US to lift curbs from Nov 8 for vaccinated foreign travellers

The White House said on Friday it would lift Covid-19 travel restrictions for fully vaccinated foreign nationals effective Nov 8, ending historic restrictions that had barred much of the world from entering the United States.

Announcing the starting date for the new rules on travel into and out of the country, White House spokesman Kevin Munoz posted on Twitter that the policy “is guided by public health, stringent, and consistent.” The unprecedented travel restrictions kept millions of visitors out of the United States from China, Canada, Mexico, India, Brazil, much of Europe and elsewhere; shrunk US tourism; and hurt border community economies. They prevented many loved ones and foreign workers from reuniting with families.

US allies had heavily lobbied the Biden administration to lift the rules.

Restrictions on non-US citizens were first imposed on air travellers from China in January 2020 by then-President Donald Trump and then extended to dozens of other countries, without any clear metrics for how and when to lift them.

Curbs on non-essential travellers at land borders with Mexico and Canada have been in place since March 2020 to address the Covid-19 pandemic.

Reuters first reported Friday’s announcement of the Nov. 8 starting date earlier in the day.

US airline, hotel and cruise industry stocks rose on the news, including American Airlines, up 2 per cent; Marriott International Inc, up 3.7pc; and Carnival Corp, up 1.6pc.

US international air passenger traffic was down 43pc in August and overall passenger air traffic was down 21pc over pre-pandemic levels, the US Transportation Department said Friday.

Airlines have seen an increase in international ticket sales in recent weeks, Nick Calio, chief executive of the Airlines for America industry trade group, said in a statement. Calio said the “full reopening of international travel is also critical to reviving economies around the globe, reinvigorating communities and supporting millions of jobs in the US and abroad.” The United States had lagged many other countries in lifting such restrictions.

The White House on Tuesday announced it would lift restrictions at its land borders and ferry crossings with Canada and Mexico for fully vaccinated foreign nationals in early November. They are similar but not identical to requirements announced last month for international air travellers.

Unvaccinated visitors will still be barred from entering the United States from Canada or Mexico at land borders.

Canada on Aug. 9 began allowing fully vaccinated US visitors for non-essential travel.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said last week the United States will accept the use by international visitors of Covid-19 vaccines authorized by US regulators or the World Health Organization.

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Taliban ask officials not to carry out public executions unless directed by apex court

The Taliban government in Afghanistan has directed local officials to avoid carrying out punishments in public unless the country's top court issues the order for public execution.

In a tweet late on Thursday, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that the Council of Ministers has decided that no punishment will be carried out publicly when there is no need to publicise the convict and till the court issues an order for a public punishment.

"Public executions and hanging of bodies should be avoided unless the supreme court issues an order for such an action," he said while giving details of the cabinet meeting.

The Council of Ministers is the name given to the cabinet in the Islamic Emirate.

"If the offender is punished, the punishment must be explained so that the people know about the crime,” the Taliban spokesman said.

Last month, the Taliban had hung the bodies of four alleged kidnappers in the western city of Herat. The incident had been widely criticised and condemned on social media and by rights bodies.

Senior Taliban leader Mullah Nooruddin Turabi told the Associated Press last month that the Taliban government will once again carry out executions and amputations of hands, though perhaps not in public.

However, several public executions were carried out after Turabi’s statement. Turabi had served as Minister of Justice during the previous Taliban government from 1996-2001.

Meanwhile, the Taliban government announced on Friday that Sheikh Abdul Hakim had been appointed the chief justice of the supreme court.

Hakim, an ethnic Pashtun cleric and a close confidant of the Taliban chief, earlier headed the Taliban negotiation team in Qatar.

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Anti-Muslim violence in India could affect Hindus in Bangladesh, wans Sheikh Hasina

In view of rising incidents of hate crimes against the Muslims in India and the Narendra Modi government’s biased policies towards minorities, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina warned New Delhi that these incidents could affect the Hindu community in her country.

The statement from Sheikh Hasina came amid reports of growing wariness in Bangladesh over contentious measures by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government such as the revocation of Article 370 and passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

In a virtual interaction with members of the Hindu community to mark Durga Puja, Sheikh Hasina vowed to hunt down those who vandalised some Hindu temples during Durga Puja celebrations.

Three people were killed and several others injured during clashes between Muslims and the police at Hajiganj sub-district in Chandpur, bordering Cumilla, on Wednesday, while a fourth person succumbed to his wounds later.

Hasina warned, "Nobody will be spared. It doesn’t matter which religion they belong to. They will be hunted down and punished."

However, Hasina also used the occasion to urge India to remain vigilant against the escalation of any communal violence. “We expect that nothing happens there (in India), which could influence any situation in Bangladesh affecting our Hindu community here,” Hasina said.

The Telegraph quoted Hasina as saying, “You all know that those who came to power in our country after 1975 used religion to divide people… The rise of global terrorism also has had its impact on our country. Countering this is not only our responsibility, and neighbouring countries like India should also remain vigilant... India did help us in the liberation war (of 1971) and we will remain ever grateful for the support… But they (India) have to be aware that such incidents should not take place there which would have an impact on Bangladesh, and the Hindus in our country face attacks.”

“Some people are religiously blind and they always want to create communal conflicts. These people belong not only to the Muslim community but belong to other religious faiths as well,” the Bangladesh PM added.

