Siasat Wala Blog

KARACHI: The traders of tires staged a protest demonstration at the University Road near Old Sabzi Mandi over the alleged raid of Customs on Sunday, ARY News reported. The protesting traders blocked both the tracks of the University Roads. A massive traffic jam was reported in the area. The traders of tires alleged that two of the shopkeepers were injured in an alleged raid of the Customs. Meanwhile, the sources within Customs said that the raid was conducted over the information on the presence of the smuggled tires in the market. The raid was conducted after fulfillment of all the legal requirements, the sources said. On the other hand, the local police of the area stated that they were not informed about the raid by the Customs authorities. We are investigating the matter and a case would be registered on the complaint of the traders, the police authorities said. According to the traders, a shopkeeper got injured in the alleged firing of Customs officials, and two others were

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has departed for Gilgit Baltistan (GB) where he will participate and address the National Day celebrations of the region, ARY News reported on Sunday. PM Imran Khan is accompanied by Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda during the visit to Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). PM Imran Khan will also review the development work on Diamer Bhasha Dam and visit Astore National Park. The spokesperson of the GB chief minister, Faizullah Firaq said that November 1 is the independence day of Gilgit Baltistan. He said that PM Imran Khan and GB interim chief minister will pay a visit to Yadgar-e-Shuhada and lay floral wreath on the graves at the monument of martyrs. The post PM Imran Khan departs for Gilgit Baltistan appeared first on ARY NEWS .

LAHORE: Renowned Pakistani singer Jawad Ahmad has tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Sunday, ARY News reported.  Jawad Ahmad after testing positive has quarantined himself at his home as a precautionary measure. Earlier on Saturday, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Zaidi and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader and Senator Musadik Malik tested positive for coronavirus. According to details, PML-N leader Musadik Malik in his message on Twitter had said that, I have just received my COVID-19 result, unfortunately, I am coronavirus positive. Read more: PTI’s Ali Zaidi, PML-N’s Musadik Malik test positive for COVID-19 On the other hand, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs had also tested positive for coronavirus. In his statement on Twitter he had said that he has quarantine himself after testing positive for virus. The post Pakistani singer Jawad Ahmad tests positive for coronavirus appeared first on ARY NEWS .

A company, Klein Vision, has managed to transform a car into an aeroplane in Slovakia after 30 years of research and development on a prototype, called ‘AirCar’. The company run by Professor Stefan Klein made the announcement for the completion of successful test flights of the two-seat AirCar that weighs 1,100 kg and can carry an additional load of 200 kg. Klein Vision released some impressive footage of the test flights of the fifth generation of the product. Interestingly, the company wrote on Youtube about the futuristic car, “The latest generation of flying car developed by KleinVision company transforms from road vehicle into air vehicle in less than 3-minutes,” The video showed that AirCar while barreling down the road before transforming into a plane and taking to the skies. The vehicle is powered by a BMW 1.6l engine giving the car-plane an effective power output of 140HP. According to Klein Vision, the estimated travel range of the AirCar is 1,000km with a flight con

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reported 17 deaths in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus, taking the nationwide tally of fatalities to 6,823, ARY News reported on Sunday. According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), 977 fresh infections emerged during this period, lifting the national tally of cases to 333,970. Around 27,655 samples were tested during last 24 hours across the country. There are a total of 12,592 active cases of the coronavirus as 314,555 patients have so far recuperated from the disease. Thus far, Sindh has reported 145,851 cases, followed by Punjab reporting 104,271 cases while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported 39,564, Balochistan 15,920, Islamabad 19,970, Gilgit Baltistan 4,261 and Azad Jammu and Kashmir 4,133. Read more:   11 more die of coronavirus, 807 test positive in Pakistan 648 of the patients under treatment in hospitals across the country are said to be in critical condition. On Saturday, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Cov

MUSCAT: Fuel prices for November have been announced by the Ministry of Energy and Minerals Oman on Saturday, according to Times of Oman. An official from the Ministry of Energy and Minerals confirmed to Times of Oman that the fuel prices for November 2020 as below: M95 at 194 baisa per litre, the price of M91 has been fixed at 183 baisa per litre while the new rate of Diesel will be 209 baisa per litre It may be noted that the fuel prices in October were: M95 at 194 baisa per litre, M91 at 183 baisa per litre and the Diesel at 209 baisa per litre. Oil posted a double-digit weekly fall on continued concern over the economic impact of rising global coronavirus infections and ahead of Tuesday’s US presidential election. US crude fell 1.38% to $35.67 per barrel and Brent was at $37.45, down 0.53% on the day. Both fell over 10% this week alone. The oil weakness led to a sell-off of some commodity-linked currencies, including the Russian rouble. The post Fuel prices for November ann

