21 March, 2020 By SJA Jafri + Bureau Report ISLAMABAD/ WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has called on the US to lift “unjust” sanctions on Iran so its western neighbor can focus on winning the battle against the coronavirus pandemic. “I would stress and insist to the international community to …
Read More »Total cases 250,000: Recovered 80,000: Deaths 10,000
20 March, 2020 LONDON/ PARIS/ NEW YORK/ KARACHI/ SYDNEY: Death toll passes 10,000, confirmed cases near 250,000, more than 80,000 recovered UK policies to limit the spread of coronavirus would be needed for “at least most of a year” Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon urges Scots to obey health advice …
Read More »Four men executed for Delhi bus rape & murder
By SJA Jafri + Bureau Report 20 March, 2020 NEW DELHI/ NIRBHAYA: Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta and Mukesh Singh were sentenced to death by a trial court in 2013 over the charge of gang rape and murder of a student in Delhi in 2012. The four were hanged …
Read More »Mass prayer event in Bangladesh fuels coronavirus fear
19 March, 2020 RAIPUR/ DHAKA: Tens of thousands of people gathered in Bangladesh for a mass prayer session, amid fears that it could lead to a wider outbreak. Local police Chief Tota Miah told AFP News Agency that 10,000 Muslims had gathered in Raipur town to pray “healing verses” from …
Read More »Taliban to begin prisoner releases
19 March, 2020 By SJA Jafri + Agencies ISLAMABAD/ KABUL/ WASHINGTON: The coronavirus pandemic adds urgency to prisoner releases agreed to by the government of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and the Taliban, US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad has said, advising they take place “as soon as possible”. “No prisoners have …
Read More »Australia bans ‘non-essential’ large gatherings
18 March, 2020 Bureau Report CANBERRA/ SYDNEY/ MELBOURNE: Australia has banned “non-essential” gatherings of more than 100 people in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced sweeping new measures on Wednesday, including discouraging travel overseas but he said schools, public transport and public squares would remain open, …
Read More »President designates Adnan al-Zurfi as new Iraqi PM
17 March, 2020 BAGHDAD/ NAJAF: In his latest bid to end Iraq’s months-long political stalemate, President Barham Salih has designated Adnan al-Zurfi as prime minister, tasking him with forming a government within a month, a decision which has been met with opposition from several factions. State TV reported the appointment …
Read More »WHO urges world to ‘test, test, test’ for COVID-19
17 March, 2020 GENEVA/ KUALA LUMPUR: The World Health Organization (WHO) has described the coronavirus pandemic is the “defining global health crisis of our time”, and urged countries to test all suspected cases of COVID-19. “We have a simple message to all countries – test, test, test,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom …
Read More »America to test first coronavirus vaccine
16 March, 2020 By SJA Jafri + Agencies SEATTLE: The first trial in people of a vaccine to protect against pandemic coronavirus is starting in the US later on Monday, according to reports. A group of 45 healthy volunteers will have the jab, at the Kaiser Permanente research facility, in …
Read More »Atomic Force Microscope made in Iran
16 March, 2020 TEHRAN: An Iranian knowledge-based company has manufactured atomic force microscope and nanoscope, advanced devices developed only by a handful of countries. CEO of the Iranian company Abbas Shahmoradi said the atomic force multimode microscope manufactured inside Iran is broadly used for nanoscopy. The atomic force microscope (AFM) …
Read More »