http://www.foxsportsasia.com/home/news/detail/item951998/

After almost 3 decades in the States, Bashir moved back to Pakistan to introduce MMA to the country

These plants will provide 24-hour clean electricity to remote off-grid communities in Chitral district, a region with limited access to electricity. This is Acumen’s first investment in the growing rural energy sector of Pakistan. “There is a growing need for reliable power in Pakistan’s rural communities right now,” said Farrukh H Khan, Pakistan Country Director, Acumen Fund. “AKSRP’s community-based model has the potential to provide millions with access to an important basic service and revolutionise the way poor Pakistanis access energy.”

http://www.brecorder.com/fuel-a-energy/193/1183230/

Khan triumphed over Al Mezayan after an impressive performance with figures of 11-9, 11-3, 11-8.

Speaking to Dawn.com, Khan said the victory was the result of his hard work and he was happy to have won a title for Pakistan.

“I am very happy and I am sure that after this victory, squash in Pakistan will see better days,” Khan said. The twenty-two year old had earlier said that he was using the home advantage to his benefit.

“I knew I had advantage of home glass court and crowd, and I took advantage of both,” he said.

Khan had beaten Asyraf Azan of Malaysia 11-5, 11-6, 11-6 in the semi-final  on Saturday.

He added that his expectations before the start of the tournament were low because he had just recovered from an injury; however, his goal was to win the Asian title for which he worked hard.

http://dawn.com/2013/05/05/aamir-atlas-wins-final-to-become-asian-squash-champion/

Shaun Gibson is a co-founder of Tech Britain, a resource that aims to promote all of the United Kingdoms tech clusters and foster greater links between them. He is also a technology advisor to the Cabinet Office and an advisor to the University of Manchester innovation centre. His aim is to see Manchester be a top 5 European startup cluster.

TechHub (www.techhub.com) creates spaces around the world for tech entrepreneurs to meet, work, learn and collaborate, and runs a load of great events, advice sessions and more.

TechHub provide physical and virtual spaces that enable technology startups to work smarter, develop faster and increase their chance of success. How? Through their one-vision global community. Every TechHub Member is working on a tech product.

Shaun Gibson and Doug Ward are co-founders of TechHub Manchester, UK. The two dynamic, passionate individuals are on a mission to not only connect Pakistan with Manchester’s burgeoning tech community but also to the rest of the world. In addition to helping position Manchester as a top 5 European tech cluster they co-manage Tech Britain (www.techbritain.com/), a resource that promotes the United Kingdom’s tech clusters and strives to foster greater links between them, a model they may replicate in Pakistan.

Shaun and Doug also act as Tech Cluster advisors to the United Kingdom government, specifically Number 10 Downing Street, where they meet with other heads of technology from around the UK on a quarterly basis!

The good news for Pakistan is that Shaun Gibson is coming to Pakistan. Shaun’s mission on this initial trip is to observe and engage with the startup scene, and secondly, to connect with the BEST developers in Pakistan. Shaun will be in Pakistan from the 29th April – 3rd May, 2013. If you would like to meet with Shaun during his stay, please email: usama@cloud9startups.com.

Developing vocational skill programmes that enhance prospects of income generation for Pakistani youth is one of the national government’s key priorities for rapid economic growth. THF`s main objective is to provide young men and women with quality vocational education that meets the technical skill needs of the marketplace – leading to wage-earning capabilities for life.

To accomplish the vision of “A Skilled Pakistan,” THF plans to establish 35 purpose built Institutes of Excellence for student vocational training, and as many as four Teacher Training Centers over the next 10 years. The goal is to graduate at least 100,000 students during this time.

http://citizenibm.com/2013/04/helping-pakistani-youth-develop-skills-for-lifetime-employment.html

Now, the staff is able to transfer an ECG, X-ray image, lab report, coronary angiogram or echocardiogram to the consultant’s phone within no time. This practice has helped save lives as the time taken for an expert decision has been minimised to a few minutes even during the night. The project has been accomplished by the Health Information Management system and the cost incurred on every transfer of image is less than Rs 6.

