World News Headlines

Pakistan has reported 9 deaths in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus as the number of positive cases has surged to 1,285,254. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 28,737 on Wednesday. According to the latest figures by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) 414 persons tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. Punjab remains the worst-hit province in terms of deaths followed by Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Till now 13,027 individuals have lost their lives to the epidemic in Punjab, 7,621 in Sindh 5,846 in KP, 955 in Islamabad, 742 in Azad Kashmir, 360 in Balochistan, and 186 in GB. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/3xHMGWH

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Senator Dr Sania Nishtar has rejected the allegations of irregularities in the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme. “It is unfortunate that the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has challenged the authority of the highest forum like the federal cabinet,” she said in an interaction with the media on Monday regarding special audit report pertaining to the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme prepared by the AGP. The SAPM said the objections raised by the AGP office were adequately answered and the audit authorities had taken a stand that they were satisfied with the replies submitted in that regard. She lamented that the AGP has included audit paragraphs in the audit report; nevertheless, the observations made were technical and advisory in nature. “The objections raised do not point to any misappropriation, corruption or irregularities in the social security programme” she maintained. She said that the a...

Pakistan on Monday reaffirmed its consistent and unstinted support for the Palestinian people and the Palestinian cause, which has always been a defining principle of the country’s foreign policy. “The government and people of Pakistan join the world community in observing the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (November 29),” the Foreign Office said in a statement issued. “The commemoration of this day is a reminder to the international community that the question of Palestine remains unresolved and the Palestinian people are yet to realise their inalienable right to self-determination as provided in various resolutions of the United Nations. “It is also an occasion to reiterate our support and solidarity for the Palestinian people who continue to wage a just struggle against an illegal and brutal occupation,” the statement added. The Foreign Office said that the international community must shoulder its responsibility to protect the lives and fundamenta...

Pakistan cricket team skipper Babar Azam has been appointed as the captain of Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Karachi Kings, owner Salman Iqbal announced on Tuesday.   The batter said he had been playing for the franchise for the past five years and "it is like a family for me" now, adding that Iqbal and the franchise had shown confidence in him by appointing him as the new captain and he would give his best shot in the new leadership role. "I enjoy when I am given a responsibility," he said. Azam has replaced all-rounder Imad Wasim, who was appointed as the franchise's captain in 2017 and lead the team to victory for the first time in the sixth edition of Pakistan's premier Twenty20 tournament last year. Azam had knocked a commanding half-century to help his side win their first championship in five years at Karachi National Stadium, smashing seven boundaries in his 49-ball 63. In the video shared by Iqbal, Azam said he would try to continue Wa...

It will take months to develop a new shot of COVID-19 vaccine that works against the Omicron variant as the existing vaccines may be less effective against the new strain, the head of US vaccine manufacturer Moderna has told Financial Times. Stephane Bancel told the newspaper in an interview published Tuesday that data would be available on the effectiveness of the current vaccines in the next two weeks but scientists were not optimistic. "All the scientists I've talked to ... are like 'this is not going to be good'," he told the newspaper. Bancel's warning came as G7 health ministers held emergency talks on the new variant, which is spreading around the world and prompting nations to close their borders once again or impose fresh travel restrictions. The World Health Organization has called the risk from Omicron "very high". Bancel said researchers were concerned because 32 of 50 mutations found in the Omicron variant were on the spike protei...

Federal Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry said on Tuesday that there was a likelihood of the government not being able to fund elections that would not include the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs). Speaking after a federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad, he told media persons that the cabinet had discussed the matter at length and agreed that the Election Commission of Pakistan was bound to use EVMs in by-elections. "And one of the points of view [shared in the meeting] was that the government could not fund any election held without [the use of] EVMs as after the recent amendment, the law [only] recognised polls involving the use of EVMs," he said, adding that Law Minister Farogh Naseem had the same point of view. The minister was referring to contentious amendments to the Elections Act, 2017, which were bulldozed through a joint session of parliament amid fervent protest by the opposition earlier this month. The amendments allowed the use of EV...

