Drones keep a close eye on Australia’s wildlife

Thermal imaging is helping to monitor and survey Australia's wildlife even in remote areas.

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Pakistan-made ventilators awaiting DRAP approval for clinical trials

Around 48 ventilators of different designs have been manufactured in Pakistan that will be supplied to medical facilities once they are approved by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan.

The Pakistan Engineering Council says DRAP had previously suggested a few changes, including the addition of artificial lungs.

The council says the changes have been made and the National Disaster Management Authority also imported the artificial lungs last week, but, DRAP hasn’t given them the green signal for the machines’ clinical trials.

Federal Science Minister Fawad Chaudhry has confirmed that the country will begin manufacturing ventilators for commercial purposes from next week.

He assured that there would be no compromise on the machines’ quality. “Not only will ventilators be available in Pakistan, but we’ll have a whole industry here,” he said.

Ventilators are in great demand across the globe due to the coronavirus pandemic. Every week, the number of infections is rapidly increasing in many countries.

The virus attacks the patients’ lungs and makes it difficult for them to breathe properly. This is where ventilators come in handy, especially for those in critical condition. The machine helps them breathe.

Around 371,000 people across the world have died of COVID-19. Health experts fear† more fatalities will occur in the coming days if a vaccine is not developed in time and people stop practicing social distancing.

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Three men arrested for robbing residents in Burewala

Three men were arrested on Sunday for robbing and looting residents of Burewala, according to the police.

The suspects used to rob people’s houses and snatch valuables from them on main roads. The police had been on the lookout for them for a while.

The police said that they seized weapons, six bikes, jewellery and a huge amount of cash from them. They are being interrogated in police custody.

The total valuables seized from them were worth more than Rs450,000, Burewala ASP Dr Uzair revealed.

A case has also been registered and investigations are underway.

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Headlines 9am: Pakistan’s coronavirus cases rise, US race clashes worsen

Here are the headlines from SAMAA TV’s 9am bulletin.

• A meeting of the National Coordination Committee, led by Prime Minister Imran Khan, will decide whether the lockdown will be extended in country. It will also look over the precautionary measures adopted by the government to curb the novel coronavirus. A decision regarding resuming more trains will also be taken. The chief ministers of all four provinces will present their suggestions.
• In the last 24 hours, Pakistan reported 60 deaths and 2,964 new coronavirus cases. The total tally of cases has gone up to 70,460. More than 25,000 people have defeated the virus and gone home.
• Restaurants along Karachi’s Superhighway were found violating the government’s COVID-19 SOPs. They had resumed dine-in services. The assistant commissioner has sealed a hotel and has arrested 10 people.
• The Burewala police have arrested three suspects on charges of robbery. They impounded six motorbikes, jewellery, weapons and cash from them.
• The price of petrol in the country has reduced by Rs7.52 which means it will be sold for Rs74.52 per litre now. The price of high-speed diesel has also reduced to Rs80.15. Prime Minister Imran Khan has tweeted that these are the lowest petrol prices in South Asia.
• The French team that had come for the investigation of the PIA PK-8303 plane crash has returned to Paris. They were accompanied by two Pakistani investigators as well. The flight’s data recorder and cockpit recorder will be decoded in France, which will help the investigation.
• India has declared two officials of the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi “unfavoured”. They have been ordered to leave the country in 24 hours. On the other hand, two other officers were taken into custody illegally and tortured. Pakistan has opposed the incident and has summoned the Indian executive to the foreign ministry office. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Ayesha Farooqi has said that Pakistan is working to resolve the issue.
• PML-N’s former Punjab Assembly member Atif Mazari’s son was arrested from Ghotki for murdering his father. The suspect had shot his dead few days back in Rajanpur.
• A woman and her child were recovered from Manghopir on Sunday. The suspect, Zeeshan, has been arrested. He had kidnapped the woman and her child from Karachi’s Malir.
• People across America came out on the streets to protest against the killing of George Floyd. They had clashes with the police and set buildings on fire. A curfew has been imposed in more than 12 states. The police officer who murdered Floyd has been arrested. More than 200 protesters have also been arrested.

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Deceased coronavirus patient’s family attacks Rawalpindi hospital, injures staff

The family of a man who died of the coronavirus grew enraged and attacked the Rawalpindi hospital he was admitted at. They also beat up some staff members.

They were captured on CCTV camera attacking Benazir Bhutto Hospital and manhandling some female doctors.

The patient was a 77-year-old male.

They smashed windows inside the hospital and destroyed furniture.

Hospital staffers submitted a complaint to the Waris Khan police station and the police say a case will be lodged soon.

The law enforcers have vowed to safeguard the hospital and say they will take strict action against the attackers.

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Watch SAMAA TV Headlines | 1am | 01 June | Pakistan

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Microsoft 'to replace journalists with robots'

Dozens working on the MSN site look set to be replaced by AI, media reports say.

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Five of Senator Sarfraz Bugti’s guards killed in Loralai accident

Six men were killed in an accident near Loralai Sunday night. Five were employed by Senator Sarfraz Bugti and were travelling with him.

The accident occurred near Loralai. A vehicle carrying Senator Bugti’s guards crashed into a truck and the six people inside were killed.

According to DPO Jawad Tariq, the victims were five private guards and one Levies personnel.

The guards have been identified as Sher Dil, Mohammad Khan, Niaz Alam, Mohammad Din and Dilshad.

Senator Bugti and his family remained unhurt in the accident. They were travelling to Quetta.

The bodies were taken to Civil Hospital Loralai.

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KP shopkeepers protest against business weekend suspension

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has reimposed a complete lockdown in the province from Friday till Sunday and ordered the suspension of business on the weekend but shopkeepers are having none of it. They are protesting against the decision.

Traders say the decision will only result in markets being full of customers, which increases the risk of the coronavirus spreading.

If the government had opened shops round the clock, big crowds wouldn’t turn up for shopping, a shopkeeper told SAMAA TV on Sunday.

As of Monday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reported nearly 10,000 coronavirus cases. The province is one of the worst affected in Pakistan with 424 deaths.

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Romanian PM fined $600 for not following social distancing rules

Romanian Prime Minister Ludovic Orban has been fined $600 for smoking indoors and not following social distancing rules.

He held a meeting in a government building with several cabinet members and other participants who did not maintain a distance between them, according to Al Jazeera.

He was accused of breaking his own government’s coronavirus restrictions after a picture emerged of him smoking and drinking inside his office with several cabinet members.

In the smartphone photo, Orban is pictured smoking a cigarette surrounded by four cabinet members, none of whom are wearing masks or practising social distancing.

Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu is seen holding a cigar, while masks lay on a table alongside bottles of alcohol.

Eugen Teodorovici, a senator of the opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD), was one of the first to post the picture on social media.

“This is happening inside the PM’s office. This is what liberals do while governing. Shame on you,” he wrote on Facebook Friday.

Orban said the picture was taken on May 25 — his 57th birthday.

“Some colleagues came by to surprise me. I gave them something to eat, a glass of wine, whisky. We weren’t wearing masks because we just finished eating,” Orban told the Mediafax news agency.

Romania has reported more than 19,000 coronavirus cases and 1,253 deaths.

After two months of lockdown, Romania relaxed restrictions on May 15, when masks became mandatory in public transport and other enclosed public spaces.

All bars, pubs and restaurants are closed, with outdoor terraces due to reopen under strict conditions from June 1. 

Former prime minister Dacian Ciolos, now leader of the Renew Europe group in the European Parliament, said Orban should apologise.

“We’re in the middle of a public health crisis and every wrong step undermines the trust in authorities in a moment when it’s most needed,” Ciolos wrote on Facebook.

While some expressed outrage that government officials weren’t respecting the rules, others turned the photo into memes.

“Romania’s government, the only restaurant open during the pandemic,” one meme read.

Orban said he was willing to pay the fine for smoking indoors, which Romania banned in 2016.

“I’m a smoker, I made a human error and I admit it,” he said.

With additional reporting by AFP

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George Floyd death: Violence erupts on sixth day of protests

Protests continue in cities across the US sparked by the death of George Floyd at the hands of police.

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Today’s outlook: Pakistan debates lockdown, Airbus experts return to France

Here are some of the stories we are expecting to follow today (Monday):

• Prime Minister Imran Khan will chair a National Coordination Committee meeting in Islamabad to decide whether the coronavirus lockdown will be relaxed or intensified. Senior government officials and military leadership will attend the meeting.
• A team of the Sindh Building Control Authority will visit the site where PIA flight PK-8303 crashed in Karachi’s Model Colony. An 11-member team of Airbus experts will return to France today to complete the investigation into the incident. Two Pakistani investigators will accompany them. They are taking with them the voice recorder and data boxes for analysis.
• Offices of the federal government’s educational institutions will reopen from today.
• The Karachi Transport Ittehad has announced that it will be resuming public transportation.
• Two doctors died of the coronavirus in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday, according to Health Minister Taimur Jhagra.
• Two officials at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi were being expelled for “indulging in espionage activities”, India’s foreign ministry said late Sunday
• ICYMI: The government reduced on Sunday prices of petroleum products by as much as Rs11.88 per litre. Click here to read the full story.

