Muhammad Arbab Khan, President of the Pak-British Friendship Council Northwest Chapter, announced on Sunday that the European Union will fund three new development programs totalling €87 million to boost green and inclusive economic growth in Pakistan.

According to Mian Kashif Ashfaq, Chairman of the UK-Pakistan Joint Business Council, the programs are part of the European Union’s support to Pakistan in post-flood rehabilitation and reconstruction and are created in close collaboration with the federal and provincial governments.

According to a press release, he stated that these projects will focus on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Gilgit Baltistan (GB), and Balochistan, and will strive to improve agricultural value chains, provide access to renewable energy, and increase the availability of trained labor.

They also contribute to the EU’s Global Gateway, an overall plan to connect the digital, energy, and transportation sectors, as well as to boost health, education, and research systems around the world, according to him.

Mian Kashif Ashfaq wished that these plans would contribute to the strengthening of socioeconomic indicators such as rural economic transformation, the provision of cheap energy, and the provision of much-needed technical training for the youth, and he stated that EU support was required to provide the desired momentum to Pakistan’s green and clean efforts.

He stated that the EU assistance comes at a critical time when the country is dealing with an economic crisis and affected people are still dealing with the consequences of the devastating floods, and that it will contribute to economic recovery in the aftermath of the floods and make Pakistan stronger and more resilient.

Pakistani workers will be granted work visas in South Korea. According to Suh Sangpyo, South Korea’s ambassador to Pakistan, the world is aware of Pakistan and South Korea’s close connections. He projected that South Korea would soon give work visas to qualified Pakistani workers.

“In this regard, South Korea has started considering an agreement with the Ministry of Overseas Pakistan,” he added.

He added that thousands of skilled workers and artisans from Pakistan would be transferred to South Korea this year and that thousands of Pakistani students are already studying on scholarships in South Korea. He also stated that the South Korean government and universities would increase the number of scholarships available to Pakistani students.

“The South Korean embassy in Pakistan provides all visa-related services. “South Korea established the foundation for Pakistan’s highways,” he noted.

“South Korea is developing eight hydropower projects in Pakistan. South Korea intends to engage in electricity projects in the future as well.”

“In terms of hospitality, Pakistan is a great country. “An effective tourist plan is required in Pakistan,” he emphasized.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as seasonal depression, is a type of depression caused by long, gloomy winter days. SAD begins and finishes at roughly the same period each year. If you’re like most SAD sufferers, your symptoms begin in the fall and last into the winter, draining your energy and making you cranky. These symptoms usually go away in the spring and summer.

SAD induces depression less frequently in the spring or early summer and resolves in the fall or winter. Symptoms specific to winter-onset SAD, sometimes called winter depression, may include oversleeping, appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates, weight gain, tiredness, or low energy.

Causes

Seasonal affective disorder’s exact cause is unclear. Some of the things that may come into play are as follows:

Your biological timer (circadian rhythm). Winter-onset SAD may be caused by the decreasing amount of sunlight in the fall and winter. This lack of sunshine may cause your body’s internal clock to malfunction, leading to depression.

Serotonin levels are high. SAD may be caused by a decrease in serotonin, a brain chemical (neurotransmitter) that modulates mood. Reduced sunshine can induce a decrease in serotonin, which can lead to depression.

Melatonin levels are low. The change in season can upset the body’s melatonin balance, which influences sleep patterns and mood.

When to see a doctor?

It’s common to have low days from time to time. However, if you’re feeling depressed for days at a time and can’t get inspired to do things you generally love, consult your doctor. This is especially crucial if your sleeping and eating habits have changed, you use other medicines for comfort or relaxation, you feel hopeless, or you consider suicide.

Gold prices hit an all-time high in Pakistan, is this the time to invest?

Gold prices in Pakistani markets have reached an all-time high in the last 24 hours, as international rates regained some of last week’s strong momentum when the US Dollar fell in global markets.

Gold is being sold for Rs. 171125 per 10 grams, and the price of Gold reached Rs. 199600 per tola in Pakistan today.

Despite the price spike in local markets, gold fell from a 9-month high on Tuesday due to a modest decline in US bond yields, although the market was bolstered by prospects of slower interest rate hikes.

At 21:40 PM, spot gold was up 0.2 percent to $1,934.82 per ounce, having touched a high of $1,934.82 earlier in the day. In the United States, gold futures settled 0.4 percent higher at $1,935.4.

Consequently, the dollar index lost 0.2 percent versus its peers, making greenback-priced gold more affordable for many investors, while expectations of another interest rate hike by the US Federal Reserve added to the commodity’s appeal.

Although gold is viewed as a hedge against economic indicators such as currency and inflation, increasing interest rates tend to reduce the appeal of zero-yielding bullion. In any event, the rare metal is still a worthwhile investment.

Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves have decreased to $4.3 billion, the lowest level since February 2014, according to the country’s central bank, following the repayment of some of Pakistan’s external debt.

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) published the data on Thursday, adding that commercial banks have $5.8 billion, for a total of approximately $10.1 billion.

The IMF disbursed a $1.17 billion tranche in August of last year, but the next batch of funds has been stalled since Pakistan has yet to agree to the lender’s several criteria, such as raising energy costs and extending the tax base.

Last year, Pakistan was also hit by disastrous floods, which killed over 1,700 people, affected 33 million people, and cost the country more than $30 billion. Pakistan hosted an international donors’ summit with the United Nations earlier this week in Geneva when the world community promised more than $10 billion over the next three years.

Experts, on the other hand, have painted a bleak picture, arguing that the government should shift its focus from finding short-term fixes to more long-term reforms. According to Sakib Sherani, an economist based in Islamabad, Pakistan faces more than $20 billion in debt payback obligations over the next two years.

“In 2017, our yearly debt repayment was close to $7 billion. Over $20 billion is expected this year and next. We can’t help but borrow more, and while it may be a short- to a medium-term solution, it’s simply unsustainable,” Sherani explained in an interview.

He stated that Pakistan’s debt obligations should be restructured and that the government should develop a clearer plan for its economic strategy.