Author: News Desk

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth will present Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s post-pandemic agenda on Tuesday in a speech written by the government that will set out the new laws that ministers intend to pass in the coming year. The grand ‘State Opening of Parliament’, a heavily choreographed and costumed ceremony led by the 95-year-old monarch, will this year involve face masks, social distancing, and fewer guests. The speech will set out Johnson’s policymaking priorities as he plans Britain’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and seeks to fulfil the promises he made to voters in 2019 on creating new opportunities for left-behind regions…

India’s coronavirus crisis showed scant sign of easing on Tuesday, with a seven-day average of new cases at a record high and international health authorities warning the country’s variant of the virus poses a global concern. India’s daily coronavirus cases rose by 329,942, while deaths from the disease rose by 3,876, according to the health ministry. India’s total coronavirus infections are now at 22.99 million, while total fatalities rose to 249,992. India leads the world in the daily average number of new deaths reported, accounting for one in every three deaths reported worldwide each day, according to a Reuters tally.…

England will further ease COVID-19 restrictions from May 17 and the plan to move beyond the pandemic has as yet not been derailed by variants, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday. “This unlocking amounts to a very considerable step on the road back to normality and I am confident that we will be able to go further,” Johnson told a news conference. Johnson has previously said nearly all restrictions could be lifted on June 21.

Genetically modified mosquitoes have been released for the first time in the United States, taking flight in the Florida Keys in a pilot program intended to reduce the spread of deadly diseases such as dengue, yellow fever and the Zika virus. After an odyssey spanning more than a decade to secure regulatory approval, British-based biotechnology firm Oxitec, along with the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD) launched the project in hope of reducing the Aedes aegypti species that spread the diseases. While Oxitec and local authorities have high hopes for the program, local residents and environmental groups worry that not…

The Indian government has told doctors to look out for signs of mucormycosis or “black fungus” in COVID-19 patients as hospitals report a rise in cases of the rare but potentially fatal infection. The state-run Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said at the weekend that doctors treating COVID-19 patients, diabetics and those with compromised immune systems should watch for early symptoms including sinus pain or nasal blockage on one side of the face, one-sided headache, swelling or numbness, toothache and loosening of teeth. The disease, which can lead to blackening or discolouration over the nose, blurred or double vision,…

The Omani Ministry of Health has said that the administration of the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine will be postponed until June 2021. The available vaccines will be given to the high diploma students prior to their final examinations. As of May 5, over 72,000 people have received the second dose vaccine. https://twitter.com/OmaniMOH/status/1391671938641285121?s=20

The group accused of a ransomware attack that crippled the leading U.S. fuel pipeline operator said in a news release on Monday that its goal was to make money and not to sow chaos. The group calling itself DarkSide has been blamed by the FBI for the digital extortion attempt against Colonial Pipeline, a firm responsible for funneling fuel to a huge chunk of the East Coast. The ransomware outbreak prompted the company to shut down its network, potentially causing extraordinary disruption as gasoline deliveries dry up. The terse news release posted to DarkSide’s website on Monday did not directly mention Colonial Pipeline…

The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) have announced that entry from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka will be suspended for all incoming passengers on national and foreign carriers, as well as those carrying transit passengers, starting from 23:59 on Wednesday, 12th May, 2021. According to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), the decision exempts transit flights coming to the UAE and heading towards these countries. This decision is applicable to the entry of travellers who were in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka in the last 14 days before…

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu arrived in Riyadh on Sunday for a two-day visit. He will discuss bilateral matters and regional issues in talks with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said. https://twitter.com/MFATurkey/status/1391686796434710530?s=20

A man in China was left dangling from a bridge after its glass panels were damaged in high wind. The man was visiting the 100m-high bridge (330 ft) in the Piyan Mountain, in the north-east of the country, when the incident occurred on Friday. Several pieces of the glass floor were blown away by winds that reached up to 150km/h (90mph). It is thought that China has about 2,300 glass bridges and a number of glass walkways and slides. They are designed to attract thrill-seeking tourists and capitalise on China’s growing domestic tourism. An image widely shared on social media shows…