Byco Petroleum Doubles Profits and Achieves Record Turnover

Byco Petroleum Doubles Profits and Achieves Record Turnover

Byco Petroleum Doubles Profits and Achieves Record Turnover

• Byco’s profit surged by 130% to Rs 5.02 billion, or Rs 0.94 per share, and gross turnover jumped by 86% to a company record of Rs 215 billion for FY18.

• Byco continues to grow at a robust pace, despite the challenging macroeconomic backdrop.

Pakistan’s largest Oil Refining Company, Byco Petroleum Pakistan Ltd. (BPPL) today announced profit after tax of Rs 5.02 billion for the twelve months ended 30 June 2018 (FY18), up from Rs 2.18 billion in FY17, depicting a strong gain of 130%. This translated into a profit of Rs 0.94 per share for FY-2018, up from Rs 0.41 per share in FY-2017, showing an increase of 129%. The company’s operating profit also rose 128% from Rs 3.61 billion in the prior year to Rs 8.25 billion for FY-2018. Byco has shown consistent growth in profit after tax for the last four years. 

The strong growth in profits came as sales volume climbed by 60% and gross turnover increased by 86% to the highest-ever level of Rs 215 billion. Byco reported 88% increase in net sales to Rs 166.29 billion for FY-2018 from Rs 88.42 billion in the prior year. 

Byco’s excellent growth can be attributed to the successful commissioning of the Company’s second refinery (ORC-II) in August, 2017, and the successful startup of Byco’s Catalytic Reformer of ORC-II in February, 2018. Byco’s ORC-II is the largest oil refinery in the country with a design production capacity of 120,000 barrels per day, towards which Byco is gradually ramping up its production. The reformer’s capacity enables Byco to convert up to 24,000 barrels of Heavy Naphtha into Motor Gasoline per day. Byco’s Single Point Mooring (SPM) facility continues to play a crucial role for not only Byco but also in Pakistan’s petroleum industry. Currently, the SPM alone is handling around 26% of Pakistan’s crude oil imports. Byco’s marketing business is also playing an important role in the company’s operations through the expansion of the retail network and by growing volumes of mainly higher margin products. Byco has 344 retail outlets across the country. 

In July 2018, Byco Isomerisation Pakistan (Private) Limited, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of BPPL, successfully commissioned the Isomerisation unit which converts Naphtha into Premium Motor Gasoline. This will drive additional growth in Byco’s refining margins. 

In FY18, Byco faced a number of challenges including the declining consumption of furnace oil, volatility in oil prices, and the drop in the value of Pakistani Rupee against the US Dollar. However, Byco still posted strong growth in profits and sales. This is a testament to the fact that Byco remains committed to delivering sustainable productivity and profitability while generating the best possible returns for all of its stakeholders, even as it operates in a tough business environment. 



Byco clarifies on oil leakage – Byco is not responsible for oil spill near Mubarak village 

Karachi: After a thorough investigation, the Balochistan Environmental Protection Agency (BEPA) has confirmed that Byco Petroleum Pakistan Ltd. (BPPL) had absolutely no leakage or loss of containment from any of its facilities. This has been further confirmed also by the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA). BEPA and PMSA had conducted their investigation starting October 25, including conducting aerial survey to determine the source of the leakage that washed up on the shores of Mubarak Village. Their findings showed no evidence of leakage at Byco’s facilities. 

As part of its own investigation, Byco tested a sample of the oil found at the site and found it to be bunker oil, which is not produced at Byco’s refinery, nor at any other refinery in Pakistan. Bunker oil is used by ships as fuel and it is most likely that in this case the bunker oil was dumped by a ship being taken to Gadani for shipbreaking.

Byco has taken strong notice of some unscrupulous elements spreading malicious disinformation that the oil spillage emanated from Byco and has already initiated legal action against these for defamation. It is to be noted that Byco’s Single Point Mooring (SPM) and undersea pipeline are fully in accordance with applicable national and international specifications and safety standards, and there are stringent regular safety inspection procedures in place at all Byco’s facilities.      

“Byco categorically confirms there has been no loss of containment of any product from its facilities. Certain unscrupulous elements have been conducting a defamation campaign against Byco through traditional and social media platforms against whom we are pressing charges. We would also urge all stakeholders to pay urgent attention to this ever present danger of maritime pollution caused by oil spills from passing ships, to prevent such accidents in the future which greatly threaten our marine environment,” – said Shehryar Ahmad, GM Communications, Byco Petroleum Pakistan Limited.




LG Announces Third-Quarter 2018 Financial Results

LG Announces Third-Quarter 2018 Financial Results

LG Announces Third-Quarter 2018 Financial Results

Demand for Premium Products Continue to Grow Despite Slower Demand in Major Markets, International Trade Challenges

Seoul / Karachi, October 30, 2018:  LG Electronics Inc. (LG) reported consolidated sales of KRW 15.43 trillion (USD 13.76 billion) and operating profit of KRW 748.8 billion (USD 667.7 million) for the third quarter of 2018. Revenues were the highest among the three quarters this year, increasing 2.7 percent from the second quarter with operating income up 45 percent from the same period the previous year while the mobile business narrowed its losses significantly. 

