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Author: World News

  • Vaccination delayed in India.

    New Dehli,

    Several Indian states have run out of coronavirus vaccines a day before a planned widening of a nationwide Vaccination drive, authorities said on Friday, as new infections surged to another daily record.

    New cases in the past 24 hours stood at 386,452, while deaths jumped by 3,498, health ministry data shows. Medical experts believe actual numbers may be five to 10 times greater than the official tally, however.

    Since the end of February, India has added about 7.7 million cases as its second wave of infections picked up steam, a news agency tally shows. In contrast, it took nearly six months to add the previous 7.7 million cases.

    The world’s second-most populous nation is in deep crisis, with hospitals and morgues overwhelmed by the pandemic, medicines and oxygen in short supply and strict curbs on movement in the biggest cities.

    Despite being the world’s biggest producer of vaccines, India does not have enough stockpiles to keep up with the second deadly wave of infections, which deals a blow to its plans to vaccinate all adults, starting from Saturday.

    Only about 9% of a population of 1.4 billion have received a vaccine dose since January.

    The original vaccination plan was to cover just 300 million of the highest-risk people by August, but India widened the target as infections flared.

    However, its two vaccine producers were already struggling to increase capacity beyond 80 million doses a month, hit by a shortage of raw materials and a fire at the Serum Institute, the maker of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

    Vaccination centers in the financial capital of Mumbai will shut for three days from Friday because of the vaccine shortage, authorities said.

    Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urged citizens not to show up at vaccination centers on Saturday, as doses had not yet arrived. “Let us not create a law and order problem tomorrow,” he said.

    In Karnataka, home to the tech hub of Bengaluru, the southern state’s health minister said its vaccination drive for adults would not begin on Saturday.

    “The state government has not received any information from companies about when they will be able to supply these vaccines,” said the minister, K Sudhakar.

     

    Read also

    Covid19 death toll in India surges to 200,000

     

    Covid-19 ‘tsunami’ widely hits India, hospitals turn away patients.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Iftar boxes and toys distribution to Dozens of citizens and children in Eid celebration.

    Queens, New York City,

    Sikh candidate for City Council from District 28 in New York, Japneet Singh, has appealed to the Muslim community for support in the elections. He was addressing the Food Pantry of the Waldain Foundation on Hillside Avenue in Queens.

    According to Japneet Singh, that he is the only Sikh candidate for this seat. “I appeal to the Muslim community to make me successful in the elections with their votes”.

    Hina Rehman, the president of Waldain Foundation, distributes Eid gifts to children along with Iftar box.

    On this occasion, a woman from the Sikh community also appealed to participants to vote Japneet Singh.

    The Muslim community assured Japneet Singh that they would definitely vote for him in the elections. Japneet Singh thanked the Muslim community for their reassurance.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Ease in lock down for vaccinated German citizens says Chancellor.

    Matti Ullah, Berlin,

    The German chancellor Angela Merkel held an online meeting with German heads of state, the chancellor said she knew people wanted freedom from lockdown. “People who have infected from pandemic, or vaccinated both doses of the vaccine,”. Lockdown eases for them.

    The easiness’ include allowing them to visit a hairdresser, and shopping without a test report. Similarly, such persons may be exempted from the quarantine condition despite contact with a Corona patient. They will need a pandemic report to get this relief. However, she declined to give an immediate date for the lockdown easing.

    So far, 6 million Germans have been vaccinated with both doses, according to the German Ministry of Health. While the number of people taking one dose is close to 20 million, 2.9 million people have recovered from the disease.

    Chancellor Merkel said the vaccine campaign was being stepped up and registration for all adults will begin by June. However, she said that it may take some time after the registration for vaccination.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Covid19 death toll in India surges to 200,000

    Web desk,

    India’s coronavirus death toll passed 200,000 on Wednesday with more than 3,000 fatalities reported in 24 hours for the first time, official data showed.

    A total of 201,187 people have now died, 3,293 of them in the past day, according to health ministry data, although many experts suspect that the true toll is higher.

    India has now reported 18 million infections, an increase of 360,000 in 24 hours, which is a new world record. This month alone the country has added almost six million new cases.

    The explosion in cases, blamed in part on a new virus variant as well as mass political and religious events, has overwhelmed hospitals with dire shortages of beds, drugs and oxygen.