Several US retail pharmacy chains have agreed to serve as COVID-19 vaccination sites under a federal government plan, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. A plan by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed companies who have agreed to participate include Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc, CVS Health Corp, Walmart Inc, Kroger Co and Costco Wholesale Corp, the report here said. The government would provide the vaccines to the pharmacies free of charge, the Wall Street Journal report said, to help expand and accelerate the public’s access to vaccines as supplies increase. The pharmacies would be involved in the second phase of the planned vaccine rollout in the United States, the report said, with the first phase targeted at healthcare workers and others at high risk of infection. The companies involved in the plan and the CDC did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The post US signs up pharmacy chains as COVID-19 vaccination centres: report a

NEW YORK: Johnson & Johnson plans to start testing its experimental COVID-19 vaccine in youths aged 12 to 18 as soon as possible, and the company’s previous experience with the same technology in a vaccine successfully used in children could give it a leg up with regulators. “We plan to go into children as soon as we possibly can, but very carefully in terms of safety,” J&J’s Dr. Jerry Sadoff told a virtual meeting of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Friday. Depending on safety and other factors, the company plans to test in even younger children afterwards, said Sadoff, a vaccine research scientist at J&J’s Janssen unit, without giving a timeline. J&J said in a statement that it is currently in discussions with regulators and partners regarding the inclusion of the pediatric population in its trials. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said it is important for drugmakers to test their

Full House actress Lori Loughlin began a two-month prison sentence for her role in a vast college admissions fraud scheme to help her daughters gain entry into a top US university, a prison official said on Friday. Loughlin, 56, reported to a low-security federal correctional institution in Dublin, California, a spokesperson for the prison said by phone. After initially fighting the charges, Loughlin and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. Prosecutors said Loughlin and Giannulli paid $500,000 in bribes to secure spots for their daughters at the University of Southern California (USC) as fake athletic recruits for the school’s crew team even though neither rowed competitively. The celebrity parents were among 56 people charged in a scheme masterminded by consultant William “Rick” Singer, who has admitted to facilitating cheating on college entrance exams and using bribery to secure admission to elite

Celebrations are in order for Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik as they celebrate the second birthday of their son, Izhaan Mirza Malik over the weekend.  The doting mother took to Instagram to share a heartfelt birthday wish for her little one, posting an adorable photo of him and their family. “Happy birthday to this boy who lights up my world… Who is my world and who changed my world,” wrote Sania.   View this post on Instagram   Happy birthday to this boy who lights up my world.. who is my world and who changed my world We love you so much my baby boy.. you give us so much unconditional love,happiness ,laughs and cuddles that it fills up our heart.. may Allah guide you and give you everything you wish for ever.. We love you more than anything or anyone in this world @izhaan.mirzamalik A post shared by Sania Mirza (@mirzasaniar) on Oct 30, 2020 at 12:43am PDT “We love you so much, my baby boy… You give us so much unconditional love, happiness l

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday 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.” My condolences to President Erdogan & the people of Turkey on the loss of precious lives in Izmir earthquake. 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 — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) October 31, 2020 Also Read: FM Qureshi dials Turkish counterpart, offers help Nineteen people were killed in Turkey and Greece after a strong earthquake struck the Aegean Sea on Friday, bringing buildings crashing down and setting off tidal waves which slammed into coastal areas and

KARACHI: The federal government has move ahead with regard to its decisions on Sindh’s islands and it seems the resolutions of Sindh and Balochistan assemblies on the matter having no impact on the matter, ARY News reported. Contentious Pakistan Islands Development Authority (PIDA), has started work over Buddo and Bundal islands near Karachi. The date of tender for environmental studies for the project has been extended. The PIDA has extended the date for the parties to submit their expression of interest till November 10. Prime Minister Imran Khan had earlier directed the authorities concerned to conduct prior environmental studies and ensure the conservation of natural resources before launching development work on the islands. The federal government triggered a political uproar after taking direct control of two islands previously under the government of Sindh. The Sindh and Balochistan provincial legislatures had expressed their opposition by passing resolutions against the p

LAHORE: Senior politician Abdul Qadir Baloch has decided to resign as Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Balochistan president over having differences with top leadership of the political party, citing sources, ARY News reported on Saturday. Sources told ARY News that Abdul Qadir Baloch decided to tender his resignation from the top slot of PML-N Balochistan chapter after the top leadership rejected to invite former chief minister Sanaullah Zehri in the protest rally of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) .  It emerged that Abdul Qadir Baloch will make an announcement for tendering his resignation in a press conference. Read: Estranged PML-N MPA says ‘cannot support Nawaz Sharif’s narrative’ The differences have emerged between PML-N central leadership and Baloch when he insisted to invite Sanaullah Zehri in the PDM’s rally in Quetta. Sources said that PML-N senior vice president Shahid Khaqan Abbasi rejected to invite Zehri in the rally as he was not a part of the ongoing mo

