NCOC starts rolling back COVID-19 restrictions from cities with 60% vaccination rate

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has decided to roll back all COVID-19 related restrictions from cities where at least 60% of the population has gotten itself vaccinated against the disease, it emerged on Saturday.

The decision was made in an NCOC meeting headed by Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Asad Umar after reviewing progress in vaccination campaigns in various cities.

In its statement, the NCOC declared Islamabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Gilgit and Mirpur as “Best Cities” for achieving vaccination of 60% of their population.

Rawalpindi, Skardu, Hunza, Peshawar, Jhelum and other cities have been declared “vaccinated” as 40% to 60% of the population in the cities has gotten the coronavirus shot.

All virus-related curbs have been abolished from marriage ceremonies, social gatherings, businesses, indoor dining and sports activities in cities with a 60% vaccination rate. All public transport will be allowed to function with an occupancy level of 100% in these cities.

However, in the rest of the cites, prevailing COVID-19 restrictions on marriage ceremonies, gatherings and sports activities will remain in force, at least till November 15. Public transport will be allowed to function with a maximum occupancy level of 80% in these cities.

The decision will be reviewed on November 12.

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Daily COVID-19 case count in Pakistan under 1,000 for two straight weeks

Pakistan reported 733 more COVID-19 infections during the last 24 hours, pushing the nationwide tally of confirmed cases to 1,273,078, the National Command and Operation Centre’s (NCOC) data showed Sunday morning.

According to the NCOC's latest statistics, 733 people tested positive for the virus after 48,192 COVID-19 tests were taken across the country during the last 24 hours. This brings the positivity rate to 1.52%.

Meanwhile, the coronavirus claimed another 11 lives in Pakistan during the same period, taking the national death toll from the virus to 28,449. The number of active cases now stands at 23,094.

The country has reported a daily case count of less than 1,000 for the 14th consecutive day today (Sunday). Moreover, the country reported a positivity rate below 2% for the 14th straight day today as well.

Pakistan is reporting 628 new infections on average each day, 11% of the peak — the highest daily average reported on June 17.

Pakistan has administered at least 103,514,198 doses of COVID vaccines so far. Assuming every person needs 2 doses, that’s enough to have vaccinated about 23.9% of the country’s population.

During the last week reported, Pakistan averaged about 621,689 doses administered each day. At that rate, it will take a further 70 days to administer enough doses for another 10% of the population.

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T20 WC 2021: England beats Australia by 8 wickets

Jos Buttler's unbeaten 71 and inspired bowling by Chris Woakes powered England to an eight-wicket over Australia and close in on a semi-final spot at the Twenty20 World Cup on Saturday.

Buttler put on an opening stand of 66 with Jason Roy, who made 22, as England romped home to their victory target of 126 in 11.4 overs in Dubai.

Buttler smashed five fours and five sixes in his 32-ball knock to drive England to their third successive win in the Super 12 stage.

Woakes and Chris Jordan shared five wickets between them to help bowl Australia out for 125 after they elected to field first.

Woakes sent the dangerous David Warner trudging back to the pavilion, caught behind for one, to signal his intent after England elected to bowl in the Super 12 contest in Dubai.

Woakes then removed Glenn Maxwell and returned figures of 2-7 from his first three overs of excellent seam bowling and in between took a superb catch to see off Steve Smith for one.

Fellow quick Chris Jordan (3-17) returned impressive figures of 3-17 to flatten the Australian batting despite a fighting 44 by skipper Aaron Finch.

Australia fell to a precarious 51-5 after leg spinner Adil Rashid trapped Marcus Stoinis lbw for nought and Liam Livingstone claimed the wicket of Matthew Wade, for 18.

Finch counter-attacked as he took on Tymal Mills and Jordan for a few boundaries.

He put on 47 runs with Ashton Agar, who made a run-a-ball 20, to give some respectability to the total.

The left-handed Agar hit two straight sixes off Woakes' fourth over but fell to Mills while attempting another big hit.

Jordan came back firing to dismiss Finch and Pat Cummins, who had the first two balls of his three-ball stay over the fence, on successive balls. Adam Zampa avoided the hat-trick.

Mills gave away 45 runs from his four overs but got Mitchell Starc out on the final ball of the innings to bowl out the Aussies.

In reply, England started solidly before Zampa trapped Roy lbw, after an appeal the on-field umpire denied but Australia successfully reviewed.

Agar had Dawid Malan caught behind for eight with his left-arm spin but the wicket proved only a minor bump on England's road to victory.

Buttler kept punishing the bowling, raising his half-century with a six. He had Jonny Bairstow, who hit the winning runs, for company till the end.

England stay top of group 1 with six points ahead of Australia and South Africa, who edged out Sri Lanka in the first match of the day.

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Three shot dead during nationwide protests against Sudan coup

Military forces shot dead three people during nationwide protests in Sudan on Saturday, medics said, as tens of thousands of people demanded the restoration of a civilian-led government after a military coup.

Sudan’s Central Doctors Committee said the three protesters were killed by troops in the capital Khartoum’s twin city of Omdurman during the nationwide protests after a military coup.

But Sudanese police denied shooting the protesters, saying on state TV that one policeman sustained gunshot wounds.

People carried Sudanese flags and chanted “Military rule can’t be praised” and “This country is ours, and our government is civilian” as they marched in neighbourhoods across the capital.

The protesters have called for a return to a path to democracy and rejected military measures and demanded the release of detainees.

According to Sudan TV, Sudanese security forces closed the majority of main roads and bridges in Khartoum, with the exception of the Halfaya and Soba bridges.

People also took to the streets in cities in central, eastern, northern and western Sudan. Crowds swelled to the hundreds of thousands in Khartoum, said a Reuters witness.

“The people have delivered their message, that retreat is impossible and power belongs to the people,” said protester Haitham Mohamed.

“This has been a miscalculation from the start and misunderstanding of the level of commitment, bravery, and concern the street has about the future of Sudan,” said Jonas Horner of the International Crisis Group.

Civilian-appointed cabinet ministers supported the protests in a statement, and said the military “will not find free Sudanese or true democratic revolutionary forces to be their partners in power.”

In central Khartoum on Saturday there was a heavy military deployment of armed troops that included the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Tens of thousands of Sudanese this week protested General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s removal of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s cabinet on Monday, in a military takeover that triggered a deadly crackdown against protesters and led Western states to freeze hundreds of millions of dollars in aid.

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Prime Minister Imran Khan rejects summary seeking an increase in the applicable petrol prices

The prime minister has turned down an Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority summary seeking an increase in fuel prices by up to Rs11.53 per litre from November 1, a notification from PM House said Saturday.

The notification said the decision had been taken in the national interest and to "provide relief to the public."The government is prioritising relief for the citizens instead of passing on the impact of global inflationary pressures," an Urdu version of the statement read.

"The additional burden of higher prices, as suggested by OGRA, which would have been transferred to the citizenry, will instead be borne by the government," it added.

The government had last increased the per litre cost of petrol by Rs10.49 and high-speed diesel by Rs12.44 on October 16 for the next fortnight.

Earlier reports had suggested that the government may increase petrol prices by up to Rs6.5 per litre for the next 15 days, while the rates of diesel may go up by Rs8.

The statement from PM House said OGRA had in fact suggested a Rs11.53 increase in the per litre price of petrol, a Rs8.49 increase in the price of high-speed diesel, Rs6.29 increase in the price of kerosene oil, and a Rs5.72 increase in the price of light diesel.

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Israel fired missiles towards Damascus suburbs, says Syria

Missiles fired from Israel towards suburbs of the capital, Damascus, have been intercepted by Syria’s air defences, state media reported. According to a military statement by the Syrian air defences, the missiles targeted sites in countryside around Damascus and destroyed some of them, state media SANA said.

