Coronavirus Update: Sindh ahead in fatalities

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Amidst a rain interrupted field activities, Sindh added three more COVID-19 deaths to the national tally on August 29 when it registered 89 infections during the last 24 hours across the province.

According to the national COVID-19 dashboard managed by the government, country had in all four related deaths reported by Sindh (three) and Punjab (one). 

The provinces that reported new confirmed cases on August 29 were Sindh (89 cases), Punjab (42), KPK (46) and Balochistan (38). 

Sindh’s overall number of infections came as 129,268, with total 2,398 relevant deaths, while the number of people cured of COVID-19 in the province stood as 122,902, including 67 who recovered from the disease on August 29. 

There were still 3,968 patients receiving treatment at homes, hospitals and isolation centres in the province.

China's resilience lauded

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Iranian Ambassador to China, Mohammad Keshavarzzadeh, has praised Beijing’s resistance against the US desire to impose its will on other nations. 

Keshavarzzadeh lauded China’s standing against the US bullying at the United Nations Security Council to exert more pressure on Iran, according to a report. 

He wrote on his twitter page on August 29 that China’s position was actually rejection of the US unilateral policies. 

In relevant remarks, the Iranian Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Majid Takht Ravanchi, was critical of the US violation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the UNSC Resolution 2231, claiming that Washington's unilateralism was threatening the UN's authority. 

The US President, Donald Trump, a stern critic of the historic deal, had unilaterally pulled Washington out of the JCPOA in May 2018 and unleashed tough sanctions without being able to push Tehran to the negotiating table.

UAE, Israel mull setting up banking ties

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

After agreeing on setting up diplomatic relations, talks for potential business partnership is underway between Dubai’s leading bank Emirates NBD and Bank Leumi of Israel, an Arab newspaper quoted market sources.

“The fact that Emirates NBD has not denied earlier reports of talks with the Israeli bank and the recent normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries point to something really happening between two entities,” an insider reckoned. 

Although the talks between the two entities were significant as a first step towards the normalization of business between the two countries, any deal of cooperation will require board level approvals of both banks and regulatory approvals of the central banks from both countries. 

“The formalization of ties with the state of Israel through this new law will pave way for more businesses in both countries to explore business opportunities,” the sources added. 

The analysts were of the opinion that the normalization of ties would be mutually beneficial to both countries in terms of business and scientific cooperation.

KFC to gift chicken for school teachers

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

In order to pay respect to the dedication of their job, the KFC has announced donation of one million pieces of chicken for the school teachers that go back after the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. 

For this noble cause the world renowned fast food entity in its social media account announced that this time they will be supporting teachers across the country as they head back to school, people can help KFC recognize the dedicated teacher in their life time by hashtag # KFCback2School. 

Historically, KFC was founded by Colonel Harland Sanders, an entrepreneur who began selling fried chicken from his roadside restaurant in Corbin, Kentucky, during the Great Depression. He had identified the potential of the restaurant franchising concept and the first Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) franchise was opened in Utah in 1952.

PKR 10.5 billion allocated for rehabilitation, implementation of KCR

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The government has allocated an amount of PKR 10.5 billion for rehabilitation and implementation of the Karachi Circular Railways (KRC) project under the auspices of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). 

According to details, the amount will be spent in phases in the identical manner as the ML-1 project, with the first phase to be followed shortly by the second phase. 

For the restoration of KCR, the most pressing demand of the people of the mega city, the Project Director, Amer Muhammad Daudpota, has informed that there was complete unanimity between the federal government and the provincial government. 

All bottlenecks in restoration of the much awaited KCR has finally been removed, he declared, much to the relief of the residents of Karachi.