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi telephoned his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu on Saturday and expressed deep sorrow and grief over the loss of lives and property in Friday’s earthquake in Turkey. He conveyed his condolences to the families of the deceased in the Izmir earthquake and prayed for early recovery of the injured. Also Read: Strong earthquake kills 19 people in Turkey and Greek islands FM Qureshi said the Pakistan government and the entire Pakistani nation stand by their Turkish brethren in this difficult moment, and they are ready to extend every sort of help. He extended Pakistan’s offer to dispatch relief teams and field hospitals for rehabilitation of quake-affected people. The Turkish FM thanked on behalf of his leadership to the president, the prime minister and the people of Pakistan for best wishes and the offer of assistance. He said the Turkish government is utilising all out resources for relief of the quake-hit people. Also Read: Izmi

Black Widow star Scarlett Johansson has married her Saturday Night Live  fiance, Colin Jost, in a low-key ceremony. News of the wedding was announced on Thursday by the charity Meals on Wheels, which said the couple was supporting the group’s efforts to help elderly people during the coronavirus pandemic. “We’re thrilled to break the news that Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost were married over the weekend in an intimate ceremony with their immediate family and love ones, following Covid-19 safety precautions,” Meals on Wheels America said on its Instagram account. “Their wedding wish is to help make a difference for vulnerable older adults during this difficult time,” the charity said, asking fans of the couple to make a donation.     View this post on Instagram   We’re thrilled to break the news that Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost were married over the weekend in an intimate ceremony with their immediate family and loved ones, following COVI

LAHORE: The accountability court has served show-cause notices to the government and police officers over failing to produce Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shehbaz in the hearing of Ramzan Sugar Mills case, ARY News reported on Saturday. The show-cause notices have been served to secretary home department, Superintendent Central Jail, Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO), Superintendent Police (SP) headquarters and other officers. The officials were directed to appear in the next hearing to clarify their positions for not producing Hamza Shehbaz in the hearing on Saturday. Moreover, the accountability court’s judge termed the report presented by the jail superintendent ‘unsatisfactory’. The judge remarked that it is a sensitive matter and such attitude of accused persons poses dangers to the judicial system. Read: Ramzan Sugar Mills case: Hamza Shehbaz rejects travelling by bullet-proof van The judge hinted contempt of court action against the responsible

KARACHI: The Pakistan Coast Guards (PCG) in an operation rescued nine passengers and crew of a boat stranded off Kaemari, ARY News reported on Saturday. The Coast Guards Marine Wing conducted a rescue operation in sea and saved nine passengers of a fishing boat, Al-Daniyal, a spokesperson said. The boat was stranded in the sea after its engine failed and the vessel could likely to capsize in the sea, PCG spokesperson said. The PCG marine wing timely intervened and sent a rescue boat to help the stranded boatmen, according to the spokesman. “Nine passengers and crew of the boat have been shifted to the Kemari coast,” the spokesman added. The post Karachi: Coast Guards rescue boat passengers stranded in sea appeared first on ARY NEWS .

ISLAMABAD: The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) on Saturday recommended up to Rs2 decrease in prices of petroleum products for the month of November, reported ARY News. 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. The post Prices of petroleum produc

ISLAMABAD: The monthly report on ongoing crackdowns against hoarders and profiteers in Punjab with the assistance of Tiger Force volunteers was presented in a session jointly chaired by the provincial chief secretary and Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Youth Affairs Usman Dar, ARY News reported on Saturday. It is noteworthy to mention here that the provincial authorities conducted crackdowns across Punjab over the reports of Tiger Force volunteers and seized hoardings of essential commodities including wheat, sugar, flour and ghee worth millions. The session was attended by secretary industries Zafar Iqbal and Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) and other high-level officials. Read: Raids conducted in KP after Punjab to curb inflation, hoarding During the session, the monthly report on crackdowns against hoarders in Punjab was presented. It stated that that the authorities seized different commodities from hoarders worth over Rs144 million besides imposing heavy fi

