International

TALIBAN WILL BE JUDGED BY DEEDS, NOT WORDS, SAYS BORIS JOHNSON AHEAD OF G7 MEET

August 26, 2021August 26, 2021 News

The Taliban will be judged by its deeds rather than words, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Monday ahead of chairing an emergency G7 virtual meet to coordinate the international response to the Afghan crisis. Downing Street said that during the meeting on Tuesday, the UK PM will call on the Group of Seven leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States to continue to stand by the Afghan people and step up support for refugees and humanitarian aid. He is expected to urge international partners to…

UK MANUFACTURERS TO GET BIG CONCESSION ON POST-BREXIT QUALITY MARK

August 26, 2021August 26, 2021 News

The UK government is to grant a major concession to British business by prolonging the deadline for companies to adopt a new “UKCA” safety and quality mark for their goods after Brexit. The one-year extension for UK products to continue using the EU’s “CE” safety mark came after businesses warned that they would not be ready for the planned post-Brexit shift away from EU certification at the end of 2021. The government climbdown will give vital breathing space for UK manufacturers, which had warned over risks to the British supply…

COVID: UK RECORDS HIGHEST DAILY DEATH TOLL SINCE MARCH – CORNWALL TOURISTS URGED TO ‘STAY AWAY’ AS CASES RISE

August 26, 2021August 26, 2021 News

ritain has reported another 174 coronavirus-related deaths, the highest number of fatalities recorded in one day since 175 were recorded on March 12, according to official figures. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 131,854. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test. Another 30,838 people in Britain have tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 6,555,200, Xinhua reported. Meanwhile, data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS)…

POLICE IN UK WILL USE ‘RAINBOW COLORED’ PATROL CARS TO HELP THE LGBT COMMUNITY

August 25, 2021August 25, 2021 News

While speaking about the matter, Deputy Chief Constable Julie Cooke claimed, “The Rainbow cars, the hate crime cars, whatever you want to call them, they are part of our vehicle fleet. So, we are always replacing vehicles. They will get all of the police insignia put on them as normal (besides other add ons)… But they are out there as normal patrol vehicles.” In a bid to encourage the LGBTQ+ community to lodge complaints of online hate crimes, the police in the United Kingdom have decided to paint their patrol…

UK TO URGE EXTENSION OF KABUL EVACUATIONS AT G7 TALKS

August 25, 2021August 25, 2021 News

US President Joe Biden has set an August 31 deadline for the chaotic airlift organised by thousands of temporarily deployed US troops, but has left the door open to an extension if needed. Britain said Monday it would urge the United States to extend an end-of-the-month deadline for evacuations from Afghanistan, while the Taliban warned any delay would lead to “consequences”. US President Joe Biden has set an August 31 deadline for the chaotic airlift organised by thousands of temporarily deployed US troops, but has left the door open to…

CHILDREN HOSPITALIZED WITH COVID-19 IN U.S. HITS RECORD NUMBER

August 24, 2021August 24, 2021 News

The number of children hospitalized with COVID-19 in the United States hit a record high of just over 1,900 on Saturday, as hospitals across the South were stretched to capacity fighting outbreaks caused by the highly transmissible Delta variant. The Delta variant, which is rapidly spreading among mostly the unvaccinated portion of the U.S. population, has caused hospitalizations to spike in recent weeks, driving up the number of confirmed and suspected pediatric COVID-19 hospitalizations to 1,902 on Saturday, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services….

THREE AMERICAN SENATORS TEST POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS

August 24, 2021August 24, 2021 News

Three senators — Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Angus King (I-Maine) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) — announced separately Thursday they tested positive for COVID-19. All three have been fully vaccinated. Wicker’s office said in a statement that the congressman tested positive Thursday morning after experiencing “mild symptoms.” He is isolating and in “good health,” according to the office. King’s office said he began feeling “under the weather” Wednesday, after which he took a COVID-19 test as a precaution. In a statement, King listed the measures he has taken throughout the pandemic…

BIDEN DEFENDS ‘MESSY’ US PULL-OUT FROM AFGHANISTAN

August 24, 2021August 24, 2021 News

President Joe Biden has said he stands “squarely” behind the US exit from Afghanistan as he faces withering criticism over the Taliban’s lightning conquest of the war-torn country. “How many more American lives is it worth?” asked the Democratic president. He said that despite the “messy” pull-out, “there was never a good time to withdraw US forces”. On Sunday, the Taliban declared victory after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled and his government collapsed. The militants’ return to rule brings an end to almost 20 years of a US-led coalition’s presence…

IOC EXPELS TWO BELARUSIAN COACHES OVER KRYSTINA TIMANOVSKAYA CASE

August 9, 2021August 9, 2021 News

Two Belarusian coaches have lost their Olympic accreditations after allegedly attempting to force an athlete to leave the Games in Tokyo. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed that Artur Shimak and Yury Maisevich had left the Olympic Village. An investigation is under way. The case of Krystina Timanovskaya caught global attention after she refused her team’s orders to fly home. She is now in Poland, where she has been granted a humanitarian visa. The case has again put the spotlight on Belarus, which has been ruled by authoritarian President Alexander…

French lawmakers approve bill to tackle fourth wave of coronavirus

July 26, 2021July 26, 2021 News

PARIS, July 26 – The French parliament on Monday approved a bill which will make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for health workers as well as require a bolstered health pass in a wide array of social venues as France battles with a fourth wave of coronavirus infections. Visitors heading to museums, cinemas or swimming pools in France are already denied entry if they cannot produce a pass showing that they have been vaccinated against COVID-19 or have had a recent negative test. The pass has been required for large-scale festivals or…