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Cairo, Tel Aviv hold talks for ‘permanent ceasefire’

CAIRO: Israeli and Egyptian officials held talks in both countries on Sunday aimed at bolstering the Cairo-brokered ceasefire that ended the latest deadly flare-up of violence between the Jewish state and Gaza’s Hamas rulers. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel in Jerusalem to discuss “strengthening cooperation” between their countries, Netanyahu’s office said. Egypt’s President Abdel…

Israel, UAE sign tax treaty to boost economic cooperation

Israel and the United Arab Emirates signed a tax treaty on Monday, Israel's Finance Ministry said, describing the move as a spur to business development between the countries after they normalised relations last year. The UAE finance ministry said in October that it had reached a preliminary agreement with Israel on avoiding double taxation. The tax convention, once ratified by…

Scores of children abducted from Islamic seminary in Nigeria

Gunmen kidnapped scores of children from an Islamic seminary in central Nigeria, officials said, the latest mass abduction to hit Africa's most populous nation. Some 200 children were at the school in Niger state on Sunday during the attack, the local government tweeted, adding “an unconfirmed number” were taken. The abduction came a day after 14 students from a university…

Hamas chief urges Muslims to establish ‘strategic partnership’

PESHAWAR: Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh has hoped that Prime Minister Imran Khan will take pragmatic steps to support the Palestinian cause and fully back their struggle. In a recorded speech to “Labbaik Al-Quds Million March” in Peshawar on Sunday, he said that Muslim countries should form strategic partnership for defending holy lands. Jamaat-i-Islami organised the rally to express solidarity with…

Journalists, rights bodies condemn move to take TV anchor Hamid Mir 'off air'

Journalist bodies and human rights organisations on Monday condemned the move to take veteran journalist and TV show host Hamid Mir "off air". Mir told BBC Urdu he had been informed by the Geo News management that he would "not go on air on Monday" to host his five-days-a-week show Capital Talk. Although there was no official comment from Geo…

Pakistani contracted Indian variant in Gulf

ISLAMABAD: The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Sunday released details of the only confirmed Pakistani infected by the Indian variant of Covid-19. On the other hand, Prime Minister Imran Khan is set to chair a meeting of the National Coordination Committee (NCC) on Monday (today), during which the virus situation in the country and the progress of the…

Peshawar police fire tear gas, baton charge govt teachers protesting reduction in allowances

Police in Peshawar fired tear gas and baton-charged government teachers protesting university reforms, which include a reduction in allowances, in front of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday. At least eight of the protesting teachers were also detained, police officials said, adding that they were held for blocking the road. Peshawar University Teachers' Association (PUTA) President Fazl Nasir was also…

PM Imran launches Pakistan's first green Eurobond

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday formally launched Pakistan's first green Eurobond by the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) at a ceremony in Islamabad. The prime minister — who was the chief guest — began his address by congratulating the authority on the achievement. He also expressed satisfaction at the progress on Mohmand and Bhasha dams. "Unfortunately, one of…

Govt aiming to inoculate enough people to not impose restrictions on Eidul Azha: Asad Umar

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar said on Monday that the government aimed to inoculate as many people as possible by July, which would enable it to not impose difficult restrictions at the time of Eidul Azha. Addressing a media briefing after a session of the National Coordination Committee (NCC), Umar said that seven million vaccines…

Is suicide prevention Wajib? The Grand Ayatollah Makarem’s answer

The Grand Ayatollah Makarem answered questions about suicide prevention. Question: For a person who intends to suicide; is it Wajib for others to prevent suicide? If suicide prevention has expenses, to what level this must be endured? And who is obliged to pay? If preventing a person from suicide involves danger to life or danger to health for the rescuer;…

Patients with special and rare diseases in Iran dying under US sanctions

US Cruel Sanctions against Iran have negatively affected patients with rare diseases , from EB to epilepsy to cancer. Facing a raft of illegal US sanctions since 2018, Iran has been struggling to pay for urgent medical supplies needed for treatment of patients suffering from rare conditions. The bans effectively bar Iran from accessing the international banking system and prevent…

AQR hits record 70m printed books

Astan Quds Razavi: Publishing 14,891 titles in approximately 70 million copies during 1395 AH (March 2016-2017), Astan Quds Razavi has become a major center of promoting and deepening pure Islamic and Shia knowledge and teachings. Ramazan Ali Izanloo, an official from Astan Quds Razavi’s Scientific and Cultural Organization pointed to the publication of the “Bibliography of Astan Quds Razavi’s Publications…