The appearance of a fully equipped Chinese attack helicopter is surely one of the biggest surprises of the Singapore Airshow. The six-tonne attack helicopter, which occupies pride of place on the outdoor static display, has been brought to the show by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) and the China National Aero-Technology Import & […]
The post 10 on 10 for China’s Z-10ME appeared first on Asian Military Review.
This post was originally published on Asian Military Review.
Palestine’s UN envoy Riyad Mansour speaking at the International Court of Justice on Monday. Video: Dawn News
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) says Muslim Americans are “running out of words” to decry the US president’s support for the “genocide” in Gaza.
“The latest US veto of a UN ceasefire resolution is shameful,” CAIR director Nihad Awad said in a statement.
“President Biden should stop acting like Benjamin Netanyahu’s defence lawyer and start acting like the President of the United States,” reports Al Jazeera.
“We call on the American people to continue expressing their opposition to the Biden administration’s support for the Israeli government’s war crimes by contacting the White House and their elected officials and calling on them to demand a ceasefire, access to humanitarian aid, and the pursuit of a just, lasting peace.”
Meanwhile, Palestine’s envoy to the United Nations broke down in tears when giving a chilling address to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
Riyad Mansour, the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the UN, said that the “future of freedom, justice and peace can begin here and now”.
“A finding from this distinguished court that the occupation is illegal and drawing the legal consequences from this determination would contribute to bringing it to an immediate end, paving the way to just and lasting peace.”
This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.
In what many observers called a “shock” result, candidates affiliated with imprisoned former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party won the most National Assembly seats in a general election that raised international concerns over alleged fraud committed by the country’s powerful military. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said Saturday afternoon that independent candidates — 93 of…
This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.
The party of jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, which according to still incomplete results has won most mandates in the February 8 elections, said it was ready to form a government amid warnings by the nuclear-armed country’s powerful military that politicians should put the people’s interests above their own.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has so far announced the winners of 253 of the 265 contested parliamentary seats amid a slow counting process hampered by the interruption of mobile service.
According to those results, independents backed by Khan’s Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaf (PTI) won 92 seats, while former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) garnered 71, and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) obtained 54 mandates. The remainder are spread among other small parties and candidates.
Both Khan and Sharif declared victory.
As results appeared to point to a hung parliament, PTI’s acting Chairman Gohar Ali Khan on February 10 told a news conference in Islamabad that the party aimed at forming a government as candidates backed by it had won the most seats.
Khan also announced that if complete results were not released by February 10 in the evening, the PTI intended to stage a peaceful protest on February 11.
Third-placed PPP, led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, a former foreign minister who is the son of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, could play kingmaker in case of talks to form a coalition government.
Sharif said on February 9 that he was sending his younger brother and former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as an envoy to approach the PPP and other political parties for coalition talks.
The elections were held in a highly polarized environment as Khan, a former cricket superstar, and his party were kept out of the election. Khan is currently in prison after he was convicted of graft and leaking state secrets. He also saw his marriage annulled by a court.
Earlier on February 10, the chief of Pakistan’s powerful military urged the country’s political class to set aside rivalries and work for the good of the people.
“The nation needs stable hands and a healing touch to move on from the politics of anarchy and polarization, which does not suit a progressive country of 250 million people,” General Syed Asim Munir said in a statement.
“Political leadership and their workers should rise above self-interests and synergize efforts in governing and serving the people, which is perhaps the only way to make democracy functional and purposeful,” Munir said.
The military has run Pakistan for nearly half its history since partition from India in 1947 and it still wields huge power and influence.
The February 8 vote took place amid rising political tensions and an upsurge of violence that prompted authorities to deploy more than 650,000 army, paramilitary, and police personnel across the country.
Despite the beefed-up security presence, violence continued even after the election. On February 10, the leader of Pakistan’s National Democratic Movement, Mohsin Dawar, was shot and wounded in Pakistan’s North Waziristan tribal district.
Daward was shot and injured as he addressed supporters in front of a military camp in Miramsha in the country’s northwest.
Dawar, a well-known Pashtun politician, was shot in the thigh and rushed to a nearby hospital in stable condition. He was later transported to the capital, Islamabad, for further treatment. His injuries are not life threatening. Videos of a bloodied Dawar circulated on social media
Three supporters were killed and 15 more injured in the incident, Rahim Dawar, a party member and eyewitness who is of no relation to the Pashtun politician, told RFE/RL.
Dawar, who was running for the lower house of parliament, arrived at the headquarters of the regional election committee, located inside the military camp, to demand officials announce the result of the vote.
Soldiers barred Dawar from entering and he was later shot as he addressed supporters outside the office. Dawar’s supporters accuse the police and security forces of firing at them.
The security forces have yet to respond to the allegation. Local media, citing unidentified security sources, reported that some policemen were also killed in the incident, but RFE/RL could not confirm that.
Dawar won a five-year term in 2018 and served in parliament until it was dissolved. Election officials later in the day said Dawar had lost the election.
