Day: July 26, 2022

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Round Table Discussion with Mr. Adam Weinstein Research Fellow at the Quincy Institute

Islamabad, July 26, 2022 (PPI-OT):The Centre for Afghanistan, Middle East and Africa (CAMEA) at the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad (ISSI) hosted an In-House meeting with Mr. Adam Weinsten, Research Fellow at the Quincy Institute. The participants included Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Director General ISSI, Ambassador Khalid Mahmood, Chairman BOG, ISSI, Ms. Amina Khan, Director CAMEA, Ambassador Tariq Azizuddin, Ambassador Masood Khalid, Lt. General Sabahat Hussain, Mr. Hassan Khan, Ambassador Asif Durrani, Ambassador Ayyaz Wazir, Mr. Taimur Shamil, Ambassador Abrar Hussain and Brig. Mehboob Qadir.

The meeting was also attended by the Directors of the Centers of Excellence at ISSI and Team CAMEA. The discussion revolved around the situation in Afghanistan, particularly after the Taliban dispensation assumed power in August, 2021. It was also discussed as to what role Pakistan and the US can play, if at all, bilaterally or individually in helping bring peace and stability to Afghanistan.

For more information, contact:
Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI)
Sector F-5/2, Islamabad – 44000, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-9202481
Fax: +92-51-9204658
E-mail: strategy@issi.org.pk
Website: http://issi.org.pk/

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53rd meeting of Academic Council of the Islamia University of Bahawalpur 

Bahawalpur, July 26, 2022 (PPI-OT):The 53rd meeting of the Academic Council of the Islamia University of Bahawalpur was held under the chairmanship of Vice Chancellor Engr. Prof. Dr. Athar Mahboob. In the meeting, issues related to teaching matters were discussed and important decisions were taken. Director Academics Dr. Maqshoof Ahmad reviewed the implementation of the decisions taken in the last meeting and presented the agenda points for approval. In the meeting, the admission policy for spring semester 2022 and future programs was approved. There was a discussion about the rules of the academic council, the scheme of academic advisor and the procedure.

The establishment of Punjabi department in the university was approved. Revised syllabus of various programs was approved. MS program in Civil Engineering and BS Aviation Sciences were approved. Teaching part-time workload for regular and part-time faculty was also approved. Changes and alterations in the names of various subjects were approved. Common courses and admission procedures for undergraduate programs were also approved in the meeting. Apart from this, issues like teaching and administrative act 1975 policy guidelines for qualitative research were also considered.

For more information, contact:
The Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB)
University Chowk, Gulshan Colony, Bahawalpur,
Punjab – 63100, Pakistan
Tel: +92-62-9250235
Fax: +92-62-9250335
E-mail: info@iub.edu.pk
Website: https://www.iub.edu.pk/

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Lanning reclaims No.1 position in MRF Tyres ICC Women’s T20I Player Rankings

Dubai, July 26, 2022 (PPI-OT):Australia captain Meg Lanning has moved back to the top of the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s T20I Player Rankings after her knock of 74 against Ireland in a tri-series in Bready that also features Pakistan.

Lanning has overtaken compatriot Beth Mooney to reclaim the position she first occupied in January 2014. Except for two days in March 2014, she remained at the top until 18 November 2016. However, this is the first time Lanning has been No. 1 since then.

Lanning has been at the top for a total of 1,020 days, only behind England’s Charlotte Edwards (1,092) and Australia’s Karen Rolton (1,085) in terms of days as No.1.

Tahlia McGrath, whose knock of 70 in the same game won her the Player of the Match award, is up 15 places to 13th while Rachael Haynes has advanced two places to 51st position. The Australia players to move up the rankings for bowlers include spinner Jess Jonassen (up four places to sixth) and medium-fast bowler Nicola Carey (up 20 places to 32nd).

