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During the last 24 hours, at least nine more people died in Balochistan. According to a Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) report, around 13,000 homes have also been damaged in the flash floods. The heavy monsoon spells have rendered Balochistan calamity stricken as at least 136 people have so far been confirmed dead due to flood related incidents. In Quetta, sinkholes were formed on many roads due to heavy rainfall. On the other hand, Punjab’s Jhang and Ranjanpur districts reeled under flood waves. The River Chenab overflowed near Jhang and water entered the populated areas. Officials feared overflowing Chenab could also cause floods near Gujranwala. In Rajanpur, which was hit by floods earlier this week, the Pakistan Army continues to carry out rescue operations. It has also set up medical and relief camps. In Dera Ghazi Khan, the flood water was receding and people who had migrated from the area were returning homes. However, in the Sindh province, several vill...

Finance Minister Miftah Ismail on Sunday announced a reduction in price of petrol by Rs 3.05 per litre and a hike of Rs8.95 in price of diesel. Following the changes in the prices, petrol will now be available for Rs227.19 per litre. Previously, petrol was being sold in the country for Rs230.34 per litre. On the other hand, kerosene oil, which was previously available for Rs196.45 per litre, will now be sold for Rs201.07 per litre following an increase of Rs4.62. Light diesel oil registered a slight decrease of Rs0.12, after which it will be sold for Rs191.32 per litre as against the previous rate of Rs191.44 per litre. According to the notification, the changes were introduced following a reduction in the prices of petroleum products in the international market. The government is able to decrease the price of petrol by Rs 3.05 per litre. The price of diesel has however gone up by Rs 8.95. These prices are effective from midnight August 1. Pakistan Zindabad pic.twitter.com/YQGp9...

The Punjab Assembly passed a resolution against the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, and demanded his resignation as chief of the Election Commission of Pakistan. PTI’s Member Provincial Assembly Syed Abbas Ali Shah presented the resolution during a session chaired by Punjab Assembly Speaker Sibtain Khan. The motion calls on CEC Raja to resign from his post. After the motion was passed, the Assembly was adjourned till August 15. It should be noted that the PTI leadership held a high-level meeting on Saturday during which they decided to file a judicial reference against the Chief Election Commissioner. PTI Chief Imran Khan directed the party’s legal experts to prepare a reference against him. The decision came after the party’s repeated demands calling for CEC’s resignation. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/juPg3zq

Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps troops continue to engage in rescue and relief efforts in the flood-hit areas of the country, and are busy in repair work on highways and motorways to restore connectivity, the Inter-Services Public Relations said on Sunday. According to a statement by the military's media wing, Army and FC personnel "are busy in rescue and relief efforts, apart from providing medical care and opening up communication infrastructure". Providing an update on the flow of various rivers, the ISPR said all rivers are "flowing normal" except a low flood in Indus River at Attock, Tarbela, Chashma, and Guddu. A low flood was also reported at Warsak and a medium flood at Nowshehra in Kabul River. KP situation According to the statement, a maximum of 133mm rain has been recorded in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Mardan district followed by Mohmand district where 85mm of rain was recorded. The troops carried out dewatering efforts in Mardan, said the ISPR...

Instagram will pause features that users have campaigned against and complained make the social network too much like TikTok, according to a report in the Platformer tech newsletter. Celebrity sisters Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner were some of the most vocal users to have posted messages on social media this week calling for the company to “make Instagram Instagram again” and stop trying to be like TikTok. The slogan sprang from a Change.org petition that had received more than 229,000 signatures as of late Thursday. “Let’s go back to our roots with Instagram and remember that the intention behind Instagram was to share photos, for Pete’s sake,” the petition read. Instagram chief Adam Mosseri had responded to the controversy earlier this week with a video on Twitter in which he said the features were a work in progress, and being tested with a small number of users. Changes included playing up short-form video, displaying it full-screen the way TikTok does, and recommending pos...

A senior official in Russian-annexed Crimea accused Ukraine on Sunday of carrying out a drone attack ahead of planned celebrations to mark Navy Day, injuring five and forcing the cancellation of festivities. The accusation comes hours before Russian President Vladimir Putin is due to oversee Navy Day celebrations in his hometown of St Petersburg and approve Russia’s naval doctrine as Moscow presses on with its military intervention in Ukraine. “An unidentified object flew into the courtyard of the fleet’s headquarters,” Mikhail Razvozhayev, governor of Sevastopol, home to Russia’s Black Sea fleet, wrote on the Telegram messaging app. “According to preliminary information, it is a drone.” He said Ukraine had decided to “spoil Navy Day for us”. The Ukrainian defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Razvozhayev said that five employees of the fleet headquarters had been injured in the incident and that the Federal Security Service (FSB) was investigat...

