Economy

High-profile launch of Royal Rapchee OTT platform in Dubai: Founder Dharam Gupta secures record investment of AED 50 million from UAE private business group for first-phase expansion.”

Naeem AkhtarMarch 19, 2025October 10, 202503 mins

Dubai, United Arab Emirates (March 18, 2025) – The private entertainment group, Royal Rapchee Entertainment, has officially launched its advanced OTT (Over-The-Top) streaming platform “Royal Rapchee.” The company is registered in Dubai’s Department of Economic Development (DED) Mainland as “Royal Rapchee Visual Recorded Media Distribution LLC.” The platform is initially launching in the…

Record 75.9 million internally displaced in 2023, UN report reveals

PNP DeskMay 14, 2024September 20, 202403 mins

The year also saw nearly 47 million new internal displacements, highlighting the urgent need for protection and prevention efforts, according to the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM), which supplied data for the report. “As the planet grapples with conflicts and disasters, the staggering numbers of 47 million new internal displacements tells a harrowing tale,”…

Migration is a fact of life and a ‘force for good’

Complementary admissions for refugees reach record highs: UNHCR report

PNP DeskMay 13, 2024September 20, 202403 mins

According to the report, Safe Pathways for Refugees – released on Monday – nearly 215,000 permits were granted to individuals displaced by conflict and crises by 37 OECD countries and Brazil in 2022, an increase of about 38 per cent over 2021. Approximately 156,000 permits were issued that year, while the figure in 2020 was…

Another climate record: Extreme heat, hurricanes, droughts ravage Latin America and Caribbean

PNP DeskMay 8, 2024September 20, 202407 mins

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) attributed the temperatures to a “double whammy” of El Niño and long-term climate change, leading to droughts and wildfires, combined with extreme rainfall and hurricanes. “Unfortunately, 2023 was a year of record climatic hazards in Latin America and the Caribbean,” said the agency’s head, Celeste Saulo. “El Niño conditions during…

Records smashed – new WMO climate report confirms 2023 hottest year on record

PNP DeskMarch 19, 2024September 19, 202407 mins

Heatwaves, floods, droughts, wildfires and rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones caused misery and mayhem, upending everyday life for millions and inflicting many billions of dollars in economic losses, according to the WMO State of the Global Climate 2023 report. “Sirens are blaring across all major indicators… Some records aren’t just chart-topping, they’re chart-busting. And changes are…

‘Record high’ in UN development index masks stark disparities

PNP DeskMarch 13, 2024September 19, 202404 mins

The 2023 Human Development Index (HDI) stands at a new high following steep decline during 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the UN Development Programme (UNDP). Rich countries experienced unprecedented development, the Human Development Report details, yet half of the world’s poorest nations continue to languish below their pre-COVID crisis levels….

With internal displacement at a record high, aid chief backs action call

PNP DeskMarch 13, 2024September 19, 202403 mins

Martin Griffiths was speaking at a review of humanitarian efforts to help people uprooted by conflict, climate change or other emergencies. He echoed concerns that help for the world’s internally displaced isn’t being delivered quickly enough by the United Nations and its partners, as escalating conflicts, large-scale disasters, water scarcity and food insecurity continue to…

‘Historic milestone’ as child mortality hits record low of 4.9 million in 2022

PNP DeskMarch 12, 2024September 19, 202404 mins

Figures released by the UN Interagency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME) reveal the global under-five mortality rate has declined by 51 per cent since 2000. Some countries such as Cambodia, Malawi, Mongolia and Rwanda reduced under-five mortality rate by over 75 per cent over the time period. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell praised…

Far away from Urdu in the literate city, a record decrease in admissions in the Department of Urdu at the University of Karachi

PNP DeskMarch 7, 2024September 18, 2024012 mins

In the Urdu department, the admissions of BS and Masters have decreased by 50% and 75%, File:Photo. As a language, the increasing lack of interest of the native speakers and citizens in the education of Urdu is creating new records. The number of students in the admissions of the Urdu department has not crossed the…

World News in Brief: World News in Brief: Warmest January on record, Sudan diplomacy push, catching childhood cancer early

PNP DeskFebruary 15, 2024September 18, 202406 mins

Global precipitation reached a near record-high in January on the heels of a record wet December. Large portions of North America, Asia and Australia were wetter than average while much of southern Africa and South America were drier than normal. The record-breaking trend seen for much of 2023 has rolled into 2024. For the eighth…