PATUAKHALI: Millions of individuals in low-lying areas across Bangladesh and India on Monday ‘surveyed tangled wreckage’, left behind by a powerful cyclone. The climate-related event killed at least 16 people, destroyed thousands of homes, smashed seawalls and flooded cities. Gusts of wind and torrential rain continued to hammer residents, as they tried to salvage whatever remained of their belongings. This was only a day after ‘Cyclone Remal’ made landfall, with fierce gales and crashing waves. “At least 10 people were killed in the cyclone” in Bangladesh, Mohibbur Rahman, the country’s state minister for disaster, told reporters. A handful of people ‘drowned’,…
Author: Hasnain Abid Khanzada
WASHINGTON: Tornado-spawning thunderstorms that swept the US southern plains and Ozarks have killed at least 21 people as of Monday morning across four states and wrecked hundreds of buildings, with forecasters warning of more severe weather. The death toll over the Memorial Day weekend includes at least eight fatalities in Arkansas, seven in Texas, four in Kentucky and two in Oklahoma, according to tallies by state emergency authorities. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency early on Monday while the National Weather Service said a severe thunderstorm watch was issued for parts of Georgia and South Carolina until…
Torrential rains in the wake of a powerful cyclone caused the collapse of a quarry in India’s Mizoram state killing 12 people, government officials said on Tuesday. “So far 12 bodies have been found, we are looking for more,” deputy commissioner of Aizawl district Nazuk Kumar told AFP. Rescue efforts in the quarry were being hampered by “heavy rains”, police director general Anil Shukla said, NDTV news network reported. Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma offered compensation to families of the victims of the “landslide due to Cyclone Remal”. “I pray for the success of rescue and relief operations and wish a speedy recovery of the injured,” India’s…
ISLAMABAD: As Youm-i-Takbeer is being observed across the country on Tuesday (today), Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has lashed out at the government for exploiting the country’s nuclear programme for political gain. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday declared May 28 — known as Youm-i-Takbeer — a national holiday to mark the day Pakistan became a nuclear power 26 years ago. A PTI spokesperson slammed the PML-N for trying to take credit for Pakistan’s peaceful nuclear programme, accusing them of exploiting it for political gain. He emphasised that Pakistan’s nuclear capability was achieved thanks to the determination of the nation and the tireless efforts of…
ISLAMABAD: Amid intense pressure from the journalist fraternity and civil society organisations, the PML-N seemed to soften its stance on the proposed defamation law — recently passed by the Punjab Assembly and pending gubernatorial assent. At a press conference on Monday, federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar backed demands for consultations with stakeholders before the finalisation of the legislation. When asked about the proposed defamation law, Mr Tarar said it was being enacted for every citizen and not for the state. Justifying the need for fresh legislation, he said that existing laws had specific flaws, which had resulted in cases not being decided…
ISLAMABAD: Acting President Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday signed two ordinances on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, which were promulgated following the approval by the federal cabinet. Mr Gilani, who assumed the role of acting president after Asif Ali Zardari went to Dubai on a private visit, signed the Elections Act (Amendment) Ordinance 2024 and NAB (Amendment) Ordinance 2024 into law. The NAB ordinance extends the remand period of accused from 14 to 40 days. However, the sentence duration for the officer convicted of framing cases based on ill will has been reduced from five to two years. Meanwhile, under…
ISLAMABAD: As the schools managed by the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) undergo renovation and face-lift under a Rs7.4 billion project, the education ministry has sought Rs 3.5 billion from the federal government in the upcoming budget to complete the major part of the said project in the financial year 2024-25. The project titled ‘Provision of Basic Educational Facilities in Educational Institutions of ICT’ was initiated in 2021 and the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government had allocated Rs2 billion for this project in FY23-24 to ensure the smooth flow of work. “The ongoing progress of our project is good and…
ISLAMABAD: Senior leaders of the opposition in the National Assembly on Monday voiced solidarity with the tribal elders and vowed to raise their concerns on the floor of the house. They made the commitment during their meeting with a delegation of tribal elders from South Waziristan comprising Wazir and Mehsud tribes who called on them. Among the leaders who met the delegation at the Parliament House were Omar Ayub Khan, Asad Qaiser and Mehmood Khan Achakzai. The tribal elders apprised the opposition leaders of the objectives of their demonstrations and highlighted the problems arising from lack of compensation for the…
RAWALPINDI: A three-member delegation from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad visited the Central Jail Adiala and met two Indian nationals who were shifted to the jail from Muzaffarabad on Monday. The prisoners, identified as Feroz Ahmad and Noor Mushtaq Wani, were taken into custody by the Pakistani authorities while crossing the Line of Control illegally. They were languishing in a jail in the capital of Azad Kashmir, said sources. The prisoners were brought to the Adiala jail after being allowed consular access by the government. The sources said after the meeting the prisoners were taken back to Muzaffarabad. According…
ISLAMABAD: One of the complainants before the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) that led to the unceremonious exit of Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi as the Supreme Court judge requested Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa on Monday to initiate prompt inquiry into the pending complaints against superior court judges. “The people as well as lawyers of this country consider it their right in expecting that CJP being the SJC chairman will fix all the complaints, pending against different judges within a period of one month,” Advocate Mian Dawood stated in a letter addressed to the chief justice. The letter highlighted…
