The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet on Tuesday approved multiple technical supplementary grants (TSGs) exceeding Rs15 billion to support defence services, digital transformation, special education, and public service delivery initiatives. The ECC meeting, chaired by Finance and Revenue Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, reviewed a series of summaries submitted by various ministries and divisions covering […]
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Pakistan unveils sovereign sustainable finance framework
Pakistan has introduced its Sovereign Sustainable Finance Framework, aiming to provide a structured model for raising funds through sustainable instruments and reinforcing its long-term commitment towards economic resilience and environmental responsibility. This strategic development highlights the government’s effort to expand financing options while promoting sustainability as a core part of the country’s economic agenda. With […]
French scientists warn high vaccine rate needed to stop Delta
A panel of scientists who advise the French government on health warned Friday that as many as 95 percent of people might need to be vaccinated to dam the spread of the Delta variant of Covid-19. With cases rising, “a fourth wave linked to the Delta variant could hit swiftly, with repercussions for the health […]
South Korean general arrested for sex crime: official
A South Korean two-star army general has been arrested for sexually harassing a female subordinate, officials said Tuesday, in the latest high-profile sex crime to rock the country’s military. The case comes just a month after the country’s air force chief resigned over the suicide of a master sergeant who was sexually assaulted by a […]
‘Not perfect enough’: China’s growing problem of eating disorders
At the height of her eating disorder Zhang Qinwen was the weight of a child. Her hair fell out, she was unable to walk and she could barely see. “I knew that I was seriously unwell, but I did not dare go to the doctor,” the 23-year-old, now a leading campaigner in China on the […]
The demise of China’s ‘model’ village, where cash and communism collide
It was a gilt-edged gift to Communist propaganda: a village led by a Party visionary who transformed farmers into millionaires while tacking close to China’s collectivist ideals. But Huaxi’s success story has soured, sunk by a pernicious brew of nepotism and political patronage which experts say may hold wider lessons for the pitfalls of “capitalism […]
‘Unique’ boat built by homeless Poles prepares to set sail
Docked in a river harbour in Warsaw next to coal storage and a rubbish tip, a steel-hulled sailing boat built by a group of homeless Poles is preparing for its maiden voyage. The boat was christened on Saturday with the name “Father Boguslaw” after the priest who initiated the improbable project in 2006 with the […]
Transgender woman battles for ‘dignity’ in conservative Egypt
Farida Ramadan, a transgender woman, overcame major hurdles to transition in conservative Egypt, but she is still fighting for her rights in a country where LGBTQ+ people face acute stigma. Wearing a colourful headscarf, kohl eyeliner and crimson red lipstick, Ramadan, now in her fifties, told AFP that when she was growing up in Damietta, […]
100 years after Tulsa massacre, Black residents await Biden, and reparations
In Tulsa, the city that still bears the scars of a 1921 racial massacre, African American residents are eagerly awaiting the arrival of President Joe Biden on Tuesday, hoping he will hear their call for financial reparations. “I just want him to feel our pain,” said local activist Kristi Williams. The Democratic leader will attend […]
Thousands rally against abortion in Croatia
Thousands of anti-abortion demonstrators took to the streets on Saturday in Croatia, a largely Catholic country where human rights activists say reproductive rights are increasingly under threat. The marchers in capital Zagreb, most of whom did not wear masks, waived Croatian flags, sang patriotic songs and carried banners such as “Unborn lives matter, too”. “It’s […]