Latest News
NTSB chair calls on Congress to pass aviation safety bill
Jennifer Homendy, chair of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), has called on Congress to resolve a months-long legislative gridlock and adopt key modifications to aviation safety geared to prevent future midair collisions.
Homendy said the NTSB already has given lawmakers “a clear roadmap” to improve aviation safety and help prevent another catastrophic airborne disaster. Now, she said, it’s time for Congress to act on measures it promised months ago.
The request comes after an American Airlines regional flight crashed into a US Army helicopter outside Washington, DC in January 2025, killing 67 people in the biggest US aviation tragedy since 2001.
The US House of Representatives voted 396-10 in April to pass a sweeping plan to enhance aviation safety. The law contains dozens of recommendations that came out of the tragedy. A related legislation, the so-called ROTOR Act, cleared the Senate unanimously in December but failed to get the two-thirds support needed in the House under fast-track rules.
The NTSB said the 2025 crash in the congested airspace above the US capital may have been avoided if Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology was in operation.
Earlier this year, the NTSB said the tragedy was caused by systematic flaws at the Federal Aviation Administration.
The House bill would require all U.S. military aircraft excluding fighter planes, bombers and drones to have collision-prevention technology by 2031. It also sets standards for collision avoidance systems on civilian airplanes and helicopters.
House and Senate members are still talking about ways to address disagreements between the dueling proposals.
Earlier this month, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told Reuters that the agency gave technical help to Congress during the legislative process. The FAA can proceed with greater use of ADS-B technology without clearance from Congress, he said, but would like clear direction from lawmakers.
The NTSB found that the 2025 accident was caused by the FAA’s decision to allow helicopters to operate near the airport without proper separation from commercial aircraft and its failure to review safety data and implement past recommendations to divert helicopter traffic from the airport.
Latest News
The Women’s Asia Cup and Asian Games squads have been announced by the PCB.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has named 15-member teams for the Women’s Asia Cup and the 20th Asian Games.
Regular captain Fatima Sana will lead the national team in both the competitions. She missed the current T20I series of Pakistan versus Sri Lanka due to her commitments in The Hundred.
The Women’s Asia Cup will be played in Dubai from August 28 to September 13.
Fatima Sana, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Ayesha Zafar, Gul Feroza and Syaira Jabbeen are the six uncapped players included in the Asia Cup roster. Asia Cup is scheduled to be played in Bangladesh from August 30 to September 17.
The lineup for the Asian Games includes Alia Riaz, Tasmiya Rubab and Humna Bilal.
Pakistan are in Group A together with India, Thailand and Hong Kong, China. The national team will play Thailand on September 1, India on September 5 and Hong Kong, China on September 7.
Semi finals will be contested on September 10 and 11, with the final on September 13 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. All matches will start at 7:30pm Pakistan Standard Time
Pakistan have been paired up with Thailand at the Asian Games. The national team will face Thailand in the fourth quarter-final at Koroogi Athletic Park in Aichi on September 17.
In the other quarter-finals India will play Japan, Bangladesh will meet China and Sri Lanka will face Malaysia.
Pakistan won gold medals in the women’s cricket competitions in the 2010 and 2014 Asian Games, and finished fourth in the 2022 edition.
Either Sri Lanka or Malaysia will meet Pakistan if they reach the semi-final this time. September 22nd is the date of the medal matches.
Pakistan will hold a national training camp at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore from August 16 to 25 as part of preparations for the Asia Cup.
Business
ECC allows increase in dealers’ margin on fuel, diesel
As a result of the approval of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), the margin that dealers make on gasoline and diesel has been increased by Rs1.34 per liter respectively.
In the course of an ECC meeting that was presided over by Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, who is the Minister of Finance, the decision was made.
As a result of the approval, the manufacturers’ profit margin on gasoline and diesel will go up from Rs8.64 to Rs9.98 per liter.
This action is being taken with the intention of addressing the concerns of petroleum dealers and increasing the practicality of operations at gas stations.
Nauman Butt, Vise Chairman of the All Pakistan Petroleum Pumps Owners Association, expressed his satisfaction with the decision and expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Petroleum Minister for their approval of the hike.
Latest News
Pakistan Embassy in Washington unveils statue of Quaid-i-Azam
— A statue of Pakistan’s founder Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah has been erected at the Pakistani Embassy in Washington D.C.
The statue was unveiled Friday at a ceremony at the embassy marking Pakistan’s Independence Day celebrations, giving the occasion a historic and patriotic flavor.
The statue was unveiled by Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Rizwan Saeed Sheik, at the ceremony attended by members of the Pakistani-American community, diplomats and members of the media.
The statue was donated to the embassy by the Houston-based Quaid-i-Azam Foundation and will be permanently installed in the Pakistani Embassy in Washington.
The installation comes as Pakistan prepares to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah this year. Speaking at the occasion, Ambassador Sheik paid honor to the founder of Pakistan for his political fight and hard efforts for foundation of the country.
The Independence Day celebration began with the hoisting of the Pakistani flag followed by the national song and recitation of verses from the Holy Quran. Messages of the president, prime minister and deputy prime minister on the occasion of Independence Day were also read out.
Addressing the gathering, Ambassador Sheik said Pakistan continued to be essential to the United States in the regional and global context.
In his Independence Day speech to Pakistan, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also spoke of bilateral collaboration. Areas of collaboration are: regional mediation, key minerals, energy, counter-terrorism, cultural heritage, trade and investment.
Pakistan’s attempts toward regional mediation have also become important in the wake of continued tensions between the United States and Iran. Pakistan has sought to leverage its contacts with both Washington and Tehran to foster discussion and aid in defusing tensions.
There was also a particular honor at the event. Pakistani-American community leader and cultural ambassador Waqar Ali Khan was given President’s Medal for Pride of Performance for his decades-long services.
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