Khuzadar: One person was killed and nine others were injured in a blast on Sultan Ibrahim Road in Charok area of Khuzdar, witnesses and police said. A remote-controlled device was used to hit the vehicle of senior journalist.

Police claimed that the suspects targeted Khuzdar Press Club president Maulana Siddique Mengal who was killed in the explosion. Police and other law enforcement agencies cordoned off the area and launched investigations. The injured were transported to Civil Hospital.

The deceased was sent a threat letter last month.  Journalists and media organisations are observing World Press Freedom Day today.

More to follow.....

Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday expressed the hope that the interaction with the delegation of Saudi businessmen expected to visit Pakistan in the next few days would prove productive.

The prime minister, who chaired a high-level meeting to review the progress on Saudi investment and projects in the country, directed the authorities concerned to accord warm hospitality to the delegation.

The participants were briefed about the upcoming visit of Saudi businessmen and their expected investment in different sectors.

The prime minister thanked the Saudi leadership for promoting investment in Pakistan and taking measures for the country’s progress and prosperity.

Apprising the meeting of his recent Saudi visit, Prime Minister Shehbaz appreciated the relevant ministers and officers for their well-preparedness.

He told the participants that the Saudi leadership had assured their all-out support for Pakistan’s prosperity which was welcoming.

Referring to the bilateral cordial ties with Saudi Arabia that spanned over decades, he said Pakistan was fortunate to have a well-wisher friend like the Kingdom.

Prime Minister Shehbaz told the meeting that Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman were keenly interested in promoting investment in Pakistan.

Federal ministers Jam Kamal Khan, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Ahad Khan Cheema, Attaullah Tarar, Rana Tanveer Hussain, Dr Musaddik Malik, Abdul Aleem Khan and Sardar Awais Khan Leghari, State Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Jahanzeb Khan, PM’s Coordinator Rana Ehsan Afzal, National Coordinator of SIFC Lt. General Sarfaraz and relevant senior officers attended the meeting.

SOURCE: APP

Brasília (BBC ): A hydroelectric dam has collapsed in southern Brazil after days of heavy rains that triggered massive flooding, killing more than 30 people.

Officials say another 60 people are missing in Rio Grande do Sul state.

About 15,000 residents have fled their homes since Saturday. At least 500,000 people are without power and clean water across the state.

The burst dam triggered a two-metre wave, causing panic and further damage in the already flooded areas.

The dam is located between the municipality of Cotiporã and the city of Bento Gonçalves.

The extreme weather has been caused by a rare combination of hotter-than-average temperatures, high humidity and strong winds.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has visited the region, promising help from the central government.

Earlier, state Governor Eduardo Leite pleaded for urgent assistance, saying that "we need to rescue hundreds of people in dozens of municipalities".

Helicopters have been deployed to search for stranded people.

In some areas, the flooding is so severe that helicopters have been unable to land and have had to winch residents to safety.

In the Candelária municipality, residents took to the roofs of their homes as their houses filled with water.

Meteorologists have predicted further rains to fall in the region as a cold front moves across it.

Last year, more than 30 people were killed in a cyclone in Rio Grande do Sul.

Brazil's National Institute of Meteorology attributed the increased intensity and frequency of rainfall to the climate phenomenon El Niño.

SOURCE: BBC