Crisis-hit Pakistan has been struggling with runaway inflation while Islamabad scrambles to repay more than $130 billion in foreign debt.
Reported irregularities during the February 8 poll prompted the United States, Britain, and the European Union to voice concerns about the way the vote was conducted and to urge an investigation.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry on February 10 rejected the criticism.
PTI was banned from participating in the vote because the ECP said it had failed to properly register as a party. Its candidates then decided to run as independents after the Supreme Court and the ECP said they couldn’t use the party symbol — a cricket bat. Parties in the country use symbols to help illiterate voters find them on the ballots.
Yet the PTI-backed independents have emerged as the largest block in the new parliament. Under Pakistani law, they must join a political party within 72 hours after their election victory is officially confirmed. They can join the PTI if it takes the required administrative steps to be cleared and approved as a party by the ECP.
Khan, 71, was prime minister from 2018 to 2022. He still enjoys huge popularity, but his political future and return to the political limelight is unclear.
This content originally appeared on News – Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and was authored by News – Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.
This post was originally published on Radio Free.
Initial election results in Pakistan show a lead for candidates affiliated with imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Khan’s political party was blocked from running for office, and supporters have accused Pakistan’s military-backed interim government of trying to rig the election by shutting down cellphone and internet services just as voting began and by delaying election results.
This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.
On Thursday, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Access Now, and the #KeepItOn coalition strongly condemned the Pakistani caretaker government’s suspension of mobile services across the country during its elections and called for full internet access to be reinstated immediately.
Read the full joint statement here.
This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.
This post was originally published on Radio Free.
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
This post was originally published on Radio Free.
Initial election results in Pakistan show a lead for candidates affiliated with imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Khan’s political party was blocked from running for office, and supporters have accused Pakistan’s military-backed interim government of trying to rig the election by shutting down cellphone and internet services just as voting began and by delaying election results. “It’s up in the air exactly how many seats each party has got,” says journalist Munizae Jahangir, who reports from Karachi that “there is no clarity” on who won, despite substantial voter turnout. “Irrespective of the results, the political crisis that we’re seeing in Pakistan is going to continue,” says Pakistani political activist Alia Amirali, who describes the long history of military interference with democratic processes in the country. “It’s not that people’s votes don’t matter; it’s just that the military will certainly manipulate the results.”
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
This post was originally published on Radio Free.
KYIV — Ukrainian officials on January 27 said Russia had intensified attacks in the past 24 hours, with a commander saying the sides had battled through “50 combat clashes” in the past day near Ukraine’s Tavria region.
Meanwhile, Kyiv and Moscow continued to dispute the circumstances surrounding the January 24 crash of a Russian military transport plane that the Kremlin claimed was carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war.
Kyiv said it has no proof POWs were aboard and has not confirmed its forces shot down the plane.
RFE/RL’s Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia’s full-scale invasion, Kyiv’s counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL’s coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.
General Oleksandr Tarnavskiy, the Ukrainian commander in the Tavria zone in the Zaporizhzhya region, said Russian forces had “significantly increased” the number of offensive and assault operations over the past two days.
“For the second day in a row, the enemy has conducted 50 combat clashes daily,” he wrote on Telegram.
“Also, the enemy has carried out 100 air strikes in the operational zone of the Tavria Joint Task Force within seven days,” he said, adding that 230 Russian-launched drones had been “neutralized or destroyed” over the past day in the area.
Battlefield claims on either side cannot immediately be confirmed.
Earlier, the Ukrainian military said 98 combat clashes took place between Ukrainian troops and the invading Russian army over the past 24 hours.
“There are dead and wounded among the civilian populations,” the Ukrianian military’s General Staff said in its daily update, but did not provide further details about the casualties.
According to the General Staff, Russian forces launched eight missile and four air strikes, and carried out 78 attacks from rocket-salvo systems on Ukrainian troop positions and populated areas. Iranian-made Shahed drones and Iskander ballistic missiles were used in the attacks, it said.
A number of “high-rise residential buildings, schools, kindergartens, a shopping center, and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed or damaged” in the latest Russian strikes, the bulletin said.
“More than 120 settlements came under artillery fire in the Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Mykolayiv regions,” according to the daily update.
The General Staff also reported that Ukrainian defenders repelled dozens of Russian assaults in eight directions, including Avdiyivka, Bakhmut, Maryinka, and Kupyansk in the eastern Donetsk region.
Meanwhile, Kyrylo Budanov, chief of Ukrainian military intelligence, said it remained unclear what happened in the crash of the Russian Il-76 that the Kremlin claimed was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war who were killed along with nine crew members.
The Kremlin said the military transport plane was shot down by a Ukrainian missile despite the fact that Russian forces had alerted Kyiv to the flight’s path.
Ukrainian military intelligence spokesman Andriy Yusov told RFE/RL that it had not received either a written or verbal request to secure the airspace where the plane went down.
The situation with the crash of the aircraft “is not yet fully understood,” Budanov said.
