TIMERGARA: The volunteers of the Prime Minister’s Corona Relief Tiger Force were urged to serve the people without any political consideration. They were administered oath at a ceremony at...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Development Foundation has asked the government to allow the students of final semesters in BS and masters programme to return to the universities.Muhammad Bilal Sethi, the...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

LAHORE: Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar has warned that if the number of coronavirus-positive patients increased in the country, more stringent measures and lockdown may be imposed in the...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Karachi President Khurram Sher Zaman on Saturday claimed that the Sindh government is exaggerating the number of COVID-19 cases to keep the markets shut down. The ...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

MOSCOW: Facebook seems to have taken issue with an iconic photo that symbolises the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, and it keeps deleting a recently-colorised version of it, foreign media reported...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

RIYADH: Coronavirus restrictions have been eased in some Madina neighbourhoods allowing residents to leave their homes between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., according to the Ministry of Interior.The move...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has strong reservations over the formation of a national minorities’ commission through a cabinet decision based on a summary moved by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony.In a statement, it has said that the proposed composition...

The Sindh High Court on Friday directed the food secretary to appoint the district food controllers within a month in accordance with the law.The direction came on a petition of Ali Ashgar who impugned the appointments of assistant food controllers to look after the work of district food...

The Sindh government has assured the local Manghopir representatives that it will not establish any quarantine centre in Union Council 4, as keeping suspected patients of the coronavirus in the locality would be a risky proposition keeping in view the weak civic infrastructure of the area.The...

The current coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown in its wake have given a freehand to fruit sellers to sell fruits at their own discretion this Ramazan. The provincial government, like every year, couldn’t establish Ramazan bachat bazaars in the city neither there was any fruit boycott...

Measures should be taken to help small businesses and industries in case the lockdown is eased so that they can resume their operations.Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar said this as he met a delegation of the Akbar Road Market shopkeepers at his office on Saturday. He told the delegation that business...

A anti-terrorism court on Saturday adjourned the hearing of cases pertaining to anti-state and hate speeches against leaders of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and London factions without any proceedings because of the coronavirus lockdown.The hearings of as many as 27 identical cases was...

On the directives of Karachi Additional Inspector General of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon, Deputy Inspector General Police Security and Emergency Service Division Maqsood Ahmed chaired a video link meeting regarding the establishment of a video conference system for the protection of witnesses and...

A minor boy feared to have died while bathing in a storm water drain in the Khamiso Goth area on Saturday.According to the New Karachi Industrial Area police, the incident took place when 11-year-old Hamza was bathing in the storm water drain along with some other kids near his residence. Rescuers...

Strongly opposing federal and provincial governments’ decision to ease the lockdown, senior health experts and medical associations on Saturday warned that the number of COVID-19 cases was already on the rise and if restrictions were further lifted, the outbreak could get out of control in...

Five people associated with the Sindh chief minister’s secretariat are reported to have tested positive for the coronavirus.A source privy to the affair told The News on Saturday that one of the five people had already recovered from the coronavirus.The source said all other media reports...

Both China and South Korea reported new spikes in coronavirus cases Sunday, setting off fresh concerns in countries where local outbreaks had been in dramatic decline.

Three senior officials guiding the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic were in self-quarantine on Saturday after coming into contact with someone who had tested positive for the disease, their agencies and spokesmen said.

TEHRAN: Iran warned Saturday that coronavirus infections were rising in the southwest despite falls in other regions, as it announced more than 1,500 new confirmed cases."All provinces are showing a gradual drop in new infections... except for Khuzestan, where the situation is still concerning,"...

MOSCOW: Facebook seems to have taken issue with an iconic photo that symbolises the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, and it keeps deleting a recently-colorised version of it, foreign media reported on Saturday.Taken during the Battle of Berlin on May 2, 1945, Yevgeny Khaldei’s...

BEIJING: The coronavirus outbreak exposed “shortcomings” in China’s public healthcare system, a top health official admitted Saturday, saying that reforms are underway to improve the country’s disease prevention and control mechanisms.China has faced criticism both at home...

MONROVIA: Liberian President George Weah has said he will partially lift restrictions on praying in mosques and churches aimed at curbing coronavirus, while extending a lockdown in the capital Monrovia. In a statement on Friday, the former international footballer said emergency measures announced...

