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Another 3,559 people in Pakistan have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 1,163,688, according to official figures released Wednesday morning. The country also reported another 101 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Pakistan now stands at 25,889. The latest data came from the National Command and Operation Centre's daily report on the status of COVID-19 across the country. The NCOC data placed the country's positivity rate at 6.63%. The country has been reporting a positivity rate over 6% for more than 10 days now. The country's active number of cases are 93,901. Pakistan is reporting 4,065 new infections on average each day, 69% of the peak — the highest daily average reported on June 17. Pakistan has administered at least 53,314,628 doses of COVID vaccines so far. Assuming every person needs 2 doses, that’s enough to have vaccinated about 12.3...

A microfinance pioneer from Pakistan — who developed an interest-free microfinance programme — was among Tuesday's winners of Asia's equivalent to the Nobel Prize. Muhammad Amjad Saqib, 64, won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for his “first-of-its-kind” interest- and collateral-free microfinance programme that catalysed scores of poor households. Nearly two decades after its launch, Akhuwat — founded by Dr Saqib — has grown into the nation's largest microfinance institution, distributing the equivalent of $900 million and boasting an almost 100 per cent loan repayment rate, the award foundation said. Saqib, who uses places of worship to hand out money, was cited for “his inspiring belief that human goodness and solidarity will find ways to eradicate poverty.” The Ramon Magsaysay Award — named after a Filipino president killed in a plane crash — was established in 1957 to honour people and groups tackling development problems. Meanwhile, Firdausi Qadri, 70, also won the awa...

The government on Tuesday decided to decrease the prices of petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs1.5 per litre from Sept 1 to "provide maximum relief" to people. It also decreased the price of kerosene by Rs1.5 and that of light diesel oil (LDO) by Rs1 per litre, respectively. According to a notification issued by the Finance Division, the new price of petrol will be Rs118.3 per litre, HSD will be Rs115.03 per litre, kerosene will be Rs86.80 per litre and LDO will be Rs84.77 per litre. The rates have been reduced despite fluctuations in the prices of petroleum products in the international market and anticipated increase in the future, the government said. "The government is firmly committed to ensure stability in prices of essential commodities and has sustained the price pressure in line with its commitment to the common man," it added. It noted that the petroleum levy was kept at a minimum which was a "clear reflection that the government is fully ...

The United States expects the Taliban to live up to their commitments now that US troops have pulled out of Afghanistan, but any legitimacy or support will need to be "earned," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday. America's top diplomat, speaking just hours after the final US evacuation flights left Kabul, said Washington has suspended its diplomatic presence in Kabul as of Monday and shifted its operations to Qatar. "Our troops have departed Afghanistan," Blinken said. "A new chapter of America's engagement with Afghanistan has begun. "It's one in which we will lead with our diplomacy. The military mission is over; a new diplomatic mission has begun." Blinken said the United States was committed to helping every American who wants to depart Afghanistan to leave the country. He said a small number of US citizens remained in the country -- "under 200" but likely closer to just 100 -- and wanted to leave. Blink...

US Senator Van Hollen on Tuesday acknowledged and thanked Pakistan for supporting the US evacuation efforts from Afghanistan as Washington completed its withdrawal from the war-stricken country. "Even as the last US troops leave Afghanistan I'll continue to do everything in my power to bring home all Americans & provide asylum to our Afghan partners endangered by their support to the US," Sen Hollen posted on Twitter "Also thankful to Qatar, UAE, Pakistan, Kuwait & many others supporting evacuation efforts," he added. Meanwhile, Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States Dr Asad Majeed Khan also called the senator and shared the Islamabad's perspective on the urgency of securing an inclusive political settlement in Afghanistan. "Had a good call with Senator @ChrisVanHollen today. Briefed Sen. Van Hollen on Pakistan’s support for evacuations of US, Afghan and other nationals from Afghanistan," said Dr Asad said on the micro-bloggin...

