Tag: covid-19

Pakistan’s economy not managed properly in past: PM Khan admits
9Apr By Team FPNo Comments
Asia

Pakistan’s economy not managed properly in past: PM Khan admits

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday admitted that the country’s economy has been mismanaged in the past.Speaking at an event in Islamabad, the Pakistan PM said loans worth billions of dollars were taken in the past which instead of wealth creation further increased the burden of loans.He said the government is focusing on wealth creation projects to retire the country’s debt.Amid the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the country, Khan said that his government would approach the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for another relief package to mitigate the impact of the pandemic.Khan had said his government’s “main concern is to lift our people” out of poverty.“We are going to speak to IMF because we see disruptions ahead. Just when our economy was recovering and all the indicator...
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UNESCO extends support in implementation of India’s education policy
27Mar By Mike TrudellNo Comments
World

UNESCO extends support in implementation of India’s education policy

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director General Audrey Azoulay has extended full support in the implementation of India’s National Education Policy (NEP) and said that key concepts under the policy like strengthening administrative capacities, socio-emotional learning and environmental awareness are “very crucial” for the development of students.On Thursday, India’s Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal held a virtual meeting with Azoulay and discussed key issues of mutual importance including NEP, India’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.Azoulay appreciated the response of India in mitigating the challenges of COVID-19 and ensuring continuity of education during the pandemic by providing education to the students through different mediums of...
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Pakistan begins lockdowns as covid-19 spreads again; Lahore epicentre
23Mar By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

Pakistan begins lockdowns as covid-19 spreads again; Lahore epicentre

The Health Minister in Pakistan’s Punjab, Dr Yasmin Rashid, on Monday said that the country is imposing micro-smart lockdowns (strictly restricted movement) in various cities of Punjab to rein in the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.She warned that the Covid-19 positivity rate has been consistently on the rise and witnessed 12 per cent increase. “Punjab government has issued new SOPs for public places, bazaars (markets) and other activities that involved gatherings,” she said.Dr Yasmin Rashid further said that Lahore was becoming epicentre of the novel coronavirus, as 1,824 new cases have been reported.She assured that there’s no need to panic because the government has enough facilities to manage the increasing infections.Dr Rashid further informed that National Command Operation Center’s (NCO...
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India could regain status of world’s fastest-growing economy this year: Report
10Mar By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

India could regain status of world’s fastest-growing economy this year: Report

A recent report has said that India’s economy should be back to life in 2021 after a recession induced by COVID-19 and allow the country to reclaim its status as the fastest-growing major economy if the OECD projection of 12.6 per cent expansion in GDP is realized.“India’s economy plunged into recession for the first time in nearly a quarter of a century. However, it recorded a rise in GDP of 0.4 per cent in the final three months of 2020, ending its recession. For 2020 as a whole, the Indian economy contracted by about 7 per cent,” the report by CNN Business said on Tuesday.India’s gross domestic product is projected to expand by 12.6 per cent during the country’s fiscal year starting in April, according to a forecast released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (...
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China asks Australia to abandon its interference in Hong Kong’s affairs
2Mar By Mike TrudellNo Comments
World

China asks Australia to abandon its interference in Hong Kong’s affairs

China’s Foreign Ministry has urged Australia to abandon its interference in Hong Kong’s affairs and lashed out at the country for granting protection visas to Hong Kong passport holders in December.“Hong Kong affairs fall entirely within China’s internal affairs. No foreign country has the right to interfere,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Monday.“China urges Australia to stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China’s internal affairs in any way, to avoid further damage to China-Australia relations,” Wang said.A report from Australia’s Department of Home Affairs on the processing of Subclass 866 onshore protection visas indicated that fewer than five Hong Kong passport holders had their applications approved in December.The allocation marked the first time that ...
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China holds meet with Pak, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh to fight Covid-19
13Nov By Mike TrudellNo Comments
China, World

China holds meet with Pak, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh to fight Covid-19

With an aim to fight coronavirus and boost economy, China hosted a high-level virtual meeting with Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka to build up “political consensus” in all nations.Termed as the “five-parties” meeting by the Chinese foreign ministry in a late-night statement on Thursday; the meet was an expansion of a similar meeting held in July involving Pakistan, Nepal, and Afghanistan, and hosted by foreign minister, Wang Yi.“To jointly defeat Covid-19, protect people’s life, safety and health, and accelerate economic and social recovery and development, China, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka convened a vice-ministerial-level video conference on Covid-19 response on November 10,” the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday.“The five parties had in-de...
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[America] Sikhs in Detroit delivers food to hospitals, police stations, fir stations
20Jun By Team FPNo Comments
Asia

[America] Sikhs in Detroit delivers food to hospitals, police stations, fir stations

Shalinder Singh is among the Sikhs suburban Detroit, who have been paying for and delivering hundreds of pies to hospitals, police stations and fire departments since the gurdwara suspended in-person services.Singh and his family wanted to carry on a tenet of their faith: helping others through langar, the communal meal shared by all who come. "It just popped up in my mind, this is the time to take care of the heroes in the front," said Singh, the 40-year-old owner of a pet products company. "I spoke to a couple of doctors and they said pizza is the best because they're working 12 to 16 hours and they don't have time to sit and eat."The family have delivered more than 1,000 pizzas since early April, with no plans to slow down. They drive as much as an hour to spread their pizza love once a...
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Foodpanda waives commissions for one month for COVID hit Singapore hawkers joining the app
22May By Team FPNo Comments
Singapore, USA

Foodpanda waives commissions for one month for COVID hit Singapore hawkers joining the app

As hawkers across the nation continue to borne the brunt of the dine-in ban in light of COVID-19, Foodpanda on Friday announced that the hawkers who get on board will not have to pay commission for the first month as part of a new initiative to ease hawkers' entry onto the food delivery app.Dubbed the "pandasupport hawker initiative", the incentive is being rolled out with "the understanding that commission fees are factored as a substantial barrier that is currently preventing hawkers from coming on board Foodpanda", the company said in a press statement.Over the last few months, food delivery apps have faced heat for charging steep commissions of 30 to 40 per cent, eating into hawkers' already-thin margins. Foodpanda's latest move comes as the food and beverage sector prepares for contin...
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15May By Team FPNo Comments
China

Thailand to open economy as coronavirus eases

Thailand is set to allow department stores, shopping malls and other businesses to reopen from Sunday as new coronavirus cases dwindle, the government said. Stores selling electronics, furniture and office supplies will be among the businesses allowed to resume operations, said Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a spokesman for the government's Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration.The global pandemic has led to strict lockdowns across the world. In Thailand, large stores aside from grocery shops and pharmacies have been closed since late March when daily cases surged above 100."I expect our numbers to remain good so that we can further relax restrictions in the next phases to return to normalcy," Taweesin said. While easing more restrictions was necessary for domestic econonomic activity to re...
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