“It is necessary to determine what happened – unfortunately, neither side can fully answer that yet.”
Russia “of course, has taken the position of blaming Ukraine for everything, despite the fact that there are a number of facts that are inconsistent with such a position,” he added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has insisted Ukraine shot down the plane and said an investigation was being carried out, with a report to be made in the upcoming days.
In Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced the creation of a second body to assist businesses in the war-torn country.
Speaking in his nightly video address late on January 26, Zelenskiy said the All-Ukraine Economic Platform would help businesses overcome the challenges posed by Russia’s nearly two-year-old invasion.
On January 23, Zelenskiy announced the formation of a Council for the Support of Entrepreneurship, which he said sought to strengthen the country’s economy and clarify issues related to law enforcement agencies. Decrees creating both bodies were published on January 26.
Ukraine’s economy has collapsed in many sectors since Russia invaded the country in February 2022. Kyiv heavily relies on international aid from its Western partnes.
The Voice of America reported that the United States vowed to promote at the international level a peace formula put forward by Zelenskiy.
VOA quoted White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby as saying that Washington “is committed to the policy of supporting initiatives emanating from the leadership of Ukraine.”
Zelenskiy last year presented his 10-point peace formula that includes the withdrawal of Russian forces and the restoration of Ukrainian territorial integrity, among other things.
This content originally appeared on News – Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and was authored by News – Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.
This post was originally published on Radio Free.
This article was originally published on Waging Nonviolence. As hundreds took to the streets of Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, on Jan. 12, a sea of mostly female protesters continued screaming “Balochistan wants justice,” even as they were met with a heavy police presence. Meanwhile, back in the restive but beautiful southwestern province of Balochistan, thousands more swarmed the streets.
This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.
LIMA 23 made a welcome return to the international event circuit boasting a heavy naval presence. Malaysia is one of the nations in the Asia Pacific region that has an established plan to modernise its defence forces. According to the Defence White Paper published in 2020, there are different strands laid down to transform each […]
The post Naval Sector Strong at Malaysia’s LIMA 23 Defence Show appeared first on Asian Military Review.
This post was originally published on Asian Military Review.
Across the globe, refugees, always treated as the pox of public policy, continue to feature in news reports describing anguish, despair and persistent persecution. If they are not facing barbed wire barriers in Europe, they are being conveyed, where possible, to third countries to be processed in lengthy fashion. Policy makers fiddle and cook the legal record to justify such measures, finding fault with instruments of international protection such as the United Nations Refugee Convention of 1951.
A very dramatic example of roughing up and violence is taking place against Afghans in Pakistan, a country that, despite having a lengthy association with hosting refugees, has yet to ratify the primary Convention. Yet in March 2023, the UNHCR noted that Pakistan hosted 1.35 million registered refugees. The organisation praised Pakistan for its “long and commendable tradition of providing protection to refugees and asylum-seekers”, noting that the current number comprised “mainly Afghan refugees holding Proof of Registration (PoR), as well as a small number of non-Afghan refugees and asylum seekers from other countries such as Myanmar, Yemen, Somalia and Syria.”
Such a rosy assessment detracts from the complex nature of the status of Afghans in that country, characterised by, in some cases, the absence of visas and passports, the expiration of visas and the long wait for renewals. Then comes the tense, heavy mix of domestic politics.
On September 15, the federal government ordered all individual Afghans residing in the country illegally to leave the country by November 1 or face deportation. The order affects some 1.7 million Afghans residing in the country, though the figures on the undocumented vary with dizzy fluctuations.
It is proving disastrous for those vulnerable individuals who fled a country where the Taliban has returned to power. To date, 400,000 are said to have left Pakistan via border crossings in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan, with one estimate from the International Rescue Committee suggesting that 10,000 are being returned to Afghanistan each day. These include the whole spectrum of vulnerable persons: women, girls, human rights activists, journalists and those formerly in the employ of the previous Western-backed government.
The picture is an ugly one indeed, complicated by Pakistan’s own domestic ills and complex relationship with Kabul. During the course of the vacuously named Global War on Terror, Afghanistan came to be seen as a problem for Pakistani security, its refugee camps accused as being incubators for fractious Afghan militants. Kabul, at that point yet to return to Taliban control, accused Islamabad of destabilising its own security by providing sanctuary for those very same militants. In the aftermath of the killing of former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani in September 2011, the victim of a daring suicide attack on his residency, Pakistan’s then Foreign Minister, Hina Rabbani Khar, proved roundly dismissive: “We are not responsible if Afghan refugees crossed the border and entered Kabul, stayed in a guest house and attacked Professor Rabbani.”
The latest chapter of demonisation comes on the coattails of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. Brutal night raids by police, featuring beatings, ominous threats and detention, have become the hallmarks of the expulsion campaign. The police forces, themselves spoiled by corruption and opportunism, are prone to pilfering property, including jewellery and livestock.
