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05/02/2022

Agr Kisi bhai k pas Karachi me private jobs ka WhatsApp Group ha to comment me Link share krein Kisi na Kisi ka bhala hojay ga

07/05/2021

PM Imran Khan hails Amazon approval to start operations in Pakistan, terms it 'great development'
Pakistan
APP & Web DeskFri, May 07, 2021

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan termed it a 'great development' as the United States e-commerce giant Amazon has greenlighted to add Pakistan to its sellers' list, saying it would enable the country’s young entrepreneurs to join the export market.

“A great development as Amazon has finally approved that our sellers can export their goods through its system,” the prime minister tweeted on Thursday.

PM Imran Khan hails Amazon approval to start operations in Pakistan, terms it 'great development'
Pakistan
APP & Web DeskFri, May 07, 2021

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan termed it a 'great development' as the United States e-commerce giant Amazon has greenlighted to add Pakistan to its sellers' list, saying it would enable the country’s young entrepreneurs to join the export market.

“A great development as Amazon has finally approved that our sellers can export their goods through its system,” the prime minister tweeted on Thursday.

24/04/2021

24/04/2021

Joe Biden Twitte
24-04-2021

24/04/2021

News
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Occupied East Jerusalem
Israel launches attacks on besieged Gaza after rockets fired
Attacks come as tensions in occupied East Jerusalem soar with armed Israeli police scuffling with Palestinians for a second night.

On Friday, following confrontations, police said 44 people were arrested in Jerusalem [Ammar Awad/Reuters]
On Friday, following confrontations, police said 44 people were arrested in Jerusalem [Ammar Awad/Reuters]
24 Apr 2021
The Israeli military has carried out strikes targeting Hamas positions in the besieged Gaza Strip as evening clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians continued in Jerusalem.

Palestinian news agency Maan said Israeli army tanks near the fortified fence separating the Gaza Strip from Israel launched attacks towards the enclave on Saturday. No injuries were reported.
The Israeli army said it hit underground infrastructure and rocket launchers in Gaza “in response to rockets fired at Israel throughout the night”.

It said some rockets exploded before reaching Israel and others were intercepted by its air defence system.

Hamas did not claim responsibility for the rocket attacks, but a small military formation affiliated with the leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said it fired some of the missiles.

24/04/2021

Edhi Foundation has offered a fleet of 50 ambulances and services of its staff to India in a bid to manage the country's coronavirus situation, which is turning worse with each passing day.

India's health system is staggering owing to the rising number of coronavirus cases in the country, with several hospitals running out of oxygen to supply coronavirus patients, resulting in a large number of people dying from the infection.

"As a neighbouring friend, we sympathise with you greatly and during this strenuous time, we would like to extend our help in the form of a fleet of 50 ambulances along with our services to assist you in addressing, and further circumventing, the current health conditions," reads a letter written by Faisal Edhi, Chairman of the Edhi Foundation.

Edhi offered to personally lead and manage the humanitarian team from his foundation, adding that "our organization understands the gravity of the situation, and we wish to lend you our full support, without any inconvenience to you, which is why we will arrange all the necessary supplies that our team needs to assist the people of India".

The philanthropist wrote in the letter that the Edhi Foundation team would include emergency staff, medical technicians, office staff, drivers, and supporting staff members. He said the Foundation would require no help from India as it would make arrangements for its staff's fuel, food and other amenities.

"We only request your permission to enter India as well as any necessary guidance from the local administration and police department," he wrote, adding that the Edhi Foundation was ready to deploy its team in critical areas of the country.

"We look forward to assisting you in managing the current humanitarian crises, and hope only to provide our help in whatever way that we can, for the benefit of the people of India," he concluded the letter.

Indian healthcare system collapses as coronavirus cases surge again

India recorded the world's highest daily tally of coronavirus cases for the second day in a row on Friday, while daily deaths from COVID-19 also jumped by a record.

With 332,730 new cases, India's total caseload has now passed 16 million.

Deaths in the past 24 hours, deaths also jumped to a record 2,263, the health ministry said, while officials across northern and western India, including the capital, New Delhi, warned most hospitals were full and running out of oxygen.

The spike in cases came as a fire in a hospital in a suburb of Mumbai treating COVID-19 patients killed 13 people on Friday, the latest accident to hit a facility in India crowded with people infected with the coronavirus.

