Daily News Pakistan

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s Labour Party on Sunday signed an agreement with the Green Party to form government in the Pacific nation of nearly five million. Ardern earlier this month delivered the biggest election victory for her centre-left Labour Party in half a century. Although she no longer needs support from other parties to govern, coalitions are the norm in New Zealand as parties look to build consensus. On Saturday, Ardern said her new government would be announced on Monday, offering the Greens two ministerial portfolios, but also included enhanced provisions that allow the coalition partner more freedom. “What’s unique here is that we’re both agreeing that we actually don’t have to agree,” Ardern told reporters in televised remarks at the signing ceremony on Sunday. The Greens are obliged to back the government over decisions made in their portfolios but are otherwise entitled to take a different position to Labour. “I’m again really proud that we have...

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has asked the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) to delay its upcoming jalsa in Peshawar due to threats of a possible terrorist attack. "Peshawar has witnessed a terrorism incident in which innocent children of a madrassa were targeted. The PDM should reconsider holding its Peshawar rally in view of the potential threat of terrorism," said KP Minister for Labour and Culture Shaukat Yousafzai on Saturday. The PDM, which has held jalsas in Gujranwala, Karachi and Quetta, plans to flex its muscles next in Peshawar on November 22. Yousafzai said the government will not ban any rallies but will provide foolproof security to those attending them. The minister said that the Opposition wanted to save the corrupt "under the guise of inflation". "The PDM should not play with the lives of the people to save the corrupt," said Yousafzai. "The opposition has the right to raise public issues, but it wants to protect the corru...

Prime Minister Imran Khan and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday held a telephonic conversation. During the telephonic conversation, PM Imran Khan expressed his heartfelt grief and sorrow over the loss of lives in the earthquake in Turkey. Pakistan stood with the Turkish nation in this difficult time, the prime minister said and extended all-out help and cooperation to Ankara. Both the leaders expressed serious concerns over rising Islamophobia in Europe. Earlier today, Prime Minister Imran Khan had extended condolences to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the people of Turkey over the loss of precious lives in an earthquake in Izmir city. He tweeted: “We stand with the Turkish nation, offering every help we can give. We can never forget the way Turkey stood with us when the devastating earthquake hit Pak & AJK in 2005.” Nineteen people had been killed in Turkey and Greece after a strong earthquake struck the Aegean Sea on Friday, bringing buildings ...

International business magazine Bloomberg on Saturday said that Pakistan’s decision to loosen Covid-19 restrictions early has helped the country’s exports emerge stronger than its South Asian peers. In a report, the economic journal said the outbound shipments have grown at a faster pace than Bangladesh and India as textiles, which account for half of the total export, led the recovery. The country saw total shipments grow 7pc in September, compared with New Delhi’s per cent and Dhaka’s 3.5 per cent. The report said that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s administration was the first in the region to ease pandemic restrictions, allowing export units to reopen in April, a month after locking them down to stem the spread of Covid-19. This helped draw companies from to the South Asian nation. “Pakistan has seen orders shifting from multiple nations including China, India and Bangladesh,” the report quoted Shahid Sattar, secretary-general at the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association as hav...

The novel coronavirus has claimed three more lives and infected at least 185 people during the past 24 hours in Punjab. In a statement on the daily COVID-19 situation, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar said that three more people succumbed to COVID-19 in 24 hours, taking the death toll to 2,357 in the province. He maintained that 185 new cases of the coronavirus were reported in the province during the last 24 hours, lifting the tally of infections to 4,228. The chief minister said that the number of COVID-19 cases is rising as people were not following the standard operating procedures (SOPs). He maintained that smart lockdown will be imposed in coronavirus hotspots in the province. Earlier on October 30, the spokesperson of Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department had confirmed that 244 new cases of novel coronavirus emerged in Punjab province during the last 24 hours. The department had added that 129 cases were reported in the provincial capital Lahore, whereas, seven mo...

