UN women, Japan celebrate success of women’s socio-economic resilience project

Celina Ali Islamabad: UN Women, in collaboration with the Government of Japan, hosted a showcase event in Karachi this week to highlight the success of Women’s Socio-Economic Resilience Project. The initiative aimed to provide essential relief and protection services to women and girls in flood-affected areas, fostering their resilience and adaptability to emergencies and disasters. […]

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Biden promises to ‘shut down’ the border if given the authority in a bipartisan bill

Megan Lebowitz Washington: President Joe Biden this week vowed to halt crossings at the border when it’s “overwhelmed” if Congress passes bipartisan immigration legislation giving him that authority. In a strongly worded statement, Biden threw his support behind an emerging immigration deal in the Senate, one that former President Donald Trump is seeking to torpedo […]

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86.6% in Japan back tougher political funds control laws amid scandal

Tokyo: A survey released this week shows that 86.6 percent of respondents back tougher political funds control laws in Japan amid a fundraising scandal embroiling the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. A total of 61.6 percent were also dissatisfied with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s handling of a magnitude-7.6 earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula in […]

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US does not support Taiwan independence, says President Joe Biden

Newswire Washington: US President Joe Biden said this week that the United States does not support the independence of Taiwan, after Taiwanese voters rebuffed China and gave the ruling party a third presidential term. Earlier in the day, the Taiwanese ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential candidate William Lai Ching-te came to power, strongly rejecting […]

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Forging synergies: A tale of alliance and partnership

Celina Ali Islamabad: In 2023, the United States and Pakistan strengthened their partnership for mutual benefit. USAID played a pivotal role in this success, consistently supporting the pursuit of a prosperous, healthier, safer, and more robust Pakistan. Through various collaborations, projects, and programs, USAID contributed significantly to Pakistan’s development goals. The United States through USAID […]

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Pakistan, Japan launch ambitious project to boost ICT exports

Celina Ali Islamabad: The Federal Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT), Pakistan, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) this week initiated an EAD-approved project focused on elevating Pakistan’s ICT industry exports to Japan and fostering partnerships between public and private entities. The formal Record of Discussions was signed by key representatives at MoITT. […]

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USAID to build capacity of higher education institutions

Celina Ali Islamabad: Preparing a strategic plan requires more than just the responsibility of a single administrator — it requires vertical and horizontal coordination among internal and external stakeholders. This also requires consolidating several micro-plans such as academic plan, research plan, financial plan, students’ services plan, or sustainability plan. According to a statement issued by […]

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Japanese govt honors Shafiqur Rehman for bridging Japan-Pakistan relations

Celina Ali Islamabad: The Government of Japan has awarded the Foreign Minister’s Commendations for FY 2023 to Muhammad Shafiqur Rehman, President of Milestone Society for the Special Persons, in recognition of his significant contribution towards the promotion of mutual understanding between Japan and Pakistan. Wada Mitsuhiro, the Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, on behalf of […]

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Ambassador Donald Blome commends municipal project

Celina Ali Islamabad: US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome this week hailed the Municipal Services Project, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), for the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), particularly the capital city of Peshawar. Ambassador Blome visited the Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar (WSSP) office in Peshawar, to celebrate the […]

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80 Japanese business companies creating 80,000 job opportunities in Pakistan: Ambassador Wada Mitsuhiro

Islamabad: Japan has been providing development assistance to Pakistan since 1954 and will celebrate the 70th anniversary of Official Development Assistance (ODA) cooperation next year. These views were expressed by Ambassador of Japan Mr Wada Mitsuhiro at an end-of-year reception organized exclusively for journalists this week. Senior members from the Political, Economic & Development and […]

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US Ambassador Donald Blome meets Nawaz Sharif in Lahore

Lahore: Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) supremo Nawaz Sharif this week held a meeting with US Ambassador Donald Blome in Lahore, discussing the current political and economic landscape in the country, with a specific emphasis on his party’s preparations for the upcoming elections. Ambassador Blome’s meeting with Sharif was one of several liaisons with politicians, which […]

