- Pakistan rejects Afghan vice president’s claims it is providing air support to Taliban
The Foreign Office of Pakistan on Friday roundly rejected outlandish claims made by Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh a day earlier, who had taken to Twitter to accuse Pakistan of providing air support to the Taliban. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) clarified that the PAF had “never communicated anything to the Afghan Air Force”, adding that such statements undermine Pakistan’s sincere efforts for an Afghan-owned and led solution.
The foreign office further clarified that the Afghan side conveyed to Pakistani authorities their intentions to carry out an air operation in its territory, which is opposite to the Chaman sector in Pakistan.
- ‘Boys assume girls afraid to hit a fast ball’: Malala on playing cricket
Education activist Malala Yousafzai says she loved to play cricket as a girl, but that boys wouldn’t throw the ball to her the same way they did to each other.
“As a girl, I loved to play cricket with my friends and brothers. But I noticed that boys would throw a slower ball to me, assuming girls were afraid to hit a fastball,” Malala wrote on Instagram.
- Pakistan sees rapid increase in COVID-19 cases, positivity rate jumps to 6.17%
According to NCOC stats, 37,690 COVID-19 tests were conducted across the country in the last 24 hours, of which 2,327 people tested positive for the virus. Pakistan’s coronavirus positivity rate goes over the 6% mark. This is the highest positivity rate in the last two months. On May 22, the country recorded a positivity rate of 6.43%.
- Ali Amin Gandapur’s convoy comes under attack in Jhelum Valley
Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur’s convoy came under attack in Azad Kashmir.
The incident took place when Gandapur, along with Minister for Communication and Postal Services Murad Saeed and other PTI leaders, was headed to a public gathering in connection with the upcoming elections in Azad Kashmir. When his caravan was passing through a place in Jhelum Valley, some infuriated people pelted stones at it.The people also threw eggs at the convoy and blocked the Srinagar Highway. The federal minister’s guards resorted to aerial firing to break up the crowd.
- Govt to amend NAB laws, PM Imran Khan assures Pakistani businessmen in Tashkent
Huge challenge to bring in quality CEOs for state-owned enterprises due to fear of NAB admits PM Imran Khan. PM tells business community govt wants to remove impediments for businessmen.
NAB had earlier rejected Shaukat Tarin’s statement that bureaucrats were afraid of doing their jobs due to fear of NAB.
- At least 44 dead, dozens missing as floods sweep through Western Europe
At least 42 people have died in Germany and dozens were missing on Thursday as swollen rivers caused by record rainfall across Western Europe swept through towns and villages, leaving cars upended, houses destroyed and people stranded on rooftops.
- Melbourne joins Sydney in lockdown as Covid-19 spreads in Australia
The Australian state of Victoria was ordered into a five-day lockdown on Thursday following a spike in Covid-19 infections, joining Sydney as the country’s two main population hubs battle an outbreak of the highly contagious Delta variant.
- Thousands of flamingos die amid drought in Turkey
Thousands of baby flamingos have died at Turkey’s Lake Tuz in the past two weeks from a drought that environmentalists said was the result of climate change and agricultural irrigation methods.
Drone footage of the large saline lake in Turkey’s central province of Konya showed dead flaminglets lying partially buried in dried mud. Lake Tuz is home to a flamingo colony where up to 10,000 flaminglets are born every year.
COVID-19 Updates
- With 2,327 new COVID-19 cases, 31 deaths recorded in the last 24 hours
- 43,670 COVID-19 cases are active in the country
- The total death tally of Covid-19 stands at 22,720
- 956 people recovered from Coronavirus in the last 24 hours
- The positivity rate of Covid-19 is recorded at 6.1%
- Over 188.8 million are infected globally
- More than 4 million have died due to the virus
- Over 134 million recovered from COVID-19
- Pakistan’s Covid-19 positivity rate soars to 6.1pc, highest since May 21
- 562,051 Covid vaccine doses administered across the country on July 15: NCOC
- No new Covid cases, deaths reported in KP
- Punjab records 364 virus cases, 4 deaths
- Islamabad, AJK and GB collectively report 381 Covid infections
- Pakistan reports 956 Covid recoveries
- Fully vaccinated Americans may enter Canada as of mid-August
- Abu Dhabi announces sudden overnight lockdown
- Eiffel Tower to reopen after record nine-month closure
- Mandatory indoor mask use returns to Los Angeles
