ISLAMABAD, June 29(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appealed the masses to follow the anti-Covid Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) amid surge in coronavirus cases in the country. He said this while presiding over a meeting to discuss the coronavirus situation. Federal minister Abdul Qadir Patel, Rana Sanaullah, Sherry Rehman, National Disaster Management Authority chairman, federal secretaries of information and national health …

ISLAMABAD, June 29(ABC): Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman and Federal Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has been running a movement based on the agenda to urge the institutions to not to remain neutral because he wants favour from them. Addressing the National Assembly session, the PPP Chairman said that …

ISLAMABAD, June 29(ABC): Pakistan on Wednesday rejected India’s “mischievous” attempt to link the accused of the murder case in Udaipur with a Pakistani organisation. “We have seen reports in a segment of the Indian media referring to investigations into the murder case in Udaipur, mischievously seeking to link the accused individuals — Indian nationals —  to an organisation in Pakistan,” …

ISLAMABAD, June 29(ABC): The National Assembly on Wednesday passed the Finance Bill, 2022, in the absence of typical shouts of protest from the Opposition, bringing the government closer to fulfilling the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) requirement for the revival of the much-needed loan programme. The government presented the budget for the fiscal year 2022-23 on June 10 with a fiscal adjustment of …

LAHORE, June 29(ABC): The uncertainty on Hamza Shahbaz’s election as the Punjab chief minister continued as the Lahore High Court (LHC) once again adjourned the hearing of the case till June 30. A five-member LHC bench headed by Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan resumed hearing the separate pleas — filed by PTI and PML-Q — against Hamza’s election as CM on …

ISLAMABAD, June 29(ABC): Yang Jiechi, a high-level member of the Chinese Communist Party, will arrive in Islamabad with a delegation today for a two-day trip to Pakistan, said the Foreign Office spokesperson on Wednesday. According to the FO, Yang Jiechi is a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Director of …

ISLAMABAD, June 29(ABC): The federal government Wednesday decided to “fully activate” the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) in light of the rising coronavirus cases across the country. A statement from PM Office said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired an NCOC meeting, where he expressed concerns over the rising COVID-19 cases and issued directives to revive Pakistan’s coronavirus response forum. …

ISLAMABAD, June 29(ABC): Minister of the State for Petroleum Musadik Malik has pledged to overcome power load-shedding by the mid of July, as the country goes through the misery of not having power supply for tens of hours in sweltering hot weather. The electricity shortfall in Pakistan has exceeded 6,000 megawatts, causing 12 to 14 hours of power outages in …

LONDON, June 29(ABC): Former finance minister Ishaq Dar has decided to return back to Pakistan in the third week of July and he has received his new Pakistani passport, it can be confirmed. A credible source has shared that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif has given a go-ahead to Dar to return to Pakistan. The source shared that Ishaq Dar will …

WEB DESK, June 29(ABC): The technology could boost aerial robots’ repertoire, allowing them to operate in cramped spaces and withstand collisions. If you’ve ever swatted a mosquito away from your face, only to have it return again (and again and again), you know that insects can be remarkably acrobatic and resilient in flight. Those traits help them navigate the aerial …

WEB DESK, June 29(ABC): Technology paves way for intelligent solar cells, other highly efficient devices programmed at the macro and nano scale. Researchers at Tufts University School of Engineering have created light-activated composite devices able to execute precise, visible movements and form complex three-dimensional shapes without the need for wires or other actuating materials or energy sources. The design combines …

WEB DESK, June 29(ABC): A new method called tensor holography could enable the creation of holograms for virtual reality, 3D printing, medical imaging, and more — and it can run on a smartphone. Despite years of hype, virtual reality headsets have yet to topple TV or computer screens as the go-to devices for video viewing. One reason: VR can make …

WEB DESK, June 29(ABC): Ingo Burgert and his team at Empa and ETH Zurich has proven it time and again: Wood is so much more than “just” a building material. Their research aims at extending the existing characteristics of wood in such a way that it is suitable for completely new ranges of application. For instance, they have already developed …

ISLAMABAD, June 29 (ABC): Following the footsteps of former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, the coalition government has begun consultation to buy cheaper oil from Russia, reported a private Tv news channel quoting sources said on Wednesday. According to sources, the incumbent government has begun consultation to buy cheaper oil from Russia. In this regard, the …

