UK PM Boris Johnson optimistic of June 21 lockdown end, review into vaccine certificates
"I'm hopeful but obviously, nothing can be guaranteed ... I'm very optimistic that we'll be able to get there," Johnson said when asked about the June 21 date earmarked to end restrictions.
Reuters, London
PUBLISHED ON FEB 23, 2021 06:01 PM IST
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that he was very optimistic that all Covid-19 restrictions in England would end on June 21, and added that the government would hold a review into vaccine certificates.
"I'm hopeful but obviously, nothing can be guaranteed ... I'm very optimistic that we'll be able to get there," Johnson told broadcasters when asked about the June 21 date earmarked to end restrictions in a roadmap he unveiled on Monday.
Asked about the issuing of vaccine certificates for those who have received a coronavirus shot, he said: "There are deep and complex issues that we need to explore, ethical issues about what the role is for government in mandating all people to have something or indeed banning people from doing such a thing."
He said senior minister Michael Gove would lead a review into the issue, although he added some form of vaccine passport would be "going to come on the international stage whatever" for foreign travel.
'Priority is to turn the pandemic around': US Surgeon General nominee Murthy
PTI
PUBLISHED ON FEB 26, 2021 09:59 AM IST
Indian-American Dr Vivek Murthy, US President Joe Biden's nominee for America's Surgeon General on Thursday appeared for his confirmation hearing by the Senate.
US lifts Trump-era ban on legal immigration
By Yashwant Raj, Washington
UPDATED ON FEB 26, 2021 08:00 AM IST
In April 2020, Trump had temporarily suspended for 60 days the entry of legal immigrants - affecting green cards - as layoffs had begun to spike. There were some exceptions, such as dependents of US citizens.
In US' California, death toll due to Covid-19 tops 50,000
ANI
PUBLISHED ON FEB 26, 2021 07:58 AM IST
As per the latest data, 1,114 deaths were reported during the previous 24 hours, taking the total toll to 50,991.
Terror financing watchdog keeps Pakistan on ‘grey list’
UPDATED ON FEB 26, 2021 07:55 AM IST
The outcome was widely anticipated, though Pakistan has failed to meet all deadlines set by the multilateral watchdog to complete the 27-point action plan that was drawn up after the country was placed on the grey list - which is the list of countries under increased monitoring - in June 2018.
UNGA President welcomes ceasefire agreement between India, Pakistan
ANI
UPDATED ON FEB 26, 2021 07:53 AM IST
On Thursday, India and Pakistan released a joint statement saying that they have agreed to a ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) starting from February 25.
Border dispute objective reality, should be put at right position in ties: China
By Sutirtho Patranobis, Beijing
PUBLISHED ON FEB 26, 2021 07:45 AM IST
- The phone call was the first formal contact between Jaishankar and Wang since they met on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Moscow on September 10 last year.
Facebook signs pay deals with 3 Australian news publishers
AP, Canberra
PUBLISHED ON FEB 26, 2021 07:22 AM IST
The commercial agreements are subject to the signing of full agreements within the next 60 days, a Facebook statement said.
Joe Biden believes it's important to modernise immigration system: White House
PTI, Washington
UPDATED ON FEB 26, 2021 07:07 AM IST
Reopening the country to people seeking green cards, or legal permanent residence, Biden in his proclamation on Wednesday said that the policy of former President Donald Trump does not advance the interests of the United States.
McConnell says he would support Donald Trump if he’s nominated in 2024
Bloomberg
PUBLISHED ON FEB 26, 2021 07:00 AM IST
McConnell dismissed reports of party discord and said President Joe Biden “has made it quite easy for us to get together.”
Lady Gaga's dog walker shot, French bulldogs stolen in LA
AP, Los Angeles
PUBLISHED ON FEB 26, 2021 06:53 AM IST
The man was walking three of Lady Gaga's dogs at the time, but one escaped. That dog has been recovered safely.
Explainer: What were the warnings before the Capitol riot?
AP
UPDATED ON FEB 26, 2021 06:47 AM IST
In an appearance before a House subcommittee, acting Chief Yogananda Pittman said none of the warnings forecast the mass attack that actually took place.
TikTok owner ByteDance to pay $92 million in US privacy settlement
AP, San Francisco
PUBLISHED ON FEB 26, 2021 06:41 AM IST
The federal lawsuit alleged that TikTok broke the Illinois biometric privacy law, which allows suits against companies that harvest consumer data without consent, including via facial and fingerprint scanning.
Boeing, hit with $6.6 mn FAA fine, faces much bigger 787 repair bill: Report
Reuters, Seattle, Washington
PUBLISHED ON FEB 26, 2021 06:37 AM IST
Boeing is beginning painstaking repairs and forensic inspections to fix structural integrity flaws embedded deep inside at least 88 parked 787s built over the last year or so, a third industry source said.
Biden, Saudi king speak ahead of Khashoggi murder report
AFP
PUBLISHED ON FEB 26, 2021 06:33 AM IST
- The phone call was seen as the final precursor to the release of the report on the grisly killing in 2018 of Jamal Khashoggi, a US-based Saudi national who had been an outspoken critic of Salman's expected successor Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
'Who is at fault?' Investigation into Texas blackout begins
AP, Austin
PUBLISHED ON FEB 26, 2021 06:25 AM IST
The outages lasted days for millions of Texas homes, and millions more lost water as water treatment plants shutdown and miles of pipes burst across the state.
