Due to differences in exchange rates between markets, IT exports for January 2023 were only $190 million, according to the sources.

According to the sources, in January 2023, exports of computer services decreased by 20% and those of telecom services saw a 35% decline. Moreover, the exports of computer software and consulting services for software fell by 25% and 15% MoM, respectively.

The decline in IT exports is mostly a sign of a decline in global IT spending. Gartner, a technology research, and consulting firm have revised its growth forecast for IT spending from an earlier 5.1% to 2.4% in 2023 in its most recent report.

Separately, in January 2023, Pakistan’s textile exports fell by 12% annually to $1.36 billion. In January of the preceding fiscal year, textile exports were at $1.55 billion on an annual basis.

Data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) show that the textile industry’s exports decreased by 8% between July and January. Comparing the $10.8 billion in textile exports from July to January to the $10.93 billion in the same period last year.

Mahwari Justice started in July when floods hit Pakistan by two students, Bushra Mahnoor and Anum Khalid. It is a menstruation relief campaign for flood victims in Pakistan.

Introduction:

 Mahwari is an Urdu word for menstruation. The platform is working to provide access to safe periods for the flood affectees. The right to a safe period is a basic human right. But it is often dismissed or neglected due to its gendered nature. Mahwari Justice is not only helping the flood affectees in need but also breaking period taboos in Pakistan. 8 million flood affectees in Pakistan are of reproductive age and need access to safe periods.

Mahwari Justice was founded when Pakistan was experiencing flash floods that were creating devastation, endangering the lives of over 33 million people, and damaging their homes and businesses. The most recent flood victims had no choice but to seek safety in camps and on roadways. Female flood victims who experienced monthly bleeding but had unsafe access to periods were the most unfortunate.

The founders of MJ bought period sanitary items such as sanitary pads, cotton pads, towels, underwear, soaps, and detergents with the assistance of devoted volunteers. They made period comfort kits and distributed them to postpartum and menstruating women.

How MJ works?

With the aid of volunteers, the period supplies—which include reusable cloth pads, biodegradable cotton pads, underwear, soap, and detergent—are gathered and packaged. Kits come in four different varieties. After being packaged, the kits are given out to flood victims with the aid of neighborhood women and midwives. These women also educate flood victims on fundamental menstrual health issues. Doctors who organize medical camps in flood-affected communities also distribute kits.

Aim:

Mahwari Justice is aiming to target 1 MILLION women who are victims of the catastrophe. They are actively working with volunteers to offer menstrual relief to flood victims and are attempting to shatter period taboos in the process. They are also working to gather money for treatments like infections and UTIs.

For years, Ivy League universities have captivated students. But what makes them so appealing and desirable? Is attending an Ivy League School worthwhile today, with so many high-quality educational options? Let’s look at the top four advantages of an Ivy League education.

About the IVY league schools:

Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, Dartmouth, Columbia, Cornell, and the University of Pennsylvania are all among the oldest universities in the country, making them educational historical landmarks. The “Ivy Group” was concerned about the increased interest in collegiate athletics in 1936, and thus the Ivy League was established. The official creation year is believed 1956-57 when presidents of all universities embraced the name.

The Ivy League is much more than a sports league nowadays. It is a set of universities noted for their reputable education, status, exclusivity, and notoriously low acceptance rates.

Strong Networking Possibilities

The Ivy League has had graduates since the 1700s. The power of the alumni network is one of the most advantageous elements of the Ivy League. The alumni network is made up of all graduates from a specific university and often goes far beyond college friendships. Alumni relationships can often lead to your first job after college.

The Ivy League is well-known for its supportive alumni networks. After graduation, you will not only have a world-class education, but you will also be part of an elite community of graduates. Maintaining contact with Ivy League grads can have a huge impact on your life and career.

Students can use this network to find internships before they graduate, which may result in future employment prospects. Attending an Ivy can give you the tools and connections you need to gain entry into prestigious businesses and government organizations.

World-class assets

Students can access research and study materials created by the brightest brains by enrolling at an Ivy League school. Ivy League professors are highly educated and enthusiastic about specific subjects and causes. Research on these subjects for the institution is encouraged and frequently required of these professors. These thinkers produce novel hypotheses on subjects that students are already studying, giving them access to cutting-edge information at the right time.

Higher Starting Salaries

According to a study by the US Department of Education, graduates with bachelor’s degrees made an average of $54,700 annually, while those with master’s degrees or higher made $65,000.

Although getting a college degree raises your earnings, statistically, going to an Ivy League school can raise them much higher.

Get a Jump Start on Your Career

High-stakes professions like finance, law, and business consultancy can benefit from an Ivy League degree. Leading international corporations frequently employ directly from the source since they recognise that Ivies are home to some of the best and brightest pupils.

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.

The Earth’s ozone layer is on its road to recovery, thanks to decades of work to eliminate ozone-damaging compounds, according to a group of worldwide experts supported by the United Nations.

The ozone layer performs a crucial role for all living organisms on Earth. This stratospheric shield protects humans and the environment from the sun’s dangerous UV radiation.

In May 1985, scientists detected a hole in the ozone layer, which frightened the international community. Scientists had previously discovered that compounds like chlorofluorocarbons, which are utilized in the production of aerosol sprays as well as solvents and refrigerants, might deplete ozone.

Two years following the discovery of the ozone layer’s deplorable status, international agencies adopted the Montreal Protocol. This mandated the elimination of nearly 100 synthetic compounds linked to the deterioration of the critical ozone layer.

The last assessment of the Montreal Protocol’s success indicated that approximately 99% of banned ozone-depleting chemicals have been phased out.

If current practices are maintained, the ozone layer is likely to rebound to 1980 levels by 2040, according to the United Nations. It may take longer in some areas. Experts predict that Antarctica will rebound to 1980 levels by 2066, while the Arctic will recover by 2045.