PPP and the masses will hold Prime Minister Imran Khan accountable for every misery he had incurred upon people, the party chairman, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said Tuesday. Addressing the PPP's 54th foundation day event, Bilawal said this "complete failure of a government" is ruling the country and "toying with Pakistan's future and its people". "After three years, every Pakistani is aware that 'tabdeeli's' real face is rising inflation, historic poverty, and historic unemployment. These are the antics of Khan, and this is 'Naya Pakistan'," Bilawal said. The PPP chairman said when the government keeps "waiting for an umpire's directions", then pain is inflicted on the masses. Talking about the recently gone viral tapes, which allegedly featured ex-chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar and another of PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz, he said: "Let the conspirators plot their conspiracies, let people leak ta...

Pakistani opening batter Abid Ali Tuesday vowed to keep up his momentum for the second Test match against Bangladesh, after Pakistan thrashed the hosts by eight wickets to win the first Test match of the series. Ali scored a century on Day 1 and then followed it up with a half-century on Day 4 of the same Test match. With scores of 133 and 91, he was declared Player of the Match for the Chittagong Test. The batter, in an interview with Pakistan Cricket Board after the victory, said that the team is looking forward to winning the second Test match as well. "We are trying to rise on the World Test Championship points table," said Abid. Speaking about his performance in the first Test, the cricketer said that he is pleased to have won the Player of the Match award, adding that the domestic cricket he played before the Test series helped him in confidence. Abid Ali said that he couldn't score a century in the second innings but "this performance is now a matter of...

PTI MNA Riaz Fatyana has decided to take a “tough stance” in response to the show-cause notice issued by the party for allegedly making "unreasonable" demands at a recent climate conference in Glasgow (UK) and making "false" allegations against two members of the federal cabinet, it emerged Tuesday. The notice was issued by the PTI’s Standing Committee on Accountability and Discipline (SCAD) on the complaint of Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam last week. During a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee on November 25, Fatyana had claimed that the PM’s adviser had a brawl with Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul while attending the climate conference in the UK. According to Geo News sources, Fatyana has decided to take a "tough stance" against the allegations, saying he will not "tolerate any disrespect" and that if the party wants to fire him, so be it. Sources said that he will present...

PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif Monday raised alarm at reports that the government intends to release a mini-budget in line with the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) recommendations, saying that it would prove to be a death knell for a nation already reeling from the effects of rising inflation and unemployment. Sources said that the government intends to introduce a mini-budget in line with the demands of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). As per sources, tax exemptions on mobile phones, stationery, and packaged food items are likely to be abolished in the mini-budget, while the amendment bill would allow the government to withdraw sales tax exemptions from zero ratings in addition to exports, stated the report. In a statement, Shahbaz said that it would become impossible for the nation to live after the government introduces the mini-budget considering how petrol, gas and electricity will become even more expensive. The former Punjab chief minister said an increase in...

Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Athar Minallah told the former chief judge of Gilgit-Baltistan Rana Shamim that he tried to shake the public's confidence in the judiciary. A couple of weeks earlier, Shamim had alleged in a notarised affidavit that then CJP Saqib Nisar had directed a high court judge to not release Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz on bail at any cost before the 2018 General Elections. The allegations were published in a report in The News following which the IHC had taken notice of it and directed the ex-judge to submit his response. Presiding over the hearing, Justice Athar Minallah said the judiciary's freedom was dependent on the freedom of the press. "However, there are some responsibilities that come with the freedom of the press," he noted. The IHC chief justice then summoned Rana Shamim to the rostrum and asked whether he had submitted a written response to the court regarding the case. "My lawyer will tell you w...

Seven people, including a three-year-old, have died on Tanzania's Pemba island after eating poisonous turtle meat. Three others are still in hospital. The meat is a common delicacy among those living on Tanzania's islands and coastal areas but the authorities have now banned the consumption of turtles in the area. In rare cases turtle meat can be toxic due to a type of food poisoning known as chelonitoxism. Its exact cause is not known but it is thought to be linked to poisonous algae which the turtles eat, according to the Turtle Foundation charity. At least five families on Pemba, which is part of the semi-autonomous Zanzibar islands, ate the turtle meat last Thursday, local police commander Juma. The effects were first felt the next day and the three-year-old was the first to die. Two others died that night and then four more on Sunday. A further 38 people were admitted to hospital, but most were discharged and the three who remain are said to be in a stable condition....

