Siasat Wala Blog

JHELUM: Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday said that the year 2021 would witness an implementation of uniform syllabus policy across the country till matriculation, ARY NEWS reported. “We have devised a policy under one-nation, one curriculum project and its implementation upto matriculation will begin across the country from 2021,” he said while addressing a Dastar-e-Fazilat conference at Pind Dadan Khan. He said that it was unfortunate that no attention was diverted during the past 70 years towards improving the situation of seminaries and the students there remained neglected and were not owned by the state. “Billions were earmarked for improving education standards but no money was diverted towards improving seminaries’ status.” He said that they have prepared the uniform syllabus with the consultation and approval of the seminaries. The federal minister further defended his views over using technology for moon sighting and said that the moon

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said that Afghan peace deal has testified the stance of Prime Minister Imran Khan, ARY News reported. In a tweet on Sunday special assistant said Prime Minister Imran Khan has been suggesting that dialogue is the only way forward of the Afghan issue. Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said Pakistan’s role in peace process deserves to be written in letters of gold. #AfghanPeaceDeal testifies what @ImranKhanPTI always said, that dialogue is the only way forward. Afghans suffered due to war & deserve stability. Peace in Afghanistan is imperative to stability in region. Pak role in peace process deserves to be written in letters of gold. pic.twitter.com/x63GkQwbfI — Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan (@Dr_FirdousPTI) March 1, 2020 She said Afghans suffered due to war and deserve stability, adding that peace in Afghanistan is imperative for the stability of the whole region. Following successful dia

WASHINGTON: Former Vice President Joe Biden’s victory at South Carolina has reshaped the Democratic presidential campaign and positions him as a moderate alternative to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders who is leading the nomination race with support of 51 delegates. Biden has surged to second with support of 40 senators ahead of the Super Tuesday. Former US Vice President Joe Biden scored a convincing victory in South Carolina, riding a wave of African American support and ending the winning streak of rival Bernie Sanders. The victory came at a crucial moment in Biden’s 2020 bid as the moderate Democrat bounced back from underwhelming performances in the first three contests. The race now quickly shifts to next week’s “Super Tuesday,” when voters in 14 states award one-third of the total number of presidential delegates. Seven candidates remain in the race to take on Donald Trump in the November US presidential election. As well as Biden and the 78-year-old Sanders, who came second

Deaths in Iran from coronavirus have hit 43, the highest number outside China, and the total number of infected people has risen to 593, according to Iranian health official. The country is at the epicenter of the outbreak in the region, with several countries in the Middle East reporting cases of the coronavirus stemming from Iran. “Unfortunately nine people died of the virus in the last 24 hours, increasing the death toll to 43,” Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur told state TV, calling on people to stay at home. Health Minister Saeed Namaki on Friday warned of “a very difficult week” ahead in Iran, which only announced its first infections and deaths from the coronavirus on Feb. 19 and where the death rate among confirmed cases has been around 10%, compared to around 3% elsewhere. Tehran has ordered the shutting of schools until Tuesday and extended the closure of universities and a ban on concerts and sports events for a week. Authorities have also banned visits to hos

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has announced to close Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan amid apprehensions of outbreak of the novel coronavirus, ARY News reported on Sunday. The government has issued a letter with regard to closure of the Pak-Afghan border crossing at Chaman in the first phase. Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan will remain closed from March 02 (Monday) for seven days, according to a notification of the Ministry of Interior. The Chaman border crossing will remain closed for seven days in the first phase, the order said. The decision has been taken in view to avoid the outbreak of novel coronavirus, the letter said. The porous border with Afghanistan is a cause of concern for Pakistan after the new coronavirus erupted in neighbouring Iran. Islamabad has closed its border crossings with Iran while Kabul has also suspended all travel to the country, which has reported 43 deaths out of nearly 543 infections — making it one of the hardest hit countries outside the

LAHORE: A speeding truck on Sunday hit a motorcycle in Bhati Gate area of the Punjab’s provincial capital and killed three youngsters, ARY NEWS reported. According to police, three youngsters were travelling on a motorcycle at Bhati Gate when a speeding truck overran them, killing all of them on the spot. “The deceased were identified as Arsalan, Ahmad and Akhter,” the authorities said adding that the truck driver fled away from the scene soon after the incident. The police has registered a case into the accident. In September 2019, at least three people were killed and one other critically injured in an accident in Lahore. Police officials said that the head-on collision between a vehicle and an auto rickshaw took place near Wateen Chowk in Lahore on Sunday evening . Read More:  Road accident claims three lives in Gujrat Police and rescue official, after being informed, rushed to the scene and shifted the bodies and the injured to the hospital. The deceased were identified as

