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, …

ISLAMABAD, June28(ABC): Former PTI member Ayesha Gulalai has written a letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial against PTI Chairman Imran Khan, asking the party be banned for its “campaign against institutions”. “Former prime minister Imran Khan is levelling baseless allegations against [the] country’s institutions, including [the] Pakistan Army as he wants a civil war by dragging …

KARACHI, June 28(ABC): Senior MQM-P leader Wasim Akhtar Monday warned the PPP of ending the agreement they had struck for ousting the PTI led-government after he raised objections to yesterday’s local body polls. The PPP took a clean lead in the first phase of Sindh’s local bodies elections in 14 districts, according to unofficial results — with JUI-F, MQM-P, and other …

ISLAMABAD. June 27 (ABC): Parliament House will get an additional amount of Rs5 billion in the next fiscal year 2022-23 amid a recent unprecedented hike in fuel and electricity prices and inflation which the government declared that they have no other choice than taking difficult decisions. The Parliament is comprised of the Upper House of the Parliament, Senate and Lower …

ISLAMABAD, June 27 (ABC): Federal Minister for Water Resources and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, sources said on Monday. The federal minister has contracted the novel coronavirus after which he has quarantined himself. Sources said that Khursheed Shah was suffering from fever and cough since last night. The minister’s …

ISLAMABAD, June 27 (ABC): Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday asserted that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) would not use the country’s institutions against any opponent like former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan did. Speaking on the National Assembly floor, the federal minister claimed that Imran Khan used all the national institutions against the opposition. “However, since we …

ISLAMABAD, June 27(ABC): Inflow of remittances under Roshan Digital Account (RDA) rose to US $4.356 billion by the end of May 2022 as compared to US $4.167 billion till end of April, according to a latest data released by the State Bank of Pakistan. The data showed that the inflows of remittances during the month of May were recorded at …

ISLAMABAD, June 27(ABC): Already overburdened by inflation, increased oil prices, food items, Pakistanis were in for a shock when the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on Monday decided to increase the power tariff by Rs7.9 per unit. According to the regulatory authority, the hike in tariff has been made under fuel adjustment for the month of May. This decision …

ISLAMABAD, June 27(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday directed the authorities concerned to complete the under-construction model prison in the capital project in next fiscal year, which has been facing delay for the last 10 years. Taking notice of the delay, the prime minister formed a six-member committee headed by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan by to review the …

WEB DESK, June 27(ABC): As a result of Apple’s fresh software from Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), we may expect a busy fall and the first half of 2023. The second beta of iOS 16 provides much-needed enhancements, for which Apple has recruited a designer from a well-known air-purifier firm, reported. What’s new? A new iPhone lock screen, two new Macs …

ISLAMABAD, June 27(ABC): The Government of Pakistan Monday signed an agreement with the French Republic under the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI), the Ministry of Economic Affairs stated. According to a statement released in this regard, the ministry stated that the government signed a DSSI, amounting to the suspension of loans worth $107 million under the G20 DSSI framework. …

KARACHI, June 27(ABC): The Pakistani rupee opened the week with a slight decline against the US dollar in the interbank market on Monday. According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the local currency closed at Rs207.94 against the greenback, after losing 0.22% compared to its session’s close of Rs207.48. Since the beginning of this fiscal year (July 1, 2021) …

KARACHI, June 27(ABC): After a frantic trading day on Friday, Pakistani stocks recovered ground on Monday, with the benchmark KSE-100 index fluctuating in both directions before finishing up 2.01% to halt the pessimism in the market. On Friday, a bloodbath was witnessed at the benchmark KSE-100 index, as investor concerns over the imposition of super tax and delay in inflows from the …

SINGAPORE, June 27(ABC): Pakistan’s monthly fuel oil imports are set to hit a four-year high in June, Refinitiv data showed, as the country struggles to buy liquefied natural gas (LNG) for power generation amid a heatwave that is driving demand. The resurgence in residue fuel demand at power plants underscores the energy crisis faced by the South Asian country and …

