Brussels, (Unib Rashid) – The Belgian government is set to approve a new law allowing large retail stores to remain open until 9 PM daily, while abolishing the requirement for a mandatory 24-hour weekly closure. According to Belgian media reports, the federal cabinet is expected to formally approve the measure in an upcoming Council of Ministers meeting. Currently, retailers such...
Largest catch-up initiative delivers over 100 million childhood vaccinations.
GENEVA/NEW YORK, (TW News) – The Big Catch-Up (BCU), a historic multi-year, multi-country effort to address vaccination declines driven largely by the COVID-19 pandemic, has reached an estimated 18.3 million children aged 1 to 5 across 36 countries with more than 100 million doses of life-saving vaccines, helping to narrow critical immunity gaps, announced Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), WHO, and...
Sweden contributes US$4.17 Million in flexible funds to support UNICEF’s lifesaving work for children.
Islamabad, (TW News) – The Kingdom of Sweden, through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), has contributed US$4.17 million to UNICEF under the 2026 Humanitarian Action for Children appeal. This timely and flexible contribution will enable UNICEF to respond quickly to climate-induced and other emergencies across Pakistan, delivering critical, lifesaving services to children and families most in need. “Flexible funding...
UNESCO Convenes Validation Workshop on Pakistan’s Flood Early Warning System Review.
Islamabad, (TW News) – UNESCO convened a Validation Workshop in Islamabad to review and finalize the findings of the Comprehensive Review of Pakistan’s Flood Early Warning System (FEWS), a nationwide assessment examining the effectiveness, coordination, and responsiveness of flood early warning mechanisms. The workshop, held online, brought together 37 representatives from federal and provincial governments, technical agencies, academia, development partners,...
Pakistan, WHO have protected 160 million children and 130 million mothers with life-saving vaccines over five decades.
Pakistan ranks among the top five countries worldwide for absolute reductions in child deaths thanks to vaccination and has averted 2.6 million child deaths from preventable diseases, in addition to eradicating smallpox, reducing paralytic polio cases by 99.8% and ensuring neonatal tetanus-free areas for 80% of the country’s population. Islamabad, (TW News) – Over the last five decades, since the...
3.3 million jobs may have been affected by the 2025 floods in Pakistan.
New assessment highlights need for targeted livelihood recovery measures in flood-affected areas ISLAMABAD, (TW News) – Around 3.3 million jobs may have been affected by the 2025 floods in Pakistan, based on assessment, carried out by the International Labour Organisation, in support of the review and validation of the Preliminary Assessment of 2025 Floods Damages. This is part of a...
UNDP, Japan partner to support community resilience and disaster preparedness in Pakistan.
Islamabad, (TW News) — The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Government of Japan, is strengthening community resilience and disaster preparedness in Pakistan, particularly for vulnerable communities in Punjab province, through a project supported by a generous contribution of US$400,000 from the Government of Japan. Pakistan continues to face increasing risks from climate-induced disasters, including recurrent flooding, which have affected...
Saudi Arabia Moves to Block Pakistan’s $5.5 Billion Arms Deals with African States Amid Strategic Shift.
Riyadh/Brussels, (Unib Rashid) — Saudi Arabia has urged Pakistan to halt and reassess major defence agreements worth approximately $5.5 billion with African partners, signaling a notable recalibration of Riyadh’s regional and security priorities. According to diplomatic sources, Saudi authorities requested Islamabad to suspend a $1.5 billion weapons deal with Sudan and reconsider a separate $4 billion defence arrangement linked to...
Attempt to Hijack PVMC Act 1996: A Direct Assault on Veterinary Profession in Pakistan.
A highly contentious—and deeply troubling—debate is currently unfolding in Pakistan: whether para-veterinary personnel, particularly those holding Livestock Assistant Diploma (LAD) certificates, should be registered through the Pakistan Veterinary Medical Council. This is not a routine administrative adjustment, nor a benign policy refinement; it is, in essence, an attempt that many in the profession view as a “Attempt to Hijack PVMC...
EU Approves €90 Billion Loan for Ukraine and 20th Sanctions Package Against Russia.
Brussels, (Unib Rashid) – The European Union has formally approved a €90 billion loan for Ukraine along with its 20th sanctions package against Russia. Both measures had previously been blocked by Hungary. However, EU ambassadors had already given their approval on Wednesday. Following this, a written procedure was initiated to finalize the decision-making process, with a deadline set for Thursday...