The LG Home Appliance & Air Solution Company recorded third-quarter revenues of KRW 4.85 trillion (USD 4.33 billion) and operating profit of KRW 409.7 billion (USD 365.3 million). Sales were especially strong in Korea, Europe and North America despite the economic slowdown and currency challenges in Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. Profitability remained strong and was boosted by the growth of premium appliance sales and continued cost management. 

The LG Home Entertainment Company generated third-quarter operating profit of KRW 325.1 billion (USD 289.9 million) on sales of KRW 3.71 trillion (USD 3.31 billion). Even with demand for TV products in developing markets slowing, sales of premium OLED and UHD TVs remained strong. As the year comes to a close, the company plans to increase its focus on premium TV models in key markets to maintain profitability despite the sluggish overall TV market. 

The LG Mobile Communications Company recorded sales of KRW 2.04 trillion (USD 1.82 billion) and operating loss of KRW 146.3 billion (USD 130.5 million). Despite the weakening demand for smartphones worldwide and increased competition, the company significantly reduced its operating deficit as a direct result of its business plan and its stronger focus on mid-range products. The rollout of its high-end V40 ThinQ smartphone is expected to boost sales in the fourth quarter. With its business improvement strategy proceeding as planned, the company continues to consolidate and implement a more profitable foundation. 

The LG Vehicle Components Company posted third-quarter revenues of KRW 1.18 trillion (USD 1.05 billion), an increase of 41 percent compared with the same period last year and 35 percent higher than the previous quarter mainly due to increased production related to new projects and the acquisition of automotive lighting and headlight systems provider ZKW Group. The third quarter of 2018 marks the first time vehicle component sales have exceeded KRW 1 trillion in the company’s history. Rising raw material prices and increased costs related to new projects contributed to a quarterly operating loss of KRW 42.9 billion (USD 38.3 million). 

The LG Business-to-Business Company generated sales this quarter of KRW 576.7 billion (USD 514.2 million) and operating profit of KRW 35.1 billion (USD 31.3 million). Profitability was negatively affected by import duties in the United States and the falling price of solar modules in key markets. While price competition in the solar module market will remain challenging, demand for premium information display products is expected grow in the fourth quarter. 




PTV corruption case main Shahid Masood ko kon phansa raha hai...asal kahan hia hi - janiye un ki apni zubani - Live with Dr.Shahid Masood | 29-October-2018 | NRO | Nawaz Sharif | Asif Zardari

PTV corruption case main Shahid Masood ko kon phansa raha hai...asal kahan hia hi - janiye un ki apni zubani - Live with Dr.Shahid Masood | 29-October-2018 | NRO | Nawaz Sharif | Asif Zardari

PTV corruption case main Shahid Masood ko kon phansa raha hai...asal kahan hia hi - janiye un ki apni zubani - Live with Dr.Shahid Masood | 29-October-2018 | NRO | Nawaz Sharif | Asif Zardari

PTV corruption case main Shahid Masood ko kon phansa raha hai...asal kahan hia hi - janiye un ki apni zubani - Live with Dr.Shahid Masood | 29-October-2018 | NRO | Nawaz Sharif | Asif Zardari



PSO supports LUMS’ National Outreach Programme

PSO supports LUMS’ National Outreach Programme

PSO supports LUMS’ National Outreach Programme

LAHORE: As part of its efforts towards ensuring the social development of Pakistan through quality education, PSO CSR Trust entered into an agreement with the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) for the sponsorship of six deserving scholars currently inducted at LUMS via their National Outreach Programme (NOP).



An agreement was signed between the two organizations at a ceremony held at the Rausing Executive Development Centre (REDC) of LUMS. PSO CSR Trust also presented a cheque of approximately Rs 5.1 million as part of the support to LUMS. Those in attendance included Dr. Arshad Ahmad – Vice Chancellor of LUMS, who was accompanied by the LUMS Development Team as well as Mr. Shahzad Safdar – General Manager HR, PSO, who was accompanied by Ms. Aisha Rashid and Ms. Rabbia Anwaar representing the PSO CSR Trust.

Numerous financially disadvantaged but intellectually bright scholars are inducted into LUMS programs through the NOP stream. Many scholars deemed eligible for the university’s programs hail from underprivileged areas. According to the agreement, the selected six NOP scholars will directly benefit from a one-year financial assistance provided on behalf of PSO.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Shahzad Safdar – General Manager HR, PSO, said:

“At PSO, our core values related to corporate social responsibility are central to the Company’s business operations. Therefore, we continue to undertake opportunities that stand to benefit our community and society. We are very pleased to partner with the LUMS for their National Outreach Programme which has already begun to bring about immense change not only in the lives of individuals but also entire families and communities.”

Also sharing his thoughts, Dr. Arshad Ahmad – Vice Chancellor of LUMS, quoted H.G. Wells that:

“Humanity is a race between education and catastrophe”, and LUMS firmly believes, as PSO does, that we are going to win the race through education.  We are very proud of LUMS to be able to participate, giving and doing our part. Acknowledging support by PSO, Dr. Arshad said, “without the support and generous donations and the understanding that we have with our partners, especially PSO, this would not be possible. It is understatement to say ‘Thank you’, there is a lot behind this and we are also very excited about this initiative because lives are going to change.”