KABUL: Seven people were killed when protesters angry over what they see as unfair food aid distribution during the coronavirus pandemic clashed with police in Afghanistan’s western Ghor province on Saturday, according to a local member of parliament.Fourteen more were wounded during the...

BRUNSWICK: Many people saw more than the last moments of Ahmaud Arbery’s life when a video emerged this week of white men armed with guns confronting the black man, a struggle with punches thrown, three shots fired and Arbery collapsing dead.The Feb. 23 shooting in coastal Georgia is drawing...

Paris: Researchers in Hong Kong have found that patients suffering milder illness caused by the new coronavirus recover more quickly if they are treated with a three-drug antiviral cocktail soon after symptoms appear. Authors of the study, published in the Lancet on Friday, described the findings...

MADRID: Spanish Prime Minster Pedro Sanchez warned Saturday that the coronavirus pandemic remains a threat, lying in wait as the country moves towards easing its strict lockdown. One of the worst-hit countries, Spain plans a phased transition through to end-June, with around half of the 47 million...

FREETOWN: Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio has accused the political opposition of inciting "terrorist violence" after deadly disturbances linked to the coronavirus outbreak in the West African nation.In a televised address on Friday evening, Bio said that the opposition All...

BEIJING: The coronavirus outbreak exposed "shortcomings" in China’s public healthcare system, a top health official admitted Saturday, saying that reforms are underway to improve the country’s disease prevention and control mechanisms.China has faced criticism both at home and abroad...

MANCHESTER: Anti-racism campaigners have staged a protest over police use of a Taser on a man in front of his distressed child.A group of up to 15 people observed Covid-19 social distancing rules as they gathered at a petrol station forecourt in Stretford, Manchester, where the incident took...

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon has delayed announcing its verdict in the case of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, previously set for mid-May, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the court said.

A total of 14 positive coronavirus cases were detected on the May 8 expat return flights, the state-run National News Agency said Sunday.

Islamabad: The Diabetes Centre and Islamabad Capital Territory Administration have collaborated to deliver much-needed and life-saving medicines to deserving diabetes patients free of cost under prevailing difficult circumstances after Coronavirus outbreak and lockdown.Hamza Shafqaat, Deputy...

Islamabad : The business community welcomes the announcement of Prime Minister Imran Khan to lift countrywide lockdown in phases and reopen all construction related industries as well as shopping centres for five days in a week as it would help the businesses and industrial units to revive...

Islamabad : The sale and purchase of readymade garments on the rise in federal capital ahead of Eidul Fitr.Amina Ansari, a designer said that due to COVID-19 lockdown, people were not able to buy clothes of their choice, so now they prefer to buy readymade garments rather than unstitched...

Islamabad : Industrial-Area police have arrested a wine dealer and recovered 115 bottles of wine and 150 litres liquor from him, a police spokesman said.He said that Deputy Inspector General of Police Waqar Uddin Syed assigned special task to SP Industrial Area Zubair Ahmed Sheikh, to ensure...

Corona has brought with it a different lifestyle, new challenges and opportunities. Unfortunately, urban centres like Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Peshawar etc. had turbulence in landing into this new scenario as we witnessed scenes of public humiliation of lockdown violators and disorder in...

Rawalpindi : Once more, a 13-year-old rape victim has been left with no other options but to move mountains in pursuit of seeking justice against the culprits who had ruined her life and are now taking every advantage with illegal support of some police officials in twisting facts and realities in...

People across Pakistan crowded markets on Saturday after a nationwide coronavirus lockdown was eased, despite the country recording its second-highest daily infection toll.

The government has allowed businesses to reopen in phases from the weekend, citing the economic havoc the virus restrictions have wreaked on citizens.

In Rawalpindi, thousands of shoppers were preparing for Eidul Fitr, with many flouting social distancing rules and advice to wear masks.

In Karachi, shopkeepers set out their wares of shoes, clothes, bangles and fabrics, while in the capital Islamabad shoppers stood in tightly-packed queues as they waited for stores to open.

Similar scenes were played out in Lahore, Quetta and Peshawar.

Omar Shirazi, a banker shopping for clothes with his daughter in Rawalpindi, welcomed the move.

“Eid is approaching,” he said. “We have to buy new garments for our children. It's the responsibility of people to comply with rules and wear safety gear.”