    The crisis is particularly severe in New Delhi, with people dying outside packed hospitals where three people are often forced to share beds. Clinics have been running out of oxygen.

    India has so far administered 150 million vaccine shots and from Saturday the programme will be expanded to include all adults, meaning 600 million more people will be eligible.

    However, many states are warning that they have insufficient vaccine stocks and experts are calling on the government to prioritize vulnerable groups and badly hit areas.

     

    Read also

    Covid-19 ‘tsunami’ widely hits India, hospitals turn away patients.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Rift between the EU and vaccine maker AstraZeneca escalated.

    Muqeem Ahmed, EU,

    European Commission decides to go to court against vaccine maker AstraZeneca because it intends to supply the EU with only one-third of the required vaccine orders.

    All 27 countries in the bloc agree with this decision and believe that AstraZeneca is not abiding by the agreement reached with the EU.

    A spokesman for the European Commission said “What merit to us in this case that we want make sure the speedy delivery of sufficient number of doses that EU citizens are entitled to be on basis of the contract”.

    AstraZeneca will make its full and legitimate effort to deliver 180 million doses by the second quarter of this year, which amounts to 300 million doses from December to June. But AstraZeneca said in a statement on March 12 that it intends to provide a third part of the order.

    The European Commission issued a legal notice to AstraZeneca a week later that is the first step towards resolving the issue legally and in the notice, the company is accused of not having a coordinated and systematic program for timely delivery of the required vaccine. It is believed that the move could disrupt vaccine supplies.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • EU President hinted to allow US citizens.

    Muqeem Ahmad, UK

    EU President Ursula von der Leyen has hinted that US citizens who have been vaccinated against coronavirus this summer will be allowed to travel. She said all 27 countries in the bloc would allow vaccinators approved by European drug regulators to enter without any hesitation.

    Although she did not give a specific start date for the travel, she said all three vaccines used in the US have been approved by the European Medicines Agency. Europe has banned unnecessary travel for more than a year. Earlier this month, the European Union approved the issuance of vaccination pass or vaccination certificates for travel to make it easier for people who have been vaccinated to recover from the infection and show negative results.

    “We expect to have enough vaccines by mid-July to develop immunity in the bloc’s adults,” said the head of the EU’s vaccine task force.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Pakistani-American women Erum Hanif nominated as 40 under 40 rising Star.

    Brooklyn, New York City,

    Pakistani-American women and CEO of APNA Community Brooklyn center Erum Hanif declared as 40 under 40 nonprofit rising Star by city and state New York.

    City & State, in collaboration with its sister publication, New York Nonprofit Media and writers Jana Cholakovska, Erica Scalise, Madeline Lyskawa and Kimberly Gonzalez, highlights the next generation of leaders on these front lines in their Nonprofit 40 Under 40.

    These rising stars are running soup kitchens for the hungry, providing shelter for the homeless and assisting the formerly incarcerated as they adapt to a new life and Erum Hanif is one of them.

    According city and state New York “Erum Hanif used to work with the city government to create a designated halal grab-and-go meal site between March and June of 2020.

    In July, APNA established its food pantry, which serves 250 to 300 families every week and provides 1,500 to 2,000 cooked meals four days a week.

    According to Erum Hanif, through these new programs, APNA has become a hub for not just the Muslim community but for everyone in the neighborhood.

    Before joining APNA, Hanif spent most of her career working in Pakistan, which included serving as chief human resources officer for a background screening company.

    Since joining APNA almost four years ago, she has overseen the operations of the organization’s two adult day care centers and its community center, which provides a wide range of services including free tax preparation and filing, voter-registration workshops, and entitlement and case management services. With the coronavirus pandemic, those services have only expanded.

    Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Erum Hanif, CEO APNA’s influence in the South Brooklyn community and has grown exponentially.

    Outside of APNA, Hanif is a member of Community Board 13, co-president of P.S. 253’s Parent Teacher Association and a member of the school leadership team.

    According to Erum Hanif, “ she is  a Muslim-hijabi woman, taxpayer, resident, so her needs and  voice matters as all other voices matter.

    “still we are seeing that communities of color, Muslims and immigrants are still being neglected”, she added.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Thirty Muslim Community Leaders Fully Support NYC Mayoral Candidate Scott Stringer.