Possible avenues of future collaboration between PSO and LUMS were also discussed during the meeting between two sides. These included the development of customized training programmes for PSO employees, the development of a case study on the progressive business model of PSO, the creation of synergy in chemistry and engineering-related research, the establishment of a chair/professorship etc. as well as the possibility of investment in the infrastructure of LUMS.

Beneficiaries of the PSO financial assistance also joined the agreement signing ceremony. The students used the opportunity to share their educational and family backgrounds, discussed their future aspirations and sought guidance regarding their career goals. The ceremony concluded with the students thanking PSO for supporting their education at LUMS and with Dr. Ahmad presenting the LUMS History Book to Mr. Shahzad as a souvenir.




مولوی خادم حسین نے پاکستان کے قرضے اتارنے کا نسخہ بتا دیا، ایم ایم ایف کو بولیں سود اسلام میں حرام لہذا ہم سود…….

مولوی خادم حسین نے پاکستان کے قرضے اتارنے کا نسخہ بتا دیا، ایم ایم ایف کو بولیں سود اسلام میں حرام لہذا ہم سود…….

مولوی خادم حسین نے پاکستان کے قرضے اتارنے کا نسخہ بتا دیا، ایم ایم ایف کو بولیں سود اسلام میں حرام لہذا ہم سود…….

مولوی خادم حسین نے پاکستان کے قرضے اتارنے کا نسخہ بتا دیا، ایم ایم ایف کو بولیں سود اسلام میں حرام لہذا ہم سود…….





Thirty Thausands (30,000) children in capital out of school, minister informed Shafqat Mahmood

Thirty Thausands (30,000) children in capital out of school, minister informed Shafqat Mahmood

ISLAMABAD: The education minister was on Wednesday told there are 30,000 out-of-school children in the capital.

Minister for Education and Professional Training   gave the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) directions to take measures to bring these children into schools.

The minister was visiting the FDE, which looks after the 423 educational institutions of the capital, for the first time to get a briefing about Islamabad’s education sector.

Shafqat Mahmood also visits Peira, briefed about its functions and issues


30,000 children in capital out of school, minister informed






The FDE was earlier under the control of the Ministry of Capital Administration and Development Division which the PTI government abolished. FDE has now been placed under the education ministry.

The minister was briefed about the functioning and challenges of the directorate by directors as the FDE does not have a permanent, or temporary, director general (DG) and has been headless since Oct 10 when temporary DG Hasnat Qureshi relinquished his charge.

Mr Qureshi was the chairman of the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (Peira) and looked after FDE affairs as an acting DG for over a year and a half.

The minister said the government had a vision for bringing 25 million out of school children into schools and that the 30,000 children in Islamabad should be enrolled in schools on a priority basis.

Sources quoted the minister as saying that the federal capital should be a model for the provinces.

The minister said adult education will also be focused on and that double shifts should be started in areas which are short on schools.

He said the education ministry will help FDE become paperless and start an online filing system.

The minister was also briefed on the Prime Minister’s Education Reform Programme which was started by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

The minister said the buses procured under the programme should be distributed fairly and that those schools which are facing a shortage of buses should be given preference.

The sources said that the minister will be given another briefing on the reform program by the officers who have been dealing with the project.

“The minister also assured us that a DG will soon be appointed,” an FDE official who participated in the meeting said.

Mr Mehmood also visited Peira, an organisation which deals with private sector education in the capital city.

Peira Member Imtiaz Qureshi briefed the minister about the functioning and issues being faced by the authority.

He was told about litigations between Peira and elite schools which had challenged its rules which bars them from charging fees above the set limits.

The minister was told that there are some 700 unregistered schools in the capital and that of the total 1,242 schools of which the authority has data, 525 have valid registration.

According to sources, Peira Chairman Hasnat Qureshi was told hours before he was to brief the minister that he had been repatriated to his parent department many days ago by the ministry and that he should therefore not give the briefing.

They said Mr Qureshi had concerns regarding the procedure adopted by the ministry for repatriating him which is why he was reluctant to relinquish charge.

Sources said that Peira Member Imtiaz Qureshi was given acting charge as the authority’s chairman till a regular appointment is made and that Hasnat Qureshi later relinquished his charge.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2018


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HBL Declares Consolidated Profit after Tax of Rs 9.9 Billion

HBL Declares Consolidated Profit after Tax of Rs 9.9 Billion

HBL Declares Consolidated Profit after Tax of Rs 9.9 Billion

HBL today declared a consolidated profit after tax of Rs 9.9 billion for the first nine months of 2018, with earnings per share at Rs 6.57. Along with the results, the Board declared a dividend of Rs 1.00 per share (10%), bringing the total dividend for the nine months of 2018 to Rs 3.00 per share. Profit before tax for the nine months of 2018 was Rs 17.7 billion. The consolidated Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) as at September 30, 2018 was over 17%, an increase of 105 bps over December 2017, while the Bank’s Tier 1 CAR rose by 75 bps to 12.74%. 

