Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday his government has yet to decide on cancelling tennis superstar Novak Djokovic’s visa. Immigration Minister Alex Hawke’s earlier statement that he is pondering whether to tear up the visa “has not changed”, Morrison told a news conference in Canberra on the Covid-19 pandemic. The Australian leader stressed that it was a decision for Hawke to take, declining further comment. Djokovic flew into Melbourne hoping to claim a tenth Australian Open title on January 5. The unvaccinated 34-year-old Serbian ace carried with him a vaccine exemption because of a claimed positive PCR test…
Author: Hasnain Abid Khanzada
A fast-spreading Omicron variant that causes milder illness compared with previous versions of the coronavirus has fueled the view that COVID-19 poses less of a risk than in the past. In which case, some ask, why go to great lengths to prevent getting infected now, since everybody will be exposed to the virus sooner or later? Here is why experts say it is not time to be complacent about Omicron: YOU COULD STILL BECOME VERY ILL Research has indicated that Omicron may be more likely to lead to an asymptomatic case of COVID-19 than prior variants. For those who do have symptoms,…
CAPE TOWN: Jasprit Bumrah took 5-42 as India bowled South Africa out for 210 and then drove home their advantage with the bat as the ended day two of the decisive third and final Test on 57 for two in their second innings at Newlands on Wednesday. India’s lead is 70, already a sizeable one on a difficult, seaming wicket that is offering plenty of assistance to the bowlers and has seen 22 wickets fall on the opening two days of the contest. Captain Virat Kohli is not out 14 in an unbeaten partnership of 33 with Cheteshwar Pujara (9)…
WASHINGTON: The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on six North Koreans, one Russian and a Russian firm it said were responsible for procuring goods from Russia and China for North Korea’s weapons programmes, an action that follows a series of North Korean missile launches, including two since last week. The US Treasury Department said the steps aimed to prevent the advancement of North Korea’s weapons programmes and impede its attempts to proliferate weapons technologies. It said they followed six North Korean ballistic missile launches since September 2021, each of which it said violated multiple UN Security Council Resolutions. US…
KARACHI: State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Dr Reza Baqir has exhorted the country’s exporters to compete with global players and increase the export-to-GDP ratio to “well above” its current level. “I’d like our exporters to take up this challenge since the exchange rate is competitive and the government is giving them subsidies as well as various kinds of incentives. Exporters should show they can compete on a global stage,” he said while addressing a business conference on Wednesday. Dr Baqir said three macroeconomic areas need special focus going forward. One of these challenges is the export performance. “Last year,…
ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Wednesday allowed applicability of cheaper fixed electricity rate of Rs12.96 per unit on incremental consumption to domestic, commercial and general services in current winter months to K-Electric and until Oct 31, 2023 to all industrial consumers of the utility while missing out industrial (B1) consumers of other distribution companies (Discos). It may be recalled that the normal tariff for non-protected consumers varies between Rs16 and Rs22 per unit. In two determinations on Wednesday, the regulator allowed these rates to KE as an extension of the federal government’s similar packages for consumers…
LONDON: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday apologised for attending a lockdown-breaching party held in his Downing Street garden, but deflected calls to resign as the opposition leader called him a “man without shame”. After days of dismal headlines and collapsing poll ratings, Johnson said he regarded the newly revealed boozy get-together in May 2020 as a work event for Downing Street staff. He conceded he did not appreciate how the event would look to millions of Britons who were respecting Covid rules, even missing out on farewells to dying relatives. “And to them and to this House I offer my heartfelt apologies,”…
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday strongly condemned the hijacking of the UAE-flagged cargo vessel Rawabi by the Houthis near the port city of Hodeidah, Yemen. Such blatant acts not only threaten the freedom of maritime navigation but also endanger international trade and security of the region, the Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement. Expressing Pakistan’s solidarity with the United Arab Emirates, the spokesperson called for the immediate release of the vessel and its crew. According to the UAE media, the ship had 11 crew on board from five countries, including seven Indian sailors and one each from Ethiopia, Indonesia, the…
WASHINGTON: Growth in Pakistan surprised on the upside last year, supported by improving domestic demand, record-high remittance inflows, a narrow targeting of lockdowns, and accommodative monetary policy, says a World Bank report released on Wednesday. The bank’s Global Economic Prospects report 2022 projects that growth in the South Asian region (SAR) will accelerate to 7.6 percent in 2022, as pandemic-related disruptions fade, before slowing to 6.0 percent in 2023. The World Bank has revised growth projections for the region since June 2021, because of “better prospects in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.” The report projects that Pakistan’s economy will grow by 3.4 percent…
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday his government has yet to decide on cancelling tennis superstar Novak Djokovic’s visa. Immigration Minister Alex Hawke’s earlier statement that he is pondering whether to tear up the visa “has not changed”, Morrison told a news conference in Canberra on the Covid-19 pandemic. The Australian leader stressed that it was a decision for Hawke to take, declining further comment. Djokovic flew into Melbourne hoping to claim a tenth Australian Open title on January 5. The unvaccinated 34-year-old Serbian ace carried with him a vaccine exemption because of a claimed positive PCR test…
