TEHRAN/WASHIN­GTON: The Iranian military said on Wednesday it had successfully tested anti-missile defences for “sensitive” sites during war games in central Iran, after Israeli and US warnings over its nuclear programme. “The country’s air defences are perfectly prepared to protect sensitive and vital installations through a multi-layered defence system,” said General Amir-Qader Rahimzadeh, commander of Hazrat Khatam al-Anbiya airbase at …

ISLAMABAD: Following negotiations with the refining industry, the petroleum division has wiped out 10-year tax exemption protection, reduced government’s contribution to finance upgrades of existing oil refineries and enhanced compliance requirements. The Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE) led by Planning Minister Asad Umar had earlier approved an incentives package for modern refineries that also included 20-year tax holiday but had …

Shahid Afridi, the box office trailblazer of white-ball cricket, believes that “unpredictable” Pakistan can summon the spirit of 2009 and win a second T20 World Cup. Afridi was man of the match in a nail-biting seven-run semi-final win over South Africa in the tournament 12 years ago where he made 51. He then starred again in the eight-wicket rout of …

Facebook Inc will now count activists and journalists as “involuntary” public figures and so increase protections against harassment and bullying targeted at these groups, its global safety chief said in an interview this week. The social media company, which allows more critical commentary of public figures than of private individuals, is changing its approach on the harassment of journalists and …

ISLAMABAD: The efforts of anti-polio workers are paying the yields as the crippling virus was not found in sewerage of the major cities of Pakistan, citing sources. It has been learnt by that the drains of the major cities of all four provinces and Gilgit-Baltistan have been declared polio-free. Samples from the sewerage were taken from the 32 spots of …

People who got Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine as a first shot had a stronger immune response when boosted with vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna, a study run by the National Institutes of Health showed on Wednesday. The study, which is preliminary and hasn’t been peer reviewed, is the latest challenge to J&J’s efforts to use its COVID-19 vaccine as …

ISLAMABAD: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Wednesday forecast Pakistan’s major fiscal indicators gradually improving this year and beyond until 2026. In one of its flagship publications — Fiscal Monitor — released on Wednesday, the IMF estimated the government’s overall fiscal deficit at 6.2pc of GDP, primary deficit at 0.4pc of GDP and debt levels at about 81pc of GDP …

The tiny Pacific nation of Palau has the world’s highest percentage of people vaccinated against COVID-19, the Red Cross said on Thursday, urging the country’s laggard neighbours to follow its example and step up incoluation efforts. Fully 99% of Palau’s population over 12 has had both shots of vaccine for the new coronavirus, the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) …

MUMBAI: India added pace bowler Shardul Thakur to their Twenty20 World Cup squad while all-rounder Axar Patel dropped out of the 15-man side and into a list of stand-by players, the country’s cricket board (BCCI) said in a statement on Wednesday. Inaugural T20 World Cup champions India begin their bid for a second title in a Super 12 match in …