- Afghan, Taliban flags surprise visitors at park in Islamabad
Security agencies were put on alert on Sunday after police learned that a group of individuals were flying Afghanistan’s national flag as well as that of the Taliban at Islamabad’s Lake View Park.
The Lake View Park, located near Malpur village and along Murree Road, is not far from important government buildings, including the Parliament House, and is administered by the Capital Development Authority. According to sources, a group of 20 to 25 young men holding the two flags was seen taking photographs at the park in the evening. A police party rushed to the place and questioned the individuals, but did not register any case against them.
- Faisalabad ‘Aurat March’ cancelled ‘under pressure from administration’
The students, civil society, and women had planned to organize the Aurat March to raise a voice against “ongoing femicide and protest the brutal murders of women all over the country in the name of ‘isolated incidents’ and to make collective social change in the way women are treated”, but the city administration did not give the organizers the no Objection certificate (NOC).
- Moderna vaccination starts in KP today as virus cases surge
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government will start Moderna vaccination at all the centers across the province today (Monday) as Covid-19 cases have been on the rise for the last two days.
The positivity rate for the virus has reached more than five percent in the Peshawar, Abbottabad, Nowshera, Swabi, and Mardan districts of the province.
- Lockdown aimed at disrupting economic activities in Karachi, says Haleem Adil Sheikh
Leader of the Opposition in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh has termed Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah’s government a security risk for the country as the chief minister went ahead with his decision on lockdown against NCOC’s advice just to disrupt economic activities in Karachi, which had barely started recovering from the ill-effects of earlier protracted lockdown.
- Airlines start checking vaccination certificates of passengers
The NCOC has made the vaccine certificate mandatory for air travel, with effect from August 1, as part of the government’s steps to curb the spread of Covid-19. A total of eight air travelers not having the immunization certificate were stopped from boarding flights at all airports across the country on the first day of the travel ban on unvaccinated people.
Earlier, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had issued a notification which said: “No Pakistani passenger of 18 years of age and above will be allowed to undertake domestic air travel within Pakistan without proof of Covid-19 vaccination.”
- Pakistan to carefully watch India’s UNSC conduct
Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Munir Akram said on Sunday that Pakistan will watch carefully to ensure that India does not hurt the country’s core interests during its presidency of the Security Council. India took over the presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) from France for the month of August. This is the first presidency for India during its 2021-22 tenure as a non-permanent member of the UNSC.
“India will obviously use its SC Presidency to promote its own narrative on various issues, including terrorism and UN reform,” Ambassador Akram.
“We will watch its conduct carefully and ensure that no moves that are against Pakistan’s core interests are allowed to succeed.”
- Chinese cities test millions as virus cases surge
Chinese cities rolled out mass testing of millions of people and imposed fresh travel restrictions as health authorities battled on Sunday to contain the country’s most widespread coronavirus outbreak in months.
China on Sunday reported 75 new coronavirus cases with 53 local transmissions, with a cluster linked to an eastern airport now reported to have spread to over 20 cities and more than a dozen provinces.
- Bashir sixth, Khalil 16th after first round of 25m rapid fire
Bashir finished with 293 points after the first qualifying stage at the Asaka Shooting Range, just inside the cut-off line at sixth. Just holding onto that position after Monday’s second stage will be enough for Bashir to make the final.
With the top six advancing to the final, Khalil will need to push himself on Monday when shooters will fire another 30 rounds after he ended in 16th with 286 points.
Bashir fired 99 and 98 in the first two segments before getting 96 in the third, when he had to fire two five-shot series, each within four seconds. Khalil had 98, 96 and 92 in each of the three segments.
- India and Belgium join Australia, Germany in hockey semis
India reached the semi-finals of the men’s hockey tournament at the Olympics for the first time since 1980 thanks to a 3-1 win over Britain on Sunday to set up a showdown with Belgium at the Tokyo Games.
Australia and Germany will contest the other semi-final.
COVID-19 Updates
- With 4,858 new COVID-19 cases, 40 deaths recorded in the last 24 hours
- 73,213 COVID-19 cases are active in the country
- The total death tally of Covid-19 stands at 23,462
- 1,361 people recovered from Coronavirus in the last 24 hours
- The positivity rate of Covid-19 is recorded at 8.6%
- Over 198.2 million are infected globally
- More than 4.2 million have died due to the virus
- Over 170 million recovered from COVID-19
- Sindh vaccination numbers have sharply increased over last few days: Murtaza Wahab
- AJK reports highest daily rise in Covid cases for second straight day.
- KP reports 584 cases 6 deaths
- Pakistan reports 1,361 recoveries from covid-19
- Punjab reports more than 800 cases for first time since May 24
- Refugees pushed to back of the line amid vaccine shortages
- Lockdown in Australia’s Brisbane extended as army patrols Sydney to enforce Covid curbs
- Crisis-hit Tunisia receives 1.5m Covid vaccines from Italy
- Top US disease expert says more ‘pain and suffering’ still ahead