HBL’s core domestic business remains robust. Total domestic deposits increased from December 2017 levels to Rs 1.8 trillion, maintaining our leading market share at over 14%. In the first nine months of 2018, the Bank added Rs 101 billion in domestic CASA deposits, led by a 10% growth in current accounts. The ratio of current accounts and CASA both continued to improve, rising further over June 2018 to 37.3% and 88.1% respectively. HBL’s consistent deposit growth momentum resulted in average current accounts showing an impressive increase of Rs 80 billion, a growth of 15% compared to the first nine months of 2017. 

HBL’s domestic loan book increased further over June 2018, reaching Rs 819 billion. Our well-constructed Consumer business reached a landmark of Rs 50 billion in consumer loans. These positive developments on the domestic Balance Sheet contributed to a 2% improvement in domestic net interest income. However, with a reduction in the Bank’s international businesses, total net interest income declined marginally by 1% to Rs 61.1 billion. The strong recovery performance continued, as the Bank recorded a reversal of Rs 144 million during the quarter. Total reversals against loans are now Rs 388 million for the nine months of 2018, compared to a provision of Rs 313 million in 9M 2017. 

HBL is committed to promoting the financial inclusion of the country’s unbanked population and to expanding the digital retail payments infrastructure. Our innovative Konnect product has shown excellent performance in just one quarter with nearly 900,000 accounts opened, 25% of whom are women. Since launch, 7.8 million transactions valued at Rs 29 billion have taken place on the Konnect platform. Our digital channels of Internet Banking and HBL Mobile increased their acceptance, with users and usage both doubling over the prior year. HBL’s investments in its Business Transformation program are now beginning to bear fruit in the form of a more embedded compliance culture. The Bank continues to expand its reach to provide service and convenience to its growing branch customer base. During 2018, the Bank has added over 823,000 customers, who it reaches through over 1,700 branches, more than 2,100 ATMs and 18,600 POS machines across Pakistan. 

During the quarter HBL’s efforts in infrastructure development were recognized through two prestigious awards by Asiamoney; we were named as the Best Regional Bank for Belt & Road Initiatives and as the Best Bank for infrastructure finance in the region. HBL looks forward to playing a leading role in national development and contributing to the growth of priority sectors. 



Emirates thrills film buffs with over 1,000 movies on board

Emirates thrills film buffs with over 1,000 movies on board

Emirates thrills film buffs with over 1,000 movies on board

It takes 119 trips on the world’s longest A380 flight from Dubai to Auckland to complete  Emirates’ film catalogue


Karachi / Dubai: October 29, 2018 – Film fans travelling on Emirates can now look forward to even more choice as ice, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system, reaches a new milestone by offering over 1,000 movies - more than any other airline. The films are in addition to TV box sets and music giving customers over 3,500 channels of on demand entertainment.



The expanded film catalogue offers over 2,000 hours of entertainment that would take 119 trips on the world’s longest A380 flight from Dubai to Auckland to get through. It is available on over 80 aircraft and includes more than 500 Hollywood hits and 600 world movies to cater to Emirates’ diverse and global customer base. Emirates buys content from every major movie market worldwide and offers films in 44 languages.

“Travelling on Emirates has always been centred on an unmatched customer experience. We’re proud to offer the greatest entertainment choice ever seen in the sky, with probably more choices than most people have at home! We want to create a better-than-home experience when you fly Emirates, with the latest and best movies, great TV and a huge music selection,” said Patrick Brannelly, Emirates’ Divisional Vice President, Customer Experience (IFEC).

Each month over 100 movies are added to the system with selections ranging from all time classics like 1939’s The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind to 2018 blockbusters Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Ocean’s 8. ice also offers over 25 feature length documentaries – the most popular on board at the moment include Eric Clapton - Life in 12 bars and The Final Year about Barack Obama’s last year in office. Last month, the airline launched its own Food and Wine Channels on ice giving customers a behind-the-scenes look at how it creates its onboard menus and works with its global partners.

Emirates ensures its youngest customers are catered for with a large selection of children’s movies and TV channels. In addition to over 75 Disney, Marvel, and children’s movies there are also over 50 TV channels, including Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, CBeebies & the Disney Channel.

Emirates has continually invested in upgrading its inflight entertainment systems and was the first airline in the world to offer in-seat TV screens in all classes in 1992. Today, Emirates offers the industry’s largest in-seat screens in all classes at up to 13.3 inches wide in Economy Class, 23 inches wide in Business Class and 32 inches in First Class. The viewing experience in First Class was recently enhanced with Bowers & Wilkins Active Noise Cancelling E1 headphones created exclusively for Emirates.

In addition to the widest selection of movies in the air, ice has over 325 TV channels packed with award-winning TV series including major new dramas Killing Eve, Succession and The Terror, through to hit comedies such as Atlanta and Big Bang Theory, a huge music collection, over 100 games, expert-led LinkedIn Learning courses and uTalk language courses offering lessons for beginners. Emirates and Dubai Future Foundation have also partnered to feature the Dubai Future Talks series on ice featuring insights from leading thinkers such as author Malcolm Gladwell, former Chief Scientist at NASA Dr Ellen Stofan and artist will.I.am.