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UK ex-foreign secretaries Hong Kong alliance

The UK should be leading the response to China's treatment of Hong Kong, seven former foreign secretaries say.

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Coronavirus changes how doctors deal with death

Five doctors administering end-of-life care reflect on the current crisis.

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Glimmer of hope for world's rarest primate

The discovery of a new breeding pair raises hope for the future of a critically endangered gibbon.

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George Floyd death: Why do some protests turn violent?

In the US, peaceful protests over police violence have escalated into widespread riots and looting.

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Remote working: How cities might change if we worked from home more

Our homes, transport and city-centre spaces would change if we worked from home for good.

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Russia and Turkey risk turning Libya into another Syria

Gen Haftar's forces have been beaten back from Tripoli but that does not mean peace is at hand.

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The man whose death convulsed US

He was an athlete, friend and father whose life and struggles were emblematic of any American.

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Nasa SpaceX launch: What is the Crew Dragon?

A guide to SpaceX's Crew Dragon vehicle, which carried astronauts to the space station.

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How Venezuela's fuel crisis is hitting coronavirus victims

Venezuela's fuel crisis has been so acute that even funeral homes are struggling to transport bodies to the cemetery.

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Sri Lanka’s cricket team to resume training on Monday

Sri Lanka’s cricket team will resume training on Monday under strict health measures after a two-and-a-half-month hiatus forced by coronavirus, the country’s governing body said.

Cricket came to a halt on March 13 when the visiting England team pulled out on the second day of a four-day practice match ahead of their two-Test series.

A 13-member squad will take part in a 12-day training session, starting with fitness sessions from Monday at a hotel in the capital Colombo, Sri Lanka Cricket said Sunday.

Ground training will start on Tuesday, the governing body added.

The players will be joined by a four-member team of coaches and assistants.

“Members taking part in the camp will not be allowed to leave the hotel premises or the practice venue to attend personal matters,” it added in a statement. “The players taking part in the camp represents a general squad chosen from across all formats, and primarily consist of bowlers, as they need more time for ‘conditioning’ before going into active competition.”

The Test series against England was put off indefinitely after the pandemic halted major sporting events worldwide.

Sri Lanka has reported 1,620 infections and 10 deaths since the first virus case was detected on January 27.

Coach Mickey Arthur had customised home-training regimes for many players in the national team after the lockdown was imposed.

Former Sri Lankan sports minister Dayasiri Jayasekara in 2017 slammed the national team as “too fat and unfit to field five-day Test matches”.

The comments came after they suffered a humiliating one-day series defeat against bottom-ranked Zimbabwe and an early exit from the Champions Trophy.

Sri Lanka later overhauled the coaching team and Arthur has said he was keeping in touch with each player to monitor their progress before international competition resumes.

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Curfews and clashes as US race protests escalate

Curfews were imposed in major US cities Saturday as clashes over police brutality escalated across America with demonstrators ignoring warnings from President Donald Trump that his government would stop the violent protests “cold.”

Minneapolis, the epicenter of the unrest, was gripped by a fifth consecutive night of violence with police in riot gear firing tear gas and stun grenades at protesters venting fury at the death of a black man during an arrest in the city on Monday.

Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta were among two dozen cities ordering people to stay indoors overnight as more states called in National Guard soldiers to help control civil unrest not seen in the United States for years.

From Seattle to New York, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets demanding tougher murder charges and more arrests over the death of George Floyd who stopped breathing after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

In Los Angeles, officers fired rubber bullets and swung batons during a testy standoff with demonstrators who set fire to a police car.

Police and protesters clashed in numerous cities including Chicago and New York, with officers responding to projectiles with pepper spray while shop windows were smashed in Philadelphia.

Trump blamed the extreme left for the violence, including widespread looting and arson in Minneapolis, saying rioters were dishonoring the memory of Floyd.

“We cannot and must not allow a small group of criminals and vandals to wreck our cities and lay waste to our communities,” the president said.

“My administration will stop mob violence. And we’ll stop it cold,” he added, accusing the loose-knit militant anti-fascist network Antifa of orchestrating the violence.

Rioters to be ‘decimated’

Peaceful protests occurred too, including in Toronto as the movement spread beyond America’s borders.

Demonstrators nationwide chanted slogans such as “Black Lives Matter” and “I can’t breathe,” which Floyd, who has become a fresh symbol of police brutality, was heard saying repeatedly before he died.

“We’re not turning the cheek anymore. Black lives matter. They will always matter. And we’re here today to show that,” said makeup artist Melissa Mock, who joined several thousand in a daytime protest in Miami.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walzs said he was mobilizing the state’s entire 13,000-strong National Guard to deal with rioters who have looted shops and set fires in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.

All major freeways leading into Minneapolis were shut down Saturday night with military helicopters taking to the skies over the area as the state braced for more rioting, arsons and looting with locals saying much of the violence was being perpetrated by outsiders.

Earlier, people congregated peacefully on Minneapolis streets, chanting Floyd’s name and carrying brooms to help clean up the scores of shops ransacked in the violence of the previous nights.

A woman brings flowers to a memorial for George Floyd, who died while in custody of the Minneapolis police, following a night of rioting. Photo: AFP

Some placed flowers in front of the shop where Floyd was arrested on Monday, before his death in the hands of police was recorded in a horrifying cellphone video since seen around the world.

In Houston — where Floyd was born and raised — an old friend of his, Sam Osborne, said that as an African American he feared for his life.

“I’m really messed up they killed him up. I’m wondering like, what could possibly happen to me?” he told AFP.

Houston’s mayor announced at a press conference that Floyd’s body would be brought back to the Texas city.

Texas, Colorado and Georgia became the latest states to activate the National Guard, bringing the number of states approving the deployment of the soldiers to at least eight. The National Guard was also deployed around the White House to help handle the protests there.

‘Black lives matter’

In Washington, protesters faced off with secret service agents outside the White House for a second straight night as Trump faces the most serious spate of civil unrest of his presidency, in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.

Looting occurred in Miami, where a curfew was also announced, while in New York anger spread on social media over a video appearing to show an NYPD police car drive into protesters in Brooklyn.

In Los Angeles, there were reports of looting as the city’s mayor expanded a curfew order to cover the entire metropolitan area. Two large fires broke out with emergency services scrambling to put out the blazes.

Protests are expected to continue throughout the weekend even after Chauvin, the now-fired Minneapolis police officer accused of Floyd’s death was arrested, and charged with third-degree murder on Friday.

Floyd’s family and many protestors want a tougher charge brought and have also demanded that three officers who assisted him to be charged as well.

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Educationist Dr Anwar Ahmed Zai passes away in Karachi

Dr Anwar Ahmed Zai, the executive director of the Ziauddin Education Board, passed away in Karachi on Sunday.

He had been hospitalised for the past few days.

Dr Ahmed Zai had served as the chairman of the Karachi Intermediate board, the Karachi Matriculation board and the Mirpurkhas Intermediate and Matriculation board.

He also served as the IDO for Karachi and additional secretary of education for Sindh.

Details of his funeral will be announced later

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Watch SAMAA TV Headlines | 12pm | 31 May | Pakistan

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Rs3,000 fine for people not wearing masks in Islamabad

People who don’t wear masks in Islamabad will be fined Rs3,000 and may also face jail time.

A tweet by the office of Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat announced on Sunday that the local administration would be enforcing the rule strictly.

Dr Zafar Mirza, the premier’s aide on health, said on Twitter earlier in the day that masks were mandatory for everyone in Pakistan.

The Islamabad administration’s announcement came after Dr Mirza’s.

They will be checking public spaces such as markets, mosques, public transport, lanes, roads and offices.

Violators could face jail time under Section 188 of the PPC.

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Mandi Bahauddin driver robbed, shot dead by unknown dacoits

A driver supplying medicine was robbed and then shot dead by dacoits in Mandi Bahauddin’s Chillianwala on Saturday.

According to the police, unidentified men on a motorbike stopped the car and tried to rob it upon which the driver, identified as Mohammad Khan, protested.

“They opened fire at Khan and he died on spot,” a police officer said. The suspects fled the crime scene after taking Rs450,000 from the car.

Khan used to work at a medicine supplying company. His body has been released after medical examinations.

The police have collected evidence from the crime site. Saddar Circle DSP Abraiz Abbasi has said that special teams have been formed so that the criminals are arrested as soon as possible.

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Headlines 9am: KP, Punjab experience heavy rain, US imposes curfew

Here are the headlines from SAMAA TV’s 9am bulletin.

