Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Johnson says 'very optimistic' about fully reopening in June

Johnson says 'very optimistic' about fully reopening in June

BRITISH prime minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday(23) that he was very optimistic that all Covid-19 restrictions in England would end on June 21, and added that the government would hold a review into the use of vaccine certificates.

Johnson unveiled a map out of lockdown for England on Monday(22) that would keep some businesses shuttered until the summer, saying caution was necessary to ensure there were no reversals on a "one-way road to freedom".


"I'm hopeful, but obviously nothing can be guaranteed ... I'm very optimistic that we'll be able to get there," Johnson told broadcasters when asked about the June 21 date earmarked to end restrictions.

With almost 130,000 fatalities, Britain has suffered the world's fifth-highest official death toll from the pandemic and its economy has seen its biggest crash in more than 300 years.

But in two months it has already managed to provide an initial vaccine dose to more than a quarter of the population, the fastest rollout of any big country, making it a test case for governments worldwide hoping to return life to normal.

Some in Johnson's Conservative party have questioned whether the timetable for re-opening could have been quicker, given the success thus far of Britain's vaccine rollout.

Earlier, health minister Matt Hancock said safety was the priority.

"We're all absolutely determined to come out of this as fast as safely possible, but no faster," Hancock said on Sky News.

The roadmap suggests that restrictions on nightclubs and large events will be the last to be lifted on June 21, though the government has stressed that the reopening will be led by data, not dates.

Johnson also said senior minister Michael Gove would lead a review to thrash out the "scientific, moral, philosophical, ethical" question of vaccine certificates for those who have received a coronavirus shot, which could facilitate the re-opening of entertainment and hospitality venues.

"There are deep and complex issues that we need to explore, ethical issues about what the role is for government in mandating all people to have such a thing," he said.

"We can't be discriminatory against people who, for whatever reason, can't have the vaccine. There might be medical reasons why people can't have a vaccine ... some people may genuinely refuse to have one."

More For You

Streeting hails India’s global role as Labour backs bilateral relations

Wes Streeting addresses the Republic Day reception at the Guildhall in London last Tuesday (28),joined by Sir Lindsay Hoyle and Vikram Doraiswami

Streeting hails India’s global role as Labour backs bilateral relations

WES STREETING spoke of the priority prime minister Sir Keir Starmer and the Labour government attach to relations with India when he addressed a Republic Day reception at the Guildhall in London last Tuesday (28).

But the secretary of state for health and social care won over the large Indian crowd by paying an unexpected tribute to Rishi Sunak.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sri Lanka seeks to negotiate with Adani over renewable energy plants

Gautam Adani

Sri Lanka seeks to negotiate with Adani over renewable energy plants

SRI LANKA’S government started talks with India’s Adani Group to lower the cost of power from two wind power projects the group will build in the island nation’s northern province, the cabinet spokesman said last Tuesday (28).

Sri Lanka has been reviewing the group’s local projects after US authorities in November accused billionaire founder Gautam Adani and other executives of being part of a scheme to pay bribes to secure Indian power supply contracts. Adani has denied the allegations.

Keep ReadingShow less
Badenoch proposes stricter citizenship rules for all migrants

Kemi Badenoch delivers speech on January 16, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Badenoch proposes stricter citizenship rules for all migrants

CONSERVATIVE PARTY on Thursday (6) proposed a clampdown on all migrants by tightening citizenship rules and barring social benefit claimants from residency rights.

Kemi Badenoch, who took over from Rishi Sunak in November last year, outlined her first major policy agenda as Tory leader in a move seen as an attempt to win back the support of Conservative voters drawn to the far-right anti-immigrant Reform party.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pakistan court gives unusual punishment to Youtuber Rajab Butt for owning lion cub

Pakistani zookeeper Mohammad Amir holds the confiscated lion cub at Lahore’s safari zoo last Tuesday (28)

Pakistan court gives unusual punishment to Youtuber Rajab Butt for owning lion cub

A PAKISTANI YouTube star who was gifted a lion cub on his wedding day avoided jail after promising a judge to upload animal rights videos for a year.

Rajab Butt has one of the largest online followings in south Asia, and his week-long nuptials in December were plastered over celebrity gossip websites.

Keep ReadingShow less
Theft and violence in retail shops hit record high in 2024

The Labour government has pledged to address the rise in retail crime through stronger measures to tackle shoplifting and anti-social behaviour

iStock

Theft and violence in retail shops hit record high in 2024

THEFT and violence against retail workers in Britain soared to record levels last year, driven partly by criminal gangs, and are “out of control”, according to a report last Thursday (30).

The British Retail Consortium's annual crime survey found that more than 20 million thefts occurred in the year to August 31, 2024 – an average of 55,000 a day – costing retailers £2.2 billion.

Keep ReadingShow less