Islamabad/Seoul, March 27: Wildfires in South Korea have become the largest and deadliest on record, surpassing previous blazes in both the amount of forest burned and the number of lives lost, officials reported on Thursday, with the death toll reaching 27. The fires, which erupted over the weekend, ravaged vast areas of the southeast, forcing around 37,000 people to flee their homes. The flames cut off roads and disrupted communication lines, causing widespread panic as residents attempted to escape. According to the Ministry of Interior and Safety, 27 people have been confirmed dead, and dozens more have been injured, with…
Author: Ahmad Mukhtar
ISLAMABAD, March 27: The federal government of Pakistan has made the decision to shut down 392 seed companies for failing to meet the regulatory standards established by the National Seed Development and Regulatory Authority (NSDRA). This action was taken after a thorough third-party audit, which revealed that these companies were not in compliance with the necessary quality requirements. The aim of this move is to ensure that only certified, high-quality seeds are available to farmers, ultimately enhancing agricultural productivity and national food security. NADRA Board The decision was made during the second meeting of the NSDRA’s board of governors, which…
Islamabad, March 27: The United States has blacklisted 80 entities from China, Taiwan, Pakistan, the UAE, Iran, and South Africa, citing concerns over national security and foreign policy. The US US commerce department has enlisted further dozens of entities to a trade blacklist, that is in part to block Beijing’s advanced computing capabilities and artificial intelligence. Key Developments: Pakistani entities linked to China are affected. Beijing condemns the move, calling it ‘weaponisation’ of trade and technology. Blacklisted entities are restricted from accessing US technology and items without government approval. Targeted firms are accused of aiding China’s AI, supercomputing, and hypersonic weapons…
Islamabad, March 27: Huawei Technologies has committed to providing hi-tech training to 60,000 Pakistanis, while an additional 240,000 trainees will receive basic IT training by the end of this year. The announcement was made during a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and a Huawei delegation led by CEO Ethen Sun. Government’s Focus on IT Training Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasized that technical training in information technology is a top priority for the government. He expressed a desire for a long-term partnership with Huawei, stating that the initiative will not only enhance IT exports but also create employment opportunities for Pakistani…
ISLAMABAD, March 27: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stressed the need for Pakistan to end its reliance on the International Monetary Fund (IMF), asserting that while IMF programs help stabilize economies, they do not lead to long-term prosperity. Speaking at the launch of the Prime Minister’s Digital Youth Hub in Islamabad on Thursday, he highlighted the country’s mounting debt over the past 77 years and expressed hope that the current IMF program would be Pakistan’s last. IMF Agreement and Loan Disbursement His remarks followed the announcement that Pakistan and the IMF have reached a Staff-Level Agreement (SLA) for the first review…
ISLMABAD, March 27: The world’s renewable energy capacity experienced significant growth in 2024, reaching 4,448 gigawatts (GW), with solar energy leading the expansion, contributing 1,865GW. According to the Renewable Capacity Statistics 2025 report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the global addition of 585GW in 2024 accounted for an impressive 92.5% of total power capacity expansion, marking a record 15.1% annual growth rate. Renewable Expansion and Future Targets Despite the remarkable progress, renewable energy deployment remains short of the 11.2 terawatts (TW) required to meet the global goal of tripling installed renewable capacity by 2030. To stay on track, capacity…
Islamabad, March 27: Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have reached a staff-level agreement (SLA) under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF), paving the way for a $1 billion disbursement. Additionally, the country has secured $1.3 billion under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) for climate resilience. The agreement, pending approval by the IMF’s Executive Board, will bring total IMF disbursements for Pakistan to approximately $1.3 billion. Key Economic Reforms and Policy Changes As part of the agreement, Pakistan has committed to introducing several economic reforms, including a new carbon levy, reductions in electricity tariffs, adjustments in water pricing, and a…
Islamabad, March 26: Punjab Education Foundation is offering Job Opportunity for over 113 staff across Punjab with a pay of over Rs 60,000 per month. Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) is an autonomous body of School Education Department, Government of the Punjab, which is imparting free education to around 3 million children across the Province. PEF seeks ambitious and experienced persons for the Monitoring & Evaluation Officers (MEOS) position: Selection Criteria is that the age limit is 30-35 years of age, minimum qualification is around graduation (14 years of education). There are 66 from civil side and 47 posts for the…
Islamabad, March 26: Pakistan’s gross domestic product (GDP) recorded a growth of 1.73% in the second quarter (October-December) of fiscal year 2024-25, according to estimates released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Tuesday. Despite a contraction of 0.18% in the industrial sector during this period, the overall economy expanded, driven by growth in the agriculture and services sectors, which posted increases of 1.1% and 2.57%, respectively, as per a press release issued following the National Accounts Committee (NAC) meeting. The NAC also approved a revised GDP growth estimate for the first quarter of FY2023-24, adjusting it from the…
Lahore, March 26: The Punjab Government has advertised the jobs of Lady Constable Jobs of Excise Taxation and Narcotics Control Department. The details of the job requirements are listed below. The jobs are for the Divisions of Punjab are Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Sahiwal, Multan, Bahawalpoor, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rawalpindi and Gujarat. Divisions of Candidates For Division Lahore, applicants can come from Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasoor and Nankana Saheb. For Faisalabad Division, applicants can come from Districts Faisalabad, Chiniot, Jhang, and Toba Tek Singh, and from Division Gujranwala, Districts are Gujranwala, Narowal and Sialkot. For Division Sargodha, Districts are Sargodha, Khushab,…