Sri Lanka’s new president Ranil Wickremesinghe has formally invited MPs to join an all-party unity government to revive the bankrupt economy by undertaking painful reforms, his office said on Sunday. Wickremesinghe took office earlier this month after public anger over the island nation’s worst economic crisis forced his predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country and quit. In a meeting on Saturday with the influential monks of the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, one of Buddhism’s most sacred shrines, Wickremesinghe outlined his plans. “As the president, I wish to start a new journey,” Wickremesinghe was quoted as telling the monks in his first meeting with the powerful Buddhist clergy since taking office. “I would like to get all the parties together and go on that journey as well as to form an all-party government.” He has written to all lawmakers asking them to join a unity government. A former opposition MP, Wickremesinghe, 73, took up the premiership for the sixth tim...

Finance minister Miftah Ismail on Sunday said that the Pakistani rupee, which has taken a beating against the US dollar in recent weeks, should see some improvement "in the two weeks". Ismail was addressing a press conference to speak about Pakistan's economic path forward. "I really think — although I never like to speculate on the currency market — but I really think that the rupee's true value is far greater [than what it is right now]," the finance minister said. He explained that in the past two months, Pakistan had to part with "a billion and another billion", which put pressure on the local currency. Ismail said that efforts will be geared towards more dollars coming in daily and fewer leaving the country next month. "With our efforts to reduce imports and InshaAllah, with the daily rise in incoming dollars versus a decline in outgoing units, there will be a surplus [of dollars]," he said. "This will lead to a reduced p...

US President Joe Biden again tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday, according to a statement from the White House physician, although he is experiencing no symptoms and feels “quite well.” Biden, who tested positive for the disease nine days ago but then tested negative twice earlier this week, will resume isolation procedures, and his positive test is believed to be “rebound” positivity experienced by some Covid patients, according to White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor. Biden tweeted about his positive case, saying it can happen to a “small minority of folks.” “I've got no symptoms but I am going to isolate for the safety of everyone around me. I’m still at work, and will be back on the road soon,” he tweeted. Folks, today I tested positive for COVID again. This happens with a small minority of folks. I’ve got no symptoms but I am going to isolate for the safety of everyone around me. I’m still at work, and will be back on the road soon. — President Biden (@...

Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi on Saturday approved upgrade of emergency wards of all the public hospitals across the province and announced giving free-of-cost medicines to the patients there. He also gave a go-ahead to upgrade the Wazirabad Institute of Cardiology (WIC), increasing the number of beds in the hospital. He was presiding over a meeting at the Chief Minister’s Office, which decided to extend the Health Card programme of former prime minister Imran Khan in a further improved manner, said a handout. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Elahi termed it the right of patients to get free medicines in emergencies. Regarding the WIC, he said the number of beds in the institute would be increased up to 400. He added that the shortage of doctors in the institute, especially of anesthesiologists, and paramedics would be overcome immediately and the anesthesiologists would be awarded special allowance to lure them to join the hospital. He sought construction of residences of the ...

Adriana Brownlee, a 21-year-old British climber, has further improved her record of being the youngest climber to have summited most peaks of over 8,000 metres by scaling K2 — her 10th peak of over 8,000 metres — two more than Pakistan’s Shehroze Kashif. Adriana has also become the youngest ever British climber to summit K2. Her team confirmed that Adriana, along with Gelje Sherpa, summited K2 at 6:30am yesterday. She had attempted to summit the peak with supplementary oxygen but changed the plan.  “She went to C4 without O2 and plan was to summit with no O2 — but overnight snow meant Adri and Gelje had to trailblaze the route from C4 to the summit — so long and difficult,” Adriana’s team informed this correspondent. “Gelje and I were actually going to attempt a summit without O2, however, after reaching 8,000 metres without sleeping, the snow in the night just didn’t stop and it was then impossible for us to trailblaze without O2. But now I know I can do it,” Adri posted on ...

