World News Headlines

The Lahore High Court recommended the government form a committee to probe the recent petrol crisis, calling on the National Assembly speaker to include members of the opposition and treasury benches in it. LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan asked Attorney General Khalid Javed Khan to discuss the court’s suggestion with the speaker. He observed that the court wants the parliament to do this job on its own, otherwise, the law will take its course and no official, if found guilty, would be spared. The chief justice was hearing a petition seeking action against concerned authorities for their alleged failure to control shortage of petrol. The chief justice directed the attorney general to assist the court during the next hearing to determine if the speaker does not form a committee, whether a commission under the code of criminal procedure would be appropriate to hold investigation into the fuel crisis. At the outset of the hearing, the counsel of the petitioner sought the court’...

China imposed a sweeping national security law in Hong Kong, dramatically tightening its grip on the semi-autonomous city in a historic move decried by Western nations as a threat to the financial hub’s freedoms. Described by Beijing as a “sword” hanging over the heads of those endangering national security, the law took effect hours after it was signed by President Xi Jinping and just six weeks since it was first unveiled. Fed up with pro-democracy protests that rocked the city last year, China’s top lawmaking body enacted the legislation following closed-door deliberations that kept details secret until its passage. The law gives Beijing jurisdiction over “very serious” national security crimes, with offenders facing up to life in prison, according to the text published late Tuesday. The controversial law also empowers China to set up a national security agency in the city, staffed by officials who are not bound by local law when carrying out duties. The new suite of powers ra...

TikTok denied Tuesday sharing Indian users’ data with the Chinese government, after New Delhi banned the wildly popular app in a sharp deterioration of relations with Beijing two weeks after a deadly border clash. “TikTok continues to comply with all data privacy and security requirements under Indian law and have not shared any information of our users in India with any foreign government, including the Chinese government,” TikTok India chief Nikhil Gandhi said in a statement. “Further if we are requested to in the future we would not do so. We place the highest importance on user privacy and integrity,” he said, adding that it had been invited to a meeting with the Indian government “for an opportunity to respond and submit clarifications”. TikTok is owned by China’s ByteDance and was one of 59 Chinese mobile apps banned late Monday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. There are estimated to be about 120 million TikTok users in India, making the South Asian nation of 1...

TikTok denied Tuesday sharing Indian users’ data with the Chinese government, after New Delhi banned the wildly popular app in a sharp deterioration of relations with Beijing two weeks after a deadly border clash. “TikTok continues to comply with all data privacy and security requirements under Indian law and have not shared any information of our users in India with any foreign government, including the Chinese government,” TikTok India chief Nikhil Gandhi said in a statement. “Further if we are requested to in the future we would not do so. We place the highest importance on user privacy and integrity,” he said, adding that it had been invited to a meeting with the Indian government “for an opportunity to respond and submit clarifications”. TikTok is owned by China’s ByteDance and was one of 59 Chinese mobile apps banned late Monday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. There are estimated to be about 120 million TikTok users in India, making the South Asian nation of 1...

Pakistan cricketers spent some quality time indulging in recreational activities in Worcestershire. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) shared images of its players playing table tennis, darts and snooker on social media website Twitter. The Pakistan team arrived in Manchester on Sunday for their three-match Test series and three T20Is against England, before moving to Worcestershire. They will spend 14 days in isolation here before heading to Derbyshire on July 13. The side are also scheduled to play two intra-squad matches on the tour. The schedule for the two training games, which are to be played behind closed doors, will be announced in due course. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2Vv4Vg4

An accountability court on Tuesday issued a bailable arrest warrant for former president Asif Ali Zardari in the Toshakhana reference, in which he is one of the main suspects along with former prime ministers Yousaf Raza Gilani and Nawaz Sharif. During today’s proceedings, Zardari’s counsel Farooq H Naek told the court that he had already filed a plea in court to exempt his client from appearing before the court. “I am a senior lawyer and I am telling the court that Asif Zardari will be present at the next hearing,” Naek said. Naek told Justice Asghar Ali that summoning Zardari to court will cause a lot of people to gather and cause a rush, which will be dangerous due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The court, however, rejected the former president’s plea and issued a bailable arrest warrant for him. "I'll give a long date, Asif Zardari should appear before the court," said Justice Asghar. NAB Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi countered Naek's stance ...