Two soldiers were injured and some material losses occurred, the statement added.

“The Israeli enemy fired a salvo of surface-to-surface missiles from northern occupied Palestine targeting positions near Damascus,” SANA said, quoting an unnamed military official.

“Our anti-aircraft defences were activated and were able to hit some of the enemy missiles.”

An Israeli military spokesperson said: “We do not comment on reports in the foreign media.”

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said Saturday’s raid destroyed arms and ammunition depots belonging to Iranian forces and allied militias in Qudssaya and Dimas.

Israel has attacked these positions in the past.

On October 14, an Israeli air raid on Iranian positions in central Syria killed nine fighters allied to the Syrian government.

The attacks came days after Syria accused Israel of carrying out an attack in the country’s south.

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BAP's Mir Jan Muhammad Jamali elected as Balochistan speaker unopposed

Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) chief organiser Mir Jan Mohammad Jamali was elected unopposed as the Balochistan Assembly speaker on Saturday as no nomination papers were filed for any other candidate, the provincial assembly's secretary said.

The post had fallen vacant earlier this week after the previous speaker Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo stepped down as he was being considered for the office of the province's chief executive. Bizenjo was sworn in as the Balochistan chief minister on Friday.

Balochistan Assembly secretary Tahir Shah said Governor Syed Zahoor Ahmed Agha had set the time for nominating candidates for the office of the speaker from 8:30am to 12pm. During that time five nomination papers were submitted for Jamali while no other candidate was nominated.

Shah said Jamali was elected as the speaker unopposed as per the assembly rules and there will be no voting in the assembly session at 3pm. Instead, the acting speaker will announce the elected speaker's name, he shared.

 

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12-member committee formed to negotiate between govt, banned organisation: Qadri

Minister of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Pir Noor-ul-Haq Qadri said Saturday a 12-member committee has been formed to play the negotiator's role between the government and the proscribed banned organisation.

Speaking to the media after attending a meeting of the state officials and religious scholars belonging to the Barelvi school of thought — with Prime Minister Imran Khan in the chair — Qadri said that the committee is in talks with the government as well as the leaders of the proscribed organisation.

The federal minister said religious leaders from across the country met the prime minister and expressed the resolve to wrap up the matter peacefully.

Qadri said the premier told the meeting's participants that the incumbent government has always welcomed meaningful and serious talks.

The prime minister also told the ulema that their suggestions, which might save the country from bloodshed, will also be considered, the federal minister said.

"The 12-member committee is in talks with the banned organisation leadership, and we hope they can move forward [in their negotiations with the proscribed political party]," he said.

Earlier in the day, a delegation of ulema had reached the prime minister's personal residence at Bani Gala late Saturday afternoon, the report had said.

For his part, President Sunni Ittehad Council (Faisalabad) Sahibzada Hamid Raza said the prime minister had assured the meeting's participants that the government would not use "torture" to curtail the protests.

Raza said the prime minister told the meeting that he did not wish to see bloodshed in the country, but noted that there would be "no compromise when it came to the writ of the state."

"We urge the protesters to not resort to violence  as negotiations are underway in different parts of the country," the SIC president said.

When asked whether the protest was a constitutional right, Raza said that the protesters should remain where there and not move forward as it might sabotage the negotiations.

"Wait a little more since you have already waited this long," he told the protesters.

Raza refused to go into details about the negotiations, as he said that it might lead to confusion.

Roads remained blocked and traffic suspended in Wazirabad on Saturday as banned organisation protestors intending to march on Islamabad encamped near the city for a second straight day.

Outside Wazirabad, security forces have dug trenches and placed barricades on the roads in an attempt to contain the mob near a crossing over the Chenab.

All roads between Wazirabad-Sialkot and Wazirabad-Gujranwala have been sealed by government authorities to cut off the mob's advance.

Train and internet services remain suspended in Gujranwala; however, life is inching back to normalcy in the city.

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Seven crore crore people are vaccinated in Pakistan

Federal Minister for Planning and Chairman National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) Asad Umar on Saturday has told he is happy to report that seven crore people have now received at least one dose while four crore are fully vaccinated in Pakistan.

In a post on social-networking website Twitter, the minister said, “The yearend target for 2021 was to vaccinate seven crore people.” With two months to go, we will meet and exceed the target, he hoped.

We continue to make progress to vaccinate Pakistan. The year end target for 2021 was 7 crore people vaccinated. Happy to report that 7 crore people have now recieved atleast 1 dose and 4 crore are fully vaccinated. With 2 months to go, will inshallah meet, and exceed, the target

On the other hand, Pakistan has reported 10 deaths in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus as the number of positive cases has surged to 1,272,345. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 28,439 on Saturday.

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Nasla Tower demolition: Commissioner Karachi forms body to select firms to raze

In a bid to comply with the Supreme Court’s (SC) orders within the stipulated timeframe, the Karachi commissioner has constituted an eight-member committee to finalize the companies to raze the 15-storey Nasla Tower.

The committee will evaluate and select the tenders submitted by different companies regarding the demolition of the Nasla Tower through controlled blasting.
According to a notification issued by the Karachi Commissioner Office on Friday, the Supreme Court of Pakistan issued an order on October 25 regarding the demolition of Nasla Tower measuring 1,121 square yards on plot 193-A at the Sindhi Muslim Cooperative Housing Society (SMCHS) on Shareae Faisal.

To comply with the apex court’s order, the statement said the Commissioner Office had already published an advertisement for the expression of interest in leading daily newspapers. The expressions of interest would be assessed and evaluated technically as per the protocol and the committee constituted for the evaluation would review them in one day.

The deputy commissioner of the District East is the chairman of the committee. Its other seven members include the Sindh Building Control Authority director general, NED University Head of Civil Engineering Department Abdul Jabbar Sangi, Frontier Works Organisation Commanding Officer Lt Col Hasnian M Rashid, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation general works and technical director, East SSP, KMC anti-encroachment senior director and non-governmental organisation Shehri’s Amber Alibhai.

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Ramzan Sugar Mills case: NAB court extends interim bail of Shehbaz, Hamza

President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shahbaz on Saturday have appeared before Lahore’s accountability court in money laundering and Ramzan Sugar Mills cases.

During the proceedings, the court has extended the interim bail of PML-N leaders till November 20.

It’s been a year, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has failed to prove corruption of even a single penny against us, said Shehbaz Sharif.

Earlier in August 2020, accountability court had indicted Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shahbaz in Ramzan Sugar Mills reference.

During the hearing headed by judge Amjad Nazir Chaudhry, both the accused pleaded not guilty in the reference and their lawyer requested time for case preparation which was rejected by the court.

NAB had claimed that a drain was constructed out of public money in Chiniot to facilitate the Ramzan Sugar Mills when Shehbaz Sharif, the co-accused in the case, was Punjab’s chief minister.

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Pakistan records 10more corona deaths in 24 hours

Pakistan has reported 10 deaths in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus as the number of positive cases has surged to 1,272,345. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 28,439 on Saturday.

According to the latest figures by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) 658 persons tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.

Province-wise Details

Punjab remains the worst-hit province in terms of deaths followed by Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Till now 12,915 individuals have lost their lives to the epidemic in Punjab 7,563 in Sindh 5,740 in KP, 939 in Islamabad, 740 in Azad Kashmir, 356 in Balochistan, and 186 in GB.

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Facebook changed its name to Meta and the Twitter users aren't impressed

Facebook recently announced that it has changed its company name to Meta and the internet can't stop with the jokes.

The social networking site will continue to be called Facebook but the new name reflects, according to CEO Mark Zuckerbeg, their work investing in the metaverse.