A special court in Lahore on Saturday fixed September 7 for the indictment of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, his son Hamza Shahbaz, and others, for their alleged involvement in money laundering of Rs16 billion in the sugar scam case. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) booked Shehbaz and his sons Hamza and Suleman in November 2021 under sections 419, 420, 468, 471, 34 and 109 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and r/w 3/4 of the Anti Money Laundering Act. Suleman Shehbaz is absconding in the UK. During the hearing today, property details of Suleman, who was declared a proclaimed offender in the multi-billion-rupee money laundering case, were submitted in the court. In December 2021, the FIA had submitted the challan against Shehbaz and Hamza before the special court for their alleged involvement in laundering an amount of Rs16 billion in the sugar scam case. According to the FIA report submitted to the court, the investigation team has "detected 28 benami accounts of the...

Minister of State for Petroleum Dr Musadik Malik said as per law of the land, no political party could get funds from other than Pakistani citizens. “If anyone has to do politics in Pakistan, funds can only be received from Pakistani citizens, not anyone else you cannot take funds from any foreign state or its cabinet member, if taken, it will not only be considered illegal but the party will also be ceased as per Pakistani laws ” he said while addressing a news conference. He said an international newspaper had narrated the story of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s foreign funds, which the party leadership received from Arif Naqvi, chief executive of a foreign company, ‘Abraj Capital’, which was being run with foreigners’ investment. He said Arif Naqvi, working as the ‘fund manager’ of foreign investors, was now facing jail in the United Kingdom on charges of fraudulent activities and for involvement in different ‘black money schemes’. Musadik Malik said a cricket club was established...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday lauded the security forces for carrying out a successful operation against terrorists in district Kech, Balochistan. The prime minister also condoled the death of Havaldar Hidayatullah from Lakki Marwat, who embraced shahadat during the operation. The entire nation saluted the sacrifices of its shuhada, he added. He also prayed for the speedy recovery of Naek Wazir Muhammad who was injured during the operation. On Friday, Inter-Services Public Relations said that security forces killed six terrorists during an operation conducted by security forces in the general area of Hoshab, district Kech of Balochistan. In a brief statement, the military’s media wing said the operation was conducted on information regarding the movement of a terrorist group on motorcycles towards Panjgur from Kech. "Security forces immediately cordoned the area and started a search operation to apprehend the terrorists," the ISPR said, adding that once sur...

Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Bilawal Bhutto asserted that Pakistan has no plans of holding any bilateral meeting with India. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto, who is currently attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Uzbekistan's capital, on Saturday said that the government was taking measures to improve its ties with all the counties, including the United States. Bilawal held six bilateral meetings with foreign ministers of Central Asian countries on the sidelines of the conference which is being held in connection with preparations for the SCO Heads of State meeting scheduled to be held in September. Bilawal held meetings with his counterparts from Afghanistan, China, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. “There are no plans of any meetings between Indian and Pakistani prime ministers in September,” Bilawal said, adding that both India and Pakistan are part of the SCO and the two countries are only e...

Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari on Friday lost the no-confidence motion passed by the provincial assembly, after he annulled 10 votes during the polls, a move which was deemed to be “unconstitutional.” On Friday, after PTI’s Sibtain Khan took charge as the new speaker of the House, former law minister Raja Basharat presented a resolution seeking permission to initiate no-confidence proceedings against Mazari as the deputy speaker. The resolution was approved for voting. After midnight, the voting began in the Punjab Assembly on the no-trust motion against Mazari through a secret ballot in which 186 lawmakers voted against Mazari, bringing his term as the deputy speaker to a premature end. The newly-elected Punjab Assembly Speaker Sibtain Khan announced the result after vote count. The opposition alliance did not take part in the voting process. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/54UVty1

Federal Education Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain says the government is working to improve education standard in the country in accordance with international standard. Talking to media persons in Karachi on Friday, the Minister said a new system of training for teachers is being introduced. Rana Tanveer Hussain said Higher Education Commission has been asked to introduce Ranking for universities at national level. He said skill based education will help youth to get job opportunities abroad. The Minister said all education boards are being linked for integrated policies and steps are being taken to increase enrollment. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/kp4HDcP

