Author: News Desk

The father of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday defended his decision to fly to Greece even though at that time the government advice was for UK nationals to avoid all but essential international travel. Greek government officials confirmed on Thursday that Stanley Johnson had arrived, likely via Bulgaria, in the northern region of Pelion, where he has a holiday home. Johnson told reporters he was on a business trip. ♦ Boris Johnson’s father flies to Greece despite travel restrictions “I don’t know what the reaction of the British public (has been), I came here to have a quiet time…

World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday accepted the recommendation from the Solidarity Trial’s International Steering Committee to discontinue the trial’s hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir/ritonavir arms. The Solidarity Trial was established by WHO to find an effective COVID-19 treatment for hospitalized patients. The International Steering Committee formulated the recommendation in light of the evidence for hydroxychloroquine vs standard-of-care and for lopinavir/ritonavir vs standard-of-care from the Solidarity trial interim results, and from a review of the evidence from all trials presented at the 1-2 July WHO Summit on COVID-19 research and innovation. These interim trial results show that hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir/ritonavir produce little…

Jamie Vardy netted his 100th Premier League goal as Leicester City notched their first victory since the league resumed, beating Crystal Palace 3-0 on Saturday to keep up their drive for Champions League football next season. Leicester swarmed all over Palace from the first whistle as defender James Justin hit the crossbar early on, but it took until the fourth minute of the second half for Kelechi Iheanacho to finally put his side ahead with a close-range effort. Despite the return of striker Christian Benteke, visitors Palace struggled to create much in front of goal, with their best efforts coming…

China fired back at Canada on Saturday for criticising Beijing’s national security law for Hong Kong, the second rebuke in a week that has added to strains on their bilateral ties. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday that Canada was suspending its extradition treaty with Hong Kong due to the law and Canada’s foreign minister called the legislation “a significant step back” for liberty. China’s embassy in Ottawa said in a statement on its website that Canada had “grossly interfered” in Chinese affairs, adding that the new legislation would safeguard security in Hong Kong. “Some western countries including Canada…

A man has died after being attacked by a shark off the east coast of Australia, officials say. The 36-year-old was bitten on the leg while spearfishing in waters near Queensland’s Fraser Island, north of Brisbane, police said on Saturday. A doctor and nurse provided first aid treatment on shore, but the man was later pronounced dead at the scene when paramedics arrived. It is the fourth fatal shark attack in Australian waters so far this year. In a Facebook post on Saturday, Fraser Coast mayor George Seymour said it was a “tremendously sad day for our community”. He offered…

Finland’s Valtteri Bottas will start the Formula One season on pole position after denying Mercedes team mate and six-times world champion Lewis Hamilton the top slot in Austria on Saturday. The front-row lockout by Mercedes equalled Ferrari’s record of 65, and the “Black Arrows” — their new livery a statement against racism – were in a private duel at the scenic Red Bull Ring. Hamilton had started as favourite after dominating all three practice sessions but Bottas shifted up a gear just when it mattered. “It feels really good, I’ve missed this feeling,” said the Finn of a third career…

As coronavirus cases spike, public health officials are pleading with Americans to avoid large crowds and hold more muted Independence Day celebrations, but subdued is not President Donald Trump’s style, and he aimed to go big, promising a “special evening” in Washington that could bring tens of thousands to the National Mall. Trump’s “Salute for America” celebration on Saturday evening was to include a speech from the White House South Lawn that he said would celebrate American heritage, as well as a military flyover over the city and an enormous fireworks display that could pack people downtown. The president kicked…

Egypt will hold inaugural elections for a new second parliamentary chamber on Aug. 11-12, election commissioner Lasheen Ibrahim said on Saturday. Amendments made to Egypt’s constitution last year provided for the creation of the Council of Senators, a 180-member secondary chamber that will be two-thirds elected by the public and the remainder appointed by the president. “Holding elections during the pandemic that has swept the world necessitates that we take several precautionary measures to protect ourselves and society,” Ibrahim said during a televised press conference. He said all polling stations will observe health guidelines, with all voters and polling staff…

India’s leading clinical research agency said Saturday its decision to fast-track development of a potential coronavirus vaccine was in line with international standards, after health experts raised concerns about the schedule for clinical trials. The Indian Council of Medical Research issued a statement after a letter was leaked on Friday showing ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava as saying the agency “envisaged” launch of the vaccine for public health use by Aug. 15, with the aim to begin patient enrolment for human trials by July 7. The vaccine, being jointly developed by India’s Bharat Biotech and ICMR, is one of several…

Saudi Arabia has reported 4,128 new cases and 56 deaths from coronavirus, taking the total cases to 205,929. Saudi Arabia is holding the 13th position for most coronavirus cases worldwide. The death toll raised to 1,858 after reporting the new deaths. Meanwhile, 2,642 patients fully recovered from the virus, bringing the total recoveries to 143,256. In line with recent trends, the majority of the new cases are in Riyadh (360), followed by Dammam (315) and Al Hofuf (217). https://twitter.com/media_ksa/status/1279393270368366592?s=20