Author: Sajjad Ali

The Morocco has announced scholarships for Pakistani students, per a statement by the Higher Education Commission (HEC). These scholarships cover undergraduate, master’s, and PhD programs at public institutions throughout Pakistan for the academic year 2024-25. The deadline for online applications through the HEC portal is May 10th (Friday). HEC advises applicants to carefully review all instructions and promptly submit complete online applications, without waiting until the deadline. HEC clarifies that hard copies of applications are not required at this stage. Eligible applicants must be Pakistani or Azad Jammu and Kashmir nationals or permanent residents of Pakistan or AJK. However, individuals…

Inaugurated on Wednesday at Expo Centre Lahore, IGATEX Pakistan – the country’s premier Garment, Textile, and Digital Printing Machinery Exhibition, organized by Fakt Exhibitions (Pvt.) Ltd., commenced with esteemed guests including Zaki Aijaz, Regional Chairman of The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Ladislav Steinhübel – Ambassador of the Czech Republic, Dr. Salvatore Parano – Trade Commissioner of Italy, and Saleem Khan Tanoli – CEO of Fakt Exhibitions (Pvt.) Ltd., among others. The event received accolades for its pivotal role in providing a platform for the textile industry to showcase cutting-edge technologies and services while fostering economic ties…

ISLAMABAD: Google, the renowned American technology company, has announced plans to establish 50 smart schools in the capital city of Pakistan. According to the details, Google is prepared to set up one public Google reference school and provide training to the youth through Google Career Certificates and workshops for teachers, along with various projects. The Google for Education team recently met with officials from the federal Ministry of Education and Professional Secretary to present upcoming plans for the education sector in Pakistan. The 50 smart schools will be equipped with 30,000 Google for Education IDs, offering practice sets and a…

Uzbekistan has agreed to sign export contracts worth $44 million with Afghan entrepreneurs, as announced by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan. These contracts were finalized during a three-day visit to Tashkent by a delegation of Afghan businessmen, as reported by The Times of Central Asia on Tuesday, April 30th. Furthermore, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan are in the process of establishing an Uzbekistan-Afghanistan Business Council, with 18 Afghan companies slated to become members. Afghanistan’s import market is estimated at $7 billion, with high demand for agricultural products, processed foods, textiles, leather goods, electrical components, and construction materials.

Herat: The terrorist group Daesh has claimed responsibility for a gun attack on a minority Shiite mosque in western Afghanistan, resulting in the death of six people on Monday. Abdul Mateen Qani, a spokesman for the interior ministry, stated on Tuesday morning that an unidentified assailant opened fire on civilian worshippers in a mosque in Herat province’s Guzara district around 9:00 p.m. local time the previous night. Qani reported the death of six civilians and one injured person via the social media platform X. The regional chapter of Daesh asserted late on Tuesday that multiple gunmen armed with machine guns…

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s meteorological department announced on Wednesday that April of this year marked the hottest on record, with the country and much of the region grappling with an oppressive heatwave. The relentless rise in temperatures is attributed to the profound impacts of climate change, which has led to longer, more frequent, and more intense heatwaves. The scorching conditions prompted the Bangladeshi government to close schools nationwide, affecting approximately 32 million students. Muhammad Abul Kalam Mallik, a senior forecaster at the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, described the heatwave as unprecedented, covering around 80 percent of the country. According to Mallik, last month…

In the early hours of Wednesday, at least seven policemen sustained injuries as terrorists belonging to a banned outfit launched an assault on a police checkpost in Punjab’s Taunsa Sharif district. As per a spokesperson from the Punjab Police, the attackers targeted the Jhangi checkpost, marking the second such incident within a span of two months. Approximately 20 terrorists, armed with grenades, rocket launchers, and laser-light guns, orchestrated the attack. The spokesperson noted that the police team successfully thwarted the assault despite facing aggression from multiple directions. However, the terrorists retreated after exhausting their ammunition, failing in their attempt to…

RAWALPINDI: General Asim Munir, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), delivered the keynote address at the Pakistan-Britain Regional Stability Conference held at the National Defense University. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported that the conference aimed to address regional stability issues between Pakistan and Britain, with COAS Asim Munir highlighting key perspectives in his speech. The event saw the presence of British Chief of General Staff, Roland Walker, along with Sir Patrick Sanders, the designated British Chief of General Staff, among other notable speakers. Additionally, experts from various fields, defense officials, intellectuals, and civil society representatives participated, fostering diverse discussions.…

UNITED NATIONS: The UN’s humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths in a statement on Tuesday warned that a ground offensive by Israeli troops in Rafah city of Gaza would be a tragedy beyond words. Griffiths said the truth is that a ground operation in Rafah would be a massive tragedy and no humanitarian plan can counter that. His statement comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced to launch an offensive on Rafah, which is hosting some 1.5 million Palestinian refugees. As Hamas weighs a truce plan proposed in Cairo negotiations with the US, Egyptian, and Qatari mediators, Netanyahu is determined to…

KFC Malaysia have shuttered over 100 branches due to the continuous boycott by people protesting the company’s ties to Israel, which are continuously killing Palestinians in Gaza Strip. As tensions escalated in Gaza, a wave of activism swept through the region, prompting some to actively avoid Western brands perceived to have affiliations with Israel. Although QSR Brands (M) Holdings Bhd, the company overseeing KFC and Pizza Hut franchises in Malaysia, has not officially confirmed the number of affected outlets, reports suggest that employees are being offered transfers to other locations to mitigate the impact. The temporary closure of KFC outlets…