Provincial Disaster Management Authority has issued alert for high flood in Chenab river. The high flood in the river is expected at at Marala Headworks in Sialkot district, Khanki headworks in Gujranwala district and Qadirabad headworks in Mandi Bahauddin district within next 24 to 48 hours, PDMA has warned. The PDMA has advised all concerned departments to get completely prepared to tackle any emergency situation. The authority has also advised for cancellation of the leaves of staff and getting heavy machinery prepared to tackle any contingency. Flood Forecasting Division has reported that water flow in River Chenab at Akhnor has reached 273,950 cusec and is rising continuously. All relevant departments have been directed to remain alert and complete their preparation. PDMA has advised all the authorities concerned to take all-out measures for evacuation of people. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/WZuVy70

The election for the Punjab Assembly speaker will be held today. The Punjab Assembly is all set to elect a new speaker on Friday to fill the position left vacant by Pervaiz Elahi who has become the province’s chief minister.  Tough contest is expected between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz . PTI and PML-Q have jointly fielded Sibtain Khan whereas Malik Saif ul Malook Khokhar of PML-N is the opposition’s candidate. Meanwhile, no confidence against Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Mir Dost Muhammad Mazari was also moved on Thursday and voting in this regard is also expected today. Parliamentary Leader in the Provincial Assembly Raja Bisharat submitted no-confidence motion against Dost Muhammad Mazari, which was passed by the house’s majority. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/tTdSVXY

National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf accepted the resignations of 11 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf members exactly 109 days after they resigned from their seats. The NA speaker accepted the resignations of several key PTI leaders, including former human rights minister Shireen Mazari, ex-interior minister Ijaz Ahmed Shah, ex-state minister for parliamentary affairs Ali Muhammad Khan and ex-state minister for information and broadcasting Farrukh Habib. The other PTI lawmakers whose resignations have been accepted are Fazal Muhammad Khan, Shaukat Ali, Fakhar Zaman Khan, Jamil Ahmed Khan, Muhammad Akram Cheema, Abdul Shakoor Shad and Shandana Gulzar Khan. Mazari and Shandana were elected on the reserved seats for women from Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, respectively. All of the lawmakers had resigned on April 11 when former premier Imran Khan was being ousted through a no-confidence motion by the then united opposition and the incumbent ruling alliance. اسپیکر قومی اسمبلی @RPA...

Chinese President Xi Jinping has warned his US counterpart Joe Biden against “playing with fire” over Taiwan, as the pair held their fifth call as leaders at a time of simmering economic and geopolitical tensions. International media reported that Xi told Biden that the United States should abide by the “one-China principle” and stressed that China firmly opposed Taiwanese independence and “interference” by external forces. According to international media The White House said in a statement that Biden told Xi that US policy had not changed and Washington “strongly opposes unilateral efforts to change the status quo or undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait”. Most recently, Beijing has issued escalating warnings over a potential visit to Taiwan by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, saying it would view such a trip as a provocation. The self-governing island receives informal defensive support from the US, but Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory and has not ...

Pakistan Army and FC troops are assisting civil administration in rescue and relief efforts in the flood affected areas of Balochistan, Punjab and Sindh. Two army aviation helicopters have been flown from Karachi to Othal, Lasbella. The helicopters will now shift stranded people to safer places and also transport necessary relief items. General Officer Commanding at Gwadar visited Othal area to oversee rescue and relief efforts. Ground rescue and relief teams are busy in Othal and Jhal Magsi to shift people to safer places and providing food and water to local residents. Doctors and paramedics are providing medical care to the affected people. The coastal highway has been opened for all types of traffic. Efforts are being made to repair the damaged communication infrastructure and restore utilities. Protection bund in Turbat which was breached has been repaired. In Punjab, troops are assisting civil administration in relief efforts in DG Khan. Two medical camps have been esta...

Former president Asif Ali Zardari has tested positive for Covid-19 with mild symptoms, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto said Thursday. Sharing the news on his Twitter handle, Bilawal said that the party's co-chairman was not only vaccinated but had also received booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine. "He is fully vaccinated, boosted, isolating with mild symptoms and undergoing treatment. We are praying for his swift recovery," Bilawal added. President Zardari has tested positive for Covid. He is fully vaccinated, boosted, isolating with mild symptoms and undergoing treatment. We are praying for his swift recovery. — BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) July 28, 2022 from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/4bKtmyA

More rain, wind/thundershower is expected in upper and central Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, north and eastern Balochistan, Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan on Thursday. According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department forecast, isolated heavy falls are likely in Kashmir, upper Punjab, Islamabad, upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and northeastern Balochistan during the next 24 hours. The Met Office has also warned that heavy rains may generate urban flooding and flash flooding in local Nullahs of Karachi, Dadu, Sukkur, Larkana, Kalat, Khuzdar, Zhob, Loralai, Barkhan, Kohlu, Musa Khel, Sherani, Sibbi, Bolan, Rawalpindi, Islamabad and hill torrents of Dera Ghazi Khan during the period. The rainfall may trigger landslides in Kashmir, Galiyat, Murree, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Chillas, Diamir, Gilgit, Hunza, Astore and Skardu during the forecast period. Travelers and tourists are advised to remain more cautious during the forecast period. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/MyOCE...

