WASHINGTON: The US Senate voted overwhelmingly on Friday to confirm retired Army General Lloyd Austin as President Joe Biden’s defence secretary, making him the first black American to serve in the role. The vote was 93-2 in the 100-member chamber, far more than the simple majority needed. Lawmakers from both parties said they were pleased that Austin would be installed …

LAHORE: National Assembly Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting chairman Mian Javed Latif says the committee will summon the National Accountability Bureau chairman and the prime minister’s adviser on accountability in connection with the Broadsheet scam that caused a loss of millions in foreign exchange in the name of ‘dubious’ accountability. “The parliamentary committee will certainly call the NAB chairman …

The coronavirus strain that has swept Britain and beyond in recent months could be more deadly as well as more transmissible, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday. The sobering news came as the UK sees record deaths from Covid-19, following a surge in cases and hospitalisations since the variant was first identified in southeast England in September. The strain …

GENEVA: Pfizer on Friday committed to supplying up to 40 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine this year to a World Health Organisation-backed effort to get affordable shots to poor and middle-income countries. The deal is a boost to the global programme known as Covax, as wealthy nations have snapped up most of the millions of coming shots. The commitment, …

ISLAMABAD: Amid tense political situation in the country, the government on Friday held out an olive branch to the opposition during a meeting, seeking to have better relations at least in parliament, but the effort remained fruitless due to the latter’s tepid response, Dawn has learnt. However, both sides agreed to meet again on Monday to make another effort to diminish political …

ISLAMABAD: The education ministry on Friday notified a 10-member supervisory committee of experts to provide guidance to ensure that the ongoing curriculum renewal process meets necessary requirements. “The committee will provide overall guidance to ensure that curriculum renewal process adheres to the necessary requirements i.e academic standards, student needs according to age and grade level and international trends,” read a …

ISLAMABAD: Alongside the usual snacks arranged on a tray balanced on one hand, Momin Khan sells face masks to passengers at a crowded bus stand in Islamabad. Most choose the snacks instead of paying six cents for a mask, he says. “It’s mostly rich people buying the masks, the poor people say we don’t have the money anyway and we …

RAWALPINDI: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued a fresh standard operating procedure (SOP) for the crew of direct flights from the United Kingdom (UK), South Africa and category ‘C’ countries. The authority has already imposed temporary restrictions on passengers coming from the UK and South Africa. Under the new guideline, the flight crew will only be allowed to travel …

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Syed Mohammad Tayyab on Friday informed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that Pakistan had issued permit to the UAE government for export of falcons as part of goodwill and friendly gesture. He was responding to a petition filed by former Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) chairperson Dr Anisur Rehman against issuance of permit for the export of …

GILGIT: Renowned Pakistani woman mountaineer Samina Baig will attempt K2 summit in the upcoming summer season as a sign of women empowerment and to raise awareness about global warming and climate change. The Special Communications Organisation (SCO) is sponsoring Ms Baig’s expedition. A signing ceremony of the sponsor agreement between the SCO officials and Ms Baig was held at the …