China exports hike to highest in level

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China´s export growth jumped to the highest in over two decades, official data showed Sunday, with imports also surging in a sharp bounce-back from the coronavirus outbreak that had brought activity to a near halt. Electronics and textile exports such as masks contributed to the spike in outbound shipments, as demand for work-from-home supplies and protective gear against the virus outbreak soared during the pandemic. Exports spiked 60.6 percent on-year in the January-February period, well above analysts´ expectations, while imports rose 22.2 percent, official data showed Sunday.

The latest customs figures stand in stark contrast to last year´s fall of around 17 percent in exports and 4 percent drop in imports.  The country struggled to contain the spread of Covid-19 early on, with consumers staying home and businesses seeing a slow return to operations. The customs administration said comparison to last year is also likely to have bolstered the latest figures, saying in a statement that the “low base is one of the reasons for the larger increase this year.

” On Sunday, official data showed that electronics exports rose 54.1 percent, while textiles including masks rose 50.2 percent. China´s overall trade surplus came in at $103.3 billion, its customs administration said. Chinese authorities started combining January and February trade data last year, while it battled the coronavirus outbreak. This is in line with how some other indicators are released, to smooth over distortions from the Lunar New Year holiday, which can fall in either month.

Rush to bitcoin? Not so fast, say keepers of corporate coffers

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When Elon Musk’s Tesla became the biggest name to reveal it had added bitcoin to its coffers last month, many pundits were swift to call a corporate rush towards the booming cryptocurrency.

Yet there’s unlikely to be a concerted crypto charge any time soon, say many finance executives and accountants loath to risk balance sheets and reputations on a highly volatile and unpredictable asset that confounds convention.

“When I did my treasury exams, the thing we were told as number one objective is to guarantee security and liquidity of the balance sheet,” said Graham Robinson, a partner in international tax and treasury at PwC and adviser to the UK’s Association for Corporate Treasurers.

“That is the fundamental problem with bitcoin, if those are the objectives for treasurers, then breaking them could get them in trouble.”

Tesla Inc’s $1.5 billion bitcoin bet saw it join business software firm MicroStrategy Inc and Twitter boss Jack Dorsey’s payments company Square Inc in swapping some traditional cash reserves for the digital coin.

Proponents of the cryptocurrency see it as a hedge against inflation at a time of unprecedented government stimulus, a falling dollar and record-low interest rates that make attractive high-yielding assets hard to find.

While the moves have prompted more boardroom discussions though, headaches from bitcoin’s volatility to accounting for it and storing it are likely to preclude a big wave of companies holding large amounts on balance sheets in the short term, according to over a dozen financial officers, board members and accountants interviewed by media.

“It will take more than a small handful of disruptive companies investing in bitcoin to impact the narrative in boardrooms,” said Raul Fernandez, an entrepreneur and investor who sits on the audit committee of the board of chipmaker Broadcom Inc as well as other companies.

Panasonic to buy Blue Yonder for $6.5 billion in biggest deal since 2011

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Panasonic Corp will buy U.S. supply-chain software firm Blue Yonder for 700 billion yen ($6.45 billion), in the Japanese electronics firm’s biggest acquisition since 2011, the Nikkei reported on Monday.

Panasonic, which bought a 20% stake in Blue Yonder for 86 billion yen last year, is in the final stages of acquiring the rest of the stock from shareholders including Blackstone Group Inc, the Nikkei said, without saying where it obtained the information.

“This is not something that has been announced by our company. It is not true that it is something we have decided,” Panasonic said in an emailed statement.

An acquisition would bolster Panasonic’s supply chain management services as the COVID-19 pandemic focuses the attention of companies on their resilience to disruption.

Better known for its consumer electronics and appliances, Panasonic in recent years has focused more on building parts and supplying services to other businesses, such as batteries for Tesla Inc’s electric cars.

Any deal to acquire all of Blue Yonder would be Panasonic’s largest since it spent 800 billion yen to make Sanyo Electric and Panasonic Electric Works wholly owned subsidiaries in 2011, the Nikkei said.

