Daily News Pakistan

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz appeared before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday to attend a hearing of the Avenfield Apartments review petition. The IHC will hear appeals filed by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam and his son-in-law captain Muhammad Safdar against their conviction in the Avenfield reference. The entry of non-relevant persons, including PML-N workers and supporters, will not be allowed inside the courtroom. Party workers will be kept away from the IHC building. Maryam briefly stopped at Bara Kahu where a large number of PML-N workers had gathered to welcome her. The petition is expected to be taken up by the court by 11:30am. Maryam's father, former prime minister Nawaz, had sought exemption from attending the hearing, while Maryam and Safdar had filed a request for adjournment. All three — Nawaz, Maryam and Safdar — are out on bail in the case. In July 2018, PML-N supremo Nawaz had been sentenced to a total of 11 years in p

Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N) has bought a 5% stake in each of Japan’s five biggest trading houses, together worth over $6 billion, marking a departure for Chairman Warren Buffett as he looks beyond the United States to diversify his conglomerate. The long-term investment in Itochu Corp (8001.T), Marubeni Corp (8002.T), Mitsubishi Corp (8058.T), Mitsui & Co Ltd (8031.T) and Sumitomo Corp (8053.T) could see the stakes rise to 9.9%, Berkshire said on Sunday, Buffett’s 90th birthday. “The five major trading companies have many joint ventures throughout the world and are likely to have more,” Buffett said in a statement. “I hope that in the future there may be opportunities of mutual benefit.” The investment will help reduce Berkshire’s dependence on the U.S. economy, which in the last quarter contracted the most in at least 73 years as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. Many of its businesses have struggled, including aircraft parts maker Precision Castparts from which it bore a

Pakistan Army on Monday continued its relief and rescue operation in Karachi, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR). According to a statement issued by the military’s media wing, the Army personnel removed rainwater from underpasses located at Golimar, Golimar and KPT, adding that these underpasses have been reopened for traffic. However, the dewatering process was continued in various areas inundated with rainwater, read the statement. The Army personnel were also shifting vehicles trapped in rainwater to safe locations and removing other obstacles from the major thoroughfares in order to ensure smooth flow of traffic in the city. The ISPR said that 32 medical camps and 56 relief camps were also established with the support of the civil administration. “Three field medical centres have been established in Qayyumabad, Surjani and Saadi Town, where affected people are provided medical facilities,” it said. Earlier on August 29, Pakistan Army’s engineers had continued de-waterin

Ex-Indian president Pranab Mukherjee passed away today at a hospital due to multiple organ failure caused by the coronavirus infection following his recent brain surgery. The former Indian president’s son Abhijeet Mukherjee made the announcement on Twitter. Earlier in August, the former Indian president was hospitalised for brain surgery. The doctors proceeded with his surgery despite his diagnosis of COVID-19 prior to admission to the hospital. According to the Times of India, Mukherjee passed away today after suffering from septic shock caused by the infection. Following the news, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah also condoled Mukherjee's passing.  

The concerned institutions have finalised preparations to begin a grand anti-encroachment operation on 12 major spots of Karachi which will be participated by teams of Pakistan Army and Rangers. The latest operation has been planned by the concerned institutions to remove the encroachments near drainage nullahs and rivers which caused a flood-like situation in every monsoon season. It will be participated by the teams of Pakistan Army, Rangers and representatives of the city administration. According to details, the anti-encroachment officials will begin action from three spots of Gujar Nullah and two areas near Lyari River. Three areas near Orangi Nullah and two near Malir River will be cleared, whereas, the anti-encroachment officials will also carry out an action on adjacent areas to Mehmoodabad Nullah. The grand operation will be supervised by concerned deputy commissioners along with teams of law enforcement agencies while additional officials of the anti-encroachment depart

Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal on Monday approved a new policy of appointments and transfers in the accountability watchdog. According to a NAB handout, the BPS-16 or above grade official could remain posted at a station for three years and their stay could be extended upto five years. However, an appointment for five years at a station would need a proper justification, to be conveyed to the concerned authority. The appointments at NAB Quetta bureau and Gilgit Baltistan would be made for two years. The appointment at GB would not fall under the domain of the posting at the NAB Rawalpindi. It is pertinent to mention here that on August 27 National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has submitted new proposed rules to the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC), laying down the role of the accountability watchdog’s chairman in making appointments, arrests, approval of references and other functions. The fresh rules were framed under section 34 of the NAB

