Friday, February 12th, 2021
CM Buzdar apprises PM Imran of Senate polls preparations
LAHORE, FEB 12 (DNA) – Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar apprised Prime Minister Imran Khan of the preparations regarding the upcoming Senate polls as the premier Friday reached Lahore on day-long visit. Imran Khan and Usman Buzdar deliberated over the political and administrative affairs of the province. The PM was briefed on the developmental projects in the backward areas of Punjab. He directed to complete public relief projects as soon as possible. The premier is scheduled to chair a meeting concerning the Punjab government’s measures in the health sector.Read More
3 candidates to be chosen for Turkey’s space mission
ANKARA, FEB 12: As part of its efforts to put Turkish nationals in space by its centennial in 2023, Turkey is preparing to select three candidates, one of whom will don the astronaut suit. Once recruited under Turkey’s National Space Program, all three candidates will undergo two years of rigorous training. Among them, the candidate assessed to be the “most successful” will make the upward journey. The candidates will be selected based on their skills in conducting scientific studies and their physical abilities, though the list of specific criteria will yetRead More
1st shipment of COVID-9 vaccines arrives in Japan
ANKARA, FEB 12 – The first shipment of 400,000 COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Japan early Friday. The vaccines were supplied by US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. which developed it in collaboration with Germany’s BioNTech. Japan, which reported 412,125 cases of coronavirus including 6,800 deaths since the outbreak, is expected to approve the vaccine on Sunday to allow vaccination from next week starting with frontline health workers. At least 20,000 doctors and nurses from around 100 hospitals have given consent to receive the shots in the first phase of the vaccination campaign.Read More
Pakistan okays emergency use of another Chinese vaccine
KARACHI, FEB 12 – Pakistan’s drug regulator has approved another Chinese COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in the country, a top health official said. Dr. Faisal Sultan, the special assistant to the prime minister on health, told Anadolu Agency that Islamabad has given authorization of the emergency use of single-dose CanSino vaccine. The approval, he said, has been given after a “successful” phase-three trials of the vaccine in the country. Pakistan is the second country after Mexico to have authorized the emergency use of the CanSino vaccine. Islamabad has already authorizedRead More
British Airways extends VeriFLY health app trial
LONDON, FEB 12 – British Airways intends to increase its trial of the VeriFLY digital health app across all international flights operating into the UK. The carrier said the move comes in response to the tightening of border controls by the UK government. The expansion, which will come in to effect from February 15th, is designed to help those eligible to travel to navigate the changing entry requirements and facilitate a seamless journey by ensuring customers are ready to fly and have the appropriate documentation in place, before departing for the airport.Read More
Turkey’s specialized free zones to attract investments
ANKARA, FEB 12 – Turkey’s next-generation specialized free zones will attract more investments thanks to their suitability for value chains and modern digital infrastructure, Turkey’s trade minister said Friday. “More R&D activities will be carried out, a significant level of intra-sector interaction will be ensured, and there will be a concentration of qualified human resources in those zones,” Ruhsar Pekcan told a meeting in the capital Ankara touting the zones. Noting that the share of high-tech products in Turkey’s total exports is 3.4% while the figure in free zones is nearlyRead More