COVID-19: Pakistan’s budget deficit may hit record high, says IMF
Islamabad: The International Monetary Fund has warned that the cash-strapped Pakistan’s budget deficit is expected to rise to the record level to 9.2 per cent of the size of national economy or Rs 4 trillion (USD 23.7 billion) in current fiscal year due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. In the Middle East and […]
Corona-scare: On-off social distancing may be needed until 2022, says Harvard study
Washington: Scientists assume that Covid-19 will become seasonal, like closely related coronaviruses that cause the common cold, with higher transmission rates in colder months. A one-time lockdown won’t halt the novel coronavirus and repeated periods of social distancing may be required into 2022 to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed, Harvard scientists who modelled the pandemic’s […]
COVID-19: Pak court adjourns hearing against Saeed in terror financing
Lahore: An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan has adjourned for an indefinite period the hearing against Mumbai terror attack mastermind and Jamat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Saeed in four terror financing cases in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak in the country. Saeed, a UN designated terrorist whom the US has placed a USD 10 million bounty on, […]
Pak clerics warn govt against ban on religious congregations amidst coronavirus outbreak
Islamabad: A group of over 50 senior clerics in Pakistan has warned the government against the ban on religious congregations amidst the coronavirus outbreak and said the authorities should instead abide by religious norms and allow more worshippers in mosques to seek forgiveness from Allah. The government has banned prayer congregations of more than five […]
More than 120,000 killed by coronavirus worldwide
Paris: The novel coronavirus has killed more than 120,000 people worldwide, nearly 70 percent of them in Europe, according to a tally compiled by AFP at 1100 GMT Tuesday from official sources. A total of 120,013 deaths have now been recorded since the epidemic first emerged in China in December, 81,474 of them in Europe. […]
Coronavirus deaths in Sweden cross 1,000: health agency
Stockholm: Sweden on Tuesday reported that more than 1,000 people have died from the novel coronavirus, while the number of confirmed cases crossed 11,000. Sweden’s Public Health Agency said it had recorded a total of 11,445 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 1,033 deaths. It cautioned that the true number of deaths might be higher as […]
Pak delays decision on lockdown
Islamabad: The Pakistan government has delayed until Tuesday its decision whether to extend the nationwide lockdown or not, as the number of the novel coronavirus cases rose to 5,478 in the country. Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday chaired a meeting of the National Coordination Committee comprising chief ministers of all provinces and leader of […]
COVID-19: IMF to consider USD 1.4 bn bailout plan for Pakistan
Islamabad: The IMF is all set to consider a loan of USD 1.4 billion for cash-strapped Pakistan to boost its foreign exchange reserves in the wake of the further economic downturn due to the coronavirus crisis. The USD 1.4 billion loan is in addition to the USD 6 billion bailout package that Pakistan has signed […]
Over 900 new coronavirus cases in India, total climbs to 8,447; 31 more deaths
New Delhi: The death toll due to coronavirus rose to 273 and the number of cases in the country climbed to 8,447 on Sunday, an increase of 918 since Saturday evening, according to the Union Health Ministry. While the number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 7,409, as many as 764 people have been cured […]