Tehmina Sattar, who was shopping with her sister and sons, was more cautious.

“We are happy with this decision but at the same time I have a fear in my heart that if this disease spreads it could be devastating. People here are not taking preventative measures.”

Information Minister Shibli Faraz warned earlier in the day that the lockdown on businesses would be reimposed if safety guidelines were not followed, after authorities reported more than 1,700 new cases in the past 24 hours.

Infections have been rising steadily as testing has increased, with more than 28,000 cases and more than 600 deaths recorded.

The easing comes as many across the country have openly ignored restrictions on gatherings in public during the past month, especially during the evenings as people observe Ramazan.

Schools will remain closed until mid-July however, while there are no immediate plans to restart public transportation or domestic flights.

LAHORE: Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Independent Disciplinary Panel retired Justice Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan has said Umar Akmal ‘is not prepared to show remorse and seek apology’ in his detailed judgement in the spot-fixing case that saw the Pakistan batsman slapped with a three-year suspension from all forms of the game.

Umar was provisionally suspended hours before he was to appear for Quetta Gladiators in the opening match of the Pakistan Super League on Feb 20 and was charged with two breaches of Article 2.4.4 of the PCB Anti-Corruption Code on March 17. On April 9, the PCB referred the matter to the chairman of the Independent Disciplinary Committee after the batsman opted not to request for a hearing before the Anti-Corruption Tribunal.

“It appears that he [Umar Akmal] is not prepared to show remorse and seek apology, make admission that he failed to fulfill his responsibility under Anti-Corruption Code, Article 2.4.4, rather he tried to take refuge under the pretext that in the past whenever any such approaches were made, the matter was reported by him,” said Justice Chauhan in his remarks.

“As far as Charge No.1 is concerned, I do not see any circumstances to mitigate the nature of offence, particularly, when the participant [Umar Akmal] has not cooperated with the PCB Vigilance and Security Department and the investigating team.

“In view of the admission of the participant that he failed to disclose to PCB Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Department, the details of the approaches and invitations extended to him without unnecessary delay.

The charge as framed is proved and the participant has rendered himself liable to be punished for breach of Article 2.4.4.

“Charge No.2, breach of Article 2.4.4 of the Code by failing to disclose to the PCB Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Department of the PCB, full details of the approaches and invitations received by you [Umar Akmal] to engage in corrupt conduct under the Code in respect of matches in PSL 2020.

“It is also admitted by him [Umar Akmal] that he failed to report the approaches and invitation to the PCB Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Depart­ment, as required by the PCB Code, Article 2.4.4. In view of the above charge as framed, stood proven and participant has rendered himself to be punished under Article 6.2 of the PCB Code.”

Umar’s elder brother and Pakistan Test discard Kamran had already announced that his brother would file an appeal against the punishment. Umar has to file the appeal within 14 days as the PCB then will appoint an independent adjudicator to hear that.

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2020

Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui on Sunday said that Pakistan rejects the "baseless and inaccurate" allegations by Harish Salve, India's legal counsel in the Kulbushan Jadhav case.

In an online lecture on May 3, Salve, who had represented India in the case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), alleged that Pakistan refused to respond to Indian queries about how it would carry out the ICJ's judgement and review and reconsider Jadav's case.

"We have written four to five letters to Pakistan [...] but they just keep on denying. I think we have reached a point where we have to now decide whether we want to go back to ICJ for consequential directions because Pakistan has not moved ahead," Tribune India quoted Salve as saying.

He also alleged that Pakistan granted consular access to Jadhav "too late" and refused to share details of the case with India.

The Foreign Office, while refuting the allegations, said that Pakistan has "fully complied" with the international court's judgement. "Pakistan has granted India consular access to commander Jadhav and is processing measures for effective review and reconsideration as per the guidelines provided by ICJ in its judgment," a statement from the FO read.

The Foreign Office also said that Salve's statements were "regrettable and a misrepresentation of facts", adding that Pakistan followed "all its international obligations".

Read: Timeline: How the Kulbhushan Jadhav saga unfolded

The ICJ in its verdict in July 2019 had ruled that Jadhav be allowed consular access immediately and asked Pakistan to ensure "effective review and reconsideration of his conviction and sentences".