Over 170 aircraft are equipped with live TV featuring sports events including the Champions League, NBA and most recently golf’s Ryder Cup, as well as news channels from CNN, BBC World, Al Arabiya and NHK. Wi-Fi is available on over 99% of the Emirates fleet and customers across all cabins can enjoy 20MB of free data.

Emirates most recently won its second consecutive Best Entertainment award at last week’s APEX 2019 Global Passenger Choice Award.

It takes 83 hours and 42 minutes to watch all 50 Disney movies on ice – its takes a shorter time to fly Emirates from Dubai to all 6 Disney resorts in California, Orlando, Hong Kong, Paris, Tokyo and Shanghai

ice offers movies in 44 languages including over 200 movies from Bollywood and the Indian subcontinent, as well as 117 movies from the Middle East and over 40 from China



Google Has Fired 48 People for Sexual Harassment in Past 2 Years, CEO Says

Google Has Fired 48 People for Sexual Harassment in Past 2 Years, CEO Says

Google Has Fired 48 People for Sexual Harassment in Past 2 Years, CEO Says

Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai sought to reassure employees of the internet giant after a newspaper report said a former top executive was paid millions of dollars when he left following allegations of harassment and sexual misconduct.

In the past two years, 48 people have been terminated for sexual harassment, including 13 who were senior managers and above, Pichai and Eileen Naughton, vice president of people operations, wrote in an email to staff. None of these individuals received an exit package, they added. A Google spokeswoman sent a copy of the email to Bloomberg.

A Google employee accused Android chief Andy Rubin of coercing her into performing oral sex in a hotel room in 2013, the New York Times reported on Thursday. Google investigated, concluded her claim was credible, and asked Rubin to resign. The company could have fired Rubin and paid him little to nothing, but instead, it paid him a $90 million exit package and didn’t say anything publicly, the newspaper reported, citing unidentified people with knowledge of the episode.

Rubin’s representative, Sam Singer, told Bloomberg that Rubin left of his own accord in 2014. “He did not engage, nor has he ever been told of any misconduct at Google or anywhere else,” Singer wrote in an emailed statement. “Any relationship that Mr. Rubin had while at Google was consensual and did not involve any person who reported directly to him. He did have a consensual relationship that occurred in 2012. To his knowledge, at that time there were no policies in place that prohibited relationships between employees.”

Google has updated its policy to require all vice presidents and senior vice presidents to disclose any relationship with a co-worker regardless of reporting line or presence of conflict, Pichai and Naughton wrote on Thursday.



“We want to assure you that we review every single complaint about sexual harassment or inappropriate conduct, we investigate and we take action,” they added. “In recent years, we’ve made a number of changes, including taking an increasingly hard line on inappropriate conduct by people in positions of authority.”

Rubin’s misconduct was reported by Bloomberg News and other publications in late 2017 and he took a brief leave of absence from his startup, Essential Products, soon after.

However, the New York Times provided new details of Rubin’s actions on Thursday. The paper also reported other instances when Google protected executives who had been accused of sexual misconduct, or ousted alleged offenders but softened the blow by paying them millions of dollars as they departed.

The report suggests Google had a permissive culture when it came to executive conduct and relationships with co-workers. At least one Google employee spoke out further following the report, saying the company’s moves to protect executives makes it harder for victims to report abuse.

“The culture of stigmatization and silence *enables* the abuse by making it harder to speak up and harder to be believed,” Liz Fong-Jones, who is quoted in the Times’s story, wrote on Twitter. “It’s the abuse of power relationships in situations where there was no consent, or consent was impossible.”





Vivo Spearheads 5G-Embedded “Intelligent Phone” Era, Accelerating AI Research and Development

Vivo Spearheads 5G-Embedded “Intelligent Phone” Era, Accelerating AI Research and Development

Vivo Spearheads 5G-Embedded “Intelligent Phone” Era, Accelerating AI Research and Development

Vivo, a long-term partner of Qualcomm, shared its vision and insight on 5G development and how it will empower a new era of smart living during Qualcomm’s 4G/5G Summit held in Hong Kong on 22 – 24 October 2018. The three-day Qualcomm 4G/5G Summit gathered many of the world’s leading mobile industry leaders.

During the conference, Zhou Wei, the Vice President of Vivo, Head of Vivo Artificial Intelligence Global Research Institute has presented a keynote during the summit’s AI Forum and focused his speech around “Intelligent Phone being the key to 5G development success”.

Mr. Zhou highlighted the deep integration of 5G and AI, and how these elements will be the key to the future growth of 5G embedded smartphones, which Vivo has termed as “Intelligent Phones”. AI allows smartphones to literally learn and think, while 5G will provide smartphones with enhanced and faster connection capability. The combination of these factors will transform smartphones from “smart” to “intelligent” while providing users with outstanding new features and the ultimate mobile experience.

According to Mr. Zhou, Vivo plans to complete the development and mass production of the first NSA and SA 5G smartphones in 2019 to launch its first batch of pre-commercial 5G smartphones. The company aims to achieve full commercialization of 5G smartphones by 2020.

As an industry leader in innovation, Vivo has invested heavily in the development and research of 5G smartphones, and seeks to bring consumers the best mobile experience within the shortest amount of time possible.