"The fire at a COVID-19 hospital in Virar is tragic", Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter, approving payouts for the victims' relatives.

On Wednesday, 22 COVID-19 patients died at a public hospital in Maharashtra state when their oxygen supply ran out after a leak in the tank. At least nine coronavirus patients died in a hospital fire in Mumbai on March 26.

Daily infections hit 332,730 on Friday, up from 314,835 the previous day when India set a new record, surpassing one set by the United States in January of 297,430 new cases. The US tally has since fallen.

Delhi reported more than 26,000 new cases and 306 deaths, or about one fatality every five minutes, the fastest since the pandemic began.

Medical oxygen and beds have become scarce, with major hospitals putting up notices saying they have no room for any more patients and police being deployed to secure oxygen supplies.

Max Healthcare, which runs a network of hospitals in northern and western India posted an appeal on Twitter on Friday for emergency supplies of oxygen at its facility in Delhi.

"We regret to inform you that we are suspending any new patient admissions in all our hospitals in Delhi ... till oxygen supplies stabilise," the company said.

Similar desperate calls from hospitals and ordinary people have been posted on social media for days this week across the country.

Bhramar Mukherjee, a professor of biostatistics and epidemiology at the University of Michigan in the United States, said it was now as if there was no social safety net for Indians.

"Everyone is fighting for their own survival and trying to protect their loved ones. This is hard to watch," he said.

24/04/2021

A breakaway group of PTI lawmakers are in contact with her party, PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz claimed Saturday, adding that the party members "do not wish to contest the next general elections from PTI's platform."

The "breakaway group", which comprises the supposed 40 lawmakers backing Jahangir Tareen, is much larger than that, said the PML-N leader while addressing a press conference in Lahore.

"Let the elections be announced. You will witness the drama unfold," she said.

The PML-N leader said the unhappy PTI lawmakers "could not bear the burden" of Prime Minister Imran Khan's "incompetence" anymore.

Responding to a question on the cabinet reshuffle, she likened the move to "exchanging one set of dirty clothes with another", and so of "no benefit". She said the only solution to the country's problems was to send PM Imran Khan's government packing.

Maryam, speaking on PPP parting ways with the Pakistan Democratic Movement, said it was solely the party's decision to leave the Opposition's alliance. "It would've been better had this not happened," she said.

The PML-N vice president said that her remarks about the party having sought support with the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) came from a principled standpoint and she had no choice to make such a statement.

Speaking of the sugar crisis, which has led to some shops only offering the essential commodity in a limited quantity to each family, the PML-N vice president said "people are being handed sugar as if they are beggars".

On her Karachi visit, Maryam said she had cancelled it to protect the lives and health of the people. "The people of NA-249 should ensure they take (coronavirus) safety measures when going to the polls."

24/04/2021

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NewsCoronavirus OutbreakDelhi govt failed to install 8 oxygen plants under PM-Cares, book it for criminal negligence: BJP
Delhi govt failed to install 8 oxygen plants under PM-Cares, book it for criminal negligence: BJP
The BJP has alleged that the Delhi government failed to install eight oxygen plants sanctioned under PM-Cares Fund last year. It said the government should be booked for criminal negligence.
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Ram Kinkar Singh
New Delhi
April 24, 2021UPDATED: April 24, 2021 18:55 IST

Hospitals in Delhi have been facing an acute shortage of medical oxygen because of which they are unable to treat Covid-19 patients. (Photo: PTI)
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded that a case of criminal negligence should be filed against the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government, and it should be prosecuted for not setting up eight oxygen plants in the city.

The BJP said in December last year, the Centre had allocated money to the Delhi government to set up eight oxygen plants. However, the Delhi government has been able to set up only plant, the party said.

Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta alleged that the people of Delhi are suffering today because the Delhi government lacks an intention to work.

"The Modi government had given funds to the Delhi government to set up eight oxygen plants but the Delhi government did not do anything in this regard. Should not the Delhi government be punished for this negligence?" he tweeted.

23/04/2021

Caitlyn Jenner announced Friday that she intends to run for governor of California in a recall election that is likely to be formalized in the coming days.

“I am a proven winner and the only outsider who can put an end to Gavin Newsom’s disastrous time as governor,” Jenner said in a statement.