The number of confirmed Corona cases in Pakistan rose to 209,337 on Tuesday after new infections were confirmed in the country. The province-wise break up of the total number of cases as of June 30, is as follows: Total confirmed cases: 209,337  • Sindh: 81,985 • Punjab: 75,501 • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 26,115 • Balochistan: 10,426 • Islamabad Capital Territory: 12,775 • Gilgit-Baltistan: 1,470 • AJK: 1,065 Deaths: 4,304 • Punjab: 1,727 • Sindh: 1,343 • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 935 • Balochistan: 119 • Islamabad Capital Territory: 128 • Gilgit-Baltistan: 24 • AJK: 28 RECOVERED: 95,407 More than 10.3 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 504,269 have died, according to a Reuters tally. Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.       from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/31vpn4m

Nearly $66 million were invested via foreign funds in government securities during June without any outflows recorded during the month, data from the State Bank of Pakistan showed. Foreign funds amounting to $37.5 million were invested in treasury bills and $28.1 million in Pakistan investment bonds, according to the data from the central bank. The robust inflows are an indication of foreign investors’ interest in high-yielding debt market despite back-to-back rate cuts by the central bank over the past three months. Tahir Abbas, the head of Research at Arif Habib Limited said foreigner investors sense that there is a less likelihood of further rupee depreciation. “Indeed, they are betting on potential [rupee] appreciation… together with good returns that means a win-win situation.” The SBP brought interest rate cumulatively down by 625 basis points to 7% since March 17 to boost the economy amid the coronavirus crisis. However, the rate is still one of the highest across the reg...

The move comes as internet companies face a backlash over racist content and hate speech. from BBC News - Technology https://ift.tt/2NIj2KI

This is the first Indian vaccine and developed from a weakened strain of the virus isolated locally. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3gaphmv

Governments are set to pledge billions of dollars in aid for Syrians at a virtual conference on Tuesday to help refugees enduring Syria’s ninth year of armed conflict, as COVID-19 and high food prices worsen the plight of millions. This year, the United Nations is looking for almost $10 billion for people in Syria and surrounding countries. It hopes much of that will come from the 60 governments and non-governmental agencies gathering by video link on Tuesday from 0800 GMT. The European Union is hosting the event. The pledging, now an annual event, breaks down into a U.N. appeal of $3.8 billion for aid inside Syria and $6.04 billion for countries hosting refugees. Only a fraction has been raised so far. “The needs have never been greater,” said Corinne Fleischer at the World Food Programme, a U.N. agency. In Syria, more than 11 million people need aid and protection, the U.N. says, while 6.6 million have fled to neighbouring countries in the world’s largest refugee crisis. Many ...

Beijing has passed the law, the BBC has learned, deepening fears for the city's freedoms. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3dM0xzA

Arizona emerges as a new US virus epicentre, joining other Sun Belt states like Florida and Texas. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2BTFqOh

Kweichow Moutai's share price rockets thanks to its popular and sought-after baijiu drink. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3ieIhlP

Isabel Brilhante Pedrosa's expulsion comes after the EU placed sanctions on 11 Venezuelan officials. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2YJzvV9

Corruption, medical supply shortages and militant attacks have deepened the country's health crisis. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2VtiLiS

Firms are collecting a lot more information about staff as they try to contain coronavirus risks. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2CUcmH9

Often heard, what do the police do? Happily, there are no explanations today. And no one stands in the rain of bullets for thirty-five thousand anyway. Greetings to the mothers who gave birth to these lions