The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) on Saturday recommended up to Rs2 decrease in prices of petroleum products for the month of November. The authority forwarded a summary in this regard to the Ministry of Finance for approval. According to the details disclosed by the summary, the OGRA has recommended a Rs1.50 cut in the per litre price of petrol and Rs2 in the price of high-speed diesel (HSD). The finance ministry will announce new fuel prices for November after Prime Minister Imran Khan’s approval. Authorities said the government may keep the prices of petroleum products unchanged by increasing petroleum levy. On September 30, the government had cut the price of high-speed diesel by Rs2.40 per litre and kept that of petrol and other petroleum products unchanged for a fortnight with effect from October 1. Later on October 15, the government decided to keep fuel prices unchanged for the rest of the month.

PML-N leader Ayaz Sadiq has come in for a lot of flak for his controversial statement on Indian pilot Abhinandan’s release. His accusatory remarks on the floor of the National Assembly have also caused rifts in opposition ranks. Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, a leader of the JUI-F part of the opposition’s Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), not only strongly condemned the statement but termed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif “aasteen ka saanp” (snake in the grass). Those who bring such people to power are equally responsible, he thundered. There is a limit to everything, he said, referring to the PML-N supremo’s critique of state institutions. Speaking to media alongside the JUI-F chief after the meeting, the PML-N leader said he stands by his comments and added his statement was distorted to give a particular colour. Neither he nor anybody has the right to bill him or anyone else a traitor, he opined. Sadiq said they will give India a befitting response as they have always done. “My com...

Fissures emerge in PML-N's Balochistan chapter over PDM rally in Quetta. The PML-N may be taking on the government, but the party’s Balochistan chapter is in turmoil after the party decided not to invite former chief minister Sanaullah Zehri to the October 25 gathering of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) in Quetta. According to sources, the PML-N’s central leadership had decided not to invite Sanaullah Zehri to the PDM gathering in Quetta, which did not go down well with its leaders in the province. Sources also alleged that the president of PML-N’s Balochistan chapter, retired Lt Gen Abdul Qadir Baloch, had also expressed his reservations over the hardline stance adopted by PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif. He decides to left PML-N over PDM rally in Quetta. On the other hand, PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal clarified that the PML-N decided not to invite Zehri as there is a rift going on between the former chief minister and BNP-M leader Akhtar Mengal. PDM power show in Quetta The...

An accountability court in Lahore has taken notice of the absence of Hamza Shehbaz in the hearing of Ramzan Sugar Mills case today and sought written response from the jail officials. Judge Amjad Nazir Chaudhry conducted the hearing of Ramzan Sugar Mills corruption reference against Hamza Shehbaz today. A judicial officer apprised the accountability court that the accused rejected to travel by bullet-proof van to appear in the hearing. He said that a bullet-proof vehicle is present inside the jail, however, Hamza is not coming out of his prison cell. He added that the warrants against Hamza were presented in the court. The court took notice of Hamza Shehbaz’s absence in the hearing and ordered the jail officials to submit a written response to clarify the reasons for not producing him. Judge Amjad Nazir Chaudhry also directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to produce its witnesses in the next hearing and asked authorities to modify the date on the warrants of Hamza. Th...

The popular Turkish chef Burak Ozdemir, who is known for his gigantic sized portions of Middle Eastern Foods worldwide, has arrived in Pakistan on Saturday. With over 476,000 followers on Twitter and a whopping 17.2million followers on Instagram, Burak has now become a global sensation. Upon his arrival in Pakistan, the celebrated chef said that both countries share an extraordinary harmony when it comes to cultures and food and he has traveled all the way from his country to experience what Pakistan actually looks like in reality. On the other hand, Burak’s fans on Twitter are over the moon as they welcome their favourite chef to Pakistan. Earlier, Burak in a video message on social media had said that he would visit Pakistan this month. Sharing his plans, the renowned chef had said that he wanted to come to Pakistan and meet the people himself.  

In a sweet gesture, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said he could not have survived without his wife Bushra Khan. Speaking to German magazine Der Spiegel's Susanne Koelbl, the premier said his wife has great wisdom. "I discuss everything with her," he shared. "Also problem [that] I face in the government, dealing with complex situations." PM Imran said "only a fool doesn't talk about everything with his wife". “She is my soulmate. She is my companion," he said. "I would not have survived without her." The prime minister frequently praises his wife for her wisdom. Upon the completion of PTI government's first 100 days, he credited her for "such a difficult life". The couple got married in February 2018. PM Imran was previously married to Jemima Khan, with whom he shares two children, for nine years and Reham Khan for 10 months. Before tying the knot with Imran, Bushra Bibi was married to Khawar Maneka.

