Pakistan is going to start exporting pine nuts to China soon. A Chinese snack company, Bestore, has inked a deal worth 300 million yuan ($42 million) with Pakistani pine nut company Halo foods. According to Yang Yinfen, CEO and president of Bestore, hand peeled pine nuts are one of the most expensive nut products for Bestore now as both demand and output has grown rapidly.
Dubai based ride hailing service Swvl recently announced its plans to collaborate with the Sindh government to set up mass transit systems within the province, starting with Karachi, the company said in a statement. The company said Swvl and Sindh government have explored multiple avenues to improve the transportation landscape of Sindh, and will be entering into a public-private partnership to provide high quality, cutting-edge mass transit solutions.
The Edhi Foundation was awarded the Isa Award for Service to Humanity in a ceremony in Bahrain’s capital Manama for its humanitarian services. The award is worth a US$1 million reward, along with a medal of pure gold and a high certificate of appreciation. The charity organisation was shortlisted along with several other qualifiers from other countries by an international jury.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Chief Executive Officer Air Marshal Arshad Mahmood Malik has said that monthly operational losses of the national flag carrier have been cut to half. The CEO said that the losses have been brought down to Rs1.5 billion as compared to more than Rs3 billion suffered earlier. However, a lot more still needs to be done to deal with PIA’s liabilities.
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Museum in Karachi has dedicated an entire section to Operation Swift Retort, which led to downing of India’s Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. Varthaman’s likeness and the remains of the aircraft he piloted form the main attractions of the exhibit. A mannequin painted to resemble the wing commander and dressed in his flight overalls has put on display.
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has refused to travel abroad for his medical treatment under the conditions proposed by the government. The government wants submission of Rs7 billion as surety bonds — equivalent to the fines imposed on him by an accountability court in two corruption cases Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Avenfield properties — in which he was convicted.
Lahore’s air quality remained ‘hazardous’ with an air quality ranking of 447, according to Air Visual’s Air Quality Index (AQI) list. The Punjab capital is ranked second most polluted city in the world, according to Air Visual, which records air pollution levels across the globe in real time. According to Air Now, “the entire population is more likely to be affected” at hazardous level.
Australian scientists are claiming to have created a cowpox style virus in an effort to cure cancer, which is able to kill every type of cancer in a Petri dish and also shrunken tumors in mice. The treatment is developed at Imugene, an Australian biotech company and is called CF33. Scientists are hopeful to test the virus on various cancer patients but are still uncertain about results.
Swvl, a mobile application that lets users reserve bus tickets online, aims to start operation in the Philippines, Indonesia and Bangladesh by late next year. The company runs buses along fixed routes and allows users to book seats and pay for them through its app. It competes with current ride hailing companies as it is 30 to 40 percent less expensive than using a car.
A man in India has died after his mobile phone exploded next to him while charging. According to the police, the deceased, identified as ‘Kuna Pradhan’ hailed from Ranpur. He left his phone to charge overnight and it exploded around 5 am. Kuna received severe injuries, including third-degree burns. He was shifted to a nearby hospital and died in a few hours.