Dale Steyn has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, closing the curtain on a 20-year career in which he became South Africa's highest wicket-taker in Tests and arguably the country's greatest ever fast bowler. Steyn retired from the five-day game in 2019 but had been available for limited-overs cricket and hoped to play at the Twenty20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates later this year, though he had not featured in the team since February last year. Steyn is a bowler with a reputation of being able to take wickets in all types of conditions, his raw pace, accuracy and ability to get movement both ways being his key weapons. “It has been 20 years of training, matches, travel, wins, losses, strapped feet, jet lag, joy and brotherhood. Today I officially retire from the game I love the most. Bittersweet, but grateful,” Steyn said in a statement. He took 699 international wickets, including a South African record 439 in Tests, and is regarded as one of the ...

New Zealand's tour to Pakistan after 18 years has officially been approved by the country's cricket board following a pre-tour security check by its independent security consultant, Reg Dickason. According to Kiwi media reports, New Zealand Cricket has expressed satisfaction with the report of its security expert and captain Tom Latham in a statement from Dhaka on Zoom said that he believes in Rig Dickason's report. “Someone like Reg, he's been around a long time, and he's worked with New Zealand Cricket for a long time. We here have full trust in what he does for New Zealand Cricket and the processes and regulations that they put in place," Latham was quoted as saying by the Stuff. Our focus at this stage is on Bangladesh, but our focus will turn to Pakistan once this series is done,” the publication reported him as saying. New Zealand are set to fly into Pakistan on a chartered flight on September 11, the day after they complete their T20 series in Bang...

Afghanistan is set to form its own government in a few days, said Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Tuesday, hours after the last US soldier left Afghanistan. "We expect that a consensus government will be formed in the coming days in Afghanistan," Shah Mehmood Qureshi told a news conference in Islamabad with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas by his side. Qureshi said Pakistan was already hosting three million Afghan refugees, adding that they were being provided all facilities including health, education etc. "Pakistan has kept its borders open. People are travelling between the two countries and trade is also going on," he said. Qureshi called on the international community to provide Afghanistan with every possible help. "Pakistan wishes to see a stable, prosperous and progressive Afghanistan," he added. The German foreign minister, on the other hand, welcomed the Afghan Taliban's recent statements in which they have promised no retribut...

Pakistan has reported 118 more deaths in the last 24 hours by COVID-19. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 25,788. According to the latest figures issued by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), 3,838 persons tested positive for COVID-19, lifting the overall number of infections in the country to 1,160,119. Pakistan has conducted 52,112 tests in the past 24 hours out of which 3,838 persons tested positive for the disease. The COVID Positivity Ratio was recorded at 7.36 per cent as compared to yesterday’s 6.75 percent. The NCOC said 5,542 people are in critical condition. So far, a total of 53,314,628 vaccine doses have been administered to the masses across the country. Out of 53,314,628, the number of fully vaccinated people against the coronavirus is 16,171,867, while 41,477,587 partial doses have been administered to date. On Monday, the Sindh government decided to start COVID-19 vaccination in educational institutions from September. The important...

PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday took a jibe at the opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement's (PDM) rally in Karachi a day earlier, saying "maybe the rally would have been more effective if they (PDM) gave women permission to participate." Addressing a press conference in Sukkur, he said he could not comment on whether the PDM rally — the alliance's first power show after a months-long lull — was "successful", adding that the PPP believed all democratic parties should play their role. However, it would have been "more effective" if the PDM allowed women to participate in the rally, he said. "This is not Afghanistan. This is Karachi, capital of Sindh," he remarked. He questioned how a country and a city could be run when "even a home cannot be run without a woman", recalling that Pakistan was the first Muslim country to appoint a female prime minister. No society can progress until men and women ar...