Pakistan reported another wild poliovirus case in the North Waziristan district, taking this year’s overall tally to 14, the Ministry of Health confirmed on Wednesday. Following the virus paralysing another child in North Waziristan, the district’s tally reached 13, while the only case apart from the area has been reported from Lakki Marwat which was registered last week. The Pakistan Polio Laboratory at the National Institute of Health said that the eight monthold girl who is the fresh victim was suffering from polio induced disabilities. All the 14 cases, the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination said, were reported in children under two years of age.   from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/OlAhEbR

Bangladesh has asked to start talks on a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) but will take it only if conditions are favourable, the finance minister said on Wednesday, adding its macroeconomic conditions were fine. The country’s $416 billion economy has been one of the fastest-growing in the world for years, but rising energy and food prices because of the Russia-Ukraine war have inflated its import bill and the current account deficit. “A letter was sent to the IMF seeking assistance, but we have not mentioned how much we want,” Minister A.H.M. Mustafa Kamal told reporters. “We are waiting to see their conditions. If the IMF conditions are in favour of the country and compatible with our development policy, we’ll go for it, otherwise not. Seeking a loan from the IMF does not mean Bangladesh’s economy is in bad shape.” A senior IMF official had told Reuters on Tuesday that Bangladesh had asked it to start talks on a new loan under the global creditor’s Resilience and...

The PTI has finalised the name of the former provincial minister for forestry, wildlife and fisheries Sibtain Khan for the post of speaker of the Punjab Assembly. The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday declared the ruling of Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari in the Punjab chief minister's election "illegal", and ruled that PTI's candidate Pervez Elahi will be the new CM of the province. Following the verdict, PML-N's Hamza Shahbaz was removed from office with immediate effect and the Punjab cabinet was dissolved. The court also declared that all the appointments carried out under Hamza's rule null and void. According to the sources, Sibtain's name was finalised during a meeting between PTI Chairperson Imran Khan and CM Elahi. The party chairperson will also seek the opinions of other leaders regarding his choice of candidate. Meanwhile, the speaker's office in the Punjab Assembly has been turned into the chief minister's o...

Bad light stopped play in the second Test in Galle with Pakistan on 89-1 in their mammoth chase of 508 against Sri Lanka on Wednesday. Left-handed opener Imamul Haq, on 46, and skipper Babar Azam, on 26, were at the crease with more than 90 minutes and 26 overs of play left in the final session on day four. Spinner Prabath Jayasuriya sent back first-match hero Abdullah Shafique for 16 with debutant Dunith Wellalage taking a good running catch at mid-off. Dhananjaya de Silva hit 109 before Sri Lanka declared their second innings on 360-8 in the second session. Tourists Pakistan, who won the first match of the two-Test series, face an almost impossible task if they are to make it 2-0. They need to bat out over three sessions for a draw. The West Indies hold the record for the highest-ever successful Test chase, 418 against Australia in 2003 at Antigua. Sri Lanka had declared their second innings on 360-8 in the second session after resuming on 176-5. De Silva made 109 before be...

Opposition Leader in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh has been arrested by a team of anti-corruption establishment from Jamshoro. The PTI leader Haleem Adil Sheikh went to an anti-corruption court in Jamshoro to appear before it, however, the ACE team arrested him from outside the premise. An associate of the PTI leader accompanying him at the time of the arrest said that they went to the court to file their replies in the case. “We went to join the probe but they arrested him in another case registered against him,” he said. He added that Haleem Adil is currently being kept at a police station and the police have shown them a letter from anti-corruption East Karachi on which orders the arrest was made.   from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/Q2DJtHo