High-profile COVID-19 vaccines developed in Russia and China share a potential shortcoming: They are based on a common cold virus that many people have been exposed to, potentially limiting their effectiveness, some experts say. CanSino Biologics’ vaccine, approved for military use in China, is a modified form of adenovirus type 5, or Ad5. The company is in talks to get emergency approval in several countries before completing large-scale trials, the Wall Street Journal reported last week. A vaccine developed by Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute, approved in Russia earlier this month despite limited testing, is based on Ad5 and a second less common adenovirus. “The Ad5 concerns me just because a lot of people have immunity,” said Anna Durbin, a vaccine researcher at Johns Hopkins University. “I’m not sure what their strategy is ... maybe it won’t have 70% efficacy. It might have 40% efficacy, and that’s better than nothing, until something else comes along.” Vaccines are seen as essent

Three soldiers were martyred on Saturday during a search operation by security forces in South Waziristan, the military's media wing said. According to a statement by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the three soldiers were martyred as terrorists fired at security forces' blocking position during the operation. The martyred soldiers were identified as Subedar Nadeem, Sepoy Saleem and Lance Naik Musawar. Four other soliders were also injured. In June, two soldiers were martyred and one terrorist was killed during an exchange of fire between a patrolling party of the security forces and a group of terrorists. A statement from the ISPR said that the attack by terrorists took place 5 kilometres southeast of Ghariom near North Waziristan District and South Waziristan District boundary. "Captain Sabih and Sepoy Naveed embraced shahadat; while two other soldiers sustained injuries during the incident," read the official statement issued by the military's m

Veteran all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez on Sunday added another feather to his cap when he became the first male cricketer in T20I to score 2,000 runs and take 50 wickets in the shortest format of the game. The 39-year old reached the milestone during Pakistan’s 2nd T20I against England — which was the 89th inning of his career — at Manchester by smashing a six off Saqib Mahmood to reach the 2,000 runs mark. With already 54 T20I wickets to his name, Hafeez became the first-ever player in T20I to have the double whammy of 2,000 runs and 50 wickets to his name. However, three women cricketers — Deandra Dottin of West Indies, Sophie Devine of New Zealand and Stafanie Taylor of West Indies — have already achieved the unique double of 50 international wickets and 2,000 international runes in T20 cricket. Hafeez is only 2nd Pakistani and overall ninth batsman to complete 2,000 runs in international cricket. The all-rounder has represented Pakistan in 93 T20Is and is one of the most experi

The number of confirmed Corona cases in Pakistan rose to 295,849 on Monday after new infections were confirmed in the country. Total: 295,849 • Sindh: 129,348 • Punjab: 96,769 • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 36,044 • Balochistan: 12,869 • Islamabad Capital Territory: 15,625 • Gilgit-Baltistan: 2,896 • AJK: 2,298 Deaths: 6,294 • Punjab: 2,198 • Sindh: 2,401 • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 1,250 • Balochistan: 141 • Islamabad Capital Territory: 175 • Gilgit-Baltistan: 67 • AJK: 62 RECOVERED: 280,682

China has rejected Indian accusations that the former's troops crossed the border in Ladakh, saying its forces “never crossed the line of actual control.” The Indian army had earlier claimed in a statement that Chinese troops carried out military movements over the weekend to change the status quo on a disputed border in a fresh flare-up between the two sides. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian told a news briefing on Monday that both sides were in communication regarding the situation on the ground. “On the night of 29/30 August 2020, PLA [People's Liberation Army] troops violated the previous consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff in Eastern Ladakh and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo,” the Indian army had claimed in a statement. It said Indian soldiers 'foiled' the Chinese bid to “unilaterally change facts on the ground.” For months, Indian and Chinese troops ha

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday thanked the nation for peacefully observing Ashura, but regretted that some elements had tried to ignite sectarian strife on the occasion. The premier said he had been informed of "elements who tried to ignite [the] flames of sectarianism" on the sombre occasion. "I will be taking very tough action against them," he said. I want to thank our nation for the peaceful observing of Ashura in the country. However, unfortunately, information has come to me of elements who tried to ignite flames of sectarianism on this occasion and I will be taking very tough action against them. — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) August 31, 2020 Youm-e-Ashur, the tenth of Muharram, was observed on Sunday with solemnity and sanctity to pay homage to Hazrat Imam Hussain (A.S) and his companions who laid down their lives in Karbala. Processions were taken out in different cities to mourn the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain (A.S), the grandson of Prophe

Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) Peshawar service has been reopened for the public, said spokesperson Trans Peshawar on Monday. The service which was temporary halted on 9th and 10th Muharram now has been restored for the general public. Residents can travel via BRT service to their desired destinations from 6am to 10pm, said spokesperson. The spokesman said BRT Peshawar is providing best travel facilities to the citizens of Peshawar and those who came from other areas. Peshawar was declared among the highly sensitive districts from security perspective during Muharram. Since BRT is the largest project of Peshawar which affects tens of thousands of people, the administration had considered it suitable to close it for two days to avoid any possible security issues. The long awaited BRT Peshawar project was inaugurated by Prime Minister Imran Khan on August 13 after which a large number of people are travelling in these buses on daily basis. Apart from a couple of hitches, the service is

Top aides to U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fly to the United Arab Emirates on Monday to put the final touches on a pact establishing open relations between the Gulf power and Israel. Even before discussions start in Abu Dhabi, the delegates will have made aviation history by taking an Israeli commercial airliner - the word “peace” printed in Arabic, English and Hebrew above a cockpit window of the El Al Boeing 737 - directly from Tel Aviv to the UAE capital over Saudi territory. “That’s what peace for peace looks like,” Netanyahu tweeted, hailing what he termed a historic flight and describing a deal for formal ties with an Arab state that does not entail handover of land that Israel captured in a 1967 war. Announced on Aug. 13, the ‘normalisation’ deal is the first such accommodation between an Arab country and Israel in more than 20 years and was catalysed largely by shared fears of Iran. Palestinians were dismayed by the UAE’s move,

The Meteorological Department on Monday forecast rain for Karachi today, after last week's downpour left roads across the city flooded and triggered power outages across the metropolis. The Met office said that the metropolis — despite the fact that it did not receive any rain last night — could receive moderate to heavy showers by Monday evening or night in certain areas. The Met department said that the monsoon winds will cause rain in eastern and central Sindh after which they are expected to move towards southern Punjab and the north. These winds are expected to cause heavy rains in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan. On the other hand, heavy rains lashed Hyderabad, Mirpur Khas, Sukkur and Thatta on Monday, inundating low-lying areas and disrupting power supply as well. Heavy rains lashed Islamabad, Pakpattan, Sialkot, Chichawatni, Jhelum and Nikail, Azad Kashmir today as well.

The Foreign Office on Sunday strongly condemned recent incidents in Sweden and Norway in which copies of the Holy Quran were reportedly burnt, saying that "freedom of speech can't justify religious hatred". In a statement issued on Twitter, FO spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri further said: "The rise of such Islamophobic occurrences goes against the spirit of any religion." "Ensuring respect for religious beliefs of others is a collective responsibility and is absolutely critical for global peace and prosperity," Chaudhri added.  Ensuring respect for religious beliefs of others is a collective responsibility and is absolutely critical for global peace & prosperity. 2/2 @UN @OIC_OCI @OIC_IPHRC — Spokesperson ?? MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) August 30, 2020 A day earlier, a riot broke out in the southern Swedish town of Malmo, where at least 300 people had gathered to protest against anti-Islam activities, police said. Protesters were throwing

Several areas of Karachi remained submerged and without electricity for more than 90 hours after unprecedented rains lashed the city on Thursday. People took to social media to protest against prolonged power outages as K-Electric, the sole electricity supply company in Karachi, failed to restore power supply in some areas of the metropolis. Several areas of Karachi including Defence, Clifton, Lyari, SITE area, Orangi, Korangi, Old City Area, Yousuf Goth, Punjab Colony, Maripur Baldia Town, Liaquatabad, Nazimabad, Gulberg, Sadar, Jacob Lines and MA Jinnah road remained without electricity since Thursday. The prolonged power breakdown sparked protests and sit-ins on Sunday in several areas, including in Gulistan-e-Johar, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Lyari and Korangi. Further, Karachi Electric (KE) said that two feeders in DHA’s Phase 4 and Muslim Commercial had been powered up. “Clifton Block 7 and two of the three feeders in Bath Island have also been energised”, the power utility said in a

Three soldiers were martyred on Saturday during a search operation by security forces in South Waziristan, the military's media wing said. According to a statement by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the three soldiers were martyred as terrorists fired at security forces' blocking position during the operation. The martyred soldiers were identified as Subedar Nadeem, Sepoy Saleem and Lance Naik Musawar. Four other soliders were also injured. In June, two soldiers were martyred and one terrorist was killed during an exchange of fire between a patrolling party of the security forces and a group of terrorists. A statement from the ISPR said that the attack by terrorists took place 5 kilometres southeast of Ghariom near North Waziristan District and South Waziristan District boundary. "Captain Sabih and Sepoy Naveed embraced shahadat; while two other soldiers sustained injuries during the incident," read the official statement issued by the military's m