A former interior minister was sworn in as Malaysia’s premier Sunday, marking the return of a scandal-mired regime to power after the last government’s collapse but ex-leader Mahathir Mohamad slammed the move as illegal. The Southeast Asian nation was plunged into turmoil a week ago as Mahathir’s reformist “Pact of Hope” alliance, which stormed to a historic victory in 2018, collapsed after a bid to force out leader-in-waiting Anwar Ibrahim. Mahathir — who was the world’s oldest leader at 94 — then quit, triggering a race for the premiership which he ultimately lost to little-known Muhyiddin Yassin, who heads a coalition dominated by the country’s ethnic Malay Muslim majority. The decision Saturday by the monarch to pick Muhyiddin was greeted with shock as Mahathir’s allies claimed he had enough support to return as leader, and sparked widespread anger that the democratically elected government was being abruptly ejected. The king appoints the country’s prime minister, who must sh

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony on Sunday said that over 60,053 applications have been received so far under Government Hajj Scheme. According to a ministry spokesman, the designated banks had received 60,053 Hajj applications under the Government Hajj Scheme till Saturday. The government scheme applications will be received until March 6. The banks have already been directed to receive hajj applications on Saturday and Sunday. This year, a total of 179,210 Pakistani pilgrims will perform the sacred religious ceremony. The applicants must get a receipt and bank stamp from the banks. The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony had earlier on Feb 21 restrained banks from receiving Hajj forms from Feb 24 (Monday) till further directives in this regard. Read more:  ‘PM Imran Khan willing to establish Malaysian-led model of Hajj fund’ The ministry has also announced the policy for Hajj pilgrims under the government scheme who

China on Sunday reported 35 more deaths from the new coronavirus, taking the toll in the country to 2,870. The number is lower than the 47 fatalities reported by Chinese authorities on Saturday. The National Health Commission also reported 573 new infections, bringing the total number of cases in mainland China to 79,824. While still in the hundreds, the figure for new infections is far lower than the huge, daily increase in cases China was recording in January and February. All but one of the 35 deaths were in Hubei province, whose capital Wuhan is the epicentre of the outbreak. The new coronavirus, which has killed nearly 3,000 people and infected more than 86,000 in dozens of countries, is believed to have first emerged late last year in a Wuhan market that sold wild animals The post China reports 35 more virus deaths, 573 new cases appeared first on ARY NEWS .

ISLAMABAD: Expressing grief over the deadly collision between train and passenger bus near Rohri, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday ordered an inquiry and has summoned detailed report of the accident, ARY News reported.    According to details, PM Imran expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of lives in Rohri train accident and prayed for the early recovery of injured. He also directed authorities to provide best medical treatment to injured. Meanwhile, a case has been registered today against the passenger bus driver. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday directed the provincial health department to ensure the provision of best medical to the injured of the accident. Emergency has been imposed in hospitals of Khairpur district. At least 19 people lost their lives and more than 30 sustained injuries as Pakistan Express train collided with a passenger bus at a railway crossing near Rohri railway station on Friday night. Read more:  At least 73 dead, scores inj

ISLAMABAD: Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has submitted a summary to the Petroleum Division recommending major reduction in the prices from March 1, ARY News reported on Saturday. According to sources, the regulatory authority has forwarded a summary to the Petroleum Division suggesting a cut of Rs5.89/ litre in the petrol prices. The summary also recommended to reduce the price of high speed diesel (HSD) by Rs7.23 per litre. New prices will be enforced today midnight, if the summary was approved. Read more: Govt working on new petroleum policy offering incentives: PM Imran Earlier on January 31, the federal government had decided to maintain the prices of petroleum  unchanged for the month of February. The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) on Thursday had sent a summary to the federal government for recommending modification in prices of petroleum products. OGRA had recommended to reduce the prices of petrol up 6 paisas and 66 paisas in kerosene oil. The author

Popular Pakistani actress Hira Mani ringed in her 30th birthday in style on Thursday with a grand celebration.  The Meray Paas Tum Ho star threw a birthday bash for her friends and family in Karachi on Friday. The party was an elaborate affair with beautiful decor, bouquet, a gorgeous cake and all her loved ones. Let’s take a look: Hira was all smiles She stunned in a floral saree The starlet had her family by her side Hira cut the cake in style What’s a birthday without cake? Birthday treats to satisfy your sweet tooth It was a star-studded party Sadaf Kanwal made an appearance too So did Anoushey Abbasi       The post In pictures: Hira Mani celebrates 30th birthday in style appeared first on ARY NEWS .