The acquisition money is likely to come from Panasonic’s own funds, although loans or other financing may also be considered for the purchase, the report said.

PTA issued show cause notice to Jazz on misleading advertisements

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March 8, 2021: Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) has issued show cause notice to Jazz on misleading advertisements and phrases like “Jazz Super 4G” and “Super Nahi Tou 4G Nahi”, which give a false impression to the consumers that Jazz network is based on superior technology as compared to other 4G networks in Pakistan.

PTA has issued a notice to the operator under relevant Section of the Telecom Re-organization Act 1996, relevant Regulations and License Conditions, said a news release.

Jazz has been asked to immediately discontinue use of misleading advertisements and phrases like “Jazz Super 4G” and “Super Nahi Tou 4G Nahi”, which give a false impression to the consumers.

PIA Lahore-Islamabad flight takes off

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NUT Desk News-

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) started Lahore to Islamabad flights to facilitate residents of both the cities. According to a PIA spokesperson, after one year, the national airline will operate flights on this route thrice a week. A flight left Lahore for Islamabad on Monday as weekly flights started thrice a week including Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The number of flights will be increased after rise in bookings.

‘Active threat’ seeks action despite Microsoft patch

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The White House urged computer network operators to take further steps to gauge whether their systems were targeted amid a hack of Microsoft Corp’s Outlook email program, saying a recent software patch still left serious vulnerabilities.

“This is an active threat still developing and we urge network operators to take it very seriously,” a White House official said, adding that top US security officials were working to decide what next steps to take following the breach.

Media on Sunday separately reported the Biden administration was forming a task force to address the hack. The White House official, in a statement, said the administration was making “a whole of government response.”

While Microsoft released a patch last week to shore up flaws in its email software, the remedy still leaves open a so-called back door that can allow access to compromised servers and perpetuating further attacks by others.

“We can’t stress enough that patching and mitigation is not remediation if the servers have already been compromised, and it is essential that any organization with a vulnerable server take measures to determine if they were already targeted,” the White House official said.

Already, a source told Reuters more than 20,000 U.S. organizations had been compromised by the hack, which Microsoft has blamed on China, although Beijing denies any role.

The back channels for remote access can impact credit unions, town governments and small business, and have left US officials scrambling to reach victims, with the FBI on Sunday urging them to contact the law enforcement agency.

Those affected appear to host Web versions of Microsoft’s email program Outlook on their own machines instead of cloud providers, possibly sparing many major companies and federal government agencies, records from the investigation suggest.

A Microsoft representative on Sunday said it was working with the government and others to help guide customers, and the company urged impacted clients to apply software updates as soon as possible.

Women inclusion can upscale country’s economic opportunities in post COVID era

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Aimed to appreciate the performance and commitment of health care workers, caregivers, innovators, community organizers and national leaders in combating the COVID-19 pandemic, the International Women’s Day has been organized by International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in collaboration with Ministry of Climate Change, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), Embassy of Nepal in Pakistan, National Commission on Status of Women, Rural Support Programmes Network, Hashoo Foundation, Technology Times, International Islamic University, Roots Millennium Oxbridge Campus, local communities from Gilgit Baltistan and other local partners.
Women stand at the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis, as health care workers, caregivers, innovators, community organizers to control the increase the pandemic.
The objectives of the seminar was to highlight the issues, which hide /hinder women leaders and their role in different spheres of life, acknowledge and appreciate women leadership for their contributions towards nation building through education, health, commerce, science & technology, conservation, and development, celebrate and pitch IWD with the focus on women leadership in GBC III, etc.
Mr. Tapas Adhikari, Ambassador, Embassy of Nepal was the guest of honor at the occasion, “he acknowledged the women work displayed at the stalls in the seminar. He further said that, Pakistan’s efforts in engaging women in economic activities particularly the government’s flagship programme of Ehsaas Amdan Programme is a breakthrough to this part. The interest-free-loans to women has not only built the confidence of women but enhanced the output of the programme”.
Mr. Muhammad Ismail, Country Representative, ICIMOD “appreciated the women empowerment initiatives of development partners and believed that, the social and development sector organizations can ensure women inclusion, gender mainstreaming and imparting new skills to women in rural and far-flung areas of the country. He further said that, women can achieve many milestones if provided equal opportunities and confidence”.
Syed Ali Mustafa Paras said that, “technology has also resulted in women inclusion and new concepts of business development in the country. The women have initiated varied projects adopting new concepts of business development and promotion”. 
Engr. Shamim ul Sabtain Shah, DG, NARC said that, “NARC is also taking part in varied women-focused initiatives including kitchen-gardening and agricultural inputs to provide economic substance to the women and households”.
Ms. Humaira from Aga Khan Development Network said, “FAO is implementing varied programmes for the benefit of women and it is delighted to mention that, women have not only participated in programmes implementation but effectively engaged other women in the development work”.
Ms. Nomeena Anis, FAO said, “FAO is implementing varied programmes for the benefit of women and it is delighted to mention that, women have not only participated in programmes implementation but effectively engaged other women in the development work”.
Dr. Fauzia, IIUI said that, “the girls are actively engaged in behavioral change and acceptance of new trends in their societies and engaging community women in participating development work and learning new skills to earn livelihood for their families”.
Ms . Ayesha from Hashoo Foundation said that, “Everyone has a leaders inside we should encourage them and encourage young women leadership”.

