First Blackhawks Impressions: Commesso, Marcel, Allan, Lardis, MisiakAll of the buzz in Chicago on Thursday night centered around Connor Bedard — and rightfully so. Drew Commesso, GIn his first action against an NHL team, Commesso was very good. I really liked his composure with the puck, playing the puck.”Marcel Marcel, FSkating in a fourth-line role, Marcel was noticeable on most of his shifts. Here’s Richardson on Marcel’s play:I thought big Marcel played a really good third period. If he can be a good faceoff option for the Blackhawks, that’s another great option down the middle.

The Punjab Special Education Department has been playing a pivotal role in ensuring educa­tion for differently-abled chil­dren within the province. “This campaign is not merely about increasing enrollment numbers; it’s about breaking down barriers and dispelling misconceptions surrounding special education. One of the most heartening developments in the Punjab Special Education Department’s journey towards inclusive edu­cation is their recognition of high achievers among special children. This initia­tive is a testament to holistic approach by the Punjab Special Education Department towards inclusive education. Zahid Majeed, Director Punjab Special Education Department, said, “In essence, the Punjab Special Education Department is not merely an administra­tive body but a lifeline for a large number of special chil­dren and their families.

This year, the theme is ‘Reducing food loss and waste: Taking action to transform food systems’. Furthermore, Sunridge Foods established partnerships with various medical institutions and NGOs to extend support to a broader range of individuals facing hardship. Sunridge Foods, by pooling resources and determination, actively combats food insecurity and works diligently towards ending malnutrition, to date we have reached 150,000+ families. Food loss and wastage manifests at various stages of the food supply chain, and unsurprisingly, the dynamics differ for both the developed and developing countries. On IDAFLW 2023, let us firmly internalize the fact that food loss and wastage perpetuate hunger, strain our environment, and waste precious resources.

ISLAMABAD - Eid Milad-un-Nabi (SAWW) is being celebrated with great religious zeal and fervor across the country on Fri­day (today). Eid Milad-un-Nabi (SAW) is also being celebrated across the Punjab prov­ince including the provincial capital Lahore today. Like other parts of the country, Eid Milad-un-Nabi (SAW) is be­ing celebrated in Sindh, including provincial capital Karachi, with great religious fervor. Eid Milad-un-Nabi Sallallah-o- Alaihe Wa Alehi Wasallam will also being celebrated in Baloch­istan with religious zeal and fer­vor today. Similarly, various religious, polit­ical, social organisations and edu­cational institutions have chalked out various programmes.

With thousands of traditional media journalists switching to other jobs to fuel their income and support their survival, an attempt to bridge the gap between traditional and digital news seems impractical. In contrast, the digital information sector has expanded, creating a realm where information is instantly accessible and widely distributed. Declining readership has eroded the reach of traditional media, especially among younger generations who have embraced digital alternatives. According to Times of Pakistan’s, the following measures can help bridge the gap between traditional and digital newsrooms. The fusion of traditional and digital information is not just a choice but a necessity.

A booth at a Hewitt-Trussville High School (HTHS) health fair in April provided teens with information about choosing alternative pronouns and offered teachers and administrators free training. ACASH’s booth can be seen in photographs obtained by 1819 News from a student’s parent at the fair. At HTHS, ACASH provided various flyers to students, from information about AIDS and HIV to one titled “Contraception Knows No Gender.”The organization also provided a QR code for students to sign up for its newsletter. But Martin accused the organization of misrepresenting the material they intended to provide students when ACASH employees applied to be a part of the health fair. “Had [ACASH accurately represented the material it provided], we would’ve had a conversation around how that would’ve looked going forward,” Martin said.

They have built their own fortunes while the poor masses have borne the brunt of their devious machinations. According to the World Bank, poverty in Pakistan shot up to 39.4% as of last fiscal year with 12.5 million more people falling into the trap due to poor economic conditions. The IMF’s emphasis on expanding the tax net by taxing the wealthy segments of society, bringing agriculture and real estate sectors into it, and focusing more on giving relief to the poor masses, is an unavoidable recipe for putting the economy back on the rails. The only way Pakistan can pull itself out of this vicious circle is to act upon the recipe suggested by the IMF and the World Bank. There is no escape from taxing all incomes, irrespective of their source and reducing indirect taxation which directly affects the poor masses.

President, PM felicitate nation on Eid Milad un Nabi (PBUH)President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar have felicitated the nation and the Muslim Ummah on the blessed day of Milad-un-Nabi (Peace Be Upon Him). He said Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was brought to this world as the ‘mercy for all the worlds’. He said the life of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) was an embodiment of obedience to Allah Almighty, justice, compassion, and love towards human beings. In his message on the occasion, Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar urged the nation to transform their lives in line with Islamic principles and disseminate the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The Prime Minister said the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is a shining example of compassion, tolerance and love.