In 2016, Vivo established its 5G research institute center in Beijing, laying the foundation for 5G technology development and standardization. In the same year, Vivo has also joined the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project, the 3rd Generation Partner Program), and began its participation in 5G standardization work. The company is now very active in the RAN1, RAN2, RAN4, SA2, CT1 and other core technology groups in 3GPP. Up to now, Vivo has submitted more than 1,500 technical proposals to 3GPP, and is one of the major contributors as a mobile terminal company within 3GPP.

In 2018, Vivo formally launched the research and development of a 5G signaling tester prototype, and successfully accomplished its 5G First Call in August this year. This is an initial key milestone in completing the development of 5G smartphone hardware and software for commercial usage. Based on this, Vivo has plans to showcase its 5G enabled application on mobile terminal in December.

As one of the key partners of the “China Mobile 5G Device Forerunner Initiative”, Vivo has maximized its value on such platforms, and made several notable contributions regarding the standardization of 5G terminal characteristics, such as self-interference, power consumption savings, 5G multi-antenna, low latency and high reliability, high-level protocol design, physical layer protocol design and other terminal characteristics. The company also collaborates closely with key partners to further drive 5G development for the arrival of the 5G era.

Consumers define 5G embedded smartphones
Vivo has always adhered to the consumer-oriented approach when innovating new products, which ensures consumers enjoy personalized experiences and services. For the upcoming 5G era, Vivo believes that consumers will remain at the core of the smartphone industry ecosystem and continue as the key player in defining the growth of 5G embedded smartphones.

While challenging technical problems can now be addressed thanks to the rapid development of smartphones and mobile networks, consumers expectations of smartphone continues to rise – ultimately, today’s smartphones need to be well-equipped with more flexibility to think, and to provide personalized services.  For Vivo, these changes have motivated the brand to not only make major breakthroughs in 5G technology development, but also cultivate a deeper understanding of a “smarter life” and the smartphone ecosystem. The aim is to equip smartphones with better intelligence to better serve consumer demands.

As shared by Mr. Zhou in his keynote, “we believe that the manufacturing of smart phones will also evolve from providing basic functions to providing intelligent features. These will ensure that the consumer demands for the future intelligent phones will be met. In the future, the development of 5G and AI will be the main drivers for many new scenarios and applications.”

AI Technology is key for Vivo in developing “Intelligent Phones”
Vivo believes that the combination of 5G and AI will be the key trend for the 5G embedded smartphone era. Aside from being active in laying out the fundamental of 5G technology, Vivo has also spearheaded the development of AI research. In June 2017, Vivo has established its AI Labs to kick start AI research and development. In March 2018, Vivo released Jovi – a new AI sub-brand. After more than half a year of team effort, Vivo has made considerable progress in AI technology.

Mr. Zhou highlighted that AI is not just about voice recognition, NLP or deep learning etc. It is based on these technologies that AI can provide consumers with a framework for a whole new range of products and services. As such, Vivo has been proactive in building mobile phones that act as a smart terminal in serving as a connection center, further creating an equal, mutual and open platform to deliver relevant services by connecting them to the consumers’ needs.

Mr. Zhou has also elaborated in his speech Vivo’s understanding of AI, as well as the company’s devotion in this sector. 5G will cultivate new application scenarios, the future of smartphones will essentially be able to self-learn, self-discover and self-recommend.

On July 4, 2018, Vivo has established the IoT Open Ecosystem Alliance together with other key IoT industry representative companies. Through this ecosystem, the full interaction between devices can also be enabled even if the adaption is with various brands. It also ensures that when a developer releases a product, it would provide the customers with the perfect user experience. Most importantly, it would also give consumers the ability to choose their preferred products for their needs and experiences. Based on this platform, Vivo is building its own “Intelligent Phones” ecosystem, by investing heavily and leading the industry to realize 5G technology application development and provide consumers with the ultimate user experience.




PTCL Organizes Breast Cancer Awareness Drive for Its Employees

PTCL Organizes Breast Cancer Awareness Drive for Its Employees

PTCL Organizes Breast Cancer Awareness Drive for Its Employees

Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) organized a Breast Cancer Awareness drive under The Pink Club, whereby an exclusive session for all female staff and female family members of male staff was held.

The session featured the real life story of a Breast Cancer survivor, Mrs. Khanum Mumtaz Mirza, who is mother of a PTCL staff member. Mrs. Mirza talked about her journey of how she conquered the disease by undergoing the difficult process of diagnosis, treatment, surgery and post-operative care, along with the psychological repercussions of the disease.



The session also included a talk on the importance of early detection through self-examination in order to overcome the disease at an early stage, where chances of survival are relatively high. PTCL’s Senior Medical Officer, Dr. Asma Mahfooz explained the self-examination procedure and also answered questions from the audience. The session was appreciated by all audience members.

Showing solidarity to the cause, PTCL official logo was changed to pink on all social media forums, which will remain for the month of October. Besides, PTCL Headquarters in Islamabad was illuminated pink and staff members adorned the signature pink badge to pledge their support for this cause.