In October, Mir Ahmad Rauf, who heads the Afghan Refugees’ Council in Pakistan reported “widespread destruction of Afghan homes in Islamabad’s B-17, Karachi, and other parts of Pakistan.” Last month, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom issued a statement expressing concern at “reports of increased detainment, violence, and intimidation against the Ahmadiyya and Afghan refugee communities” in the country.
To add to this failure of protection is the status of many who, despite being Afghan, were born in Pakistan and never set foot in Afghanistan. In 2018, Pakistan’s then Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that his government would be amenable to granting citizenship to Afghans born in the country. The promise (amenability is always contingent) was never enacted into law, and Khan is now persona non grata with Pakistan’s usurpers.
The protective, humanitarian burden for processing claims by Afghans in other countries has also been reluctantly shared. To return to Afghanistan spells potential repression and persecution; but to find a country in the European Union, or to seek sanctuary in the United States, Australia and others, has been nigh impossible for most.
When asylum has been considered, it has often been done with an emphasis on prioritising the contributions of men who had performed military and security roles in the previous Western-backed Kabul administration. There is a delicious irony to this, given the evangelical promises of US President George W. Bush to liberate the country’s women from the clutches of obscurantist fundamentalism.
On December 1, a three-member bench of the Pakistani Supreme Court sought responses from the various arms of the government, including the apex committee led by the Prime Minister, foreign office, and army chief on their decision to expel Afghan nationals. Given the caretaker status of the current government, which has all but outsourced foreign policy to the military, including the “Afghan issue”, legal questions can be asked.
One of the petitioners to the court, Senator Farhatullah Babar, states that current government members are technically unelected to represent the country. “So, the court would need to decide whether a caretaker government with such a restrictive mandate can take such a major policy decision, and in my view, this is beyond the power of the caretaker government.” Those Afghans remaining in Pakistan can only wait.
The post Banished from Pakistan: Islamabad Moves on Afghan Refugees first appeared on Dissident Voice.This post was originally published on Dissident Voice.
KARACHI: The four-day 8th International Symposium-Cum-Training Course on Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, organized by Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, concluded here on Thursday at the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi.
The symposium recommended that the alarming scenario in countries like Pakistan demands urgent attention to increase awareness about healthy lifestyles and the highly adverse effects of chewing various ingredients (like Pan, betel nuts, Gutka, etc.) on one hand and screening programs for early detection of breast and mouth cancer on the other. The symposium also called on the lawmakers to legislate in both federal and provincial assemblies the disease of cancer as a mandatory reportable event like many infectious diseases for instance Covid-19. It was also recommended that a strict surveillance program for highly infectious diseases needs to be implemented to check and contain diseases like the Congo virus, Ebola virus, etc.
Addressing the closing ceremony, Prof. Dr. Atta-ur Rahman, Professor Emeritus and former Federal Minister for Science and Technology, appreciated the ICCBS administration for organizing such a useful symposium. He also highlighted the importance of high-quality open distance education and said that ICCBS has created a useful website at the Latif Ebrahim Jamal Science Information Center that exciting initiative allows individuals from anywhere in the world to benefit from tens of thousands of excellent courses without registration or payment.
Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary, the Coordinator General OIC-COMSTECH, and UNESCO CHAIR on Medicinal and Bio-Organic Natural Product Chemistry ICCBS said, “Our students are in fact our real wealth, who are the future of the country.”
Prof. Dr. Farzana Shaeen, Director of the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, thanked the organizers, especially Prof. Dr. Asmat Saleem, faculty, staff, students, and volunteers for playing a key role in the organization of the international event. She hoped that the conference would be meaningful for the participants, especially young scholars, and said that this meeting would foster stronger research ties between participating scientists representing different regions of the world.
Foreign delegates, including Dr. Paul Denny from the UK, Dr. Xiao-Ping Wang from China, and Dr. Muriel Cuendent from Switzerland, also expressed their views on the occasion. They said that we should work together on rare diseases which are neglected. Their concluding message was “Sit down together, Work together, and Cheaply make Orphan drugs together”
They said that Dr. Panjwani Center had become a center of excellence for quality research on molecular medicine. This center has hastened the pace of development in the field of molecular medicine. The foreign participants also acknowledged the hospitality and warmth of the people of Pakistan during the four-day symposium. In the end, the Symposium Coordinator Prof. Asmat Salim presented a vote of thanks
Over 600 scientists, including 70 scientists from 26 countries, including Australia, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cameron, Canada, China, Greece, Hungry, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nepal, Nigeria, Oman, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE, Uganda, UK, USA, Yemen attended the international symposium held with an aim to bring together the leading experts in the field of molecular medicine
The post International moot on molecular medicine concluded at PCMD-KU first appeared on VOSA.
This post was originally published on VOSA.
Karachi: The first phase of the International Pediatric Urology Conference, which held a series of surgical demonstrations concluded today.
The session was a part of the four-day conference jointly organized by the Asian Pacific Association of Pediatrics (APAPU) and SIUT (Sind Institute of Urology and Transplantation.
Some three hundred delegates including some internationally renowned surgeons took part in the deliberations beside surgeons from various parts of the country.
