Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Johnson postpones India visit

BRITISH prime minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday (5) cancelled a planned trip to India later this month, citing the need to oversee the pandemic response at home.

"The prime minister spoke to (Indian) Prime Minister Modi this morning, to express his regret that he will be unable to visit India later this month as planned," a Downing Street spokeswoman said.


"In light of the national lockdown announced last night, and the speed at which the new coronavirus variant is spreading, the prime minister said that it was important for him to remain in the UK so he can focus on the domestic response to the virus."

Last month, the government had announced Johnson's intention to visit India as part of efforts to speed up talks on trade, with Britain in search of new bilateral deals after leaving the European Union.

But Britain's Covid-19 crisis has since worsened with surging cases and hospital admissions at a new high, fuelled by the spread of a more transmissible variant of the virus. Johnson announced a new national lockdown on Monday(4).

"The prime minister said that he hopes to be able to visit India in the first half of 2021, and ahead of the UK's G7 Summit that prime minister Modi is due to attend as a guest," the spokeswoman said.

More For You

us visa

Washington often imposes such visa restrictions without naming the individuals involved.

iStock

US issues visa bans on Indian travel agents for role in illegal migration

THE US State Department on Monday said it was imposing visa restrictions on owners and staff of travel agencies in India who it says knowingly facilitate illegal migration to the United States.

An unspecified number of individuals associated with these travel agencies are being subjected to visa bans under the Immigration and Nationality Act. The action is based on information collected by the US mission in India, according to department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.

Keep ReadingShow less
Spain Slashes Airbnb Listings

The government described as a “lack of control” and growing “illegality” in the holiday rentals market

iStock

Spain Airbnb crackdown removes 65,000 tourist rentals amid housing concerns

The Spain Airbnb crackdown has led to more than 65,000 holiday rental listings being removed from the platform, as the Spanish government takes firm action to address breaches in national regulations and respond to growing housing concerns.

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs ordered the mass delisting due to thousands of properties lacking valid licence numbers, having unclear ownership records, or showing discrepancies between listed information and official housing databases. The government said these violations warranted immediate removal from Airbnb’s platform.

Keep ReadingShow less
FSCS employee fired for flashing incident during video call

The man stood up during a Teams call to adjust a cable behind his computer, without wearing any trousers.

iStock

FSCS employee fired for flashing incident during video call

A MANAGER was sacked from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) after accidentally flashing his genitals during a video call, an employment tribunal has ruled.

The digital production manager, referred to as DB in the tribunal’s ruling, was earning £58,580 a year when the incident occurred. He stood up during a Teams call to adjust a cable behind his computer, without wearing any trousers, The Telegraph reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Melania Trump Applauds New Law Protecting Children from Revenge Porn

The first lady described the law as a "national victory"

Getty

Melania Trump hails new revenge porn law aimed at protecting children online

US First Lady Melania Trump has welcomed a new law criminalising the non-consensual sharing of explicit images, including AI-generated deepfake content, calling it a major step towards protecting children and families from online exploitation.

The Take It Down Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump, makes it a federal offence to post "intimate images", whether real or digitally fabricated, without the subject’s consent. Under the legislation, individuals found guilty of intentionally distributing such content could face up to three years in prison. The law also compels technology companies to remove the offending material within 48 hours of notification.

Keep ReadingShow less