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The NDMA issues a warning on flash floods and hailstorms till May 17.
On Tuesday, the National Emergencies Operation Centre (NEOC) of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) released a comprehensive weather forecast extending to May 17, cautioning of extensive rainfall, thunderstorms, hailstorms, flash floods, and landslides across various regions of the country. Provincial and district authorities have been instructed to maintain heightened vigilance and implement emergency preparedness protocols.
The NDMA states that the present weather conditions align with the seasonal forecast provided by the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) three to four months ago for the April-June timeframe, noting that prior alerts had already suggested the likelihood of severe weather activity this season.
The NEOC forecasted rain with thunderstorms in certain regions of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir within the next 12 to 24 hours.
Rainfall and thunderstorms are anticipated in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, namely in Gilgit, Skardu, Hunza, Nagar, Ghizer, Diamer, Astore, Ghanche, Shigar, Kharmang, Muzaffarabad, Neelum Valley, Bagh, Rawalakot, Kotli, Mirpur, and Bhimber.
Rain is anticipated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, specifically in Chitral, Dir, Swat, Kalam, Malakand, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Peshawar, Nowshera, Mardan, Kohat, Dera Ismail Khan, and Waziristan.
The weather system is forecast to impact Islamabad and many districts of Punjab, including Murree, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Lahore, Faisalabad, Jhang, Okara, Bahawalpur, and Bahawalnagar, with anticipated strong winds, thunderstorms, and hailstorms.
In Sindh, substantial winds and precipitation, followed by thunder, are anticipated in Hyderabad, Badin, Thatta, Jamshoro, and Mirpurkhas.
The NEOC cautioned that the northern portions of the country may see flash floods from May 12 to 16, especially in the mountainous areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir, where elevated water levels in streams and seasonal nullahs could induce localized flooding.
The advice indicates that abrupt floods may arise in the River Chitral and its tributaries, such as Birir Gol, Acholga Gol, and Mirkhani streams.
An augmentation in water flow is anticipated in the streams and rivers traversing Swat, Dir, Shangla, Buner, Kohistan, Battagram, Torghar, Mansehra, Abbottabad, and Malakand.
Localized flooding in Gilgit-Baltistan may impact Ghizer, Hunza, Nagar, Darel, Tangir, Diamer, and Skardu, while tributaries associated with the Gilgit, Shigar, Shyok, and Astore rivers may experience heightened water flow.
The NDMA cautioned about increased chances of flash floods and landslides in Muzaffarabad, Neelum Valley, and Bagh in Azad Kashmir.
Citizens are urged to refrain from non-essential travel during inclement weather and to maintain distance from fragile structures, power lines, waterways, and unstable inclines. Tourists have been explicitly advised about camping in proximity to rivers, nullahs, and regions susceptible to landslides.
The authority instructed district administrations to maintain readiness of rescue teams and dewatering equipment, while people in low-lying areas were cautioned to prepare for an emergency evacuation.
The NDMA encouraged the public to adhere to directives from local authorities and remain informed via the Pak NDMA Disaster Alert App for prompt weather updates and emergency notifications.
Bridgewater Associates says the risk of AI-induced mass layoffs will stay low this year, as limits on computer power and a robust economy will dampen the technology’s near-term impact on employment.
The research report gives some more details:
Adoption remains restricted, with less than 20% of U.S. companies reporting AI use in any business function in a two-week span, mostly in information, technology and professional services, Bridgewater said using Census Bureau data.
The survey said more than 90% of companies adopting AI reported no impact to employment during the preceding six months, while more said they increased than decreased headcount in those that were impacted.
Bridgewater highlighted two dangers to that prediction in the near term: an escalation of the Iran conflict and cost pressures from corporations’ AI capital investments.
Even if the labor market remains subdued, Bridgewater cautions that without the help of AI to cool the economy, the Federal Reserve may struggle to manage inflationary pressures in a tight labor market.
Pakistani actor Kinza Hashmi has disclosed that she is facing major security threats. She said that she has had many instances with stalkers which has made it difficult for her to trust anyone around her.
The actress revealed in an interview that a foreign-based obsessive admirer was able to influence members of her domestic staff by paying them money. She said her seven-year veteran staff had been passing around confidential information behind her back, including photos from her house, her personal possessions and even shots of her prescription.
Hashmi said she was “so shaken” by the breach of privacy and that it “really affected me in terms of trusting people”.
She remembered another unsettling event too where another stalker found their way onto the set of one of her play shows and then tried to find out her residence. But he could not find her apartment number, and was barred from entering.
She stated she had to turn to on-set workers for help with the situation, characterizing such events as very upsetting for public figures.
“Celebrities often face such harassment but it is often difficult to file a case or make a formal complaint,” Hashmi noted.
Ambassador of Pakistan, Ali Javed and Italian Secretary General Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Riccardo Guariglia, have recently signed Agreement to abolish requirement of visas for diplomatic passports.
The signing ceremony was hosted at Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs here in Rome.
Ahead of ceremony, both dignitaries convened one-on-one talks. Expressing satisfaction with substance, intensity and soaring trajectory of their two nations’ strategic cooperation, both sides reviewed full spectrum of their traditionally cordial & cooperative bilateral engagement & cooperation at multilateral platforms including UN & EU.
Both sides termed the finalization of the accord as reflection of mutual trust & friendship and an excellent addition to their existing wide range of bilateral mechanisms for exchanges and cooperation. The Agreement shall facilitate smooth exchanges of diplomatic delegations and strengthen bilateral engagement.
AI labour displacement danger minimal in short term: Bridgewater
Kinza Hashmi speaks out on significant security threats
Pakistan, Italy sign visa-free pact for diplomatic passports
ICC board meeting in India: Mohsin Naqvi gets invitation
The IMF mission has arrived in Pakistan for discussions regarding the budget.
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