“It has been successfully used for the past few months and is an accomplishment for The Indus Hospital for initiating emergency electronic cardiac service which facilitates decision making through rapid and effective communication. This has and would certainly make a major difference in providing emergency cardiac care to our patients,” commented Dr Sajid Dhakam, Director Cardiac Services at Indus Hospital.

http://www.brecorder.com/general-news/172/1165710/

http://app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=228917&Itemid=1

The centre, located in Phase IV, DHA, focuses on providing vocational training to people with cognitive disabilities. “It started off with a promise – to aim for something greater than the simple rehabilitation of totally neglected members of society. Slowly, people with similar goals started joining the initiative,” said Imran Sohail, who is a speech therapy specialist at the centre and develops the curriculum for children with cognitive disabilities. “We shattered the myth that children with cognitive disabilities cannot learn, hold jobs, earn livelihoods and live independently.”

http://tribune.com.pk/story/512453/training-centre-helps-people-with-cognitive-disabilities-prove-they-can-hold-jobs-too/

She was talking to Business Recorder after the ACCA Award ceremony, which was held here to honour Shehzad Yousuf, Deputy Chief Financial Officer with the Karachi Electric Supply Company, for his contribution to the accountancy profession in Pakistan, and Aqsa Waseem for achieving the highest combined marks in the final professional level papers in the ACCA examinations in June 2012.

She said in 1997 ACCA set up its office in Pakistan and then it had only 96 students and in over two decades it had increased to 40,000. “The growing demand for ACCA qualification in Pakistan has led to opening of more offices in the country; we are present in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi,” she added.

http://www.brecorder.com/general-news/172/1150835/

Aqsa achieved the highest marks in the ACCA professional level papers in 2012

The 38-year-old Munir of Islamabad Golf Club earned the right to feature on the Asian Golf Tour after a fine performance in the Asian qualifying school.

Munir played rounds of 72, 70, 66 and 75 to end with a total of 283 to confirm his place in the Asian Professional Golf Association (APGA) tour.

Munir, rated as Pakistan’s number two golfer, is in the metropolis to feature in the Rs1.5 million All Pakistan Open Golf Tournament, starting at Defence Authority Golf Club from Friday.

“I paid US$2,000 entry fee for appearing in the Asian qualifying school,” he said.

“Good showing at the Mena Tour in the UAE and in Saudi Arabia raised my confidence level to join the Asian Tour,” he disclosed.

Munir won his maiden professional event — the Ras-ul-Khaimeh Classic — and he also performed creditably in other events in the UAE and Saudi Arabia over the past few months.

http://dawn.com/2013/02/07/munir-aiming-to-make-his-mark-in-asian-golf-tour/

Munir won his maiden professional event — the Ras-ul-Khaimeh Classic

His weapon: the three-wheeled motorized rickshaws that buzz along Pakistan’s streets carrying paying customers.

Zaidi is turning that strategy on its head with a fleet of rickshaws emblazoned with peace slogans and decorated with colorful designs similar to those found on many trucks and buses in the country.

“We need to take back this romanticized art form and use it for peace sloganeering and conflict resolution,” said Zaidi, head of the Pakistan Youth Alliance.

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/50740734#.URfbtB3WgxB

In this Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013 photo, a Pakistani rickshaw driver makes his way through slums of Karachi, Pakistan.

According to details, PayPal had announced this reward initiative for those researchers who would report about the existence of a bug and its subsequent remote command execution, Technology Times Reported.

Rafay Baloch explained that the bug he reported was very critical in nature and carried a high amount of risk to PayPal as an attacker could have easily managed to execute any command on the server and manipulate the data at will.

According to him, PayPal has recently offered him a job. However, he has not yet taken a decision mainly due to his continued studies.

http://www.brecorder.com/pakistan/general-news/97795-pak-student-gets-5000-reward-from-paypal.html

While Skoll’s new awardees focus on different issues, they share what Skoll believes is key to accelerating large-scale change: an entrepreneurial approach, a proven innovation with demonstrated impact that can be scaled, focus on a pressing issue that is at an inflection point, and an ability to catalyse systems change, according to the statement.

Some of the previous international winners of Skoll Award include Pratham, Teach for All, INJAZ Al-Arab, Barefoot College and Kashf Foundation.

TCF is an internationally acclaimed, not-for-profit organisation, which was set up in 1995 by a group of Pakistani citizens. It is now one of the country’s leading organisations in the field of formal education for less privileged children.

http://images.thenews.com.pk/22-12-2012/ethenews/e-149716.htm

Image Credit: Mustafa Mohsin (http://www.flickr.com/photos/8557366@N07/4374928651/in/photostream)

According to the final results, Imran Khan whizzed past everyone else by securing 87.78% of the online votes, Pakistani child activist Malala Yousafzai secured 3.29%, Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi 1.98% and the Indian film actor Aamir Khan 1.81%.

