Friday, April 17th, 2020
Nigerian security forces kill 18 people for violating lockdown
ABUJA, APR 17 (DNA) – Nigerian security forces have killed 18 people in their enforcement of measures to curb coronavirus, a figure higher than the documented toll inflicted by the disease, the country’s human rights body said. Africa’s most populous nation has imposed a total lockdown in megacity Lagos and the capital Abuja and set restrictions in other regions in a bid to contain the virus. According to official figures, coronavirus has so far infected 407 people in Nigeria, 12 of them fatally. Security forces, including police and army, haveRead More
German envoy terms int’l cooperation, solidarity imperative to fight COVID-19
ISLAMABAD, APR 17 (DNA) – Bernhard Schlagheck, German Ambassador to Pakistan, has said that the greater international cooperation and solidarity is critically important to deal with the global crisis emanated from the coronavirus pandemic. The rescheduling of the debts of the developing countries by the international financial institution is a vital development in this regard that would allow the countries stressed by the debt servicing to pay more attention on improving their healthcare systems in the face of current crisis. He said that the telephonic conversation between Imran Khan, theRead More
British HC visits COVID-19 emergency operations centre
ISLAMABAD, APR 17 (DNA) – British High Commissioner, Christian Turner CMG has visited the COVID-19 National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) in Islamabad to see at first-hand how Pakistan is responding to the crisis. The centre is the key surveillance and data management centre for the global pandemic in Pakistan, providing data on how the virus is affecting the country and so strengthening the fight against the disease. The High Commissioner was accompanied by the head of the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) office in Pakistan Annabel Gerry. They wereRead More
Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia says Ramadan prayers likely to be at home
RIYADH, APR 17 – Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Al Sheikh, the highest religious authority in the country, said that Muslim prayers during Ramadan and for the subsequent Eid Al Fitr feast should be performed at home if the coronavirus outbreak continues. “Ramadan’s Taraweeh (evening) prayer can be performed at home if it cannot be performed at mosques due to the preventive measures taken to fight the spread of coronavirus,” he said in response to a question, adding that same applies for Eid prayers.
Pakpattan men arrested for hoarding 1,344 tonnes of wheat: police
PAKPATTAN, APR 17 – The district administration of Pakpattan arrested four men for stocking 1,344 tonnes of wheat amid the coronavirus lockdown across the country. The stock was seized from a feed mill on Depalpur Road. The police had conducted a raid at the mill and arrested the people there. A case has been registered against them. According to the administration, hoarders spring into action as soon as the months in which wheat is harvested approach. The government has prohibited the storage of more than 25 tonnes of wheat. ItRead More
Faisalabad police have unique way of arresting lockdown violating shopkeepers
FAISALABAD, APR 17 – A shortage of handcuffs didn’t stop the Faisalabad police from arresting lockdown violators in the city. They cuffed them with cloth instead. Twenty shopkeepers at the Cloth Market in the city were arrested on Friday. They had opened their shops, defying government orders after which the police raided the market. The violators were taken to the police station on foot. According to the police, this was part of their punishment for not following orders. The government has imposed a strict lockdown across the country from 12Read More