West Indies will wear “Black Lives Matter” emblem on the collars of their shirts during England series, Cricket West Indies (CWI). Premier League soccer clubs have been wearing the logo since the season’s restart as a tribute to protests against racial injustice following the death of a Black man, George Floyd, who died in police custody on May 25 in Minneapolis. The same logo will be used on the shirts, which is designed by Alisha Hosannah, whose partner Troy Deeney is the Watford football club’s captain. Deeney was contacted by CWI for approval and the ICC gave permission for the emblem to be worn on the teams’ collars. “We believe we have a duty to show solidarity and also to help raise awareness. This is a pivotal moment in history for sports, for the game of cricket and for the West Indies cricket team” West Indies skipper Jason Holder said in the statement. “We have come to England to retain the Wisden Trophy but we are very conscious of happenings around the world and the ...

The star highlights racial injustices as she accepts a BET honour for her humanitarian work. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3eJh9cu

BBC News witnesses a negotiation between ransomware hackers and a 'cash-strapped' university. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2Zy4d2X

Workers are suspended after waste water, said to contain heavy metals, was pumped into the wilderness. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2CLFRux

A million Syrians are severely food insecure and some are already dying, the head of the WFP warns. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2Zkg843

A historian says they were taken from shrines in south-eastern Nigeria during the 1960s civil war. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/31mpWxc

The fire in Mount Charleston, Nevada, engulfed about 5,000 acres (20 sq km) within an afternoon. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2ZmAN7J

Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) on Monday imposed hefty fines on three more oil marketing companies (OMCs) for creating artificial fuel shortage in the country. The oil and gas regulatory body imposed an overall fine of Rs 50 million on three oil marketing companies for not maintaining the mandatory stocks. It also issued a show-cause notice to the three companies on the matter and directed them to submit a reply within 24 hours. Earlier on June 11, Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) said that it had issued show-cause notices to six oil marketing companies (OMCs) and registered cases against two of them over fuel shortage in the country. These cases have been registered in Karachi, said the Ogra spokesman. He said that the regulatory body had nothing to do with keeping a check on demand and supply of the petroleum products in the country. The spokesman said that the Ogra had received complaints of artificial fuel shortage being created in the country against three ...

The number of confirmed Corona cases in Pakistan rose to 206,512 on monday after new infections were confirmed in the country. The province-wise break up of the total number of cases as of June 28, is as follows: Total confirmed cases: 202,955 • Sindh:80,446 • Punjab: 74,778 • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 25,380 • Balochistan: 10,376 • Islamabad Capital Territory: 12,395 • Gilgit-Baltistan: 1,442 • AJK: 1,049 Deaths: 4,167 RECOVERED: 95,407 576 MORE PEOPLE TESTED POSITIVE LAST 24 HOURS IN PUNJAB province  576 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) were reported in Punjab in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of infections in the province to 74,778. According to the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department, eight more people succumbed to the disease, taking the death toll in the province to 1,681. Thus far, 26,026 patients have been cured of the disease in the province. 576 fresh cases were detected after 8,389 tests were conducted in the previo...

BBC News witnesses a negotiation between ransomware hackers and a 'cash-strapped' university. from BBC News - Technology https://ift.tt/2Zy4d2X

The president is criticised for sharing video from a pro-Trump rally at a Florida retirement home. from BBC News - Technology https://ift.tt/3dH94U8

The Islamic State group says it will try to free women and children from detention camps in Syria. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2Vstom6

Warming greenhouses using the waste heat from water treatment works will be a world-first. from BBC News - Technology https://ift.tt/2VpuZsH

Prime Minister Imran Khan has condemned today’s terrorist attack at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) building that killed ten people, including four attackers and five security officials. He in a statement said courageous security personnel bravely fought the enemy off and foiled this attack. The entire nation is proud of its brave security men, he added. The prime minister offered condolence to families of those martyred in the attack and prayed for recovery of the injured. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, strongly deploring the terrorist attack at the PSX, said the security forces’ attempt to thwart evil designs of the country’s enemy is laudable. PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz Sharif in a tweet said: “Salam to the brave sons of soil who foiled a major terrorist attack that could have been catastrophic. The fact that an attack of such magnitude was planned & executed is extremely unsettling. Bad news” Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said the PSX attack is ak...