Automaker Volvo Cars (VOLCARb.ST) said on Tuesday the supply situation had improved going into the fourth quarter, as it posted its first quarterly report after listing its shares on the stock exchange last month. The Gothenburg-based manufacturer, majority owned by China's Geely Holding (GEELY.UL), confirmed a previously announced third-quarter operating profit figure of 3.3 billion Swedish crowns ($362.6 million), versus 4.6 billion in the year-ago period. "The supply situation has improved going into the fourth quarter, but we expect the industry-wide shortage of semi-conductors to remain a restraining factor,” from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/3pfRfDs

Pakistan has reported 10 deaths in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus as the number of positive cases has surged to 1,284,840. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 28,728 on Tuesday. According to the latest figures by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) 475 persons tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. Punjab remains the worst-hit province in terms of deaths followed by Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Till now 13,023 individuals have lost their lives to the epidemic in Punjab, 7,621 in Sindh 5,842 in KP, 954 in Islamabad, 742 in Azad Kashmir, 360 in Balochistan, and 186 in GB. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/317o3Gx

The World Bank is finalizing a proposal to deliver up to $500 million from a frozen Afghanistan aid fund to humanitarian agencies, people familiar with the plans but it leaves out tens of thousands of public sector workers and remains complicated by U.S. sanctions. According to Reuters, board members will meet informally on Tuesday to discuss the proposal, hammered out in recent weeks with U.S. and U.N. officials, to redirect the funds from the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF), which has a total of $1.5 billion. Afghanistan's 39 million people face a cratering economy, a winter of food shortages and growing poverty three months after the Taliban seized power as the last U.S. troops withdrew from 20 years of war. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2ZCPacf

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam and veteran batsman Azhar Ali saw the Men in Green through to their first victory over Bangladesh in the two-match Test series, as the visitors trounced the hosts by eight wickets Tuesday. Pakistan were poised to win the match comfortably after openers Abid Ali and Abdullah Shafique scored half-centuries to build a solid foundation. Bangladesh's spin magician Taijul Islam trapped Abid Ali lbw on 91 runs while Abdullah Shafique was dismissed the same way by Mehidy Hasan on 73. However, stable partnership between Azhar Ali, who scored 24 and skipper Babar Azam, who made 13, ensured Pakistan's win. At stumps on Day 4, Pakistan finished at 109-0, needing only 93 runs on the final day. Ali was 56 not out at the end of play, adding to his first-innings score of 133, while debutant Shafique finished unbeaten on 53. "In Test cricket, a fourth day is very crucial," Shafique had said. "Our plan today was to restrict them for the lowest ...

Manchester City beat West Ham United 2-1 in swirling snow on Sunday to return to second in the Premier League and Watford manager Claudio Ranieri endured a miserable return to Leicester City. Free-scoring Liverpool laid down the gauntlet by hammering Southampton 4-0 the previous day to move to within one point of leaders Chelsea, who host Manchester United in Sunday’s late kick-off. But reigning champions City stayed in close touch with victory at home to high-flying West Ham as the Premier League increasingly resembles a three-horse race. Riyad Mahrez had a strike ruled out for offside at the Etihad but the hosts eventually claimed the lead shortly after the half-hour mark when a Mahrez ball into the box was deflected into the path of Ilkay Gundogan, handing the German a simple finish. Declan Rice forced a good save from Ederson as West Ham threatened late on but substitute Fernandinho made it 2-0 to City in the closing minutes. Manuel Lanzini pulled one back but it was not eno...

Pakistan failed to reach the quarter-finals of the FIH Junior World Cup on Sunday after losing their last pool match to Argentina 4-3 at the Kalinga Stadium in the Indian city of Bhubaneswar. By winning this game, Argentina reached the quarter-finals of the mega event with two wins from three games in pool D. Argentina took lead in the 10th minute through a field from Bautista Capurro. Pakistan captain Rana Abdul Waheed equalised in the 17th minute by scoring on a pass from team-mate Rizwan Ali on a penalty corner. In the 20th minute, Argentina’s Ignacio Nardolillo scored which again gave them lead. In the 28th minute, Pakistan earned a penalty stroke on which promising drag flicker Rizwan Ali scored to make it 2-2. In the closing moments of the second quarter, Argentina’s Francisco Ruiz scored their third goal giving them a 3-2 lead. Ignacio Ibarra’s goal in the 47th minute extended Argentina’s lead to 4-2. Aqeel Ahmed scored the third goal for Pakistan on a pass from Roman on ...