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga will join the race to succeed his boss Shinzo Abe as prime minister, local media said on Sunday, as the competition heats up to succeed Japan’s longest-serving leader. Suga, a longtime lieutenant of Abe’s in a key supporting role, has denied interest in the top job but attracted attention with a series of interviews, to Reuters and other news organisations, in the days before Abe’s abrupt resignation for health reasons. A Suga government would extend the fiscal and monetary stimulus that defined Abe’s nearly eight years in office. Abe’s announcement on Friday, citing a worsening of a chronic illness, set the stage for a leadership election within his Liberal Democratic Party. The LDP president is virtually assured of being prime minister because of the party’s majority in the lower house of parliament. Suga decided to join the LDP race judging that he should play a leading role, given expectations for his ability to manage crises, su

Indian troops have martyred three more Kashmiri youths in a brutal late-night operation in Srinagar, raising the number of slain youths in the disputed territory to 10 over the past three days. According to the Kashmir Media Service, the youths were martyred in a deadly cordon and search operation in the Panthachowk area on the outskirts of Srinagar. Earlier, an Assistant Sub-Inspector of the Special Operation Group of Indian police was also killed in an attack in the same area. On Saturday, Indian forces martyred three youths during a violent cordon and search operation in occupied Kashmir’s Pulwama district, while four youths were martyred during a similar operation in the Shopian district on Friday. Also on Saturday, at least 40 people were wounded after Indian forces fired shotgun pellets and tear gas shells at a Muharram procession, injuring dozens of people who had come out despite a ban on religious gatherings, witnesses said. Indian authorities had reimposed the ban on Th

Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam and Mohammad Hafeez have propelled Pakistan to 195-4 after put into bat by England in the second T20I at Old Trafford. Babar scored 56 off 44 whereas Hafeez was the standout with the bat, smashing 69 off 36 balls which included five fours and four massive sixes. Pakistan started the innings steadily with Fakhar Zaman opening with Babar, Fakhar (36) was removed by leg-spinner Rashid Khan in the 9th over. They added a 72-run partnership. Later, the 25-year-old Babar reached to his 14tH T20I fifty. He…

Cancer is an umbrella term for a large group of diseases caused when abnormal cells divide rapidly, and spread to other tissue and organs. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world. Cancer Growth and Metastasis In a healthy body, the trillions of cells it’s made of grow and divide, as the body needs them to function daily. Healthy cells have a specific life cycle, reproducing and dying off in a way that is determined by the type of cell. New cells take the place of old or damaged cells as they die. Cancer disrupts this process and leads to abnormal growth in cells. It’s caused by changes or mutations in DNA. DNA exists in the individual genes of every cell. It has instructions that tell the cell what functions to perform and how to grow and divide. Mutations occur frequently in DNA, but usually cells correct these mistakes. When a mistake is not corrected, a cell can become cancerous. Mutations can cause cells that should be replaced to survive instead of die, an

The number of confirmed Corona cases in Pakistan rose to 295,636 on Sunday after new infections were confirmed in the country. Total: 295,636 • Sindh: 129,368 • Punjab: 96,741 • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 36,017 • Balochistan: 12,842 • Islamabad Capital Territory: 15,611 • Gilgit-Baltistan: 2,863 • AJK: 2,294 Deaths: 6,288 • Punjab: 2,196 • Sindh: 2,398 • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 1,250 • Balochistan: 141 • Islamabad Capital Territory: 175 • Gilgit-Baltistan: 67 • AJK: 61 RECOVERED: 280,547

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has issued an alert about heavy rains in different parts of the province from this evening till Tuesday. A letter in this connection has been sent by PDMA to all the Deputy Commissioners of the province to take precautionary measures to avert any human and material loss. Tourists have also been advised to avoid visiting hilly areas during this period. People have been asked to contact PDMA on its helpline 1700 in case of any emergency.

