Technology

World Health Organization (WHO) experts are preparing a proposal on the next studies to be carried out into the origins of the virus that causes COVID-19, a spokeswoman said on Friday. The United States called on Thursday for the WHO to carry out a second phase of its investigation into the origins, with independent experts given full access to original …

The WHO’s European director warned Friday that the Covid-19 pandemic won’t be over until at least 70 percent of people are vaccinated, while deploring that the vaccine rollout in Europe is still “too slow”. “The pandemic will be over once we reach 70 percent minimum coverage in vaccination,” the World Health Organization’s regional director for Europe Hans Kluge told AFP …

NEW YORK: Amazon.com Inc said on Wednesday it had signed a deal with MGM to buy the fabled US movie studio home to the James Bond franchise, for $8.45 billion, giving it a huge library of films and TV shows and ramping up competition with streaming rivals led by Netflix and Disney+. The deal aims to bolster Amazon’s television-focused studio …

ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: Pakistan’s export of Information Communication Technology (ICT) grew by 46 per cent during the first 10 months of 2020-21. An official announcement said the value of ICT reached $1.70 billion as compared to $1.17bn in 10MFY20. In April, the exports of ICT grew by 66pc to $196m as compared to $118m in April 2020. ICT exports now look set …

WhatsApp has filed a lawsuit in Delhi against the Indian government seeking to block regulations coming into force on Wednesday that experts say would compel the California-based Facebook unit to break privacy protections, sources said. The case, described to Reuters by people familiar with it, asks the Delhi High Court to declare that one of the new rules is a violation of …

ISLAMABAD: The Inter-Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC) and Learning Pitch that uses technology and modern practices to promote education, have launched a free online assessment platform to aid students during the pandemic. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between IBCC Secretary Dr Ghulam Ali Mallah and Learning Pitch’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Syed Wajahat on Tuesday. The IBCC is …

Months after recovery from mild COVID-19, when antibody levels in the blood have declined, immune cells in bone marrow remain ready to pump out new antibodies against the coronavirus, researchers reported on Monday in Nature. Upon infection, short-lived immune cells are generated quickly to secrete an early wave of protective antibodies. As the immune cells die out, antibody levels decline. But …

Denture wearers infected with the coronavirus may be more likely to harbor bacteria that increase their risk for additional infections on top of COVID-19, a small study suggests. Researchers analyzed removable dentures from 30 patients with COVID-19 and 30 healthy individuals. Swabbing the surface of the dentures yielded Streptococcus species in 93.3% of COVID-19 patients versus 40% of healthy volunteers, …

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Monday directed Cellular Mobile Operators (CMOs) to send mandatory confirmation messages to their consumers to get explicit consent for opting for or activation of Value Added Services (VAS). The CMOs have also been directed to submit compliance report within three weeks from issuance of the order, a press release said. PTA issued these …

A rapid rise in cases of mucormycosis, also known as black fungus, has added to the challenges faced by India’s healthcare system as it deals with a massive second wave of COVID-19 infections. The following lays out information about mucormycosis, opinions from health experts and the scientific evidence behind what could be driving the recent rise in cases. WHAT IS …