The metaverse is a term coined in the dystopian novel Snow Crash three decades ago and now attracting buzz in Silicon Valley, according to Reuters. It refers broadly to the idea of a shared virtual realm which can be accessed by people using different devices.

“Right now, our brand is so tightly linked to one product that it can't possibly represent everything that we're doing today, let alone in the future,” said Zuckerberg.

But his announcement was met by many jokes and expressions of incredulity. Facebook trying to venture out into an all encompassing online world where people can game, work and communicate in a virtual environment, often with the help of virtual reality headsets? That's about as dystopian as you can get.

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Parts of northeast China on heightened alert as COVID-19 returns

A few border cities in northeastern China started to tighten COVID-19 measures, restricting travel and limiting gatherings in public spaces, and some declared a "pre-war" mode of vigilance and monitoring, as China combats an outbreak hitting mainly the north.

China reported 23 locally transmitted symptomatic cases for Wednesday, official data showed on Thursday, down from 50 a day earlier, bringing the total number to 270 since Oct. 17, when the current outbreak began.

Although the tally is tiny versus many clusters outside China, the spread to over a dozen provincial areas and a zero-tolerance policy have forced local officials to toughen restrictions, again squeezing the service sector including tourism and catering companies in a slowing economy.

In northeastern Heilongjiang province, which shares a border with Russia, Heihe city detected one local confirmed case, plus three asymptomatic cases, which China counts separately from patients with confirmed symptoms, for Oct. 27.

The city of 1.3 million demanded the suspension of manufacturing activities and business operations in urban areas, except for essential ones.

It banned people and vehicles in those urban areas from leaving and suspended entry into the areas for non-essential reasons via public roads, while halting bus and taxi services.

Flights from the city and some train services were cut, local media said on Wednesday.

It remains unclear how the Heihe cluster started, or whether any of the infected were linked to outbreaks in other regions.

China's high vaccination rate would in principle allow it to shift to a less disruptive endemic strategy, said Julian Evans-Pritchard, senior China economist at Capital Economics.

As of Oct. 23, 76% of China's 1.41 billion population have received complete doses.

"But extreme caution prevails," he said. "Any shift seems unlikely until at least after the Winter Olympics in February."

Jiamusi city, also on the Heilongjiang-Russia border, has yet to report local cases in the latest outbreak, but said it will be on alert for a week until Nov. 3.

It required tourist sites to bar tourists from outside of Jiamusi, demanded reduction in gatherings and halted visits to elderly homes and mental health facilities.

Another two cities in Heilongjiang, Jixi and Mudanjiang, pledged to enter into a "pre-war" mode of high vigilance and stringent monitoring, though no local infections have been reported yet in the past week.

Some small border towns in northwestern and southwestern China, battling a higher risk of infections imported from overseas while equipped with relatively few resources, have suffered more severe disruptions than richer cities in China's efforts to clear infections.

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British court defers ruling on Julian Assange extradition appeal

Lawyers for Julian Assange on Thursday dismissed US assurances about the treatment awaiting the WikiLeaks founder if he is extradited from Britain, as two days of hearings wrapped up in London.

Britain’s High Court said it would issue a ruling at a later date, after Washington appealed against a lower court’s decision to block Assange’s extradition to face a series of US charges related to the mass leak of classified documents.

“You’ve given us much to think about and we will take our time to make our decision,” said Ian Burnett, one of the two judges hearing the US appeal in the central London court.

Assange’s lawyers argued that he remains a suicide risk if extradited to the US, despite new assurances that he would not be held in punishing isolation at a “supermax” federal prison.

Mark Summers, representing Assange, argued there were “genuine questions” over the “trustworthiness” of the US pledges. He said US intelligence agencies had an “obsession” with Assange.

Recent reports that the CIA had hatched a prior plot to kidnap Assange from the Ecuadorian embassy in London and poison him were “potentially the tip of the iceberg”, Summers said.

The US government wants Assange to face espionage charges that could put him in jail for up to 175 years, although its legal team claims his possible sentence is difficult to estimate and could be far shorter.

It is appealing against UK district court judge Vanessa Baraitser’s decision in January that it would be “oppressive” to extradite Assange because of his serious risk of suicide and mental health deterioration.

She rejected US experts’ testimony that Assange would be protected from self-harm, noting that others such as disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein had killed themselves in custody. Whatever the High Court decides, the legal fight is likely to drag on for months if not years.

If the US appeal is successful, the case will be sent back to the lower court for a new decision, while whoever loses can also ask for permission for a further, final appeal to the UK’s Supreme Court.

Assange chose not to appear Thursday after following some of Wednesday’s proceedings via video-link from the high-security Belmarsh jail in southeast London where he is being held.

His partner Stella Moris, with whom he has two children, was present inside the courtroom as dozens of supporters rallied outside.

Australian national Assange, 50, was arrested in Britain in 2019 for jumping bail, after spending seven years inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden where he faced allegations of sexual assault. These were later dropped.

The US government has indicted him on 18 charges relating to WikiLeaks’ 2010 release of 500,000 secret files detailing aspects of military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.

He is accused of violating the US espionage act and hacking, based on the alleged aid he gave former military intelligence officer Chelsea Manning in obtaining the documents from secure computer systems.

Jeremy Corbyn, the left-wing former leader of Britain’s Labour party, said outside the court that Assange had “told us the truth, the truth about Afghanistan, the truth about Iraq, the truth about surveillance”.

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4 dead, 6 hurt in explosion in Karachi's North Nazimbabad

At least four people were killed and six others suffered injuries in an explosion in Karachi's North Nazimabad locality on Friday night, according to police and rescue officials.

DIG West Zone Nasir Aftab said that the incident occurred at a petrol pump near Abdullah College.

The senior officer said that the explosion occurred at the feul station's electric room, and confirmed the number of deaths and injuries.

He said that the incident appeared to be an accident and ruled out the possibility of sabotage.

Meanwhile, police called the bomb disposal squad to ascertain the exact nature of the blast.

A spokespersonfor Edhi, which shifted the dead and the injured to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, said that all the deceased were men.

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'Tell your people to return home,' Fawad Chaudhry warns banned organisation protestors' families

The National Security Committee (NSC) on Friday commended the police for their professionalism and restraint despite being targeted directly by protestors belonging to the banned organisation, while Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry issued a stark warning to miscreants to return home.

Punjab Police have suffered multiple casualties — including four martyrs and over four hundred injured — and on Friday the government issued a stark warning that it has had enough.

"The state’s restraint should not be seen as a sign of weakness," a press release issued by the NSC read.

"I am telling the protestors to return home. I am telling their families: call your people home. The state will not stop at anything to assert itself," Chaudhry warned in a press talk shortly after.

Chaudhry warned that "No mob can stand up to the state," as he warned that the government would be taking all possible measures to quell any further mischief.

"The civilian and military leadership are like one clenched fist on this issue," he said.

The information minister said the state did not wish for blood to be shed in the streets, and asked the proscribed outfit's members to return home.

Chaudhry said the government would not accept any demands put forth via blackmail and said that the state had asked even the banned organisation to sit on the negotiation table.

The federal minister again asked protesters to not consider the state "weak", reminding them that "Pakistan has defeated terrorist organisations before."

The federal minister said the NSC had resolved to back the police force and the state would not tolerate this "mockery" for long.

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WhatsApp likely to add Novi instant payments feature

The Meta-owned messaging application WhatsApp has announced its plans to roll out a new update for the app, using Novi, a digital wallet created by Facebook, WABetainfo reported Friday.

With the expected feature, Novi Payments, WhatsApp users may have a new secure way to exchange money with friends and family instantly.

