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Pakistan calls for closing digital divide to accelerate progress in poor countries

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UNITED NATIONS, Dec 06 (APP):Despite global progress in expanding use of the Internet and information communications technology (ICT), the digital divide between developed and developing countries remains wide, Pakistan has said during an online discussion organized by a UN body that conducts independent research on international security issues.

“The inability of the developing countries to reap benefits of digital transformation offered by extraordinary opportunities for innovation, communication, sustainable development and economic growth is amplifying the risk of further deepening of the already existing digital divide,” Ambassador Aamir Khan, deputy permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, told the webinar sponsored by the Geneva-based United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR).

If unchecked, he warned that the exponential proliferation of disinformation through online platforms and social media was exacerbating social discord, competing nationalisms, discrimination, hate speech, stigmatization, racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia and related intolerances.

According to statistics, out of 2.9 billion people offline, 96% live in developing countries.

Bridging the digital divide will require addressing the major impediments that developing countries face in engaging with and accessing new technologies, such as an appropriate enabling environment, sufficient resources, infrastructure, education, capacity, investment and connectivity, the Pakistani envoy said.

At the same time, he said, the new era of strategic competition transformed by significance of the unconventional battle space and the coercive power of hybrid warfare has seriously undermined the space for international cooperation.

“There is no doubt that in order to have an open, stable, accessible, secure and peaceful cyberspace, the need for formulating a comprehensive framework for cyber capacity-building is more than ever before,” Aamir Khan said.

Achieving real and sustained progress in the various dimensions of digitalization requires skills development and effective training, in particular in developing countries,” he said, adding, “This is necessary to unlock the benefits of technology, including the more effective use of emerging technologies and ensuring that individuals stay safe, protected and productive online.”

In this regard, Aamir Khan called for prioritization of transfer of technology and technical assistance based on an open, fair and non-discriminatory access to ICT-related science, technologies, products and services.

Haris Rauf suffers grade-II strain, out of England series

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Haris Rauf suffers grade-II strain, out of England series
Pakistani pacer Haris Rauf suffers grade-II strain, out of England series.

ISLAMABAD, Dec 06 (APP):Pakistani pacer Haris Rauf has been ruled out of the Test series against England due to a grade-II strain in right quad.

The fast bowler underwent an MRI during the first day’s play of the Rawalpindi Test after he rolled over the ball while fielding, said Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

The scans and the subsequent assessment by PCB medical staff concluded that the fast bowler suffered a grade-II strain.

Haris would now travel to Lahore to begin his rehabilitation at the National High Performance Centre.

It may be mentioned that England won the first of the three Tests on Monday by 74 runs. The second and third Tests would be played in Multan (December 9-13) and Karachi (December 17-21), respectively.

Currency rates of NBP

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Currency rates of NBP

KARACHI, Dec 06 (APP): Following are the selling/buying rates Of major currencies issued by the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), here on Tuesday.

CURRENCY SELLING BUYING
USD 226.64 221.66
GBP 276.57 270.45
EUR 237.91 233.11
JPY 1.6559 1.6194
SAR 60.37 58.89
AED 61.72 60.74

EXCHANGE RATES FOR CURRENCY NOTES

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Currency rates of NBP

KARACHI, Dec 06 (APP):

CURRENCY SELLING BUYING
USD 226.64 221.66
GBP 276.57 270.45
EUR 237.91 233.11
JPY 1.6559 1.6194
SAR 60.37 58.89
AED 61.72 60.74

LIBOR
LIBOR FOR CALCULATING INTEREST ON SPECIAL USD BONDS
LIBOR 1M 4.18486
LIBOR 3M 4.73257
LIBOR 6M 5.14914

US DOLLAR Indicative FBP Rates

CURRENCY SIGHT/
15 DAYS 1M 2M 3M 4M 5M 6M

USD 222.74 221.61 218.83 216.17 213.64 211.05 208.64

EUR 234.03 233.36 230.83 228.47 226.37 224.03 221.91

GBP 271.86 270.70 267.51 264.39 261.54 258.51 255.71

NBP Exchange Rates

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Foreign exchange rates

KARACHI, Dec 06 (APP): Treasury Management Division of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) on Tuesday issued the following exchange rates.

