Business
The pet food banks keeping animals with their owners
Eleanor LawsonWest Midlands
West Bromwich Emergency Pet Pantry“A lot of people seem to think you shouldn’t have a pet if you can’t feed it, but it’s a bigger picture than that.”
Anita Arthur co-founded Animal Foodbank UK with Robert Miller, after both had volunteered for animal charities and recognised how many people were struggling to feed their beloved pets.
With many food banks not offering pet food, Ms Arthur and Mr Miller, from Redditch, realised there was a need for one offering pet food.
What started off with two £20 donations from its co-founders has now exploded into a community of more than 120 volunteers, covering the expanse of the UK from Scotland down to Cornwall, donating food to almost 6,000 pet owners.
Over the last three years the group, which now has charity status, has donated 150,000 meals for pets in need across England, Scotland and Wales.
Ms Arthur believes they may be the only service in the UK that sends out pet food donations by delivery, as opposed to collection services.
“We don’t have to be referred to. Anybody can call, drop into our drop-in centres and we’ll help them,” Ms Arthur said.
Animal Foodbank UKPeople receive two weeks’ worth of food for their pets each month, and the group also works with other organisations such as homeless accommodation services to help people in need.
The charity does not request proof of low income or benefits in order to send out donations, and there are only two reasons they will not provide donations to an applicant.
“If anybody’s breeding dogs, we won’t help them, because we’ve got to promote responsible ownership,” Ms Arthur said.
“And if people have food off us, then go and get more pets and come back for more food, we will refuse.”
Animal Foodbank UKAnother pet food bank, established more recently in the West Midlands, is the West Bromwich Emergency Pet Pantry, run by 47-year-old Louise Colledge.
With donation points in West Bromwich and Smethwick, the pet pantry tries to cover the whole of Sandwell.
“I used to work for a local charity, which provided a food bank for humans, but a lot of people came in and asked for pet food,” Ms Colledge said.
“I thought it was something missing from the area.”
People can phone, text or email the group for a referral, and can receive a week’s worth of pet food three times over a six-month period, with longer-lasting support provided in more severe circumstances.
West Bromwich Emergency Pet PantryBoth groups recognise the difficult circumstances that can lead to people struggling to provide for their pets.
“We have had a lady who escaped domestic violence and had to leave with her two dogs and the children,” Ms Colledge said.
“We’ve supported her a bit extra, while getting back on her feet and sorting benefits out.”
Over at Animal Foodbank UK, Ms Arthur said they had seen a widow come to them after struggling to pay for her husband’s headstone, while another woman was set back by the cost of euthanising her dog.
“Using her money to end the suffering of her dog meant she was left without money to feed the rest of her pets,” Ms Arthur said.
West Bromwich Emergency Pet PantryWhat is important to both groups is supporting struggling pet owners without judgement and the wider implications that can have for the people they help.
“If we can feed a pensioner’s dog for two weeks, that could allow them to have the heating on. If someone’s car’s broken on the way to work, we can step in,” Ms Arthur said.
“Lots of these people would rather feed their pets than feed themselves.”
Ms Colledge believes in giving people the support they need to keep pets at home with their owners.
She has also seen homeless people turn down accommodation so they can stay with their pets.
“Some people love their pets so much they’ll hand them into a rescue if they can’t afford food, so [our work] also supports the rescues,” she said.
“We do have people that are having to choose whether they feed themselves or their pets.”
The equity market rose on Monday, extending the New Year rally as investors leaned into asset-allocation flows and easing macro signals, with the benchmark adding 8,353.92 points (4.80%) across the first three sessions of 2026.
The Pakistan Stock Exchange’s (PSX) benchmark KSE-100 Index settled at 182,408.23 points, up 3,373.3 points, or 1.88%, from 179,034.93. The session witnessed a low of 179,535.46, up 500.53 points, or 0.28%.
During the session, the index touched a new all-time intraday high of 183,964.37, gaining 4,929.44 points, or 2.75%, from the previous close of 179,034.93. The session witnessed a low of 179,535.46, up 500.53 points, or 0.28%.
The session witnessed a low of 179,535.46, up 500.53 points, or 0.28%. The day’s peak marked a fresh all-time intraday high.
