AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementA Chinese laboratory has been developing a drug it believes has the power to bring the coronavirus pandemic to a halt.The outbreak first emerged in China late last year before spreading across the world, prompting an international race to find treatments and vaccines.A drug being tested by scientists at China's prestigious Peking University could not only shorten the recovery time for those infected, but even offer short-term immunity from the virus, researchers say.Sunney Xie, director of the university's Beijing Advanced Innovation...…AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementA Chinese laboratory has been developing a drug it believes has the power to bring the coronavirus pandemic to a halt.The outbreak first emerged in China late last year before spreading across the world, prompting an international race to find treatments and vaccines.A drug being tested by scientists at China's prestigious Peking University could not only shorten the recovery time for those infected, but even offer short-term immunity from the virus, researchers say.Sunney Xie, director of the university's Beijing Advanced Innovation...WW…

AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSaima Shaukat is a die-hard supporter of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), and was among the people who had gathered at Lalak Chowk in Defence Housing Authority, Lahore, to stage a sit-in against the alleged rigging in the 2013 election.“Where is my vote?” was the common refrain at the time.Saima had also joined the PTI’s sit-in in Islamabad in 2014 which had eventually forced the Nawaz Sharif-led government to form a judicial commission, led by Justice Nasirul Mulk (the incumbent caretaker prime minister), which had dismissed...…AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSaima Shaukat is a die-hard supporter of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), and was among the people who had gathered at Lalak Chowk in Defence Housing Authority, Lahore, to stage a sit-in against the alleged rigging in the 2013 election.“Where is my vote?” was the common refrain at the time.Saima had also joined the PTI’s sit-in in Islamabad in 2014 which had eventually forced the Nawaz Sharif-led government to form a judicial commission, led by Justice Nasirul Mulk (the incumbent caretaker prime minister), which had dismissed...WW…

AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAt least 30 Indian migrant workers were killed on Saturday in road accidents as they tried to return to their home villages during a nationwide coronavirus lockdown, officials said.The accidents, in central and northern India, were the latest involving some of the millions of labourers left stranded and jobless by the seven-week shutdown.Scores have died in road and rail accidents and even from exhaustion walking home.In the most deadly incident, a truck carrying about 40 labourers struck another vehicle also carrying workers and their...…AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAt least 30 Indian migrant workers were killed on Saturday in road accidents as they tried to return to their home villages during a nationwide coronavirus lockdown, officials said.The accidents, in central and northern India, were the latest involving some of the millions of labourers left stranded and jobless by the seven-week shutdown.Scores have died in road and rail accidents and even from exhaustion walking home.In the most deadly incident, a truck carrying about 40 labourers struck another vehicle also carrying workers and their...WW…

AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementKARACHI: While the world observed Telecommunication and Information Society Day on Sunday (May 17), social networking site Twitter was inaccessible to users in Pakistan for almost two hours.The platform’s website, app and video streaming service Periscope were inaccessible across the country from around 10pm till 1.30am, with news feeds refusing to refresh.Despite this, #TwitterDown was the top trend in the country, with multiple users using VPNs to report the outage on Twitter.However, Twitter said the disruption to services in the region...…AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementKARACHI: While the world observed Telecommunication and Information Society Day on Sunday (May 17), social networking site Twitter was inaccessible to users in Pakistan for almost two hours.The platform’s website, app and video streaming service Periscope were inaccessible across the country from around 10pm till 1.30am, with news feeds refusing to refresh.Despite this, #TwitterDown was the top trend in the country, with multiple users using VPNs to report the outage on Twitter.However, Twitter said the disruption to services in the region...WW…

AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementUnited States President Donald Trump on Wednesday assured Pakistan of support during the coronavirus crisis and said that the US would provide "ventilators and economic help".Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Trump in a telephone conversation discussed challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, its effect on the global economy and ways to mitigate its impact, according to an official statement from the Prime Minister House.The call was an extension of the premier's diplomatic outreach efforts related to his . The initiative aims...…AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementUnited States President Donald Trump on Wednesday assured Pakistan of support during the coronavirus crisis and said that the US would provide "ventilators and economic help".Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Trump in a telephone conversation discussed challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, its effect on the global economy and ways to mitigate its impact, according to an official statement from the Prime Minister House.The call was an extension of the premier's diplomatic outreach efforts related to his . The initiative aims...WW…

