Despite the repercussions of COVID-19 pandemic on almost all commercial sectors, construction sector in the country is witnessing a boom. Even so, Pakistan’s cement sector posted the highest-ever monthly growth of 44.39 per cent in March at 5.773 million tonnes from 3.722m tonnes in the corresponding period last year due to a massive increase in domestic consumption and exports.
The World Health Organization has approved the emergency use of a COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by China’s Sinopharm. WHO’s decision opens the possibility that Sinopharm’s offering could be included in the United Nations-backed COVAX programme in coming weeks or months, and distributed through United Nations children’s agency UNICEF and WHO’s Americas regional office. A summary posted online by WHO suggests the vaccine is about 78 percent effective.
Pakistan has received about 1.23 million doses of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine today which were procured under the COVAX programme. So far about 10.19 million doses of different vaccines (Sinopharm, Sinovac and CanSino) had reached Pakistan. Out of the 3.5 million Sinovac Covid-19 jabs, one million would reach Pakistan on May 9 whereas another consignment of a million doses would reach the country between May 13-15.
Every few months, Pakistan television host Waqar Zaka makes it to the headlines for reasons unusual in most ways. This time around, the crypto entrepreneur has claimed that he can pay off Pakistan’s debts with ‘cryptocurrency’ if Prime Minister Imran Khan steps down and lets him run the country. Waqar then challenged politicians to give a better solution.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Political Affairs (SAPM) Shahbaz Gill announced the news that US e-commerce giant Amazon has added Pakistan to its approved seller list. Gill said Pakistan has now joined the global market which will result in billions for the country in the form of investment and employment opportunities. Accounts can now be made of Amazon using Pakistani details.
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) has appointed Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, a former caretaker Finance Minister of Pakistan, as its first female chair. A development economist and former central bank governor — also the first woman to assume this position — Akhtar previously served at the Asian Development Bank. In 2008, The Wall Street Journal named her one of the top ten women leaders in Asia.
Saudi authorities have released new detailed images of Maqam-e-Ibrahim in Makkah’s Grand Mosque, Masjid al-Haram. Maqam-e-Ibrahim is the stone that bears the imprint of Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) where he stood while building the Khana-e-Kaaba when the walls became too high. The detailed images were captured with a new technique that uses stacked panoramic focus.
Pakistan’s wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan has been included by Wisden in its 2021 list of “cricketers of the year” for his performance during the English season last year. Rizwan was named among Dom Sibley, Zak Crawley, Jason Holder and Darren Stevens who have been named Wisden Cricketers of the Year in the 2021 edition of the Wisden Almanack.
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has announced the suspension of Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) after a hostile takeover of its headquarters. The suspension will only be lifted once the body will receive confirmation that the hostile takeover has ended, the football governing body had stated in a press release on its website.
Every few months, Pakistan television host Waqar Zaka makes it to the headlines for reasons unusual in most ways. This time around, the crypto entrepreneur has claimed that he can pay off Pakistan’s debts with ‘cryptocurrency’ if Prime Minister Imran Khan steps down and lets him run the country. Waqar then challenged politicians to give a better solution.
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has imposed a Rs500,000 fine on Express Entertainment for the use of animals as props on Time Out with Ahsan Khan. Pemra noted that the show’s use of animals as props is a violation of its policies. In the show, Khan uses the rabbits as props in one segment and places them on lap of his guests.