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection Dr. Sania Nishtar said on Monday the government has successfully completed the target of doling out cash handouts to 12 million poor people under the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme. In a tweet, she said the government has set a new target of extending financial assistance to over 16 million beneficiaries in light of the success of the Ehsaas cash programme and people’s needs. Thus far, more Rs145 billion have been distributed among more than 12 million labourers, she added. In another tweet, the SAPM said she chaired a board meeting of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). “Today we convene the 40th Board mtg of @bisp_pakistan. Since I took over as board chair (Nov 2018)10 board mtgs [meetings] (>statutory requirement) have been held; agendas are prepared well by board sub-committees & Conflict of Declarations are signed by each board member at each board mtg.” from late...

576 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) were reported in Punjab in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of infections in the province to 74,778. According to the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department, eight more people succumbed to the disease, taking the death toll in the province to 1,681. Thus far, 26,026 patients have been cured of the disease in the province. 576 fresh cases were detected after 8,389 tests were conducted in the previous 24 hours. A total of 498,496 tests have been conducted in the province so far. According to district-wise details of cases, Lahore has so far reported 37,872 cases, Nankana Sahib 284, Kasur 533, Shiekhupura 945, Rawalpindi 5,736, Jhelum 331, Attock 363, Chakwal 111, Gujranwala 2,660, Sialkot 1,930, Narowal 193, Gujrat 1,972, Hafizabad 502, Mandibahuddin 241, Multan 4,566, and Khanewal 247. Vehari has recorded 366 cases, Faisalabad 4,849, Chiniot 251, Toba Tek Singh 481, Jhang 287, Rahim Yar Khan 962, Sargodha 773, Mianw...

The Ministry of Religious Affairs will start refunding money to pilgrims who had registered themselves for Hajj 2020 under the government scheme from Thursday. According to a spokesman for the ministry, the funds would be doled out through the designated bank branches. He said all successful Hajj applicants of the government scheme are being informed about payment of their amount via mobile phone messages. The ministry has decided to refund the government Hajj scheme charges following the Saudi government’s decision to exclude pilgrims outside of the kingdom from performing Hajj this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier, on June 23, Saudi Arabia’s Minister for Hajj and Umrah Dr. Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten had telephoned his Pakistani counterpart Pir Dr. Noorul Haq Qadri and formally conveyed the kingdom’s decision of holding Hajj with very limited pilgrims this year. Noorul Haq Qadri in a Twitter statement said that the Saudi government will allow only its citizens...

At least five people were killed and several others injured in a grenade attack and firing on the premises of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX)on Monday morning,News reported. According to security sources, four terrorists who attacked the PSX have been killed. Upon being informed of the attack, police and Rangers personnel reached the site in no time and cordoned off the area. The security personnel vacated and entered the building. According to reports, the attackers came in a car and opened fire on the building’s entrance. They also tossed a grenade and entered the building. The surrounding areas have been sealed by police and Rangers personnel. The injured have been shifted to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. A spokesperson of Pakistan Rangers Sindh said the situation at Pakistan Stock Exchange is under control, while search and clearance operation is underway. Meanwhile, an emergency has been imposed at Civil Hospital Karachi. According to Dr. Khadim Qureshi, five...

