Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Johnson tells public 'to behave responsibly' as England reopens

Johnson tells public 'to behave responsibly' as England reopens

IN a "major step" towards freedom from the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic, Britain has allowed its shops including hairdressers, gyms and pub gardens to reopen on Monday (12).

Pubs and restaurants will only be able to serve outdoors, although early rules requiring meals to be served with drinks and curfews have been scrapped. Indoor service will not be allowed until May 17 at the earliest.


Since January, hundreds and thousands businesses were closed when England entered the third lockdown to curb surging infections triggered by mutant variants.

A vaccination campaign that has delivered a first shot to well over half of adults and lockdown measures have cut deaths by more than 95 per cent and cases by over 90 per cent from the January peak.

Sunday's seven deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test is the lowest daily death toll by this measure since Sept 14.

Prime minister Boris Johnson said this would encourage a staged easing of lockdown to proceed according to the plan.

"I'm sure it will be a huge relief for those business owners who have been closed for so long, and for everyone else it's a chance to get back to doing some of the things we love and have missed," he said in a statement on Sunday (11).

"I urge everyone to continue to behave responsibly and remember 'hands, face, space and fresh air' to suppress COVID as we push on with our vaccination programme."

With more than 127,000 fatalities, the United Kingdom has the fifth highest death toll in the world from Covid-19.

Persuading people to return to some kind of normality and start spending again is key to Britain's recovery after official data last month showed that 2020 was the worst year for its economy in more than three centuries.

UK retailers, which have lost an estimated 27 billion pounds in sales during lockdowns, are hoping pent-up demand will fuel a trading boom.

Non-essential stores, such as home and fashion chains, will reopen in Wales as well as England today (12), although those in Scotland need to wait until April 26.

More For You

UK Traveller Dies from Rabies After Dog Exposure in Morocco

Rabies causes a serious infection of the brain and nervous system in humans

iStock

UK woman dies from rabies after Morocco dog exposure

A woman from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, has died after contracting rabies following contact with a stray dog while on holiday in Morocco, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed.

The agency stated that the woman became infected during her trip to the North African country. There is no documented evidence of rabies spreading between humans, so the wider public is not considered at risk.

Keep ReadingShow less
Families seek answers as Air India crash probe begins

Mourners at the funeral of BJP leader Vijay Rupani, who was among the victims of the Air India crash, in Ahmedabad

Families seek answers as Air India crash probe begins

AROUND 200 passengers on the Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick have been identified, authorities in the Indian state of Gujarat said, as grieving families held the last rites of their loved ones following the crash last Thursday (12).

Hundreds of lives were changed in an instant when the London-bound plane slammed into a residential area of Ahmedabad, killing 241 people on board and at least 38 on the ground.

Keep ReadingShow less
 Asim Munir

Security personnel stand beside a poster of Pakistani Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir, during a rally to express solidarity with Pakistan's armed forces, in Islamabad on May 14, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)

Trump to host Pakistan army chief Asim Munir for lunch at White House

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump will host Pakistan army chief Asim Munir for lunch at the White House on Wednesday.

“The president has lunch with the chief of army staff of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” an advisory issued by the White House said.

Keep ReadingShow less
Indian schools among finalists for world’s best school prizes

Photo for representation (iStock)

Indian schools among finalists for world’s best school prizes

FOUR Indian schools were on Wednesday (18) named among the top 10 finalists across different categories for the annual world's best school prizes, organised in the UK to celebrate schools' enormous contribution to society's progress.

Schools from Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh were unveiled as contenders for membership of the Best School to Work programme to help schools attract and retain the best teachers. The worldwide winners across categories will be announced in October.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modi-Carney

Canadian prime minister Mark Carney greets Indian prime minister Narendra Modi before a group photo during the G7 Summit at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada on June 17, 2025. (Photo: Getty)

Getty

India and Canada agree to return ambassadors amid effort to reset relations

INDIA and Canada have agreed to restore full diplomatic ties by returning ambassadors to each other’s capitals, aiming to move past a dispute triggered by the killing of a Sikh separatist in Canada last year.

The announcement came as Canadian prime minister Mark Carney welcomed Indian prime minister Narendra Modi to the Group of Seven (G7) summit held in the Canadian Rockies. Carney, who took office in March, invited Modi to the summit as a guest, continuing India's regular participation at G7 gatherings.

Keep ReadingShow less