• Abbottabad, Nathia Gali, Ayubia, Shakargarh, Zafarwal and Kartarpur experienced heavy rain showers yesterday leading to a drop in temperatures.
• Saudi Arabia has reopened the Masjid-e-Nabwi in Madina as the two-month lockdown in the Kingdom was eased. Worshipers offered their Fajr prayers today following precautionary measures. They were instructed to bring their own prayer mats and perform ablution from home. Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque was also reopened.
• Six people were killed and 25 injured after a passenger bus overturned while trying to avoid a motorcyclist in Kabirwala’s Pul Rangu. Another accident took place in Okara’s Dipalpur near Aminabad. A speeding bus hit a tractor, injuring 27 people. Five people are in critical condition.
• People across America came out on the streets to protest against the killing of George Floyd. Protesters also gathering outside the White House. A curfew has been imposed in more than 12 states. The police officer who murdered Floyd has been arrested. President Donald Trump has called the incident regretful and a tragedy. He said that people should conduct peaceful protests instead of opting for violence.
• Two veteran NASA astronauts were headed for the International Space Station on Saturday after Elon Musk’s SpaceX became the first commercial company to launch a rocket carrying humans into orbit, ushering in a new era in space travel

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ICYMI: Making waves and signature scents

From social distancing dinner dates to candle scents inspired by pubs, here are some stories you may have missed this week.

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Saudi Arabia to reopen over 90,000 mosques after two months

More than 90,000 mosques across Saudi Arabia, except for those in Makkah, will start reopening from dawn on Sunday (May 31) after a two-month closure to curb the COVID-19 spread.

According to the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance, the sanitisation, cleaning and maintenance process of the mosques has been completed.

The resumption of services mosques will be carried out in line with the coronavirus precautionary instructions and mandatory guidelines issued by the ministry.

The instructions include doing ablution at home, proper hand washing and using sanitiser before going to the mosque and after coming back home. Elders and those with chronic diseases are advised to perform their prayers at home. Reading and reciting the Holy Quran is advised to be online.

Worshipers are instructed to bring their own prayer mats and maintain a distance of two metres from each other. Wearing face masks and avoidance of handshaking at mosques gates are also recommended.

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Watch SAMAA TV Headlines | 9am | 31 May | Pakistan

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George Floyd death: Violence breaks out amid US protests

Images from street protests across the US on Saturday following the death of black man George Floyd.

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George Floyd death: US cities order curfews amid widespread clashes

Police struggle to stem the violence as protesters take to the streets over the death of George Floyd.

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In the middle of the Pacific with nowhere to land

A group of performers were halfway across the ocean in a 75ft boat when the pandemic erupted - leaving them with nowhere to go.

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My Money: 'Our alternative quarantine holiday'

Alyssa Hulme from Utah in the US takes us through her weekly spending during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Brothers' Home: South Korea's 1980's 'concentration camp'

In the 1980s, innocent children and adults were taken off South Korea's streets - and locked away.

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Coronavirus in South Africa: Eight lessons for the rest of the continent

What South Africa can teach other African countries gearing up for a spike in infections.

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Peru's most catastrophic natural disaster

On 31 May 1970 an earthquake struck in Peru, triggering a landslide and leading to the deaths of 70,000.

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Coronavirus: Biden and Trump face off over China

The US president and his likely election rival have been sparring over China and the coronavirus.

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NASA astronauts head for ISS on historic SpaceX flight

Two veteran NASA astronauts were headed for the International Space Station on Saturday after Elon Musk’s SpaceX became the first commercial company to launch a rocket carrying humans into orbit, ushering in a new era in space travel.

SpaceX’s two-stage Falcon 9 rocket with astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley aboard blasted off flawlessly in a cloud of bright orange flames and smoke from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center for a 19-hour voyage to the space station.

“Let’s light this candle,” Hurley, the mission commander, told SpaceX mission control in Hawthorne, California, before liftoff at 3:22 pm (1922 GMT) from NASA’s storied Launch Pad 39A.

The SpaceX launch is the first of American astronauts from US soil since the space shuttle program ended in 2011 and the first crewed flight ever by a private company.

“I’m really quite overcome with emotion,” Musk said. “It’s been 18 years working towards this goal.

“This is hopefully the first step on a journey towards civilization on Mars,” the SpaceX founder said.

NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said it was a “great day” for NASA and SpaceX and an “important milestone for the nation.”

“We’re not celebrating yet,” Bridenstine cautioned. “We will celebrate when they’re home safely.”

In a brief interview from space, Hurley said that in keeping with the tradition of having astronauts name their spacecraft, he and Behnken had named the Crew Dragon capsule “Endeavour” after the retired space shuttle on which they both flew.

Behnken said the SpaceX capsule is a “lot different than its namesake” in that “it has touch display screens.”

The mission, dubbed “Demo-2,” ends a government monopoly on space flight and is the final test flight before NASA certifies SpaceX’s capsule for regular crewed missions.

Behnken, 49, and Hurley, 53, former military test pilots who joined NASA in 2000, are scheduled to dock with the space station at 10:29 am (1429 GMT) on Sunday.

They will join US astronaut Chris Cassidy and Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner aboard the ISS.

SpaceX said Crew Dragon was on the correct trajectory to link up with the space station orbiting 250 miles (400 kilometers) above the Earth.

The reusable first booster stage of the Falcon 9 rocket separated cleanly about 2.5 minutes after liftoff and landed upright on a floating barge off the Atlantic coast. The second stage also separated smoothly.

The launch had originally been scheduled for Wednesday but was delayed because of weather conditions, which also remained uncertain on Saturday right up until liftoff.

The mission comes amid the coronavirus crisis and protests in multiple US cities over the death of a black man in Minneapolis while he was being arrested by a white police officer.

President Donald Trump flew to Florida to watch the launch and delivered remarks to NASA and SpaceX employees on what he called a “special day.”

Trump first addressed the protests, saying he understood “the pain people are feeling” but that he would not tolerate “mob violence.”

Trump praised Musk and said the launch “makes clear the commercial space industry is the future.”

He also repeated his vow to send American astronauts back to the Moon in 2024 and eventually to Mars.

Behnken and Hurley blasted off from Launch Pad 39A, the same one used by Neil Armstrong on Apollo 11’s 1969 journey to the Moon.

The pair, veterans of two space shuttle missions each, were in quarantine for more than two weeks ahead of the flight and were regularly tested for COVID-19.

They went through the same preparations Saturday that they went through on Wednesday, donning their futuristic SpaceX-designed spacesuits four hours before launch.

After saying goodbye to their wives — both former astronauts — they were driven to the launch pad in an electric car built by Tesla, one of Musk’s other companies.

The Crew Dragon mission is a defining moment for SpaceX, which Musk founded in 2002 with the goal of producing a lower-cost alternative to human spaceflight.

The US space agency paid more than $3 billion for SpaceX to design, build, test and operate its reusable Dragon capsule for six future space round trips.

NASA has had to pay Russia for its Soyuz rockets to take US astronauts to space ever since the shuttle program ended.

SpaceX conducted a successful test flight of Crew Dragon to the ISS in March 2019 with a sensor-laden mannequin on board named Ripley, after the character played by Sigourney Weaver in the “Alien” movies.

The project has experienced delays, explosions, and parachute problems — but even so, SpaceX has beaten its giant competitor Boeing to the punch. 

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Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem reopens after two months

Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound — the third-holiest site in Islam after Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia — reopened on Sunday after being closed for more than two months because of the coronavirus pandemic.

An AFP journalist said worshippers in protective masks were allowed to enter the compound in the early hours, ahead of the first prayers of the day.

Singing “God is greatest, we will protect Al-Aqsa with our soul and blood”, the group was welcomed by the mosque’s director Omar al-Kiswani, who thanked them for their patience.

The compound, located in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, closed its doors in March as part of measures to limit the spread of the deadly new disease. It houses the Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock, both of which were opened Sunday.

Muslims believe the Prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven at the site, which has often been a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

It is also holy to Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount and believe it to be the location of two biblical temples — the second of which was destroyed in 70 AD.

On the first day of the Eid holiday, scuffles had broken out between Israeli police and Palestinians as worshippers tried to break through barriers to enter the compound.

Known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif, the site is under the custodianship of neighbouring Jordan, which controlled the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, up until occupation by Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967.

With the number of COVID-19 cases declining, in recent days both Israel and the Palestinian territories have eased restrictions.

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Six killed, 52 injured in two bus accidents in Punjab

Six people were killed and 52 people injured in two bus accidents in Punjab early Sunday.

The first took place in Kabirwala’s Pul Rangu where a passenger bus overturned while trying to avoid a motorcyclist.

Six people died on the spot and 25 were injured. The rescue operation is currently under way and there are fears that the death toll will rise.

The bus was travelling from Lahore to Multan.

The second accident took place in Okara’s Dipalpur near Aminabad. A speeding bus hit a tractor, injuring 27 people. Five people are in critical condition.