The Olympic gold medalist and transgender rights activist is a longtime Republican and joins a crowded field of conservatives hoping to unseat Newsom, who has been the state’s Democratic governor for the past two years. The petition signatures calling for a recall election are still being verified by California election officials, but if it passes, an election would be held “no earlier than Nov. 2 and as late as Nov. 30,” according to a timetable from the Los Angeles Times.

10/04/2021

SHANGHAI: Chinese regulators hit e-commerce giant Alibaba with a record 18.2 billion yuan ($2.78 billion) fine on Saturday over practices deemed to be an abuse of the company´s dominant market position.

Alibaba, the Jack Ma-founded Chinese e-commerce leader and one of the world's most valuable companies, said it accepted the penalty and pledged to outline plans on Monday for bringing its operations in compliance.

The fine appeared to cap a government crackdown on major Chinese tech platforms, and Alibaba in particular, over allegations of anti-competitive behaviour and misuse of consumer data.

The State Administration for Market Regulation said it assessed the fine after concluding an investigation into Alibaba that began in December.

The probe centred on Alibaba´s practice of forbidding merchants who wish to sell their wares on its popular online marketplaces from simultaneously offering them on rival e-commerce sites.

"Since 2015, Alibaba Group has abused its dominant position in the market" with the exclusivity requirement, the regulator said.

The requirement harmed competition, innovation, and the interests of merchants and consumers, it added.

The fine was a record and nearly three times the almost $1 billion levied against Qualcomm in 2015, Bloomberg said.

The size of the penalty was determined after the market watchdog decided to fine Alibaba four percent of its 2019 sales of 455.7 billion yuan.

Shortly after the decision was announced Alibaba issued a contrite statement that used many of the government´s recent talking points on the issue, pledging to make changes to safeguard fair competition.

"We accept the penalty with sincerity and will ensure our compliance with determination," it said.

The company added that it would hold a conference call with investors on Monday to share its "thoughts and plans for the long-term healthy development of our business in the future."

01/04/2021

Biden unveils $2T American Jobs Plan to boost infrastructure
All attempts by Donald Trump to take credit for the successful vaccination drive in the US fell on deaf ears nationwide. “The other guy”, as Biden likes to refer to the former president, seems to be out of sight and out of mind.

With three-quarters of Americans happy with Biden’s handling of the pandemic, according to a recent poll, the new president has successfully passed a mammoth $1.9 trillion relief bill, one of the biggest stimulus plans in the nation’s history.

Biden’s rescue plan offers more direct help to more Americans than any stimulus plan since the 2008 financial crisis, focusing more on people than corporations or banks, to help the economy turn the corner after the coronavirus ran havoc.

And it will also expand welfare for more American families as a way to tackle poverty, mainly by raising taxes on corporations and the rich.

But the rescue plan now looks modest in comparison to Biden’s even more ambitious recovery plan worth $3 trillion, which the administration hopes to spend on national infrastructural, housing and environmental projects in its first $2 trillion phase, and on healthcare, childcare, etc in its second phase.

The plan is not only meant to help the US catch up with other major developed nations in terms of quality of its infrastructure, digital and social services, but also to help put millions of Americans back to work, and in the process, tackle poverty, marginalisation, and racism more effectively.

Biden has also signed over 50 executive actions – more than any of his recent predecessors – many of which were aimed at rolling back or dismantling Trump-era policies.

And there is more ambitious legislation in the pipeline.

The administration is working with its allies in Congress to pass “For The People Act”, a popular draft resolution that aims to expand voting rights of disenfranchised Americans and to curb the influence of money in politics.

Since the US Supreme Court rejected limits on corporate political contributions in 2010, corporate spending has run amok, deforming the electoral and legislative process, in both the GOP and the Democratic Party.

If Biden is successful in his endeavours, his growing popularity may help preserve and even expand the Democrats’ working majority in the Senate and the House of Representatives at the 2022 mid-term elections.

In short, Biden has wisely seized the historical moment, in the belief that one does not let a big crisis such as the pandemic go to waste, when major change is possible at such a critical juncture.

His ambitious legislative agenda is already inviting comparisons with other transformative and consequential presidents.

Generally, such parallels are pervasive in the US media and academia. Americans love to rate and compare their leaders as they do their athletes, movie stars and music artists.