In the first phase which lasted for two days, some procedures were performed which were both essential as well as prerequisite for juniors and senior surgeons. The highlight of these surgical procedures was that they were performed at three different theatres simultaneously and transmitted to the audience in an auditorium. Speakers taking part in the discussion particularly highlighted the causes of the commonest disease among the children population of Pakistan.
The surgical procedures were followed by an exhaustive discussion on the surgical technique related to reconstructive procedures and prevailing ailments among the children population of Pakistan. Professor Philip Ransley moderated the entire proceedings.
Prominent surgeons who took part in the exercise included celebrated Dr Philips Ransley from UK, Professor Marc-David Leclair of France, Professor Alaa El Ghoneimi from France, and Gianantonio Manzoni from Italy.
Also present at the session were members of SIUT faculty and founder Director Professor Adib Rizvi. The second part of the conference which will focus on scientific papers will begin today (Friday)
The post The first phase of the International Pediatric Urology Conference held successfully first appeared on VOSA.
This post was originally published on VOSA.
Islamabad: Islamabad High Court on Wednesday struck down the conviction of former prime minister and chief of Pakistan Muslim League (N) Mian Nawaz Sharif in the Avenfield reference.
Former PM Nawaz Sharif was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the accountability court Islamabad in the Avenfield properties corruption reference in July 2018 accusing him of owing assets beyond his known source of income.
IHC’s two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzaib heard the arguments of the counsel on Nawaz Sharif’s appeal that was restored after the return of Nawaz Sharif to Pakistan from abroad where he was staying for the last couple of years for medical treatment.
Nawaz Sharif’s counsel Amjad Pervez submitted that the prosecution failed to prove charges pertained to assets beyond means as under the law prosecution has to prove certain facts and the accused is required to be shown as a public office holder.
The counsel said that the prosecution failed to investigate the source of assets at the time of the acquisition of the properties in question and compare the known source of income with the value of the assets. He said that the prosecution failed to prove that these properties were purchased by the appellant and the value of the properties was not ascertained by the investigation agency.
The NAB prosecutor submitted that the reference was filed after the judgment of the Supreme Court in the Panama case. He submitted that IHC had acquitted the co-accused Maryam Nawaz and captain (retd) Safdar in the case which was not challenged by the NAB therefore it has not become final.
He further submitted that NAB also wanted to withdraw appeal against the acquittal of Nawaz Sharif in Flagship reference.
The court after hearing the arguments of the counsel, for reason to be recorded later on, set aside the conviction of Nawaz Sharif in Avenfield case and acquitted him of corruption charges.
The post Nawaz Sharif acquitted in Avenfield corruption reference first appeared on VOSA.
This post was originally published on VOSA.
Abu Dhabi: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar received a telephone call from Mr. Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) to discuss progress in the ongoing efforts to eradicate polio from Pakistan.
The Prime Minister is currently on an official visit to the UAE. During the telephone call, the caretaker Prime Minister and Mr. Gates followed up on their discussion in New York when they met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in September.
The Prime Minister appreciated the Gates Foundation’s support to the government’s efforts to secure a polio-free Pakistan.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to rid the country of this debilitating virus. Prime Minister briefed Mr. Gates on the polio vaccination drive currently in progress across Pakistan.
The issues of malnutrition and maternal health also came under discussion. The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction at the excellent cooperation between the government and BMGF. The Prime Minister assured Mr. Gates that the government of Pakistan was fully committed to delivering on the promise of a healthier, safer, and financially inclusive Pakistan and counted on reliable partners such as BMGF in this endeavor.
The post Caretaker PM receives a telephone call from Bill Gates, Co-chair of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation first appeared on VOSA.
This post was originally published on VOSA.
United Nations: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged world leaders at the climate conference COP 28 to break the deadly cycle of global warming before a deadly tipping point is reached.
UN secretary was briefing reporters in New York after seeing for himself over the weekend the “profoundly shocking” speed at which ice is melting in Antarctica – three times faster than the rate in the early 1990s.
New figures reveal that sea ice at the South Pole is now 1.5 million square kilometers below average for this time of year; that’s equal to the combined surface area of Portugal, Spain, France, and Germany combined.
“What happens in Antarctica doesn’t stay in Antarctica”, Mr. Guterres said. “We live in an interconnected world. Melting sea ice means rising seas. And that directly endangers lives and livelihoods in coastal communities across the globe.
He noted that it’s not just the impact of floods and saltwater on food and water supplies at stake, but the viability of small islands and entire cities on coasts across the world.
“The movement of waters around Antarctica distributes heat, nutrients and carbon around the world, helping to regulate our climate and regional weather patterns”, he told correspondents outside the security council.
“But that system is slowing as the southern ocean grows warmer and less dense. Further slowdown – or entire breakdown – would spell catastrophe.”
With no let-up in fossil fuel extraction “we’re heading towards a calamitous three-degree celsius temperature rise by the end of the century”, he warned.