Everyone has been shifted to the THQ Hospital Dipalpur.

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Supernatural: The next-generation keep-fit coach?

Will virtual reality fitness classes lead a revolution in home workouts - or is it a passing craze?

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Trump delays 'outdated' G7 leaders' summit

The US president says he is postponing this year's meeting and wants to invite other leaders as well.

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England approach ICC for coronavirus substitutes

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has approached the International Cricket Council (ICC)for a green signal for “coronavirus replacements”, BBC Sport has reported.

“There are still some considerations from an ICC perspective about a COVID-19 replacement,” ECB’s Director of Events Steve Elworthy said. “That still needs to be agreed. I would hope that would be in place well before the Test series (against West Indies) starts in July.”

He went on to say that the board has arrangements planned out. “We’re ready for it, but clearly we don’t want to stray outside of government guidelines and government decision-making.”

England are to host West Indies and Pakistan this summer.

According to ICC rules, a player can only be substituted if they are suffering from a concussion. In case of illness, a substituted player cannot bat or bowl.

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Shahid Afridi always had an advantage: Shoaib Akhtar

Former Pakistan fast-bowler Shoaib Akhtar said that all-rounder Shahid Afridi was always at an advantage as he would switch his roles according to the situation during matches.

Afridi, recalling a Test match against India in Lahore in 2006, said that Akhtar always threatened batsmen but was joking around when the pitch became too flat for bowlers to overcome the pain.

Great memories, this was I believe after one of my favourite Test inns in Lahore against India in 2006, Shoaib was always a threat for batsmen but this was a very flat wicket and bowlers were left to share jokes to overcome their pain https://t.co/9kTCuH4pYU

— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) May 29, 2020

The Rawalpindi Express, retweeting Afridi’s post, said that the prolific all-rounder could call himself a batsman or a bowler whenever he wanted.

You were always at an advantage. Calling yourself a bowler when you wanted and a batsman when you wanted .
Surely a batsman in this one as you scored a 100.
Main toh bowler he tha bhai on this bowlers graveyard that day. https://t.co/bfgilfGBij

— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) May 29, 2020

The Test series opener in Lahore ended without a result.

Pakistan declared their first innings at 679-7 with Mohammad Yousaf, Younis Khan, Afridi and Kamran Akmal scoring centuries.

India managed 410-1 in their first innings with Virender Sehwag playing a 254-run knock while Rahul Dravid remained unbeaten at 128.

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Hunza’s flooding Hasanabad River poses threat to residents’ lives

Blooming flowers and bright fields are not the only things summer brings in Hunza. Unfortunately, it also brings high floods in the district’s Hasanabad River, putting the lives of residents at risk.

As temperatures rise, the ice of the Shishper Glacier near Mount Shishpar melts, increasing the water level in the river.

According to residents, this threatens the lives of people living near the Karakoram Highway. “There are more than 100 houses here and over the years several people have lost their lives,” a resident said.

The disaster management authority, on the other hand, claims that no damage has taken place. “Last year, we did some protective work after which damages were prevented and the intensity of the water flow was broken,” a worker of the management said.

He added that the flooding took place because of unprecedented temperatures.

The deputy commissioner of Hunza has taken notice of the problem and is working with the people to provide alternate houses to those affected.

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Federer leads Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes

Roger Federer topped the 2020 Forbes magazine list of highest-paid global athletes announced Friday, leading the lineup for the first time with pre-tax earnings of $106.3 million.

The Swiss tennis legend, a men’s record 20-time Grand Slam singles champion, becomes the first player from his sport atop the annual list since its 1990 debut, rising from fifth in 2019.

Federer’s haul over the past 12 months included $100 million from appearances fees and endorsement deals plus $6.3 million in prize money. His previous best showing was second in 2013.

“His brand is pristine, which is why those that can afford to align with him clamor to do so,” University of Southern California sports business professor David Carter told the magazine.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic that shut down sports worldwide caused the first decline since 2016 in the total income of the world’s 100 top-paid athletes, a 9% dip from last year to $3.6 billion. Another plunge is expected next year from the shutdown.

Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo was second on the list at $105 million, $60 million in salary and $45 million from endorsements, with Argentine football hero Lionel Messi third on $104 million, $32 million of that from sponsorship deals.

Messi and Ronaldo, who have traded the top spot three of the past four years, saw their combined incomes dip $28 million from last year due to salary cuts when European clubs halted play in March.

Brazilian footballer Neymar was fourth overall on $95.5 million, $25 million from endorsements, while NBA star LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers was fifth on $88.2 million, $60 million of that from endorsements.

NBA star Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors was sixth on $74.4 million with former teammate Kevin Durant next on $63.9 million.

Tiger Woods, the reigning Masters champion and a 15-time major winner, was eighth on the list and tops among golfers at $62.3 million, all but $2.3 million from sponsor deals.

Woods topped the Forbes list a record 12 times before an infidelity scandal helped end his run.

Two NFL quarterbacks rounded out the top 10 with Kirk Cousins ninth at $60.5 million and Carson Wentz 10th on $59.1 million.

The top 100 featured athletes from 21 nations and 10 sports. More NBA players made the list than those from any other sport at 35, but 31 NFL players made the cut, up from 19 from last year, and they pulled down the most money of any league, aided by finishing the season before the deadly virus outbreak.

Major League Baseball, whose start to the 2020 campaign was postponed by the virus outbreak, put only one player on the list after 15 in 2019. The lone MLB player was Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who was 57th at $27.3 million with only $750,000 from endorsements.

Spanish footballer Carlos Ramos, the Real Madrid captain, was last among the 100 on $21.8 million, including $3 million in endorsements.

Two women, tennis stars Naomi Osaka of Japan and Serena Williams of the United States, made the list, the most females on it since 2016. Osaka ranked 29th overall on $37.4 million ($34 million in endorsements), four spots ahead of Williams with $36 million ($32 million in endorsements).

Federer pitchman magic

Federer, 38, boasts the biggest sponsorship lineup among active athletes with Moet & Chandon and Barilla among those paying from $3 to $30 million to link him with their brands.

Federer, who spent a record 310 weeks as world number one, reached 18 of 19 Grand Slam finals from 2005-2010.

Only Woods has joined Federer in making $100 million in sponsor deals in a single year.

Federer’s newest deal is with Swiss running shoe On, where he is an investor, but several sponsors have been with him for more than a decade, including Rolex, Credit Suisse, Mercedes-Benz and Wilson.

A split with Nike in 2018 opened Federer to Japanese apparel brand Uniqlo’s 10-year deal worth $300 million.

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This is why Kylie Jenner is no longer a billionaire

Reality star Kylie Jenner isn’t a billionaire after all, Forbes magazine said Friday as it accused the reality TV star’s family of “inflating the value of her cosmetics business for years.”

Forbes declared the 22-year-old a billionaire in March 2019 owing to the popularity of her Kylie Cosmetics brand but has removed her from their list, citing new information.

Jenner sold a 51 percent stake in her brand to beauty giant Coty in January for $600 million in a deal that valued the company at $1.2 billion.

Forbes said in an article published on its website that the fine print of the deal reveals that the business is “significantly smaller and less profitable” than they were led to believe.

It also accused the famous family, of which Kylie is the youngest member, of creating tax returns that were “likely forged.

“(The) unusual lengths to which the Jenners have been willing to go… reveals just how desperate some of the ultra-rich are to look even richer,” the magazine wrote.

It said the new information and the impact of COVID-19 on beauty sales led them to believe she is not a billionaire, even although she pocketed an estimated $340 million after taxes from the sale.

She’s not far off though: Forbes estimates that Jenner’s personal fortune is just under $900 million.

Jenner hit back at the magazine on Twitter, accusing it of “a number of inaccurate statements and unproven assumptions.”

i can name a list of 100 things more important right now than fixating on how much money i have

— Kylie Jenner (@KylieJenner) May 29, 2020

“I’ve never asked for any title or tried to lie my way there EVER. period,” she wrote

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Headlines 9am: No rain for Karachi, farmers foresee food crisis

Here are the headlines from SAMAA TV’s 9pm bulletin.

• The Met Office has forecast rain in Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan from today (Saturday). However, the weather department’s director said Karachi will not experience showers.
• The coronavirus situation is getting severe in Pakistan. On Friday, the country confirmed the highest number of deaths from virus with 57 fatalities. Sindh also sent home 1,563 people on Friday who had recovered from the virus.
• State Minister Shehryar Afridi and AlKhidmat Foundation Sindh President Dr Tabassum Jafri have also contracted COVID-19.
• Karachi transporters have asked the Sindh government to resume public transport. If chinchis and rickshaws are taking to streets after bribing people then why are we not allowed to resume operations, they ask. Transporter Irshad Bukhari says the continued suspension of business has taken a toll on the livelihood of all bus owners and conductors.
• The All Pakistan Private Schools Association has once again demanded the government reopen educational institutes in the country from June 1. The government has, however, refused.
• The Sindh Education Board has announced that no student will be failed this year nor positions assigned. The students who failed or did not appear in their ninth and 11th grade examinations will be promoted to the next class.
• Swarms of locusts are taking out crops across Pakistan. Farmers warn of a food crisis if the situation is not taken care of immediately.
• Indian television anchorperson Arnab Goswami has been laughed at on social media after calling the locust invasions in India “a Pakistani conspiracy”.
• According to the ISPR, Pakistan has shot down another Indian spy quadcopter near the Line of Control in Azad Kashmir.
• Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said India is sabotaging regional peace by repeatedly resorting to aggression against Pakistan.