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Japan to be third global military power despite currency devaluation

Andrew Salerno-Garthwaite Tokyo: While concerns had spread that Japan’s planned defence budget could be affected by the recent currency devaluation of the Yen by an average of 20% since 2022 against other major currencies, GlobalData instead finds that major ongoing procurement programmes, including the Global Combat Air Programmes, the F-35A/B, Mogami-glass Frigates, C-2 and V-22 […]

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Pakistan says nearly 25,000 Afghans waiting for visas to US won’t be deported as part of clampdown

Newswire Islamabad: Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar this week sought to reassure thousands of Afghans waiting in Pakistan for resettlement in the United States that they won’t be deported as part of his government’s widely criticized crackdown on undocumented migrants in the country. Islamabad has launched a crackdown on illegal migration, saying any unregistered foreign […]

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Japan recognizes Imtiaz Ahmad’s outstanding contributions with imperial decoration

Celina Ali Islamabad: The Government of Japan has conferred the 2023 Spring Imperial Decorations, “The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star” on Imtiaz Ahmad, former Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to Japan in recognition of his significant contribution towards strengthening friendship, cultural and economic relations and mutual understanding between Japan […]

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Pakistan, Japan sign agreement to reconstruct educational facilities

Celina Ali Islamabad: Pakistan and Japan this week signed an agreement worth $5.3 million for the reconstruction of educational facilities in flood-affected areas in Sindh. A signing ceremony for the Exchange of Notes and Grant Agreement between the Governments of Pakistan and Japan regarding “The Programme for Reconstruction of Educational Facilities in Flood affected Areas […]

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US embassy opens another Lincoln Corner at AJK University

Newswire Muzaffarabad: The US Embassy in Islamabad and the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir this week formally solidified their partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish another Lincoln Corner in the university. The MoU paved the way for the establishment of the state-of-the-art Lincoln Corner at the King Abdullah Campus (KAC) […]

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US diplomat says intelligence from ‘Five Eyes’ nations helped Canada to link India to Sikh’s killing

Newswire Toronto: Information shared by members of an intelligence-sharing alliance was part of what Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau used to make public allegations of the Indian government’s possible involvement in the assassination of a Sikh Canadian, the US ambassador to Canada said. “There was shared intelligence among ‘Five Eyes’ partners that helped lead Canada […]

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Pakistan, Japan agree to boost export of Pakistani skilled workforce

Abida Shaheen Islamabad: In an effort to fortify bilateral relations and extend collaboration, the Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, Jawad Sohrab Malik, convened a meeting with WADA Mitsuhiro, the Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan this week. The discussion spanned across myriad facets of collaboration between the Ministry […]

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US DCM Andrew Schofer underscores strong partnership between US, people of Sindh

Arslan Ali Arsal Karachi: United States Deputy Chief of Mission Andrew Schofer’s visited Karachi this week underscored the strong partnership between the United States and the people of Sindh. He explored opportunities to enrich development, trade and commercial ties and showcased the strength of our people-to-people relationships, the cornerstone of our bilateral relationship. As co-host […]

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US agency mulls big investment in Pakistan: Ambassador Donald Blome

Celina Ali Islamabad: US Ambassador in Pakistan Donald Blome said this qweek that the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) was eager to make large-scale investments in Pakistan. During a meeting with Shahid Ashraf Tarar, the caretaker minister for communications, railways and maritime affairs, Mr Blome said the United Sta­tes was ready to help Pak­istan […]

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Japan ministers to discuss relief measures for fisheries industry

Liaquat Ali Japan’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Takei Shunsuke says relevant ministers will meet on Monday to discuss emergency relief measures for businesses hit by China’s suspension of Japanese seafood imports. China’s move came after Japan started releasing treated and diluted water from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean. Takei […]

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