China must build an “impregnable fortress” to maintain stability in Tibet, protect national unity and educate the masses in the struggle against “splittism”, President Xi Jinping told senior leaders, state media said on Saturday. China seized control over Tibet in 1950 in what it describes as a “peaceful liberation” that helped the remote Himalayan region throw off its “feudalist” past. But critics, led by exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, say Beijing’s rule amounts to “cultural genocide”. At a senior Communist Party meeting on Tibet’s future governance, Xi lauded achievements made and praised frontline officials but said more efforts were needed to enrich, rejuvenate and strengthen unity in the region. Political and ideological education needed to be strengthened in Tibet’s schools in order to “plant the seeds of loving China in the depths of the hearts of every youth”, Xi said in remarks published by state news agency Xinhua. Pledging to build a “united, prosperous, civil

At least 40 people were wounded after Indian forces fired shotgun pellets and tear gas shells at a Muharram procession in occupied Kashmir, witnesses said. Indian authorities had reimposed the ban on Thursday after clashes with mourners who wanted to stage traditional processions for during the holy month. Jafar Ali, a witness, told AFP that the procession started in the Bemina area on the outskirts of the main city of Srinagar and that government forces were present in heavy numbers. Ali and other people who witnessed the clashes said security forces fired pellets and tear gas shells to break up the gathering. "The forces fired pellets at the procession that was mainly peaceful and included women," said another witness Iqbal Ahmad. At least 40 people were injured, according to witnesses. About 25 people were taken to a nearby clinic with pellet wounds, some with their faces and bodies covered in pellet marks, a doctor there told AFP on condition of anonymity. "

Pakistan's Information Technology and IT-enabled Services export remittances comprising of computer services and call center services recorded export of 1.231 billion dollar at a growth rate of 23.71 percent in the financial year 2019-20. In a tweet the Ministry of IT and Telecom, said, the fiscal year 2019-20 has been a great year for IT & ITeS Export, 1.231 billion rupee has been recorded in IT & ITeS export at a growth rate of 23.71% as compared to the FY 2018-19. According to performance report of Pakistan Software Export Board, an organization under Ministry of IT and Telecommunication, IT Industry had been a star in Pakistan’s economy and had achieved positive year on year growth as a result of strong government support, skilled entrepreneurs and a talented workforce.

At least 40 people were wounded after Indian forces fired shotgun pellets and tear gas shells at a Muharram procession in occupied Kashmir, witnesses said. Indian authorities had reimposed the ban on Thursday after clashes with mourners who wanted to stage traditional processions for during the holy month. Jafar Ali, a witness, told AFP that the procession started in the Bemina area on the outskirts of the main city of Srinagar and that government forces were present in heavy numbers. Ali and other people who witnessed the clashes said security forces fired pellets and tear gas shells to break up the gathering. "The forces fired pellets at the procession that was mainly peaceful and included women," said another witness Iqbal Ahmad. At least 40 people were injured, according to witnesses. About 25 people were taken to a nearby clinic with pellet wounds, some with their faces and bodies covered in pellet marks, a doctor there told AFP on condition of anonymity. "

Finance ministry on Saturday said that the debt burden on the economy has reached upto 87.2 percent, terming the rise mainly due to the impact of coronavirus on the economy. A spokesman for the ministry said that the debt burden on the economy stood at 86.1 percent in June 2019 and witnessed an improvement of two percent by December 2019 to reach 84 percent. The coronavirus impacted the economy, he said after the debt witnessed a three percent increase from December 2019 to June 2020. We had lowered our expenditure in February 2020 and even tackled the current account deficit before the pandemic hit the country, the spokesman said adding that the COVID-19 changed the fiscal position since then. Besides, remittances suffering a huge blow owing to coronavirus, the growth rate also sustained a setback due to the pandemic, the finance ministry official said. He said that the government was committed to bring down the percentage of debt burden on the economy. “We are strictly followi

Amid foolproof security, Youm-e-Ashur is being marked with solemnity across Pakistan to pay homage to Hazrat Imam Hussain (A.S) and other martyrs of Karbala. Ministers, government functionaries, and political leaders have sent out messages to commemorate Youm-e-Ashur, urging people to follow in the footsteps of Hazrat Imam Hussain (A.S) in resisting tyranny, falsehood, and oppression. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi tweeted: “Let us draw strength from the legacy of Imam Hussain Ibn e Ali (A.S), the embodiment of bravery and determination in the face of oppression and tyranny. May we learn to meet every challenge ahead with the same fortitude and courage.” Information and Broadcasting Minister Shibli Faraz said the 10th of Muharram is the day of the victory of truth. “Ashura is a message of resistance against oppression,” he said, adding the deeds and teachings of Hazrat Imam Hussain are a beacon of light for Muslims. PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif said: “Mankind will remain

