LONDON, July 7(ABC): Scandal-ridden Boris Johnson announced on Thursday he would quit as British prime minister after he was abandoned by ministers and most of his Conservative lawmakers. Bowing to the inevitable as more than 50 ministers quit and lawmakers said he must go, an isolated and powerless Johnson spoke outside his Downing Street to confirm he would resign. “The …

ISLAMABAD, July 7(ABC): The PTI will move the Lahore High Court (LHC) against 19 Punjab by-poll candidates who had been de-notified by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in May, the party’s senior vice president Fawad Chaudhry announced Thursday. The ECP had de-notified the 19 PTI members over casting votes for PML-N’s Hamza Shahbaz against their party line in the …

ISLAMABAD, July 7(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that a national solar energy policy will be announced on the first of next month to address energy related issues. Chairing a meeting Energy Task Force in Islamabad on Thursday, he said that the enforcement of this policy will be linked to the approval by Council of Common Interest (CCI). Shehbaz …

LAHORE, July 7(ABC): The Election Commission of Pakistan on Thursday suspended Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz’s electricity relief package “Roshan Gharana Programme” which offers free electricity to households that consume up to 100 units till July 17. Hamza had announced earlier this week that the provincial government will bear the power cost of households that consume up to 100 units of electricity …

ISLAMABAD, July 7(ABC): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated Blue Line and Green Line Metro Bus Service routes in Islamabad on Thursday. Addressing the inaugural ceremony, the Prime Minister said that provision of a regular, clean and punctual bus service is a major step of the incumbent government. He said that launching of Green Line and Blue Line Metro Bus …

WEB DESK, July 7(ABC): Researchers in Japan experimented with a chopstick-shaped utensil and found that participants consumed 30 per cent less salt when using it. This innovative chopstick has a weak current that can increase the perceived saltiness of low-sodium food. The study was led by scientists at Meiji University and a Japanese company, Kirin. Previous experiments found that a …

ISLAMABAD, July 7(ABC): The COVID-19 situation in Pakistan is getting worse once again ahead of Eid as nine people suffering from the infection died in the last 24 hours, the National Institute of Health, Islamabad (NIH) data showed Thursday morning. Pakistan’s coronavirus death toll witnessed a major hike after over three months as the country last reported nine deaths on …

ATTOCK, July 7(ABC): Popular anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan was given relief by an Attock court on Thursday when a case against him was dismissed and the police were instructed to let him go if he wasn’t wanted in another case. The Punjab Police brought Imran Riaz Khan before the court and asked for a three-day physical remand. Before a hearing …

ISLAMABAD, July 7(ABC): Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken Wednesday reaffirmed their mutual desire to further strengthen bilateral ties between Islamabad and Washington by expanding engagements in different sectors. Taking to his Twitter handle, the foreign minister, while referring to 75 years of Pakistan-US relationship, stressed that the two sides must increase people-to-people and …

SAHIWAL, July 7(ABC): PTI Chairman Imran Khan Wednesday challenged that no matter what the Sharifs do [in order to] attract voters for by-polls to be held in 20 constituencies on July 17, the “PTI will win.” Addressing a public gathering in Sahiwal, the former prime minister said that the people have very well-understood the lotas (turncoats) and “diesel” (referring to JUI-F chief …

ISLAMABAD, July 06 (ABC): Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Miftah Ismail on Wednesday said Pakistan was was taking all possible measures to resolve the bottlenecks for significantly augmenting the bilateral trade volume with Iran. The minister was talking to Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini, who called on him here, according to a Finance Ministry statement. Miftah …

ISLAMABAD, Jul 6 (ABC): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Wednesday said that he had ordered an inquiry into criminal delay in Gwadar Breakwater project as the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s government had ignored it despite availability of grants. On his Twitter handle, the prime minister said $445m grant, $484m soft loan and feasibility were available, but it baffled mind how the previous …

SAHIWAL, July 06 (ABC): Former prime minister and PTI chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday said ‘even with the support of the umpires thieves cannot win Punjab by-polls’, scheduled to take place on July 17. Addressing a public gathering in Sahiwal, Imran Khan thanked participants for coming in large numbers to the public gathering despite heavy rain and accumulated water in …