Ireland players Rebecca Stokell (up from 87th to 82nd in the batters’ list) and Ava Canning (up from 85th to 71st in the bowlers’ list) are also among those to gain in the latest weekly update that includes the three matches of the England versus South Africa series played just a week ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

FFor England, fast bowler Katherine Brunt and Sophie Ecclestone have reaped the benefits of finishing with five wickets each in the series. Brunt is up four places to third in the rankings while Ecclestone has consolidated her position at the top, gaining six rating points to reach 767.

Meanwhile, Sophia Dunkely is up 30 places to 62nd after scoring 82 runs in the series while Nat Sciver’s aggregate of 84 runs helps her remain in the top 10 for batters.

South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch have made substantial gains after smashing a half-century each in the series. Wolvaardt has gained five slots to reach 14th position with an aggregate of 89 runs and Bosch has progressed 26 places to 21st with a total of 96 runs. Tazmin Brits is up 14 places to 24th in the list.

South Africa fast bowler Ayabonga Khaka’s four wickets in the series have lifted her to the top 10 while Nonkululeko Mlaba’s three wickets take her to 24th position.

For more information, contact:
Headquarters,
International Cricket Council (ICC)
Street 69, Dubai Sports City,
Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Phone: +97-143828800
Fax: +97-143828600
E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com
Website: www.icc-cricket.com

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PCB unveils 2022-23 men’s domestic cricket season schedule 

Lahore, July 26, 2022 (PPI-OT):Streamlining pathways cricket and creating more playing opportunities for talented cricketers was the cornerstone of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s 2022-23 men’s domestic cricket season, which was revealed today.

The seniors cricket will commence with the 33-match two-leg National T20, which will be held in Rawalpindi and Multan from 30 August to 19 September. Concurrently, the second XIs Cricket Associations Cup will be played in Quetta from 2-15 September.

Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, the jewel in the PCB’s crown, will be staged from 27 September to 30 November with Abbottabad, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Karachi sharing 31 matches between them. The Cricket Associations Championship will be played alongside the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in the same cities from 27 September to 23 November.

Curtains on the 2022-23 domestic cricket season will fall with the 33-match Pakistan Cup 50-over tournament, which will be staged in Karachi from 10 December to 3 January. Karachi will also stage the Cricket Associations Challenge from 10-29 December.

In all, 187 matches are scheduled to be played over 127 days (30 August to 3 January).

Salient features of the PCB 2022-23 men’s domestic cricket calendar are:

Six-team Cricket Associations Cup (T20 format) will now be played on a double-league basis. This means each side will get a minimum of 10 matches and a total of 30 matches will be played. Previously, the event was held on a single-league basis with 15 matches.

Six-team Cricket Associations Championship will now be a four-day non first-class competition. Previously, it was a three-day tournament

Six-team Cricket Associations Championship will be played on a double-league basis. This means each side will get a minimum of 10 matches and a total of 30 matches will be played. Previously, the event was held on a single-league basis with 15 matches.

Six-team Cricket Associations Challenge will be played on a double-league basis. This means each side will get a minimum of 10 matches and a total of 30 matches will be played. Previously, the event was held on a single-league basis with 15 matches.

The seniors’ competitions will follow the CCA U19 tournament (21 May-4 June), CA Divisional U19 tournament (10-17 June), CCA Senior Tournament (19 June-21 July) and National U19 Cup (28 June-8 July). The National U19 Championship commenced in Karachi from 25 July and will conclude on 23 August, while the CA Divisional Senior Tournament will take place from 27 July to 12 August.

Director High Performance, Nadeem Khan: “Making the domestic events competitive and challenging, while continuing to provide maximum opportunities to our talented cricketers to demonstrate their talent and help them graduate to the higher level, was the mainstay of our thought-process when we finalised the upcoming domestic season calendar.

“Last year, we allowed each Cricket Association to field two under-19 sides in the National tournaments and this year we have increased the number of matches in the second XI CA Cup, Championship and Challenge. This means each player will get a minimum of 10 matches across all three formats, which provides a good enough opportunity for any player to show his mettle and talent, and stake his claim in the first XI competitions.

