Category: Information Technology

Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has authorized an international pharmaceutical company to import a Coronavirus rapid testing kit which gives diagnosis results within 20 minutes.

According to CEO DRAP, Asim Rauf, the Coronavirus rapid testing kit has been developed in Germany.

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He added that patients will be charged Rs. 2,000 each for getting tested with the rapid testing kit.

These kits will be provided to healthcare specialists across the country who will test the patients after collecting nasal swab samples.

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CEO DRAP said that the Coronavirus rapid testing kits will not be used for screening blood samples.

He termed the registration of the rapid testing kit as a tremendous success for the country as it will help in early diagnosis and timely treatment of Coronavirus patients.

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After Huawei’s Smartphone sales declined due to the US imposed sanctions, other smartphone makers like Samsung and Xiaomi saw a surge in their revenue and market share.

Xiaomi’s latest financial reports indicate that the company has shipped a record of 46.6 million Smartphones and earned CNY 47.6 billion ($7.2 billion) in smartphone revenues during Q3 2020.

These numbers translate into a 45.3 percent increase as compared to the same period last year. Moreover, according to Canalys’ global smartphone shipments report, the Chinese smartphone maker now stands in the third position globally with a 13.5 percent market share.

The total revenue of the company grew to CNY 72.2 billion ($10.9 billion), which is up by 34.5% compared to the same period last year. As far as the net profits are concerned, they have come up to CNY 4.1 billion ($621 million), and the average selling price of Xiaomi phones increased to CNY 1,022 ($155) per unit, mainly driven by sales of flagship Mi phones in Q3 2020.

Since Huawei smartphone sales outside China saw a decline, Xiaomi’s revenues outside its local markets surged. The company managed to lure in CNY 39.8 billion ($6.03 billion) revenue from outside of China. This is up by 52.1% compared to last year. Furthermore, IoT revenues have also climbed to CNY 18.1 billion ($2.7 billion) up by 16.1% from Q3 2019.

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Minister of Industries and Production, Muhammad Hammad Azhar, and Minister for Economic Affairs, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, remarked that the prices of sugar and wheat flour witnessed a significant decline over the last ten days. Owing to the government’s proactive measures, there was a decline of Rs. 200 per 40kg in wheat flour and Rs. 10-12 per kg in sugar prices.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Shibli Faraz, shared the relevant details at a presser, following the Federal Cabinet meeting chaired by PM Imran Khan.

Minister for Industries and Production informed that due to imports exceeding 125,000 tons of sugar, a decline of Rs. 10-12 per kg in ex-mill rates of sugar was witnessed in the last ten days. He added that the imported sugar was retailing at Rs. 81 per kg at facilitation centers in Punjab and KPK. Utility Stores Corporation (USC) points across the country are selling imported sugar at a fixed rate of Rs. 68 per kg, he added.

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Hammad Azhar also stated that as per the prediction of market experts, the price of sugar would further decline in the open market at wholesale and retail levels. This is due to the increased supply of sugar and competition, added the Minister.

Minister for Economic Affairs, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, said that the price of wheat flour was also showing a downward trend for the last ten days, bringing the prices down from Rs. 2,400 to Rs. 2,200 per 40 kg. Furthermore, he stated that untimely rains and bad weather conditions led to a shortage of wheat production.

Wheat was being imported to overcome the deficiency of around 2.2 million metric tons. Khusro said that the government has increased the support price for wheat and fixed the new rate at Rs. 1,650 per 40 kg. This measure was taken to ensure fair returns to the farmers for their produce, amidst recurring economic fallouts in the last few quarters.

The Sugar Reform Committee is also working to reform the sector, according to reports.

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Fast bowler, Mohammad Amir, has claimed that Shaheen Afridi isn’t being properly managed by the team management and needs ample time to rest to keep himself fit for a prolonged career.

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Amir said that although Shaheen is passionate and wants to play every match, this can cause problems to his body at a later stage. Amir said that the management will have to look at Shaheen’s workload seriously in order to maximize his potential and ensure longevity in his career.

“Shaheen is a blessing for Pakistan and he is leading the bowling attack but everyone knows that he is playing too much. I know that he wants to continue playing and does not like resting but his workload needs to be managed. He can carry on like this at the moment, due of his young age, but later on in his career this will cause problems for him,” said Amir.

Amir also expressed his disappointment for not being picked in Pakistan’s squad for the tour of New Zealand. He said that he expected to be a part of the squad but not being selected provides him extra motivation to perform, regain full fitness and push for national selection.

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He also said that the New Zealand tour can be a make or break for careers. The left-arm pacer said that it is difficult for bowlers to perform in New Zealand due to the short boundaries and it is a real test of their skills.

Amir also responded to his critics who have questioned his retirement from Test cricket. He said that it has been difficult for his body to maintain the workload after a five-year break from cricket. He added that if he continued Test cricket, then he might have retired from cricket altogether by now.

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The Sindh government has imposed a ban on the entry of senior citizens in vegetable markets in the province.

According to the Sindh’s Minister for Agriculture, Ismail Raho, the ban has been imposed because elderly individuals have disproportionately been affected during the Coronavirus pandemic and they are at increased risk once again amid resurging viral infection.

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He added that no one will be allowed to enter vegetable markets without face masks as well. Shopkeepers have also been asked to wear face masks and adhere to SOPs.

In this regard, Directors, Administrators, and Chairmen of Market Committees have been directed to ensure compliance with the SOPs to stem the flow of the disease.

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Market Committees have been ordered to ensure social distancing and the availability of hand sanitizers as well.

The Minister said that district administrations have been authorized to immediately seal vegetable markets where SOPs are not being followed.

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The Directorate of College Education has handed over the budget utilization and the powers of the Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) of more than 450 government colleges across the Sindh, including Karachi, to the concerned principals.

The decision was made after evidence of embezzlement in the government colleges’ budget came to light. A notification in this regard was issued on Tuesday.

The notification said that only the principals holding the additional charge of another college would retain the DDO powers of that college.

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Meanwhile, no action has been taken against the DDOs who are responsible for the irregularities in the public colleges’ budget or against the directors of the colleges who gave them the authority to use the budget.

Until the filing of this report, no action had been taken against the Director of Colleges, Hafiz Abdul Bari Andar, who illegally endowed unrelated people with the powers of DDOs, and no inquiry into the matter had been made.

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A college professor has revealed (on the condition of anonymity) that there has been no probe into how and where the budget of the concerned colleges has been spent, which gives the general impression to the college principals and teachers that the Secretary Colleges, Baqir Abbas Naqvi, is probably trying to suppress the issue by taking partial action and covering up the process of the Director of Colleges.

He added that there is a general perception among the teachers and principals of the government colleges that the Director of Colleges, Karachi is the closest officer to the Secretary of Colleges, and that all the previous DDO-related decisions were taken with his consent.

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Women in power are a prime example of women’s empowerment. More and more women are coming forward to play their part in the development of the country and it bodes well for the betterment of the nation.

Pari Gul Tareen has been appointed as the Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Quetta Cantt, Balochistan. This is the first time a female police officer has been inducted into Balochistan’s Police Force.

Pari Gul Tareen shared that she is the first person from her family to have joined the police force and that the reason for joining the police is her love for the uniform.

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The young and ambitious officer hails from the Pishin District and joined the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) ranks after clearing her Central Superior Services (CSS) exam. She earned her Master’s degree in English Literature back in 2015 from the National University of Modern Languages (NUML).

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