NUKU’ALOFA: The Tonga volcanic eruption unleashed explosive forces that dwarfed the power of the Hiroshima atomic bomb, Nasa scientists have said, as survivors on Monday described how the devastating Pacific blast “messed up our brains”. The Nasa Earth Observatory said the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano spewed debris as high as 40 kilometres into the atmosphere during the January 15 eruption that triggered huge tsunami waves. “We think the amount of energy released by the eruption was equivalent to somewhere between five to 30 megatons (five to 30 million tonnes) of TNT,” Nasa scientist Jim Garvin said in a press release. Nasa said…
Author: Hasnain Abid Khanzada
BRUSSELS: Nato said on Monday it was sending jets and ships to bolster its eastern European flank, as the US and EU looked to coordinate a tough response to Russia if it invades Ukraine. Tensions have soared over Russia’s deployment of some 100,000 troops and heavy armour at its neighbour’s borders, despite the Kremlin’s insistence it is not planning a new incursion almost eight years after it seized Crimea. The United States, Britain and Australia ordered diplomats’ families to leave Kiev, while France told its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Ukraine. Both Kiev and the European Union’s foreign policy…
OSLO: On their first visit to Europe since returning to power, the Taliban held landmark talks with Western diplomats in Oslo on Monday over the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, a meeting the Islamist regime’s delegation called an “achievement in itself”. The international community has however insisted the Taliban must respect human rights before aid can be resumed to Afghanistan, where hunger threatens more than half population. Having accepted a controversial invitation from Norway, the Taliban were holding talks on Monday with representatives of the United States, France, Britain, Germany, Italy, the European Union and Norway. The closed-door discussions were taking place…
US President Joe Biden was caught on a live microphone Monday calling a Fox News journalist a “stupid son of a bi*ch” on the sidelines of a White House photo op. As journalists were leaving the room after the event, a reporter from Fox News, the favourite channel of conservatives, asked whether inflation is a political liability. The Democratic leader, possibly unaware that his microphone was still on, began by deadpanning: “It’s a great asset. More inflation.” And then muttered, “What a stupid son of a bi*ch,” before glancing briefly down. A pool reporter who was in the room at the time admitted…
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain has said that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government has taken revolutionary steps to empower people at the grassroots level as all previous governments failed to introduce an empowered local government system in the country. Speaking at a press conference, he said the PPP government in Sindh was not giving the people of Karachi their due share which increased suffering, adding districts and cities would get their full share under the new local government system introduced by the PTI government. Under the new system, mayors would be elected by the people…
ISLAMABAD: A sessions court was informed during the hearing of the Noor Mukadam murder case on Monday that the National Forensic Science Agency (NFSA) did not find fingerprints of Zahir Jaffer on the pistol recovered from the crime scene. Additional Sessions Judge Atta Rabbani resumed hearing of the case during which the main accused’s counsel Advocate Sikandar Zulqarnain cross-examined the investigation officer (IO) Inspector Abdul Sattar. Prosecutor Rana Hassan Abbas was also present while the main accused, Zahir Jaffer, sat on the ground in the courtroom with his knees up and head down during the entire course of hearing. His…
KARACHI: Pakistan Navy inducted PNS Tughril, the first of four Type 054-A/P multi-role frigates, and 10 Sea King helicopters at the Pakistan Navy Dockyard here on Monday. President Dr Arif Alvi was the chief guest on the occasion. Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Mohammed Amjad Khan Niazi received him and a contingent of the Pakistan Navy presented him with the guard of honour. A contract for the four multi-role frigates (Type 054-A/P) for PN was signed between Pakistan and China in June 2018. PNS Tughril, the lead ship of Type 054-A/P, has been inducted into the PN fleet along…
RAWALPINDI: A security audit of 4,820 educational institutions put in category ‘A’ across Punjab, including 464 in the Rawalpindi region, has uncovered major lacunas. The purpose of the security audit was to report about the measures taken and to point out flaws so that foolproof security could be taken for the institutions. In November 2021, the security audit was conducted by the Punjab police intelligence wing. Provincial police chief Rao Sardar Ali Khan asked all divisional police chiefs to take adequate security measures and make efforts for improvement in the infrastructure and qualities of human resources. Report says out of…
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari on Monday launched the human rights complaint cell at her ministry. She announced the launching of the cell at a meeting which was attended by ministry of human rights joint secretary, all directors general and senior officers of ministry attended. Regional human rights directors from Quetta, Lahore, Peshawar and Karachi participated in the meeting via Zoom link, says a press release. It said that Human Rights Complaint Cell has been established under the Ministry of Human Rights for receiving, sifting, segregating and forwarding of complaints both at federal and provincial levels.…
ISLAMABAD: As coronavirus cases continued to surface in several localities, the district administration was asked to seal 20 more streets in the capital on Monday. Islamabad saw 856 more cases on Monday while the positivity ratio was recorded at 12.7 per cent. During the last 24 hours, 6,730 tests were conducted. District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Zaeem Zia said restriction of movement had been recommended in the 20 localities in order to avoid any further spread of the infection on the basis of activities of surveillance teams and Covid-19 test results from public and private laboratories and hospitals. Sealing of…