Sindh Information Minister Saeed Ghani on Monday said that the provincial government should be allowed to regularise buildings made in violation of rules and regulations as it affected the lives of millions of Pakistanis. The minister made the comments while speaking to the media in Peshawar alongside PPP leader Nayyar Bukhari ahead of a rally to mark the party's foundation day on Nov 30. Responding to a question about Nasla Tower — a 15-storey residential building which the Supreme Court has directed authorities to demolish for encroaching on land meant for a service road — Ghani said that the issue should not be viewed in "isolation". He said that there were "minor violations" during construction work across the country. "Sometimes citizens make their homes on state land and end up living there for 50 years," he said. Giving an example, he said that there were two massive buildings constructed on Islamabad's Constitution Avenue. "Notic...

The gas supply to the CNG sector will remain suspended for more than two months starting December 1, the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) said Monday. In a statement, the SSGC said gas supply was being suspended to the CNG sector in a bid to manage the additional winter load of domestic customers. It has been decided to suspend gas supply to all CNG stations across Sindh and Balochistan from December 1, 2021 (8:00 am) till February 15, 2022 (10:00 pm), the statement said. The decision was taken in adherence to the Ministry of Energy's (Petroleum Division) approved gas-load management plan, which places domestic and commercial customers on top of the gas sectoral priority list, the statement said. "The decision to suspend gas supply to the CNG sector has been taken to make gas available to the domestic and commercial sectors during the current winter season that has seen a major additional demand especially in Balochistan that is already experiencing chilly winter season,...

Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood has said that the government wants to keep educational institutes open amid reports of the spread of new COVID-19 variant Omicron. The new strain, Omicron, is highly contagious and is spreading fast across the globe. First discovered in South Africa, it has now been detected in Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Botswana, Israel, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, and the Czech Republic. However, when asked about the education department's plans to deal with the threat, the education minister said: "I don't know about the new variant of coronavirus in detail, but the government wants to continue educational activities." Mahmood said that examinations will be held on time, and the entire syllabus will be covered in it. Moreover, while talking about the closure of schools in Punjab in light of the smog situation in Lahore, Mahmood said that the closure of schools thrice a week will bring down smog...

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain has censured a Lahore-based dress designer and a model for modelling bareheaded at the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur. The pictures and videos of a model for a photoshoot that were posted on social media for a designer brand were condemned by an Indian Sikh journalist on Twitter. The journalist had called out the "religiously hurtful" act, asking Prime Minister Imran Khan and relevant Pakistani authorities to take notice of it. "Modelling bareheaded for ladies' attire, in the premises of Gurdwara Sri Darbar Sahib at #KartarpurSahib in Pakistan, by a Lahorite woman, has hurt the religious sentiments of Sikhs. Further, the pictures were uploaded on social media, Fawad, taking notice of the matter, said that the Kartarpur gurdwara is a religious site and "not a film set". "The designer/model must apologise to the Sikh community," he stressed. The Lahore-based designer h...

Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to take strict action against the elements involved in an alleged video in which voters can be seen allegedly receiving bribes by contesting party members before Lahore's much anticipated NA-133 by-election. The by-election is scheduled to take place on December 5 but controversy has already reared its ugly head. The war for votes between PML-N and PPP for the by-poll had gone beyond the constituency to social media Sunday, where a viral video appeared to show voters being bribed by the contesting party members. The ECP held a meeting Monday, chaired by the election commissioner of Punjab to review arrangements before the by-election. The meeting was attended by the Lahore deputy commissioner, returning officer, district returning officer, and Pakistan Rangers officials. During the meeting, the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) and other authorities co...

Federal Minister of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar said that vaccination is the most effective way of protection against the new coronavirus variant, Omicron. Umar, who is also the chief of National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), while addressing a joint press conference flanked by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan in Islamabad, warned that the Omicron variant will inevitably come to Pakistan. The minister announced that the NCOC has made some decisions regarding the highly contagious new variant which is spreading fast across the globe. He said that the country has only a few weeks to contain the Omicron threat. "Measures to control the [spread of] new variant in Pakistan are underway but vaccination is the only effective way of protection against Omicron,” said Umar. Informing the media about the NCOC decisions, Umar said that the government would launch a massive vaccination campaign across the country within two to t...