A speeding car driven by a Saudi citizen rammed into the outer gates of the Grand Mosque in Makkah late Friday, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. Visuals posted on social media show the car ploughing through the barricades in the courtyard before driving straight into one of the large doors. In a tweet, the Makkah region confirmed that there were no casualties, adding that the driver was in an unusual condition. It added that the accident was caused by a car drifting and traveling in high speed at nearby roads in the southern square of the Grand Mosque.   متحدث #إمارة_مكة سلطان الدوسري : الجهات الأمنية بمكة تُباشر حادثة ارتطام مركبة بأحد أبواب #المسجد_الحرام نتيجة انحرافها أثناء سيرها بسرعة عالية بأحد الطرق المحيطة بالساحة الجنوبية اللحرم، ولم يصب أي شخص بأذى ..المقبوض عليه مواطن بحالة غير طبيعية ، وجارٍ إحالته للنيابة العامة pic.twitter.com/wOAPnq2YPf — إمارة منطقة مكة المكرمة (@makkahregion) October 30, 2020 The man has been arrested and referred to the public prose...

Pakistan reported 11 more coronavirus-related fatalities during the past 24 hours, taking the death toll from the disease to 6,806. According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), 807 fresh infections emerged during this period, lifting the national tally of cases to 332,993. Around 21,688 samples were tested on Tuesday. There are a total of 12,121 active cases of the coronavirus as 314,066 patients have so far recuperated from the disease. Thus far, Sindh has reported 145,475 cases, followed by Punjab reporting 104,016 cases while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported 39,458, Balochistan 15,896, Islamabad 19,818, Gilgit Baltistan 4,248 and Azad Jammu and Kashmir 4,082. 669 of the patients under treatment in hospitals across the country are said to be in critical condition.

Famed mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov on Friday reacted strongly to French President Emmanuel Macron's recent statements on Islam that have offended Muslims across the globe. The MMA star, taking to Instagram, shared a photo that has a boot print over the face of the French president. "May the Almighty disfigure the face of this creature and all its followers, who, under the slogan of freedom of speech, offend the feelings of more than one and a half billion Muslim believers," Khabib wrote. "May the Almighty humiliate them in this life, and in the next. Allah is quick in calculation and you will see it," he added. The post went on to state: “We are Muslims, we love our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) more than our mothers, fathers, children, wives and all other people close to our hearts. Believe me, these provocations will come back to them, the end is always for the God-fearing.” The MMA fighter,  who has...

Pakistan expressed "strong solidarity" with the people of Turkey after a massive 7.0-magnitude earthquake killed four, injured more than 100, and destroyed several buildings throughout the country. "Extremely anguished by news of earthquake in Izmir, #Turkey, and people reportedly trapped in demolished buildings. Like always, people of #Pakistan are in strong solidarity with their Turkish brethren. Our best wishes and prayers!" read a tweet by the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday. Extremely anguished by news of earthquake in Izmir, #Turkey , and people reportedly trapped in demolished buildings. Like always, people of #Pakistan are in strong solidarity with their Turkish brethren. Our best wishes and prayers! @MFATurkey — Spokesperson ?? MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) October 30, 2020 The earthquake rocked Turkey and Greece off the former's Aegean coast north of the Greek island of Samos. This was revealed by the US Geological Survey (...

Pakistan emerged victorious by 26 runs after Zimbabwe gave them a tough time in the first One-day International against Pakistan here at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday. Chasing 282, Zimbabwe were all out for 255 in 49.4 overs. Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi captured five wickets and veteran pacer Wahab Riaz claimed four wickets. A late blitz by all-rounder Imad Wasim propelled the hosts to 281, as Pakistan ended the innings with two wickets to spare. Opener Imam ul Haq and middle-order batsman Haris Sohail scored half-centuries for the host team with scores of 58 and 71. For Zimbabwe, Blessing Muzarabani and Tendai Chisoro took two wickets each, while, Carl Mumba and Pakistan-born Sikander Raza took one wicket each to restrict Pakistan to 281. Earlier, Captain Babar Azam won the toss and decided to bat first as Pakistan kick-started its Cricket World Cup Super League campaign. The opening match at the Pindi Stadium is Babar Azam’s first as Pakistan’s ODI captain. It ...

