Coronavirus Update: Sindh’s numbers fluctuate

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

While Sindh’s daily COVID-19 numbers kept fluctuating during the week, Karachi registered 75% of the total new cases reported across the province during the last 24 hours ending at 8 am on September 11.

The official data showed that Karachi reported in all 203 infections, against Sindh’s 271, on September 11. 

The six districts of the division on average registered 121.5 cases per day during a period from September 5 to 11, while their share in the total daily infection figure ranged from 46% to 75% during the same period.  

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his daily COVID-19 status statement on September 11, confirmed that Sindh detected 271(2.45%) positive cases out of 11,042 samples during the last 24 hours. 

He further shared that there were 2,374 active COVID-19 patients in the province, including 2,075 staying at homes, six admitted at the isolation centres and 293 at the various hospitals, adding that there were 148 patients whose health condition was critical while another 17 were on ventilators. 

Sindh’s total infection rose to 131,675, with 2,440 deaths, including one registered on September 11, and 126,861 having recovered from the diseases. The province has tested a total 1,095,416 samples since February 26 when it reported first COVID-19 cases. 

The districts wise breakdown of new infection on September 11 came as: Karachi (203), Jamshoro (8), Badin (5), Dadu (5), Hyderabad (4), Tando M Khan (4), Sukkur (4), Thatta (4), Ghotki (3), Mirpurkhas (3), Shaheed Benazirabad (3), Kambar Shahdadkot (2), Tharparkar (2), Larkana (1), Naushero Feroze (1), Sujawal (1), Umerkot (1), and others. 

In the meantime, according to an official report, the six patients whose deaths due to COVID-19 were confirmed on September 9 having been hospitalized in Karachi while another patient died at home on September 8.

Beijing to have driverless cabs

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Baidu, a leading Chinese internet search and artificial intelligence company, plans to launch its driverless taxi service in Beijing. 

The Beijing-based company will put 40 Apollo Go Robo taxis onto the capital’s roads. The users can book through Baidu maps or Apollo's official website. 

The total mileage under test this time is about 700 kilometers, covering nearly 100 stations in residential and business areas of Yizhuang, Haidian, and Shunyi which makes it China’s biggest for mileage and area. 

Baidu brought Apollo Go to Guangzhou in Hebei province last month, making it the second city to have welcomed the service following Changsha in April last year. Baidu Apollo Go has since entered multi-regional operation stage.

South Korean firm invent battery-fitted mask

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

A South Korean firm has invented a battery operated face mask that has addressed many problems of people wearing it as a preventative step for COVID-19 pandemic. 

LG Electronics’ PuriCare Wearable comes in one size and weighs as light as a pair of ski goggles, features two fans and high-efficiency particle air filters which cleans incoming air and exhales outgoing breath. 

The battery powered filter mask can reduce annoying problems of users such as breathing difficulty and fogged-up glasses encountered by conventional masks.

“Breathing is the biggest concern when it comes to wearing a face mask and disposable masks come with a huge environment cost,” Choi Yoon-hee, a senior official at LG Electronics’ air solution product team, was quoted as saying.

Pakistan, Chinese Foreign Ministers meet in Moscow

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, has met with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, for the second time within as many weeks. 

"Great to meet Foreign Minister and State Councilor of China Wang Yi again,” Shah Mahmood tweeted, referring to his meeting with Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Foreign Ministers moot in Moscow. 

It was the follow up meeting of the strategic dialogue held by both the leaders in China last month, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister revealed. 

He remarked that the Pakistan-China friendship was growing from strength to strength with a shared objective for peace and development under the SCO complimenting bilateral cooperation.

Journalist Qaiser Mahmood passes away

By Syed Sajid Aziz
(Pakistan News & Features Services) 

Qaisar Mahmood, a veteran journalist and a senior member of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), passed away in Karachi on September 10. He was suffering from lung cancer and remained hospitalized for quite a while. 