TOKYO, June 29(ABC): Japan’s Sony is launching a new brand that will offer PC gaming gear, the company announced Wednesday, as it aims to expand beyond its flagship PlayStation console. The move comes as Sony looks to compete for a share of the gaming peripherals market, valued at $3.88 billion globally in 2019 according to Grand View Research. The first …

KARACHI, June 29(ABC): The Pakistani rupee (PKR) continued it winning streak and gained 1.12 rupees against the US dollar in the interbank market during intra-day trade. According to details, the dollar was being traded at 205.75 rupees compared to the previous close of 206.87. The appreciation in value of the local currency in the backdrop of the significant developments on …

ISLAMABAD, June 29(ABC): Bowing down to the pressure of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the government is likely to increase prices of petroleum products by Rs 10 from July 1 (Friday). Pakistan received Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policy (MEFP) from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which would combine the seventh and eighth tranches. According to IMF’s MEFP, economic discipline is …

WEB DESK, June 29(ABC): If you are working from home and are concerned about sending emails when the internet is down, you don’t have to worry now as Gmail has introduced an offline mode for everyone. According to a report published by, the new offline feature eliminates the need for the internet to read or respond to and also search …

ISLAMABAD, June 29(ABC): Pakistan’s daily COVID-19 case count has crossed the 500-mark for the first time in three months amid a constant rise in recent countrywide spread of the disease, National Institute of Health, Islamabad’s (NIH) data showed Wednesday morning. The country reported 541 new COVID-19 infections overnight, pushing Pakistan’s positivity ratio above 3% again. The new infections were detected …

LAHORE, June 29(ABC): A new political crisis is expected to emerge if the Lahore High Court declares the election of Punjab Chief Minister null and void and orders re-election, reported on Wednesday. If the LHC rules against the incumbent CM, the same candidates, Hamza Shahbaz and Pervez Elahi, will run for the position again. For the vote of confidence, the new …

ISLAMABAD, June 29(ABC): The Japanese government Tuesday extended grant assistance of Japanese Yen 313 million (approximately $2.3 million) to Pakistan for the project for Human Resource Development Scholarship. According to a press statement issued by the Economic Affairs Division, through this scholarship, the government of Japan would provide 17 scholarships for a two-year master’s degree programme and one scholarship for …

RAWALPINDI, June 29(ABC): Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa Tuesday said that the Kartarpur corridor was the practical manifestation of Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to religious freedom and harmony. His comments came during a meeting with the British Sikh soldiers’ delegation, a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. During the meeting, General Bajwa said that Pakistan …

KARACHI, June 29(ABC): Former law minister Farogh Naseem has vehemently denied PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry’s allegations on a matter related to giving plots to judges, saying PTI is lying on the issue, reported. Farooq Naseem’s statement came hours after former information minister Fawad Chaudhry’s claim that the then PTI government decided against giving plots to judges, however then law minister …

WEB DESK, June 28(ABC):What is happening in your brain as you are scrolling through this page? In other words, which areas of your brain are active, which neurons are talking to which others, and what signals are they sending to your muscles? Mapping neural activity to corresponding behaviors is a major goal for neuroscientists developing brain–machine interfaces (BMIs): devices that …

WEB DESK, June 28(ABC): The startup Transaera is using a class of materials, advanced by MIT Professor Mircea Dinca for over a decade, to create a more energy-efficient air conditioner. As incomes in developing countries continue to rise, demand for air conditioners is expected to triple by 2050. The surge will multiply what is already a major source of greenhouse …

ISLAMABAD, June 28 (ABC): Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Tuesday said the federal cabinet had approved a new visa regime for the Afghan citizens including traders and those who sought to visit the country on medical grounds. The visa policy for Afghans was reviewed by the Interior Ministry (Afghan Inter-ministerial cell) during an apex committee meeting which …

BRUSSELS, June 28(ABC): Construction is due to begin on Wednesday on what could become the world’s biggest plant to capture carbon dioxide from the air and deposit it underground, the company behind the nascent green technology said. Swiss start-up Climeworks AG said its second large-scale direct air capture (DAC) plant will be built in Iceland in 18-24 months, and have …