Hina Tasleem, GM HR Strategy and founder of The Pink Club at PTCL, stated, “Our main objective of starting ‘The Pink Club’ was to take initiatives and create awareness on the issues related to working women including health, welfare and safety at PTCL. By organizing such sessions, we ensure that our female employees remain updated and aware of pertinent health issues and measures to counter possible risks. It is our endeavor to create a healthy environment that is conducive to physical and mental well-being of our employees.”

Breast Cancer is amongst the most commonly occurring cancers for women, one in every eight women are likely to suffer from the disease in their lifetime. However, early detection can reduce the risk of fatality and provide a chance to lead a normal life.

Hosted by PTCL regional medical staff, similar awareness sessions were held at different regional offices, where female staff attended the Breast Cancer awareness events.




foodpanda launches in two more cities of Pakistan

foodpanda launches in two more cities of Pakistan

foodpanda, the popular on-demand food delivery service in Pakistan, has announced its expansion to two new cities, Peshawar & Hyderabad.



In a dedicated event attended by various restaurant partners of foodpanda, media personalities and food bloggers, the food delivery service officially launched in the two new cities. Just two months back, foodpanda launched in Multan.

Technology has transformed the way our food reaches us. It has also digitized the food landscape in Pakistan to provide ease and convenience to food lovers in the country. A major player in this transformation remains to be foodpanda. The online delivery service established its foothold across major cities of Pakistan and continues to dominate the food delivery e-commerce.
With its arrival in Peshawar and Hyderabad, the fleet of foodpanda will deliver meals from over 160 partner restaurants in each city. The ever expanding fleet has made it possible for foodpanda to extend the restaurant experience to customers’ homes. offices and outdoor excursions. Apart from creating conveninece for the customers, the delivery service has also facilitated food business to grow and expand.

CEO foodpanda Nauman Sikandar Mirza shares,
“foodpanda has been working hard over the past few years to provide fast and fresh delivery to Pakistanis and we are excited to expand our service even further into Sindh and KPK. We look forward to bringing even more restaurants on the platform in the coming months and providing users with convenient access to popular food spots and world-class delivery.”

Mayor Peshawar, Muhammad Asim Khan, expressed on the launch of foodpanda in Peshawar,

“The residents of Peshawar are excited for foodpanda’s launch in their city. With the ease of ordering food online, foodpanda is setting high standards of customer service and has revolutionized how the restaurant industry works. We wish foodpanda all the best!”

Commission Hyderabad Abbas Baloch showed commitment to provide support to the delivery service,

“With technological companies like foodpanda heading to Hyderabad, they are enhancing how people here enjoy their everyday lives. We warmly welcome foodpanda will be here to provide maximum support and corporation for the establishment of e-commerce in the city.”

With over 160 curated restaurants available in both cities, food lovers can now order food from international restaurant chains and also have a taste of local cuisine available in the city. Everyone in Peshawar and Hyderabad, to place your first order, visit foodpanda.pk or download the app on the App Store or Google Play now. You can also use voucher code ‘PESHAWAR’ or ‘HYDERABAD’ as per your city to get a discount of worth Rs. 300 on your first order.
MoU signed for extension of LHW program with Sukh Initiative to Sindh LHW Program

MoU signed for extension of LHW program with Sukh Initiative to Sindh LHW Program

MoU signed for extension of LHW program with Sukh Initiative to Sindh LHW Program

Karachi, October 25, 2018: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Sindh Lady Health Worker Program (LHW) and Sukh Initiative with a strategic focus on supporting the Sindh LHW Program. 



The Sukh Initiative is Pakistan’s first urban family planning project launched in November 2013 with assistance from The Aman Foundation, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and The David and Lucile Packard Foundation. The project goal is to increase prevalence of modern contraceptives by 15 percentage points, from the baseline, in selected one million, underserved peri-urban population of Karachi, Sindh. The project has successfully completed its 5 years of implementation and have demonstrated remarkable results in selected areas of Korangi; Landhi; Bin Qasim; and Malir.

Under this MoU, Sukh Initiative will provide support for capacity development and joint monitoring visits to the Sindh LHW program. Prior to this agreement, Sukh Initiative was working with the Sindh LHW program since 2016 with an objective to increase awareness and promote positive family planning and reproductive health behaviors by reorienting 200 LHWs on family planning services, reviving the support group meeting methodology focusing family planning and referrals and reinforcing joint monitoring mechanism. In addition to this, Life Skill Based Education was also introduced in catchment of LHW Initiative. It is important to note that the joint monitoring component have overall strengthened the system and led to collective ownership and performance of LHWs.

On this occasion, Dr. Azra Pechuho - Minister of Health and Population Welfare Department of Sindh, applauded the management of Sukh Initiative and Aman Health Care Services for their innovative approaches and commitment to strengthening FP services in Pakistan. She said: “I am delighted to see a systematic and focused collaboration of Health Department with a family planning project. Sukh is indeed another step for women empowerment and improving quality of life of the underserved. Sukh’s model will serve as a guide line to strengthen family project in Sindh.”