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Health Services, in coordination with the National Information Technology Board (NITB), has launched a web portal offering the latest information and updates regarding the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-2019). “The NITB team In coordination with the Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination has launched the online portal for the awareness of coronavirus. We are hoping that this tool will serve as an effective source of information for all,” the CEO of NITB Shabahat Ali Shah said in a Tweet. ATTENTION ALL – In cordination with Ministry of National Health Services Regulations & Coordination, @NationalITBoard LAUNCHES The Online Platform for Awareness of Coronavirus ( https://t.co/p7vtDJtPRr ). Portal will be Online at 7:30 pm today. @zfrmrza @pid_gov @ImranKhanPTI pic.twitter.com/qQeSFD0c9I — Shabahat Ali Shah (@ShabahatAShah) February 28, 2020 The PM’s Special Assistant on Health Dr. Zafar Mirza also tweeted sayi

KARACHI: The police has arrested a gang of four members in Karachi and recovered gold worth over 10 million from their possession, ARY News reported on Saturday. The gang was involved in dacoities in bungalows in the city’s posh areas with the help of house maids, Darakhshan police said. The accused have been arrested with gold ornaments worth over 10 million rupees, SSP South Sheeraz Nazir told the media. The accused in their modus operandi were arranging a job for one of the gang’s woman members at a house in Defence area and later on the basis of inside information of the house provided by that housemaid, they commit robbery at the house, police officer said. The arrested gang members included a woman and a watchman of a bungalow, police officer said. The police have also arrested two other accused named Mushtaq and Jamal Shah, SSP South said. Police also searching for a fugitive of the gang Aslam, police official said. Arrested accused have been booked for committing robber

KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) mostly witnessed bearish trend throughout the week and lost 2,265 points during the trading, ARY News reported on Saturday. The stocks expert say due to outbreak of coronavirus in several countries of the world and detection of two of the cases in Pakistan is shaking confidence of the traders. The 100-Index failed to main level of 38,000 points and was closed at the level of 37,983 points during the trading week which begun on Monday and ended on Friday. According to the weekly report, 86 crores shares worth 37 billion rupees were traded during the week and the market capitalization witnessed decreases of Rs 436 billion last week and was recorded at Rs7,094 billion. Read more: PSX witnesses bearish trend as index loses 101 points In previous week, the market kept struggling for sustainability when confusion and uncertainty surrounded investors when the IMF, in its concluding remarks affirmed that Pakistan had been successful in completin

Global stocks slumped again Friday to mark the largest weekly drop since the 2008 global financial crisis over fears the coronavirus could wreak havoc on the world economy. Crude oil prices tumbled as well and analysts said central banks, especially the US Federal Reserve, might have to shift into crisis-resolution mode with urgent interest rate cuts. Frankfurt headed the losses in Europe, shedding almost 3.9 percent as the market closed. Leading European stock markets have lost more than 10 percent in just one week, with London’s FTSE 100, which fell by 3.4 percent on Friday, dropping 11.3 percent. Wall Street also had another difficult day, with the Dow finishing down 1.4 percent at 25,409.36, which meant a drop of more than 12 percent for the week. But US indices cut their losses after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell released a statement saying the US economy remains “strong” but vowing to “use our tools” to provide support if needed. The markets in Shanghai, Sydney and T

Pakistan’s hot favourite celebrity couple Sajal Aly and Ahad Raza Mir are all set to tie the knot soon.  The pair has already started sending out wedding invitations to friends and family as fans eagerly wait for one of the biggest celebrity weddings of the year. The actors invited British Deputy High Commissioner, Mike Nithavrianakis, to their big day, who took to Twitter to share that it was wonderful meeting them. Thank you! Hope to see you at the wedding @MikeNith1 https://t.co/YtOOYBJuhq — Sajal Ali (@Iamsajalali) February 28, 2020 “They’ve been ‘married’ on-screen several times. Now for the real deal. Best wishes to them both,” he wrote. The Mom actress thanked him and said “Hope to see you at the wedding.” Earlier, a photo of a cake which had ‘Ahad aur Sajal ki dholki’ written over it went viral. The lovebirds got engaged in July last year after dating for a while. The post Sajal Aly, Ahad Raza Mir are already sending out wedding invites appeared first on ARY