Former Pakistan all-rounder Azhar Mahmood says he has no cenerns about coaching England during the ongoing T20 series as he was happy to "pass my experience" regardless of nationality. Mahmood, 45, appeared in 164 international matches for Pakistan and was their bowling coach under Mickey Arthur before a new regime led by former captain Misbah-ul-Haq was installed last year after a disappointing World Cup. Now Mahmood, who knows many of the England coaching staff from his time in county cricket, has been brought in as a bowling consultant by the hosts for the three-match T20 series in Manchester. "Cricket has given me a lot," Mahmood told AFP in a telephone interview on Saturday. "Now I want to pass on my experience — it doesn't matter whether a player is from England or Pakistan or wherever." Mahmood, criticised within Pakistan for his England role, said his situation was no different from the one he often found himself in as an in-demand all-ro

Pakistan has strongly condemned the extra-judicial killing of four more Kashmiris in staged encounter in Shopian region of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and the restrictions on religious processions and gatherings during Muharram. In a statement, the Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhry said nearly three hundred innocent Kashmiris, including women and children, have been martyred by the Indian occupation forces in fake encounters, and so-called “cordon and search” operations during the last one year. He said that the Indian inhuman methods to subjugate the Kashmiri people through killings, torture, forced disappearances and incarcerations have failed in the past and would not succeed in the future too. The Spokesperson said the perpetuation of India’s state-terrorism cannot break the will of the Kashmiris or quell their efforts to secure their inalienable right to self-determination as enshrined in the relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions

Sindh government has declared twenty districts of the province as "Calamity Affected Areas". According to the notification issued by Relief Commissioner Sindh, the heavy rainfall during Monsoon caused losses to human lives and property in various districts of the province. The Deputy Commissioners of the affected districts will immediately conduct survey to assess losses for compensation. According to the notification, Karachi south, west, east, central, Korangi, Malir, Hyderabad, Badin, Thatta, Sajawal, Jamshoro, Tando Mohammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Matiari, Dadu, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Tharparker, Shaheed Benazirabad and Sanghar have been declared calamity hit.

Youm-e-Ashur, the tenth of Muharram, is being observed today with solemnity and sanctity to pay homage to Hazrat Imam Hussain (A.S) and his companions who laid down their lives in Karbala. Processions will be taken out in different cities to mourn the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain (A.S), the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). Majalis will be held across the country where ulema will highlighting the philosophy of Karbala and pay tributes to the martyrs. Strict security arrangements have been put in place to thwart off any unwanted incident, while Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) have been issued for the mourning processions after consultations with the religious scholars to stem the spread of coronavirus. The day will start with special prayers at mosques and imambargahs while all markets and business centres will remain closed on the occasion of Ashura. Sacrifice of Imam Hussain (A.S), his companions guiding principle for Muslims: President Alvi, PM Imran

In their separate messages, on the occasion of Youm-e-Ashur, President Dr Arif Alvi and the Prime Minister Imran Khan have said sacrifice of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) and his companions is in fact a guiding principle for the Muslims which taught them to sacrifice everything during the struggle for truth. The President Dr Arif Alvi, in his message, said the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain (R.A) was in fact the victory of truth, and symbol of steadfastness against oppression and a glorious example of sacrifice. He said that the sacrifice of Imam Hussain gave Muslims a lesson that one should not evade even sacrificing his life while fighting against the evil forces. The President urged the countrymen to make a pledge to take every step for victory of truth, promotion of justice, adherence to Islamic values, and for national progress and prosperity. The Prime Minister Imran Khan, in his message, said the historic battler of Karbala fought between truth and falsehood has made it clear

South Korea reported it is running out of hospital beds amid a resurgence of coronavirus cases in the country. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) posted 308 new cases as of midnight Friday, bringing the total infections to 19,400, including 321 deaths from COVID-19. After having largely curbed the first large outbreak outside China early this year, South Korea is suffering a setback this month after a church cluster spread to a political rally in Seoul, attended by tens of thousands from across the country. With the surge in the disease, hospitals in greater Seoul had only 4.5% of their beds available for critical cases as of Friday, down from 22% a week earlier. Some 24% of beds for all COVID-19 patients were left, compared with 37% last week. “Only about 15 beds are immediately available in the greater Seoul area for patients in critical condition as there were numerous patients who were in a serious condition and needed to be hospitalised,” said Yoon T