The PML-N has accused the Imran Khan government of pressurising its leaders ahead of Gilgit-Baltistan polls to change loyalties and openly violating the code of conduct to influence the election there this month. “We have strong reservations on the code of conduct violations and the use of the federal government’s machinery for the Nov 15 polls in Gilgit-Baltistan and want the Supreme Court Gilgit-Baltistan and the election commission to take notice of pre-poll rigging of the PTI government,” PML-N secretary general Ahsan Iqbal told a press conference here on Thursday. He alleged that at least nine leaders were forced by the federal government to change their loyalties. He said the prime minister election cell staff and federal minister Amin Gandapur visited every constituency in violation of the election code of conduct. “During the last five-year tenure of PML-N there, exemplary law and order was maintained and the province progressed economically. Now the PTI government is bent...

A strong earthquake of a magnitude of around 7.0 struck the Aegean Sea on Friday and was felt in both Turkey and Greece, local and international observatories said. People flooded to the streets in the Turkish coastal city of Izmir after the earthquake, witnesses said. Footage from Turkish state broadcaster TRT Haber showed a collapsed building in central Izmir. Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) put the magnitude of the earthquake at 6.6, while the United States Geological Survey said it was 7.0. It struck at around 1150 GMT and was felt along Turkey's Aegean coast and the northwestern Marmara region, media said. The epicentre was some 17 kilometres off the coast of the Izmir province, at a depth of 16 km, AFAD said. The US Geological Survey said the depth was 10 km and that the epicentre was 33.5km off Turkey's coast. Residents of Samos, an island with a population of about 45,000, were urged to stay away from coastal areas, Eftyhmios Lekka...

Tens of thousands of Muslims protested in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and Palestinian territories on Friday after the republication of blasphemous caricatures in France and the Islamophobic remarks of French President Emmanuel Macron. In Pakistan, police fired tear gas at thousands of demonstrators marching towards the French Embassy in Islamabad, with some protesters trying to break through police barricades, witnesses said. In Bangladesh, tens of thousands marched through Dhaka, the capital, chanting “Boycott French products” and carrying banners calling Macron “the world’s biggest terrorist”. “Macron is leading Islamophobia,” said Dhaka demonstrator Akramul Haq. “He doesn’t know the power of Islam. The Muslim world will not let this go in vain. We’ll rise and stand in solidarity against him.” Some Bangladeshi demonstrators also burned effigies of Macron and carried cutouts of the president with a garland of shoes around his neck. In a Muslim-majority district of India’s finan...

Young Pakistani boxer Usman Wazir is all set to defend his Asian Boxing Council’s title in Karachi on December 19. According to the details, Usman will fight against the opponent (name to come out closer to the time). Olympic gold medalist Hussain Shah is organizing the fight in Karachi and he is coming to witness the fight from Japan. In a video message, Usman said he is confident to defend his title and aim to become a world youth champion. “I am looking forward to defending my title and my next target will be to become youth champion,” said Usman. “For youth title fight, I will need the help of government as without financial assistance it is impossible to make it happen,” he concluded.

A coronavirus strain that emerged in Spain in June has spread across Europe and now makes up a large proportion of infections in several countries, researchers said, highlighting the role of travel in the pandemic and the need to track mutations. The variant, which has not been found to be inherently more dangerous, was first identified among farm workers in the eastern Spanish regions of Aragon and Catalonia. Over the last two months, it has accounted for close to 90% of new infections in Spain, according to the research paper, authored by seven researchers with backing by Swiss and Spanish public-sector science institutions. It was posted on a so-called preprint server here and is yet to be peer reviewed for publication in a scientific journal. The strain has crossed European borders and accounted for 40-70% of new infections in Switzerland, Ireland and the United Kingdom in September, they found. The scientists said the strain’s characteristic mutation did not give it any app...