ISLAMABAD, July 6(ABC): Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said Wednesday that the government’s talks with the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were at a “pre-dialogue” after political parties approved negotiations with the militants. In a press conference, the interior minister said the military leadership suggested forming a committee comprising all political parties — a proposal that was accepted by the Parliament as …

ISLAMABAD, July 6(ABC): PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said on Wednesday that his party is ready for a “grand dialogue” but will only come to the table if an election date is announced. Talking to the press in Islamabad, Fawad said that if the government continued making such moves one after the other, it may derail democracy in the country. “Every …

LAHORE, July 6(ABC): Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique Wednesday announced that railway fares would be reduced by 30% on all three days of Eid ul Adha (July 10 to July 12). Addressing a press conference in the federal capital, flanked by Adviser to Prime Minister on Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Qamar Zaman Kaira, the railway’s minister said that …

ISLAMABAD, July 6(ABC): Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Wednesday asked that is it harassment if former prime minister Imran Khan is questioned about his corruption. Rana Sanaullah, while addressing a press conference, inquired that whether holding PTI Chairman Imran Khan accountable for his looting means that he is being cornered. Interior Minister asked Imran Khan that whether he wants to …

ISLAMABAD, July 6(ABC): Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb Wednesday lashed out at PTI Chairman Imran Khan and demanded that he answer to the people on how he managed to “convert Bani Gala — his residence — into money gala”. In a press conference, the information minister said the ex-prime minister did not curb corruption and that Khan and his aides’ assets …

WEB DESK, July 6(ABC): Suleman Shehbaz, the son of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has served a defamation notice worth Rs1 billion to PTI leader Imran Ismail for alleging that he owned a solar panel business and was taking undue benefits from the government. Suleman’s legal team, in the notice served to Ismail, stated that the former Sindh governor’s claims were …

GENEVA, July 6(ABC): Scientists working with the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) have discovered three subatomic particles never seen before as they work to unlock the building blocks of the universe, the European nuclear research centre CERN said on Tuesday. The 27 kilometre-long (16.8 mile) LHC at CERN is the machine that found the Higgs boson particle, which along with its …

WEB DESK, July 6(ABC): Apple recently secured a new patent that may make iPhones waterproof and allow users to adjust touch sensitivity so that they are better able to access their phone screens in the rain. Current iPhone models are water-resistant but it’s still tricky texting with water drops on the screen. With the new patent on the way, Apple …

QUETTA, July 6(ABC): The Balochistan government has declared Quetta a disaster struck area and imposed a state of emergency in the provincial capital after rain wreaked havoc, killing more than a dozen people in the province. Monsoon rains continued for a second day in several districts of Balochistan on Wednesday. Due to torrential rains, the rivers and canals of the …

ISLAMABAD, July 6(ABC): The fresh COVID-19 case count in Pakistan has grown past the 800-mark once again as the infection continues to spread with every passing day, National Institute of Health, Islamabad (NIH) data showed Wednesday morning. The last time the number of new COVID-19 cases grew this high was on July 2, when the country logged 818 new cases. …

LAHORE, July 6(ABC): PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz has criticised the PTI for approaching the Supreme Court after Punjab’s Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz announced to give free electricity to people consuming up to 100 units per month. The new announcement is expected to provide electricity to an estimated nine million poor families across the province. In a statement on Twitter, …

ISLAMABAD, July 6(ABC): The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday disposed of anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan’s petition against his arrest, saying that the police took him into custody from Attock, which is “not under this court’s jurisdiction”. Khan’s counsel had filed a petition on Tuesday night after Attock police took the journalist into custody — a move that invited strong …

KARACHI, July 6(ABC): Engineers of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Tuesday declared the Indian plane that got stranded in Karachi as “unfit” for travel upon inspection at the Jinnah International Airport. The Indian airline Boeing 737 arrived from Mumbai and was forced to make an emergency landing in Karachi. Now an alternative plane, ‘SpiceJet’ SG 9911, will carry 138 passengers …