Gunmen attack the stock exchange in Karachi, with local media reporting a number of people killed or wounded. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2ZbCuEI

It's been out of the headlines for the past few months, but Brexit is back on the political menu. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3dEEqeo

The government's TraceTogether tokens are aimed at people who do not have smartphones. from BBC News - Technology https://ift.tt/387slNC

It's a small spike in Hebei near Beijing - but enough for officials to reinstate a strict lockdown. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3gb1oLR

Most LGBT Pride events were cancelled or moved online because of coronavirus, but not all. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3gbHMap

Google says it will start paying some publishers for their news content, in a move that could pave the way for reduced tensions between the internet search giant and the beleagured news industry. The company said on Thursday that it plans to launch this year a licencing programme to “pay publishers for high-quality content”. The programme will start with local and national publications in Germany, Australia and Brazil, “with more to come soon”, Brad Bender, vice president of product management, said in a blog post. “This programme will help participating publishers monetise their content through an enhanced storytelling experience,” Bender said, describing it as a significant step forward in how the company will support high-quality journalism. The first news companies to strike deals with Google include Germany’s Der Spiegel, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Die Zeit, Tagesspiegel and Rheinische Post, Australia’s Schwartz Media, The Conversation, Private Media and Solstice Media a...

The Pakistan cricket squad left on Sunday for their England tour without 10 players who had tested positive for coronavirus. Test skipper Azhar Ali said the team was looking forward to playing in what will be some of the first Test matches since the Covid-19 pandemic sparked a global lockdown. “All the players are excited after a tough period,” said Azhar on the eve of departure. “Though a tour to England has always been challenging, our performances there on the last two tours [in 2016 and 2018] are encouraging and we will try to repeat those.” Pakistan drew a four-Test series 2-2 in 2016 and a two-match series 1-1 two years later. Pakistan team leave for England ? pic.twitter.com/7LAzwDozBn — Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) June 28, 2020 A chartered plane carried 20 squad members including two reserves, who were seen wearing face masks and observing social distancing at Lahore airport in pictures released by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The squad will face a two-week i...

Leaders of the BAP and MQM-P were set to meet Prime Minister Imran Khan ahead of the premier's dinner party in honour of the coalition leaders scheduled later today. A BAP delegation was set to meet the prime minister at 6pm. Defence Production Minister Zubaida Jalal, as well as Mir Khalid Magsi and Sardar Israr Tareen, would also be part of the meeting. The approval of Budget 2020-21 and Balochistan's issues, among other topics, were expected to be brought up in the meeting. The BAP would also attend the dinner later at night. In addition, a delegation of the MQM-P would also meet PM Imran prior to the dinner, which the coalition party has said it would attend, sources said. During the meeting, developmental projects in Karachi, the MQM-P's reservations and demands, and other important matters would be discussed. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill said late Sunday JWP leader Shahzain Bugti would be in attendance at the pr...

The government on Sunday dismissed the outcry by the opposition over the budget proposed for the fiscal year 2020-21, saying it was merely an attempt at political point-scoring. "No new tax was imposed in the budget, instead, relief was given," said Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar, who had presented the budget in the National Assembly on June 12. "It is incomprehensible why the opposition is rejecting the budget," he said, adding: "Political point-scoring has become a tradition in the country." He said that the oil prices had never seen such a drastic reduction as they had in the incumbent government's tenure. Azhar said that he had not even presented the budget and the opposition “had already rejected it”. “I was expecting that since we are facing a grave health emergency, the situation will be different, but to our disappointment the opposition has succumbed to their old habit of looking to their own interests and not the c...

Opposition parties held a press conference in Islamabad on Sunday to announce they "completely reject" the federal government's budget for the upcoming fiscal year, and to demand that Prime Minister Imran Khan step down. "The opposition leaders have unanimously declined and rejected the budget and will take all measures possible to protest against it," said PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. "We were expecting that the government would provide some sort of relief at a time of crisis, but to the contrary, the government has increased the burden on the public," said the PPP chairman. The government has imposed a tax on petrol, before the passing of the budget, which is even more than the rate of petrol itself, Bilawal said. "There has been an absolute failure on the government's part to secure our lives and protect our health," he added. The PPP chairman said that the entire opposition, meanwhile, had "played a responsible rol...