And while presidential analogies are complicated, they do provide, even the presidents themselves, with wider perspectives on prospects for success and failure.

Biden has already met with historians to get their comparative perspectives, just as President Barack Obama did on many occasions. Trump needed no such consultations to compare himself with Abraham Lincoln and, well, Jesus Christ.

01/04/2021

News
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Business and Economy
Qatar to assist Lebanon’s economic recovery once gov’t is formed
Qatar’s FM says Doha ready to invest in Lebanon ‘as soon as a government is formed’.

Lebanon's wrangling politicians' failure to agree on a new government has drawn rebukes from donors and warnings of 'a social catastrophe' from UN agencies [Dalati and Nohta/AFP]
Lebanon's wrangling politicians' failure to agree on a new government has drawn rebukes from donors and warnings of 'a social catastrophe' from UN agencies [Dalati and Nohta/AFP]
9 Feb 2021
Qatar is ready to help cash-strapped Lebanon with its economic recovery if its deeply divided political class agrees on a new government.

The outgoing cabinet has served in a caretaker role since resigning in August last year following public fury over the Beirut port blast that killed more than 200 people and destroyed entire neighbourhoods.

01/04/2021

Groups of protesters have been burning tyres daily to block roads since the Lebanese currency tumbled to a new low on Tuesday, enraging a population long horrified by the country’s financial meltdown.

On Saturday, a small group of protesters in front of the central bank in the capital, Beirut, demanded access to their deposits, before walking to the Parliament to express their frustration.

“The dollar is 10,500 [pounds] and everyone has four or five children and their parents. They [politicians] need to feed us,” cried one protester.

“They vaccinated themselves from corona but they opened the country so that people could die,” he added, referring to a group of politicians who inoculated themselves in Parliament last month without prior approval, a move that led the World Bank to consider suspending its financing of vaccines in Lebanon.

Lebanon’s financial crisis, which erupted in 2019, has wiped out jobs, raised warnings of growing hunger and locked people out of their bank deposits.

Another protester said he was frustrated that other Lebanese were still sitting at home.

“Where are the Lebanese people? The dollar is now 10,500 [pounds] and it will reach to 15,000 or 20,000. Why are we inside homes? We have to come out.”

01/04/2021

Lebanon’s dire economic crisis faces the risk of turning into an “education catastrophe”, a leading humanitarian organisation has warned, with vulnerable children facing the possibility of never returning to school.

In a report published on Thursday, Save the Children said since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, more than 1.2 million children in Lebanon have been out of school.

News
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Child Rights
Many of Lebanon’s children ‘may never get back to school’
Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, more than 1.2 million children in Lebanon have been out of school.

Children play on a street in the Gemmayzeh district of Lebanon's capital Beirut after the monster blast at the nearby port that devastated the city [File: AFP]
Children play on a street in the Gemmayzeh district of Lebanon's capital Beirut after the monster blast at the nearby port that devastated the city [File: AFP]
1 Apr 2021
Lebanon’s dire economic crisis faces the risk of turning into an “education catastrophe”, a leading humanitarian organisation has warned, with vulnerable children facing the possibility of never returning to school.

In a report published on Thursday, Save the Children said since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, more than 1.2 million children in Lebanon have been out of school.

KEEP READING
Syrian refugees tortured in Lebanon: Amnesty report
Lebanon could sink like the Titanic, warns parliament speaker
Lebanon orders probe into torture claims of detained Syrians
Lebanon: Protesters forcibly disappeared, tortured, says report
Over the past year and a half, the pandemic has exacerbated the socioeconomic inequality, with more than half of Lebanese families living in poverty. The situation for Palestinian and Syrian refugee families in the country is even worse at 70 and 90 percent, respectively.

Poverty affects the ability of families to buy learning equipment, such as smartphones and regular internet connectivity. It further threatens the children’s return to education, as these families are forced to resort to relying on their children to provide an income, resulting in Save the Children saying that the question for many children in Lebanon is not when, but if they will return to school.

News
|
Child Rights
Many of Lebanon’s children ‘may never get back to school’
Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, more than 1.2 million children in Lebanon have been out of school.