realme inaugurates its first brand store in Karachi city

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Good customer experience is an important recognition needed for any brand. realme has been working to provide the best technology experience to its customers in Pakistan for almost 2 years now. The brand opened its exclusive Experience Store in the city of lights, Karachi on March 6, 2021. There was a live performance by the famous stand-up comedian, Junaid Akram, and a great crowd came to join this inaugural day.

realme is the fastest-growing smartphone brand with a focus on both offline and online markets. realme pledged to launch its brand stores all across Pakistan with the first one already open in Peshawar city. These brand stores feature all realme products to provide customers with a one-of-a-kind experience including phones, AIoT products, and Category N home/lifestyle products. After the opening of the Karachi store, realme has announced its latest number series phone, realme 7i to be available at a special discounted price of only PKR 36,999.

realme’s number series phones are one of the hot-selling smartphones from the brand. The high-resolution 64MP AI Quad Camera phone, realme 7i comes with a 90 Hz Ultra Smooth Display and a 5000mAh Massive Battery. The phone became a hot seller due to its trendy design and youth-centric specifications. Its predecessor, realme 7 Pro was the fastest charging phone in Pakistan with 65W SuperDart Charge, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G Mobile Platform, 64MP Quad Camera with the Sony IMX682 sensor, and was upgraded with 64MP Pro Nightscape Mode to give ultra-Nightscape videos. 

The inauguration ceremony in Karachi went very well with a huge crowd, Junaid Akram’s live performance, and a lucky draw to end the event in a fun way. Many customers, fans, retailers, distributors, and the hardworking realme team were there to celebrate this day. The young and trendsetting smartphone brand, realme has plans to launch 100+ brand stores nationwide. With the successful opening in Peshawar and Karachi, realme shall be coming to other cities very soon.

Internationally, realme has many brand stores that exhibit the brand’s DNA of young, trendy, and fashionable products. These experience stores and brand shops have been designed and developed as per the “Dare to Leap” spirit of the brand. These stores are exclusively made to help the customer directly interact with the brand without any middleman. 

So what are you waiting for? Go visit the realme store in Karachi and do not miss this chance to grab your latest realme 7i at an exclusive price of only PKR 36,999 now!

 

Prioritizing women safety Infinix Pakistan join hands with PSCA

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Pakistan’s most Premium smartphone brand, Infinix has joined hands with the Punjab Safe Cities Authority, Government of the Punjab to launch Punjab Police – Women Safety App, developed by Punjab Safe Cities Authority and available on iOS and Android. Women will now be able to get help from Emergency Helpline – 15, Rescue 1122, Highway Police, and Motorway Police in case of emergency with just one tap.