The digital wallet requires no fees for instant money transfers and given that the privacy of users and their information is prioritised by Novi, the inclusion of the feature is “totally compatible with the principles of WhatsApp”.

However, the WhatsApp users cannot use the service currently because it is not available for the public yet as Whatsapp is testing how to integrate Novi into the app.

The tests are between the developers so the time of the arrival of this update for the public is not certain.

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Abdul Quddus Bizenjo takes oath as Balochistan CM

Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) leader Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo Friday took oath as the new Balochistan chief minister after he was elected to the office unopposed.

Governor Balochistan Zahoor Ahmed Agha administered the oath to the newly-elected chief minister at the Governor House, Quetta, after he received 39 votes in the Balochistan Assembly.

After Jam Kamal Khan Alyani had resigned as the CM last week following political turmoil in the province, the BAP leadership had nominated Bizenjo for the top slot.

Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan Qasim Suri, Governor Punjab Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar, and members of the provincial and national assemblies were also present during the ceremony.

Bizenjo had gained the support of PTI Parliamentary Leader Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind, who announced that he was pulling out of the race and backing Bizenjo for the CM's slot.

PTI's parliamentary party in the province had named Rind for the position of the chief minister.

Besides Rind, no other candidate in the provincial assembly had filed nomination papers to contest against Bizenjo.

"We will go ahead in consultation with all and take benefit from the experiences of whoever remained the chief minister," Bizenjo had said earlier in a statement.

Bizenjo had said that he wanted to work with other leaders of the province.

The newly-elected chief minister had said he had even tried to contact former CM Jam Kamal.

Bizenjo said he would announce the future policy of his government in tomorrow's assembly session.

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Facebook changed its name to Meta and the Twitter users aren't impressed

Facebook recently announced that it has changed its company name to Meta and the internet can't stop with the jokes.

The social networking site will continue to be called Facebook but the new name reflects, according to CEO Mark Zuckerbeg, their work investing in the metaverse.

The metaverse is a term coined in the dystopian novel Snow Crash three decades ago and now attracting buzz in Silicon Valley, according to Reuters. It refers broadly to the idea of a shared virtual realm which can be accessed by people using different devices.

“Right now, our brand is so tightly linked to one product that it can't possibly represent everything that we're doing today, let alone in the future,” said Zuckerberg.

But his announcement was met by many jokes and expressions of incredulity. Facebook trying to venture out into an all encompassing online world where people can game, work and communicate in a virtual environment, often with the help of virtual reality headsets? That's about as dystopian as you can get.

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Fans brace for Babar Azam vs Rashid Khan battle today

Only a few hours remain when the first ball of the Pakistan-Afghanistan clash will be bowled, and fans can't wait to see how Babar Azam tackles spin wizard Rashid Khan.

It will be an interesting battle, considering both players are young, extremely good at what they do, and will most likely give fans a chance to witness a contest between them.

Babar Azam and Rashid Khan are both also in good form, with the former scoring an impressive half-century in the first match against India while the latter picked up four important wickets against Scotland.

The Pakistani skipper is ranked at number 2 in the ICC T20 rankings while Rashid Khan is ranked at the number 3 spot in the bowlers' rankings.

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T20 Worldcup: Bangladesh win toss, put West Indies to bat first

Bangladesh  won the toss and elected to bowl against West Indies, with both teams looking for a first win in a make-or-break T20 World Cup clash on Friday.

Former West Indies captain Jason Holder returns to the team after being included in the main squad as a replacement for the injured Obed McCoy who was ruled out of the tournament.

Skipper Kieron Pollard confirmed big-hitting Chris Gayle will open the innings for the two-time champions who have lost both their matches in the competition.

"We don't have anyone else to blame, but ourselves," said Pollard on the losses.

"The clarity has been there but the team hasn´t batted well. This is the perfect opportunity to put it right.

"Gayle will be opening. The 'Universe Boss' has over 13,000 runs opening the batting. It's not just about one individual — the team has to come good."

Roston Chase makes his T20 debut as he replaces Lendl Simmons in the XI while Holder comes in for Hayden Walsh.

Bangladesh have made two changes from their previous loss to England.

Soumya Sarkar and Taskin Ahmed make the team in place of injured Nurul Hasan and Nasum Ahmed.

"They've got a big batting depth, so we'll try to restrict them to a decent total and try to chase it down," Mahmudullah said.

Teams

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32 activists of banned outfit arrested: Fawad Chuadry

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said on Friday that during an important operation last night 32 activists of a banned outfit had been arrested.

In a post on social-networking website, the minister said these people were spreading hatred through fake social media accounts.

Fawad Chaudhry said that big action against those spreading fake news and propaganda has been launched and more arrests would be made soon.

Earlier, the minister said that talks cannot take place with the banned outfit until it hands over the culprits who martyred the policemen.

He said in a statement on Twitter said that he had made it clear that no talks could take place unless the people of the banned outfit clear the roads and hand over the culprits to the institutions who martyred the policemen.

Fawad Ch said that patriotic people should disassociate themselves from this protest, return to their homes and not become part of terrorism against the state.

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Mir Bizenjo to be sworn in as new Balochistan CM today

Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) leader Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo will take oath as the new chief minister of Balochistan in a swearing-in ceremony at Governor House, Quetta at 4pm today.

Governor Syed Zahoor Agha will administer the oath to Bizenjo, who has been elected unopposed as the Balochistan CM. The development took place a day after Bizenjo gained the support of PTI Parliamentary Leader Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind, who announced that he was pulling out of the race and backing Bizenjo for the CM's slot.

Besides Rind, no other candidate in the provincial assembly had filed nomination papers to contest against Bizenjo.

"We will go ahead in consultation with all and take benefit from the experiences of whoever remained the chief minister," Bizenjo said.

Designated CM Bizenjo said in a statement that he wanted to work with other leaders of the province. He said that he had even tried to contact former CM Jam Kamal. Bizenjo said he would announce the future policy of his government in tomorrow's assembly session.
After Mir Jam Kamal Khan Alyani resigned as the CM, the BAP nominated Bizenjo for the top slot. Meanwhile, the PTI's parliamentary party in the province named Rind for the position.

Bizenjo will have to get the votes of 33 members. After securing a majority vote, the Balochistan Assembly speaker will announce Bizenjo as the new CM of the province.

On Prime Minister Imran Khan's instructions, Senate Chairman Mir Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani and Defence Minister Pervez Khan Khattak had earlier reached Quetta to resolve the matter.

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PM Imran to chair NSC meeting today

Prime Minister Imran Khan will preside over the meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) today (Friday) in the wake of ongoing protests of the banned outfit in the country.

Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry in a statement on Twitter said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has convened a meeting of the National Security Committee on Friday in view of the situation arising out of the illegal activities of the banned outfit.

The meeting will be attended by Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, Director General (DG) Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Director General Intelligence Bureau (IB) and some key ministers.

According to sources, some important decisions are expected during the meeting.

Federal Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid and Federal Minister Noorul Haq will brief the National Security Committee on the current situation and the illegal activities of the banned organization.

Sources also said that other issues related to national security would also be discussed in the meeting. Strategy to deal with the protesters of banned outfit would also be finalized in the meeting.

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Banned TLP crossed a red line: Moeed Yusuf

In a clear message of the state’s patience running out amid the protests by proscribed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), National Security Adviser (NSA) Moeed Yusuf on Thursday said that the outfit has crossed a red line.

The NSA cautioned the TLP to be mindful of the fact that there will be “no armed militias of any sort in our country”.
The statement from the top security adviser came as the protesters created chaos in Punjab's cities, with the government holding talks with their imprisoned leader Saad Hussain Rizvi.
Yusuf took to Twitter to condemn and warn the TLP protestors for orchestrating extreme violence against the policemen during their protest march.