:If we continue as we are, and I strongly hope we will not, the Greenland and West Antarctica ice sheets will cross a deadly tipping point.” This represents an astonishing rise of around 10 metres.
The vicious cycle means accelerated heating as ice diminishes and more extreme weather.
At COP28 in Dubai, which starts later this week, “leaders must break this cycle”, the UN chief urged.
“The solutions are well known. Leaders must act to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees celsius, protect people from climate chaos, and end the fossil fuel age.”
Only a global pact to triple renewable energy use, a doubling in energy efficiency and access to clean power for all by 2030, will be sufficient, he argued.
“Antarctica is crying out for action”, the Secretary-General added. “I salute the thousands of researchers – in Antarctica and around the world – expanding our understanding of the changes taking place on the continent.
“They are testament to human ingenuity and the immense benefits of international collaboration. leaders must not let the hopes of people around the world for a sustainable planet melt away.”
The post UN chief urges world leaders to break the deadly cycle of global warming before reaching tipping point first appeared on VOSA.
This post was originally published on VOSA.
New York: New York City Comptroller Brad Lander announced that the New York City Employees’ Retirement System (NYCERS) and Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) have joined the Labor Rights Investor Network (LRIN), a global initiative of the CWC and its partnering unions.
The network consists of asset managers, asset owners, and investment service providers committed to integrating labor rights into their stewardship practices.
“As financial stewards responsible for the retirement savings of thousands of unionized workers we want to ensure that the companies in which we invest our capital are in turn investing in their workforce. Ignoring fundamental workers rights risks eroding long-term shareholder value,” said Comptroller Lander. “The historic movement to ensure labor rights are respected has led to measurable gains for hundreds of thousands of workers. We are proud to stand boldly with the Committee for Workers Capital to announce this important initiative which centers respecting labor rights as a business imperative key to mitigating systemic risks.”
“Organized labor is the foundation of our City, and a central element of the City workforce whose finances we steward. Worker protections are vital to all New Yorkers. I fully support our membership in the Labor
Rights Investor Network. Membership will strengthen our pension fund and promote positive labor practices that are both prudent and principled,” said New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.
The Systems’ membership with the network builds upon an extensive record of prioritizing a company’s treatment of their workforce as a critical factor in their role as fiduciaries responsible for securing strong returns for hundreds of thousands of current and former public sector workers and their beneficiaries. This record includes securing a workers rights assessment by Apple and Starbucks that will conclude this year. The Systems view the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining as a fundamental human right as recognized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations (UN).
LRIN members set expectations for their portfolio companies and request that the boards and senior management of these companies take responsibility for labor rights oversight and ensure respect for workers’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining. The LRIN is housed at the Global Unions’ Committee on Workers’ Capital (CWC), a committee of the International Trade Union Confederation, the Global Union Federations and the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD that advocates for the responsible investment of workers’ capital.
Comptroller Lander joined network members, representatives from Microsoft and others from the labor and business communities yesterday for an official launch of the Network during an events at the U.S. Department of Labor aimed at highlighting how businesses and investors can become more resilient and competitive by harnessing the growing global movement for worker voice.
In addition to Comptroller Lander, the trustees of the aforementioned New York City pension funds are as follows:
New York City Employees’ Retirement System (NYCERS): Mayor Eric Adams’ Appointee Bryan Berge, Director, Mayor’s Office of Pension and Investments; New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams; Borough Presidents: Mark Levine (Manhattan), Donovan Richards Jr. (Queens), Vito Fossella (Staten Island), and Vanessa L. Gibson (Bronx); Henry Garrido, Executive Director, District Council 37, AFSCME; Richard Davis, President Transport Workers Union Local 100; and Gregory Floyd, President, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 237.
Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS): Mayor Eric Adams’ Appointee Bryan Berge, Director, Mayor’s Office of Pension and Investments; Chancellor’s Representative, Dr. Angela Green, New York City Department of Education Panel for Educational Policy; and Thomas Brown (Chair), Victoria Lee, and David Kazansky, all of the United Federation of Teachers.
The post NYC Comptroller announces that NYCERS, Teachers’ TRS have joined LRIN, and its partnering unions first appeared on VOSA.
This post was originally published on VOSA.
New York: The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles has warned that 51,000 drivers who fail to submit their license renewal and vision tests as suspensions would affect drivers whose licenses expired between March 1, 2020, and Aug. 31, 2021.
According to the DMV, due to the restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, drivers have temporarily self-verified their vision test and renewed their license online, however, drivers will still be required to submit the vision test otherwise their license will be suspended.
Driving with a suspended license in NY can result in a ticket or fines of $200 to $500. It could also result in possible jail time of up to 30 days.
The post Around 51,000 New York drivers may face license suspensions over vision tests first appeared on VOSA.
This post was originally published on VOSA.