The government on Thursday approved a fertiliser subsidy of Rs5.4 billion for farmers, two days after a ruckus in the federal cabinet over increasing inflation and the lack of a coordinated response to tackle it. The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet approved a subsidy of Rs1,000 per 50kg bag of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) fertiliser, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Finance. The Rs5.4 billion subsidy has been worked out on the basis of 30% outreach to the farmers and the federal government will bear 70% of the cost, which comes to Rs5.4 billion. The remaining 30% cost will be borne by the provincial governments, according to the decision. The Rs5.4 billion will be spent out of the Rs1.2 trillion prime minister’s package to mitigate the impact of coronavirus. Out of the Rs1.2 trillion fiscal stimulus package, Rs50 billion had been earmarked for the agriculture sector. But the government could not utilise the Rs50 billion and so far only Rs10 b...

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that Islamophobia is rising in Western states and a small segment in the countries is against Islam. PM Imran Khan made the statement while addressing the National Rehmatul-lil-Alameen PBUH Conference in connection with Eid Milad-un-Nabi (PBUH) celebrations in Islamabad today. He highlighted the cause of unrest in many countries after the publication of blasphemous caricatures in France. He said that Islamophobia will get further increased in the countries until its governments take special measures to stop it. He said that Western countries could not understand the Muslims’ respect to their beloved Prophet Muhammad PBUH. Islamophobia will be increased across the world until the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states will not play their role against it. The premier said that he wanted to make the nation, especially the youth, aware of the life of Prophet Muhammad PBUH. He said that the Allah Almighty has enlighted the path of h...

Federal Minister for Information Shibli Faraz on Friday hinted at legal action against former National Assembly speaker Ayaz Sadiq for accusing the incumbent government of releasing Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman under pressure. What Ayaz Sadiq said is not forgivable, he wrote in a tweet. "Now the law will take its course." Faraz asserted that "weakening the state" is an "unpardonable offense", and promised that Sadiq and his followers to be punished for it. ایاز صادق کی کہی ہوئی بات معافی سے آگے نکل چکی ہے۔اب قانون اپنا راستہ لے گا۔ریاست کو کمزور کرنا ناقابل معافی جرم ہے جس کی سزاایاز صادق اور ان کے حواریوں کو ضرور ملنی چاہیے۔ — Senator Shibli Faraz (@shiblifaraz) October 30, 2020 "Under pressure" Two senior PML-N lawmakers had earlier accused the PTI-led government of taking the decision to release Indian pilot Abhinandan under pressure. “Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was present in the meeting, which Imr...

Ministry of Interior on Friday directed provincial government to grant special remission for prisoners in jails across Pakistan on account of Eid Milad un Nabi (PBUH). The letter was issued after approval from the federal cabinet and President Dr Arif Alvi. The government has granted a 30-day remission to prisoners with life sentences, women, and under-18 convicts as well as those aged 65 and above. The reduction in sentence, however, will not be apply on prisoners convicted for espionage, terrorism, murder, adultery, robbery, kidnapping or/ and anti-state activities.

Pakistan have set a 282-run target for Zimbabwe in their series-opening one-day international being played at the Pindi Cricket Stadium. After winning the toss, the Green Shirts ended their innings with 281 runs at the loss of eight wickets in their allotted 50 overs. Abid Ali was the first to be sent back to the pavilion in the middle of the tenth over after scoring 21 runs. He was followed by Babar Azam and Imamul Haq who scored 19 and 58 runs, respectively. The next casualty was Mohammad Rizwan who fell in the 37th over after scoring a meagre 14 and was followed by Iftikhar Ahmed (12) in the 41st over. With six fours and two sixes, Haris Sohail tried to stabilise the team scoring 71 off 82 balls but he fell to Sikandar Raza in the 42nd over. Earlier, captain Babar Azam had won the toss and elected to bat. Both teams are opening their World Cup Super League campaigns after the International Cricket Council introduced the competition to bring context to ODI cricket. The top se...

Pakistan witnessed more than 1,000 cases of the coronavirus over the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day surge since July. The country’s tally of confirmed Covid-19 cases rose by 1,078 to 332,186 on Friday. According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), twenty more people died due to the coronavirus, lifting the death toll from the highly contagious disease to 6,795. As many as 32,933 samples were tested, resulting in the emergence of 1,078 fresh infections. The number of active cases stands at 11,864 as around 313,527 patients have recuperated since the outbreak began. Thus far, Sindh has reported 145,238 cases, Punjab 103,831 cases, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 39,361, Balochistan 15,887, Islamabad 19,594, Gilgit Baltistan 4,046 and Azad Jammu and Kashmir 4,229. On Thursday, Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Asad Umar had tweeted that the country’s coronavirus positivity ratio was higher than 3 per cent on Tuesday. He said the corona...