Microsoft has warned thousands of its cloud computing customers, including some of the world's largest companies, that intruders could have the ability to read, change or even delete their main databases, according to a copy of the email and a cyber security researcher. The vulnerability is in Microsoft Azure's flagship Cosmos DB database. A research team at security company Wiz discovered it was able to access keys that control access to databases held by thousands of companies. Wiz Chief Technology Officer Ami Luttwak is a former chief technology officer at Microsoft's Cloud Security Group. Because Microsoft cannot change those keys by itself, it emailed the customers on Thursday telling them to create new ones. Microsoft agreed to pay Wiz $40,000 for finding the flaw and reporting it, according to an email it sent to Wiz. "We fixed this issue immediately to keep our customers safe and protected. We thank the security researchers for working under coordinated vu...

The European Union’s foreign policy chief has said that the bloc should provide financial assistance to the countries neighbouring Afghanistan to help them manage refugees fleeing the Taliban. The EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell expressed these views in an interview published by Italy's Corriere Della Sera newspaper on Monday. The return of the group to power in Kabul on August 15 has plunged the future of many Afghans into uncertainty and sparked concern that millions may seek refuge in neighbouring countries and Europe. "We will have to increase cooperation with the neighbouring countries to resolve issues related to Afghanistan. We must help them with the first refugee wave," Borrell told the newspaper. "Afghans fleeing the country are not going to reach Rome in the first place, but maybe in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent. We need to help those countries that will be on the front line." Asked if they would receive European financial assistance to ho...

The price of petroleum products in the country is expected to fall from September 1, as the Oil and Gas Regulatory (OGRA) has sent a bi-monthly rate list to the government, sources said Monday. The OGRA has suggested the Petroleum Division reduces the price of petrol by Rs3.5, diesel Rs5, light diesel oil Rs2, and kerosene oil by Rs3, sources said. However, the Ministry of Finance will take a final decision in this regard after consultations with Prime Minister Imran Khan. The Government of Pakistan on August 15 had announced that it would not increase the price of petrol for the remaining month of August, a notification issued in this regard confirmed. On the other hand, the price of kerosene oil had been increased by Rs0.81 per litre, while the price of light diesel had been increased by Rs1.10 per litre. The new price of kerosene oil was set at Rs88.30 per litre and light diesel is being sold for Rs85.77 per litre, the notification had said. Meanwhile, petrol prices remained...

Three parliamentary committees' delegations on Monday were briefed on the country's security environment, including the situation at the borders and the army efforts for peace and stability. The delegation — which visited the GHQ — comprised members from the Senate and National Assembly's Kashmir committee and defence committees, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. The development comes amid the fast-evolving situation in Afghanistan, with several people who had fled the war-torn country being allowed transit stay in Pakistan for a month. US anti-missile defences earlier in the day had intercepted rockets fired at Kabul's airport, as the United States flew its core diplomats out of Afghanistan in the final hours of its chaotic withdrawal. US troops are due to pull out of Kabul by Tuesday, after they and their allies mounted the biggest air evacuation in history, bringing 114,000 of their own citizens and Afghans who helped them over 20 ...

Schools in Sindh on Monday (today) reopened with strict standard operating procedures (SOPs).As per the notification issued by the School Education and Literacy Department, last week, the schools have been allowed in-person classes for six days a week. The schools have been allowed to remain open six days a week with 50% attendance of students on alternative days and all heads of educational institutions have been directed to ensure 100% vaccination of their teaching and non-teaching staff. The notification further said all educational institutions will ensure 100% compliance with COVID-19 SOPs and random PCR tests will be conducted by the health department as and when required. The parents and the students have expressed their happiness over the reopening of the schools. On August 23, the government of Sindh and All Pakistan Private Schools’ Federation (APPSF) agreed on reopening schools after a protest was announced by teachers and parents against a delay in allowing in-person ...