Submarines are undergoing a renaissance in the Asia-Pacific region. Excluding mini-submarines, approximately 230 are in service. With a growing naval superpower present in the Asia-Pacific region, demand for submarines is expected to increase, as a ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) spokesperson explained, they have “…the capability to occupy large numbers of opposing forces through their mere […]
The post Submarines Resurgent appeared first on Asian Military Review.
This post was originally published on Asian Military Review.
ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on Monday said that the welfare of the overseas Pakistanis and the resolution of their issues on a priority basis were among the top priorities of the interim government, according to APP.
Jilani further said that the European Union (EU) was an important partner of Pakistan and welcomed the continuation of GSP Plus status for Pakistan, adding these steps would further promote bilateral economic links with the EU.
The minister expressed these views during his visit to Pakistan Embassy in Belgium where he was warmly received by Pakistan Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union Amna Baloch and other members of the diplomatic staff, a press release said.
The caretaker foreign minister visited different sections of the embassy including consular section and expressed his satisfaction over the facilities being provided to the Pakistani community.
On the occasion, he also penned down his expressions in the visitors’ book placed in the embassy.
The post Welfare of overseas Pakistanis, resolution of issues among govt’s top priorities: Caretaker FM first appeared on VOSA.
This post was originally published on VOSA.
New York: One of the two Pakistani-American brothers who sustained fatal burn injuries after a fire broke out in their house in Brooklyn, has passed away.
As per details, the 23-year-old Nadeem Maqsood succumbed to his burn injuries while his brother – 20-year-old Khalil Maqsood is under treatment at a Staten Island hospital.
The victims are grandsons of the late Haji Maqsood, former secretary of Makki Masjid, and sons of Naeem Maqsood.
The post A Pakistani-American youth succumbs to burn injuries in Brooklyn first appeared on VOSA.
This post was originally published on VOSA.
BEIJING: Over 40 countries including Pakistan and China set up their national stalls featuring a range of cultural activities such as traditional music as well as a display of art, costumes, and cuisines at the annual International Culture Day organized by Pakistan Embassy College (PECB) here on Sunday.
According to APP, the Pakistan Ambassador to China, Khalil Hashmi inaugurated the event as the chief guest.
Ambassadors, senior diplomats, officials, media representatives and students along with their families, and members of the Pakistani and international community participated in this cultural gala.
China, Russia, Italy, Rumania, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Libya, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, Nepal, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan and several other countries showcased their cultural handcrafts, products, and traditional cuisines.
Ambassador Hashmi visited stalls and exhibitions set up by students and their parents and appreciated them for showcasing handicrafts, foods, and culture of their respective countries.
There were fun areas and gaming zones for children. Cultural performances of various countries were also presented which were greatly enjoyed by the guests.
Ambassador Hashmi in his address commended the PECB and its students for excellent organization and for presenting the rich kaleidoscope of performances which advanced mutual understanding, respect and collaboration among different cultures and traditions.
He described culture a powerful tool to build bridges and foster friendships between nations.
Ambassador Hashmi also underlined the significance of International Culture Day celebrations for China Pakistan relations, noting that the event served as a platform to promote the creation of China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future.
Principal, Shazia Amjad welcomed the audience and expressed gratitude for their keen interest and enthusiastic participation.
Some exquisite dance performances on tunes of Pakistan’s traditional music, stunning Pakistani and Chinese songs and cultural dresses mesmerized the audience.
Pakistani food, handicrafts and traditional dresses showcased to highlight and promote Pakistani culture attracted a lot of attention from the participants.
Ambassador Hashmi and his wife cut a cake along with the principal, teachers and students to mark the special occasion. The students were also given gifts through lucky draw.
The International Culture Day is celebrated every year by PECB to highlight the institution’s core values of mutual learning, respect and cooperation.
The post Annual International Culture Day organized at Pakistan Embassy College Beijing first appeared on VOSA.
This post was originally published on VOSA.
New York: ICNA-Relief distributed Halal chicken among the needy families as part of the Thanksgiving Day in New York City.
The volunteers also organized a one-dish party for each other to make the day more special.
The organization distributed halal chicken and other daily essential items to more than 200 families in the Flushing area of New York on Thanksgiving Day.
A long queue was seen on the occasion, in which people of all races and colors were present.
ICNA-relief volunteers, including women and children, cheerfully shared their joy and happy moments with each other and area residents.
The community has highly appreciated ICNA’s contributions towards the society.
After distributing food to the needy families, these volunteers celebrated Thanksgiving Day and organized a one-dish party for each other in which the women prepared and brought different types of dishes from their homes.
ICNA-Relief New York Area Manager Ishaq Alpar and other guests praised the role of volunteers. They said ICNA-Relief has arranged the event to share their happiness with the needy ones. On this special occasion, one must remember the the marginal segments of the society and bring smile to their faces.
The post ICNA-Relief gives away halal chicken and other daily essential items among 200 families in NYC first appeared on VOSA.
This post was originally published on VOSA.
ISLAMABAD: The Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) has announced the ECO Youth Award in the fields of research projects including arts – preferably regional – culture and sports fields for the member states.