    Manhattan, NYC,

    Three different Muslim organizations, APPAC, APAG and EMGAGE including thirty Muslim community leaders, have announced their support for New York’s Comptroller Scott Stringer as mayoral candidate.

    New York’s mayoral election is about five weeks away. Candidates are visiting their constituencies and meeting to voters, while different communities decided to support and cast their votes on the basis of candidate performance. Various Muslim organizations and more than 30 Muslim community leaders gathered in the Manhattan area and announced in a joint press conference to full support current Comptroller and Mayoral candidate Scott Stringer.

    Ali Rasheed, President of APAG said that Scott Stringer has always stood by Muslims and that is the reason to support him.

    Scott Stringer is the best candidate he worked with Pakistani and delivered to Muslim community that is why APAG supporting Scott Stringer and we put all the resources whatever to be done our whole team will be backing him and will make sure that on June 22nd which is democratic primary NYC will be victorious, said Ali Rasheed.

    Speaking to Voice of Asia on the occasion, Pervez Siddiqui, Chairman of APNA community center and Burhan, a teacher of Peace Academy, said that

    we are one or few of the many Muslim community that are here to support him, we spoke specific about halal food for public school and implements of halal certifications groups for halal food providers, so support Muslim community and support Scott Stringer to be the next NYC mayoral”.

    While Chairman of APNA community center Pervez Siddiqui said

    the Muslim community had put ten demands on the mayoral candidates. Scott Stringer is the candidate who has accepted all our demands”.

     

    When journalist asked to Scott Stringer about the ten demands of Muslim community, Stringer briefed that

    all the demands of the Muslim community are legitimate, and I will fulfill all the promises I have made to them. Making sure that the community have seen on the table next mayor making sure that we allow halal food for the children’s, so many suggestions at ten point plan that mayor must affect .

     

    Various community figures also expressed their views at press conference, while mayoral candidate, Scott Stringer, thanked to all participants for supporting.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Mujeeb Lodhi’s organized iftar party at his residence

    New York city,

    Congressman Tom Swazi has announced his support for New York City mayoral candidate Eric Adam. Mujeeb Lodhi, editor and chief of the weekly newspaper Pakistan News in New York, hosted an Iftar party at his residence.

    The event was attended by community business, political and social figures, including Congressman Tom Swazi, New York City mayoral candidate Eric Adam, and Pakistani Consul General Ayesha Ali.

    Speaking on the occasion, Congressman Tom Swazi announced his support for New York City mayoral candidate Eric Adam and appealed to the community to make Eric Adam a successful candidate in the general election.

    New York mayoral candidate Eric Adam says he would help pave the way for the Muslim Pakistani community if elect as mayor.

    Religious scholar Maulana Taswarul Hassan Gilani also offered special prayers on the occasion. Mujeeb Lodhi also thanked all the participants for attending the Iftar party.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • The principle of equality adopted among all employees Saudi HRC.

    Zaka Mohsin, Riyadh,

    The Saudi Human Rights Commission has said that the rights and incentives of employees in Saudi Arabia are decided on the basis of merit, ability and excellent performance.

    In addition, appropriate training opportunities are provided to employees for capacity building. The Human Rights Commission stressed the need to provide opportunities for expression, dialogue and discussion in the field of employment.

    It is also important that if something bad happens to someone, they should be given the right to redress or given the opportunity to complain about a wrong decision against them.

    Justice should be done to all employees without any discrimination. Opportunities provided to make suggestions on how to improve facilities.

    The Human Rights Commission says that employees should be rewarded for their outstanding performance and individuality. No employer is allowed to take advantage of his private data without the permission of the employer.

    The Human Rights Commission has said that the principle of equality should be adopted among all employees irrespective of race, color or religion and a transparent procedure should be adopted in this regard.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • APPAC has announced full support for NYC mayoral candidate Comptroller Scott Stringer.

    NYC,

    The American-Pakistani Public Affairs Committee has announced its full support for New York’s Comptroller Scott Stringer as mayoral candidate.

    Dr. Ijaz Ahmed, Chairman, APPAC-American Pakistani Public Affairs Committee, an important and representative organization of the Pakistani American community, led a zoom meeting with Scott Stinger.

    The zoom meeting was attended by APPAC board members and key figures from the Pakistani American community.

    In the Zoom meeting, Scott Stinger thanked the board members of APPAC and the community, including Dr. Ijaz Ahmed, for their support in the election.

