Scientists need space and funding

The combination of more testing and enhanced public health measures dramatically drove down the percentage of tests that return a positive result, or the test positivity rate

BY: ARAN SHAUNAK For the past few months, almost every headline beginning “coronavirus testing” has made my heart sink. Rather than following the lead of nations like South Korea, which recognised long ago that widespread testing is the cornerstone of an effective pandemic response, Western governments were initially slow to commit to scaling up testing […]

WORLD ANIMAL DAY

By: FAIZAN NABI We can’t ignore that animals play an important role in our lives. They not only provide support and enrich our lives but also their companionship makes us better human beings. October 4 is celebrated as World Animal Day. This day provides us an opportunity to take care of animals and be a […]

Bhagat Singh Birth Anniversary: Distanced in Time; Closer in Purpose

By: Sitaram Yechury SEPTEMBER 28, 2020 marks the 113th birth anniversary of India’s legendary martyr, Bhagat Singh.  He may be distanced in time each year, but his relevance resonates closer to our challenges today. This occasion, this year, comes at a time when many observations made by Bhagat Singh resonate a contemporary relevance and urgency. […]

Economics Analysis of Weddings in Kashmir

By: Fahid Fayaz Darangay  “But waste not by excess: for Allah loves not the wasters.” (Quran, 6:141). The Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said that “The marriage which is most greatly blessed is the one which is the lightest in burden [expenses]. However, if people are well catered for, without extravagance and show, there is no problem […]

Pakistan and Israel Dilemma: Positive Impact on Indo-Pak Relations?

By: Sarfraz Rather Pakistan has no direct conflict with Israel but has never established open diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv. Pakistan does not officially recognize the State of Israel, and its passport clearly mentions “for all the countries except Israel”. Historically Pakistan’s foreign policy has always been guided with the priority to contain India. Consequentially, […]

23 September:  International Day of Sign Languages

Unspoken language

By: Amit Singh Kushwaha Greeting someone by joining our hands, cricketers showing the victory symbol “V” with their fingers after winning a match, a smiling face expressing a feeling of delight. There are several gestures or signs we are used to using in our everyday life. On some occasions, sign language is used as an […]

Fighting the Covid infodemic

All segments of society must act now to dispel myths and amplify the voice of science. Our lives, and especially those of the poorest and most marginalised, depend on it

By: Francoise Barre-Sinoussi/Adeeba Kamarulzaman The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has not only led to the global Covid-19 pandemic, but also fuelled an accompanying onslaught of misinformation. Some have promoted drugs such as hydroxychloroquine as cures for the disease, despite insufficient scientific evidence of their effectiveness; others have announced a Covid-19 vaccine before its safety […]

PAKISTAN’S SHIA PROBLEM!

In 2015, Fatima Bhutto niece of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto wrote that in a predominantly Muslim country (of Pakistan), it is no longer Hindus or Christians who face the largest threat of violence from orthodox and radicalized groups but Shias. Her prophetic words became once again true, when recently, a large crowd of […]

Turkey is misleading the Ummah by promising Caliphate

By: Muhammad Mujeeb Turkey’s President Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party’s political triumph in 2002 marked the beginning of the implementation of a programme of unhurried and balanced change to transform Turkey. The re-introduction of Islam in public life and the gradual resuscitation of Ottoman memory in the public discourse tickles one to dwell into the […]

How to get every child to school

Now is the time for national governments and the international community to come together to give children and young people the opportunities they deserve

By: Gordon Brown We write to call for urgent action to address the global education emergency triggered by Covid-19. With more than one billion children still out of school because of the lockdown, there is a real and present danger that the public-health crisis will create a Covid generation who loses out on schooling and […]