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar will represent Pakistan at 20th Developing-Eight Council of Foreign Ministers meeting to be hosted by Bangladesh. With intra-D-8 trade target of five hundred billion dollars conceived under Decennial Road Map 2020-30, the Minister of State would be encouraging D-8 countries to swiftly implement the existing Preferential Trade Agreement. Besides, prospects and implementation of D-8 Payment Card System, D-8 Barter Trade System and promotion of D-8 Creative Economy such as halal food will also come under discussion. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/uOLdiUf

Hours after the Supreme Court struck down Punjab Assembly deputy speaker’s ruling, President Dr Arif Alvi administered the oath of Punjab chief minister to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf candidate Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi at the President House. Earlier, it was decided to host the swearing-in ceremony at the Governor House but to the Punjab governor's dismay, the ceremony was shifted to President House, Islamabad following his refusal to administer oath. Elahi reached Islamabad at 1am on Wednesday morning to take the oath of office via a special flight from Lahore. Elahi was declared the chief minister elect by a Supreme Court ruling on Tuesday, which said that he should take oath of office by 11:30pm. The ruling said that if the Punjab governor did not administer the oath, Elahi would be sworn in by the president. On the journey from Lahore, Elahi was accompanied by Zain Qureshi, Mian Mahmoodur Rashid, Murad Ras and Chaudhry Wajahat. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/S1yP...

China has reiterated its commitment to work with Pakistan to push forward all CPEC projects in a safe, smooth, and high-quality manner, to better benefit the two countries and their people. The Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian, during his regular briefing in Beijing said China is ready to follow through on the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries in this regard. He said China and Pakistan have agreed on participation of third parties in CPEC and exchanges among media and think tanks, including promoting cooperation schemes involving third parties in line with the existing consensus and extending CPEC projects to Afghanistan. Meanwhile, in a tweet, Pakistan's Ambassador to China Moin-ul-Haque said the third meeting of CPEC Joint Working Group on International Cooperation placed emphasis on high-quality development of CPEC. He said as an open and inclusive platform, both sides welcomed interested third parties to benefit from avenues ...

A high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on Tuesday reviewed the current reserves of wheat in the country. The meeting was informed that the current wheat production in the country was estimated at 26.389 million metric tons while the previous year's reserves were 1.806 MMT. The total reserves are 28.199 million metric tons against the total national demand of 30.79 million metric tons. The meeting was further informed that under the government's agreement with Russia, progress is being made on the import of two million metric tons of wheat, which is in the final stages. The meeting decided to import wheat in a timely manner through the Economic Coordination Committee to eliminate the gap between demand and reserves. Addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed concern over the lack of comprehensive planning regarding wheat reserves over the last four years. He said it is sad that in an agricultural country l...

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa disaster management authorities have issued a warning to take preventative action against flooding before opening the spillway of Tarbela Dam to flush out extra water and make room for fresh inflow. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) issued a warning that the spillway gates of the dam would be opened in the following 24 hours due to rising water levels, which could result in a lower-level flood in the Indus River. It asked the district administrations in Swabi, Haripur and Nowshera to adopt precautionary measures for the safety of life and property. The current water inflow in Tarbela Dam was recorded at 243,000 cusecs while the outflow was 136,800, adding that the water level at the dam had surged to 1,511 feet. The authority also asked people residing alongside the banks of the Indus River to stay vigilant and observe water’s flow in the river, advising them to relocate their animals and essential household items to safer places in case o...

Rescue and Relief operations are underway in rain affected areas of Karachi and civic agencies are busy in draining stagnant rain water from low-lying areas. According to media reports staff of different departments including local bodies is busy in ensuring cleanliness in affected areas. Most of the roads and areas have been cleared by civic agencies by using machinery and de-watering pumps. Meanwhile complete ban has been imposed by commissioner Karachi on swimming in the sea due to on-going rains and high tides in the sea. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/Jsd6wvB

The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its verdict on PML-Q leader Chaudhry Parvez Elahi’s petition challenging the deputy speaker’s ruling in the recently held re-election for the Punjab chief minister, which led to Hamza Shehbaz’s victory. A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and Justices Ijazul Ahsan and Munib Akhtar is expected to announce the decision today evening. Earlier today, the counsel for Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammad Mazari, Irfan Qadir, informed the Supreme Court that his client had instructed him not to participate further in the case proceedings and he would instead file a petition for review of the court’s decision not to constitute a full bench. PPP counsel Farooq H. Naek also declined to participate in the court proceedings. However, they both stayed in the courtroom and watched the proceedings. During the election, Mazari had decided against counting the votes of 10 PML-Q lawmakers, which were cast in ...