CURRENCY SYMBOL TT Selling TT Buying
U.S DOLLAR USD 224.40 223.90
EURO EUR 236.00 235.48
JAPANESE YEN JPY 1.6395 1.6358
BRITISH POUND GBP 273.84 273.23
SWISS FRANC CHF 238.18 237.65
CANADIAN DOLLAR CAD 165.22 164.86
AUSTRALIAN DOLAR AUD 151.09 150.75
SWEDISH KRONA SEK 21.67 21.62
NORWEGIAN KRONE NOK 22.60 22.55
DANISH KRONE DKK 31.67 31.60
NEWZEALAND DOLLAR NZD 142.26 141.94
SINGAPORE DOLLAR SGD 165.60 165.23
HONGKONG DOLLAR HKD 28.99 28.93
KOREAN WON KRW 0.1711 0.1707
CHINESE YUAN CNY 32.33 32.26
MALAYSIAN RINGGIT MYR 51.26 51.14
THAI BAHT THB 06.41 06.40
U.E.A DIRHAM AED 61.53 61.39
SAUDI RIYAL SAR 59.77 59.64
QATAR RIYAL QAR 61.66 61.52
KUWAITI DINAR KWD 731.49 729.87

CONVERSION RATE FOR FROZEN FCY DEPOSITS
USD 223.8164
GBP 274.4884
EUR 235.9696
JPY 1.654

SETTLEMENT DATE: 08-12 2022

UN welcomes military-civilian pact towards democratic rule in Sudan

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UN welcomes military-civilian pact towards democratic rule in Sudan

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 06 (APP): Senior UN officials have welcomed an agreement signed on Monday between military and civilian leaders in Sudan as a “courageous” step forward towards the establishment of democratic rule.

Signed in the capital Khartoum after months of negotiations following last year’s military coup which derailed the transition, the agreement aims to establish a new constitution.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he hoped the signing would “pave the way for the return to a civilian-led transition in the country”, and called on all Sudanese “to work without delay on the next phase of the transition process to address outstanding issues with a view to achieving a lasting, inclusive political settlement.”

He added that the UN through the Trilateral Mechanism comprised of the UN mission in Sudan, the African Union (AU), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), “remains committed to supporting the process going forward.”

“It is my hope that the principles in the document will be translated into action”, UN Special Representative in Sudan Volker Perthes said. “The transitional authorities need to respect and protect the rights and freedoms of all Sudanese, regardless of their ethnic, religious or political background.”

The deal will initially create a new two-year civilian transitional authority led by a prime minister chosen by the coalition of civilian leaders signing up to the agreement. A second phase would see public consultations over transitional justice, military and security reform and the agreement two years ago over demilitarizing the restive Darfur region.

It comes after months of protest and violence, which has led to well over 100 demonstrators killed by security forces, and more than 8,000 sustaining “life-changing” injuries, according to UN human rights chief Volker Turk, briefing journalists in Sudan last month.

In a statement issued on Monday, Turk, also welcomed the new pact, calling it “an important first step”, calling for sustained international support during the next phase of transition.

Turk said that during his fact-finding mission where he met a wide spectrum of Sudanese, he said he had been touched by their vision for a future “anchored in human rights and justice”.

He described the signing of the framework agreement as a huge opportunity to ensure that their vision becomes reality.

He also welcomed the release of two former officials as “an important confidence-building measure”. Ahead of Monday’s signing, the military authorities released Wagdi Salah, a prominent opposition figure who was detained earlier in the year.

Perthes, speaking at the signing ceremony for the new agreement, said that the process leading up to it had been “truly Sudanese-owned and Sudanese-led”.

He applauded the military’s commitment outlined last July to transfer power back to civilian leaders, saying it had created a “new dynamic which is now reflected in the understanding about the transitional institutions.”

He also highlighted civilian leaders’ ability to establish a broad consensus through compromise and underscored the “decisive role” playing by young men and women demonstrators.

“Without them, we would probably not be here at this moment. It is my hope that these young men and women will consider this Agreement as an important first step towards the restoration of civilian rule and the realization of the goals of the December revolution”, which led to the overthrow of the former dictator, Omar al-Bashir, in 2019.

Perthes acknowledged the “ultimate price” paid by many who had taken to the streets, saying the UN “stands with them in their demands for justice and accountability and their freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.”

He said it was important for the second phase of consultation to begin immediately, for a comprehensive political settlement.

“While this framework agreement is not perfect, it does provide a very good basis to begin to restore civilian rule. I strongly encourage all other parties to join the political process and engage constructively in pursuit of this goal”, he added.

IRSA releases 82,600 cusecs water

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IRSA releases 205,500 cusecs water

ISLAMABAD, Dec 6 (APP): Indus River System Authority (IRSA) on Tuesday released 82,600 cusecs water from various rim stations with inflow of 43,100 cusecs.

According to the data released by IRSA, water level in River Indus at Tarbela Dam was 1503.62 feet and was 105.62 feet higher than its dead level of 1,398 feet. Water inflow and outflow in the dam was recorded as 21,600 cusecs while outflow as 46,000 cusecs.