    According to Scott Stinger that support of an important and representative organization of the Pakistani American community like “APPAC” is of great importance to him.

    Scott Stinger outlined key aspects of his campaign and assured the community that he would live up to the expectations of the people once elected mayor and lead New York City in difficult times of pandemic.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Amdani’s distributes 15 million masks across US educational institutions.

    Florida,

    The Amdani family owns a textile company in South Florida. They wanted to give back to their community and that’s why they donated 1 million masks to Miami-Dade College.

    The school’s president received one of the masks as she met with the good Samaritans. The Amdani family made the donation during the month of Ramadan.

    Ashraf Amdani said: “We are Muslim and this is our month of spending, so we always have food pantries or other projects we run. This time, during the pandemic, we thought this could be one of the best gifts we could give.”

    Amdani plans to give out a total of 15 million masks across the country. Another 1 million masks are going to Broward College, according to Amdani.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • The new Pakistani Ambassador Gen. R. Bilal Akbar, to Saudi Arabia.

    Zaka Mohsin, Saudi Arabia,

    Retired General Bilal Akbar, the new Pakistani Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, arrived in Saudi Arabia where he was received at the airport by former Ambassador Raja Ali Ijaz and other diplomatic officials.

    Former ambassador and diplomatic officials welcomed Bilal Akbar to Saudi Arabia and wished him well. New Ambassador Bilal Akbar thanked the diplomatic officers.

     

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • German government impose strict lockdown under IPA in 16 states.

    Matiullah, Berlin,

    German government agrees to amend strict lockdown under Infection Protection Act in 16 states

    Under the new rules, curfews will be in place from 10pm to 5am, and schools, daycare centers, shops and entertainment will be further restricted.

    A list of specific measures under the Infection Protection Act has been issued. According to the federal government, those Covid-19 affected areas where there are more than 100 infected patients, strict lockdown with restrictions will be enforced and all other districts will have to issue their own ordinances.

     All celebrations are prohibited by law. Thirty people will be allowed to attend the funeral prayers. Every citizen must wear a mask in public places and carry a negative report of Corona with them. In addition, rules and regulations will apply to schools and educational institutions. Employees will work from home, cosmetic and tattoo studios will be closed. The lockdown will last until June 30.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Covid-19 ‘tsunami’ widely hits India, hospitals turn away patients.

    New Delhi,

    Overwhelmed hospitals in India begged for oxygen supplies on Saturday as the country’s coronavirus infections soared again overnight in a “tsunami” of disease, setting a new world record for cases for the third consecutive day.

    Max Healthcare, which runs a network of hospitals in north India, tweeted that it had less than two hours of oxygen left while Fortis Healthcare, another big chain, said it was suspending new admissions in Delhi.

    “We are running on backup, waiting for supplies since morning,” Fortis said.

    India is in the grip of a rampaging second wave of the pandemic, hitting a rate of one Covid-19 death in just under every four minutes in Delhi as the capital’s underfunded health system buckles.

    The government has deployed military planes and trains to get oxygen to Delhi from the far corners of the country and overseas including Singapore.

    The number of cases across the country of around 1.3 billion rose overnight by 346,786, the Health Ministry said, for a total of 16.6 million cases, including 189,544 deaths.

    Covid-19 deaths rose by 2,624 over the past 24 hours, the highest daily rate for the country so far. Crematoriums across Delhi said they were full up and asked grieving families to wait.

    Hospitals in Delhi have gone to the city’s high court this week seeking it to order the state and federal governments to make emergency arrangements for medical supplies, mainly oxygen.

    “It’s a tsunami. How are we trying to build capacity?” the Delhi high court asked the state and federal governments in response to this plea.

    Television showed families tending to the sick in hospital corridors and streets as they waited for medical attention.

    One man identified as Amit who was grieving for his brother at Delhi’s Jaipur Golden hospital said he had seen families running around with oxygen cylinders trying to get them refilled.

    “You can’t leave me in the lurch,” a lawyer appearing for the Jaipur Golden hospital told the high court on Saturday, seeking its intervention.

    The court asked the government to ensure supplies, as well to make security arrangements for medical centers amid people’s desperation.

    “We know how people react, let’s not have a law and order situation,” the court said in its direction to the authorities.