“We have introduced a new concept whereby the non first-class CA Championship matches will be four-day fixtures. This will ensure the matches are well-contested and result-oriented, and the players get full opportunity to make the best from these games. This will also help in narrowing the gap with our first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in which only the best of the best participate.

“We have also tried to streamline the player development and progression. Now, a talented U19 cricketer will not have to wait until the next year before playing in the seniors’ competition. I am sure that this year, we will see a few outstanding U19 cricketers from the CCA, CA and National tournaments that will feature in the topline events, as the pathways events have been designed to lead into the main competitions.

“Last year, youngsters Mubasir Khan of Northern and Balochistan’s Haseebullah were adjudged players of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and Pakistan Cup, respectively. It was heart-warming for the PCB to see the youngsters stepping up and dominating these tournaments, as this not only reflected the talent in our country but also demonstrated the high standard of our events.

“I remain optimistic that a good number of youngsters will make a name for themselves from the forthcoming tournaments which, in turn, will help us increase the pool of our national team bench players.”

PCB 2022-23 men’s domestic cricket calendar:

30 Aug-19 Sep – National T20; Rawalpindi and Multan

2-15 Sep – Cricket Associations T20; Quetta

27 Sep-30 Nov – Quaid-e-Azam Trophy; Abbottabad, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Karachi

27 Sep-23 Nov – Cricket Associations Championship; Abbottabad, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Karachi

10 Dec-3 Jan – Pakistan Cup; Karachi

10-29 Dec – Cricket Associations Challenge; Karachi

For more information, contact:
Media Manager,
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)
Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 54600, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-5717231-4
Fax: +92-42-5711860
Website: www.pcb.com.pk

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Respondents who believed frozen food should be avoided increased from 47% in 2006 to 56% in 2022, indicating a 9% increase, ambiguity about the subject also decreases significantly signalling a more informed buyer: Gallup and Gilani Pakistan History Project 

Islamabad, July 26, 2022 (PPI-OT):In a Gallup and Gilani Pakistan National Survey conducted in the year 2006, a representative sample of adult men and women from across Pakistan was asked the following question “Some people think that fresh food should be eaten always and frozen (packaged food) should be avoided, while some think there is no harm in having frozen food. In your opinion, is it right or wrong to have frozen food?” In response to this question, 42% said right, 47% said wrong and 11% didn’t know or gave no response.

Comparative Picture: This question was asked again in 2022 to allow a comparison to be made across the years. In response to this question in 2022, 39% said right, 56% said wrong and 5% didn’t know or
gave no response.

Trend Analysis: Respondents who believed frozen food should be avoided increased from 47% in 2006 to 56% in 2022, indicating a 9% increase, ambiguity about the subject also decreases significantly signalling a more informed buyer.

This press release has been made as part of the Gallup Pakistan History Project which aims to release historical empirical polling data to wider audiences. The objective is to sustain and encourage empirical decision-making in Pakistan.

Question: “Some people think that fresh food should be eaten always and frozen (packaged food) should be avoided, while some think there is no harm in having frozen food. In your opinion, is it right or wrong to have frozen food?”

For more information, contact:
Head Office,
Gallup Pakistan
Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-8445080
Email: isb@gallup.com.pk, caf@gallup.com.pk
Website: www.gallup.com.pk

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Now on Store Shelves: Breakthrough Journal Releases 2022 Summer Issue “Produce Problems”

Berkeley, Calif., July 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The new issue of the Breakthrough Journal, “Produce Problems,” challenges the misleadingly simple concept of “farm to table” by exploring the environmental impacts of the complex, and sometimes murky, supply chains that actually bring food from where it is grown to our mouths.

The Breakthrough Journal is the Breakthrough Institute‘s quarterly magazine delivering pragmatic opinion and analysis grounded in the belief that even our most wicked environmental problems have technological solutions.

