Pak Army chief meets PM Imran
Islamabad: Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Thursday met Prime Minister Imran Khan and discussed external and internal security situations. General Bajwa, who was accompanied by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt. Gen. Faiz Hamid, discussed the professional matters pertaining to the Pakistan Army as well as the external and internal security situation, the […]
COVID-19 immunity lasts at least 8 months: Study
Melbourne: People who have recovered from the novel coronavirus infection have immune memory to protect against reinfection for at least eight months, according to a new study which provides strong evidence for the likelihood that COVID-19 vaccines will work for long periods. While earlier studies have shown that antibodies against the coronavirus wane after the […]
UAE Islamic body OKs vaccines even with pork
Dubai: The United Arab Emirates’ highest Islamic authority, the UAE Fatwa Council, has ruled that coronavirus vaccines are permissible for Muslims even if they contain pork gelatin. The ruling follows growing alarm that the use of pork gelatin, a common vaccine ingredient, may hamper vaccination among Muslims who consider the consumption of pork products “haram”, […]
New coronavirus variant: UK scientists probe virus spread in children
London: Scientists in the UK are investigating the impact of a new mutant variant of coronavirus, named VUI-202012/01, on children and whether its faster transmission in parts of England is down to the younger segment of the population. The government’s New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag) is monitoring the data to analyse […]
Covid-19 effect: UAE diplomat acknowledges visa restrictions on Pak nationals
Dubai: The United Arab Emirates’ top diplomat has publicly acknowledged a so-far unexplained ban on visitors from Pakistan, which travel agents say also targets tourists and labourers from a dozen Muslim-majority countries amid the pandemic and the UAE’s normalisation of ties with Israel. Following a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart, Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah […]
Concern among Muslims over halal status of COVID-19 vaccine
Jakarta: In October, Indonesian diplomats and Muslim clerics stepped off a plane in China. While the diplomats were there to finalise deals to ensure millions of doses reached Indonesian citizens, the clerics had a much different concern: Whether the COVID-19 vaccine was permissible for use under Islamic law. As companies race to develop a COVID-19 […]
Farmers’ agitation: Will decide next course of action in 2-3 days: Protesting unions
New Delhi: Farmer unions protesting against the three agri laws on Saturday said they will decide their next course of action in the next two-three days, after the Supreme Court earlier this week pointed out it was thinking of setting up an “impartial and independent” panel of agriculture experts and peasants’ unions to resolve the […]
Afghan peace talks: US Joint Chiefs chairman meets Taliban negotiators
Kabul: The top US general held unannounced talks with Taliban peace negotiators in the Persian Gulf to urge a reduction in violence across Afghanistan, even as senior American officials in Kabul warned that stepped-up Taliban attacks endanger the militant group’s nascent peace negotiations with the Afghan government. Army Gen. Mark A Milley, chairman of the […]
Implementation of Forest Rights Act
Admin appoints 8-member panel to implement new legislation
Srinagar: In a significant development, Jammu & Kashmir’s Forest department has set-up a high-level committee to provide it legal and technical support for implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) in the Union Territory. The eight-member panel headed by Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (APCCF) and Chief Executive Officer, Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and […]