ISLAMABAD, June 27(ABC): Pakistan is pushing Saudi Arabia towards enhancing the oil facility on delayed payments facility to $3.6 billion from the existing $1.2 billion facilty,  reported Monday, citing a petroleum division spokesperson. The oil-rich country agreed to provide Pakistan with a $4.2 billion support package, including a $1.2 billion oil loan facility in October last year, when former prime …

ISLAMABAD, June 27(ABC): Without naming the country, Pakistan confirmed Monday that its invitation to a development dialogue held in China on June 24 was blocked by a BRICS member. In response to media queries about the “High-level Dialogue on Global Development”, held virtually on the sidelines of the BRICS meetings, the Foreign Office spokesperson said that Pakistan — with the …

ISLAMABAD, June 27(ABC): PML-N senior leader and former finance minister Ishaq Dar is expected to return to Pakistan any time next month in July, Geo News reported Monday, citing sources within the party. According to the sources, Dar is likely to visit Pakistan in the second week of July. They further stated that Dar will first take oath as a Senator …

ISLAMABAD, June 27(ABC): Following the failure of the PTI government to take the necessary action to resolve the issue of including escalated costs in true-up tariffs, Korean investors have filed a claim with the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) against the government of Pakistan, seeking $94 million (Rs19.6 billion) in compensation. The Korean investors claimed that the National Transmission …

ISLAMABAD, June 27(ABC): Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah Monday dismissed a petition against the constitutional amendment on the voting procedure for overseas Pakistanis. The dismissal came after Justice Minallah heard all arguments of the petitioner’s counsel during a plea hearing against the National Assembly bill revoking the Election Act. These 2017 amendments allowed overseas Pakistanis to vote …

ISLAMABAD, June 27(ABC): PTI Chairman Imran Khan has appealed to the youth for immediate registration to the Tiger Force in the first phase, and has stated that the youth and especially women will have to take responsibility for the by-elections in Punjab. In a video message sent to PTI supporters and workers, the former prime minister stated that for 30 …

ISLAMABAD, June 27(ABC): Federal Finance Minister Miftah Ismail on Sunday warned that there is a risk of default if the current account deficit is not controlled. In a statement, Miftah Ismail said that PTI had given four deficit budgets during its tenure and this year, Pakistan’s trade deficit will be the largest in history. The Finance Minister explained that there …

ISLAMABAD, June 27(ABC): The COVID-19 positivity ratio in Pakistan is nearing 3% amid a steady surge in infections across the country, as 382 new cases were reported during the last 24 hours, National Institute of Health, Islamabad (NIH) data showed Monday morning. As per the latest stats, the new infections — detected after diagnostic testing on 13,412 samples — took …

LAHORE, June 27(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday said that no compromises can be made when it comes to Pakistan’s security and defence. Speaking in a meeting related to the law and order situation of the country under his chairmanship, the premier urged the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) to improve their performance and said that it was the only …

KARACHI, June 27(ABC): The PPP took a clean lead in the first phase of Sindh’s local bodies elections in 14 districts, according to unofficial results. Sindh voted in the polls a day earlier amidst sporadic incidents of violence, clashes and at least two deaths. According to unconfirmed and unofficial results, the ruling PPP won with a big margin, while the …

ISLAMABAD, June 27(ABC): PTI Chairman Imran Khan stated on Sunday that the current government, which came to power through a foreign conspiracy, will be rejected by the nation and its rigging scheme will fail. “It’s not an election, it’s a Jihad on July 17 and the election will have to be won to prove that we don’t accept US slavery,” …

ISLAMABAD, June 27(ABC): The talks between the Pakistani authorities and International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff will now resume after the approval of the budget for incoming fiscal year 2022-23, during which the two parties will strike a deal for a loan facility. It may be recalled that the Fund confirmed major progress in Pakistan-IMF parleys last week. Sources within the Ministry of …