Pakistan has reported 371 new Covid-19 cases and one death from the novel virus in past 24 hours. According to the National Institute of Health a total 13,439 tests were conducted on Monday and the positivity ratio remained 2.76%. One hundred and eighty four patients are in critical care. COVID-19 Statistics 26 July 2022 Total Tests in Last 24 Hours: 13,439 Positive Cases: 371 Positivity %: 2.76% Deaths: 01 Patients on Critical Care: 184 — NIH Pakistan (@NIH_Pakistan) July 26, 2022 from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/OyDSqBa

Leaders of the coalition government announced to boycott the court’s proceedings after the Supreme Court rejected the plea seeking the formation of a full court bench in petitions related to the Punjab chief minister’s re-election. The coalition parties opted to boycott the court’s proceeding after a three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, and Justice Munib Akhtar turned down the government’s request for constituting a full court to hear the pleas regarding election of the Chief Minister of Punjab. The PDM chief said that they would not appear before this bench for this case and will boycott it. “If the full court is rejected, we also reject this decision of the judiciary, we will not appear before this bench and we will boycott the case,” he added. Fazl said that the coalition govt did not want any interference in its affairs that impacts the administrative functioning, adding that the incumbent government, given mandate by the people,...

Ramesh Mendis led an inspired Sri Lanka spin attack to leave Pakistan in trouble at 191-7 in reply to the hosts' 378 on day two of the second Test on Monday. The tourists, who lead the two-match series 1-0, ended the day still trailing Sri Lanka by 187 runs in their first innings at Galle. Agha Salman resisted the bowling attack with his maiden Test 50 but fell to Prabath Jayasuriya's left-arm spin for 62 in the final moments of play before stumps was called. Jayasuriya got Salman caught at slip with a drifter coming into the right-handed batsman. Salman, who made his debut in the previous match, put on 46 runs with Yasir Shah, batting on 13, to lift Pakistan from 145-6. Ramesh rattled Pakistan's middle-order with his off-spin bowling on a pitch expected to turn more from day three onwards. Pakistan suffered from a lack of partnerships after losing first-match hero Abdullah Shafique for a duck and skipper Babar Azam for 16 on either side of the lunch break. Jayasur...

China on Sunday launched the second of three modules needed to complete its new space station, state media reported, the latest step in Beijing’s ambitious space programme. The un-crewed craft, named Wentian, was propelled by a Long March 5B rocket at 2:22pm (0622 GMT) from the Wenchang launch centre on China’s tropical island of Hainan. A quarter of an hour later, an official from the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) confirmed the “success” of the launch. Hundreds of people gathered on nearby beaches to take photos of the launcher rising through the air in a plume of white smoke. After around eight minutes of flight, “the Wentian lab module successfully separated from the rocket and entered its intended orbit, making the launch a complete success,” the CMSA said. Beijing launched the central module of its space station Tiangong — which means “heavenly palace” — in April 2021. Almost 18-metre long and weighing 22 tonnes, the new module has three sleeping areas and space for scie...

A volcano on Japan's major western island of Kyushu, called Sakurajima, erupted at about 8:05 p.m. (1105 GMT) on Sunday, the Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) said, but media said there were no immediate reports of damage. "Eruptions are continuing, with another massive one reported early on Monday morning. Volcanic smoke reached a height of 2,200 meters (7,218 feet)," the weather officials said. There were reports of volanic stones raining down at a distance of 2.5 km (1.5 miles) from the volcano, NHK public television had earlier said, adding that the eruption alert level had been raised to 5, the highest, with some areas advised to evacuate. Sakurajima is one of Japan's most active volcanoes and eruptions of varying levels take place on a regular basis. In 2019 it spewed ash 5.5 km (3.4 miles) high. Video footage from Sunday's eruption showed what appeared to be a red mass flowing down one side of the volcano, with red projectiles shooting out while sm...

