Islamabad, July 1 (IANS) The Pakistan government’s decision to increase the petrol price by at least Rs 9.56 per litre is being massively criticised by people of the country who are already reeling under severe inflation and questioning the imposed taxes in the fiscal budget.

While the government led by Shehbaz Sharif maintains that the revision has been done in view of increase in the global fuel prices, the move has angered the masses.

As per the notification issued by the Finance Ministry, the price of High Speed Diesel (HSD) has also gone up by Rs 9.56 per litre.

The new prices after the fresh increase now stand at Rs 265.61 (per litre petrol) and Rs 277.49 (per litre HSD).

“This government is working only to please and satisfy the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and does not bother about the sufferings of the citizens,” said a resident of Islamabad.

“I am a rider with BIKEA (a local company providing transport services in Pakistan). The increase in fuel prices has hit me severely because we cannot increase the rates of our rides and have to bear the cost of fuel price increase from our own pocket,” said another person standing at a fuel station.

“This government cannot feel our pain, it cannot relate to our sufferings, it does not care if we live or die of starvation and hunger. It just wants to make the IMF happy and make life impossible for its citizens,” he added.

The government is already facing serious backlash from the locals who are protesting against high electricity bills and the ongoing load shedding being witnessed across the country.

Strong and angry protests have been witnessed in parts of the country with people slamming the government against increased taxes, high per unit rates on electricity and its direct impact on prices of items of basic needs, triggering high inflation levels, making it difficult for them to run their households.

Experts fear that the coming days may see more increase in prices of petroleum products if the government decides to increase the levy on petrol and HSD.

“The government is charging Rs 60 per litre petroleum levy on petrol and HSD, whereas they are exempt from general sales tax,” says economist Irshad Ansari.

“In case the government decides to raise the levy on both petrol and HSD by Rs 5 per litre, the prices of petrol and HSD would go up further by Rs 12.54 and Rs 14.84 per litre, respectively,” he added.

The Finance Bill 2024 has proposed a maximum petroleum levy limit of Rs 80 per litre, which means that the government will be increasing the levy in the coming days, the direct impact of which would be reflected in the prices of petrol and HSD.

–IANS

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Singapore, July 1 (IANS) Singapore police blocked 40 suspicious bank accounts and seized over 1.28 million Singapore dollars (945,000 U.S. dollars) during an operation between June 20 and June 27, according to the latest statement from the police.

Acting on information provided by DBS Bank, the police arrested three suspects for involvement in scam-related activities, reported Xinhua news agency.

Another 37 suspects are assisting investigations for allowing scammers to open bank accounts with their identities.

The investigation is underway.

–IANS

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Seoul, July 1(IANS) North Korea fired two ballistic missiles in a northeastern direction on Monday, South Korea’s military said, with one of the launches possibly failing and the missile falling inland within the country.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said one short-range ballistic missile was launched from the Jangyon area in South Hwanghae Province around 5:05 a.m. and flew about 600 kilometers, landing in waters off the North’s northeastern city of Chongjin, reported Yonhap news agency.

Another ballistic missile was launched from the same area at around 5:15 a.m. and flew only about 120 kilometers before its trail disappeared from radar. news agencyCol. Lee Sung-jun, spokesperson of the JCS, told a briefing the second missile may have flown abnormally during the early stage of its flight and that if it exploded in midair, its debris could have fallen inland.

“We are conducting a comprehensive analysis on various possibilities,” Lee said when asked if the missile had exploded or fallen inland. He declined to comment on where it may have come down.

The launch came a day after the North’s foreign ministry denounced a joint exercise between South Korea, the United States, and Japan, saying the country would take “offensive and overwhelming” countermeasures against what it called an attempt to strengthen a military bloc.

The three-day multidomain Freedom Shield exercise, which ended Saturday, involved fighter jets and warships, including a U.S. aircraft carrier, in international waters south of South Korea’s southern resort island of Jeju.

The latest launch also took place five days after the North fired a ballistic missile toward the East Sea on Wednesday.

The North claimed the next day to have successfully conducted a multiple warhead missile test, but the South has dismissed the claim as “deception,” saying the launch failed as the missile exploded in midair.

The latest launch also took place amid growing concerns over deepening military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a “comprehensive strategic partnership” treaty during a summit last month in Pyongyang.

The pact includes a pledge for the two countries to come to each other’s aid if attacked.

The launch raised speculation it could be a test for missiles intended to be sent to Russia, considering the KN-23 is suspected to have been used by Moscow. Lee declined to comment when asked about the possibility.