Now on shelves in Canada, Europe, and the Middle East.
Look for it at Barnes & Noble and other magazine retailers.

Click here for the online edition.

This issue includes ten essays and one movie review. Authors include:

 

  • Tamar Haspel, James Beard Foundation award-winning columnist at The Washington Post;
  • Michael Hathaway, Professor of Anthropology, Associate Member of the School for International Studies, and the Director of Simon Fraser University’s Center for Asian Studies;
  • Rober Paarlberg, Associate in the Sustainability Science Program at Harvard Kennedy School;
  • Jenny Splitter,  award-winning journalist and Managing Editor at Sentient Media;
  • And more!

 

A sneak peek at this issue’s incisive commentary:

This issue starts in the backyard: Washington Post columnist Tamar Haspel’s. In “Plants Everlasting,” she shows how growing your own garden can even be ripe with dilemmas: pursue supposedly sound permaculture with perennials and end up with basically nothing you want to eat, or plant annuals and then prepare to arm yourself with pesticides.

If you do opt for pesticides, you certainly won’t win any organic certifications. But maybe that doesn’t matter, write authors Linus Blomqvist, Breakthrough’s Dan Blaustein-Rejto, and Dave Douglas in “Measuring What Matters.” Such labels measure practices rather than outcomes and, in doing so, miss the metrics that matter most. What’s more, they create opportunities for fraud, points out Breakthrough’s Alex Smith. To consumers, an avocado looks like an avocado no matter how it is farmed. But call it organic, and you can charge twice as much. Not surprisingly, hucksters have caught on, Smith writes in “Fraudulent Foods.”

You may also be paying a premium for alternative meat, not only for its environmental benefits but also in the hope that its production is better for workers. In that respect, reports journalist Jenny Splitter in “Out of The Jungle,” it can be a tool for a just environmental transition for animals and people alike. But it is no silver bullet. Meanwhile, alternative proteins, points out Harvard’s Robert Paarlberg in “It’s What’s for Dinner,” won’t replace animal meat any time soon. Until then, there’s plenty we can do to make livestock lives better. Almost none of it involves the kinds of things many environmentalists imagine.

Complications to the farm-to-table story don’t stop once produce moves off the farm or feedlot. Politics, geopolitics, and trade systems also matter. In “Food Has a Shipping Problem,” AEI’s Elisabeth Braw writes about the logistical problems stemming from Russia’s war in Ukraine. And Breakthrough’s Saloni Shah walks through the cascading disaster that has followed Sri Lanka’s decision to ban chemical fertilizers, which comes just as many states in India are attempting to do something similar. Both cases, she argues in “The High Costs of Organic Farming,” reveal that such practices are no blueprint for pulling smallholder farmers out of poverty—or for making food systems more sustainable.

“Produce Problems” closes by turning back to the small scale. In “Matsutake’s Journeys,” Professor Michael Hathaway shows what the history of the humble matsutake mushroom reveals about diet, trade, nation-building, war, and planetary ecology.

From the executive editor, Kathryn Salam:

In some circles, one phrase has come to dominate modern cuisine: “farm to table,” a simple idea denoting an apparently straightforward process. Food springs up from the land and into your mouth. Meals are nourishment, not products—and certainly not processed, packaged, shipped, and marketed ones.

But food is never just sustenance. Whether you grew it in your backyard or farmers in Ukraine did—whether it is organic, GMO, made in a lab, or factory farmed—plants and animals become food through a complicated web of values, logistics, labor, markets, and technologies. If we take those out of the equation, we misunderstand what we eat, why we eat it, and what the real environmental costs are.

The arguments collected in this feature paint a picture of food that is at once more complicated and more hopeful than most discussions allow. We get a lot of things wrong, especially around questions of sustainability—and correcting those mistakes matters. It is hard to see a path to carbon neutrality that doesn’t cut through our ideas about labels, about organics, alternative proteins, and more.

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Sean Trambley
Breakthrough Institute
(925)250-3174
sean@thebreakthrough.org