    India surpassed the US record of 297,430 single-day infections anywhere in the world on Thursday, making it the global epicenter of a pandemic that is waning in many other countries.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Muslim leader Rishad Bathiudeen, arrested in Sri Lanka.

    Colombo, Srilanka

    Sri Lanka’s police Saturday arrested a top Muslim leader and member of parliament in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks that killed 279 people as pressure to speed up the investigation mounted.

    According to local media reports, Police spokesman Ajith Rohana said detectives took Rishad Bathiudeen, leader of the ACMP-All Ceylon Makkal Party, into custody under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

    He said Bathiudeen and his brother Riyaaj were arrested in pre-dawn raids on their homes in Colombo.

    “They were arrested under the PTA based on circumstantial and scientific evidence that they had connections with the suicide bombers who carried out the attacks,” Rohana said in a statement.

    The arrests came three days after the head of Sri Lanka’s Roman Catholic Church, Cardinal Malcolm, accused the government of allowing investigations to stall.

    Nearly 200 people were arrested within days of the suicide attacks on hotels and churches by local Islamist extremists, but no one has yet been charged.

    Ranjith, who led commemorations on the second anniversary of the Easter attacks on Wednesday, said he was “deeply saddened” by the lack of progress in the investigation.

    He renewed his call for swift action against the perpetrators and said “political posturing and the need to safeguard alliances” was hindering the probe.

    MPs from Bathiudeen’s party had provided crucial support to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in October to amend the constitution and give him wider powers over the judiciary and the legislature.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Lack of medical assistance at LRH, new born baby died outside labor room.

    Web desk,

    A woman Saturday gave birth outside the labour room at Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital as the security barred her to enter in the hospital.

    The baby died soon after birth due to lack of medical care, reported local News TV channel. The woman was taken to the hospital in a grave situation but she could not get into the labour room as the hospital security stopped her to enter.  She gave birth to the baby before reaching the gynecology’s facility of the hospital.

    On the other hand, security guards said that they had tried to help the lady but there was not enough time for it. The gynecology’s facility of LRH remains open for 24 hours for operations and deliveries.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • PTI USA hosted an Iftar dinner at New Jersey.

    New Jersey,

    PTI America hosted an Iftar dinner at a local restaurant in New Jersey. The Iftar party was attended by community business and social personalities including, PTI US President Johnny Bashir, Vice President Naveed Warraich, Secretary Sam Khan, Senior Leader Khawar Baig, Pervez Riaz, Chaudhry Zameer, Khurshid Bhali, PTI Virginia, PTI Connecticut, PTI New York, PTI New Jersey and PTI Maryland workers also attended.

    On the occasion, PTI workers and Naveed Warraich condemns the current situation in Pakistan and said that the attacks on Pakistani security personals were unacceptable and disgraceful.

    Taswar ul Hassan Gilani also attended the Iftar party. He said in his statement that he strongly condemned the recent incidents of torture on police in Pakistan.

    Quran recitation was also arranged in the Iftar party on the occasion of Ramadan. Later, Taswarul Hassan Gilani also offered special supplications.

    At the end of the event, the participants thanked Naveed Warraich for inviting them to the party and said that such events provide an opportunity for the community to come together.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • 17 women, including Erum Hanif, awarded certificates of appreciation in NYC.  

    New York City,

    The New York Assembly, Women’s Mathylde Frontus nominated 17 other women, including Erum Hanif, chief executive of its Brooklyn Community Center, for the award last month in recognition of the community’s indiscriminate service to race and color and now this month all the nominated women invited to an online event and announced certificates of appreciation for them.

    Erum Hanif received her award from the office of the Assembly Women Mathylde Frontus on Connie Island Avenue. She later thanked his family, friends and community in a post on social media, saying it was an honor to receive the award.

    Erum Hanif also congratulated other women who received certificates of appreciation. Erum Hanif has extensive experience in human resource, law, business planning and management.

    Before coming to the US, she was associated with various major organizations in Pakistan and joined Adult Day Care in 2016 and then set up a community center in 2017 with the support of APNA Chairman Pervez Siddiqui and Shazia Wattoo and now serving as CEO of APNA Brooklyn Community Center and Director of Strategy at Adult Day Care.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Indian healthcare system collapses as coronavirus cases surpass record 315,000

    Web Desk

    India recorded the world’s highest daily tally of coronavirus cases for the second day in a row on Friday, while daily deaths from COVID-19 also jumped by a record.

