Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government in Pakistan announced a financial assistance package of Rs 1 crore for the families of the 21 Sikh pilgrims who were killed in a train-bus accident last week. Special assistant to KPK Chief Minister on Minorities Wazir Zada made this announcement during his visit to Bhai Joga Singh Gurdwara and expressed condolences over the demise of the Sikh pilgrims. Each of the families of the Sikhs who were killed in the accident will be given Rs 500,000 financial assistance, Zada said. Twenty-one Sikh pilgrims were killed when a minibus in which they were travelling was hit by a train in Sheikhupura district in Pakistan's Punjab province last week. 'It was a tragic incident and the entire humanity was saddened over it. the government of KPK stood by its minorities in difficult times,' Zada said. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) of India has also announced Rs 100,000 financial assistance to each of the families of the Pakistani Sikhs killed in the accident. The SGPC will also give Rs 50,000 to each of those who were injured in the accident.
Seven Punjab cities impose 15-day smart lockdown
The Punjab government in Pakistan enforced smart lockdown in seven cities of the province for 15 days last week, The News International reported. The Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department issued a notification under the Punjab Infectious Diseases Ordinance 2020, about enforcement of lockdown in Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Gujrat and Rawalpindi, till July 24 midnight. In Lahore, the lockdown will be enforced in A2 Block Township, EME Society, Main Bazaar Chungi Amr Sadhu, Punjab Government Servants Housing Scheme, Wapda Town, C-Block Jauhar Town and Green City. The basic necessities of life will remain available in smart lockdown areas. "The purpose of the smart lockdown is to minimise movement of people in hotspots of positive coronavirus cases," said Capt (retd) Muhammad Usman, Secretary, Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department.
Kabul to release more Taliban prisoners
Afghanistan is to release more Taliban prisoners in the hope of getting peace talks going, a government spokesman, after the insurgent group provided the government with a revised list of several hundred of their detainees. Disagreement over about 600 prisoners out of a total of 5,000 the Taliban want released has prevented the launch of US-brokered peace talks aimed at ending nearly 19 years of war since the Islamist militants were ousted. While releases by both sides have taken place, the Afghan government has said it does not want to release some prisoners for security reasons and its Western allies also object to some of them being set free. "They have given us another list, the release process will continue but direct talks should also start immediately," Javid Faisal, spokesman for the National Security Council, said. The Taliban could not be reached for comment and it was not clear if they would be willing to start talks based on the release of the prisoners on the list.
Hagia Sophia museum turned into mosque again
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a decree ordering Hagia Sophia to be opened for Muslim prayers, an action likely to provoke international furore around a world heritage site cherished by Christians and Muslims alike for its religious significance, stunning structure and as a symbol of conquest. The decree came minutes after a Turkish court announced that it had revoked Hagia Sophia’s status as a museum, which for the last 80 years had made it a symbol of the secularism that was part of the foundation of the modern Turkish state. Built in the sixth century as a cathedral, Hagia Sophia stands as the greatest example of Byzantine Christian architecture in the world. But it has been a source of Christian-Muslim rivalry, having stood at the centre of Christendom for nearly a millennium and then, after being conquered, of the Muslim Ottoman Empire. The US, Greece and church leaders were among those to express concern over the change in status.
No modern touches in Notre Dame Cathedral
Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris will be rebuilt just the way it stood before last year's devastating fire. No swimming pool or organic garden on the roof of the medieval Paris monument, or contemporary glass spire, or other modern twists. And to stay historically accurate, it will again be built with potentially toxic lead. That's the verdict reached by French President Emmanuel Macron, the cathedral's present-day architects and the general in charge of the colossal reconstruction project for one of the world's most treasured landmarks. Macron, who wants Notre Dame reopened in time for the 2024 Olympics, had initially pushed for a contemporary touch atop the cathedral, prompting eye-catching proposals from architects around the world. But Macron came around to the traditionalists' argument, and approved reconstruction plans for the 12th century monument, ccording to a statement from the state agency overseeing the project.
Statue of US first lady Melania set on fire
A wooden sculpture of US first lady Melania Trump was torched near her hometown of Sevnica, Slovenia, on the night of July 4th, as Americans celebrated US Independence Day, said the artist who commissioned the sculpture. Brad Downey, a Berlin-based American artist, said he had the life-sized blackened, disfigured sculpture removed as soon as police informed him on July 5th of the incident. "I want to know why they did it," said Downey, who had hoped the statue would foster a dialogue about the political situation in the United States, highlighting Melania Trump's status as an immigrant married to a president sworn to reduce immigration. In Washington, the office of Melania Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Australia offers safe haven to Hongkongers
Australia offered pathways to permanent residency for thousands of people from Hong Kong in response to China’s crackdown on dissent. PM Scott Morrison said his government was also suspending its extradition agreement with the city. He said in addition to extending the visas of 10,000 Hong Kongers already in the country, he was throwing open the door to thousands more wanting to start a new life Down Under. Morrison said the decisions were taken in response to China’s imposition of a tough new security law in Hong Kong. China condemned the move. “China reserves the right to take further reactions, all consequences will be borne by Australia,” warned foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian. “Any bid to suppress China will never succeed.”
WHO now promises 'honest evaluation' of its actions
The World Health Organization (WHO) said it was setting up an independent panel to review its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and the response by governments. The announcement follows strong criticism by US President Donald Trump's administration of the global agency's role in the crisis - though the WHO said the review was not linked to the United States. Former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark and former Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf have agreed to head the panel, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. "The magnitude of this pandemic, which has touched virtually everyone in the world, clearly deserves a commensurate evaluation, an honest evaluation," Tedros told a virtual meeting with diplomats. The panel will provide an interim report to an annual meeting of health ministers in November and present a "substantive report" next May, he said.
Gilead tests inhalable form of remdesivir
Gilead Sciences Inc said it has started an early-stage study of its antiviral Covid-19 treatment remdesivir that can be inhaled, for use outside of hospitals. The company said the trial, which will enroll about 60 healthy Americans aged between 18 and 45, will test the drug particularly in those cases where the disease has not progressed to require hospitalisation. The drug is currently used intravenously and an inhaled formulation would be given via a nebulizer, which could potentially allow for easier administration.
Book on the dark side of Trump, his father
President Donald Trump’s niece describes him in a much-awaited tell-all book as a child in an adult’s body, someone psychologically brutalised and damaged by his “sociopath” father and who developed defences of anger and distrust to mask his own chronic insecurities. “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man,” by Mary Trump, offers a dark picture of Trump and his father Fred Trump Sr.
Japan’s ruling party wants Xi visit cancelled
Japanese PM Shinzo Abe’s ruling party has adopted a resolution urging the government to cancel a visit to Japan by President Xi Jinping following the implementation of a new national security law for Hong Kong. “We have no choice but urge (the government) to cancel President Xi’s state visit,” the Liberal Democratic Party’s diplomatic panel chief Yasuhide Nakayama said. Chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga said the timing was not appropriate to arrange details of Xi’s visit and nothing has been decided. Suga said the government’s position is that Japan and China should resolve outstanding issues through high-level talks including those between the leaders. He declined to comment on the possible impact of the resolution on Japan-China relations. Xi’s Japan visit, initially planned for this spring had to be postponed due to the pandemic.