ISLAMABAD, June 26(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that holding the Commonwealth Summit in accordance with the Charter of Multilateral Forum will have a positive impact on our common values and principles. In a virtual address at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) being held in Kigali, Rwanda, he said that Pakistan is always ready to play its part …

KARACHI, June 26(ABC): Voting is underway today (Sunday) for the first phase of local government elections in 14 districts from four divisions of Sindh. The polling began at 8am and will continue until 5pm without any pause. The 14 districts of Sindh include Larkana, Kambar-Shahdadkot, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Sukkur, Ghotki, Khairpur, Naushehro Feroze, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot and Tharparkar.

WEB DESK, June 26(ABC): The oldest archaelogical evidence of the discovery and use of fire was found at the Evron Quarry archaeological site in Israel which dates back to 800,000 to one million years ago, reported. Previously, the evidence for controlled fire was discovered at Israel’s Qasem Cave, which dated back to nearly 400,000 years ago. This time, researchers at the …

ISLAMABAD, June 26(ABC): Experts say Pakistan may potentially witness another COVID-19 outbreak as the country continues to see an uptick in new cases, pushing the positivity rate further up. The country reported 406 fresh cases of coronavirus in a single day, National Institute of Health, Islamabad (NIH) data showed Sunday morning. The new infections were detected after diagnostic tests on …

LAHORE, June 25(ABC): The Finance Minister Miftah Ismail on Saturday announced to bring real estate brokers, builders, car dealers, restaurants and salons into the tax net. In a statement on Twitter, he said that they are (gently) bringing millions of shops into the tax net. I have brought jewellers into the net, and rest assured I will bring in all …

ISLAMABAD, June 25(ABC): PTI Chairman Imran Khan announced on Saturday that he will hold a public gathering against the coalition government next week at Islamabad’s Parade Ground. Addressing a news conference at his Bani Gala residence, the former prime minister said that he is gathering people from Islamabad and Rawalpindi. He urged the people belonging to big cities to come out …

WEB DESK, June 25(ABC): Researchers from King’s College London have created a novel interactive VR system to be used by patients when undertaking an MRI. In a new paper published in Scientific Reports, the researchers say they hope this advancement will make it easier for those who find having a MRI scan challenging such as children, people with cognitive difficulties, or …

WEB DESK, June 25(ABC): Brain-inspired electronics are the subject of intense research. Scientists from CNRS and the Ecole Normale Supérieure – PSL have theorized how to develop artificial neurons using, as nerve cells, ions to carry the information. Their work, published in Science on August 6, 2021, reports that devices made of a single layer of water transporting ions within graphene nanoslits have …

WEB DESK, June 25(ABC): Prosthetic enables a wide range of daily activities, such as zipping a suitcase, shaking hands, and petting a cat. For the more than 5 million people in the world who have undergone an upper-limb amputation, prosthetics have come a long way. Beyond traditional mannequin-like appendages, there is a growing number of commercial neuroprosthetics — highly articulated …

WEB DESK, June 25(ABC): The size of a grain of sand, dispersed microfliers could monitor air pollution, airborne disease, and environmental contamination. Northwestern University engineers have added a new capability to electronic microchips: flight. About the size of a grain of sand, the new flying microchip (or “microflier”) does not have a motor or engine. Instead, it catches flight on the …

WEB DESK, June 25(ABC): An international research team led by Skoltech and IBM has created an extremely energy-efficient optical switch that could replace electronic transistors in a new generation of computers manipulating photons rather than electrons. In addition to direct power saving, the switch requires no cooling and is really fast: At 1 trillion operations per second, it is between …

WEB DESK, June 25(ABC): Single-use diagnostic tests often aren’t practical for health professionals or patients in resource-limited areas, where cost and waste disposal are big concerns. So, researchers reporting in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces have turned to a surprising material, Tootsie Roll candy, to develop an inexpensive and low-waste device. The candy was used as an electrode, the part of …