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...

BEIJING: China said on Friday it supports a World Health Organisation-led review into the global response to the coronavirus outbreak, but “after the pandemic is over”.The comments from foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying came as China has faced increasing global pressure in...

LONDON: Fifty Labour Party parliamentarians have told the new Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, that his recent statement on Indian-occupied Kashmir after a meeting with the Labour Friends of India is unacceptable, illegal, and historically wrong and he must clarify his position or face open...

LONDON: The Organisation of Kashmir Coalition has hailed the policy statement of Liberal Democrats on Kashmir showing concern for the human rights situation in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.In a statement issued on Friday, OKC executive members Prof Nazir Ahmed Shawl and Barrister Abdul Majid...

PESHAWAR: Over 240 Pakistanis stranded in Qatar landed at the Bacha Khan International Airport here on Friday.Upon landing at the Peshawar airport, Qatar Airways flight was disinfected and the passengers went through a screening process and later shifted to a quarantine facility.Earlier, at least...

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa said Pakistan’s support towards Afghan peace is a manifestation of “our goodwill to the cause” in a meeting with US Special Representative for Afghan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad.According to a press release issued by the...

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,...

LONDON: The UK looks likely to operate under slightly different lockdown rules next week after announcements by the leaders of the Welsh and Scottish governments suggested deviation between nations.Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said lockdown restrictions in the country will continue for a...

By News DeskISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani has summoned a session of the Upper House on Tuesday, as the country witnessed its sharpest spike in confirmed coronavirus cases in a 24 hour period with nearly over 1,900 new cases and 35 more deaths.According to a press release issued by the...

The NCC, under Imran Khan, had decided to substantially ease the lockdown from Saturday (today) after detailed deliberations and consultations with the provinces

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.

Investments in universal health coverage are investments in economic growth. They play a critical role in leveraging opportunities, anticipating challenges, and delivering the knowledge, expertise, and financing countries need to achieve universal health coverage.

Disaster-related displacement is often negative, but can result in more resilient communities under the right circumstances. This can include better management of remittances sent to family members in the disaster zone.

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

Public work programs can build much-needed infrastructure while helping lift people out of poverty and shield them from the effects of natural disasters and economic crises

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

Total asset management brings together all aspects of what it takes to make a city vibrant and livable.

Better information and a willingness to tackle difficult issues are necessary to ensure a fit-for-purpose and accountable health system in Papua New Guinea.

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. 

State-owned enterprises, including power utilities, in many countries have collected a menagerie of assets unrelated to their core business. And they are selling cheap.

There’s one big element missing before we can create a truly transparent, seamless and open international trading framework.

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.

‘Build back better’ is often easier said than done after a disaster, but one example from the People’s Republic of China shows that it can be done well. 

Involuntary resettlement can improve the lives of the resettled while reducing poverty and delivering results for development projects

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.

Bài viết giải thích tại sao nhận thức cho rằng sự di cư của lao động có kỹ năng nghề làm tổn hại nguồn lực quốc gia là sai lầm.

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.

Health and safety on the jobsite involves more than simply enforcing rules and regulations. A culture of prevention, as well as innovative digital solutions, are needed to keep workers alive and healthy.

Quantum computing could change the face of many international development programs, including those involving transport, financial services and health care.

灾后“重建得更好”通常说起来容易，做起来难，但中华人民共和国的例子表明，这是可以实现的。

Lining up rights-of-way for megaprojects, such as railways and highways, in crowded places is challenging but it can be done with an imaginative and respectful plan.

The discussions around the impact of artificial intelligence and its impact on jobs could result in improved skills and greater adaptations by the world’s work force.

A landmark international agreement designed to eliminate violence and harassment in the workplace has been passed. Now comes the hard part.

Countries around the world are taking an integrated approach to address the complexities of poverty. 

Digital or financial technology – including mobile internet access, blockchain, artificial intelligence, and big data – can make international trade more efficient and support financing options.

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.

In the Philippines, cloud-based technology is being used to address the financial exclusion that helps fuel poverty and inequality.

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.

A tax on migrating workers compensates the exporting country for loss of the human capital created by its education and skills development programs.

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.

Blockchain technology offers great promise and great risk. We need to better understand how it works and how to use it safely and effectively.