Headlines 9am: Hajj activities begin, Pakistan coronavirus deaths near 6,000

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

• Pakistan has reported another 32 deaths and 1,114 coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours. A total of 25,347 active cases remain in the country and 246,131 people have defeated the virus.
• Prime Minister Imran Khan has asked the Pakistan Army to help clean streets across Karachi that are inundated with rainwater. The PM has also directed the National Disaster Management Authority chairperson to urgently head to the city. Federal Maritime Affairs Minister Ali Zaidi thanked the army on Twitter for coming to the city’s aid.
• At least three people, including two women, were injured by Indian security forces in the Rakhchikri sector along the Line of Control. Army troops responded effectively to Indian firing.
• Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani has admitted that he shared a doctored video on his social media accounts and attributed it to SAMAA TV.“The video you mentioned, I didn’t edit it and I didn’t make it,” Ghani said while addressing a press conference in Karachi. “The video came on a Whatsapp group and I shared it. I am not saying it was authentic, it is also possible that it was doctored,” Ghani said.
• Commuters and residents of North Nazimabad are facing trouble due to sewage and rainwater filling roads in the area after recent spells of rain.
• The annual Hajj pilgrimage has begun in Saudi Arabia, but only around 10,000 pilgrims are expected due to coronavirus restrictions compared to the usual two million people who perform the yearly pilgrimage. People will perform congregational prayers and other obligations while practicing social distancing.

from Coronavirus – SAMAA https://ift.tt/33f3h6G