Pakistan has reported 66 more deaths in the last 24 hours by COVID-19. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 25,670 on Monday. According to the latest figures issued by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), 3,800 persons tested positive for COVID-19, lifting the overall number of infections in the country to 1,156,281Pakistan has conducted 56,279 tests in the past 24 hours out of which 3,800 persons were tested positive for the disease. The COVID Positivity Ratio was recorded at 6.75 percent. So far, a total of 50,985,184… from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/3yop1Ju

President Dr. Arif Alvi will address a joint sitting of both upper and lower houses of Parliament to be convened on September 13, said Adviser to the PM on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan on Monday. The president’s address to the joint sitting of the Senate and National Assembly will mark the start of the new parliamentary year. Mr Awan today met NA Speaker Asad Qaiser and discussed with him the president’s address, legislation and the new parliamentary calendar. He said the new parliamentary year will begin with President Alvi’s address. The PM’s aide was of the view that effective legislation could help overcome the challenges and issues facing the country. He said the fourth parliamentary year would see Parliament passing all pending laws with those concerning public welfare and well-being to be given priority. Speaker Qaiser said Parliament’s performance during its past three years was laudable, giving its credit to both government and opposition. from latest-news - SUCH...

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday confirmed it had received permission from the government to allow spectators up to 25 per cent of the stadium's capacity in the upcoming ODI and T20i series between Pakistan and New Zealand starting Sep 17, 2021. The permission for a limited crowd was given by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) — the implementation arm of the National Coordination Committee on Covid-19. This is New Zealand’s first tour to Pakistan in 18 years wherein the guests will play three One-day Internationals and five Twenty20 Internationals from Sep 17 to Oct 3 at two venues — Rawalpindi and Lahore. The decision to allow a limited crowd means around 4,500 spectators will be able to attend the ODIs scheduled from Sep 17 to Sep 21, while approximately 5,500 spectators will be able to watch five T20s from Sep 25 to Oct 3. According to the PCB, only fully vaccinated spectators carrying proof of the vaccination will be allowed entry into the stadium....

A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight carrying medical essentials from the World Health Organization (WHO) landed in Mazar-i-Sharif Monday. The PK-234 flew from Dubai and landed at the Mazar-i-Sharif Airport – the first international flight to the country’s fourth-largest city after the Taliban swept Afghanistan, according to state-run Associated Press of Pakistan. The national flag carrier is providing air transport for the operation while WHO will be arranging logistics on the ground as part of the humanitarian bridge in the war-torn country. Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, Mansoor Ahmed Khan, confirmed that the PIA cargo flight took essential supplies of WHO to Mazar-i-Sharif in line with Pakistan’s role of making a "humanitarian air bridge" in coordination with international agencies. “First PIA Cargo flight with WHO medical supplies from Islamabad to Mazar Sharif today,” the envoy tweeted and thanked PIA for its efforts in ensuring the supplies to Af...

Federal Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said Monday that Pakistan has so far not given the status of refugee to a single person from Afghanistan. "I can confirm as your [the] interior minister that we have not given the status of a refugee to even a single person," he shared during a news conference, a day before the US and other foreign troops complete their pullout from the war-ravaged country. The interior minister's comments came as thousands of Afghans have sought to leave the country since the Taliban took control of the country last month. The US had also requested Pakistan to provide transit facilities after which Islamabad made arrangements at the city's hotels. Rasheed clarified that people from Afghanistan arrive in Pakistan via the Chaman border on a daily basis and then go back to their country, adding that this was "a normal activity." Regarding any possible influx of people from Afghanistan, he said that Pakistan has "made ar...