PESHAWAR: A senior medic died after being diagnosed with the novel coronavirus in Peshawar. The Provincial Doctors Association (PDA) confirmed the news. Dr Sultan Zeb was being treated at Hayatabad Medical Complex in Peshawar and was on a ventilator. He was shifted to the hospital after his health deteriorated earlier this week. The PDA said the coronavirus has claimed the lives of 20 doctors and 40 health workers in the province. Since the pandemic began, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reported 39,458 cases of the virus. Earlier today, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Covid-19 decided to enlist the help of the public to enforce the government-defined SOPs to address the coronavirus pandemic. Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar , who heads the NCOC, today tweeted: “With arrival of the 2nd wave & continued widescale violation of sop’s, NCOC has decided to seek citizens help for sop compliance.” He asked people to take a picture wherever they see any SOP vio

KARACHI: Most of the country experiencing dry weather and temperatures going down as winter knocking the door in Pakistan. Cold weather will likely to prevail in northern parts of the country on Saturday (today), Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said in its weather report. Dry weather with cool night and hazy morning is likely to prevail in Karachi and other parts of Sindh. According to the weather report, Karachi would have cool night and sunny day, while the maximum temperature will remain between 34–36 ºCelsius and minimum at 17.5 Celsius. The wind direction will be Northerly/Northeasterly becoming Westerly/Northwesterly in the port city. Most parts of Balochistan experiencing dry weather, and the mercury goes down in mountainous region of the province. Minimum temperature today recorded at Leh with minus-05 temperature, while minus-2 at Kalat and Skardu and minus one Celsius at Kalam, according to the weather report. The post Dry weather prevails in most parts of co

KARACHI: A sessions court on Saturday granted exemption from personal appearance to retired Captain Muhammad Safdar, the son-in-law of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, in a case pertaining to sloganeering at Quaid-e-Azam’s mausoleum. Safdar Awan’s lawyers appeared in court and filed a plea on his behalf, requesting the court to grant him exemption from personal appearance in hearing as he was out of the city, due to which he could not turn up. Also Read: Sindh body to probe Safdar’s arrest, IG Sindh issue, holds session Granting him exemption, the court directed Safdar Awan to appear before it on next hearing. It also directed the investigation officer to submit an interim charge sheet in the case within three days. On October 19, PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz’s husband was arrested from a private hotel in Karachi on charges of sloganeering at Quaid-e-Azam’s tomb and later released on bail. Also Read: Man behind sloganeering case against Safdar moves SHC for bail A civil

LAHORE: 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, ARY News reported on Saturday. 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. Read: Court issues order on Hamza Shehbaz’s plea for facilities in jail 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 p

ISLAMABAD: The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Covid-19 has decided to enlist the help of the public to enforce the government-defined SOPs to address the coronavirus pandemic. Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar, who heads the NCOC, today tweeted: “With arrival of the 2nd wave & continued widescale violation of sop’s, NCOC has decided to seek citizens help for sop compliance.” Also Read: Pakistan’s Covid positivity rate exceeds 3% after 70 days He asked people to take a picture wherever they see any SOP violations, including those of mask-wearing and social distancing rules, and send it on Whatsapp number 0335-3336262 along with its location for authorities to take legal action. With arrival of the 2nd wave & continued widescale violation of sop’s, NCOC has decided to seek citizens help for sop compliance. Wherever you see violations taking place..Mask wearing in crowded places, social distancing.. Take a pic & send to 0335 3336262 alongwith l

LAHORE: An anti-narcotics court in Lahore has adjourned the hearing of drug recovery case against Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah and directed the prosecution to continue arguments on November 21, ARY News reported on Saturday. The anti-narcotics court conducted the hearing of drug recovery case against Rana Sanaullah and others. The accused persons appeared before the court. The defence counsel pleaded the court to adjourn the hearing as Azam Nazeer Tarar was residing in Islamabad. The lawyer requested to fix the date of hearing post-election of Punjab Bar Council scheduled on November 28. Sanaullah’s lawyer also pleaded to unfreeze bank accounts of his client. During the hearing, Rana Sanaullah told the court that national identity cards of his family were also blocked. Read: Attempted murder case filed against Rana Sanaullah, others The prosecutor argued that the accused persons have always gotten the date of hearing of their own choice. Later, the

People in Shanghai’s Huangpu district were earlier this month amazed by an unusual sight: a “walking” five-storey building. The 85-year-old Lagena Primary School was lifted off the ground and relocated using a newly developed “walking machine,” which is composed of nearly 200 mobile supports developed by Shanghai Evolution Shift. The technology is aimed to help move large buildings as part of efforts to preserve the city’s historic structures. Lan Wuji, chief technical supervisor of the project, said the supports act as robotic legs that emulate the way human legs move.  “It’s like giving the building crutches so it can stand up and then walk,” he said. The building was relocated to make room for a commercial and office complex due to be completed in 2023. Previously, building relocation efforts involved structures that were square or rectangular, but the school’s irregular T-shape posed a new challenge of coming up with unusual methods as experts believed the usual techniques