ISLAMABAD: In an order to prevent the spread of coronavirus cases in Pakistan, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Saturday installed modern thermal scanner at Islamabad airport for passengers coming from abroad, ARY News reported. According to details, the newly installed thermal scanner will automatically check fever and flu and more passengers will be scanned in less time. The scanner is able to evaluate suspicious coronavirus patients with 100 per cent accuracy. The installation of a thermal scanner comes after the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) last month announced to import three thermal scanners aimed at tackling coronavirus airports. “The imported scanners will be made available at the airports in Karachi, Islamabad, and Lahore,” he said. Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has strict safety measures at all airports of Pakistan following the emergence of two confirmed coronavirus cases in Pakistan. The CAA has also made submission of health dec

CHAGAI: Only Pakistani citizens stuck up in Iran will be allowed entry in Pakistan, the border authorities at the Taftan border said in a statement, ARY News reported on Saturday. The citizens of Iran and other countries will not be permitted entry in Pakistan from the border crossing, officials said. Pakistan has temporarily closed all the five entry points at the border with Iran — Taftan, Gwadar, Turbat, Panjgur and Washuk — as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Iran is struggling to contain the virus’ outbreak as the number of infected persons in the country rose to 388 cases and the tally of deaths rose to 38 on Friday — the highest outside China. The border officials have also clarified that only Iranian citizens will be allowed to return their country from Pakistan. Pakistani citizens returned from Iran last evening are being kept under quarantine, officials further said. Taftan border between Iran and Pakistan was temporarily ope

GUJRANWALA: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Saturday, arrested an accused involved in human trafficking in Gujranwala, ARY News reported. As per details, the Anti-Human Trafficking Cell of the FIA apprehended  accused namely, Adeel from Gujranwala, who along with his racket comprising his wife, Abdul Rehman and Shumaila, was involved in girls trafficking to Dubai. “The girls were forced to do illicit work,who were being sent to Dubai under disguise of offering jobs them”, the FIA officials said. The FIA authorities further said that the group was busted by two girls, who reached back to Pakistan from Dubai. According to the both girls, more than ten girls are stranded in Dubai, currently. In November, last year, the FIA had claimed to arrest six people including two human traffickers from Islamabad airport. the FIA had arrested two agents, Talha Shehzad and Jawad Ghani, involved in human trafficking in Islamabad, when they were flying with four people to  Qatar  via Cam

ISLAMABAD: Several cities of Punjab as well Peshawar and other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have received first rainfall of spring, ARY News reported on Saturday. Met Office has predicted that upper parts of KP, upper Punjab, Islamabad, Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan regions will receive more rain with wind-thunderstorm, snowfall and at some places hailstorm on Saturday under the influence of a westerly weather system. Several parts of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as Balochistan’s Sibi, Barkhan, Panjgur and Zhob, Sindh’s Larkana district, Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan regions received rainfall with wind and thunderstorm in a fresh spell of rainy weather. Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has also forecast more rainfall in upcoming month of March. In Punjab Murree received 46mm rainfall, while Layyah 30mm, Mangla and Jhang 28mm, Jhelum and Chakwal 26mm, Faisalabad 23mm, Toba Tek Singh 22mm, Rawalpindi 21mm, Hafizabad 20mm, Sahiwal 16mm and Lahore 15mm rainfall. In Khy

KARACHI: Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations reopened across Sindh on Saturday morning for 48 hours, ARY News reported. According to a spokesperson of Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), CNG will be available at the filling stations from 8:00 am on Saturday till Monday morning. The decision to open stations was announced after witnessing improvement in the gas pressure of SSGC, the spokesperson added. On Sunday, the SSGC announced to open the  CNG stations in the province  for 12-hours but later permitted them to remain open for 24 hours. It is pertinent to mention here that a 12-hour schedule was followed by the SSGC authorities during the past weeks in the province owing to a  shortage  in gas supply due to ongoing winter season. The post CNG supply resumes across Sindh for 48 hours appeared first on ARY NEWS .