ISLAMABAD, June 28(ABC): PTI Chairman Imran Khan Wednesday said that preparations by the coalition government to “rig the by-elections in Punjab” were underway. The by-elections in Punjab will take place on July 17 for 20 provincial constituencies after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) unseated 25 PTI MPAs for voting against party lines. In a press conference, the former prime …

ISLAMABAD, June 28 (ABC): The 720 megawatts Karot hydropower project of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has successfully passed the 168-hour long reliability test run and will start commercial operations from June 29, a testing engineer at Karot Power Company told  on Tuesday. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif will inaugurate the landmark CPEC project the same day, another official of Karot Power …

LAHORE, June 28(ABC): The Lahore High Court (LHC) is considering the polls for the Punjab chief minister’s slot again, the court remarked on Tuesday while hearing the case challenging Hamza Shahbaz’s election as the Punjab CM. An LHC bench, headed by LHC Chief Justice Ameer Bhatti, resumed hearing on separate pleas — filed by PTI and PML-Q — against Hamza’s …

KARACHI, June 28(ABC): Pakistani rupee recovered on Tuesday after Finance Minister Miftah Ismail announced that the Government of Pakistan has received the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies (MEFP) from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the seventh and eighth reviews. Investors cheered this critical development, which signals that the two sides have almost reached an agreement. The draft MEFP is …

ISLAMABAD, June 28 (ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that the government has decided to import coal from Afghanistan to counter the energy crisis in the country and the LNG shortage worldwide. PM Shehbaz Sharif addresses the Turnaround Pakistan conference and said that the Finance Minister has confirmed that the IMF’s economic relief package of Rs2 billion will be …

WEB DESK, June 28(ABC): Elon Musk’s former artificial intelligence (AI) company, OpenAI, introduced eerily realistic-looking humans that “never existed” generated by artificial intelligence, according to report. DALL-E2 users were previously banned from sharing their hyper-realistic portraits of AI-curated humans. Once the ban was lifted, DALL-E2 user, Patrick Clair, took to Twitter to share some of the AI-made faces that look …

ISLAMABAD, June 28(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday addressed the “Turn Around Pakistan” conference, where he spoke about receiving a text from Finance Minister Miftah Ismail this morning, saying Pakistan will receive not $1 billion but $2 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). “Miftah Ismail sent a message this morning saying that Pakistan will receive not $1 billion …

ISLAMABAD: The COVID-19 positivity ratio in Pakistan witnessed a slight decline a day after nearing 3%, as the country reported lesser cases during the last 24 hours as compared to the last three days, National Institute of Health, Islamabad (NIH) data showed Tuesday morning. The latest stats show that 333 people in Pakistan contracted coronavirus in a single day, after …

ISLAMABAD, June 28(ABC): Pakistan has received the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies (MEFP) from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the seventh and eighth reviews, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail confirmed Tuesday morning. This is a critical development signalling that the two sides have reached an agreement. The draft MEFP is a prerequisite to pave the way towards striking a …

ISLAMABAD, June 28(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Monday said that the country might face increased loadshedding in the coming month of July. His comments came during a meeting with the PML-N members of the National Assembly and allied parties in the federal capital. PM Shehbaz said that Pakistan could not get the required liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, however, the coalition …

WEB DESK, June 28(ABC): India has blocked the flow of information to the country’s Twitter by banning the official accounts of several Pakistani embassies, journalists and some prominent personalities on the micro-blogging site, under  India’s Information Technology Act, 2000. “Deeply concerning that #India has blocked the flow of information to Indian Twitter by withholding access to the following official accounts,” …

ISLAMABAD, June 28(ABC): Supreme Court Justice Qazi Faez Isa Monday raised objections to the calling of two Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) meetings for the appointment of new judges to the Sindh and Lahore high courts in his absence. “It seems that more care in the appointment of a cook is exercised than in the appointment of judges,” the justice …

NEW YORK, June 28(ABC): In an interview with The Washington Post, US Senate Majority Leader Charles E Schumer has stated that he is willing to use his influence to help repair the damage done to US-Pakistan relations by the anti-American rhetoric of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, reported. The US senator spoke to the American-Pakistan Advocacy Group (APDG) in New York, …