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PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja meets BCCI President Saurav Ganguly

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja held an informal meeting Friday with his Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) counterpart Saurav Ganguly.

The meeting between the two cricket board heads took place at the sidelines of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting, said sources, adding that the two discussed several matters including promoting Asian cricket, among other issues.

Sources said Ganguly invited Raja to attend the Indian Premier League (IPL) final. However, Raja did not attend the match.

Ramiz Raja is scheduled to return to Pakistan today after his ACC meeting. During the ACC meeting, Raja met representatives of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Emirates cricket boards.

The ACC also confirmed that the Asia Cup 2022 will be held in Sri Lanka while the 2023 edition of the tournament will be held in Pakistan.

The tournament, which was supposed to be held in Sri Lanka, has been postponed twice due to the coronavirus. Pakistan was next in line to host the Asia Cup after Sri Lanka.

At the meeting, the ACC confirmed that Pakistan will host the Asia Cup 2023 after Sri Lanka hosts the 2022 edition of the tournament.

The meeting between Ganguly and Ramiz Raja takes place less than 10 days before Asian rivals India and Pakistan battle it out in their opening match of the T20 cricket World Cup.

Speaking during a virtual press conference a few days ago, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam had said Pakistan would beat India and carry on the momentum throughout the tournament to win the World Cup.

"There is pressure [on the team] during mega-events, but there is added pressure during matches against India," the skipper told reporters during the press conference.

The skipper had said Pakistan had practised for the World Cup with complete focus and that the team would go into the tournament prepared.

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Govt jacks up petrol price by Rs10.49 per litre

The PTI-led government has announced a massive price hike in petroleum products, increasing the per litre cost of petrol by Rs10.49 and high-speed diesel by Rs12.44 for the next fortnight.

The increase in POL products was notified a day after the government hiked power tariff by Rs1.39 per unit which would come into effect from next month.

According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Finance, the price of kerosene oil has been increased by Rs10.95 per litre while light speed diesel has got costlier by Rs8.84 per litre.

“At present, oil prices have risen around $85 a barrel (Global Benchmark Brent) highest since October 2018,” reads the finance ministry notification.

It added that entire energy chain prices have witnessed a strong surge in the past couple of months due to higher demand for energy spots and supply bottlenecks.

In the current scenario, the ministry said, the government has absorbed the pressure and provided maximum relief to consumers by keeping Petroleum Levy and Sales Tax to a minimum. Therefore, prices worked out by OGRA have been approved.

The new prices of petroleum products will be effective from October 16 (today).

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No-confidence motion against Alyani to be presented on Oct 20, says Balochistan Assembly speaker

The Balochistan Assembly speaker and disgruntled members of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), who have been demanding Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani's resignation, said on Friday that a no-confidence motion against the embattled provincial chief executive would be presented in the assembly on October 20.

The announcement comes a day after Alyani met Prime Minister Imran Khan and expressed faith that a no-confidence motion filed against him by his own party members would fail.

Speaking to the media in Quetta, Balochistan Assembly Speaker Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo said the no-trust motion would be presented on October 20 and a vote on it would "reveal with whom the majority stands".

"If Jamal Kamal is willing to contest [us], he may go ahead," the speaker remarked. He added that after the no-trust motion, efforts would be made to unite members of the BAP.

Bizenjo said that the Pakistan Democratic Movement, an alliance of opposition parties, did not play a role in the decision to move the no-confidence motion, adding that those supporting the move would not change sides.

In fact, those supporting Alyani will join us, he said.

On Alyani claiming to be the party head, he said the chief minister had resigned as the BAP chief and after the appointment of an acting party president, his decision to retract his resignation "could not be justified".

He further stated that attempts were being made to "create a misleading political situation in Balochistan".

Mir Zahoor Ahmed Buledi, who has been appointed as the acting BAP chief, also spoke to the media and said that Ayani had left the party's presidentship of his own will. "Legally, he is no longer the party president," he added.

Meanwhile, Alyani berated the Balochistan Assembly speaker for not remaining impartial.

"I would strongly suggest to [Bizenjo] to realise his oath as [the] speaker of the parliament, where his responsibility [is] to conduct himself ... [in an] impartial [manner] as [the] speaker and the grace of the seat [should] be preserved," he tweeted.

Meanwhile, Balochistan Home Minister Mir Zia Ullah Langau also said there was no danger to the Alyani government and that the chief minister had the majority's support.

"Only a few people are against the chief minister, the rest of the assembly members support Jam Kamal," he said.

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Fully vaccinated people now allowed to visit cinemas, shrines: NCOC

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Friday announced that fully vaccinated individuals can now visit cinemas and shrines.

The decision was made during an NCOC meeting headed by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar.

During the meeting, the forum reviewed the coronavirus situation in Pakistan in proportion to the level of complete vaccination in each district.

The forum stressed that people must get themselves vaccinated, considering it a national obligation.

It abolished the mandatory weekly one-day closure, allowing businesses to operate seven days a week.

A statement issued by the NCOC said that the decision to lift the restriction of safe-days has been made keeping in view the decline in the spread of virus and ongoing vaccination drives in the country.

Moreover, the restriction pertaining to the number of guests in indoor weddings has been eased, with 300 guests now allowed instead of the previous 200.

Outdoor weddings and events can now have 500 guests.

The latest changes in restrictions will come into force from October 16 and remain imposed till October 31.

The restrictions will be reviewed in an NCOC meeting on October 28.

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