Prominent Pakistani singer and actor Ali Zafar’s highly anticipated Pakistan Super League song will be out on Sunday. The singer took to social media on Friday to make the announcement. In a video message posted on his Instagram and Twitter, he said he is overwhelmed by the response he received and expressed gratitude to his fans. He had asked people to be a part of the video by copying his dance steps, recording it and sending him a video. The Dear Zindagi actor said people have sent him videos from different parts of the world including Paris and London and he is impressed by their dancing talent. He shared that his Gmail account had crashed due to a large number of mails he received during the last few days. UPDATE ! Video aa rahee hai. #bhaeehazirhai #cricket #anthem #pakistan pic.twitter.com/dHjK2xfsw6 — Ali Zafar (@AliZafarsays) February 28, 2020 He said the song and the video are expected to be released by Sunday evening. Ali also shared that he has been shootin

China on Saturday reported 47 more deaths from the new coronavirus, raising the death toll in the country to 2,835. The National Health Commission also tallied 427 new cases, an increase from the previous day, bringing the total number of infections to 79,251. One person died in Beijing and another in Henan province, while 45 died in Hubei. All but four of the new cases were in Hubei, and 420 were in its capital, Wuhan, where the virus is believed to have originated in a market that sold wild animals. While the number of new cases rose from 327 on Friday, they remain in the hundreds, far below the huge, daily increases that China was recording more than 10 days ago. The World Health Organization said earlier this week that there were now more daily cases abroad than in China. China has placed 56 million people in Hubei under strict quarantine for more than a month and limited crowds across the country in an unprecedented effort to contain the virus. Officials say the country ha

LAGOS: The sight of discarded plastic bottles and bags floating in the open drains of Nigeria’s megacity Lagos moved visual artist Adeyemi Emmanuel to despair. So one day last year he began collecting bits of discarded plastic and used them to make a backpack. Seeing a way to raise environmental awareness in fashion-conscious Nigeria, Emmanuel in November launched a line of bags, wallets and gift boxes made of 20% leather and around 80% plastic waste, called ECO. He collects chips of used plastic by hand, such as leftovers from picture frames, primarily from craft workshops. He then shapes them to fit his designs, spraypaints them and incorporates them into basic leather bags that he finds in second hand markets or gets from specialist leather shops. “I just keyed myself into creating something out of that waste,” said the 23-year-old, whose main job is a sculptor. The bags sell for between 8,000 and 30,000 naira ($22-$83) via Emmanuel’s Instagram account where his creations are s

LONDON: Britain’s Prince Harry and singer Jon Bon Jovi recreated one of the Beatles’ best-known album covers on Friday, walking across the zebra crossing outside Abbey Road recording studios in north London. Harry was at the studio to meet the singer and members of a military veterans’ choir in one of his last engagements as a senior member of the royal family. As countless Beatles fans have done since the 1969 release of the Abbey Road  album, the pair walked across the black and white pedestrian crossing, this time led by a military veteran in a wheelchair. Earlier, a video of the two wearing headphones, with Bon Jovi strumming a guitar before beginning to sing was posted on the official Instagram page of Harry and his American wife Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The couple announced in January that they would step down from their duties as senior royals, spend more time in North America and aim to become financially independent. The Invictus Games Choir, who are recor

LOS ANGELES: Filming of Netflix Inc’s big-budget Dwayne Johnson movie Red Notice  had been scheduled to move to Italy in the coming weeks, but producers now are exploring other locations due to the coronavirus outbreak in the country, a source close to the production told Reuters on Friday. The possibility of relocating that portion of the production is not expected to force a hiatus in filming of the movie, which also stars Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds and Wonder Woman  actress Gal Gadot, the source said. Netflix has not announced a release date, and the company had no comment on production locations. Red Notice  is a global crime thriller about an Interpol agent who tracks the world’s most-wanted art thief. It is among the streaming service’s most-expensive movies to date with a budget of roughly $160 million, Hollywood trade publication Variety reported. Production on Red Notice  is currently underway in Atlanta, the location that had been planned to host the bulk of filming.