The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has just exhibited a "show" in Karachi as it was "devoid of any power", says Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry. Commenting on PDM’s public rally held Sunday, the information minister said the country had not found a more "incompetent and frivolous" opposition than the PDM. “They [PDM] will continue spending even the next seven years carrying protest banners,” he said, adding that the rally was actually against the PPP.In his comments on the rally, the minister severely criticised the PDM leadership for holding… from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/3DrjfKO

Schools in Sindh on Monday (today) reopened with strict standard operating procedures (SOPs).As per the notification issued by the School Education and Literacy Department, last week, the schools have been allowed in-person classes for six days a week. The schools have been allowed to remain open six days a week with 50% attendance of students on alternative days and all heads of educational institutions have been directed to ensure 100% vaccination of their teaching and non-teaching staff. The notification further said all educational institutions will ensure 100% compliance with COVID-19 SOPs and random PCR tests will be conducted by the health department as and when required. The parents and the students have expressed their happiness over the reopening of the schools. On August 23, the government of Sindh and All Pakistan Private Schools’ Federation (APPSF) agreed on reopening schools after a protest was announced by teachers and parents against a delay in allowing in-person ...

Pakistan has reported 66 more deaths in the last 24 hours by COVID-19. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 25,670 on Monday. According to the latest figures issued by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), 3,800 persons tested positive for COVID-19, lifting the overall number of infections in the country to 1,156,281Pakistan has conducted 56,279 tests in the past 24 hours out of which 3,800 persons were tested positive for the disease. The COVID Positivity Ratio was recorded at 6.75 percent. So far, a total of 50,985,184… from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/3BlpwWA

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday said that "no one can snatch away jobs given by the parliament", vowing to appeal a Supreme Court verdict that declared a PPP-era law unconstitutional and illegal. Under the PPP-era Sacked Employees (Reinstatement) Ordinance Act (SERA) 2010 law, a number of people had been employed or given promotions who had been forcibly sacked from various institutions and departments by successive governments during 1996 and 2007. The SC, however, found that the SERA extended undue advantage to a certain class of citizens, thereby violating fundamental rights under Articles 4, 9 and 25 and being void under Article 8 of the Constitution. Earlier this month, PPP had appealed to the Supreme Court to review its verdict that declared SERA 2010 illegal and unconstitutional. In his address today to a worker's convention in the city, Bilawal said that PPP will provide relief to all those people from whom jobs have been snatched. Speaking of the three-ye...

The weekly inflation, based on the Sensitive Price Index (SPI), for the week ended August 26 registered a meagre gain of 0.22% for the combined income group going up from 151.80 points during the week ended August 19, 2021 to 152.14 points in the week under review. According to the provisional figures released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the average prices of 22 essential items, including chicken, onions, garlic, eggs, cooking oil, mustard oil, vegetable ghee, pulse mash, fresh milk, sugar refined and wheat flour rose were selected in a basket of goods. Prices of five items, including tomatoes, potatoes and LPG 11.67 kg cylinder declined. Meanwhile, the rates of 24 essential goods recorded no change. During the week under review, prices of chicken went up by 9.52%, pulse masoor 9.32%, onions 7.55%, garlic 5.21%, eggs 2.86%, vegetable 1kg ghee 1.8% and cooking oil 0.86%. However, prices of tomatoes declined by 29.88%, followed by LPG 2.63% and potatoes 2.11%. On a y...

Argentine forward Lionel Messi has been included in Paris St Germain's squad for Sunday's Ligue 1 trip to Reims, the club reported on Sunday. The 34-year-old, who signed a two-year deal with PSG with an option for a third year after his contract with Barcelona expired, had yet to feature in the squad since joining on August 10. Messi has not played since winning the Copa America with Argentina against Brazil on July 10. Also in the squad are France striker Kylian Mbappe and Brazil forward Neymar. PSG have a maximum nine points in the Ligue 1 table. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/3sYqPIc

Two Pakistan Army sepoys were martyred in an exchange of fire with terrorists from across the Afghan border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Bajaur district, the military's media wing said in a statement on Sunday. "Terrorists from inside Afghanistan across the international border opened fire on a military post in Bajaur district," the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said, adding that Pakistani troops had responded in a befitting manner. "As per intelligence reports, due to [the] fire of Pakistan Army troops, two to three terrorists got killed and three to four terrorists got injured," read the statement. The martyred soldiers were identified as Sepoy Jamal, 28, from Mardan, and Sepoy Ayaz, 21, from Chitral. The ISPR said Pakistan "strongly condemns the use of Afghan soil by terrorists for activities against Pakistan and expects that [the] existing and future setup in Afghanistan will not allow such activities". In a similar incident, a param...

