WORLD
EU intends to approve member states' recovery plans by summer
The Commission's Executive Vice-President responsible for the economy Valdis Dombrovskis said on Friday that the facility, the bulk of the 750 billion euro ($898 billion) recovery fund, will provide 312.5 billion euros in grants and up to 360 billion euros in loans, reports Xinhua news agency.
With Quad at its strongest, US-Japan pledge to work with India on free Indo-Pacific
In a joint statement issued on Friday after their talks, US President Joe Biden and Suga said: "Together, we will continue to work with allies and partners, including with Australia and India through the Quad, which has never been stronger, to build the free, open, accessible, diverse, and thriving Indo-Pacific we all seek."
White House walks back from keeping Trump's refugee cap
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement on Friday that President Joe Biden would announce a new, higher ceiling by May 15, reports Xinhua news agency. "For the past few weeks, he has been consulting with his advisors to determine what number of refugees could realistically be admitted to the US between now and October 1.
Oversight Board delays decision on Donald Trumps Facebook ban
The board, constituted by Facebook with 20 members from across the world last year, said it is reviewing more than 9,000 responses before it delivers the verdict on Trump's ban on the social media giant. "We extended the public comments deadline for this case, receiving 9,000+ responses. The Board's commitment to carefully reviewing all comments has extended the case timeline, in line with the Board's bylaws," the Board said in a tweet late Friday.
Global Covid-19 caseload tops 139.6mn
In its latest update on Saturday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 139,670,541 and 2,997,062, respectively. The US is the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 31,575,138 and 566,212, respectively, according to the CSSE.
Four Sikhs killed in latest US mass shooting
Officials, who said that a "significant" number of employees at the parcel and courier service company are Sikhs, reported that the gunman killed himself after murdering eight people Thursday night and wounding at least seven, five of whom were hospitalised.
Russia to expel US diplomats, puts officials on no-entry list
The no-entry list includes the US attorney general, the secretary of homeland security, the FBI director and the director of national intelligence, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry, DPA news agency reported. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow would also restrict the activities of organisations and foundations from the US, to make sure they don't interfere in the country's internal affairs.
From India to US, world urges Biden not to hoard Coronavirus vaccine
CEO and owner of Serum Institute Pune-the biggest manufacturer of Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, Adar Poonawalla, in a tweet which went viral, requested the Biden administration to lift the embargo on raw material exports out of the US. At least ten senators in a letter to President Biden said the US should prioritise people over pharmaceutical company profits and support the temporary waiver of the rules.
Putin confidants advanced Russia's campaign to undermine US Prez polls
On Thursday, the US Treasury Department said that members of the Russian network include First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration of Russia, Alexei Gromov, previously designated as a government official. As a result, the Treasury has designated Gromov for having attempted to interfere in the election.
Joe Biden names 2 Indian-Americans to key jobs
According to a White House announcement on Wednesday, Radhika Fox would become Assistant Administrator for Water, Environmental Protection Agency, while Meera Joshi is being named as Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Department of Transportation.
Don't Miss
Advertisement