The youths from the 10 member states will be eligible for the award including Iran, Pakistan, Turkiye, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, according to a message received from Pakistan Embassy in Tehran, where the ECO headquarters is also located, APP reported.
A total ten awards, one from each member state will be announced every year with a cash award of USD1,000 amongst the youth of 18-30 years of age, selected from the nominations made by each member state.
The need for the expansion of relations among the peoples in the ECO region, along with the significant role of youth as a major driving force for the ECO countries development, has increased the importance of planning to maximize their optimal participation in the activities implemented by the ECO Cultural Institute (ECOCI).
The Youth Award initiative has been proposed with the aim to discover young talent and to pave the way to further popularize ECO Cultural Institute.
As there will be one winner from each member country, there will be no competition between countries.
The award is presented annually to the winners selected from the nominations made by the ECO member countries on occasions such as the ECO Day.
In order to identify the ECO top youth, call for nominations will be published on ECOCI website and the Ministry of Culture of each ECO member state will nominate up to a maximum of three persons.
The Award Committee, comprising the Cultural Attachés of ECO member states in Tehran will judge and select one winner from each country.
The ECO Award will be presented during a ceremony on the occasion of ECOCI Day/ECO Day.
The post ECO announces Youth Award in art, culture, sports fields for member countries first appeared on VOSA.
This post was originally published on VOSA.
ISLAMABAD: Imam-e-Kaaba, Dr. Saleh bin Abdullah Bin Humaid delivered a Friday sermon at Faisal Mosque and led the prayer where he called upon the Muslim countries to be united and prayed for the end of atrocities against Palestinian Muslims.
According to APP, the Friday prayer at Faisal Mosque was also attended by the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia, Nawaf Said Al-Malki, President of the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), Dr. Hathal Homoud Alotaibi, Vice presidents of IIUI, diplomats of various Muslim countries, prominent religious and political figures and thousands of faithful from twin cities.
In his Friday sermon, the Imam-e-Kaaba emphasized respect for humanity and respect for opinion. He said a society that adopts the characteristics of respect for humanity and respect for opinion becomes stable and successful.
The Imam-e-Kaaba emphasized the importance of promoting love, brotherhood and equality within the communities drawing on the metaphor of Muslims as a unified body.
He also discussed the sanctity of human life and the promotion of peace. He said, Islam teachers respect for even one who has a difference of opinion.
Emphasizing the need for unity of the Muslim Ummah at this time, he said that Muslim countries should be united and they should have such a unity in which there is no rift.
Later, the Imam-e-Kaaba prayed for the stability of the Islamic world, the progress of Pakistan and Muslims of Gaza that May Allah end their hardships.
The post Imam-e-Kaaba leads Friday prayer at Faisal Mosque first appeared on VOSA.
This post was originally published on VOSA.
Islamabad: Ministry of foreign affairs has confirmed that Pakistan has made a formal request to join BRICS, which it believes is an important grouping of developing countries.
Responding to queries of journalists at media briefing, ministry of foreign affairs spokesperson said that Pakistan enjoys friendly ties with most of the members of BRICS, as well as the newly invited group of countries.
“Pakistan is also an ardent supporter of multilateralism and is a member of several multilateral organizations,” spokesperson said adding that it has played an important role for global peace and development.
“Pakistan is an important developing country and has made important contributions in promoting peace, solidarity and cooperation among countries of the south.”
“We have taken this decision after having noted the BRICS related developments in Johannesburg and its proclaimed openness to inclusive multilateralism.
“We believe by joining BRICS, Pakistan can play an important role in furthering international cooperation and revitalization of inclusive multilateralism. We also hope that BRICS will move forward on Pakistan’s request in line with its commitment to inclusive multilateralism,” spokesperson commented.
To a query with regard to UNHCR statement on illegal immigrants’ deportation, spokesperson said that current drive to implement Pakistan’s immigration laws is focused on individuals who are residing here illegally.
“It does not apply to individuals who are here on refugee status,” spokesperson said adding that UNHCR has the mandate to deal with refugees.
“We agree that refugees who are in Pakistan shall return to their home country in honour and dignity through a consultative process, which is a tripartite consultative process between Pakistan, Afghanistan, and UNHCR,” spokesperson commented.
The post Pakistan makes a formal request to join BRICS: Ministry of foreign affairs first appeared on VOSA.
This post was originally published on VOSA.
Islamabad: Federal caretaker minister for commerce and industry Dr. Gohar Ejaz received the ambassador of China to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong for a meeting to discuss Pakistan-China economic cooperation especially in fields of trade and Investment.
The focus of the discussions revolved around the implementation of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which has now entered its second stage.
Dr. Ejaz informed the ambassador that the first phase of CPEC is at an advanced age at inter-governmental level which has helped Pakistan to develop the infrastructure, road network, power plants to meet energy needs, and now the time has come for the private sectors of both countries
The post Chinese Ambassador meets Pakistan’s commerce minister to discuss bilateral trade first appeared on VOSA.
This post was originally published on VOSA.