“Overall positive start of the year is witnessed as investors pour in massive liquidity to target year asset allocation,” said AAH Soomro, an independent investment and economic analyst. “Going too fast too soon,” he added.
Research houses flagged a constructive near-term setup. AKD Research said sentiment should strengthen on prospects of foreign portfolio and direct investment inflows.
They added that the KSE-100 Index could extend its uptrend towards 263,800 by December 2026, supported by easing monetary conditions, improving external accounts and steady reform momentum.
The index advanced 6,634 points (3.8% WoW) last week to a record 179,035, aided by a softer-than-expected December 2025 Consumer Price Index (CPI) at 5.6%, reinforcing expectations of further monetary easing.
On Friday, the benchmark jumped 2,679.44 points (1.52%) to 179,034.93, trading between 179,467.84 and 176,709.52.
Over the past week Pakistan’s trade deficit widened 24% year-on-year to $3.7 billion in December 2025, while GDP growth printed 3.7% YoY in 1QFY26.
State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) foreign-exchange reserves rose $13 million week-on-week to $15.9 billion as of December 26, and the rupee appreciated 0.02% to 280.11 per US dollar.
The central bank purchased $6.9 billion from the currency market over the past 12 months, according to official updates. Separately, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) collected Rs6.2 trillion in 1HFY26, missing the target by Rs338 billion.
Authorities also explored a $1 billion liability settlement via UAE investment in Fauji Group, the United States signalled renewed interest in partnerships spanning locomotive sales and mineral exploration, and officials outlined plans to launch Pakistan’s first Panda bond in China.
Weekly inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), fell 0.67% in the week ended January 1, 2026, to 333.96 from 336.22; on a year-on-year basis, SPI rose 2.41%, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) said.
By consumption group, the SPI declined 0.62% for the lowest band (up to Rs17,732) and 0.61%–0.73% across higher brackets.
Last Updated:
Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority mandates OTP or e-sign authentication for National Pension System online registration.
News18
The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority) has tightened the process for paperless onboarding under the National Pension System (National Pension System), making OTP- or e-sign-based authentication mandatory at the final stage of online registration.
In a circular dated January 2, 2026, the regulator asked all Central Recordkeeping Agencies (CRAs), Points of Presence (POPs), and other NPS stakeholders to align their systems with the updated requirements.
What has changed
The new circular partially modifies the earlier June 2020 guidelines that allowed paperless NPS account opening using either e-sign or OTP. While both modes remain valid, the regulator has now clarified that authentication through e-sign or OTP received on the applicant’s registered mobile number is compulsory to complete the online registration journey.
Importantly, subscriber consent and all mandatory declarations must now be explicitly obtained at the end of the digital onboarding process through the same authentication method.
Why the Move Matters
The clarification aims to strengthen the integrity of digital onboarding and ensure that subscriber consent is clearly recorded. By mandating authentication at the final stage, the regulator seeks to reduce disputes, improve audit trails, and enhance subscriber protection in a fully paperless environment.
The move also aligns NPS onboarding with broader trends in digital financial services, where OTP and e-sign authentication have become standard practice.
What CRAs and POPs Must Do
The regulator has directed CRAs and POPs to update their IT systems, workflows, and subscriber journeys in line with the revised norms. This includes ensuring that online forms cannot be submitted without successful OTP or e-sign verification.
The circular has been issued under powers granted by Section 14 of the PFRDA Act, 2013, making compliance mandatory for all stakeholders.
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January 05, 2026, 16:13 IST
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The price of gold in Pakistan saw one of the biggest surges ever in both global and Pakistani markets on Monday.
According to the All Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association (APSGJA), the price of 24-karat gold increased by a massive Rs9,200 per tola, reaching Rs464,762, as global rates rose amid steady investor demand.
The price of 10 grams of gold also climbed by Rs7,888 to Rs398,452, according to the APSGJA.
The price of 10g of 22-karat gold increased by Rs7,231 to reach Rs365,266.
In the international market, gold prices increased by $92 per ounce to settle at $4,424. The uptick reflects sustained global interest in precious metals amid economic uncertainty and shifting currency trends.
Silver followed a similar trajectory, with the price per tola of 24-karat silver rising by Rs267 to Rs8,023. The price of 10 grammes of 24k silver hiked by Rs229 to be sold for Rs6,878.
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