    With 332,730 new cases, India’s total caseload has now passed 16 million.

    Deaths in the past 24 hours also jumped to a record 2,263, the health ministry said, while officials across northern and western India, including the capital, New Delhi, warned most hospitals were full and running out of oxygen.

    The spike in cases came as a fire in a hospital in a suburb of Mumbai treating COVID-19 patients killed 13 people on Friday, the latest accident to hit a facility in India crowded with people infected with the coronavirus.

    “The fire at a COVID-19 hospital in Virar is tragic”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter, approving payouts for the victims’ relatives.

    On Wednesday, 22 COVID-19 patients died at a public hospital in Maharashtra state when their oxygen supply ran out after a leak in the tank. At least nine coronavirus patients died in a hospital fire in Mumbai on March 26.

    Daily infections hit 332,730 on Friday, up from 314,835 the previous day when India set a new record, surpassing one set by the United States in January of 297,430 new cases. The US tally has since fallen.

    Delhi reported more than 26,000 new cases and 306 deaths, or about one fatality every five minutes, the fastest since the pandemic began.

    Medical oxygen and beds have become scarce, with major hospitals putting up notices saying they have no room for any more patients and police being deployed to secure oxygen supplies.

    Max Healthcare, which runs a network of hospitals in northern and western India posted an appeal on Twitter on Friday for emergency supplies of oxygen at its facility in Delhi.

    “We regret to inform you that we are suspending any new patient admissions in all our hospitals in Delhi till oxygen supplies stabilize,” the company said.

    Similar desperate calls from hospitals and ordinary people have been posted on social media for days this week across the country.

    Bhramar Mukherjee, a professor of biostatistics and epidemiology at the University of Michigan in the United States, said it was now as if there was no social safety net for Indians.

    “Everyone is fighting for their own survival and trying to protect their loved ones. This is hard to watch,” he said.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Pakistani community continue activities with embassy and promotes bilateral cooperation.

    Zaka Mohsin, Riyadh,

    A function was organized by the Pakistan Thinker Forum in honor of Minister of Trade and Investment Azhar Dahir, in addition to Naveed Afzal and Malik Abu Bakar Community Welfare Attaché of the Embassy of Pakistan in the Saudi capital Riyadh.

    On the occasion, President of the Forum Muhammad Khalid Rana and others said that the Embassy of Pakistan is resolving the problems of business people including workers by keeping 2.7 million Pakistanis within its resources. That is a very welcoming thing. Problems happen everywhere and in every country. The Pakistani community in the Saudi capital Riyadh is not only active but also playing an effective role.

    Pakistani community continue activities in collaboration with the embassy which promotes bilateral cooperation and solves problems. Other speakers included Ahsan Abbasi, Wasim Sajid, Ejaz Rahim, Qazi Ishaq Memon and Riaz Rathore.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Chinese President telephonic conversation with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

    Zaka Mohsin,

    Chinese President Xi Jinping has discussed the development of bilateral relations over the telephone with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He also said that China is ready to take its bilateral partnership with Saudi Arabia to new horizons.

    The two leaders discussed on a phone call that promotion of bilateral cooperation in the fields of energy, trade and technology. Prince Muhammad bin Salman told him that “China is a” reliable brother “of Saudi Arabia. He is ready to strategically integrate his Vision 2030 with President Xi’s One Belt, One Road Trade and Infrastructure. Under this vision, Saudi Arabia is diversifying its national economy and wants to reduce its dependence on oil revenues in the future.

    Both the countries were focusing on the development of other economic sectors. It should be noted that China is the largest importer of crude oil from Saudi Arabia.

    According to the latest figures provided by Chinese Customs, Chinese oil imports from Saudi Arabia increased by 8.8% in March compared to the same period last year.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Derek Chavan, a 45-year-old former police officer, guilty in George Floyd murder case.

    Web Desk,

    A former white police officer has been convicted in the murder of a black George Floyd in the United States.

    The jury found Derek Chavan, a 45-year-old former police officer, guilty of all three charges. Chavan was taken into custody and could face up to several years in prison. George Floyd supporters celebrate outside the court. George Floyd’s family lawyer welcomed the decision, calling it a turning point in history.