The final tally revealed that Imran had more than 11,000 votes, 88 per cent of the total. According to a press release, the Asia Society is a nonpartisan, non-profit institution with its headquarters in New York. It was founded in 1956 by John D Rockefeller III.

It is the leading educational organisation dedicated to promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships among people, leaders and institutions of Asia and the United States.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2013.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/498934/asia-society-poll-imran-khan-asias-person-of-the-year/

Imran Khan sweeped the polls by securing 87.78% of the votes

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani skiers clinched two top positions at a skiing competition called Dream Programme – 2013 held in Gangwon Province, the Republic of Korea, said a press release on Monday.

President Ski Federation of Pakistan (SFP) Air Marshal Farhat Hussain Khan congratulated Noor Muhammad and Shah Hussain of Naltar Ski School who won the gold and silver medals respectively at the event. He hoped that the success would significantly boost the SFP’s ventures in national and international ski events.

The winning skiers also met with the Korean Ambassador to Pakistan Choong-joo Choi who appreciated the performances of the budding players.

The Dream Programme was initiated by Gangwon Province in 2004 to promote winter sports in countries where winter sports facilities were not fully developed. Pakistan joined the programme in 2011.

This year, around 150 participants from 40 countries took part in the training after which athletes were divided into groups and competitions were held among them.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/496979/pakistan-sweep-skiing-competition-in-korea/

Noor Muhammad (L) won the gold medal and Shah Hussain (R) won the silver medal at the skiing event.

The price comparison of essential consumer items, such as wheat, wheat flour, rice, sugar and red chillies as on December 27, 2012 shows that their prices were lower in Pakistan than those in the neighbouring countries, including India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.

http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2013/01/09/news/profit/pakistans-inflation-lowest-amongst-regional-countries/

The Bharti Unions are a serious impediment to manufacturing in India. Even Tata had to face major issues and he had to move his plants to different states.

“A manager was killed in a riot at Suzuki’s Indian subsidiary. Some say the caste system played a part, but discontent stemming from the recession and inflation may have also been a factor.” (Business Nikki)

Now Japanese firms wanting to safeguard their chances of success are in the process of moving their plants to Pakistan. This was stated by the Japanese Ambassador to Pakistan Hiroshi on Thursday said that many big Japanese investors are seriously planning to shift their units to Pakistan from India due to strong workers unions culture in India.

Ambassador Hiroshi was speaking at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI). Hiroshi said that the business environment in Pakistan is far better and it is a safer place as far as working conditions are concerned. He said that the economy and infrastructure development are the priority areas and Japan government is focusing on them.

He said that “Japanese businessmen are being motivated for establishing business with their counterparts in Pakistan.” He said “Japan will continue to provide technical assistance to Pakistan as we believe that this country has a great potential for the future.”

There are spectacular development and investment opportunities in various fields as few countries are gifted with natural resources, the Ambassador said.

“Pakistan is facing difficult challenges which will be over soon,” adding that he will continue to strive to deepen mutual understanding through economic, educational, cultural and political exchanges.

Pakistan is facing difficult challenges which will be over soon the Ambassador said

Asif, who was unbeaten in the tournament, defeated Wilson 10-8.

“Asif worked very hard to win this championship and it is a very big victory, a turning point for the sport in Pakistan. I hope the government takes notice and supports these boys,” Sheikh said while speaking to media.

Asif was the third Pakistani to reach the final of the world event and the second one to win it. Before him, Mohammad Yousuf won it in 1994 while, in 2003, Saleh Mohammad was defeated by Pankaj Advani of India.

http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=185245

Asif was unbeaten in the tournament

Original story published in June 2012.

VIRGINIA (USA): 18-year-old Noor Siddiqui, daughter of first-generation immigrants from Pakistan, was accepted to her dream schools: The University of Virginia, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and The University of Chicago. But her dream is to get more than just a degree. Siddiqui wants to change the world.

“What I care about is empowering the bottom billion. So I care about enterprises that basically allow them to have upward mobility,” said Siddiqui.

Out of a thousand applicants from more than 40 countries, she was awarded one of the 20 fellowships to develop an alternative education model. For Siddiqui, the decision to forgo a more traditional route was a no brainer.

“As a Thiel fellow, I can focus a lot more of my time on my project and learning through experience in a way that I don’t think I would be able to do in college,” said Siddiqui.

Full story: http://www.wusa9.com/rss/article/210353/158/Teen-Forgoes-College-Takes-100K-Fellowship-