AstraZeneca’s COVID vaccine is in the final stages of review for a World Health Organization emergency-use listing and could receive approval by mid-February, the United Nations health agency said on Wednesday. In a joint briefing with the WHO’s SAGE expert panel on immunisation, officials recommended the shot should be widely used, emphasising that its benefits outweigh any risks. “We hope …

LONDON: The coronavirus variant first found in the British region of Kent is a concern because it could undermine the protection given by vaccines against developing COVID-19, the head of the UK’s genetic surveillance programme said. She also said the variant was dominant in the country and was likely “to sweep the world, in all probability”. The coronavirus has killed …

  KARACHI: Chief Selector Mohammad Wasim on Wednesday said he is aware that many young cricketers around the world are losing interest in five-day Tests and measures to revive their interest in the longest format are in the offing in Pakistan. “Not just in Pakistan but also in other countries around the world, we can see this trend of players …

MELBOURNE: Eight-time champion Novak Djokovic was made to sweat at the Australian Open on Wednesday as Serena Williams made serene progress in her bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title. Women’s favourite Naomi Osaka also charged through but fellow major winners Stan Wawrinka, Bianca Andreescu and Petra Kvitova were all second-round casualties. Among the late matches, Aussie crowd-pleaser Nick …

KARACHI: Karachi outplayed Quetta and Abbottabad beat Multan in the ongoing NBP Blind Cricket T20 Trophy here on Wednesday to qualify for the semifinals. In the first match played at Afza Cricket Ground, Karachi won the toss and elected to field first. Quetta’s managed to score 217 for 6 with Naseebullah being the top scorer with 74 off just 45 …

LAHORE: After the 2-0 Test series sweep against South Africa, Pakistan look favourites in the Twenty20 International series against Proteas starting under lights here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday. The Babar Azam-led hosts however, would need to keep complacency at bay in the three-game T20 series if they are to replicate the show the Test team produced against Quinton …

When army generals in Myanmar staged a coup last week, they briefly cut internet access in an apparent attempt to stymie protests. In Uganda, residents couldn’t use Facebook, Twitter and other social media for weeks after a recent election. Meanwhile, in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, the internet has been down for months amid a wider conflict. Around the world, shutting down the …

Along with India and EU, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) recently became successful in inserting a spacecraft into orbit around Mars on the first try. The mission was announced in 2014 and the Hope probe succeeded in entering the planet’s orbit on February 9. Leading the science mission as deputy project manager is Sarah bint Yousif Al Amiri, a computer engineer and …

ISLAMABAD: Rejecting a re­­quest for 123 per cent increase, the Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) on Wednesday allowed Rs13.42 per unit (2pc) raise in the prescribed price for Lahore-based Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd (SNGPL). The increase was determined on the request of gas utility on the basis of its estimated revenue requirement (ERR) for 2020-21. The regulator said …

KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Wednesday introduced three new categories of foreign investments under its revised policy governing equity investment abroad. Banks have been authorised to allow remittances under the newly introduced categories, the SBP said, adding that it has “modernised the foreign exchange manual to facilitate startups, fintechs and exports”. The central bank said the new …