    US President Joe Biden will make a statement regarding the Floyd trial.

    According to the White House, after the jury’s decision, President Biden telephoned George Floyd’s family. It should be noted that the murder of the black American George Floyd took place in May 2020. The video showed a police officer holding Floyd’s neck tightly by his knee.

    Derek Chavan held Floyd’s knees on his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Medical examiners reported that Floyd lost consciousness 3 minutes later.

    Violent protests erupted around the world, including in the United States.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Three thousand electric vehicles for Safa Marwah in Masjid Haram.

    Zaka Mohsin, Makkah,

    Three thousand electric vehicles have been provided for Safa Marwah in Masjid Haram Al-Haram so that the elderly people can use them during Umrah pilgrimage.

    The administration of Masjid Haram Al-Haram has increased the number of electric vehicles for Umrah pilgrims to travel between Safa and Marwa to 3,000. For the convenience of elderly men and women, electric vehicles have been increased so that during Ramadan, all those who are performing Umrah while fasting and they can’t walk, they can take advantage of this facility.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Hong Kong bans flights for 2 weeks from Pakistan, India and Philippines.

    Web desk,

    Hong Kong will suspend flights from India, Pakistan and the Philippines from April 20 for two weeks after the N501Y mutant COVID-19 strain was detected in the Asian financial hub for the first time, authorities said in a statement late on Sunday.

    The three countries would be classified as “extremely high risk” after there had been multiple imported cases carrying the strain into Hong Kong in the past 14 days, the government said.

    The city reported 30 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, 29 of which were imported, marking the highest daily toll since March 15. Hong Kong has recorded over 11,600 cases in total and 209 deaths.

    Hong Kong authorities have been urging residents to get vaccinated for coronavirus with only around 9% of Hong Kong’s 7.5 million residents vaccinated so far.

    The government last week widened the city’s vaccine scheme to include those aged between 16 to 29 years old for the first time, as they aim to boost lacklustre demand for inoculations amongst residents.

    Airlines impacted by Hong Kong’s ban on travelers from India, Pakistan and the Philippines include carriers such as Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Airlines, Vistara and Cebu Pacific.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Mountains and oases covered in white sheet after snowfall in Hail City and Asir Region.

    Zaka Mohsin, Jeddah,

    Snowfall in Saudi Arabia’s Hail region has covered the plains with a white sheet, while Saudi Arabia’s largest volcano, Bahra Bani Rashid, has also been covered by snow.

    Large numbers of Saudis and foreigners are flocking to the snow-covered areas to enjoy the snowfall over a wide area.

    In addition, heavy rains in the Asir region inundated low-lying areas and valleys, causing flooding. People were facing difficulties due to flood waters.

    According to the National Meteorological Center of Saudi Arabia, heavy thunderstorms are expected in several areas including Jizan, Asir, Al-Baha and Makkah Mukarramah.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • US invites Pakistan to climate summit after initial snub

    Web Desk,

    The United States has invited Pakistan to ‘Virtual Leaders Summit on Climate’ which has been convened by President Joe Biden on April 22-23.

    However, the invitation has been extended to Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam by US climate envoy John Kerry.

    “On behalf of the President of US, it is my pleasure to invite you to be a distinguished speaker at the virtual Summit on Climate. We would like to ask you to join other Ministers and leaders on April 22 in a discussion focused on climate adaptation and resilience,” Kerry stated in a letter addressed to Aslam.

    Biden ignored Pakistan at his government’s first summit on climate-change to be held on April 22 and 23. The US president has invited 40 heads of state and government, including leaders of India, Bangladesh and Bhutan – from the South Asian region.

    Reacting to the country’s exclusion, Prime Minister Imran Khan had said that he was puzzled at the cacophony over Pakistan not being invited by the US to the climate summit.

    “My govt’s environment policies are driven solely by our commitment to our future generations of a clean & green Pakistan to mitigate the impact of climate change,” he wrote on his official Twitter handle.

    The premier referred to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s major initiatives aimed at environment protection, including the Green Pakistan, 10 Billion Tree Tsunami, nature-based solutions and cleaning up rivers etc.

    The Biden’s aide on climate said in the letter dated April 17 that the summit will bring together the world’s major economies and other partners for an urgent and dialogue on ways to strengthen our collective efforts to confront the climate crisis.