He clarified that for all the individuals and groups who think they could challenge the writ of the Pakistani state, “do not test the proposition”. “As the basic principle of national security, the state will never shy away from protecting each and every citizen from any form of violence,” he underscored.
The NSA said that the proscribed organisation’s protestors had martyred policemen, destroyed public property, and continued to cause massive public disruption.

He warned that the law would take its course for each one of them adding: “and the outlaws will be treated like terrorists with no leniency”.

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Pakistan records 659 fresh corona cases, 17 deaths in a day

Pakistan has reported 17 deaths in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus as the number of positive cases has surged to 1,271,686. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 28,431 on Friday.

According to the latest figures issued by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), 659 persons tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.

Province-wise Details

469,122 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Sindh, 439,845 in Punjab 177,807 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 106,835 in Islamabad, 34,461 in Azad Kashmir, 33,228 in Balochistan and 10,389 in Gilgit-Baltistan.|
Pakistan has so far conducted 20,705,288 coronavirus tests and 45,093 in the last 24 hours. 1,220,105 patients have recovered in the country whereas 1,395 patients are in critical condition.
So far, 70,139,040 people have received their first dose of coronavirus vaccine including 415,562 in last 24 hours. 40,016,932 citizens have been fully vaccinated while 373,474 received their second dose in last 24 hours.

The number of total administered doses has reached to 103,514,198 with 754,680 in the last 24 hours.

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Pfizer gets US contract for 50m COVID-19 vaccine doses for kids

Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE said on Thursday they expect to deliver 50 million more doses of their COVID-19 vaccine to the US government by April-end, as the country prepares to vaccinate children.

The move comes after a panel of outside advisers to the US Food and Drug Administration voted on Tuesday to recommend its authorisation for the vaccine in children aged 5 to 11. The agency's decision on the vaccine for the age group is awaited.

If authorised and subsequently recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) advisory panel, the companies said they expect to then begin shipping the vaccine immediately, in 10 microgram pediatric doses, as directed by the US government.

The US government has so far secured 600 million doses of the vaccine for use within the country and additional one billion doses for donation to low- and lower-middle-income countries.

The drugmakers said they expect initial clinical trial data on the vaccine's use in children — aged 2 to less than 5 years, and 6 months to less than 2 years — to take place in the fourth quarter this year or early first quarter of 2022.

 

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Turkmen team due in Kabul as Taliban back TAPI pipeline

Officials from Turkmenistan will visit Kabul this week to discuss continuing work on the TAPI pipeline linking the energy-rich Central Asian country through Afghanistan to Pakistan and India, the Taliban government said on Wednesday.

The pipeline is expected to carry 33 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas each year along a route stretching 1,800 km (1,125 miles) from Galkynysh, the world’s second-biggest gas field, to the Indian city of Fazilka near the Pakistan border.

“We have been working hard for some time and we are ready to take pride in starting work on the TAPI project,” Mohammad Issa Akhund, the acting minister of mines and petroleum in the new Taliban government, said in a statement.

The Afghan stretch of the pipeline will run from the northwestern border with Turkmenistan, south through the western city of Herat to Kandahar near the border with Pakistan.

Akhund met the ambassador of Turkmenistan ahead of a two-day visit by a delegation from the country that will start from Saturday, the statement said.

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Abdul Quddus Bizenjo to be elected Balochistan CM unopposed

Abdul Quddus Bizenjo will certainly be elected as the new chief minister of Balochistan as no other candidate has submitted nomination papers for the post.

The chief minister's seat was vacated after former Balochistan chief minister Jam Kamal Khan stepped down from the post on Sunday.

Following his announcement, disgruntled members of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and the Opposition, who had gathered at Bizenjo's residence, celebrated their triumph by flashing victory signs.

Following CM Khan's resignation, Bizenjo had also resigned from the post of Balochistan Assembly speaker.

While Bizenjo is likely to be elected unopposed, he will have to prove he has the support of the majority in the assembly, which amounts to 33 MPAs.

The new chief minister is to be elected tomorrow (Friday) during a session of the provincial assembly.

Before the deadline ended on Thursday evening, five papers nominating Bizenjo for the post of chief minister of Balochistan, were submitted in the assembly secretariat.

Sources said once the support of the majority of the assembly is established, the Balochistan governor will issue an official notification for his appointment. This will be followed by Bizenjo taking oath as the Balochistan chief minister.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan met Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani in Islamabad to discuss the political situation in Balochistan.

Sanjrani took the premier into confidence over his recent visit to Balochistan.

Defence Minister Pervez Khattak was also present on the occasion.

BAP MPA Abdur Rehman Khetran submitted Bizenjo's nomination papers in the assembly secretariat earlier in the day.

"It will be the first time in history that a Balochistan chief minister is elected uncontested," said Khetran while speaking to the media.

He said that the next provincial government in Balochistan will have the support of all the members.

"The new chief minister will be accessible to everyone, everyone will get their due respect," said Khetran.

He went on to say that the issues in the constituencies will be resolved at the doorsteps of the people in the new government.

"We will resolve all the issues of the province at the first opportunity," he added.

Talking about former Balochistan chief minister Jam Kamal Khan, Khetran said that "Kamal has been our chief minister and he is respectable for us."

He said that Kamal is and will be a part of BAP.

Provincial Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Sardar Muhammad Saleh Bhootani, who is also Bizenjo's seconder in the nomination papers, had agreed with Khetran's statement, saying that he doesn't think that anyone else would submit their nomination papers to contest for the chief minister's post.

Bhootani, in his media talk, said that their party remains the same and that they are united.

"Jam sahib is a great man. He ruined the province, so he should rest now," said Bhootani.

Commenting about Kamal's opposition to the party after being removed from the post of the chief minister, Bhootani said why would he [Kamal] sit with the Opposition in the assembly when his party is in government.

Meanwhile, two female MPAs of BAP, Bushra Rind and Laila Tarin also nominated Bizenjo as their candidate for the chief minister's post.

Bushra is the proponent while Laila is the seconder for Bizenjo in the separate nomination papers submitted by the two in the assembly.

Later in the day, a BAP delegation led by Bizenjo and Senator Saeed Ahmed Hashmi visited Sarawan House to meet Nawab Aslam Raisani.

PTI Senator Abdul Qadir also attended the meeting.

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'Afghanistan has world class spinners, but we have plans against them,' Saqlain Mushtaq says

Pakistan's interim head coach Saqlain Mushtaq declared that his team has "the mindset of champions" as they play Afghanistan in the T20 World Cup in Dubai on Friday.

Addressing a press conference in Dubai, Mushtaq said his team needs to be wary of a dangerous Afghanistan.

"We know Afghanistan is a very good team but our plans are well-placed and we need to execute those plans as we have done in the first two games," he added.

The interim coach further said that T20 is a game in which one should expect highs and lows.

He said it is not easy to score big on pitches, one has to be technically strong while playing on such fields.

"Our players are well aware of these conditions, "Mushtaq said, adding that we have to make each and every match important, "we have to play with the same mindset."

The 2009 champions thumped arch-rivals India by 10 wickets in their opening match followed by a nervy five-wicket win over New Zealand, making them well placed for the semi-finals.

"We are playing with the mindset of world champions," Mushtaq said on Thursday, adding that the two wins have given the team the confidence and belief to achieve that goal.

Mushtaq replaced Misbah-ul-Haq, who resigned last month, and is bringing his experience as a spin-bowling consultant for England, Bangladesh, and New Zealand in the past.

It should be recalled that Afghanistan crushed qualifiers Scotland by 130 runs in their first Group 2 game with off-spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman taking 5-20 and leggie Rashid Khan 4-9.