IZMIR, Turkey: Nineteen people were killed in Turkey and Greece after a strong earthquake struck the Aegean Sea on Friday, bringing buildings crashing down and setting off tidal waves which slammed into coastal areas and islands. People ran onto streets in panic in the Turkish city of Izmir, witnesses said, after the quake struck with a magnitude of up to 7.0. Neighbourhoods were deluged with surging seawater which swept debris inland and left fish stranded as it receded. Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) said 17 people died, one due to drowning, while 709 people were injured. On the Greek island of Samos two teenagers, a boy and a girl, were found dead in an area where a wall had collapsed. Search and rescue operations continued at 17 collapsed or damaged buildings in Izmir, AFAD said. Authorities were setting up tents with a total capacity of 2,000 people near areas with the highest damage, Urbanisation Minister Murat Kurum said. Ilke Cide, a doctoral

ISLAMABAD: 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. Also Read: China’s Clover applies for Philippines COVID-19 vaccine trial 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. Also Read: US breaks daily record for coronavirus cases with over 91,000 new infections 669 of the patients under treatment in hospitals across the country are said to be in critical condition. The post 11 more die of corona

A vehicle has been developed in Slovakia which can transform itself from a car to an actual airplane within three minutes. The vehicle, named Air Car, took its first test flight of late, flying 1500 feet in the air. A Slovak company, called Klein Vision, posted a video showing a futuristic-looking white car being driven down the runway. It pulls up after some time and its wings start to come out from the vehicle. Then it takes off and soars into the air. This invention was the brainchild of Professor Stefan Klein. The car is a two-seater and weighs about 2,425 pounds (1099 kg) and can carry around 440 pounds (200 kg) of additional load. The vehicle needs a special runway that is around 984 ft for hassle-free take-off and landing. A famous BOEING expert, Dr Branko Sarh, said the ‘Air Car’ has excellent features and is extremely spacious inside the cockpit as well. The company plans to put the flight on sale within the next six months. The post WATCH: ‘Flying car’ takes first tes

KARACHI: As many as 237 fresh cases of COVID-19 were reported in Sindh province on Friday during the last 24 hours, bringing the tally of the virus cases in one of the most affected province of the country to 145,475 cases, ARY NEWS reported quoting Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah. “Five people also lost their lives owing to COVID-19,” the chief minister said during a routine daily briefing on the virus as the overall death toll in the province has reached upto 2,625. He further said that 82 people have recovered from the virus in the past 24 hours, bring the total recoveries to 138,428. Murad Ali Shah said that currently there are 4,422 active virus patients in the province of which 180 patients are in critical condition while 30 have been put on ventilators. Detailing the cases reported from Karachi, he said that the city reported 134 cases during the past 24 hours. Pakistan’s COVID-19 cases Pakistan witnessed more than 1,000 cases of the coronavirus over the past 24 hours

SINGAPORE: Global oil prices fell more than 1% on Friday, extending losses and on track for a second monthly fall, on growing concerns that the rise in COVID-19 cases in Europe and the United States could hurt fuel consumption. Brent crude slipped for a third day and was down 60 cents, 1.6%, at $37.05 a barrel by 0720 GMT after touching a five-month low in the previous session. December Brent contract expires on Friday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude declined 53 cents, or 1.5%, to $35.64 a barrel after dipping to its lowest since June on Thursday. Prices had swung between parity and a more than 2% decline during Friday’s session as the “market is anxious” over renewed lockdowns in Europe and U.S. elections next week, a Singapore-based oil trader said. OCBC’s economist Howie Lee said: “Selling pressure is piling up again.” “Numbers don’t look good fundamentally and lockdowns not helping.” The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies including R

WASHINGTON: The group of Russian hackers accused of meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election earlier this year targeted the email accounts of Democratic state parties in California and Indiana, and influential think tanks in Washington and New York, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The attempted intrusions, many of which were internally flagged by Microsoft Corp over the summer, were carried out by a group often nicknamed “Fancy Bear.” The hackers’ activity provides insight into how Russian intelligence is targeting the United States in the run-up to the Nov. 3 election. The targets identified by Reuters, which include the Center for American Progress, the Council on Foreign Relations and the Washington-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said they had not seen any evidence of successful hacking attempts. Fancy Bear is controlled by Russia’s military intelligence agency and was responsible for hacking the email accounts of Hillary Clinton’s sta