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Tag: UK

  • Scotland: first country to provide free period products

    Scotland: first country to provide free period products

    Scotland has become the first country in the world to protect the right to access free period products with a law that came into effect on Monday.

    The Scottish parliament introduced the change by unanimously passing the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act in November 2020. The legislation made it a legal right to have free access to sanitary products in public buildings.

    The legislation was first proposed by Labour Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) Monica Lennon.

    The Period Products Act means councils and education providers in Scotland have to make sanitary products free to those who need them.

    The government has provided funding for an educational website for employers, improved menstrual health resources available for schools, and implemented a successful anti-stigma campaign.

    Lennon, who has been campaigning to end period poverty since 2016, described the change in the law as a “big milestone which shows the difference that progressive and bold political choices can make”.

    “I am proud to have pioneered the Period Products Act which is already influencing positive change in Scotland and around the world,” Lennon said.

    Since 2017, the Scottish Government has spent around £27 million to fund access to period products in public settings. In 2018, Scotland became the first country in the world to make period products free to students in schools, colleges and universities.

  • Here’s how Pakistani students can apply for Chevening scholarship

    Here’s how Pakistani students can apply for Chevening scholarship

    The application period for the UK government’s prestigious Chevening scholarship for the 2023-24 academic year has started. The programme covers the entire cost of a one-year master’s degree at any UK university, and this is why it is very competitive.

    Here is all the information about the scholarship you need:
    What does the scholarship cover?
    • University tuition fees
    • A monthly stipend
    • Travel costs to and from the UK
    • An arrival allowance
    • A homeward departure allowance
    • The cost of one visa application
    • A travel grant to attend Chevening events in the UK
    Eligibility criteria:
    • Be a citizen of a Chevening-eligible country or territory
    • Return to your country of citizenship for a minimum of two years after your award has ended
    • Have completed all components of an undergraduate degree that will enable you to gain entry onto a postgraduate programme at a UK university by the time you submit your application. This is typically equivalent to an upper second-class 2:1 honours degree in the UK but may be different depending on your course and university choice
    • Have at least two years (equivalent to 2,800 hours) of work experience
    • Apply to three different eligible UK university courses and have received an unconditional offer from one of these choices by July 13, 2023
    You are not eligible for a Chevening scholarship if you:
    • Hold British or dual British citizenship (unless you are a citizen of a British Overseas Territory or hold BN(O) and are applying from Hong Kong)
    • Hold refugee status in a non-Chevening eligible country. Applicants who are citizens of a Chevening-eligible country and who hold refugee status in a Chevening-eligible country are eligible for a scholarship
    • Employees, former employees, or relatives* of an employee of Chevening Partner organisations are eligible to apply, but if the employment took place within the last two years, you cannot receive a Chevening Partner Award from the organisation from which you work, previously worked, or are affiliated with through relatives
    • Have previously studied in the UK with funding from a UK Government-funded scholarship
    How to apply?
    • Select three courses at three different universities. You can choose any Chevening-eligible course at any UK university
    • You are required to submit the names of two referees
    • All Chevening applicants must submit their education documents, references, and one unconditional UK university offer
    • The deadlines for these required documents are in the Chevening application timeline

    Since 1983, more than 2,000 Pakistanis have had the opportunity to study in the UK through Chevening.

  • UK agencies start investigation against Pakistani charities for misuse of funds

    The United Kingdom (UK) National Charity Commission (NCC) and National Crime Agency (NCA) have launched an investigation into the misuse of funds by Pakistani charity organisations for political purposes, Naeem Hanif reports for Samaa News.

    The investigation is being done to find out whether these charity organisations misused charity for political purposes in Pakistan or not.

    Both agencies launched the investigation after receiving several complaints. It is being reported that complainants also provided evidence to both agencies.

    The evidence includes the verdict of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in foreign funding case, a report by the Financial Times that revealed the party’s foreign funding sources, and details of its bank accounts.

    Last week, the top electoral body ruled that the former ruling party did indeed receive prohibited funding

    and issued a show-cause notice to the party.

    The ECP said that the party, in violation of the Constitution, had received funds from 34 foreign entities. The party received funds from the United States, Australia, and the UAE. The ECP added that 13 unidentified accounts also surfaced during the probe in the PTI funding case.

  • Pakistan becomes third-largest Amazon marketplace

    Pakistan becomes third-largest Amazon marketplace

    Pakistan has become Amazon’s third most popular new seller, with more than 1.2 million registered sellers.

    Following the enactment of Pakistan’s first e-commerce policy, Pakistan was granted access to the Amazon marketplace in May 2021, a year after negotiations began in 2020, according to Marketplace Pulse.

    According to Marketplace Pulse, Pakistan also has more retailers than India, Vietnam, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

    The three biggest Amazon seller groups in the world are based in the nation, which has recently registered on the marketplace. These suppliers are anticipated to contribute to Pakistan’s $28 billion in exports.