President Dr Arif Alvi in his message on Eid Miladun Nabi (PBUH) urged the Muslim world leaders to put forth a unanimous demand before the international organisations to ensure the sanctity of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and desist from blasphemy and desecration. He said the condemnable incidents of blasphemy in the West had invited the wrath of Muslims across the globe. Such incidents created disintegration and also violated the spirit of interfaith harmony and dialogue, he added. President Alvi said it was essential to spread the teachings of Holy Prophet (PBUH) and true message of the Holy Quran in order to better tackle Islamophobia and highlight real spirit of Islam. Referring to the growing threat from second wave of coronavirus in the country, he advised the people to adhere to anti-COIVD precautions, particularly during Milad processions to prevent spread of the disease. Greeting the countrymen on Eid Mailadun Nabi (PBUH) marking the Holy Prophet’s birth anniversary, he said...

Eid Miladun Nabi (S.A.W.) is being celebrated with great religious zeal and fervour across the country today. The day dawned with thirty one guns salute at the federal capital and twenty one guns salute at all the provincial capitals. Special prayers for the unity of Muslim Ummah and the progress and prosperity of the country were offered in the mosques after Fajr prayers. Special conferences, events and Mehfil-e-Milad are being arranged to pay respect to the last messenger whose life and teachings are a beacon of light for the mankind. An International Rehmatul-lil-Alameen (SAW) Conference will be held in Islamabad today under the auspices of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony. The opening session of the conference will be chaired by President Dr. Arif Alvi while Prime Minister Imran Khan will preside over the concluding session. Prominent Ulema and Mashaikh, scholars and foreign delegates will participate in the conference and threw light on various aspec...

The US government will pay as much as $1.19 billion to Eli Lilly and Co to secure nearly 1 million doses of its experimental COVID-19 antibody treatment, a drug similar to a treatment that U.S. President Donald Trump received. Lilly will start delivering 300,000 doses of the treatment, for which it is being paid $375 million, within two months of receiving an emergency use authorization from the U.S. health regulator, the company said. After that, the government has an option to buy an additional 650,000 vials for $812.5 million, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement. The price per dose amounts to $1,250 as per the contract, but the vials purchased by the government will be free to the American public. The U.S. has also signed deals with AstraZeneca and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals for their antibody therapies, under Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed program. The deal with Regeneron covers the cost of manufacturing, while the deal with Astra...

Focused firmly on Covid-19, Joe Biden vowed on Wednesday not to campaign in the election homestretch on the false promises of being able to end this pandemic by flipping a switch. US President Donald Trump, under attack for his handling of the worst health crisis in more than a century, breezily pledged on his final-week swing to vanquish the virus. The Democratic presidential nominee also argued that a Supreme Court conservative majority stretched to 6-3 by newly confirmed Justice Amy Coney Barrett could dismantle the Obama administration's signature health law and leave millions without insurance coverage during the pandemic. He called Trump's handling of the coronavirus an insult to its victims, especially as cases spike dramatically around the country. "Even if I win, it's going to take a lot of hard work to end this pandemic," Biden said during a speech in Wilmington, Delaware. “I do promise this: we will start on day one doing the right things." ...

From his lab in Toulouse, France, Benjamin Sanderson models the range of extreme risks to humans from climate change — research he hopes can inform policymakers planning for worsening wildfires and floods. It is the kind of work he once performed in the United States — and hopes to again soon. Sanderson is among dozens of US-based climate scientists who shifted their research to France, or sought refuge in academia or in left-leaning states like California after Republican Donald Trump was elected in 2016. They worried his administration’s distrust of science would impact their ability to finance and advance their work. Now, with the presidential election looming — and Democrat Joe Biden ahead in the polls and promising to prioritise the role of science in policymaking — some of these researchers hope for a return to the days when the US was viewed as the best place on earth to do their jobs. Climate science in Europe is not treated as a “political topic”, Sanderson said, adding t...