Seoul and Washington have accused Pyongyang of delivering arms to Moscow to fuel its war against Ukraine. Defense Minister Shin Won-sik has said the arms trade between North Korea and Russia is expected to expand after their leaders sign the treaty.

North Korea has ratcheted up cross-border tensions in recent weeks, launching trash-carrying balloons to South Korea in a tit-for-tat move against anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent by North Korean defectors and activists in the South.

–IANS

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Sydney, July 1 (IANS) Australian Police are currently investigating the cause of a serious two-vehicle traffic crash after three female passengers aboard a bus were killed in Queensland during the weekend.

Around 11:00 a.m. local time on Sunday, a four-wheel drive towing a caravan and a bus crashed on the Bruce Highway at Gumlu, a coastal town located in the state’s north, reported Xinhua news agency.

“Three passengers on the bus died at the scene, including a woman in her 30s, a woman in her 20s, and a 56-year-old Townsville woman. Multiple other people were taken to hospital, some with serious injuries,” Queensland Police said in its latest statement on the accident.

Following the crash, the Bruce Highway was closed in both directions at Gumlu before reopening to traffic at midnight.

Queensland Police Superintendent Graeme Paine provided an update to the local media outlet ABC News Breakfast on Monday morning, saying that officers are working to confirm the identities of a female in her 30s and another in her 20s, with several people still receiving treatment in the hospital.

“One of those is in critical condition. So there are certainly some concerns held for the safety of that person,” Paine noted.

According to the superintendent, the incident occurred in a zone that has a speed limit of 100 km per hour. The bus was travelling northernly on the highway and the four-wheel drive was heading in a southern direction.

“The impact that had occurred, it pushed the bus across to the railway line, hence we had the closure of the railway line at the time,” he added.

Given that an incident of this nature appeared “very complex,” the officer didn’t touch upon the cause of the accident, but stressed the necessity of going through “a holistic investigation.”

“Our specialist crash investigators have forensically examined the scene. They are currently interviewing additional witnesses and there will be further analysis of evidence,” said Paine.

Reports from the Queensland Ambulance Service suggested that a total of 35 patients were assessed at the crash site.

“Two patients with life-threatening injuries were airlifted to Townsville Hospital, and two patients with life-threatening injuries were airlifted to Ayr Hospital and four stable patients were transported by road to Ayr Hospital. Sadly, three people were deceased at the scene,” said the local emergency agency.

In addition, 24 other patients were identified with minor injuries and declined hospitalisation.

With a population of 124, Gumlu is a remote locality in the Whitsunday region, lying 1,223 km north of Queensland’s capital Brisbane, with Bruce Highway as the major artery connecting a slew of towns along the state’s eastern coast.

Whitsunday Mayor Ry Collins described to ABC Radio that the section of the highway could be challenging as it “feels like a country road.”

“There’s no shoulder on the road. It is a fairly open section so I’d imagine the vehicles coming either way would have been able to see each other but there’s obviously been something happened here where one’s veered into the other’s lane,” said Collins.

–IANS

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Colombo, July 1 (IANS) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday condoled the death of R. Sampanthan, one of the seniormost Tamil politicians in Sri Lanka, and also the leader of Tamil National Alliance (TNA).

“My deepest condolences to the family and friends of veteran TNA leader R. Sampanthan. Will always cherish fond memories of meetings with him,” the Indian PM wrote in a message posted on X.

“He relentlessly pursued a life of peace, security, equality, justice and dignity for the Tamil nationals of Sri Lanka. He will be deeply missed by his friends and followers in Sri Lanka and India,” added PM Modi.

External Affairs Minister of India, S. Jaishankar too sent his condolences on the demise of Sampanthan, who maintained close contacts with India and Indian leaders.

“Deeply saddened to hear about the passing away of Sri Lankan Tamil leader Shri R. Sampanthan,” said Jaishankar.

“Recall my many meetings and conversations with him over several decades. He dedicated his entire life fighting for the equality, dignity and justice for Tamils in Sri Lanka,” the EAM mentioned.

Sampanthan, 91, passed away on Sunday night while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Colombo.

One of the longest-serving lawmakers in Sri Lanka, Sampanthan was elected to the parliament from the Eastern district of Trincomalee in 1977.

With the TNA having the second-highest number of MPs, Sampanthan was the Opposition leader of the country’s Parliament from 2015 to December 2018. He remained an MP for 23 straight years since entering the Parliament in 2001.

–IANS

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