Washington and the Taliban are set to sign a long-sought deal in Doha on Saturday that would see the two foes agree to the withdrawal of thousands of US troops from Afghanistan in return for insurgent guarantees. The agreement, which could herald the start of a new era for Afghanistan after decades of conflict, is expected to also lead to a dialogue between the Kabul government and the Taliban that, if successful, could ultimately see the Afghan war wind down. But the position of the Afghan government, which has been excluded from direct US-Taliban talks, remains unclear and the country is gripped by a fresh political crisis amid contested election results. The deal, drafted over a tempestuous year of dialogue marked by the abrupt cancellation of the effort by US President Donald Trump in September, is expected to lay out a timetable for a US force withdrawal. “There’s been so much speculation about the contents of the deal… we know the broad outlines but it’s not even clear wheth

QATAR: Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mehmood Qureshi will attend the signing ceremony of peace agreement between the United States and Afghan Taliban as representative of Pakistan in Doha today (Saturday). Representatives from fifty countries, including foreign ministers of different countries, will attend the signing ceremony of the agreement. Meanwhile, talking to Pakistani community in Qatar, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said peace agreement between the United States and Afghan Taliban will open new avenues of development in the region. He said peace in Afghanistan will open up our links with Central Asia. FM Qureshi said with peace and stability, there will be numerous opportunities for promoting bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Read more: FM Qureshi says Int’l community lauded Pakistan’s role in Afghan peace process He said peace in Afghanistan will enable Pakistan to benefit from the CASA 1000 power project and overcome the energy crisis in the coun

KASUR: Five people were killed and nine others were severely wounded as boiler of a factory, situated in Kasur district, exploded here on Saturday. According to the police, the incident took place in the area of Phool Nagar. The boiler explosion claimed lives of five labourers and injured nine others. The injured were rushed to a nearby medical facility in critical condition by the rescue teams. Identities of the dead and injured could not be ascertained , according to the initial reports. Read more:  Two labourers killed in Lahore factory boiler explosion In the month of February 2017, more than 20 people were injured when a factory boiler exploded in Sheikhupura. A boiler of a factory — located near Khanpur– had exploded, due to which 20 people suffered burns. A portion of the factory building also collapsed following the explosion. Rescue sources had said that 20 injured were rushed to District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) Sheikhupura for medical treatment. The post Factory

UN chief Antonio Guterres on Friday described an increase in fighting in northwest Syria that killed dozens of Turkish troops as “one of the most alarming moments” of the nine-year-old war and – along with most UN Security Council members – called for a ceasefire. The 15-member Security Council met on Friday after 33 Turkish soldiers were killed in Idlib, one of the deadliest attack suffered by Turkey’s army in nearly 30 years. “We call for the Russian Federation to immediately ground its warplanes and we call for all Syrian forces and their Russian backers to withdraw to the ceasefire lines first established in 2018,” U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Kelly Craft, told the council. Turkey and Russia gave opposing accounts to the Security Council of what happened. Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Turkish troops shared coordinates with Russia, which were then given to Syrian government forces, to avoid conflict on the ground. He said Russian warplanes were not prov

KARACHI: Chief Minister (CM) Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah has on Saturday expressed deep grief and sorrow over the Rohri railway station accident, ARY News reported. Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed the provincial health department to ensure provision of best medical to the injured of the accident.  Emergency has been imposed in hospitals of Khairpur district. At least 19 people lost their lives and more than 30 sustained injuries as Pakistan Express train collided with a passenger bus at a railway crossing near Rohri railway station. Police officials and rescue teams rushed at the scene immediately and commenced relief activities. Police said that 19 persons died and more than 30 people were wounded in the incident. Read more: At least 73 dead, scores injured as fire engulfs three bogies of Tezgam Express Rescue activists shifted affected people to the hospital. The wounded persons include Khurram Mumtaz (25-year-old), Faisal s/o Jawaid (35), Habibullah (48), Abu Fazl s/o Muhammad

LAHORE: After the emergence of confirmed coronavirus case in Sindh, the Punjab govt spokesperson Nadeem Qureshi on Friday said the government was fully prepared to combat the spread of Coronavirus in the province, ARY News reported. All possible measures were being taken by Punjab govt to counter the spread of coronavirus while Chief Minister Usman Buzdar is himself monitoring all preparations, said Qureshi in a statement. He appealed the nation not to spread panic and fake news on social media about the coronavirus as both things were not in the better interest of the country. Instead of creating panic or worrying, people should take precautions, he said and urged the people to visit hospitals if they start experiencing any of the symptoms. Special Assistant on National Health Services, Dr Zafar Mirza on Thursday night had said that both patients of coronavirus in the country are stable and improving. In a tweet, he said contacts of patients have been traced and tested and found