Alam began to export fruit saplings to Qatar in 2019, and soon also to the UAE and Oman. “Since 2019, I have exported around 150,000 saplings to UAE, Qatar, and Oman,” he told Arab News. This year, Alam is focusing on mango trees and has already prepared several varieties at his Green World Nursery. “Dubai ordered some Bangladeshi mango saplings from me. I have prepared 400 mango saplings with seven varieties of Bangladeshi mangoes, and these plants are ready now,” he said.

ISLAMABAD - Paki­stani rupee on Thursday witnessed the 18th con­secutive recovery session as it gained Rs 1.02 against the US dollar in the inter­bank trading and closed at Rs287.73 against the previous day’s closing of Rs288.75. However, accord­ing to the Forex Association of Pakistan (FAP), the buying and selling rates of the dol­lar in the open market stood at Rs286.15 and Rs289 respectively. The price of the Euro decreased by Rs 2.59 to close at Rs302.44 against the last day’s clos­ing of Rs305.03, according to the State Bank of Paki­stan (SBP). The Japanese Yen came down by 01 paisa to close at Rs1.92, whereas a decrease of 88 paisas was witnessed in the exchange rate of the British Pound, which traded at Rs349.86 as compared to the last closing of Rs350.74. The exchange rates of the Emir­ates Dirham and the Saudi Riyal declined by 28 paisas each to close at Rs78.33 and Rs76.70 respectively.

The FBR achieved almost 34% growth in tax collection and got Rs507 billion more than the last fiscal year. Low tax collection has remained a chronic issue as taxation has skewed towards the indirect mode that has hurt poor people the most. But out of the four types of taxes – income tax, sales tax, federal excise duty (FED) and customs duty, the FBR met only income tax and FED targets. Income tax collection amounted to Rs925 billion, up Rs324 billion, or 54%, during the first three months of current fiscal year. Income tax collection was Rs145 billion more than the target, offsetting the impact of missed sales tax and customs duty targets.

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reported a 0.76% decrease in its foreign exchange reserves on a week-on-week basis, with the total now standing at $7.64 billion. According to data released by the central bank on Thursday, its foreign currency reserves fell by $59 million to reach $7,636.7 million in the week ending on September 22, 2023, compared to the previous week’s tally of $7,695.3 million. The overall liquid foreign currency reserves of the country, including reserves held by commercial banks, amounted to $13,161.8 million, with commercial banks holding reserves of $5,525.1 million. It’s worth noting that the central bank’s reserves had significantly improved last week, although the specific reason for the improvement was not announced. The SBP’s reserves have experienced fluctuations but had improved modestly, primarily due to financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and friendly nations.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is causing "a lot of bad blood" with Afghanistan, said Interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on Thursday urging the latter's incumbent government to take "solid practical steps" against the proscribed militant organisation. In conversation with TRT World on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Jilani said it was unfortunate that attacks within Pakistan continue to emanate from Afghanistan. “They committed to not allowing Afghan soil to be used against other countries,” he said, adding that TTP attacks in Pakistan stemming from Afghanistan “remain a major concern for us”. Jilani asserted that Pakistan would like to see Afghanistan as a stable and prosperous country but "then the presence of a large number of terrorist groups whether it’s TTP or ISIS-K...and many other organisations which are based in Afghanistan,” cause a dilemma. Read Sino-Pak ties not at expense of other relations: FM“And the kind of reforms being introduced by Pakistan in different sectors is also something that offers a promising future for the people of Pakistan,” said Jilani.

India urged Canada to take legal action against “anti-Indian elements” operating from its soil. Meanwhile, both India and Canada have issued updated travel advisories for their citizens amid the diplomatic tensions between the two countries. On the other hand, Canada has updated its travel advisory for its citizens planning to visit India. He alleged that for decades, India had targeted Sikhs in Canada with espionage, disinformation, and now murder. He cited his own experience as a Sikh Canadian and noted that there had always been suspicions of India interfering in the democratic rights of Canadians.

Reportedly, the words “secular” and “socialist” appear to have been deleted from the preamble of the country’s Constitution. India has been declared a socialist and secular state in the Constitution. The Modi government has apparently removed the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ from the newly published copy of the Constitution. Opposition leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the disappearance of the words ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’ from the Constitution is very worrying. Congress leader Sonia Gandhi also said: “In the Preamble, the words (‘socialist and secular’) were not there.”The Nationalist Congress Party of Sharad Pawar accused the BJP of “displaying a biased mindset by removing the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular'”.