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England exclude Hales, Plunkett from post-virus training group

Alex Hales and World Cup-winner Liam Plunkett were both left out of a mammoth 55-man England training group announced on Friday.

But 14 uncapped players were selected as England look to stage a full Test and limited-overs programme against the West Indies, Pakistan, Ireland and Australia, despite the coronavirus delaying the start of their home season until at least July.

Among those recalled was David Willey, who lost his place in the one-day squad to Jofra Archer shortly before England won the World Cup for the first time last year.

Official squads will be named at a later date, with three Tests against the West Indies, set to be played behind closed doors at bio-secure venues such as Old Trafford in Manchester and Southampton’s Ageas Bowl, first up for England this season.

The group will not train in one place, but with individual sessions across several county venues, that started with bowlers back in the nets last week, the only form of training allowed at present.

“It’s really pleasing to be in a position to have players returning to training and a huge amount of work has been done by many to get us this far,” said England and Wales Cricket Board performance director Mo Bobat, who helped England coach Chris Silverwood and the selectors compile the list. “The pool of players will give selectors strong options when it comes to selecting squads across formats further down the line, as we move closer to our aim of playing international cricket this summer.”

Nottinghamshire opener Hales was dropped shortly before last year’s World Cup after it emerged he had tested positive for drugs.

There had been speculation that, with England likely to need separate red and white-ball squads, Hales might be recalled.

But England one-day captain Eoin Morgan dashed Hales’ hopes on Wednesday when he said “it will take more time” for him to regain the trust of the squad.

Meanwhile, 35-year-old fast bowler Plunkett has not played for England since taking three wickets in the dramatic World Cup final victory over New Zealand at Lord’s.

The ECB on Thursday pushed the start of the domestic season back until August 1 at the earliest but officials are determined to press ahead with a full, lucrative international programme amid fears a cancelled campaign could cost the board £380 million.

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Venice film fest a ‘sign of hope’ for world cinema

The decision to hold the Venice Film Festival despite the coronavirus pandemic is being hailed as a “sign of hope” for the movie world after months of closed cinemas, shuttered film sets and cancelled galas.

The rapid global spread of the virus forced major production companies to halt filming, and top silver-screen festivals to postpone or cancel their 2020 editions — including Venice’s historic rival Cannes, usually held in May.

Despite Italy being among the worst-hit countries, with over 33,000 deaths, the director of the Venice Film Festival, Alberto Barbera, is defiant in the face of the disease, insisting the 77th edition of the “Mostra” will go ahead from September 2 to 12.

Italy has been slowly exiting its lockdown and organisers in the canal city are betting on a return to normality in the hard-hit north of the country by the end of the summer.

The first post-coronavirus festival will nonetheless have to adopt new sanitary and social distancing rules.

“It will be a unique edition. We still don’t know exactly what we’ll be able to do, but in the meantime are selecting the films and drawing up a plan to allow everyone to participate safely,” Barbera said on Instagram this week.

Giorgio Gosetti, head of the renowned parallel Venice Days competition for innovative or original filmmaking, told AFP it was “as if we were starting over again from 1932, when the festival was founded”.

“Everyone in the world of cinema… feels that right now the best place to celebrate, to show vitality, is the oldest festival in the world,” he said.

Barbera has repeatedly ruled out the suggestion the prestigious event could be held online, leaving film experts to suggest the number of films shown — generally over 200 — will be noticeably reduced.

Familiar scenes of throngs of paparazzi snapping photographs of A-listers on the red carpet and signing autographs for screaming crowds of fans are also unlikely.

Festival expert Angela Prudenzi told AFP that this year, “all eyes will be on the films, which is a very good thing”.

Rivalry with Cannes

What remains unclear is how the cancelled Cannes festival could work with Venice’s festival — or step on its toes.

Thierry Fremaux, the Cannes festival’s director, has said he and Barbera have discussed the possibility of some type of collaboration, without providing details.

One complication for Venice, which has not yet released its roster of films, is that Cannes is set to unveil its own selection on Wednesday. The 50 to 60 films on the list will not be shown on the Croisette, but will benefit from the “Cannes 2020” label created after the cancellation of the 73rd edition.

Whether some of those films show at Venice instead, or bypass the Mostra entirely to premiere at other festivals such as Toronto or San Sebastian, remains unclear.

The Hollywood Reporter reported that Italian director Nanni Moretti’s latest film, “Tre piani,” based on Israeli Eshkol Nevo’s novel Three Floors Up, was set for Cannes, but will go to Venice instead.

Big US films that had been expected to premiere at Cannes — including Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch” and Pixar’s animated feature “Soul” — have pushed back their releases to later this year.

Where to watch

Traditionally held on the Lido, Venice’s festival could include new spaces for film viewing this year.

Some have suggested that the Arsenal shipyards, where the city’s famed art and architecture bienniales are held, could be turned into cinemas, with only a limited, pre-booked number of viewers allowed inside.

Whether the film world’s great and good will be seen this year nipping across the lagoon in speedboats or sipping prosecco at the festival’s parties remains to be seen.

But Giona Nazzaro, a programmer who has helped revitalise Film Critics’ Week, a Venice sidebar show, told the Manifesto newspaper that the festival going ahead provided a much-needed glimmer of light in dark times.

“That an industry suffering like the film industry is starting up again is a sign of hope,” he said.

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Cricket West Indies give nod for England Test tour

The West Indies cricket chiefs gave their approval on Friday for a Test tour of England where the team will stay in a “bio-secure environment.”

The Windies were due to play three Tests in England in June but the threat of the coronavirus has pushed the visit back to July at the earliest.

“The Cricket West Indies (CWI) board gave approval in principle for the proposed upcoming West Indies Test tour of England,” said a CWI statement. “The decision comes only after CWI medical and cricket-related representatives and advisers have been involved in detailed discussions with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), and their own medical and public health advisers.”

It added: “CWI has also received and reviewed detailed plans for players and staff to be kept in a bio-secure environment for the duration of the tour, with all matches being played behind closed doors.”

The ECB has proposed the Tests start on July 8, 16 and 24 at Hampshire’s Ageas Bowl and Lancashire’s Old Trafford.

Both venues have on-site hotels.

Meanwhile, the CWI said the touring party will use private chartered planes while medical screenings and individual COVID-19 testing will take place for all players and staff.

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State minister Shehryar Afridi tests positive for the coronavirus

Minister of State for Narcotic Control Shehryar Afridi has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

He announced the news in a tweet early Saturday.

He said he has isolated himself at home after testing positive. “I need prayers and blessings,” he wrote on Twitter, asking God to save all his countrymen form the pandemic.

Afridi is the latest in a long line of politicians and government testing positive for COVID-19. National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser and several sitting MPAs and MNAs have tested positive for the virus.

Pakistan’s coronavirus tally has crossed the 63,000-mark and experts warn that cases are going to increase.

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Watch SAMAA TV Headlines | 9am | 30 May | Pakistan

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Today’s outlook: International flights resume, flour prices hiked by Rs5/kg

Here are some of the news stories we are expecting to follow today (Saturday):

• Flour prices have been hiked by Rs5 per kilogramme. A 20kg bag of wheat in Lahore is being sold at Rs925.
• Pakistan has shot down another Indian spy quadcopter near the Line of Control in Azad Kashmir.
• Both national and international airlines have been allowed to operate international flights from all major airports, except Gwadar and Turbat.
• Around 80% of PIA flight PK-8303’s debris has been lifted from the crash site. The Airbus experts are in Karachi to help investigate the crash.
• The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority has recommended reducing the petroleum products’ prices by Rs12 per litre.
• A Punjab Assembly session has been summoned at Lahore’s Faletti’s Hotel instead of the assembly.
• NAB has called PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and the Election Commission of Pakistan has summoned Ahsan Iqbal on June 2.
• The Sindh Education Board has announced that no student will be failed this year nor positions assigned. The students who failed in their ninth and 11th grade examinations will be promoted to the next class.
• Transporters of Karachi have summoned a meeting today. They have been demanding the Sindh government resume public transport services.
• ICYMI: Pakistan reported on Friday the highest number of coronavirus deaths in a single day with 57 fatalities. Click here to read the full story.

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George Floyd death: Clashes across US as protesters demand justice

Crowds rally at the White House among other places over the death in police custody of George Floyd.

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Pakistan reports record 57 coronavirus deaths in one day

Pakistan reported on Friday 57 coronavirus deaths across the country. This is the highest number of deaths reported in the country so far.

Of these fatalities, 31 people were from Sindh.

Sindh also sent home 1,563 people on Friday who had recovered from the virus. Pakistan’s coronavirus tally has crossed the 63,000-mark.

Also infected are Minister of State Shehryar Afridi and AlKhidmat Foundation Sindh head Dr Tabassum Jafri.

The prime minister’s aide on health, Dr Zafar Mirza, says a record 157 people are on ventilators across the country.

He repeated his calls for people to take precautionary measures and avoid leaving their homes. The number of cases and fatalities is going to rise, he warned.

He said 2,636 cases had been reported in the past 24 hours.

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Coronavirus: Belgian zoo comes back to life from lockdown

After two months without visitors, Pairi Daiza is welcoming the public back, but in smaller numbers.

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George Floyd death: Why has a US city gone up in flames?

Tensions in Minneapolis did not start with the death of George Floyd. They've been years in the making.

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Akinwumi Adesina: Why the US is targeting a flamboyant Nigerian banker

The US pushes for new inquiry into allegations of corruption against the African Development Bank boss.

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China-India border: Why tensions are rising between the neighbours

Tensions in the Himalaya have the potential to escalate as they pursue their strategic goals.

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'You can't ask people to die': Coronavirus woes deepen Argentina's crisis

A new deadline to restructure the country's debt is just days away.

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Coronavirus: Bill Gates ‘microchip’ conspiracy theory and other vaccine claims fact-checked

Fact-checking vaccine claims - including ones about the ex-Microsoft boss and a dubious cow-dung trial.

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George Floyd death: Ex-officer charged with murder and manslaughter

Derek Chauvin, one of the officers seen kneeling on George Floyd's neck, has been charged with murder.

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90-year-old woman tries to help grandson during arrest

Bodycam footage shows a woman, dressed in a nightgown, seem to fall onto her grandson during the incident.

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World's largest all-electric plane takes flight

An historic day for the aviation industry as the world's largest all-electric plane takes flight.

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Nawaz Sharif’s arrest warrant issued in government vehicles case

An accountability court in Islamabad issued on Friday the arrest warrant of former PM Nawaz Sharif in a case on the use of government vehicles. It is a part of the fake accounts case. Nawaz is currently in London seeking medical treatment.

A bench, headed by Judge Asghar Ali, granted exemption from appearance to former president Asif Ali Zardari.

NAB challenged the exemption plea and raised reservations over Zardari’s medical reports. Zardari’s lawyer said that NAB officials haven’t even read the reports. Zardari has to appear in court at least once, said NAB prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar.

Anwar Majeed has been arrested in a different case. The jail superintendent should be instructed to present him in court too, the prosecutor said.

He told the court that no one appeared on Nawaz’s behalf in the case. NAB said that it sent a summons notice to Nawaz at Jati Umra. Even after getting the notice, Nawaz’s lawyer didn’t appear in court, the prosecutor said.

The court rejected NAB’s request to arrest Majeed and Yousaf Raza Gillani from the court in this case.

The court has summoned Zardari among others on June 11.

According to NAB, Nawaz and Zardari received government cars during the tenure of former PM Yousaf Raza Gillani in 2009. The cars were gifted to Pakistan by the UAE and Libya.

NAB claims that laws were eased to give the cars to Nawaz and Zardari. The duty was paid using fake accounts. Nawaz didn’t hold any post in 2008 yet he was allowed to use the cars without submitting an official request.

The bureau said that Zardari paid 15% of the amount using fake accounts owned by Abdul Ghani Majeed. Majeed allegedly used the account of the Ansari Sugar Mills to conduct illegal transactions of more than Rs200 million. He also transferred Rs9.2 million into Zardari’s accounts and gave Rs37 million to a Customs collector in Islamabad, according to NAB.

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Tom Hanks is still donating his plasma to fight COVID-19

Hollywood star Tom Hanks has been donating convalescent plasma to help fight the coronavirus. The actor took to Instagram recently to share photographs. He captioned the photo: “Plasmatic on 3! 1,2,3 PLASMATIC!”

According to CNN, plasma derived from blood in people, like Hanks, who have successfully recovered from the virus, may contain antibodies that can potentially help others fighting the illness.

View this post on Instagram

Plasmatic on 3! 1,2,3 PLASMATIC! Hanx

A post shared by Tom Hanks (@tomhanks) on May 27, 2020 at 10:11am PDT

Last month, the Forrest Gump and Toy Story star shared a similar photo, following what appeared to be his first time donating plasma.

Back in March, Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson were hospitalised in Australia after testing positive.

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AQ Khan hails ‘brilliant’ colleagues that made Pakistan nuclear power

The team I handpicked and worked with to make Pakistan a nuclear power was perhaps the most capable group of scientists that have ever been brought together, says nuclear physicist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, the founder of the uranium enrichment programme for Pakistan’s atomic bomb project.

“Neither in Pakistan’s past nor future will there ever be such a group formed,” Dr Khan told SAMAA TV anchorperson Nadeem Malik on Thursday when the country marked the 22nd Youm-e-Takbeer to celebrate successful the nuclear tests conducted on May 28, 1998.

As a result of those tests in Balochistan, Pakistan became the first nuclear power in the Muslim world and seventh in the world.

Dr Khan recalled the days he spent formulating and testing theories for the nuclear experiment.

“The fact that a country that struggles to make a quality cycle or bicycle made a nuclear bomb within six to seven years shows that the people who worked on the project were brilliant,” Dr Khan said.

When the anchor asked if he would write a book to tell people about everything that happened in the 1990s while working on the atomic bomb project, the nuclear physicist denied it and laughed off the question.

He responded that many people would be in trouble if he picks up his pen. “I’m not allowed to write one since I have many secrets… secrets that could be troublesome for many people.”

The physicist also regretted the landa bazaar system, which he think is a barrier between quality education and engineering students. He said he tried to get in touch with students to help them learn a thing or two about their field.

During the quarantine, he’s also helping them by writing review articles. We were schooled with the best education but poor students here don’t get that, he said.

He said he’s passing his time in isolation by feeding cats and monkeys that turn up at his home and reading articles related to technology and physics.

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ICC still undecided on this year’s T20 World Cup

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is yet to make a decision on whether to organise or postpone this year’s T20 World Cup in Australia, ESPNcricinfo has reported.

The sport’s governing body was to make a final decision regarding the event in its board meeting on Thursday. However, the meeting became a discussion on “issue of confidentiality” and finished with an “independent investigation” into the situation.

The discussion on the important affairs, which includes whether to organise the T20 World Cup as per schedule, has been postponed till June 10.

Although the tournament is still scheduled to begin on October 18 as planned, its chances of going ahead are slim due to the coronavirus pandemic. It faces challenges of bringing 16 teams from across the world into one country and creating a bio-secure environment.

The sport’s governing body has to keep travel restriction policies and safety protocols in check, while organising the tournament behind closed doors will have financial setbacks. 

Alternate plans have been devised by the ICC’s Finance & Commercial Affairs (F&CA) department for the rescheduling of the tournament.

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A Raspberry Pi robot with emotions and other tech news

BBC Click's Paul Carter looks at some of the best of the week's technology news stories.

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Minneapolis protests continue: 'Nobody's listening'

Protests rock the Twin Cities area after the shocking death of an unarmed black man during an arrest.

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Coronavirus: 'I built a memorial to my grandfather on Animal Crossing'

One young woman used popular game Animal Crossing for her family tradition of Bai San.

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When Covid-19 hit, zookeeper Caitlin Henderson ended up in lockdown with 70 spiders

When Covid-19 hit, zookeeper Caitlin Henderson ended up in lockdown with 70 spiders.

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Industrialists, traders ask Sindh CM to allow businesses to resume

Industrialists and a traders’ representative body met Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and demanded he allow them to resume business activities in the province.

“We will open businesses as per the government’s SOPs,” said Mian Zahid Hussain, president of the All Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals and All Karachi Industrial Alliance.

Briefing the CM about the problems faced by the business community, Hussain demanded the government allow businesses to operate on Fridays and Saturdays and extend home delivery timings for restaurants. Under the current restrictions, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are safe days where business activities are not allowed except for essential businesses, such as pharmacies and grocery stores.

The business community’s representative body also demanded food courts at shopping malls be reopened. The CM assured them that he would take their recommendations into account and said the government would support them during the National Committee meeting scheduled on May 31.

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Four killed in car accident in Khairpur’s Babarloyee

Four people were killed and a woman injured after a car overturned near Khairpur’s Babarloyee on Friday.

According to rescue officials, the injured woman and victims’ bodies have been shifted to Civil Hospital. The incident took place after the driver lost control at the wheel because he was speeding.

The passengers were travelling from Karachi to Punjab.

In another incident, six people were injured after a passengers bus in Chichawatnee collided into the Kasowal Bridge. All the passengers have been shifted to a hospital. Three of them have been declared to be in critical condition.

The accident took place after the driver fell asleep at the wheel, the police said. The bus had also been speeding. It was travelling from Multan to Lahore.

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Sindh’s jewellery shops to reopen Friday

Jewelers across Sindh will reopen today (Friday), the All Sindh Saraf and Jewelers Association said in a statement on Thursday.

Bullion markets across the province closed three months ago after the Sindh government shut the province for all kinds of trading activity to contain the spread of the coronavirus. A few essential businesses, such as grocery stores, pharmacies, bakeries, food delivery businesses and export-oriented factories, were exempt from the lockdown with certain restrictions but gold traders were not among them.

For now, the markets will open till Sunday from 9am to 5pm, the ASSJA said. As per the latest rates, a tola of gold is now selling for Rs96,400.

Though jewellery shops remained closed during the lockdown, international gold prices shot up, reaching Pakistan’s highest-ever level on April 14 when a tola sold for Rs100,400. Local prices increased after gold futures started trading above $1,720 per ounce in the international market, their highest level in seven-and-a-half years.

Gold futures have been on the rise recently, increasing by more than $200 per ounce since the last week of March when they were trading at under $1,500.

Gold is correlated with the dollar and other commodities, but the dollar had weakened and alternates such as oil also became cheaper because of a global demand suppression caused by the COVID-19 contagion. This is why investors started parking their money into gold, which is considered safe in uncertain times. The market is weighing in the previous peak when gold hit $1,900 per ounce in 2011.

The surge in local prices came despite a nationwide lockdown, which resulted in suspension of trade. No weddings are taking place and no one is buying gold, said Haroon Chand of the ASSJA. The ASSJA had announced that they would be keeping their shops closed until the lockdown is over, primarily because they deal in gold and need safety. The police are currently busy enforcing the government’s COVID-19 policies, he said.

However, in a message on Thursday evening, Chand said he has spoken to government officials and decided markets will open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 5pm. “For Monday onward, we will wait for the government notification,” the ASSJA chief said.

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Headlines 8am: Punjab eases lockdown, Karachi ICUs full

Here are the headlines from SAMAA TV’s 8am bulletin.

• The Sindh government has allowed mosques to hold congregational Friday prayers. The province has yet to decide on the resumption of public transport services. Businesses will be conducted till May 31 as per the SOPs issued in the last notification by the Sindh government.
• The Punjab government has eased its lockdown. It has asked for the federal government’s permission to reopen restaurants, tourism spots and markets.
• Rising coronavirus cases in Karachi are resulting in crowded hospitals. Only 10 ICU beds remain at private and government hospitals in the city. The Sindh government has decided to isolate virus patients in the dental ward at the Dow University of Health Sciences’ Ojha Campus.
• PTI leader Hunaid Lakhani says the Sindh government has refused to use his hospital for coronvirus patients. Information Minister Nasir Hussain Shah he had never heard of the offer in the first place. You can’t ignore such offers, said Shah. He also asked Lakhani to get in touch with him.
• Prime Minister Imran Khan says the virus’ outbreak has financially crippled developing countries the most. He was addressing an international conference via video link.
• A man who lost his children in the PIA plane crash has complained that he’s not being handed over their bodies despite a week passing since the crash.
• PM Imran Khan said the investigation into the plane crash will be made public once it is concluded. Flight PK-8303’s cockpit flight recorder has been recovered and sent to the Airbus team of experts who’ll decode it in France. The premier said a compensation package will be prepared for the Model Colony residents whose homes were destroyed in the accident.
• An accountability court will hear the Toshakhana case where former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Yousuf Raza Gilani and former president Asif Ali Zardari have been summoned. NAB accuses the leaders of obtaining vehicles illegally from the Toshakhana (government treasure house).
• A report regarding the sugar and wheat crises has been sent to NAB Chairperson Javed Iqbal for review.
• Federal Information Minister Shibli Faraz has accused PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi of giving Salman Shehbaz benefits via a sugar subsidy. He called Salman the “father of the sugar mafia”. Faraz was addressing a press conference.
• Thirty-one of Balochistan districts are facing severe financial crises after crops were destroyed by swarms of locusts. More locusts from South Africa are expected to attack fields across Pakistan in July.
• Former Olympic Boxing champion Abdul Rashid Qambrani is forcedto work as a security guard for a company to earn his livelihood. He regrets not playing for Australia and choosing to stay in Pakistan when he got offers from other countries to box for them.

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Watch SAMAA TV Headlines | 9am | 29 May | Pakistan

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Today’s outlook: Sindh mosques hold Friday congregations, Toshakhana case hearing

Here are some of the news stories we are expecting to follow today (Friday):

• The Sindh government has allowed mosques to hold congregational Friday prayers with SOPs. The province will not go under a complete lockdown either.
• An accountability court will hear the Toshakhana case where former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Yusuf Raza Gilani and former president Asif Ali Zardari have been summoned. NAB accuses the leaders of obtaining vehicles illegally from the Toshakhana (government treasure house).
• The Karachi Transport Ittehad has demanded the Sindh government resume public transportation. They say they are starving due to the suspension of business. PTI leader Khurrum Sher Zaman has seconded their demand. Zaman said the government should open public transport immediately and set whatever SOPs it has to.
• The missing cockpit voice recorder of the PIA PK-8303 that crashed on May 22 has finally been found.
• ICYMI: PIA and the aviation ministry have submitted to Prime Minister Imran Khan the initial report of the investigation into the PIA plane crash in Karachi. Click here to read the full story.

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Trump signs order targeting social media after tweets flagged

President Donald Trump signed an order Thursday seeking to strip social media giants like Twitter of legal immunity for content on their platforms in a move slammed by his critics as a legally dubious act of political revenge.

The executive order calls on government regulators to evaluate if online platforms should be eligible for liability protection for content posted by their millions of users.

If enforced, the action would upend decades of precedent and treat internet platforms as “publishers” potentially liable for user-generated content.

Trump told reporters at the White House he acted because big tech firms “have had unchecked power to censor, restrict, edit, shape, hide, alter any form of communication between private citizens or large public audiences.”

“We can’t let this continue to happen,” Trump said.

The move comes a day after an angry tirade from the US leader against Twitter after the platform for the first time labelled two of his tweets, on the increasingly contentious topic of mail-in voting, with fact-check notices, calling them misleading.

“In those moments, Twitter ceases to be a neutral public platform and they become an editor with a viewpoint,” Trump said.

“And I think we can say that about others also, whether you’re looking at Google, whether you’re looking at Facebook, perhaps others.”

Critics said however Trump has no authority to regulate private internet operators or change the law known as Section 230 which backers say has allowed online platforms like Facebook and Twitter to flourish.

The American Civil Liberties Union called Trump’s order “a blatant and unconstitutional threat to punish social media companies that displease the president.”

Eric Goldman, director of the High-Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University, said the order was “more about political theater than about changing the law.”

The order “is not legally supportable — it flies in the face of more than 900 court decisions,” Goldman said.

The White House seeks to sidestep the provisions giving internet firms immunity by treating them as publishers operating in part of a “public square.”

“Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube wield immense, if not unprecedented, power to shape the interpretation of public events; to censor, delete, or disappear information; and to control what people see or do not see,” the executive order said.

While the Trump order would not prevent platforms from moderating content, it could open them up to a flood of lawsuits from anyone who claims to be harmed by content posted online.

Critics said the action represents a dangerous effort by the government to regulate online speech.

“Social media can be frustrating. But an Executive Order that would turn the FCC into the President’s speech police is not the answer,” said Jessica Rosenworcel, a Democratic member of Federal Communications Commission, one of the agencies tasked with enforcing the executive order.

Matt Schruers, president of the Computer & Communications Industry Association, a trade group, warned that “retaliation against the private sector for fact-checking leadership is what we expect from foreign autocracies, not the United States.”

Internet firms have denied Trump’s claims of bias, and point to his massive social media following. But the president’s move plays into his narrative ahead of his difficult November reelection battle that liberal forces are trying to censor Republicans.

Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican and fierce critic of social media, said that if online firms “are going to editorialize and censor and act like traditional publishers, they should be treated like traditional publishers and stop receiving the special carve out from the federal government.”

But Democratic Senator Ron Wyden, one of the authors of the 1996 law, called Trump’s order a “plainly illegal” political ploy.

“Trump is desperately trying to steal for himself the power of the courts and Congress to rewrite decades of settled law around Section 230. All for the ability to spread lies,” Wyden said.

A wider debate has long been underway on the power that social media companies wield and what responsibility they bear for posts that are misleading or hurtful.

Internet services like Twitter and Facebook have been struggling to root out misinformation, while at the same time keeping their platforms open to users.