The United Arab Emirates has announced it will resume issuing visas to all tourists fully vaccinated against Covid-19 from Monday, a month before Dubai hosts the delayed Expo 2020 trade fair. The move comes amid a drop in coronavirus infections in the oil-rich Gulf country after it reported less than 1,000 cases per day last week for the first time in months. The UAE's decision to reopen its doors to tourists from all countries was taken in order “to achieve sustainable recovery and economic growth”, the official WAM news agency reported on Saturday. Those eligible would have to be fully inoculated with one of the Covid-19 vaccines approved by the World Health Organisation, which include AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech, Sinopharm and Sinovac. “The decision applies to citizens of all countries, including those arriving from previously banned countries,” WAM said. “Passengers arriving on tourist visas must [undergo] a mandatory PCR test at the airp...

In an attempt to prevent leaks of government information and documents, the federal government has decided to restrict its employees from using social media platforms. A notification issued by the Establishment Division states that no government employee will be allowed to use any social media application — including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Twitter — without seeking permission from the government. The reasoning behind the step is to "prevent the disclosure of government information and documents". The statement further directed the government employees to abide by Government Servants Rules 1964 under which government employees are barred from expressing their opinions or making any statements. Government employees have been warned of "strict action" for violating any of the instructions.   from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/3yxqJZe

In a bid to control the spread of COVID-19 infection across the country, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Sunday announced that it has decided to expand the current coronavirus restrictions to 27 cities of the country, that too beyond the earlier deadline of 31 August. The body will review the restrictions on September 13. According to the body, the decision was taken in view of the growing number of COVID-19 positive cases and the ensuing pressure on the country's healthcare system. The NCOC said that considering the situation, the scope of the implementation of the SOPs has been extended to 27 cities of the country. Previously, these SOPs were only applicable to 13 cities. As per the rules, all commercial activities — with the exception of essential services — will be closed by 8pm. Similarly, there will be two safe days each week, which means that markets will remain closed twice a week. However, it will be up to the provinces to decide which days would ...

Over 20,000 Afghanistan nationals and other foreigners have landed at Islamabad airport after their evacuation from the neighbouring country in the wake of a Taliban takeover. According to details, as many as 332 flights from military planes and private airlines had landed at the Islamabad airport after the beginning of a special flight operation from Afghanistan to evacuate stranded people on August 16. The military planes and foreign airlines had later also left with the passengers to other countries. The flight operation for evacuation of people stranded in Afghanistan in… from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/3t8UoH7

Members of the Senate and National Assembly standing committees will visit General Headquarters (GHQ) on Monday, where they would be taken into confidence on Afghanistan situation by top military leadership. According to the details of the meeting, the top military leadership would take members of the Parliament into confidence over the Afghanistan situation at the GHQ. The committees that would be attending the meeting include Senate standing committee on Defence headed by Mushahid Hussain Syed, National Assembly standing committee on defence headed by Amjad Ali Khan and the parliamentary body… from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/3sZYYXR

Police on Sunday arrested the gatekeeper, supervisor and manager of a factory where an unfortunate fire incident claimed the lives of at least 16 people. The police have begun an investigation into the case where the factory owner is among six others who have been blamed for the entire tragic incident. The police said besides making arrests of the factory manager, supervisor, and gatekeeper, they have also carried out raids in parts of the interior Sindh to nab suspects who are currently in hiding. “We are investigating the suspects who… from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/3kAFbKJ

