Over 50 pc Pakistanis living below poverty line :EAC

ISLAMABAD: A meeting of Economic Advisory Council (EAC) held on Saturday with Finance Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar in the chair discussed all aspects of national economy.

The meeting conceded that more than half of the country’s population was living below the poverty line.

The meeting decided that any individual earning less than Rs200 or 2 US dollar daily would be considered as poor.

The EAC meeting also discussed an increase in the salaries of government employees from July. Any decision in this regard would be taken before the budget.

Microsoft Ventures launches toll-free line for start-ups

Microsoft Ventures, the software major’s global initiative for nurturing entrepreneurship, announced the launch of JumpStart, a hotline that will provide start-ups and entrepreneurs with expert guidance on all things business and technology.

The helpline will be open during business hours Monday to Friday.

The toll free number 1 (800) 200-2114 will be manned by expert professionals trained by the company, the company said.

Joseph Landes, General Manager, Developer and Platform Evangelism, Microsoft India, said that JumpStart fills a major gap in the start-up ecosystem.

“Our experience has shown that a major pain point for start-ups across the ecosystem in India, irrespective of their stage of maturity, is the lack of real-time support for various critical queries they face,” he said. For Microsoft, the benefit is that it can learn from these calls and be able to fine tune the Microsoft Ventures program, including the India Accelerator, to make it more impactful for its recipients, the company said.

Srivatsa Krishna, IAS, Secretary, IT, said the service will soon be available through the Karnataka MobileOne Platform, the government’s new mobile governance system.

“By availing this critical support through JumpStart, start-ups will have the opportunity to be heard and have access to informed decision-making support, a critical component in their journey.”

Kim Kardashian wants to launch a boys line

"We are hoping to in the future! Starting with a baby boys line," Kim said.

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian is keen to create a clothing line for boys in the future.
The 33-year-old and her sisters Kourtney and Khloe have just released a collection, KardashianKids, for baby girls, but they eventually would like to branch out and create stunning pieces for men, reported New York Daily News.
“We are hoping to in the future! Starting with a baby boys line,” Kim said.
Kim has been keen to create a line specifically for children after welcoming her daughter North into the world last June with her fiance Kanye West, who is also a designer.
Meanwhile, Kim, Kourtney and Khloe have been busy with their new Spring 2014 Kardashian Kollection for Lipsy, but would investigate the possibility of creating clothing for
mothers-to-be in the future.

China announced the extension of Qinghai-Tibet railway line

China announced on 6 March 2014 to extend the Qinghai-Tibet railway line to Xigaze in Tibet. Xigaze is hometown of Panchen Lama. The proposed extension is the world’s highest railway line.

Panchen Lama is a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. He holds an important position in the China Buddhist Association.

The 253-km Lhasa-Xigaze railway line will be open before October 2014. It will run at 120 km per hour through valleys and over three bridges that run across the Brahmaputra River or Yarlung Zangbo as it is known in China.
The new extension line will take travelers from Lhasa to Xigaze also known as Shigatse in about two hours over five hours. Shigatse is an important monastery town home to the Tashilhunpo monastery that has been the seat of the Panchen Lamas, and is an important centre of pilgrimage for many Tibetans.

China has also proposed extending the line from Shigatse to the border with Nepal. Through this extension China aimed to meet both political and military goals.

This move is expected to bring more tourists to the China-backed Panchen Lama's hometown in Tibet. The rail network will also boost China's mobilisation capabilities in remote Tibetan areas.

The Xigaze region borders India's Sikkim, Nepal and Bhutan. The new extension line will make it easier for the China to carry men and machinery to the Indian border at short notice.