Himself a great off-spinner who played 49 Tests and 169 one-day internationals for Pakistan, Mushtaq called Afghanistan's spinners "world-class".

"Rashid and Mujeeb are quality spinners and have been doing well for their team as well as in the private leagues around the world, but we have plans against them," said Mushtaq.

Speaking about changes in the batting order, he said: "The entire team is playing well. We are happy with this combination."

"We are not thinking of removing Fakhar Zaman from one down. He played well in warm-up matches."

Mushtaq stated that the management is not planning to change the winning combination in the match against Afghanistan.

"To become a world champion, you have to play different cricket and then you have to play ahead of it.

"All the teams have come to win, England, and India were also being called favourites," he underlined, adding that they are not thinking about who will compete next.

He praised the unity of his players, saying it has helped them achieve good results.

"Our theme is 'together we achieve' and it's not 'I did well' or 'he did well', but it's 'we did well' sort and that has helped us gel well."

Mushtaq pointed out that Pakistan have played most of their cricket in recent years in the United Arab Emirates.

"These conditions of the UAE are very familiar for my players and we have been playing home international matches and Pakistan Super League games here and that has, and will, help our players."

Pakistan will play Namibia on November 2 and Scotland five days later in the Super 12 stage.

But looking farther ahead, Mushtaq hopes to meet India again at the World Cup — this time in the final.

"If India comes in the final, then it would be very good for the International Cricket Council, fans around the world and for world cricket," he said.

"That will bring the two countries closer. For me, it should be a win for love and defeat for hate."

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Russian hackers behind fresh US cyberattack, says Microsoft

The state-backed Russian hacking group that carried out last year’s massive SolarWinds cyberattacks is behind a new and ongoing assault against US and European targets, Microsoft said on Monday.

The software giant’s Threat Intelligence Centre (MSTIC) said in a blog post that the Nobelium group was attempting to gain access to customers of cloud computing services and other IT service providers to infiltrate “the governments, think tanks, and other companies they serve”.

Describing the cyberattack as “nation-state activity”, MSTIC said it “shares the hallmarks” of the assault on SolarWinds, a Texas-based software company targeted as its 300,000-strong customer base gave the hackers access to a huge number of companies.

“It appears the widespread SolarWinds Russia-linked hackers from last year’s attack are again on the hunt for sensitive data and stepping up supply chain attacks across the board,” Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said in a note to investors.

Washington imposed sanctions in April and expelled Russian diplomats in retaliation for Moscow’s alleged involvement in the SolarWinds attack, as well as election interference and other hostile activity.

The latest attack has been underway since at least May, MSTIC said, with Nobelium deploying a “diverse and dynamic toolkit that includes sophisticated malware”.

“Nobelium has been attempting to replicate the approach it has used in past attacks by targeting organizations integral to the global IT supply chain,” Microsoft vice president Tom Burt wrote in a blog post published late Sunday.

This time, Burt noted, Nobelium is targeting “resellers” — companies that customise Microsoft’s cloud computing services for use by businesses and other organisations.

“Since May, we have notified more than 140 resellers and technology service providers that have been targeted by Nobelium,” he wrote.

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Chinese hypersonic test like a ‘Sputnik moment’: US general

The Pentagon’s top general said on Wednesday that China’s recent test of an earth-circling hypersonic missile was akin to the Soviet Union’s stunning launch of the world’s first satellite, Sputnik, in 1957, which sparked the superpowers’ space race.

Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed for the first time the Chinese test of a nuclear-capable missile that would be very difficult to defend against.

“What we saw was a very significant event of a test of a hypersonic weapon system. And it is very concerning,” Milley told Bloomberg TV.

“I don’t know if it’s quite a Sputnik moment, but I think it’s very close to that,” he said.

“It’s a very significant technological event that occurred ... and it has all of our attention.” The Pentagon had previously declined to confirm the test, first reported by the Financial Times on October 16.

The newspaper said the August test launch caught the United States by surprise.

The missile circled the Earth at a low altitude and a velocity of more than five times the speed of sound, although it missed its target by more than 30 kilometers (19 miles), according to the Financial Times.

Hypersonics are the new frontier in missile technology, because they fly lower and so are harder to detect than ballistic missiles, can reach targets more quickly, and are maneuverable.

That makes them more dangerous, particularly if mounted with nuclear warheads.

The United States, Russia, China and North Korea have all tested hypersonics and at several others are developing the technology.

China unveiled a hypersonic medium-range missile, the DF-17, in 2019, which can travel around 2,000 kilometres and can carry nuclear warheads.

The missile mentioned in the FT story is a different one, with a longer range. It can be launched into orbit before coming back into the atmosphere to hit its target.

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South Africa's De Kock apologises, says will take a knee in future

Quinton de Kock has apologised for pulling out of Tuesday's Twenty20 World Cup win over the West Indies after rejecting a Cricket South Africa (CSA) directive that players must “take a knee” in support of the 'Black Lives Matter' movement.

In a statement released via CSA on Thursday, De Kock, who also revealed he has mixed-race family, said he meant no disrespect and “would love nothing more than to play cricket for my country again”.

“I understand the importance of standing against racism, and I also understand the responsibility of us as players to set an example,” De Kock said.

“If me taking a knee helps to educate others, and makes the lives of others better, I am more than happy to do so.

“I did not, in any way, mean to disrespect anyone. I'm deeply sorry for all the hurt, confusion and anger that I have caused.”

De Kock said his change of heart came after the players had a meeting with the CSA board on Wednesday evening.

“I was raised to understand that we all have rights, and they are important. I felt like my rights were taken away when I was told what we had to do in the way that we were told.

“Since our chat with the board, which was very emotional, I think we all have a better understanding of their intentions. I wish this had happened sooner, because what happened on match day could have been avoided.

“My half-sisters are Coloured and my step mum is Black. For me, Black lives have mattered since I was born. Not just because there was an international movement.”

The wicketkeeper-batsman hopes to return to the team for Saturday's crucial third group game against Sri Lanka.

“I love every one of my teammates, and I love nothing more than playing cricket for South Africa.”

CSA “noted” De Kock's apology and said it had been accepted.

“The Proteas men's team has agreed to align and unify in taking the knee for the remaining fixtures of the World Cup,” it said in a statement.

“Cricket South Africa welcomes all of these developments.”

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Lahore court issues bailable arrest warrant for Shahbaz Gill

A local court in Lahore on Thursday issued a bailable arrest warrant for Special Assistant to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill in a defamation case.

The hearing took place at a local court in Lahore where the judge was hearing a lawsuit filed by a private company against Gill.

The company has accused Gill of "falsely accusing" the firm in a TV programme.

Lahore Additional Sessions Judge Hasnain Azhar Shah heard the petition and issued a warrant against Gill for not appearing before the judge.

The judge has ordered the PM's aide to appear in person before the court on November 1.

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PM Imran Khan summons meeting of National Security Committee

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday summoned a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) tomorrow (Friday) to discuss the ongoing situation in the country pertaining to the protests launched by the proscribed banned organisation.

The news has been confirmed by the Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Fawad Chaudhry.

"In view of the situation arising because of the illegal activities of the proscribed organisation, Prime Minister Imran Khan has convened a meeting of the National Security Committee tomorrow. Other issues related to national security will also be considered in this meeting," Fawad wrote on Twitter.

It may be recalled that protests by the members of the proscribed group entered their seventh day today (Thursday), with protesters camping out in Kamoke since last night.

Initially, the proscribed group staged sit-ins in Multan and Lahore, after which a march towards Islamabad was announced.

