Tuesday, April 14th, 2020
Indian diplomat summoned to register protest
ISLAMABAD, APR 14 (DNA) – A senior diplomat from the High Commission of India was summoned to the Foreign Office, today, to register Pakistan’s strong protest at the ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jandrot Sector on 14th April, 2020, resulting in serious injuries to an innocent civilian. Due to indiscriminate and unprovoked firing by the Indian occupation forces, a 65 years old innocent civilian, Alam Din s/o Feroz Din, sustained serious injuries in Jandrot Sector. The Indian occupation forces alongRead More
IMF grants debt relief for 19 African nations
WASHINGTON, APR 14 – The International Monetary Fund has approved immediate debt service relief for 19 African countries for an initial period of six months to enable them to channel financial resources towards dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. Burkina Faso, Chad, Central African Republic and Mozambique are among the countries that will benefit from this relief. Others are Benin, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone and Togo. Debt cancellation and relief for African countries areRead More
FM Qureshi holds telephonic talk with British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
ISLAMABAD, APR 14 (DNA) – Following up on their earlier conversation regarding the Covid-19 pandemic and efforts to contain the outbreak, Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi had a telephonic conversation with the British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Dominic Raab,. The Foreign Minister felicitated the Secretary of State on the discharge of Prime Minister Boris Johnson from the hospital and wished him speedy recovery. He commended the able stewardship of the fight against the outbreak by the Secretary of State in the absence of theRead More
Guinea makes wearing face masks compulsory
CONAKRY, APR 14 – The President of Guinea, Alpha Conde, is making the wearing of face masks compulsory in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19. In a televised address, he said the order would take effect from Saturday. People who fail to wear masks will be fined around $3 (£2.40). Mr Conde called on businesses, government departments and others to provide their employees with masks, which he said should be made locally and cost no more than 25 cents. He described the pace of the spread of coronavirusRead More
Coronavirus: Austria and Italy reopen some shops as lockdown eased
ROME, APR 14 – Thousands of shops have reopened in Austria, as it seeks to ease restrictions brought in to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Garden centres, DIY stores and small shops can open but with strict rules on social distancing. In Italy, where over 20,000 people have died in the pandemic, a limited number of shops and businesses have been allowed to reopen. But some of the worst-hit regions have decided to hold off. Lombardy and other regions in the north will maintain their measures for longer. AfterRead More
Jacinda Ardern impressionist: ‘I’m trying to be her because she’s cool’
WELLINGTON, APR 14 – When comedian Melanie Bracewell found herself facing weeks of self-isolation as New Zealand went into a coronavirus lockdown, she decided to make videos of herself doing impressions of the country’s prime minister. Her clips on TikTok have now been watched by thousands across the world, and garnered her many fans – including Ms Ardern herself. Ms Bracewell says her impressions are not parody – but a homage to someone “she’s very proud of” for steering the country through a pandemic. New Zealand and Ms Ardern’s governmentRead More