MOSCOW: The Kremlin on Friday blamed a surge in Covid-19 cases on reluctance to have vaccinations and “nihilism” after a record 9,056 new infections in Moscow, mostly with the new Delta variant, fanned fears of a third wave. Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin extended restrictions he had imposed this month, which include a ban on events with more than 1,000 people, …

Prime Minister Imran Khan has categorically said that Pakistan would “absolutely not” allow any bases and use of its territory to the US for any sort of action inside Afghanistan. “Absolutely Not. There is no way we are going to allow any bases, any sort of action from Pakistani territory into Afghanistan. Absolutely not,” the prime minister told Axios on HBO in an interview. …

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday restored the licences of 21 lawyers who had allegedly stormed the chamber of the chief justice on Feb 8 this year. A three-member bench, comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, disposed of a compliant related to storming of the IHC and petitions filed by the …

ISLAMABAD: The lowest number of Covid-19 cases were reported in the capital on Friday as 25 people tested positive. As many as 3,337 tests were conducted in the capital during the last 24 hours and the positivity rate dropped to 0.7pc. Moreover, 73 people recovered from the disease. Officials of the capital administration said 23 cases were reported on a …

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has set aside a decision of the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) regarding cancellation of admissions in several private medical and dental colleges for session 2020-21. The PMC had taken a plea that the admission process for the respective medical colleges were tainted, in contravention to the admission regulations and that the interview process was non-transparent. …

KARACHI: Just a few days after rejecting claims about shortage of Covid-19 vaccine, the federal government admitted on Friday that it was facing challenge in procurement of fresh consignments of the jabs citing “pressure to make immediate payments” from the international suppliers. The situation has slowed down the crucial vaccination programme across the country with Sindh alone cutting down its …

LAHORE: Shortage of Covid vaccine in Punjab persists dealing a blow to the vital campaign. Reports say very few of the 677 centres established across the province are functioning and the situation has left the citizens at the mercy of ‘misgovernance’. It is not different in Lahore where only three out of 57 centres are administering vaccine to the citizens. …

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Friday said the PTI government would complete its constitutional tenure. Opposition parties cannot dislodge the government as it is making hectic efforts to alleviate poverty in the country. Addressing a Police Eagle Squad ceremony, the minister directed the inspector general of police (IGP) Islamabad to make the capital territory a drug-free area and …

A meeting of the Sindh task force on Covid-19, presided over by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, decided on Saturday to keep vaccination centres in the province closed tomorrow (Sunday) amid a shortage of coronavirus vaccines. The meeting was also attended by Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Education Minister Saeed Ghani, Information Minister Nasir Hussain Shah, Adviser to CM …

GILGIT: Two expedition teams including foreign climbers and renowned Pakistani mountaineer Samina Baig on Friday started their adventure to scale K2. They started their trek to the K2 base camp from Shigar. Talking to mediapersons in Shigar before starting the trek, Ms Baig, whose expedition has been sponsored by Special Communication Organisation (SCO), said she along with five local high …