    “One of President Biden’s very first actions was to return the United States to the Paris Agreement, the framework embraced globally to guide our collective climate efforts. We are fully committed to working with all countries to strengthen climate ambition heading into the UN Climate Change Conference this November in Glasgow,” the letter read.

    Kerry wrote in the letter that to ensure that the summit includes other voices, the president has also invited the heads of additional countries that are especially vulnerable to climate impacts or are charting innovative pathways to a net-zero economy.

    “It is our hope you can contribute Pakistan’s valuable perspective to a session focused on climate adaptation and resilience, to be hosted by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.”

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • First female police officer deployed in courtyard of Haram-e-Makki.

    Zaka Mohsin, Riyadh,

    A female police officer has been deployed for the first time in the courtyard of the Haram inside Masjid-e Haram.

    While the female police officer will look after the security inside Haram Makki, she is also providing guidance to the Umrah pilgrims.

    The deployment for the first female official in the courtyard of the Haram is being highly appreciated by foreigners, including Saudi nationals.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • First time in history of Dallas, more than 20 candidates came together to seek votes from the Muslim community.

    Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas,

    Campaigning for Local Governments in Dallas-Fort Worth has reached its peak since the presidential election. For the first time in history, the Muslim community is now seen as very active in the political process at the local level. For the first time in the history of Dallas-Fort Worth, more than 20 candidates came together to seek votes from the Muslim community and shared their manifestos with the audience.

    An Iftar dinner was organized at a local hotel here by the APPAC, American Pakistani Public Affairs Committee and the Muslim Democratic Caucus. It was attended by candidates from various city governments in Dallas-Fort Worth, as well as a large number of people from the Muslim community and the South Asian community.

    On the occasion, APPAC Chairman Dr. Amir Qureshi and Vice President Nadeem Akhtar said that Muslim community has always played an effective role in the development of the US. All Muslim representative organizations in the US are raising political awareness in the community, for which all these organizations deserve tribute.

    APPAC leader Imtiaz Rahi and Pakistani community leader Mubashir Warraich from Avilas City said the event provided an opportunity for both voters and candidates to have their say and to be heard. It is now up to the voters to choose the right candidate in their respective constituencies.

    Sunbal Aurangzeb, president of the Muslim Democratic Caucus, and Diana Saleh, Arlington City Council candidate, appealed to the Pakistani and South Asian communities to come out of their homes with the enthusiasm with which they ran in the presidential election. Be sure to go to the polls for this local government, well Local governments are relevant to your daily life.

    On the occasion, Abid Malik, President of the PSNT, Pakistan Society of North Texas, said that American Pakistanis are now in need of an American system. While our young generation is playing an effective role in other spheres of life, it has now joined the political race. Our future is bright in US; the need is mutual consent and understanding among citizens.

    Muslim Democratic Caucus board member Fayyaz Ahmed and senior board member Aftab Siddiqui said the arrival of a large number of candidates underscores the popularity of Muslims and the importance of their votes.

    Candidates usually stay away from Muslims but now we need them. The Muslim Democratic Caucus began the journey in 2003.

    The event was attended by city council candidates from various cities in North Texas, as well as mayoral candidates, school board candidates and others who came here and appealed for votes.

    Various candidates from Dallas-Fort Worth briefed the Pakistani community on their manifestos. These are all political people who have been supporting the Muslim community.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Rising house rents becomes major political issue in Germany.

    Matiullah, Berlin,

    Rising house rents have become a major political issue in Germany, tenants protesting after a federal court overturned a law governing rent control in Berlin. Protesters calls for immediate action to protect homeowners, which has put increasing pressure on the central government.

    In Berlin, the local government enacted a rent-free law last year. However, the federal court has now overturned the law and said that the central government has the right to legislate on rent. Thousands of people living in rented houses in the German capital Berlin protested after the court ruling. The protesters said that the landlords could increase the rent of the house at any time after the court decision

    The rent can be increased in previous dates and may collect extra thousands of euros which could be overburden. The central government should take immediate steps to protect them from the illegitimate demands of homeowners. Tenants’ organization and left-wing opposition parties have called on the central government to immediately pass a law regarding regulating rents.

    Lucas Sibiankotan, head of the tenants’ association DMB, says if the central government has the political will, it can legislate faster to control rising rents nationwide.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.