ISLAMABAD: The State Bank of Pakistan’s Refinance Scheme for Small Businesses has so far failed to take off due to multiple reasons as the commercial banks are not designed and fully equipped to provide credit line to Small and Medium Enterprises .“The SBP’s RefinanceScheme for...

RAWALPINDI: US Special Representative for Afghan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad Friday called on Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa here on Friday.During the meeting, issues of mutual interest and overall regional security situation, including Afghan reconciliation process, came under...

RAWALPINDI: An officer and five other soldiers were martyred, while one was injured in an improvised explosive device blast in the Buleda area of Balochistan on Friday, the Inter-Services Public Relations said in a press release.According to ISPR, security forces conducted routine patrolling In...

FRANKFURT: An Indian national will stand trial in Germany accused of spying on Sikh and Kashmiri communities for New Delhi’s spy agency, a court said on Friday.Federal prosecutors allege the suspect, identified as 54-year-old Balvir, has been working with the Indian foreign intelligence...

LONDON: The UK has fallen silent to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day as the country was urged to draw on the “same spirit of national endeavour” during the coronavirus crisis.Millions across the country paused at 11am on Friday to remember those who served in the Second World War,...

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Friday said it had summoned a senior Indian diplomat to register a strong protest over the Indian ceasefire violations along the Line of Control .The statement by the FO said that in the unprovoked Indian firing across the LoC in Nezapir and Rakchikri sectors, six...

Central Asia is improving food safety measures to share with the world some of the more than 8000 plant species, as well as livestock, from the region.

Collecting sex-disaggregated data on asset ownership is an important step in achieving gender equality and empowerment of women and girls in Asia and the Pacific.

Underserved businesses run by women in Armenia need help to create a reliable client base and convince skeptical banks that their enterprises are a good investment.

There is one sector that contributes up to a third of gross domestic product, and is an important source of foreign currency, in many of Asia’s developing countries. It could be deployed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Re-examining the design of rural road projects will make them more effective in improving the lives of the people living nearby.

Technology is a critical aspect of improving the availability and accessibility of clean water around the world.

Skills training, civic engagement and youth forums will help young people become active players in society’s shared efforts to grow and improve.

Carefully designed social programs offer the best chance to avoid corruption, inefficiency and other governance problems. 

At Camp No 5, in Cox's Bazar, there are about 632,000 displaced people still living in terrible conditions. But an international humanitarian effort is helping people in the community in southern Bangladesh live a better life. 

Effective and planned shoreline management would trigger activities for tourism, and support development of ocean and beach landscape, conserve biodiversity along with coastal people’s livelihood.

Millions of Asia’s informal workers – such as vendors, day laborers, and others – are left out of national pension systems. Here’s what we can do to help them in their later years.

Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are working together to encourage the free flow of skilled labor within their countries. 

To understand fragility and resilience in Papua New Guinea, look to history and the people living in the country’s most vulnerable areas.

Here’s why the perception that skilled migration damages the source country is wrong.

India is one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to disasters and it has a lot to share when it comes to preparing for them.

The global value chains that help drive Asia’s export-driven economic miracle have widespread development impacts. We need to understand them better to maximize the benefits.

The World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement provides a roadmap for developing economies to increase trade while also increasing the benefits it provides to their citizens.

A wealth of knowledge – knowhow and wisdom – rests with the officials, professionals, practitioners and communities. The challenge is to unleash the untapped power of this information.

Making it easier for workers to move between countries is key to liberalizing the trade in services and unleashing the benefits it will produce across national and regional economies.

Global supply chains link the welfare of disaster-hit companies and their surrounding communities to a network of corporations that have an economic incentive to help them bounce back. 

Despite decreases in hunger due to economic growth, millions in Asia remain malnourished and without direct action the situation could get worse.

Climate-smart and resource-saving farming technologies could be one way to address hunger in Asia.

The transmission channels of perishables like fruits and vegetables from producers to consumers in developing countries need a revamp to provide benefits to all involved.

The idea that rural water schemes are only sustainable if small, simple and locally managed is a bias that must be overcome to get more clean water to the people who need it.

Infrastructure has a critical role in narrowing gender gaps and accelerating the advancement of women and girls. If women are given a say in infrastructure design and investment, projects can become more effective enablers of their growth.

The Asia and Pacific region is aging rapidly, and that is affecting the region’s workforce, but increased longevity is adding an unexpected element to the picture

Data-driven decision making can be a powerful tool in the world of international development but it requires careful planning and management. 

Local officials can now find information from all sectors, such as health, education, women’s empowerment, child protection, and human rights and law, to help them address child and teen marriage in their area.

To level the playing field in Asia and the Pacific, women-owned companies need financial backing to support their importing and exporting needs.

Southeast Asian economies are starting to feel the pinch of trade tensions, recession fears and other global trends.

The poor and middle class are struggling to find affordable housing across the region, but there are some basic steps cities can take to improve the situation.

Work done within the home, including caring for children, is extremely important to society but undervalued and poorly tracked. 

With no single cause, and no magic solution, the congestion of Asia’s cities requires government resolve and know-how to fix.

Past financial crises have demonstrated how adequate financial safety net arrangements—globally, regionally, and nationally—are vital to safeguarding financial stability.

The ‘app economy’ provides potential risks and benefits for developing countries. The right policies are needed to bring out the best in these emerging economic trends.

Despite variations across countries on policy mix and timing, a pragmatic focus on sustained growth, poverty reduction, and inclusiveness characterize Asia’s economic rise 

To be resilient, urban poor and informal households need secure tenure, which is a household’s right to reside on the land on which they are living.

Asia and the Pacific is not where it needs to be to meet the Sustainable Development Goals but there remains a decade to make up for lost time.

Singapore’s carbon tax is designed to maximize green investments while minimizing negative effects on the overall economy.

With key reforms, Pacific states could move toward cleaner, more affordable sources of energy that eventually eliminate fossil fuels completely.

Asian cities act as engines of economic growth, providing jobs, expertise, and the sharing of resources. But in some cases, these powerful engines are sputtering due to insufficient infrastructure, inadequate planning, and poor governance.

Solar power is helping Asia get electricity to people, particularly in rural and remote areas, but it has fallen behind in its use as a clean energy cooking source.

Girls and women today have far more opportunities and role models than their mothers and grandmothers, but there is much more to be done.

Universal health coverage must be high quality to improve patients’ health outcomes