The coffee company said it would suspend advertising on some platforms in an effort to address hate speech. from BBC News - Technology https://ift.tt/2Zj1g68

The virus, which has led to almost 500,000 deaths, is spreading rapidly in many parts of the world. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/31oUYED

The coffee company said it would suspend advertising on some platforms in an effort to address hate speech. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2Zj1g68

Taiwan has escaped the worst of the pandemic while hundreds of parades around the world have been axed. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2NEmc26

The airline has been capping the numbers on board its flights to no more than 60% of capacity. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3i7YFnV

US regulators may start tests this week as Boeing bids to clear a milestone for the crisis-hit aircraft. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2ZkgAiC

The president is criticised for sharing video from a pro-Trump rally at a Florida retirement home. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3dH94U8

Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry announced on Sunday that the first batch of locally manufactured ventilators will be handed over to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) this week. “The first tranche of ventilators made in Pakistan will be handed over to the NDMA this week,” the minister tweeted while congratulating the NRTC on the achievement. Chaudhry also shared that three more ventilator designs were in the last phase of development.  الحمدللہ #MadeInPakistan #ventilators کی پہلی کھیپ NDMA کو اس ہفتے حوالے ہو جائیگی، #NRTC کو بہت مبارک اگلے تین ڈیزائن بھی آخری مراحل میں ہیں جس کے بعد ہم دنیا کے ان چند ممالک میں شامل ہوں گے جو پیچیدہ میڈیکل مشینیں بناتے ہیں، یہ تمام مشینیں EU Standards کے مطابق ہیں — Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) June 28, 2020 "After approval, Pakistan will be among those countries which will be able to manufacture complex medical equipment," the minister said, adding that all these machines will be up ...

Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry announced on Sunday that the first batch of locally manufactured ventilators will be handed over to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) this week. “The first tranche of ventilators made in Pakistan will be handed over to the NDMA this week,” the minister tweeted while congratulating the NRTC on the achievement. Chaudhry also shared that three more ventilator designs were in the last phase of development.  الحمدللہ #MadeInPakistan #ventilators کی پہلی کھیپ NDMA کو اس ہفتے حوالے ہو جائیگی، #NRTC کو بہت مبارک اگلے تین ڈیزائن بھی آخری مراحل میں ہیں جس کے بعد ہم دنیا کے ان چند ممالک میں شامل ہوں گے جو پیچیدہ میڈیکل مشینیں بناتے ہیں، یہ تمام مشینیں EU Standards کے مطابق ہیں — Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) June 28, 2020 "After approval, Pakistan will be among those countries which will be able to manufacture complex medical equipment," the minister said, adding that all these machines will be up ...

A fire which erupted at a superstore in Karachi's Clifton area on Sunday morning has been doused after several hours, fire brigade officials said. The incident took place at the superstore near Clifton's Do Talwar area where a fire broke out in a superstore at 6am due to a short circuit," officials said, adding that six fire tenders took part in the fire fighting process. "The goods kept in the superstore were burnt to ashes due to the fire, however, no casualties were reported in the blaze," the police said. Earlier this month, a bedsheet manufacturing factory, located at the SITE area in Karachi, caught an uncontrollable fire. According to the fire brigade officials as soon as the fire was reported, two fire tenders were dispatched. The officials had described the fire as a third-degree fire, saying eight fire tenders engaged in putting out the blaze and fire brigades had been called in from across the city, while a snorkel was also used to put out the b...