Analysts react to rigging allegations.With counting of votes still underway, , followed by the PML-N and the PPP, based on results from 26 percent of polling stations nationwide.The poll results have been roundly criticised. PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif has said "due to manifest and massive irregularities".PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari saying he has not received official results from any constituency he is contesting and that his party's polling agents have been thrown out of polling stations across the country.In response, the ECP has and asked all parties to raise specific...…Analysts react to rigging allegations.With counting of votes still underway, , followed by the PML-N and the PPP, based on results from 26 percent of polling stations nationwide.The poll results have been roundly criticised. PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif has said "due to manifest and massive irregularities".PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari saying he has not received official results from any constituency he is contesting and that his party's polling agents have been thrown out of polling stations across the country.In response, the ECP has and asked all parties to raise specific...WW…

AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAFTER many rumours and much uncertainty about the election, . The dust from Wednesday past has barely settled as the PTI scrambles around to get the numbers for Islamabad and Lahore while the PML-N hems and haws between turning its nose up at an unfair election and trying to form a government in Punjab.But even then, the results throw up some lessons and some thoughts. And they are listed here in no particular order.Before that, however, there is a caveat: with all the allegations of rigging and stolen elections being thrown around, it...…AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAFTER many rumours and much uncertainty about the election, . The dust from Wednesday past has barely settled as the PTI scrambles around to get the numbers for Islamabad and Lahore while the PML-N hems and haws between turning its nose up at an unfair election and trying to form a government in Punjab.But even then, the results throw up some lessons and some thoughts. And they are listed here in no particular order.Before that, however, there is a caveat: with all the allegations of rigging and stolen elections being thrown around, it...WW…

AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAs authorities battle against the novel coronavirus — which has so far infected 21 people in Pakistan — they also need to address the flow of fake news that is feeding national paranoia by spreading disinformation.An example is a fake Twitter account @MinHealthpk, which is designed to look like Pakistan’s Ministry of National Health Services and has become a source of headlines in the Indian media.The account was created in September 2019 and has recently been regularly posting false updates about the coronavirus situation in...…AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAs authorities battle against the novel coronavirus — which has so far infected 21 people in Pakistan — they also need to address the flow of fake news that is feeding national paranoia by spreading disinformation.An example is a fake Twitter account @MinHealthpk, which is designed to look like Pakistan’s Ministry of National Health Services and has become a source of headlines in the Indian media.The account was created in September 2019 and has recently been regularly posting false updates about the coronavirus situation in...WW…

AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) has suspended the authorisation for the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to operate in the bloc for six months, the airline's spokesman said on Tuesday.The move follows the of 262 pilots whose licences Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan termed “dubious”.“EASA has temporarily suspended PIA's authorisation to operate to the EU member states for a period of 6 months effective July 1, 2020, with the right to appeal against this decision,” a PIA statement said.Related:It added that PIA would...…AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) has suspended the authorisation for the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to operate in the bloc for six months, the airline's spokesman said on Tuesday.The move follows the of 262 pilots whose licences Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan termed “dubious”.“EASA has temporarily suspended PIA's authorisation to operate to the EU member states for a period of 6 months effective July 1, 2020, with the right to appeal against this decision,” a PIA statement said.Related:It added that PIA would...WW…

AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDozens of doctors and nurses in Punjab have launched a hunger strike demanding adequate protective equipment for frontline staff treating coronavirus patients, the lead organiser of the protest said on Saturday.Health workers have complained for weeks that the country's hospitals are suffering chronic shortages of safety gear, prompting the of more than 50 doctors who called for more supplies in Quetta earlier this month.Frontline staff have been left vulnerable, with more than 150 medical workers testing positive for the virus nationwide,...…AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDozens of doctors and nurses in Punjab have launched a hunger strike demanding adequate protective equipment for frontline staff treating coronavirus patients, the lead organiser of the protest said on Saturday.Health workers have complained for weeks that the country's hospitals are suffering chronic shortages of safety gear, prompting the of more than 50 doctors who called for more supplies in Quetta earlier this month.Frontline staff have been left vulnerable, with more than 150 medical workers testing positive for the virus nationwide,...WW…