QUETTA, July 5(ABC): Eight people were killed in different accidents during the torrential rain and flood across the province. The deceased include a child and three women. In all, 24 deaths have been reported in the monsoon rains. Over mud houses collapsed during the rains, while over 2,000 cattle washed away. Hundreds of people have become homeless due the rains …

RAWALPINDI, July 5(ABC): General Musa Avsever, Commander Turkish Land Forces, called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa at GHQ on Tuesday. During the meeting, matters of mutual and professional interest with special emphasis on defence and security collaboration between the two brotherly countries, were discussed. “We highly value our brotherly relations with Turkey which are deeply …

ISLAMABAD, July 5(ABC): A crucial in-camera session of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) in Islamabad chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has agreed that a steering committee will be formed on the issue of talks with the banned outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP). The meeting was also attended by the heads of other security agencies, senior members of the National …

ISLAMABAD, July 5(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday has approved a summary to increase of basic electricity tariff by Rs7.91 in phases. According to sources, NEPRA had sent a summary to PM Shehbaz which was approved by him. In this regard, the sources further said that the first increase is Rs 3.50 per unit and from July 1, it …

ISLAMABAD, July 5(ABC): PTI Chairman Imran Khan Tuesday warned of revealing the elements involved in the alleged “foreign conspiracy”, saying that it would harm national interests. Addressing a press conference in the federal capital, the former prime minister said that he has recorded a video which involves information about those who have committed “treason” against the country. “I am quiet for …

WEB DESK, July 5(ABC): NASA has announced that it will be sending swimming robots to the “ocean worlds” in our solar system to explore what lies beneath the icy shells on different planets and moons. The space agency will be investing US$600,000 in a study that will look into the feasibility of sending tiny machine swimmers. However, these will look …

WEB DESK, July 5(ABC): Scientists at the University of California San Diego have developed Lithium-ion batteries that can perform well at freezing and scorching temperatures both. They used a temperature-proof electrolyte that allows electrical current to flow easily without taking the impact of the changes in temperature. Researchers believe that if the battery is introduced to electric vehicles, it will …

ISLAMABAD, July 5(ABC): Pakistan’s central bank looks set to raise its key policy rate by 125 basis points at its review on Thursday, as it attempts to tackle 13-year high retail inflation, according to the median estimate in a snap poll of 10 economists and market watchers. The economists, analysts and senior professors surveyed were widely split on the quantum …

ISLAMABAD, July 5(ABC): The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Tuesday issued fresh guidelines for Eid ul Adha, urging people to follow the issued SOPs as coronavirus cases climb across the country. COVID cases witnessed a spike in the mid of June, with officials fearing that the infections would spread further due to shopping and the celebrations leading up …

KARACHI, July 5(ABC): The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Tuesday reversed its uptrend as the local currency lost Rs2.38 due to renewed uncertainty regarding the revival of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme. According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the local currency closed at Rs206.94 against the US dollar in the interbank market, after a fresh decline of …

KARACHI, July 5(ABC): A Dubai-bound Indian flight carrying 138 passengers on board made an emergency landing at Jinnah International Airport, Karachi due to a technical fault. Sources within the aviation department said SpiceJet flight SG-11 developed a technical fault in mid-air. Since the plane was in Pakistani airspace, the flight captain sought permission for an emergency landing at Karachi’s airport, …

ISLAMABAD, July 5(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said protecting the poorest from the effects of difficult economic condition has been the priority of present government from day one. In a tweet on Tuesday, he welcomed Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz’s announcement of providing free electricity to the households using up to one hundred units per month. He expressed the …

ISLAMABAD, July 5(ABC): Finance Minister Miftah Ismail has said the government is focusing on effective structural reforms to ensure inclusive and sustainable growth in the country. He was talking to Country Director of Asian Development Bank Yong Ye in Islamabad. The Finance Minister apprised the ADB Country Director about the targeted revenue and development goals Yong Ye informed the Minister …

ISLAMABAD, July 5(ABC): Minister for Power Engineer Khurram Dastgir on Monday said around 7,000 MW of electricity would be added to the national grid before next summer season, which would help overpower load-shedding in the country. About 4,623 MW of electricity would be added to the system through those projects, which were launched by the last Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government …