A special flight of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will repatriate more Pakistani nationals stuck in the United States owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. PIA’s seventh special flight from the United State, with stranded Pakistanis, will arrive at Lahore airport this evening [Sunday]. Pakistan embassy in Washington, in a statement, said the Pakistan Council General New York bid farewell to Pakistanis at New Jersey airport. The government is making all-out efforts to facilitate Pakistanis stranded abroad due to the coronavirus pandemic. It is pertinent to mention here that Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Security Division and Strategic Policy Planning, Moeed Yusuf, had announced that the repatriation of overseas Pakistanis trapped in foreign countries will be completed within two to three weeks. Moeed Yusuf, while talking to private news channel, made the announcement for the new policy for overseas Pakistanis. He said that around 45,000 nationals will b...

The opposition candidate won nearly 60% of the vote to defeat the incumbent. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2VpvPG8

The southern state of Mississippi is the last in the US to feature the emblem on its flag. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2VpKa5b

Prime Minister Imran Khan in a Twitter statement on Sunday said he is proud of his team for helping him continue to navigate the country through the coronavirus pandemic. Sharing a news story about smart lockdowns being enforced by European Union countries to curb the spread of the highly contagious respiratory disease, he said: “My team was amongst the first to enforce smart lockdowns.” “I am proud of it for helping me continue to navigate our country through the Covid19 crisis. InshaAllah, from now onwards if we follow SOPs we will see off the worst of this crisis.” My team was amongst the first to enforce smart lockdowns. I am proud of it for helping me continue to navigate our country through the Covid19 crisis. InshaAllah, from now onwards if we follow SOPs we will see off the worst of this crisis. https://t.co/xC3kBWdxo3 — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) June 28, 2020 The country reported 4,072 new cases of the novel coronavirus and 83 more associated deaths in the past 24 hou...

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan rose to 202,955 on Sunday after new infections were confirmed in the country. The province-wise break up of the total number of cases as of June 28, is as follows: Total confirmed cases: 202,955 • Sindh: 78,267 • Punjab: 74,202 • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 25,380 • Balochistan: 10,261 • Islamabad Capital Territory: 12,395 • Gilgit-Baltistan: 1,423 • AJK: 1,027 Deaths: 4,118 • Punjab: 1,673 • Sindh: 1,243 • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 914 • Balochistan: 114 • Islamabad Capital Territory: 122 • Gilgit-Baltistan: 24 • AJK: 28 Global coronavirus cases surge past 10 million Global coronavirus cases topped 10 million on Sunday marking a major milestone in the spread of the respiratory disease that has so far killed almost half a million people in seven months. North America, Latin America, and Europe each account for around 25% of cases, while Asia and the Middle East have around 11% and 9% respectively, according to the Reu...

Google-owned YouTube appears to have taken an aim at TikTok as the streaming giant has now started testing a way to record multi-segment videos that run up to a maximum length of 15 seconds. The 15-second video format, made popular by TikTok, is now being increasingly tried by other social media platforms as well. YouTube announced its intention to give the 15-second video format a try this week, which may be called ‘Shorts’. The experiments have started on mobile — both Android and iOS — with a small group of people. YouTube hasn’t revealed further upcoming details about whether they would bring more controls or features related to the short-form videos in the form of filters, effects, music, AR, or buttons to change the video speed – that basically makes what TikTok is today. YouTube has confirmed that the 15-second videos experiment is not a part of the Stories section and with that being said, there is still confusion on how will the short videos be discoverable within the Y...

All parties conference (APC) to be convened by opposition parties has been delayed for at least a week over the continuous illness of Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif. The conference, to be hosted by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto is likely to be convened in the next week. The sources said that the PML-N had asked the PPP to delay the APC. The sources, while quoting the opposition leader said that the APC was an important development in the ongoing political scenario. “I personally want to join the conference,” said Shehbaz Sharif, who requested that the political event be postponed until the outcome of his COVID-19 test. Bilawal Bhutto has summoned a meeting of the senior PPP leadership on video-link to mull over the suggestion from Shehbaz Sharif. Moreover, the PPP chairman also held a telephonic conversation with the Awami National Party (ANP) chief Asfandyar Wali. The two discussed the policies adopted by the federal government to...