Sindh government on Sunday announced that the travelers will not be allowed to use public transport from September 15 without COVID vaccination. Sharing the decision, the provincial transport Minister Syed Awais Shah said that people would not be allowed to travel on public transport without receiving the first dose of a Covid jab from September 15. “The passengers willing to travel through public transport should get the first dose of the vaccine before September 15,” Syed Awais Shah said adding the vehicles carrying government and private employees will also face… from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2WzOl20

The global pandemic, Covid, has further claimed 69 more lives in the country in the past 24-hour period on Sunday while the number of new daily cases remained at 3,909. The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) statistics showed 62,918 Covid tests were conducted since the last cut-off period that resulted in 6.21 per cent positivity as 3,909 new cases emerged. With new daily deaths today, the death toll since the outbreak of the virus has jumped to 25,604, NCOC said. Separately, Pakistan has administered 50 million doses of different… from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/3zr5nh7

PPP "stabbed the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) in the back", the Opposition alliance's chief, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, said Friday, as he announced an expansion of protests by the movement across the country. Fazl, speaking at a press conference in Karachi alongside Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif and other political party leaders, told reporters to not discuss PPP as it was "a thing of the past". A meeting of the leaders of various Opposition political parties in the PDM was held prior to the media briefing, ahead of the alliance's rally at the Quaid's mausoleum on Sunday. "PDM will also raise the issues in Sindh," he said, hitting out once more at the PPP, which is the ruling provincial party.  The PDM chief said women would also come to the anti-government protests, and they would be treated with the utmost respect — in reference to the recent harassment incidents with women in Lahore. The PDM chief...

England thrashed India by an innings and 76 runs to win the third Test at Headingley on Saturday with more than a day to spare. Victory saw England level the five-match series at 1-1 after India's 151-run win in the second Test at Lord's. India, 215-2 overnight in their second innings, collapsed against the new ball, losing eight wickets for 63 runs in 19.3 overs on Saturday with Ollie Robinson taking 5-65. India's 278 all out, however, was 200 runs more than their woeful first innings of 78 — made after captain Virat Kohli won the toss — which saw England great James Anderson rip through the top order with 3-6. The tourists resumed on Saturday on 215-2 but, with 80 overs bowled, England took the new ball straight from the start of Saturday's play. From the moment Cheteshwar Pujara was lbw to Robinson without adding to his overnight 91, lbw playing no shot to Robinson, England were in complete command on Saturday, with Kohli falling soon afterwards for 55 — his f...

Recounting international recognition for Pakistan on evacuation efforts in Afghanistan, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Saturday said "those who banned the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) are now seeking assistance from the same airline for evacuation of their people" from the neighbouring country. Chaudhry made these remarks in reference to the ban imposed by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency on the PIA in July 2020 over safety deficiencies and issues surrounding authorisation processes of pilot licencing. Addressing a press conference in Karachi, the minister said the international powers must take decisions with rationale and not by force. He said Pakistan had so far evacuated more than 4,400 people from Afghanistan, and of them, “PIA alone brought over 2,000 people to the country.” “Apart from that, as many as 27,000 people arrived into Pakistan from the Chaman border and some from the Torkham border,” he said. The minister said Afghan national...

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who recently concluded a four-nation tour of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran, has said that Afghanistan's neighbours were "fully aware" of the situation in Kabul and their approach towards the issue "was realistic". In a statement issued on Saturday, the foreign minister detailed his findings after holding dialogues with regional leadership surrounding Afghanistan. "I had the opportunity to learn about their views on Afghanistan during my four-nation tour," he said. "The entire region will benefit if there is peace and stability in Afghanistan," Qureshi said, adding that the Taliban leadership was also in contact with all the countries. "The people of Afghanistan have been dealing with wars for decades and want peace. They are suffering for the mistakes made in the past. We need to learn from the mistakes made in the past so that they are not repeated." If there is a positiv...

