Monkeypox is not yet a health emergency: WHO

Monkeypox is not yet a global health emergency, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has ruled , although WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was deeply concerned about the outbreak.

"I am deeply concerned about the monkeypox outbreak, this is clearly an evolving health threat that my colleagues and I in the WHO Secretariat are following extremely closely," Tedros said in a statement issued on Saturday.

WHO said in a separate statement that although there were some differing views within the committee, they ultimately agreed by consensus that at this stage the outbreak is not a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

The "global emergency" label currently only applies to the coronavirus pandemic and ongoing efforts to eradicate polio, and the UN agency has stepped back from applying it to the monkeypox outbreak after advice from a meeting of international experts.

There have been more than 3,200 confirmed cases of monkeypox and one death reported in the last six weeks from 48 countries where it does not usually spread, according to WHO.

So far this year almost 1,500 cases and 70 deaths in central Africa, where the disease is more common, have also been reported, chiefly in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Monkeypox, a viral illness causing flu-like symptoms and skin lesions, has been spreading largely in men who have sex with men outside the countries where it is endemic.

There are vaccines and treatments available for monkeypox, although they are in limited supply.

Some global health experts said WHO may be have been hesitant to make a declaration because its January 2020 declaration that the new coronavirus represented a public health emergency was largely met with scepticism around the world.

But others said the outbreak met the criteria to be called an emergency.

Gregg Gonsalves, an associate professor of epidemiology at Yale University who advised the committee but who is not a member of WHO, told Reuters by email on Saturday that he thought the decision was "misguided".

"It met all the criteria but they decided to punt on this momentous decision," he said.

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US president Biden signs new gun control bill into law

US President Joe Biden on Saturday signed into law his country’s first gun-control bill in decades that seeks to prevent people with criminal records and mental problems from acquiring firearms.

The bill — now known as the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act 2022 — passed the House of Representatives on Friday evening by 234 to 193 votes.

The US Senate passed the bill late Thursday by a 65-33-vote and sent it to the House. As promised by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the House acted swiftly and sent it to the president on Friday evening for signing it into law. President Biden also acted promptly and put his signature on the bill early Saturday morning before leaving on a week-long trip to Europe.

“God willing, it’s going to save a lot of lives,” said the president after signing the bill. He recalled that the last time Congress passed meaningful gun safety laws was almost 30 years ago and he attended that event as well. He mentioned major school and public shootings that killed hundreds of Americans, mostly children.

For those “and for the shootings that happen every day in the streets … their message to us was: ‘Do something. How many times have we heard that? Just do something.’ For God’s sake, just do something,” he said.

The US media described the new law as “the most significant firearms legislation” in more than 30 years. It followed mass shootings last month at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, and a primary school in Uvalde, Texas, that left 31 people dead.

The law requires tougher background checks for buyers younger than 21. It would provide $15bn in federal funding for mental health programmes and school security upgrades. The law provides funds to encourage states to implement “red flag” laws to remove firearms from people considered a threat. It also seeks to close the so-called “boyfriend loophole” by blocking gun sales to those convicted of abusing unmarried partners.

Conservative Republicans opp­ose the new law and have vowed to undo it if they capture Congress in the midterm elections.

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First phase of LG polls: Voting underway in Sindh’s 14 districts

Voting is underway today (Sunday) for the first phase of local government elections in 14 districts from four divisions of Sindh.

The polling began at 8am and will continue until 5pm without any pause.

The 14 districts of Sindh include Larkana, Kambar-Shahdadkot, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Sukkur, Ghotki, Khairpur, Naushehro Feroze, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot and Tharparkar.

Elections in the rest of the districts of Sindh will be held on July 24.

At least 21,298 candidates are in the field against 6,277 seats of 101 town committees, 23 municipal committees, 14 districts councils, four municipal corporations, eleven town municipal corporations and 887 union councils and union committees.

The election commission has established 9,023 polling stations, including 1,895 for women, to facilitate over 11 million registered voters.

According to a spokesperson of the Election Commission of Pakistan, Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja is monitoring the polling process in the province.

Meanwhile, monitoring cells have been established in Islamabad and at the office of the Sindh election commissioner to ensure transparent elections, the spokesperson added.

In addition to this, at least 1,985 polling stations have been declared highly sensitive and 3,448 sensitive. Paramilitary Rangers and police have been deployed at 2,980 highly sensitive polling stations across the province.

CCTV cameras have been installed at the most sensitive polling stations.

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First phase of LG polls: Voting underway in Sindh’s 14 districts

Voting is underway today (Sunday) for the first phase of local government elections in 14 districts from four divisions of Sindh.

The polling began at 8am and will continue until 5pm without any pause.

The 14 districts of Sindh include Larkana, Kambar-Shahdadkot, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Sukkur, Ghotki, Khairpur, Naushehro Feroze, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot and Tharparkar.

Elections in the rest of the districts of Sindh will be held on July 24.