Children play on a street in the Gemmayzeh district of Lebanon's capital Beirut after the monster blast at the nearby port that devastated the city [File: AFP]
Children play on a street in the Gemmayzeh district of Lebanon's capital Beirut after the monster blast at the nearby port that devastated the city [File: AFP]
1 Apr 2021
Lebanon’s dire economic crisis faces the risk of turning into an “education catastrophe”, a leading humanitarian organisation has warned, with vulnerable children facing the possibility of never returning to school.

In a report published on Thursday, Save the Children said since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, more than 1.2 million children in Lebanon have been out of school.

KEEP READING
Syrian refugees tortured in Lebanon: Amnesty report
Lebanon could sink like the Titanic, warns parliament speaker
Lebanon orders probe into torture claims of detained Syrians
Lebanon: Protesters forcibly disappeared, tortured, says report
Over the past year and a half, the pandemic has exacerbated the socioeconomic inequality, with more than half of Lebanese families living in poverty. The situation for Palestinian and Syrian refugee families in the country is even worse at 70 and 90 percent, respectively.

Poverty affects the ability of families to buy learning equipment, such as smartphones and regular internet connectivity. It further threatens the children’s return to education, as these families are forced to resort to relying on their children to provide an income, resulting in Save the Children saying that the question for many children in Lebanon is not when, but if they will return to school.

“Education for thousands of children in Lebanon is hanging by a thread,” said Jennifer Moorehead, Save the Children’s Lebanon country director.

“And a large number of children may never get back into a classroom either because they have missed so much learning already or because their families can’t afford to send them to school.”

01/04/2021

A court in Hong Kong has found seven prominent pro-democracy politicians and campaigners guilty of unauthorised assembly over their role in a peaceful protest that was one of the biggest rallies in the Chinese-controlled city in 2019.

Those convicted on Thursday include media tycoon Jimmy Lai, as well as 82-year-old Martin Lee, who helped launch the city’s largest opposition Democratic Party in the 1990s and is often called the former British colony’s “father of democracy”.

The silver-haired Lee and the others sat impassively as district court judge Amanda Woodcock handed down her decision.

“I have found after trial the prosecution able to prove beyond reasonable doubt that all of the defendants together organised what amounted to an unauthorised assembly,” the district court judge noted in the full written judgement.

They were also found guilty of knowingly participating in an unauthorised assembly.

01/04/2021

Brad Pitt gets support from ex wife Jennifer Aniston amid Angelina Jolie's domestic abuse allegations?

Hollywood superstar Brad Pitt would reportedly seek support from former wife Jennifer Aniston amid Angelina Jolie's domestic abuse allegations against her ex-husband.

Pitt and Jolie's court battle seems to have taken an unexpectedly ugly turn after the 'Maleficent' actress filed new documents, alleging domestic abuse during their ongoing divorce proceedings.

According to reports, Jolie is confident and will submit proof regarding her domestic abuse claims.

On the other hand, there're reports that Pitt who is shocked by these allegations is now gaining support from his former wife Jennifer Aniston.

A media outlet's report suggested that Brad Pitt is 'devastated' and sought 'Friends' alum's support this difficult time.

There're also reports that Jennifer Aniston contacted brad Pitt after Angelina Jolie's shocking domestic abuse allegations came out.

31/03/2021

Pfizer-BioNTech said on Wednesday their vaccine showed 100 percent efficacy against the coronavirus in 12 to 15-year-olds, as they eye approval for adolescents to get the jabs before the next school year.

Phase-three trials carried out on 2,260 adolescents in the United States “demonstrated 100 percent efficacy and robust antibody responses”, the companies said in a statement.

“We plan to submit these data to (US regulator) FDA as a proposed amendment to our Emergency Use Authorisation in the coming weeks and to other regulators around the world, with the hope of starting to vaccinate this age group before the start of the next school year,” said Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla.

The chief executive of German company BioNTech, Ugur Sahin, said the results showing high protection for teens were “very encouraging given the trends we have seen in recent weeks regarding the spread of the B.1.1.7 UK variant”.

The BioNTech-Pfizer shot is based on novel mRNA technology and was the first COVID-19 vaccine to be approved in the West late last year.

Both the United States and the European Union have approved its use for people aged 16 and above.

Since then, it has been used in millions of adults in more than 65 countries.

A real-world study involving 1.2 million people in Israel found it to be 94 percent effective.

With the world scrambling to inoculate, BioNTech said on Tuesday it was on track to manufacture 2.5 billion doses of its vaccine this year.