Russia’s top diplomat reassured Egyptian leaders on Sunday that their orders for Russian grain would be met as he began a tour of African countries dependent on imports for their food supply. “We confirmed the commitment of Russian exporters of cereal products to meet their orders in full,” Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a news conference after talks with Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry. “President Vladimir Putin stressed this during a recent telephone call with Egyptian President (Abdel Fattah) al-Sisi.” Lavrov’s visit comes hot on the heels of a landmark deal Russia and Ukraine signed on Friday with the United Nations and Turkey aimed at relieving a global food crisis caused by blocked Black Sea grain deliveries. Between 20 million and 25 million tonnes of grain have been blocked in Ukrainian ports since Russian troops invaded in February, as Ukraine has laid naval mines to prevent an amphibious invasion of its coast. The deal provides for the creation of safe corridors...

A one-day seminar on "Learning the Art of Freelancing " held in Chilas by District Administration in collaboration with the Medio-Tech. Chief secretary Gilgit Baltistan muhiyuddin Ahmed Wani and CEO GBRSP, Mr. Abdul Latif graced the ceremony with their presence, and distributed certificates among the trainees of 'Digital Diamer ' project. In his speech, the CS GB, affirmed that the progress and prosperity of Diamer was lie with learning the art of freelancing and IT literacy. He expressed his heartfelt felications to the organizers for introducing IT literacy in Diamer. Further, he reaffirmed his support and patronage to the cause of 'Digital Diamer' as he has keen interest in boosting IT related skills in Gilgit Baltistan. Chief Executive officer of GBRSP, Mr. Abdul Latif appreciated the cause of ' Digital Diamer ' and promised of his support for the next phase as well. He said his organization was eager to work with enthusiastic and capable y...

Supreme Court Monday resumed hearing the petition on Speaker Punjab Assembly Pervez Elahi's petition on the election of the province's chief minister — where he was defeated after PML-Q's votes were rejected. Last week, the top court asked Chief Minister Punjab Hamza Shahbaz to stay "trustee" CM till Monday (July 25) and limited his powers, noting that if he appoints someone against merit, it will be considered null and void. A three-member bench — headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, and comprising Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar — is holding the hearing at the Supreme Court's room number 1. Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Mazari had dismissed PML-Q's 10 votes after party head Chaudhry Shujaat asked them to vote in favour of Hamza, but they did not follow his instructions. But the PTI and Elahi did not accept this and approached the top court. Today's hearing At the outset of today’s hearing, Advocate Latif Afridi — the...

The government and its allied parties have decided to file a writ petition in the Supreme Court for the formation of a full court bench regarding the Punjab Chief Minister’s election case. PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz, along with other Pakistan Democratic Movement members addressed a press conference on Monday centred on the prevailing political situation that took a tailspin after Hamza Shahbaz’s election as the chief minister of Punjab. Bilawal Bhutto said that these political parties want all the judges of the Supreme Court, as a full court bench, to hear the petition on the Punjab chief minister election. This would defeat conspiracies against democracy. Currently, a three-member bench is hearing the case. Maryam Nawaz went over the details of the lead-up to the Punjab chief minister election and what happened after. Ever since Hamza was made chief minister he has not been allowed to work, she said. He is bouncing from court to parliament and parliament to court. Analyst Shaukat...

Pakistan completely rejected and strongly condemned the unwarranted and totally unacceptable comments made by the Indian Defence Minister at a recent event in Jammu, the Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement. The minister in his remarks distorted the well-established historical facts about the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, leveled baseless allegations and hurled threats against Pakistan, he added. This is not the first time that a senior Indian politician has tried to cast aspersions on the legitimate, indigenous and just freedom struggle of the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir. However, provocative statements by Indian political figures cannot alter the reality of IIOJ&K, says a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Spokesperson said, “India needs a reminder from history that the Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognized dispute that remains on the agenda of the United Nations and its solution lies in the implement...

State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Acting Governor Dr Murtaza Syed has refuted talk that the country was headed towards an economic catastrophe, saying “Pakistan is not vulnerable as [is] being assumed amid burgeoning global inflation”. Dr Syed made this observation during a podcast conducted by the SBP on Saturday discussing the overall economic situation. This is the second time within a span of 24 hours that the SBP acting governor addressed the economic situation. Fears have risen about Pakistan’s stuttering economy as the rupee fell nearly eight per cent against the US dollar in the last trading week, while forex reserves stand below $10 billion with inflation at the highest in more than a decade. Yesterday, he told Reuters that Pakistan’s s $33.5 billion external financing needs were fully met for financial year 2022/23, adding that “unwarranted” market concerns about its financial position will dissipate in weeks. In the podcast, the SBP governor underlined that Pakistan was not...