Author: Maryam Khichi

Arshad Nadeem was awarded Hilal-e-Imtiaz, the second-highest civil award in Pakistan, by President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday, in recognition of his exceptional performance at the Paris Olympics 2024. During a special ceremony, the President celebrated Arshad’s historic achievement, where he became Pakistan’s first-ever individual Olympic gold medalist by setting a new record in the javelin throw with a distance of 92.97 meters, surpassing the previous record held by Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen from the 2008 Beijing Olympics. On August 10, President Zardari approved the civil award for the javelin champion under Article 259 (2) of the Constitution, which allows the…

The 25th Asia ITCN Expo, Pakistan’s premier IT and telecom event, has entered its second day at the Expo Center in Karachi, running until August 29. The event is a major showcase of cutting-edge technology and is drawing significant global investment interest in Pakistan’s burgeoning tech sector. Organizers anticipate that the expo will generate over $500 million in investments and business deals, providing a substantial boost to the national economy. The event has attracted participation from 750 companies, including international tech leaders such as Google, TikTok, Microsoft, and Huawei, alongside prominent local brands like PTCL and EasyPaisa. This year’s expo…

Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan has achieved a career-high position in the ICC Men’s Test Batting Rankings, reaching the top 10 for the first time. Rizwan’s outstanding performances, including unbeaten 171 and a solid 51 against Bangladesh in the first Test of their series, have propelled him into the elite ranks. This latest update in the Test rankings also sees significant movements among other players. England’s Harry Brook has climbed to fourth place, nearing his career-best third position, following strong scores of 56 and 32 against Sri Lanka in the ICC World Test Championship series in Manchester. Bangladesh’s Mushfiqur Rahim has also…

The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) has confirmed that the MDCAT 2024 entrance exam for medical and dental colleges will take place on September 22, 2024. The test will be conducted at 30 centers nationwide, with additional locations in Dubai and Riyadh for overseas candidates. Various government universities will oversee the examination in different provinces: University of Health Sciences Lahore in Punjab, Dow University of Health Sciences in Sindh, Khyber Medical University in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Bolan University of Medical and Health Sciences in Balochistan, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Medical University in Islamabad, and Karakoram International University in Gilgit-Baltistan. Out…

The James Webb Space Telescope has identified six potential rogue worlds—planet-like objects not bound to any star’s gravity. Among these, the lightest discovered object has been found with a dusty disk surrounding it. These intriguing objects offer new insights into the processes that may lead to the formation of bodies only slightly larger than Jupiter. Lead author Adam Langeveld, an astrophysicist at Johns Hopkins University, noted that these findings help us understand the limits of star formation and the possible transition of such objects into stars under certain conditions. The discoveries come from Webb’s deep survey of the young nebula…

Pakistan’s exports of men’s and women’s apparel to China have risen by approximately 5%, totaling over $18.03 million in the first seven months of 2024, according to data from the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC). Ghulam Qadir, the Commercial Counsellor at the Pakistan Embassy in Beijing, highlighted the growing demand for Pakistani apparel in China. He attributed this positive trend to the superior quality and competitive pricing of the products. Qadir also pointed out Pakistan’s strategic advantage in land trade with China and the zero-tariff benefits under the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA). In the first seven months…

The Divisional Development Working Party has sanctioned nine road projects valued at Rs 960 million in the districts of Bhakkar and Khushab. This decision was made during a meeting chaired by Commissioner Sargodha Division, Jahanzeb Awan, on Wednesday. The approved projects include seven road construction and repair schemes for Bhakkar, with an estimated cost of Rs 715 million, and two schemes for Khushab, costing Rs 250 million. It was noted in the meeting that full funds for all the projects have been released, ensuring their completion within this year. Commissioner Jahanzeb Awan highlighted the importance of deputy commissioners personally overseeing…

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has been actively whitelisting VPN services, with a total of 20,437 VPN service providers now registered across Pakistan. Out of these, 1,286 companies have registered 19,840 VPNs, while freelancers have also joined the process, with 136 freelancers registering 180 VPNs. The Software Houses Association (P@SHA) has contributed by registering 417 VPNs. In total, 1,422 companies have registered their VPNs with the PTA. Government sources indicate that the enforcement of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) will follow once the unauthorized use of VPNs is fully curtailed. The PTA has been overseeing the registration and…

An Angora rabbit farming initiative in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is yielding positive results, particularly in creating livelihood opportunities for women in mountainous regions. The project, which focuses on raising Angora rabbits for their valuable wool, was launched in 2016 at the Livestock Experimentation Station in Jaba, Manshera, with the support of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), according to Dr. Siraj-ud-Din, Senior Veterinary Officer. The primary goal of the initiative is to improve the economic conditions of residents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s mountainous areas by promoting the potential of wool extracted from Angora rabbit fur. Angora rabbits, originally from Turkey, are known…

In a positive development, Moody’s Investors Service has upgraded Pakistan’s long-term issuer rating from “Caa3” to “Caa2” with a stable outlook. This upgrade reflects improvements in Pakistan’s macroeconomic conditions and a moderately better government external position from previously very weak levels. Moody’s also upgraded the rating for Pakistan’s senior unsecured Medium-Term Note (MTN) programme from (P)Caa3 to (P)Caa2. Concurrently, the outlook for the Government of Pakistan has been revised from stable to positive, indicating a reduction in the country’s default risk consistent with a Caa2 rating. This follows Fitch Ratings’ earlier decision in July to upgrade Pakistan’s Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer…