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ISLAMABAD  –  Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gener­al Syed Asim Munir on Friday visit­ed Bannu where nine brave soldiers embraced martyrdom on Thursday when a suicide bomber blew up him­self near a military convoy in Jani Khel area. COAS was briefed on the ongo­ing operations and overall securi­ty situation, says a press release is­sued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). COAS visited CMH Bannu to inquire about the health and well-being of the injured sol­diers. COAS appreciated the high mo­rale and unflinching resolve of the troops. “Pakistan Army will contin­ue to act as a bulwark against terror­ism to safeguard the nation from this scourge” COAS emphasised. While interacting with officers and troops deployed in the area, COAS em­phasised, “The army, law enforcement agencies and the nation can never be coerced by the cowardly tactics of the terrorists, who have a misbelief that they can challenge the iron resolve of the soldiers and writ of the state.” He further said, “We have fought for long and will continue to fight the menace of terrorism till the end. The nation pays rich tribute to those who have laid their lives and their sacrifices will forever be honoured.” Earlier on arrival, COAS was received by Commander Peshawar Corps. Meanwhile, the Namaz-e-Janaza (funeral prayer) of Shuhada (mar­tyrs) who embraced sha­hadat in August 31 motor­cycle-borne suicide blast in the general area Jani Khel, Bannu, was offered at Ban­nu on Friday. According to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) news, the, Shuhada, would be laid to rest with full military honour in their respective hometowns. Senior serv­ing military and civil ad­ministrative officers and troops attended the Jana­za, it added. “Armed Forc­es of Pakistan stand res­olute and committed to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the moth­erland at all costs,” the ISPR said. COAS for en­hanced effectiveness of Peacekeeping Missions Chief of the Army Staff General Asim Munir has urged the United Nations to enable Peacekeeping Missions to be more effec­tive in addressing the com­plex threats while assuring the safety and security of the Peacekeepers. He was addressing a preparato­ry meet as the chief guest, held as a precursor to the UN Peacekeeping Minis­terial Meet here from Au­gust 30-31. Co-hosted by Pakistan and Japan on the theme of the Safety and Se­curity of Peacekeepers the meet was attended by del­egates from different coun­tries, senior officials from UN and members of the diplomatic community in Islamabad. In his remarks, the army chief commended the role of the United Na­tions in the maintenance of international peace and highlighted increas­ing challenges and unprec­edented levels of threats being faced by Peacekeep­ers. The army chief further highlighted that Pakistan aspired to create a region where peace prevailed and trade, transit and invest­ment generated prosperity for all the states of south, West and Central Asia. He also called on Security Council and the UN Secre­tary General for peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kash Source:https://www.nation.com.pk/02-Sep-2023/army-will-continue-to-fight-terrorism-till-the-end-coas

JOHANNESBURG-Search dogs looked for bodies on Friday in a Johannesburg building that went up in flames killing dozens and forcing South Africa to confront an illegal housing “crisis”. At least 74 people including 12 children died as fire ripped through the five-storey building in the early hours on Thursday. Authorities asked relatives to go to a morgue in Soweto to identify the victims, as the search continued at the site. The fire has reopened a debate about so-called hijacked buildings — old disused blocks that have fallen under the control of criminal syndicates who collect rent from squatters. President Cyril Ramaphosa said it was “a wake-up call for us to begin to address the situation of housing in the inner cities” as he visited the site late on Thursday. The building, located in an economically depressed, crime-ridden area, was owned by the municipality and listed as a heritage site. During the apartheid era, black South Africans would go there for papers allowing them to access white areas for work. City authorities said it was last used as a shelter for abused women but was “invaded and hijacked” towards the end of the past decade. Police raided the building in 2019, arresting 140 foreign nationals. But in a country struggling with massive crime rates, little changed. Johannesburg city manager Floyd Brink told reporters on Thursday that police had opened a case following the raid but “no update” was immediately available. About 200 families were thought to be living at the premises at the time of the fire, he said. Authorities estimated that more than “80 shacks” were set up inside. Source:https://www.nation.com.pk/02-Sep-2023/deadly-blaze-in-joburg-prompts-debate-over-hijacked-buildings

Nine people were injured Friday in the intervention by Israeli forces against Palestinians protesting in the occupied West Bank and the besieged Gaza Strip, according to statement from the Kfar Qaddum Popular Resistance Committee. Palestinians reacted in the West Bank to the threat of Jewish settlement construction on lands in Beit Dajan and Kfar Qaddum, affiliated with Kalkilya, and Beyt Dajan in the east of Nablus. Seven Palestinians were injured by rubber-coated metal bullets from Israeli forces against the protesters, and dozens of Palestinians were affected by tear gas, said the group. Two Palestinians, one injured by a live bullet in the leg and the other by a rubber-coated metal bullet, were taken to the hospital for treatment, the Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement. Israeli forces intervened with tear gas and live ammunition, as well as rubber-coated metal bullets. Palestinians protest every Friday against the construction of illegal Jewish settlements. Israeli soldiers intervene with live and plastic bullets, tear gas and sometimes foul-smelling water mixed with chemical substances. In the Gaza Strip, a demonstration was organized in support of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. According to international law, all Jewish settlements in occupied territories are considered illegal. Source:https://www.nation.com.pk/02-Sep-2023/9-palestinians-injured-by-israeli-forces-in-west-bank-gaza-strip-protests