At least 21,298 candidates are in the field against 6,277 seats of 101 town committees, 23 municipal committees, 14 districts councils, four municipal corporations, eleven town municipal corporations and 887 union councils and union committees.

The election commission has established 9,023 polling stations, including 1,895 for women, to facilitate over 11 million registered voters.

According to a spokesperson of the Election Commission of Pakistan, Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja is monitoring the polling process in the province.

Meanwhile, monitoring cells have been established in Islamabad and at the office of the Sindh election commissioner to ensure transparent elections, the spokesperson added.

In addition to this, at least 1,985 polling stations have been declared highly sensitive and 3,448 sensitive. Paramilitary Rangers and police have been deployed at 2,980 highly sensitive polling stations across the province.

CCTV cameras have been installed at the most sensitive polling stations.

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PTI lawmakers requested to take in eviction from lodges with NA speaker

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday asked PTI lawmakers to approach National Assembly (NA) speaker against their eviction from parliament lodges.

Capital Development Authority (CDA) on June 2 and June 3 served notices on Shaukat Ali Bhatti and Amir Sultan asking them to vacate the Parliament Lodges.

However, the PTI MNAs approached IHC seeking restoration of their allotments.

After the ouster of former prime minister Imran Khan through vote of no confidence, PTI members resigned in protest.

Though PTI members submitted their resignations to the NA speaker, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has not de-notified as yet which kept their status as MNA intact.

PTI MNAs Amir Sultan and Shaukat Ali Bhatti belong to Jhang and Hafizabad and were residing in Parliament Lodges as members of National Assembly.

The petitioners have accused CDA’s employees of forcibly evicting them and throwing out their households and taken over possession forcefully from the accommodation.

The petitioners have argued in the petition “Such cancellation of government accommodation is amounts to deprive the petitioners from participating the function and procedure of national assembly”.

The petition said the “official accommodation is fundamental right of every MNA who belongs to far flung area of Punjab and had no other accommodation in Islamabad.”

During the hearing IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah observed that the court is restraining itself from interfering in the matters related to the parliament.

Justice Minallah inquired from the petitioners whether they have resigned?. To which the petitioner’s counsel replied that they have not resigned as yet.

IHC Chief Justice observed that the court respects the parliament and the matter should be placed before the speaker NA and then disposed of the petition.

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PTI lawmakers requested to take in eviction from lodges with NA speaker

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday asked PTI lawmakers to approach National Assembly (NA) speaker against their eviction from parliament lodges.

Capital Development Authority (CDA) on June 2 and June 3 served notices on Shaukat Ali Bhatti and Amir Sultan asking them to vacate the Parliament Lodges.

However, the PTI MNAs approached IHC seeking restoration of their allotments.

After the ouster of former prime minister Imran Khan through vote of no confidence, PTI members resigned in protest.

Though PTI members submitted their resignations to the NA speaker, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has not de-notified as yet which kept their status as MNA intact.

PTI MNAs Amir Sultan and Shaukat Ali Bhatti belong to Jhang and Hafizabad and were residing in Parliament Lodges as members of National Assembly.

The petitioners have accused CDA’s employees of forcibly evicting them and throwing out their households and taken over possession forcefully from the accommodation.

The petitioners have argued in the petition “Such cancellation of government accommodation is amounts to deprive the petitioners from participating the function and procedure of national assembly”.

The petition said the “official accommodation is fundamental right of every MNA who belongs to far flung area of Punjab and had no other accommodation in Islamabad.”

During the hearing IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah observed that the court is restraining itself from interfering in the matters related to the parliament.

Justice Minallah inquired from the petitioners whether they have resigned?. To which the petitioner’s counsel replied that they have not resigned as yet.

IHC Chief Justice observed that the court respects the parliament and the matter should be placed before the speaker NA and then disposed of the petition.

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Shehbaz Sharif attendes Pakistan Navy passing out parade at Karachi

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday attended Pakistan Navy passing out parade at the Naval Academy in Karachi.

According to details, PM Shehbaz inspected the guard of honor and addressed the passing out parade at the naval academy.

Earlier, the prime minister landed in the port city Saturday morning where Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah welcomed him at the airport.

Prime Minister Mohammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that the nation is proud of its armed forces for making the country’s defence impregnable and playing a key role in the fight against terrorism.

He was addressing the passing out parade of 117th Midshipman and 25th Short Service Commission course at Pakistan Naval Academy in Karachi.

The Prime Minister said Pakistan Navy has even more important role to play in the present age of ever growing blue economy, marine security and strategic defence.

He said arming Pakistan Navy with latest technology for safeguarding maritime borders of the country is a priority of the government.

Shehbaz Sharif said we believe in peace and peaceful coexistence, but this must not be taken as our weakness. He said Pakistan Armed Forces are fully capable to take on any challenge.

The Prime Minister was of the view that it is only with prevailing peace that we can move forward on the path of development and prosperity.

Earlier, the Prime Minister reviewed the Guard of Honor and distributed prizes among the passing out cadets for their distinctive performance.

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