Dr. Ghulam Hussain Shaikh, Program Director, Sindh LHW Program shared that “It is encouraging to see such remarkable projects in Pakistan. Sukh’s support has indeed added value to the Lady Health Program. Sindh LHW program is committed to improve health across Sindh and will continue to cultivate community participation through enhanced awareness, attitude change, and mobilisation.”


Dr. Pir Ghulam Hussain, Senior Monitoring Officer acknowledged support provided by Sukh Initiative and said, “We are glad to share the success of our collaboration with Sukh Initiative including training of 200 LHWs from Bin Qasim Landhi and Malir in the First Dose of injection.  Extension in this alliance is appreciated and we hope to witness long term positive changes of this effort.”

While signing the MoU, Shazina Masud, CEO – Aman Health Care Services appreciated this collaboration and shared that “Sukh Initiative promotes Family Planning and wellbeing in selected communities in Karachi. Through our dedication and innovate approaches we have demonstrated a successful model which is both scalable and sustainable. This project is yet another value addition to women empowerment. Access to and provision of quality health care services is the key that can transform the population issues. We appreciate the dedication of LHW program and are hopeful that the LHW program will collaborate with other stakeholders and continue to progress to achieve FP2020 goals in Pakistan.”

Dr. Haris Ahmed, Head of Sukh Initiative appreciated the support of Health Department, and Government of Sindh. He applauded the momentous decision to allow LHWs to provide the first dose of family planning injection after training and supervision. This is a concrete contribution to FP2020 goals. He further commented, “I am honored to lead this unique project which actively engages and connects demand generation, service delivery, youth engagement, system strengthening and sustainability. With a focus on peri-urban areas in Karachi, it is essential to engage communities by acknowledging their culture, providing access and holding their hands to progress to the next level of well-being. The LHWs working under Sukh have contributed significantly to this this cause. I am grateful to the Sindh Lady Health Worker Program and other stakeholders for their commitment to strengthen family planning in Sindh and wish them more progress in the future.”

Ehsanullah, Manager –LHW, Sukh Initiative shared that “ Sukh Initiative have strengthened the LHW program by engaging their senior management, building capacity and introducing Family Life Skills Education  along with joint monitoring field visits for system improvement. We are delighted to share that the youth in target areas is now better aware about health and puberty issues and can make better decisions and informed choices. We wish to continue to support the LHW program to create a long term meaningful impact in Sindh.”

Additional information about Sukh Initiative:
Sukh Initiative is committed to provide FP related information, counselling, supplies, referrals and quality services to women of reproductive age residing in selected communities. Additionally, project also focuses on youth, to sensitize them on reproductive health and to be a responsible adult. The project is being implemented by a consortium of six national and international organizations and a measurement partner for impact evaluation. Program management Unit, housed at Aman Health Care Services provides the strategic leadership and is the leading coordinating body.












Huawei unveils new AI chips amid Chinese technology ambitions

Huawei unveils new AI chips amid Chinese technology ambitions

Huawei unveils new AI chips amid Chinese technology ambitions


SHANGHAI: China’s Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, the world’s largest telecom-equipment maker, unveiled an AI chip on Wednesday that will power its servers, in a push to boost its nascent cloud-computing business. 

China wants locally made chips inside 40 percent of all smartphones in the domestic market by 2025 and is betting billions of dollars on homegrown champions to get there. 



Huawei set up its cloud business unit last year and is now trying to gain a firmer foothold in the domestic public cloud market, currently dominated by Alibaba. While the unit accounts for a small part of Huawei’s overall sales, it has flagged the business as a potential growth driver. 

The new 7 nanometre Ascend 910 chipset that Huawei unveiled at its annual global partners’ conference will service this unit and is meant for data centres that crunch mountains of data. 

The chip will process data much faster than rival products, Huawei’s rotating chairman, Eric Xu, said, adding it was twice as powerful as its nearest competitor Nvidia’s v100. 

Huawei also unveiled another chip that can be used to power surveillance cameras. It expects the Ascend 310 to help make AI cheaper for hardware firms by allowing them to buy readymade modules to fit their own products. 

The Ascend 910 will be available from the second quarter of 2019 and the 310 is already on shelves. 

Huawei said it will not sell these chipsets separately to customers, but its efforts would still pit it against big US vendors such as Qualcomm, AMD and Nvidia. 

Huawei, however, does not expect any “direct competition” with other vendors as it will not sell to third parties, Xu said at the Huawei Connect conference. 

Huawei already makes its own processor for its high-end phones but has so far mainly used Intel and Nvidia chips in its servers. The company is the world’s second-largest smartphone maker by volume. 

The company will use a mix of its chips and those from other vendors in its servers to cater to various price points, said Qiu Heng, marketing president for Huawei’s enterprise business. 

It was not clear how much of Intel or Nvidia components would be replaced. 

Huawei’s push to grow its domestic business comes in the backdrop of growing fears that Western consumers could become reluctant to buy Chinese tech goods due to concerns about security risks and allegations of spying by Beijing. 

Bloomberg reported last week that some 30 US companies’ systems had been infiltrated by malicious chips inserted by Chinese intelligence agents. 

Huawei has long been barred from selling telecom gear in the United States. In August, it was also banned by Australia from supplying equipment for the country’s planned 5G mobile network.—Reuters