Punjab has reported 1718 COVID-19 cases as the overall positivity rate in the province has soared to 7.8 percent, the provincial secretary health said on Saturday. As per details, the province has reported 1718 fresh cases of COVID-19 and the positivity ratio has reached 7.8 percent, Punjab’s Secretary Health Sara Aslam said. In Lahore, the positivity rate of the coronavirus tests was recorded at 10.4% during the last 24 hours, 7.6 percent in Rawalpindi, 8.4 percent in Faisalabad, 11 pct in Multan and 4.2 pct in Gujranwala. Overall 54 persons died by Covid-19 in Punjab in last 24 hours, including 16 in provincial capital city Lahore. Total number of deaths by the pandemic in the province has reached to 11,757, top health official of the province said. Pakistan has recorded 120 more deaths in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 25,535. The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) said that the country’s number o...

The United States (US) launched a drone strike against a “planner” of the Kabul airport attack in eastern Afghanistan, the military said on Friday.President Joe Biden vowed on Thursday that the United States would hunt down those responsible for the attack, saying he had ordered the Pentagon to come up with plans to strike at the perpetrators. US Central Command said the strike took place in Nangarhar province. “Initial indications are that we killed the target. We know of no civilian casualties,” a US military statement said. It did not… from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/3mHnWKy

Pakistan has recorded 120 more deaths in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 25,535. The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) said that the country’s number of overall confirmed cases has risen to 1,148,532 after the emergence of 4,191 new infections.Overall 1,026,082 have recovered their health back from the pandemic, adding that the positivity rate of infections was recorded at 6.83% as compared to yesterday’s 6.42 per cent. The NCOC said 5,515 people are in critical condition. Overall 17,581,591 tests… from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/3DA97Q6

The Privatisation Commission on Thursday auctioned the Services International Hotel in Lahore at the highest bid of Rs1.951 billion against the reserved price of Rs1.949bn with the small difference between the two prices raising some eyebrows. Only two bidders participated in the auction and a renowned real estate developer of Lahore, Faisal Town Pvt Ltd, emerged successful, according to an official announcement. Federal Minister for Privatisation Mohammadmian Soomro, who chaired the process, termed the auction a success of the Privatisation Commission and said the government believed in merit and transparency in the auction of state-owned properties. He said that the auction had fetched more than the base price, adding that main purpose of the auction was to reduce the burden of debt retirement on the country. Sources in the Privatisation Commission explained that the reserved price was fixed following market valuation as the Services International Hotel was not functional. On t...

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said Ankara held first official talks with the Taliban in Kabul, as the situation rapidly changes in Afghanistan after the group's take over. Turkey has not made a final decision on a Taliban request for support to run the Kabul airport after foreign forces withdraw over security concerns and uncertainty in Afghanistan, Erdogan said, adding talks were still underway. Turkey — which is part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) mission — has been responsible for security at the airport for the last six years. Erdogan, speaking to reporters, said discussions were held at a military facility at the Kabul airport where Turkey’s embassy is temporarily stationed, according to Al Jazeera. “We have held our first talks with the Taliban, which lasted three and a half hours,” the Turkish leader said, adding: “If necessary, we will have the opportunity to hold such talks again.” Meanwhile, two officials told Reuters Turkey wil...

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday launched the 'Roshan Apna Ghar' scheme for overseas Pakistanis, terming the new initiative a “game-changer”. Under the scheme, non-resident Pakistanis can now purchase or obtain financing for a house in Pakistan through Roshan Digital Account, according to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). “I think this [initiative] will help us attract a lot of money because Pakistan needs dollars and overseas Pakistanis are the only source to decrease the gap between the country’s exports and imports,” the premier said at the launching ceremony of the programme. He noted that Pakistan faced problems of current account deficit because of the high volume of imports, saying he hoped the new scheme would help narrow the import-export gap. The premier said the initiative would help the government draw potential investment from nine million overseas Pakistanis. The country will also witness sustainable growth by ensuring facilitation to overseas Pakistanis...