WORLD

UK's vaccination advisory body has warned of a likely surge in coronavirus cases this summer as the country relaxes restrictions.

Professor Adam Finn of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) warned that many people in the UK have not been immunized and are still vulnerable to the virus. Furthermore, he argued that the timeline for the lockdown exit may need to be adjusted in the advent of such a surge.

"The models that we've seen on JCVI clearly point to a summer surge in cases as the lockdown is relaxed, because there are still many people in the adult population who've not been immunized.” Finn said on the BBC Breakfast Programme.

"If people move too far forward with that too fast, we'll see things start to come up earlier. The sense that the problem is all over, I'm afraid is a flawed one, we're still in a vulnerable situation, and there are still significant numbers of people who potentially could be harmed by this infection if this happens," he added.

The European Union resolved on Monday to step up its influence in the Indo-Pacific region, using areas from security to health to protect its interests and counter China's rising power, although the bloc insists its strategy is not against Beijing.

Led by France, Germany and the Netherlands, which first set out ways to deepen ties with countries such as India, Japan and Australia, the 27-member bloc wants to use the nascent plan to show Beijing that it is against the spread of authoritarianism.

The bloc "considers that the EU should reinforce its strategic focus, presence and actions in the Indo-Pacific ... based on the promotion of democracy, rule of law, human rights and international law," EU foreign ministers said in a statement. Diplomats said the plan was not "anti-China".

The 10-page document will now be followed by a more detailed strategy in September, foreign ministers agreed at a video conference, saying they would seek to work with "like-minded partners" to uphold basic rights in the Indo-Pacific region.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday spoke to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, covering recent developments in India's immediate and extended neighbourhood. In the conversation, Jaishankar and Blinken also discussed issues relating to cooperation in the area of health as well as exchanged views on the agenda of the UN Security Council.

"Spoke to my US counterpart Secretary of State @SecBlinken this evening. Conversation covered recent developments in India's immediate and extended neighbourhood. Exchanged views on the UNSC agenda. Also discussed issues pertaining to our health cooperation," Jaishankar tweeted. It is understood that the evolving situation in Afghanistan following the US announcement of withdrawal of its troops from the war-ravaged country figured in the talks.

Bitcoin tumbled to its biggest single-day drop since February over Saturday, just days after reaching a record high, Bloomberg reported.

Bitcoin fell 10.8% in the 24 hours to Saturday 7am ET, from $61,396 to $54,750. At one point, it reached a low of $51,300 after it dropped more than $7,000 in a single hour, before partially recovering.

Several online outlets attributed the drop to speculation the US Treasury may take action against money laundering conducted through digital assets, per Bloomberg and Coinbase.

Almost two months after a UK court found fugitive businessman Nirav Modi guilty of fraud and money laundering in the Punjab National Bank scam and ordered his extradition to India, UK home secretary Priti Patel has approved the extradition, people familiar with the development said on Friday.

The decision comes as a shot in the arm for the Indian government, which has been trying to bring fugitive economic offenders back to India, but Nirav Modi reserves a right to appeal his extradition in the high court, which his lawyer said would be the next course of action. Zulfiquar Memon, who represents Nirav Modi, told media – “We will now go to the high court challenging the order of the Westminster Magistrate Court.”