Security forces had cordoned off major roads to prevent the protesters from reaching Islamabad. The protesters have been staging sit-ins on GT Road for the past several days, disrupting transport services.

 banned organisation's march has affected life in the federal capital and various other cities in Punjab.

Strict security arrangements have been made in Rawalpindi. The main highways connecting Islamabad and Rawalpindi have been sealed and the Faizabad Metro service has been suspended. Major traffic jams have been reported on alternative routes and citizens are facing difficulties as it has also become difficult to go to hospitals.

The activists of the proscribed organisation marching towards Islamabad have set up camp on the Kamoke portion of GT Road, while they are making preparations to move ahead in their march. Business centres in the city and on GT Road are closed and so are the shops and restaurants on the highway.

Public and private educational institutions located on GT Road and its adjoining areas have also been closed and internet services in Kamoke have been suspended.

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Karachi administration takes control of Nasla Tower

Nasla Tower residents Thursday demanded the Supreme Court of Pakistan ensure they are compensated for their losses, as the Karachi District administration took over the building.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan had ruled that the building, which it said has been constructed illegally, be taken down.

A resident of the 15-storey building said that he was vacating his home in compliance with the orders of the apex court, urging the Supreme Court to ensure residents are compensated.

Expressing their disappointment, residents said neither the builder was not ready to compensate them for their losses nor was the city administration willing to do so.

“So far, no one has contacted us for the compensation money,” he added.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Karachi East Asif Jan Siddiqi said that the administration had taken control of Nasla Tower last night after the deadline to vacate the illegally-constructed building had expired.

He said the Karachi commissioner has sought bids via advertisements to have the building demolished.

The Nasla Tower manager said that residents of over 20 flats had shifted to other places till last night, however, some of the residents could not find places to rent.

Eight flat owners, who lived abroad, could not be contacted. He urged authorities to provide residents some time so that those living abroad could shift their luggage from their flats.

Earlier, the Supreme Court issued a detailed judgment in a case pertaining to the 15-storey Nasla Tower in Karachi.

On October 25, the SC had directed the Karachi authorities to demolish the Nasla Tower through a controlled implosion within a week.

In its detailed verdict, the apex court directed to use the latest technology to demolish the high-rise building on the Shahrae Faisal through controlled blasting.

The modern detonation procedure should be adopted to raze the Nasla Tower which is being used in India and all over the world, directed the SC.

The apex court ordered to take all precautionary measures to ensure that no damage occur while demolishing the building. The court directed to complete the process by November 3.

The owner of Nasla Tower will pay the cost of the demolition, according to the SC order. The court directed the Karachi commissioner to sell the plot to recover the amount if he refuses to pay.

The SC also ordered the concerned authorities to remove the building’s rubble immediately once the high-rise building is demolished.

The Karachi commissioner will apprise the court about the progress in implementing its verdict today.

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UN urgently needs cash in Afghanistan, but struggles for solution

The United Nations cannot get enough cash into Afghanistan to deliver humanitarian aid to millions of people on the brink of starvation and is struggling to develop options to help stabilize the collapsing economy, U.N. officials said.

Ultimately political solutions are needed, a senior U.N. official told Reuters on condition of anonymity, an apparent reference to sanctions relief and for governments and institutions to free up billions of dollars of Afghan assets held overseas.

In the meantime U.N. agencies are scrambling to find ways to get large amounts of U.S. dollars into Afghanistan to combat a liquidity crisis that has taken hold since the Taliban ousted the Western-backed government in August. The U.N. official shared with Reuters some of the options being suggested.

The delivery of U.S. dollars to Afghanistan has stopped since the Islamist militants seized power and if countries or international financial institutions don’t step up then the United Nations might have to fill the gap, said the official.

One suggested option is using Afghanistan International Bank, which could bring in and store money, but there are issues with insurance, the U.N. official said.

The United Nations is also aware that no one option will work and several avenues to get enough cash into Afghanistan are needed, the official said.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for the International Monetary Fund to agree on waivers or mechanisms to get money into Afghanistan. The IMF has blocked the Taliban from accessing some $440 million in new emergency reserves.

Much of the Afghan central bank’s $10 billion in overseas assets have been frozen as well, most of it in the United States. The U.S. Treasury has said there are no plans to release the money.

"We need to work together to make the economy breathe again and to help people survive," Guterres said on Wednesday. "Injecting liquidity into the Afghan economy can be done without violating international laws or compromising principles."
The United Nations has repeatedly warned that Afghanistan’s economy is on the brink of collapse and would likely further fuel a refugee crisis.

When asked about U.N. efforts to get cash into Afghanistan, Mary-Ellen McGroarty, head of the World Food Programme in Afghanistan, told reporters on Tuesday: "The U.N. collective is looking at what potential solutions we could have, but flying in money to the country is not on the table yet."

"What we are using at the moment is the limited liquidity that is in the country," she said. "But the longer this goes on ... we’re finding it’s becoming more and more difficult."

Some 8.7 million people are "one step away from starvation," said McGroarty, adding: "There is a tsunami of destitution, incredible suffering and hunger spiraling out of control."

The Taliban is facing growing international pressure for an inclusive and representative Afghan government and to uphold human rights, particularly those of women and girls in return for international recognition and freeing up aid and reserves.

Donors and institutions are also seeking to avoid running afoul of U.N. and unilateral sanctions on the Taliban.

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Metro bus service and Markets in Rawalpindi partially closed due to banned TLP protest

Rawalpindi administration has suspended metro bus service from Saddar to Faizabad for two days and closed all road linking to Murree Road in view of protest of by banned outfit.

According to details, all markets of the city are also partially closed as protestors of the banned outfit continue their march to the federal capital.

Government has suspended mobile phone and internet service in several areas of Punjab and citizens are facing severe difficulties as protestors have closed both sides of the GT Road near Kamoke.

CM Buzdar chairs key meeting to review law and order situation

Chief Minister of Punjab (CM) Sardar Usman Buzdar on Thursday has chaired a key meeting in connection with ongoing protest of banned outfit.

During the meeting, the CM was briefed over the law and order situation across the province while he also reviewed security arrangements for the protection of the citizens.

Meanwhile, CM Buzdar directed the concerned authorities to take strict action against those involved in extremism.

Provincial law minister Raja Basharat, chief secretary and Punjab inspector general were also present in the meeting.

Rangers given powers to maintain law and order in Punjab for 60 days: Sh Rashid

Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that Rangers have been given powers to maintain law and order situation in Punjab for the next 60 days.

Talking to media in Islamabad, he said that Punjab government has been given authority for 60 days under Anti-Terror Act and Rangers have been summoned for 60 days under Article 147.

The minister said that the Punjab government has been given authority to use Rangers wherever it wants for next 60 days.

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Moeed Yousaf emphasis to adopt proactive media techniques to build positive narrative of Pakistan

National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf has stressed on utilizing modern media techniques to build a reality-based positive narrative of Pakistan.

Addressing a seminar in Islamabad on Thursday, he said better coordination and national dialogue on key issues are prerequisites.

He said, contrary to the reality, Pakistan was presented as a problem in Afghan issue, but the world has realized it now.

Moeed Yusuf also emphasized on adopting proactive and unapologetic approach to counter the fake propaganda of our eastern neighbor, India.

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Incumbent Govt does not care about problems of Masses: Abbasi

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Thursday said that incumbent government does not care about problems being faced by public and now masses know that they will not get any relief if elections are stolen.

Talking to media persons outside accountability court, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan said that inflation, which is causing problems for masses, is an outcome of failures of government. Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) is protesting against inflation in country, he added.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi reiterated that free and fair elections without any delay are the only solution of the issues faced by the country.