The higher output was driven by the recent launch of a new production site in the German city of Marburg, which is now one of the world’s largest mRNA vaccine manufacturing plants, it said.

The vaccine is also being produced at a Pfizer plant in Belgium and at three sites in the United States.

BioNTech said improved efficiency and new cooperation agreements with outside partners had also helped lift its vaccine target, as had the regulatory nod allowing vaccinators to extract six instead of just five doses from a single BioNTech-Pfizer vial.

BioNTech and Pfizer last week began studies of the jab on children, with the first group of five to 11-year-olds getting the vaccine.

A younger cohort of two-to-five-year-olds are expected to get their first dose next week in the study which will also cover children as young as six months old.

31/03/2021

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Emma Stone ecstatic to be taking on motherly role since welcoming baby with Dave McCary
Entertainment
Web DeskWed, Mar 31, 2021

Actress Emma Stone has been nothing less than overjoyed to be taking on the role of a mother since welcoming her baby girl with husband Dave McCary earlier this month.

A source close to the star told People that the 32-year-old actress and her husband, who quietly tied the knot in 2020, have been doing great in their marriage and were over the moon since welcoming their little girl.

"Emma and Dave have a great marriage and both wanted a child," the source said.

"They are a very grounded and private couple and were ready for a family. Emma is close to her family and good friends but not the type to flaunt her personal life,

"Dave respects that about her and is the same way. They have a great life together and support each other.

"Emma has been very excited about the baby. She has been private but said that she was feeling great. She always has a huge smile when she is with Dave."

26/03/2021

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BCCI Responds to Rumors of Pakistan India Cricket Series
Posted 9 mins ago by Ahsan Gardezi

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly dismissed rumors of a potential bilateral series between Pakistan and India.

BCCI’s Vice President, Rajiv Shukia, told a local Indian newspaper that “no such discussion has taken place within the board”, adding that the board’s stance remains identical to what it was ten years ago. Unless they get any approval from the Modi government, there can’t be any bilateral series with Pakistan, he said.

Earlier this week, an unnamed PCB official was quoted as saying that the board had been directed to “be prepared” in case a neutral cross-border exchange permits both countries to meet on the pitch, after nearly a decade of bilateral series being suspended amidst rising political tensions.

For the time being, comments made by the BCCI have dismissed any hopes for arch-rivals Pakistan and India to meet on the cricket field in 2021. Fans, however, are still hopeful of a high-octane Pakistan-India series in the near future.

26/03/2021

Lucky Motors is Bringing the World’s 4th Largest Car Manufacturer to Pakistan
Posted 5 hours ago by Waleed Shah

The Lucky Motor Corporation (LMC) Ltd. has signed a license and technical assistance agreement with the Stellantis Group. As per the agreement, the LMC has acquired the rights to assemble, manufacture, market, distribute, and sell the group’s passenger cars and light commercial vehicles in Pakistan.

Stellantis Group is a massive multinational conglomerate and the world’s fourth-largest automotive manufacturer that was a result of a merger between the France-based PSA Groupe and the Italian-American Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) group.

There are 16 automobile brands that operate under the Stellantis Group — Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Fiat Professional, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Mopar, Opel, Peugeot, Ram Trucks, and Vauxhall.

26/03/2021

Final election results have shown Israel in a political deadlock once again, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his opponents falling short of a governing majority.

Tuesday’s vote, Israel’s fourth parliamentary election in two years, was widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu’s fitness to rule while on trial for corruption.

He put Israel’s highly successful vaccination drive at the centre of his campaign but was criticised for earlier missteps during the pandemic and for refusing to step down after being indicted.

Israel’s election commission said on Thursday that with 100 percent of votes counted, Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party and his natural allies have won 52 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, Israel’s parliament. An ideologically diverse array of parties committed to replacing him won 57 seats.

A right-wing party led by former Netanyahu ally Naftali Bennett won seven seats and an Arab Islamist party led by Mansour Abbas won four. Both are uncommitted, but given the many rivalries in parliament, it is not clear whether either can deliver a required majority.

But on Thursday, head of the Religious Zionist Party, Bezalel Smotrich, said “there won’t be a right-wing government with the support of Abbas,” effectively closing the door on a possible union between Israel’s Islamist and religious Jewish parties.