    The platform’s perks will be extended to young entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized businesses throughout the nation, which will increase and diversify Pakistan’s export options.

    Additionally, this will help the government improve the macroeconomic picture of the nation while also increasing their revenue.

    In order to help medium-sized and small-scale businesses thrive and turn a profit in the face of increased operating costs, the e-commerce sector must grow.

    Pakistan’s e-commerce strategy is a component of the larger Digital Pakistan vision, which aims to pave the path for a comprehensive expansion of e-commerce by fostering an environment where businesses have an equitable opportunity to expand steadily.

    The nation’s economy is mostly supported by Pakistan’s exports of textiles, leather goods, sporting goods, chemicals, carpets, and rugs. Significant quantities of grains, sugar, cotton, fish, fruits, and vegetables are also exported from Pakistan.

    With revenue of $5.9 billion in 2021, Pakistan will surpass Iran to become the 37th-largest market for eCommerce, according to research of eCommerce data.

    The Pakistani eCommerce market grew by 45 per cent in 2021, contributing to the global growth rate of 15 per cent.

  • APS survivor takes charge as Oxford Union President; Shehbaz, Alvi congratulate

    APS survivor takes charge as Oxford Union President; Shehbaz, Alvi congratulate

    Ahmad Nawaz, survivor of the Pakistan Army Public School (APS) massacre, has assumed his responsibilities as President of the Oxford Union. He was selected for the post earlier this year. He announced the development in a tweet.

    “Immensely proud to have finally assumed my duties as the President of Oxford Union,” he wrote.

    “In my time as President, I look forward to having world leaders debate the most pressing issues, empowering young people through this platform & upholding freedom of speech,” added Ahmad.

    President Arif Alvi congratulated Ahmad Nawaz and said that the youth of Pakistan are his greatest hope. “We must register that despite all setbacks Pakistan will keep on shining and rising.”

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a tweet also congratulated Ahmad.

    “Ahmad Nawaz, who survived the horrific attack on APS Peshawar, has become President of the prestigious Oxford Union. He has set an example worthy of emulation by our youth. Pakistan is proud of you, Ahmad,” he wrote.

    Ahmad moved to Britain in 2014 after the worst militant attack on an Army Public School, killing 150 people. His younger brother was martyred in the attack.

    Ahmad escaped death by pretending to be dead when the terrorists were roaming the school building. Ahmad Nawaz was taken to Birmingham for treatment after being shot in the arm.

  • VIDEO: Justin Bieber reveals he is suffering from facial paralysis

    VIDEO: Justin Bieber reveals he is suffering from facial paralysis

    Canadian popstar Justin Bieber revealed that he is suffering from facial paralysis after cancelling a series of shows on his latest tour. He was on his Justice tour in North America but cancelled performances in New York, Washington DC and Toronto.

    In a video posted on his Instagram page, the 28-year-old singing sensation said he had been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome after a virus had damaged the nerves in his ear.

    Justin Bieber revealed: “As you can see, this eye is not blinking. I can’t smile on this side of my face. This nostril will not move, so there’s full paralysis on this side of my face.”

    According to the BBC, the Ramsay Hunt syndrome is when a shingles outbreak affects the facial nerve near someone’s ears.

    Bieber asked his fans to understand as he will be using this time rest and relax.

    “I hope you guys understand, and I’ll be using this time to just rest and relax and get back to 100 per cent so I can do what I was born to do. But in the meantime, this ain’t it.”

    READ MORE: By 20 I made every bad decision you could have thought of: Justin Bieber

    Bieber’s last album, Justice, released in March 2021, has been certified platinum in the US, and got to second in the UK album charts. Bieber’s Justice World Tour began in February.

  • Samsung is getting out of LCD business by the next month

    Samsung is getting out of LCD business by the next month

    Samsung Display has decided to cut its LCD production unexpectedly by July 2022. The stoppage was originally planned for December, but it can now take place as soon as the end of this month.

    According to insiders, Samsung’s competition has been quite harsh, and the company wanted to avoid further losses.

    Keeping in view previous Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) reports, the price of LCD panels is only 36.6 per cent of what it was in 2014, when production was at its peak. BOE, a Chinese display manufacturer, and AU Optronics, a Taiwanese company, are also offering lower prices to customers.

    Samsung had planned to exit the LCD business in 2020, but lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic increased demand for home entertainment on low-cost devices like affordable TVs and smartphones. As a result, Samsung was forced to postpone this significant step.

    Samsung officials have yet to respond to a request for comment, but we expect to learn more about the shutdown’s financial implications in July when the tech giant releases its Q2 earnings report.

    As per the Korea Times, people’s interest in LCDs has waned, while they are increasingly drawn to display technologies such as Quantum Dot and OLED.

    A US market research firm also revealed the LCD panel price index has fallen dramatically since late 2021 and is now down 60 per cent year on year.