The water level in River Jhelum at Mangla Dam was 1132.10 feet, which was 82.10 feet higher than its dead level of 1,050 feet. The inflow and outflow of water was recorded 6,900 cusecs and 22,000 cusecs respectively.

The release of water at Kalabagh, Taunsa , Guddu and Sukkur was recorded 49,000, 40,900, 31,900 and 12,200 cusecs respectively. Similarly, from River Kabul, a total of 9,200 cusecs of water released at Nowshera and 2,000 cusecs released from River Chenab at Marala.

Foreign exchange rates

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Rupee gains 04 paisas against US Dollar in interbank

KARACHI, Dec 06 (APP): The Exchange Rates Committee of Financial Markets Association of Pakistan issued the following Exchange rates bulletin, here on Tuesday.

CONVERSION RATES FOR DECEMBER 06, 2022 FOR FOREIGN CURRENCY FOR FORWARD COVER FOR DEPOSITS (EXCLUDING FE 25 DEPOSITS)

SBP SETTLEMENT VALUE DATE DECEMBER 08, 2022

USD 223.8164
GBP 274.4884
EUR 235.9696
JPY 1.6540

China further optimizes Covid-19 prevention and control policies

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BEIJING, Dec 5 (APP):: China is optimizing and refining its COVID-19 response to minimize its impact on people’s livelihoods, with policies on nucleic acid testing, drug purchase, and travelling adjusted.

The districts of Tianhe, Panyu, and Liwan in Guangzhou, the capital of south China’s Guangdong Province, lifted all temporary control measures from November 30. All areas except those designated as high-risk are now classified as low-risk or subject to regular control measures, CGTN reported.

Starting from Monday, Beijing residents who have gone more than two days since their last nucleic acid test will be allowed to take buses or the subway.

Similar policies on taking public transportation services have also been announced in other provinces and municipalities like east China’s Zhejiang Province and Shanghai and north China’s Tianjin.

The cities of Hangzhou, Wenzhou, Taizhou and Ningbo in Zhejiang Province announced on Sunday that regular nucleic acid tests would be canceled and residents could do the test at will.

Nucleic acid tests will no longer be required, and the “health code” will remain normal for those who buy drugs for antipyretic, calming a cough, and treatment of dry and sore pharynx – medication that might be used to treat COVID-19 symptoms.
East China’s Shandong Province canceled its “landing inspection” requirement for mandatory nucleic acid testing at traffic stations, ports and highway toll booths from Monday.

The Tianhe, Haizhu and Liwan districts in Guangzhou have announced the reopening of restaurants, cinemas and other closed and semi-closed venues starting Wednesday. Many catering enterprises also resumed dine-in services, and some fitness and swimming centers have also reopened, according to Xinhua.

Zhengzhou City in central China’s Henan Province announced on Sunday that indoor venues like KTV, game rooms, beauty parlors and internet cafes could be reopened with the implementation of epidemic prevention and control measures, such as scanning codes, temperature testing, wearing masks and checking for negative nucleic acid tests within 48 hours.

Vice Premier Sun Chunlan underlined the importance of constantly optimizing the country’s COVID-19 response.

Sun urged efforts to further optimize the COVID-19 response, improve diagnosis, testing, treatment and quarantine measures, strengthen immunization of the whole population, particularly the elderly, and step up the preparation of medications and other medical resources.

China issued a plan to ramp up COVID-19 vaccinations among elderly people on Tuesday, aiming to accelerate the vaccination rate of people aged 80 and above and continue to push for the inoculation of those aged between 60 and 79.

Local governments said in their circulars that they would continue to optimize and adjust relevant prevention and control measures in accordance with the country’s policies.

Najma Hameed’s Rasm-e-Qul offered

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Najma Hameed’s Rasm-e-Qul offered
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Women Wing Najma Hameed late-File

RAWALPINDI, Dec 06 (APP): The Rasm-e-Qul of senior parliamentarian and former president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Women Wing Najma Hameed was offered on Monday.

A large number of people including politicians attended the Rasm-e-Qul of Najma Hameed who passed away on December 2.

The participants offered Fateha for the departed soul and condoled the demise of Najma Hameed with her sister Tahira Aurangzeb and niece Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb.

The Rasm-e-Qul was attended by former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf, Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani, Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazir Tarar, State Minister for Petroleum Musadik Malik, Senator Chaudhry Tanvir, Muhammad Hanif Abbassi, Sardar Muhammad Yusuf, Head of Pakistan Sweet Home Zamurd Khan, Barrister Daniyal Chaudhry, MPA Zaib un Nisa, Federal Secretary for Information and Broadcasting Shahera Shahid, Principal Information Officer Mubashir Hassan, PTV Managing Director and other officers of the Information Ministry and senior journalists.