After having done masters from the University of Karachi, he worked in many leading news organizations during his long journalistic career in which covered different beats over the years. His longest professional stint came at the Jang Media Group. 

After serving as a Senior Reporter than the Chief Reporter of The News, he moved to the Geo News editorial committee with whom he remained associated until his final days. 

Previously he had worked for The Frontier Post, when the Peshawar-based organization had launched its Lahore edition with great fanfare in late 1980s. He also served Voice of America (VOA) and British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

Asif Zardari fully supports BRI, CPEC

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Former President Asif Ali Zardari, has asserted that China was a true friend of Pakistan, having provided selfless help to Pakistan's economic development and social progress over the years.

"The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), proposed by President Xi Jinping is far-sighted. The construction of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) promotes Pakistan’s development and prosperity and improves people’s livelihood,” the former President expressed these views while meeting with the Chinese Ambassador, Yao Jing, at Islamabad on September 10.

“The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) firmly supports the BRI as well as the CPEC. Our party hopes to strengthen the exchange of experience in party governance with the Communist Party of China and promote the continuous development of the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic partnership,” Asif Zardari remarked. 

Earlier the former President and co-chairman of the PPP, Asif Ali Zardari, alongwith the Vice Chairman of the Senate, Saleem Mandviwala, and Senator Sherry Rahman, upon arrival at the Chinese embassy in Islamabad, were warmly welcomed by Ambassador Yao Jing and Minister Counselor Pang Chunxue. 

Ambassador Yao recalled that the PPP and the Bhutto family were old and good friends of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people, having firmly supported the development of China-Pakistan relations for a long time. 

“China attaches great importance to the traditional friendship with the People's Party and is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with it to promote the comprehensive and in-depth development of the relations between the two parties and the two countries,” he added.

Railways to invite ML-1 tenders from September 12

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Pakistan Railways is set to invite the much awaited tenders for its mega Mainline-One (ML-1) project from September 12. It’s one of the major projects being undertaken in the multi-billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). 

“We are going to open the international tenders of the ML-1 on September 12. It is good news for the Pakistan Railways. The railways management will simultaneously initiate the publicity of this mega project which it believes is the only way to revive the ailing public sector corporation,” Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, the Minister for Railways, announced in a press briefing at Lahore where Pakistan Railways is headquartered. 

It was revealed that the bidding documents for USD 6.8 billion have already been finalized and the documents titled ‘Upgradation of ML-1’ have been divided into three separate packages.

Japan urged to invest in CPEC projects

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Defence Minister, Pervaiz Khattak, has urged Japan to make investment in mutually beneficial projects, particularly those under the auspices of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). 

He expressed these views when he met the Japanese Ambassador in Pakistan, Kuninori Matsuda, at Islamabad on September 10. 

He specifically urged Japan to make investment in maritime and industrial manufacturing sectors to help promote industrial activities through mutual benefit partnership.

Karachi Nuclear Power Plant successfully test HFT

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The K-2 Karachi Nuclear Power Plant has successfully completed Hot Functional Tests (HFT), it was announced by the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). 

This is the first overseas unit being built on China's Hualong One Nuclear Technology (HPR1000), a Chinese owned and developed third generation nuclear technology. 

The HFT, spread over several weeks, includes simulating nuclear power plant operations to verify the reliability of the main equipment and systems under thermal conditions before the reactor is loaded with nuclear fuel. The thermal testing will now be followed by nuclear fuel loading and grid-connected power generation.

SMEDA’s textile webinar on September 24

By Masood Sattar Khan

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA), a premier institution of the Government of Pakistan, will be holding a free webinar on ‘Emerging Business Opportunities in Textile Sector’ later this month. 

The NBDP-SMEDA seminar, according to an announcement, would be held on September 24 through Zoom between 2 pm to 5 pm Pakistan Standard Time (PST). 

The SMEDA has informed the traders to avail this opportunity of gaining knowledge about the latest trends in business, particularly in the textile industry.