Punjab Police Women Safety app allows women to check the location through location reviews before going anywhere and they can also give feedback on their experiences of being safe, partially safe, and unsafe about a particular place so that other women can benefit from it. Women can use a live chat facility to reach a representative of the Police Department and they can also get access to different laws, awareness material/documents available on this application.

Speaking about this collaboration, Mr. Joe Hu CEO of Infinix Pakistan said: “Our vision at Infinix is to ‘Empower Women’ by giving them the freedom to dream big and be able to turn them into reality. To do so we aim to provide a safe space for women in the society so they can prosper as successful individuals.”

Using technology to enhance policing for women’s safety, Infinix believes in supporting / being a part of a movement which protects the citizens. We join hands with the Punjab Government in promoting the Punjab Police Women Safety App, which was developed keeping this in mind.

Mr. Muhammad Kamran Khan, Chief Operating Officer , PSCA said: “Punjab government is keenly engaged in creating awareness and providing better solutions related to security through the use of technology, we firmly believe that this initiative will help us in creating a safe space for the women in our society.

Link to APP:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.psca.ppic3.womensafety&hl=en&gl=US

https://apps.apple.com/pk/app/punjab-police-women-safety-app/id1487787591

Jubilee Life collaborates with Sehat Kahani

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Jubilee Life collaborates with Sehat Kahani to bring unlimited healthcare (OPD) services

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Jubilee Life Insurance, Pakistan’s leading life insurance company in the private sector has collaborated with Sehat Kahani, a leading telemedicine platform aiming to provide health care (OPD) services free of charge to all Jubilee Life customers and employees including both individual and group customers.

This collaboration will not only allow Jubilee Life beneficiaries unlimited access to Sehat Kahani application but will also ensure 24/7 availability of a dedicated telehealth helpline for all the non-smart phone users of the micro-insurance products. In addition, a Special COVID Support helpline will be created for those beneficiaries who do not have smart phones / or are unable to use the application. This dedicated helpline will facilitate users according to Pakistan Medical & Dental Council guidelines and will be available 24/7.

At the occasion, Javed Ahmed, MD & CEO, Jubilee Life Insurance said “Sehat Kahani has grown into a well-known name in healthcare across Pakistan and this collaboration with them will be greatly beneficial for both our individual and group customers. Their success is mainly due to their honest commitment towards delivering their promise and bringing convenience for the people in the healthcare sector. We are delighted to begin this alliance with Sehat Kahani and in due time will bring new and more innovative services for our trusted customers. ”

Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Sara Saeed, CEO & Co Founder, Sehat Kahani added “Jubilee Life Insurance is a reliable and trusted name in Pakistan with a successful track record. Having ourselves associated with them is an honour for us and we look forward to building stronger ties and offering more facilities and services to their customers”

Jubilee Insurance is a global brand of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) that offers diverse insurance solutions (life, health and general) in the Asian and East African markets. Jubilee Life in Pakistan offers a uniquely designed range of life and health insurance plans, catering to various customer segments and needs. These include retirement, child education, marriage, saving & protection, wealth accumulation, life insurance plans for women, rural insurance plans and life and health insurance solutions for the less privileged of our country.

Sehat Kahani is a telemedicine platform that leverages technology to connect patients in need of affordable and convenient healthcare options, to an online network of doctors across various specializations. Sehat Kahani’s objective is to change the story of health in Pakistan by making healthcare accessible for all. To date, they have facilitated over 350,000 consultations through tele-medicine, and have impacted more than 1.5 million patients through a portfolio of 30 E-Health clinics pan Pakistan, a Mobile App, health education projects and a network of 1500 doctors.

Jubilee Life Insurance, Pakistan’s leading life insurance company in the private sector has collaborated with Sehat Kahani, a leading telemedicine platform aiming to provide health care (OPD) services free of charge to all Jubilee Life customers and employees. Mr. Javed Ahmed, MD & CEO, Jubilee Life Insurance (second from left) and Dr. Sara Saeed, CEO & Co Founder, Sehat Kahani (third from left) attended the signing ceremony along with senior representatives from both the organisations.