Krishna meets Khar; terrorism high on agenda

September 8, 2012

kharkrish

Islamabad, September 8: External Affairs Minister S M Krishna began crucial talks with his Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar today to review the second round of resumed dialogue with issues like terrorism to be on top of the agenda.

The one-to-one meeting between Krishna and Khar was followed by delegation-level talks between the two sides. Indian officials earlier said that terrorism will form the core of New Delhi's discussions, particularly the slow pace of the Mumbai attack case trial.

Other issues include those concerning prisoners as well as trade and border issues.

The talks will culminate in inking of much-awaited new liberalised visa agreement to boost people-to-people contacts.

For the first time, group tourism will be part of the new pact which will also have other new categories, including multiple city one-year visas for businessmen and visa-on-arrival for people aged 65 years.

Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai and his Pakistani counterpart Jalil Abbas Jilani were also present. Both Ministers will also co-chair the Joint Commission Meeting later this evening, which was revived in 2005 after a gap of 16 years. This is Krishna's second visit to Pakistan in over two years.

Ahead of today's meeting with Khar, Krishna yesterday called on President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and met a series of political leaders from MQM, ANP and PML-Q parties.

Also, Foreign Secretary-level talks were held yesterday here during which the two sides discussed all aspects of the resumed dialogue, apart from reviewing the entire expanse of the discussions held so far.

The two sides described their discussions as "positive" and "frank". They acknowledged that progress has been made in bilateral ties but agreed that "much more needs to be done".

Later today, the two sides will also ink an agreement on culture between Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) and its Pakistani counterpart PNCS.

Earlier

India, Pakistan ease visa norms for visitors

Islamabad, September 8: The new visa policy between India and Pakistan, to be signed Saturday, has eased restrictions on visitors from both the countries.

There will be a single-entry visitor visa for a maximum period of six months but the stay cannot exceed three months at a time and for five places (currently limited to three places).

Also, business visa has been separated from visitor visa, a communique said.

Under a new category, a visitor visa for a maximum of five specified places may be issued for a longer period of up to two years with multiple entries to senior citizens (above 65); spouse of a national of one country married to person of another country and children below 12 accompanying parent(s).

Also, transit visa will now be issued within 36 hours instead of 72 hours.

Under the existing visa agreement, the single entry visa is issued for three months for meeting relatives, friends, business or other legitimate purposes. However, the visa can be issued for a longer period not exceeding a year owing to the nature of work or business.

Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik and India's External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna will sign the agreement. Krishna is on a three-day visit to Pakistan.

Malik Friday said: "The biggest thing is that the visa agreement will be of benefit to the common people of both India and Pakistan. There is no loss for anyone in this."

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Agencies
May 17,2020

Washington, May 17: The overall number of global coronavirus cases has increased to over 4.6 million, while the death toll has surpassed 311,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

As of Sunday morning, the total number of cases stood at 4,634,068, while the death toll increased to 311,781, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update.

The US currently accounts for the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 1,467,796 and 88,754, respectively.

In terms of cases, Russia has the second highest number of infections at 272,043, followed by the UK (241,461), Brazil (233,142), Spain (230,698), Italy (224,760), France (179,630), Germany (175,752), Turkey (148,067) and Iran (118,392), the CSSE figures showed.

Meanwhile, the UK accounted for the second highest COVID-19 deaths worldwide at 34,546.

The other countries with over 10,000 deaths are Italy (31,763), Spain (27,563), France (27,532), and Brazil (15,662).

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News Network
January 25,2020

Beijing, Jan 25: The death toll due to the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak in China has soared to 41, while the number of infected persons were 1,287, the National Health Commission said on Saturday.

The Commission said that 444 fresh cases were reported since Friday, with 237 patients in serious conditions, while 38 had been cured and discharged from hospitals, reports Efe news.

Health authorities have carried out check-ups on 15,197 people who have come into close contact with the infected persons. Nearly 14,000 of them continue to be monitored for symptoms.

The others cases outside of China were reported in France (two), Australia (one), Thailand (four including two cured), Japan (two including one cured), South Korea (two), the US (two), Vietnam (two), Singapore (three), Nepal (one), Hong Kong (five), Macao (two) and Taiwan (three).

The symptoms of the new coronavirus, provisionally designated by the World Health Organization as 2019-nCoV, are similar to those of cold but may be accompanied by fever and fatigue, dry cough and dyspnea (shortness of breath).

The WHO has so far to declared the outbreak as an international health emergency.

Strict measures were being carried out in China, which include complete suspension of transport in around a dozen cities in Hubei province and also cancelling Chinese New Year celebrations.

Traditional events at Lama Temple and Ditan Park in Beijing were cancelled due to the risk of spreading the virus, authorities reported Friday, while the famous Forbidden City has also been closed indefinitely.

Wuhan, the capital of Hubei, where the virus was first reported, has been on lockdown since Thursday to prevent further spread of the virus and the city's authorities have begun to build a "special hospital" with 1,000 beds for infected patients.

"Construction of the special hospital with a capacity of 1,000 beds for patients with #nCoV2019 has begun in Wuhan," official China Daily said on Twitter.

The hospital in Wuhan will be based on the model of a similar facility that was built in just seven days in Beijing to deal with SARS in 2003.

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News Network
June 6,2020

Islamabad, Jun 6: Pakistan has reported a record 97 COVID-19 deaths in a single day, taking the total number of fatalities to 1,935, while the number of confirmed cases in the country approached 94,000 after over 4,700 infections were detected, the health ministry said on Saturday.

Punjab registered 35,308 COVID-19 cases, Sindh 34,889, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 12,459, Balochistan 5,776 Islamabad 4,323, Gilgit-Baltistan 897 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir 331 cases, the Ministry of National Health Services said.

The total number of COVID-19 cases reached 93,983 after 4,734 new infections were detected across the country, it said.

With a record 97 fatalities in one day, the death toll in the country has reached 1,935, while 32,581 people have recovered from the disease.

The ministry said that the total number of active COVID-19 cases in Pakistan are 59,467, out of which 1,265 patients are in critical condition.

More than 100 labs in the country have so far conducted 660,508 tests, including 22,185 in the last 24 hours.

There are 747 hospitals across the country with COVID-19 treatment facilities where 5,060 patients are being treated. Others have been asked to self-isolate at home.

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