Police in Scotland named a man who was shot dead by officers during a knife attack in the city of Glasgow as Badreddin Abadlla Adam, 28, from Sudan. Six people, including a policeman, were stabbed at a hotel in the city centre on Friday before the attacker was shot dead. Police said they were not looking for any other suspects and were not treating the incident as terrorism. The attacker was the only person killed. Earlier on Saturday, the injured police officer, Constable David Whyte, issued a statement from hospital. “The incident myself and colleagues faced in West George Street was extremely challenging. The scene we were confronted with is something I will never forget,” he said. “Despite suffering serious injuries myself, I know that the swift actions of colleagues saved lives and prevented a far more serious incident.” Whyte’s condition was initially described as critical. On Saturday police said he was in a stable condition. The hotel where the attack took place was be...

In a step to provide relief to masses amid coronavirus pandemic, the Power Division on Saturday announced to exempt all the areas going under lockdown from load-shedding. In a statement, Power Division directed all the distribution companies (DISCOs) that no load shedding would be allowed in the areas that have been placed under restrictions even if feeders in that areas are in high losses. The Power division is closely monitoring the power supply to these areas, read the statement. The capacity of the transmission system has been increased to over 26,000 MW, it said and added that at present 22,000 MW electricity is being transmitted though the system successfully. Earlier today, an unannounced power load shedding had been continued in Karachi, the largest city and economic hub of Pakistan, as eight hours power shutdown in a day continued in industrial areas of the city. According to sources, the factories had closed night shifts due to long hours of disruption in power supply ...

Pakistan has categorically rejected the grant of domicile certificates of Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOK) by the Indian authorities to reportedly 25,000 Indian nationals. In a statement, Foreign Office Spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said that the certificates issued to non-Kashmiris including, among others, the Indian government officials under “Jammu and Kashmir Grant of Domicile Certificate (Procedure), 2020” are illegal, void and in complete violation of the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, and International law including the 4th Geneva Convention. She said that the latest action is a vindication of Pakistan’s consistent stance that the major intention behind the Indian government’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019 was to change the demographic structure of IOK and turn Kashmiris into a minority in their own land. The spokesperson said that this has long been part of the RSS-BJP’s “Hindutva” agenda. By changing the demographic structure ...

Facebook said Friday it would ban a “wider category of hateful content” in ads as the embattled social media giant moved to respond to growing protests over its handling of inflammatory posts. Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said Facebook also would add tags to posts that are “newsworthy” but violate platform rules — following the lead of Twitter, which has used such labels on tweets from President Donald Trump. The new policy on hateful content in ads will “prohibit claims that people from a specific race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, caste, sexual orientation, gender identity or immigration status are a threat to the physical safety, health or survival of others,” Zuckerberg said. “We’re also expanding our policies to better protect immigrants, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers” from hateful ads, he continued. Facebook has underscored its moves to stem racism in the wake of civil unrest triggered by the May 25 killing of African American George Floyd a...

The vaccine will inject you with an electronic chip, poison you, make you sick, they say. There’s no vaccine yet for treating COVID-19, and scientists are multiplying efforts to find one. But already anti-vaxxers — a small but vocal group of people who don’t believe in vaccinations — have taken advantage of the pandemic to multiply disinformation on social media. The video “Plandemic,” which claims the COVID-19 crisis was a government setup, has already been viewed millions of times on YouTube and other streaming platforms. A list of substances with scary-sounding names — phenoxyethanol, potassium chloride — said to be found in toxic quantities in vaccines (which is not true) has been shared thousands of times on Facebook since the end of April. The anti-vax rhetoric is not new, but has gained huge visibility during the pandemic, according to experts who spoke with AFP. Echo chamber The anti-vax movement predates both the internet and the COVID-19 crisis, but social media has ...