Transparency International Bangladesh yesterday said instead of terming its report on the government’s Covid-19 response “false and motivated”, the government could better combat the pandemic by taking the measures recommended in the report.

Novavax Inc yesterday reported late-stage data from its US-based clinical trial showing its vaccine is more than 90% effective against Covid-19 across a variety of variants of the virus.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced yesterday that she will offer a formal apology to New Zealand’s Pacific community over “demeaning” police raids that targeted them in the 1970s.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen yesterday left for the US for a weeklong visit to attend two UN events – one on Myanmar crisis and the other on Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

The numbers of Covid-19 deaths and confirmed cases continued to increase and the situation in the border districts kept on getting worse.

A readymade garment worker was killed in a clash between police and factory workers at Dhaka Export Processing Zone (DEPZ) in Savar yesterday.

Following reports that pro-Awami League contractors wielded guns during their showdown at the Public Works Department office in Pabna, two contractors handed over their firearms to police yesterday.

Manikganj’s Singair Upazila Nirbahi Officer Runa Laila has been served a show-cause notice as relief materials kept in her garage were found rotten.

A 40-year-old reputed businessperson joined Bigo Live, a video streaming app, a year ago and spent around Tk 26 lakh on young women, who lured him through live streaming.

Pakistan President Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan postponed the announcement of his plan for the transfer of power to a civilian government. The president, who rules by martial authority, said May 24 that he would announce the plan in two to three weeks’ time.

The government is finally going to fix the economic service life of all commercial vehicles, including buses and trucks, more than two years after a high-powered committee recommended it.

The High Court has sought relevant documents from the government in order to determine the actual date of birth of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

A parliamentary body yesterday recommended taking necessary measures to find alternatives to a female upazila nirbahi officer’s presence during the guard of honour given to valiant freedom fighters after their deaths.

Novak Djokovic fought back from two sets down to beat Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7 (6/8), 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to win the French Open title for the second time on Sunday.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s record 12-year run as Israel’s prime minister ended yesterday with parliament approving a new “government of change” led by nationalist Naftali Bennett, an improbable scenario few Israelis could have imagined.

The Group of Seven richest democracies yesterday sought to counter China’s growing influence by offering developing nations an infrastructure plan that would rival President Xi Jinping’s multi-trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The latest TIB report on the government’s response to Covid-19 consisted of “wrong information from the first to the last”, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said yesterday.

Indian start-up Mylab Discovery Solutions hopes that its inexpensive Covid-19 home test kit -- the country’s first -- will help the massive South Asian nation better track the pandemic’s spread among its 1.3-billion people.

Bangladesh has requested the Saudi government to waive the seven-day mandatory quarantine for Bangladeshi workers in the Kingdom as Dhaka will ensure quarantine here before their departure.

At least 13 people were wounded in a shooting in downtown Austin, Texas early on Saturday, police said, adding the suspected shooter was still at large.