The business community of Lahore on Thursday announced to observe a shutter down strike on September 2 (Saturday) against the inflated electricity bills and rising inflation. In a statement, Mujahid Maqsood Butt – President of Traders Association – said that markets across Lahore will remain closed on Saturday (September 2) in protest against inflated electricity bills and rising inflation in the country. Traders cannot pay such heavy bills, as it is destroying our businesses, Butt said and urged the Caretaker PM Anwaarul Haq Kakar to take back the recent hike in the electricity bills. Meanwhile, Karachi traders have also announced a shutter down strike on September 1 against inflated electricity bills. Countrywide protests The inflated power bills triggered country-wide protests from Karachi to Khyber and protests in some parts of the country are turning violent. The protesting masses have been demanding that the government should end the provision of free electricity to the notables and provide them relief as the bills they have been receiving are more than their salaries. Earlier on Wednesday, Caretaker Finance Minister Shamshad Akhtar said the government cannot provide more subsidies on the electricity bills while being in program of the IMF. Source:https://www.nation.com.pk/31-Aug-2023/electricity-bills-lahore-traders-to-observe-shutter-down-strike-on-sept-2

FLORIDA-Hurricane Idalia has hit Florida and is now crossing into Georgia, bringing powerful winds and potentially life-threatening conditions. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says the eye of the storm has now left Florida, leaving 250,000 people without power in its wake. He says there are no officially confirmed deaths, though US media are citing Florida’s Highway Patrol as saying two drivers died in road accidents during the storm. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says 16ft (4.8m) storm surges are expected in some areas as fierce winds push seawater inland. Some areas of the state have been hit with flooding as knee-deep water covers roads and inundates towns. Nearly 280,000 people are without power as the storm tears through, and residents are warned to be careful of downed power lines. Following Hurricane Idalia’s landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast, nearly 264,000 energy customers are in the dark as the storm moves inland. At least 263,964 customers are without power, according to poweroutage.com. The outages continue to be concentrated around the Big Bend region of Florida with outages in Taylor County at more than 81% of customers, Dixie County at more than 78% and Lafayette at more than 76%. Farther inland, in Suwannee County, more than 95% of customers are without power and 80% are dark in Columbia County. In southern Georgia, more than 99% of customers are without power in the small county of Echols, nearly 76% of customers have lost power in Brooks County and Lowndes County is 54% out. Hurricane Idalia is expanding its impact on the Southeast as the powerful hurricane tracks farther inland. The storm stretched from Central Florida to southern Georgia, around 250 miles, as of Wednesday morning. Hurricane-force winds slammed inland parts of northern Florida near Idalia’s center. Winds gusted to 85 mph in Perry, Florida, which is 45 miles southeast of Tallahassee as Idalia passed nearby and the center is moving into Georgia now. Idalia’s strong winds are not just confined to its center. Tropical storm-force winds span 175 miles, from Tampa and Orlando northward to Jacksonville and into Valdosta, Georgia, where a 67 mph wind gust was reported. The most-damaging wind gusts will expand across more of northern Florida and push into southern Georgia by late Wednesday morning. Winds aren’t the only threat. Water levels along Florida’s Gulf Coast remained at record highs after several feet of storm surge. More surge is expected along the Atlantic Coast next, in places like Savannah in Georgia, Charleston in South Carolina and Wilmington in North Carolina, as Idalia keeps tracking across the Southeast. Hurricane Idalia is expanding its impact on the Southeast as the powerful hurricane tracks farther inland. The storm stretched from Central Florida to southern Georgia, around 250 miles, as of Wednesday morning. Hurricane-force winds slammed inland parts of northern Florida near Idalia’s center. Winds gusted to 85 mph in Perry, Florida — which is 45 miles southeast of Tallahassee — as Idalia passed nearby and the center is moving into Georgia now. Source:https://www.nation.com.pk/31-Aug-2023/hurricane-idalia-slams-into-florida-and-georgia

The wildfire in Greece’s northeastern region of Evros raged for the 12th day, forcing the evacuation of more settlements, local media reported on Wednesday. The fire continued to rage despite the best efforts of Greek and foreign firefighters, who are assisted by firefighting planes and helicopters, on two main fronts, said the state-run AMNA news agency. Consequently, residents of Yiannouli and Sidiro villages in the region were instructed to evacuate, it said, adding that the shift in wind direction from northeastern to southern has hampered efforts to contain the fire. On Tuesday, the EU’s Copernicus Earth Observation Program said the fires in northeastern Greece, the largest in Europe in the past two decades, have burned an area of ​​808.7 square kilometers (312.2 square miles), an area bigger than New York City. Moreover, Balazs Iravju, spokesman for the EU Commission on humanitarian aid and crisis management, said the union has sent over 400 firefighters, 11 firefighting planes, 62 vehicles, and one helicopter in response to wildfires in Greece’s Evros region. SOURCE:https://www.nation.com.pk/31-Aug-2023/more-settlements-in-evros-region-evacuated-as-wildfire-rages-for-12th-day-in-greece

MIAMI -Tropical Storm Idalia strengthened as it passed by the western tip of Cuba on Monday, taking aim at the Gulf coast of Florida as forecasters predicted it could become a hurricane “at any time.” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned the storm — likely to make landfall there as a major hurricane by Wednesday — could have major impacts along the Gulf of Mexico, telling a news conference that evacuations would take place and residents should prepare. “The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline,” the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in an 11 pm (0300 GMT) update. SOURCE:https://www.nation.com.pk/30-Aug-2023/tropical-storm-idalia-strengthens-off-cuba-barrels-toward-florida