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Start-up launched hoverbike in Japan

A Japanese start-up is hoping to convince motorists to swap their cars for a $680,000 (£495,000) hoverbike. ALI Technologies' XTurismo Limited Edition went on sale in Japan, earlier on Wednesday.

According to international media Electronics giant Mitsubishi and footballer Keisuke Honda are two backers of the Tokyo-based company. ALI Technologies says the hoverbike can fly for 40 minutes at up to 100km/h (62mph) on a single charge.

The company aims to have manufactured 200 single-rider 300kg (47-stone) hoverbikes by mid-2022.

Each is equipped with a conventional engine and four battery-powered motors.

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World Bank has suspended its aid to Sudan

The World Bank has suspended its aid to Sudan, after the military there staged a coup against the civilian government.

 

According to international media reports political leaders were arrested on Monday, sparking nationwide protests and international condemnation.

The African Union (AU) has also suspended Sudan from the bloc over the "unconstitutional" seizure of power. The US has frozen $700m (£508m) in aid.

According to media report Sudan's civilian and military leaders had been in a fragile power-sharing agreement for the past two years.

The sudden cut to aid is likely to have dire consequences for Sudan's battered economy, at a time when it was just starting to get back on its feet.

The World Bank and AU moves put further pressure on the coup's leader, Gen Abdel Fattah Burhan, to reinstate the civilian government.

Gen Burhan was in charge of the power-sharing agreement, and has said the coup was needed to avoid "civil war". He has insisted that Sudan is still moving towards democracy and elections in 2023 - but his reasoning and the sudden takeover have been widely rejected.

The president of the World Bank, David Malpass, said in a statement: "I am greatly concerned by recent events in Sudan, and I fear the dramatic impact this can have on the country's social and economic recovery and development."

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T20 World Cup: Namibia register four-wicket win against Scotland

Namibia registered their first win in the T20 World Cup by defeating Scotland by four wickets in their group stage fixture in Abu Dhabi.

Namibia had won the toss and restricted Scotland to 109-8 in their 20 overs.

Michael Leask was the top scorer for Scotland with 44 from 27 deliveries. His knock included four boundaries in two sixes.

Chris Greaves made 32-ball 25 with two fours to his name.

Ruben Trumpelmann was the pick of the bowlers with his figures of 3-17 whereas Jan Frylinck got two wickets.

In reply, they chased the 110-run target in 19.1 overs at the loss of six wickets.

Johannes Jonathan Smit top-scored with 32 not out from 23 balls with two boundaries and as many sixes. Opener Craig Williams hit a six on his way to 29-ball 23.

Michael Leask bagged two wickets in the game while Brad Wheal, Safyaan Sharif, Chris Greaves and Mark Watt got a wicket each.

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PSX snaps losing streak on Saudi support package

The bearish spell at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) came to a halt on Wednesday as bulls staged a return after the Saudi Fund for Development said it was depositing $3 billion in State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to help support its foreign reserves.

Benchmark KSE-100 recorded an increase of 564.12 points or 1.25% to settle at 45,791.92.

Investor participation revived at the bourse and widespread cherry-picking in several sectors triggered a rally. Buoyed by the recent dip, share prices fell to attractive valuations and motivated market participants to assume fresh positions.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance Shaukat Tarin had said that Saudi Arabia offered Pakistan a whopping $4.2 billion loan package at a 3.2% interest rate.

Moreover, the government’s constant assurance that the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) programme would revive soon and result announcements boosted market sentiment.

A 1.44% appreciation of the local currency against the US dollar also strengthened investors’ confidence and the buying spree persisted.

However, the trading halt of a two-and-a-half-hour due to some technical issues are being identified in the JADE Trading Terminal (JTT) slightly affected the investors’ optimism.

A report from Topline Securities noted that the rally is attributed to improvement in sentiments owing to reports suggesting that Saudi Arabia would deposit $3 billion cash in SBP and also provide $1.2 billion worth of oil on deferred payments, “which will pave way for the resumption of the IMF programme.”

“However, the new trading system kept the activity restricted and trading was also suspended at noon for 2 hours and 30 minutes to resolve technical issues,” it added.

During the session, shares of 333 listed companies were traded. At the end of the session, 245 stocks closed in the green, 76 in the red, and 12 remained unchanged.

Overall trading volumes increased to 180.4 million shares compared with Tuesday’s tally of 162.8 million. The value of shares traded during the day was Rs7.1 billion.

WorldCall Telecom was the volume leader with 11.8 million shares, gaining Rs0.09 to close at Rs2.39. It was followed by Unity Foods with 11.01 million shares, gaining Rs0.33 to close at Rs29.74, and Hum Network Limited with 10.1 million shares, losing Rs0.01 to close at Rs6.72.

 

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EVMs will deprive 3.2mn visually impaired voters of right to vote: Shibli

Federal Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz Wednesday said that 3.2 million visually impaired people will not be able to cast a vote in the next general elections if Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are used.

Faraz drew attention to the matter through a written response to MNA Noreen Farooq Ibrahim’s question.

He informed the National Assembly in his reply that the EVMs don’t have the braille feature for the visually impaired people to cast a vote.

“The new directive must be issued to the Election Commission if we need to bring this feature to the EVMs’ system,” said Faraz.

He further stated in his reply that some of the polling stations will not even have ramps for people with disabilities.

There has been a heated debate between the government, the Opposition, and other stakeholders over the use of EVMs, with the Centre claiming it is a way forward to make the elections in the country transparent.

It is pertinent to mention that Faraz has always emphasised why the country should shift to the new method of polling under the government-backed electoral reforms.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Imran Khan had said that the next general elections would be held through the EVMs at all costs.

“We will give overseas Pakistanis the right to vote, therefore, they should be ready," the premier said while addressing PTI’s core committee on Thursday.

During the meeting, the premier directed the committee members to complete the ongoing development projects soon and inform people in their respective constituencies about the progress.

The prime minister, shedding light on other matters, said: “Inflation is a worldwide issue and Pakistan has less inflation as compared to other countries."

Since the development of EVMs, Faraz has been vouching that the "EVMs cannot be hacked". He has reiterated on multiple occasions that EVMs are the “best” solution to rigging in elections.

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Two soldiers martyred as military intercepts terrorists at Pak-Afghan border

At least two soldiers of Frontier Corps (FC) embraced martyrdom when the troops intercepted terrorists attempting to cross the fence along the Pak-Afghan border in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's Kurram district, the military said.

According to Inter Services Public relations (ISPR), the incident occurred on the night between October 26 and 27. "Troops initiated a prompt response and thwarted the attempted illegal crossing by engaging the terrorists," it added.

The ISPR said that during the intense fire exchange, 24-year-old Lance Naik Asad from Kurram and 21-year-old Sepoy Asif from Lakki Marwat embraced martyrdom.

"Pakistan strongly condemns the use of Afghan soil by terrorists for activities against Pakistan and expects that interim Afghan government will not allow such activities against Pakistan, in future," the statement from the military's media wing read.

It further said that Pakistan Army is determined to guard Pakistan's frontiers against the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve.

In a similar incident in May, at least one army soldier sustained injuries when terrorists from Afghanistan opened fire from across the border on a military post in Bajaur district.

In the same month, at least four personnel of the Frontier Corps (FC) were martyred while six others were injured in a terrorist attack in Balochistan's Zhob district.

The FC troopers were part of a fencing party working on the Pak-Afghan border when they came under attack from Afghanistan.

"[The attack took place] today during [a] fencing activity in Manzakai sector, district Zhob, Balochistan along [the] Pak-Afghan border," read a statement from the ISPR.

"Terrorists from across Afghanistan ambushed FC troops moving for fencing. 4 FC soldiers embraced shahadat while 6 got injured. FC troops responded promptly," the communiqué added.

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