    Moreover, in recent years, smartphones have also shifted from LCD displays to OLED displays.

  • PM Shehbaz, Hamza appear in court for hearing of Rs16bn money laundering case

    PM Shehbaz, Hamza appear in court for hearing of Rs16bn money laundering case

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and his son Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Hamza Shehbaz appeared in a special court (Central-I) for their hearing in the Rs16 billion money-laundering case today.

    The father-son duo was accompanied by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah.

    Shehbaz and Hamza were set to be indicted in the case in the previous hearing on May 14 but it was delayed because the prime minister was in the UK and postponed his return to the country in order to visit the UAE to offer condolences over the death of their president.

    Once the hearing started, Judge Ijaz Hassan Awan complained that due to the security of the prime minister, others coming to the court had to suffer.

    Replying to his complaint, PM Shehbaz mentioned that he has asked his security not to stop anybody. “I am appearing before the court in order to maintain its dignity and follow the laws of the country,” the premier added.

    When the court asked PM Shehbaz to take the rostrum, the premier said he would have committed a crime if he hadn’t appeared in the court.

    “On the orders of former prime minister Imran Khan, an investigation was conducted in Britain and I was proved innocent,” PM Shehbaz recalled, adding that he returned to Pakistan back in 2004 and wouldn’t have come back if he had black money.

    When Shehbaz again took the stand, he told the court he had served as the chief minister for 10 years but had never taken a salary. “My salary would be Rs10 million but I did not take it. I also went on official tours using my own money. I used to get the government car refuelled from my own pocket.”

    “I saved the nation billions of rupees.”

    The premier’s counsel argued that the 14 accounts mentioned by the FIA were through banking channels. “Baseless propaganda was done in this case for 1.5 years. The suspects tolerated insults despite lack of evidence.”

    “It seems the FIA is inspired by [streaming platform] Netflix. This is a film-inspired FIR,” he argued.

    The FIA had in December 2021 submitted the challan against Shehbaz and Hamza to a special court for their alleged involvement in laundering an amount of Rs16bn in the sugar scam case.

  • Permission to perform Umrah: LHC seeks NAB reply on Maryam Nawaz’s plea

    Permission to perform Umrah: LHC seeks NAB reply on Maryam Nawaz’s plea

    The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday sought reply from National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday (tomorrow) on a plea from Maryam Nawaz, seeking permission to travel abroad for performing Umrah.

    According to ARY News, Justice Baqar Najafi, heading the LHC division bench, asked as to in which case name of Maryam Nawaz was added to no-fly list.

    To this, the NAB prosecutor said that her name was added to no-fly list after the LHC approved her bail plea. An appeal was filed against the bail plea, however, it has yet to be fixed for hearing, he said, adding NAB has filed petition to cancel bail of Maryam Nawaz.

    Marium on April 21, filed a plea before the Lahore High Court (LHC) so that she can travel to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah in Ramzan. She has also said that she wants to travel to London to visit her ailing father, Mian Nawaz Sharif.

    “I want to go to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah but cannot because my passport is surrendered at the LHC,” reads the plea.

    Maryam Nawaz said in her plea that she was arrested by NAB in 2019 in Chaudhry Sugar Mills case and later the LHC approved her bail plea and in return, she submitted her passport to the court.

    The division bench of the LHC comprising Justice Shahbaz Ali Rizvi and Justice Anwar-ul-Haq rescued themselves from the proceedings of the plea hearing today and asked Chief Justice LHC to fix the hearing before the bench that previously heard the matter, reports ARY News.

    “The bench that granted bail to the petitioner should listen to the case,” the bench remarked after Advocate Ahsan Bhoon pleaded the case on behalf of Maryam Nawaz.

  • UK PM Boris Johnson begins his India tour from Modi’s home state Gujrat

    British Prime Minister (PM) Boris Johnson arrived in India on Thursday for his first-ever visit. He is expected to offer his help to India cut reliance on Russian oil and defense equipment, reports Reuters.

    Johnson has begun his two-day tour from Indian PM Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat. On Friday, Johnson will visit New Delhi to meet his counter partner, where the two of them will have a take on certain topics including a new defense partnership and a free trade agreement.

    Western countries have urged Delhi to speak out against the war in Ukraine. India, which imports Russian oil and is the world’s biggest buyer of its weapons, abstained in a United Nations (UN) vote condemning the invasion and has not imposed sanctions on Moscow.

    However, Indian PM Modi has expressed concern over the killing of civilians.

    Earlier this month, the United States (US) President Joe Biden told Modi that buying more oil from Russia is not in India’s interest. According to Johnson’s spokesperson, “Johnson will not lecture Modi on the matter.”

    It is pertinent to mention that the United Kingdom (UK) has been at the forefront in providing military aid and support to Ukraine. Johnson recently visited Kyiv to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky. 

    Previously, the India trip has been twice postponed because of Covid flare-ups in each country.