catchphrase.

Under the above tweet, the account posted another tweet saying: "I am sorry @ImranKhanPTI, am not left with another option."

According to the embassy's statement, all of its employees are paid their salaries regularly, "and there is no disruption in the education of the children of [its] officers and staff."

"The embassy is receiving funds from Islamabad on a regular basis," the statement read.

It added that the embassy "does not take any responsibility for the above-mentioned posts and deeply regrets the frivolous activity generated through the hacked account", and that "baseless" posts were deleted from the embassy's social media account.

The statement further said the embassy's Facebook and Instagram accounts were also hacked apparently using the same device from which its Twitter account was hacked.

"The Twitter account was retrieved at 09:11 hours local time (13:11 PST)," it said, adding that the IP address of the device used for hacking it was being shared with relevant quarters in Pakistan for further investigation into the matter.

Earlier this week, data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics showed inflation edged up to 11.5pc from 9.2pc, the highest increase noted in the past 20 months influenced by a record hike in fuel prices in October.

The massive rupee depreciation fuelled import-led inflation. Inflation measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased to its highest level in 20 months — the period when global oil prices kept rising steadily undermining earlier gains.

At the same time, prices of fresh vegetables, fruits and meat also posted a persistent increase in major urban and rural centres.

The average inflation during the July-November period rose to 9.32pc on a yearly basis.

-----------------------------------

Courtesy Dawn News

---------------