An audit, conducted by the Auditor General of Pakistan from April 2020 to June 2020, examined Rs354.23 billion expenditure out of the total Rs1.240 trillion approved by the prime minister in March 2020 to combat the virus. The state audit of the government's expenditure was released last week. Examining these three months, the audit report finds irregularities observed during procurements by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), disbursements through the government’s poverty alleviation program, managements by the defense services and the Utility stores, amongst other findings. Here are key highlights from the report: Reporting to NAB The NDMA which was responsible for the procurement of equipment and medical supplies during the coronavirus pandemic was allotted Rs33,248mn. The audit report states that as per the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999, all government departments have to furnish to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) a copy of any contract...

Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting has sought the details of media ads during PML-N's tenure after an audio clip of PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz went viral, in which she was instructing someone to stop advertisements to four TV channels. The committee's chairman, Senator Faisal Javed, took notice of Maryam's audio clip as Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib gave a briefing during the meeting. The state minister said the Ministry of Information has started an inquiry after Maryam's audio clip went viral. A report, containing details of ads till 2008, would be furnished before the committee on Wednesday, he said. Habib informed the participants of the meeting that the ministry's constituted committee is probing in what capacity did Maryam issue the directives to stop media ads. "We are also probing whether the directives to stop ads had impacted the independence of journalism," the state minister...

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged the countries to "immediately and urgently" reverse travel bans linked to the discovery of the new coronavirus variant Omicron, terming them scientifically "unjustified". Dozens of nations from Europe to Asia have blacklisted South Africa and its neighbours since South African scientists flagged Omicron on November 25. The flight bans have angered several African leaders. "We call upon all those countries that have imposed travel bans on our country and our southern African sister countries to immediately and urgently reverse their decisions," Ramaphosa said in his first address to the nation following last week's detection of the new variant. The World Health Organisation has labelled Omicron a variant of concern, while scientists are still assessing its virulence. A "deeply disappointed" Ramaphosa argued that the ban was "not informed by science". The countries that have al...

Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah asked, in the hearing of a petition asking for a Commission of Inquiry to investigate an alleged audio clip of former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, if the audio is correct, where is the original clip. Having such an investigation could lead to anyone bringing an audio clip [to court] tomorrow and asking it be investigated, the IHC CJ said. The petition has been filed in the IHC by Sindh High Court Bar President Salahuddin Ahmed and Syed Hyder Imam Rizvi, a member of the Judicial Commission. At the start of the hearing, Justice Minallah asked the petitioner to state how the petition is admissible. "Against whom was the writ filed? Your application is related to the audio clip of the present service CJP," he said. On the judicial inquiry, the petitioner responded that the petition was not about the present CJP but about the audio clip of a former CJP. We will first issue a pre-admission notice to the attorney-general a...

Pakistani openersAbid Ali and Abdullah Shafique smashed an unbeaten fifty on Monday to put the Men In Green in a commanding position in the first Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong. Set a target of 202, the visitors reached 109-0 at stumps and need only 93 runs on the final day on Tuesday. Ali was batting on 56 at the end of the day's play, adding to his first-innings score of 133, while debutant Shafique was unbeaten on 53. Fast bowler Shaheen Afridi earlier claimed 5-32 to help Pakistan bowl out Bangladesh for 157 runs in their second innings despite wicketkeeper-batsman Liton Das making a fighting fifty. Resuming on 39-4, Bangladesh looked down and out once they lost Mushfiqur Rahim in the first over of the day, before Liton, who struck a hundred in the first innings, hauled the hosts back to respectability with 59 off 89 balls. Afridi trapped Liton leg-before and then had Abu Jayed out for a duck to complete his fourth five-wicket Test haul. Off-spinner Sajid Khan, w...