The ICJ had, however, rejected all other remedies sought by India, which included the annulment of the military court decision convicting Jadhav, restricting Pakistan from executing the sentence, securing Jadhav's release and ordering his return to India.

Arrest of Indian spy

Jadhav — a serving commander of the Indian Navy associated with Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing — was arrested on March 3, 2016, from Balochistan on allegations of espionage and terrorism.

Read: Transcript of RAW agent Kulbhushan’s confessional statement

In his subsequent trial at a military court, Jadhav had confessed to his involvement in terrorist plots.

The spy was subsequently sentenced to death in 2017. However, India insisted that Jadhav was not a spy and said he was kidnapped from Iran.

On April 10, 2017, Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa had endorsed the death penalty for Jadhav. In June 2017, the Indian spy had filed a mercy petition against the death penalty, in which he again confessed to his involvement in terrorist activities.

However, before Pakistani authorities could make a final decision, the ICJ, after being approached by India, had ordered a stay in his execution through an interim order.

Palo Alto, CA – Aha™ by HARMAN today announced new content available via the free Aha Radio app for Android and iOS and included in the in-vehicle infotainment system in over 40 models of cars. With the addition of self-improvement publisher Hay House, live podcast network BlogTalkRadio and leading national broadcasters American Public Media (APM) and CBC/Radio-Canada, Aha adds thousands of new programs, across a multitude of genres, extending its content library of 40,000 audio and non-audio programs to include exactly what consumers want to hear in the car, at home, and on the go.Specific offerings include APM’s business and economic news program Marketplace, AAA station The Current, Classical Minnesota Public Radio and regional news from Southern California Public Radio and Minnesota Public Radio.

Palo Alto, CA – Aha™ by HARMAN announced today that it has partnered with Fishidy and has rolled out ParkVisitor’s services, expanding its already robust content pipeline. Aha uses the HARMAN Cloud Platform to enable Web-based entertainment and information in vehicles using a radio-like format that is familiar to drivers. More than 40,000 music and non-music programs that span from live radio stations to podcasts and audiobooks from the Web are delivered straight to the car's dashboard through a seamless connection with an Aha smartphone app for iOS and Android systems.

CES 2014, LAS VEGAS – HARMAN, the premium global audio and infotainment group (NYSE:HAR), unveiled two new services for the automotive market that leverage the Aha by HARMAN Cloud Platform and HARMAN’s infotainment system design leadership to ensure safe, personalized and connected driving experiences throughout the life of the vehicle. Extending beyond the popular Aha Radio interactive content service, the new Aha Updates and Aha Analytics services take HARMAN’s expertise and investments in cloud infrastructure into new directions.

CES 2014, LAS VEGAS, NV – HARMAN announced today that its Aha Radio service has partnered with Univision Radio, the leading Hispanic radio group that owns and operates 69 broadcast radio stations in 16 of the top 25 U.S. markets, to integrate more than 65 radio stations from the Uforia digital music service into Aha-enabled vehicles and mobile apps.This partnership represents a continuing effort by Univision Radio to provide Hispanic audiences with high-quality content across all its platforms. For Aha, this is another step to further expand its content offerings and specifically, to provide high-quality content to Hispanic audiences in the U.S.

CES 2015, LAS VEGAS – HARMAN, the premium global audio, infotainment and enterprise automation group (NYSE:HAR), introduces its enhanced Harman Kardon AVR 1x1 Series with the additions of Spotify Connect in all models and HDMI 2.0 in the two top models. The AVR 1x1s series, which includes Harman Kardon® AVR 1510, AVR 1610 and AVR 1710, was released last year and stands unprecedented in its versatility, quality and efficiency. Each Harman Kardon AVR 1x1s features the brand's iconic styling and unmatched sound reproduction and offers enhanced support for streaming and external devices.

With the championship race in Brooklyn, New York over the weekend of July 14-15, Harman Kardon recently wrapped a second successful season partnering with BMW i and the MS&AD Andretti Formula E team. The ABB FIA Formula E Championship began in 2014 ...

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned on Saturday that if provinces move too quickly to reopen their economies, a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic could send Canada "back into confinement this summer."

A major U.S. airline trade group on Saturday said it backed the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checking the temperatures of passengers and customer-facing employees during the coronavirus pandemic.