The massive amount of unverified content in circulation has prompted a rise in fact-checking operations, including a vast Facebook effort in which AFP plays a role.

After long resisting calls to censure Trump over his frequent factually inaccurate posts, Twitter on Tuesday flagged the president for the first time for making false claims.

Trump had tweeted — without any evidence — that more mail-in voting would lead to what he called a “Rigged Election” this November.

Some analysts claimed the president’s arguments against Twitter had turned upside down the interpretation of the constitution’s First Amendment, designed to prevent the government from limiting free expression.

“The First Amendment applies to the government not to private actors like Twitter,” wrote law professors Laurence Tribe of Harvard and Joshua Geltzer of Georgetown University in the Washington Post.

“Trump is wrong on the law, but this time he’s even more wrong than usual. There is someone violating the First Amendment on Twitter, but it’s not Twitter — it’s Trump.”

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Lion attack in Australia leaves zookeeper badly injured

The woman is being treated for critical injuries after the incident in New South Wales, authorities say.

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Gough Whitlam dismissal: Australian court grants access to Queen's letters

A historian argues they should be public record over the sacking of Australia's prime minister in 1975.

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Rohingya refugee crisis: 'The bodies were thrown out of the boat'

Khadiza Begum, a Rohingya refugee, left Myanmar to escape violence but found more horror at sea.

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Coronavirus: How Turkey took control of Covid-19 emergency

Even without imposing a total lockdown, Turkey seems to have handled the outbreak well.

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Africa's week in pictures: 22 - 28 May 2020

A selection of the week's best photos from across the continent.

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The films to look out for at the We Are One festival

Cannes, Toronto and Sundance are among the film festivals uniting for an online streaming event.

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The little lights now packing a deadly punch

LEDs already light our houses but developments are making them even more powerful.

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The coronavirus conundrum when your mouth is your ‘hand’

The coronavirus pandemic becomes a different kind of challenge when you use your mouth as your ‘hands’.

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China's parliament approves Hong Kong security law

China says the bill will rein in "terrorism" but many feel it will end Hong Kong's unique status.

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Arizona takes Google to court for tracking location

The US state of Arizona filed a lawsuit Wednesday accusing Google of committing fraud by being deceptive about gathering location data.

Arizona attorney general Mark Brnovich said the suit resulted from an investigation launched two years ago after a media report that Google had ways of knowing where users were even if they opted not to share location information with the internet firm.

“While Google users are led to believe they can opt-out of location tracking, the company exploits other avenues to invade personal privacy,” Brnovich said in a release.

“It’s nearly impossible to stop Google from tracking your movements without your knowledge or consent.”

The suit charges Google with violating Arizona fraud law and calls for the company to hand over money it made from its activities in that state.

“The attorney general and the contingency fee lawyers filing this lawsuit appear to have mischaracterized our services,” Google spokesman Jose Castaneda said in response to an AFP inquiry.

“We have always built privacy features into our products and provided robust controls for location data.”

He added that Google looks forward to “setting the record straight.”

While Google provides users the option of declining to share location information while using its services or smartphones powered by Google-made Android software, it can glean from app or online activity where users are to target ads, the suit argued.

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Amjad Sabri’s mother passes away in Karachi

Late qawwal Amjad Sabri’s mother passed away after a prolonged illness in Karachi on Wednesday.

Former MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar also expressed his profound grief and sorrow over the death of the mother of late Amjad Sabri.

He prayed for peace for the departed soul and courage for the bereaved family to bear the loss.

She will be laid to rest after her son Sarwat Qadri and daughter return to Pakistan from abroad.

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IMF, Pakistan resume talks to complete second review of bailout

The IMF has gone back to the table with Pakistan to complete the second review of the $6 billion Extended Fund Facility (bailout) program, which was paused after coronavirus chocked the country’s already sluggish economy.

“We hope to bring it to a positive conclusion as soon as possible,” the IMF said in a statement. This would be the second review of the EFF program.

The Washington-based lender said discussions were paused and there was a focus on the rapid financing instrument, to help Pakistan combat COVID-19. The IMF Executive Board had approved $1.4 billion one month ago so the country could fight the contagion and its economic implications.

It said technical discussions continue with the authorities on the EFF now. Pakistan had successfully completed the first review of the EFF program last year. Following the review, the IMF dispatched a second tranche of $452 million under the 39-month bailout program, which was signed on July 1, 2019. 

The talks paused ahead of the second review in April, which delayed the third tranche of $450 million. The country has so far received $1.9 billion under the program.

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Former PML-N MPA gunned down by son in Rajanpur

A former PML-N MPA, Atif Mazari, was shot dead by his son in Rajanpur on Wednesday night.

Mazari had served as a member of the Punjab Assembly and also represented the PML-N in the 2018 election for PP-297.

According to an FIR filed at the Umerkot police station, Mazari was at his house eating dinner around 10pm when his son Basit opened fire at him with a Kalashnikov.

He was hit in his chest and critically injured. Though he was rushed to the DHQ Hospital, he could not survive his injuries.

The FIR, filed by Mazari’s other son, said that Basit was suffering from psychological issues. He was reportedly angry that his father had brought his son-in-law and nephew into politics.

The case has been registered under Section 302 (murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

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Headlines 9am: Sindh to follow Centre on COVID-19 lockdown

Here are the headlines from SAMAA TV’s 9am bulletin:

• The Sindh government will decide on extending the coronavirus lockdown in accordance with the federal government’s decision. The province has withdrawn its decision to reopen the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan. PTI leader and Opposition Leader in the Sindh Assembly Firdous Shamim Naqvi says industries must remain open in case the lockdown is intensified in the coming days. He also asked Prime Minister Imran Khan to impose a “financial emergency”.
• Two more PPP MPAs in the Sindh Assembly, Sadia Javed and Sajid Jokhio, have contracted COVID-19. PPP leader Murtaza Baloch is in critical condition due to the coronavirus.
• The Met Office has forecast rainfall and strong winds across the country from Thursday till Tuesday.
• A team of experts from European aircraft manufacturer Airbus examined the site of PK-8303 plane crash in Karachi’s Model Colony. The authorities are still removing the debris.

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Chances slim of T20 World Cup happening this year

The chances of this year’s T20 World Cup taking place as scheduled in Australia are getting slimmer despite the International Cricket Council (ICC) refuting speculations of the tournament getting postponed, ESPNcricinfo has reported.

An official decision is to be made after a board meeting comes to a close on May 28 but a source from the contingency planning said that hosting the tournament amid the coronavirus pandemic would be too much of a risk.

International cricket is likely to resume soon but it faces challenges of bringing 16 teams from across the world into one country and creating a bio-secure environment.

The sport’s governing body has to keep travel restriction policies and safety protocols in check, while organising the tournament behind closed doors would have financial setbacks.  

Alternate plans have been devised by the ICC’s Finance & Commercial Affairs (F&CA) for the rescheduling of the tournament.

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Locust swarms destroying Pakistan’s crops: What went wrong this year?

Crops grown on thousands of acres of land in Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan have become fodder for locusts instead of people this year. But locusts have been in Pakistan for more than 70 years, so why then are our crops more prone to them now?

Pakistan Kissan Ittehad Chairperson Chaudhry Muhammad Anwer told SAMAA TV anchor Ali Haider on Wednesday that this is because crops need to be sprayed with bug-killing material on time. Once the spraying is done, it keeps the locusts away, but the government lost the plot this season.

The National Disaster Management Authority has set up a hotline 051-111-222-999 to register complaints of locust attacks. The federal government has also assured that it will look into the matter, but Anwer, the spokesperson for farmers, believes this is too little too late.

“Both the government and agriculture departments have not been responding to any of our calls. They are fooling us,” he said.

Anwer said the invading locusts will force a food crisis on the public that may create a scenario that may topple the PTI-led federal government.

“Wherever [locusts] stay overnight, they eat entire vegetable and cotton crops. It’s such a big problem that it will take down the whole government with it.”

The Food and Agriculture Organization foresees a loss of Rs393 billion across Pakistan this winter if the locust attacks persists, but Anwer feels the losses will exceed this due to the government’s ineptitude.

“I pray that these locusts eat away Federal Food Minister Fakhar Imam’s farms as well. His farms are safe as of yet,” he added.

Anwer claimed that keeping the locusts at bay does not require massive work. A mere Detol spray or the usual pesticides will do the job.

The anchor said the government says it has begun curbing the locust invasions but a disgruntled Anwer said this wasn’t the case.

Whether it is Multan, Khanewal, Sahiwal, Faisalabad, Pirwalam or Bahawalnagar, no government official has been seen spraying any medicine, said the ittehad chairperson.

He had an answer to the invading locusts: in each union council, a team of 10 land owners can be formed. They’ll use their resources to get rid of the locusts.

Anwer remarked that if the government cannot tackle the issue, the least it could do was accord him the authority to do it instead.

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