Federal Minister of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar said that vaccination is the most effective way of protection against the new coronavirus variant, Omicron. Umar, who is also the chief of National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), while addressing a joint press conference flanked by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan in Islamabad, warned that the Omicron variant will inevitably come to Pakistan. The minister announced that the NCOC has made some decisions regarding the highly contagious new variant which is spreading fast across the globe. He said that the country has only a few weeks to contain the Omicron threat. "Measures to control the [spread of] new variant in Pakistan are underway but vaccination is the only effective way of protection against Omicron,” said Umar. Informing the media about the NCOC decisions, Umar said that the government would launch a massive vaccination campaign across the country within two to t...

Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Monday has inaugurated academic blocks of Al-Qadir University in Jhelum. Addressing the ceremony, the premier said that we have to act on the rules set by Riyasat-e-Madina for the development of the country. The nations who follow these rules will never face any challenge, he added. It is to be mentioned here that the university, in these blocks, will provide world level education facilities for boys and girls in Islamic teachings, mysticism and modern scientific research. The educational programme of Al-Qadir University will also focus on building leadership qualities in the students as well as their character in the light of Seerat-e-Tayyeba. The existing capacity of the academic blocks is five hundred students, which will be enhanced in phases. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/3CWpAMQ

The capital of Punjab Lahore has been declared the most polluted city globally again. Lahore had an air quality ranking of 398, well over the hazardous level of 300, according to IQAir, the technology company that operates the AirVisual monitoring platform. According to details, the worst quality of air was recorded in Gulberg as AQI reached 728, followed by Kot Lakhpat 652, Model Town 572, Thokar Niaz Baig 523 and DHA Phase 8 at 449. Residents choking in acrid smog pleaded with officials to take action. Air pollution has worsened in Pakistan in recent years, as a mixture of low-grade diesel fumes, smoke from seasonal crop burn off, and colder winter temperatures coalesce into stagnant clouds of smog. Lahore, a bustling megacity of more than 11 million people in Punjab province near the border with India, consistently ranks among the worst cities in the world for air pollution. In recent years residents have built their own air purifiers and taken out lawsuits against government...

Parts of Punjab continue to see a sharp rise in air pollution from the smoke residue of burning crops, brick kilns and chimneys of industries. It is being reported that air pollution is on the rise in Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Bahawalpur. Police have been directed to take joint action with the district administration and agencies to curb the dangerous levels of smog in the province. Over 135 cases were registered last week against people for spreading pollution in Punjab. At least 116 arrests were made after these cases were registered. Meanwhile, Lahore again ranked number one among the most polluted cities in the world today. Until recently, Karachi was ranked 12th. Schools will remain closed for the third day today to reduce air pollution in Lahore, while 50% attendance has been directed in private offices. Fog, too, has increased in the plains of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, due to which road traffic is being affected. Motorway M1 from Peshawar to Rashkai has bee...

Coronavirus cases have fallen to their lowest level in more than one-and-a-half years in Pakistan as 176 new cases were recorded during the last 24 hours on Monday. The last time the country saw a daily case count lower than today's was on April 5 when Pakistan recorded 172 cases. Pakistan reported nine coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours. In total, Pakistan has reported 1,284,365 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 28,709 total confirmed COVID-related deaths, according to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) data. During the same period, 172 people recovered from coronavirus, taking the tally for recoveries to 1,241,761. This placed the total number of active cases at 13,895, of which there is only one critical case. The positivity rate stood below 1% for the 10th consecutive day at 0.59%. Pakistan is reporting 331 new infections on average each day, 6% of the peak — the highest daily average reported on June 17. Pakistan has administered at least 122,319,...

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry in reaction to a viral video of voters being allegedly bribed ahead of Lahore's NA-133 by-election, has asked whether "buying votes for Rs2,000" is how respect is accorded to the vote. His remarks, during a rally in Pind Dadan Khan, Jhelum, were in reference to the PML-N mantra "vote ko izzat do", meaning "respect the vote". The war for votes between PML-N and PPP in Lahore's NA-133, where a by-election is due on December 5, has gone beyond the constituency to social media, where a viral video appeared to show voters being bribed by party members. Both parties have blamed each other's workers for the alleged move. "Is buying votes for Rs2,000 respecting the vote?" Chaudhry asked. He accused PML-N of contesting the elections with the lure of money. "PML-N won the 1990 general election of 1990 through rigging", the minister added. He said that the PTI is...