UK.USA

  The White House announced Thursday that Karine Jean-Pierre will take over as White House press secretary in the coming week, succeeding Jen Psaki. Jean-Pierre, the White House's current principal deputy press secretary, will become the first openly gay person and the first Black woman to serve as press secretary. The White House announced that Jean-Pierre would take over on May 13. "Karine not only brings the experience, talent, and integrity required for this difficult job," President Biden said in a statement. "She will also continue to lead the way in communicating about the work of the Biden-Harris Administration on behalf of the American people." "Karine is someone Jill and I have known and respected for a long time, and she will be a strong voice speaking for me and this Administration." "Jen Psaki has established the bar for restoring decency, respect, and decorum to the White House Briefing Room," he said. "I want to thank Jen

  ST JAMES, Jamaica — Oral Johnson, 43, of Garden District, Westmoreland, who was arrested on April 26, 2022, following the seizure of approximately 24 pounds of cocaine in Coral Gardens, Montego Bay, St James, is now charged. On Tuesday, May 3, Johnson was formally interviewed in the presence of his attorney, after which he was charged with possession of cocaine, dealing in cocaine, attempting to export cocaine, and trafficking cocaine. According to the circumstances, the accused was driving a car when it was stopped by police in the Coral Gardens area of St James on Tuesday, April 26. During a vehicle search, cocaine with an estimated street value of $550,000 (or $82.5 million) was discovered and seized. Johnson was then detained on reasonable suspicion of violating the Dangerous Drugs Act. He was formally charged yesterday as a result of the subsequent investigation. During other operations, a search was conducted at 114 Torado Drive, St James, which is owned and occupied by one Pre

  GENEVA, Switzerland — According to the WHO, the COVID-19 pandemic killed 13.3 to 16.6 million people in 2020 and 2021, more than tripling the number of deaths directly attributed to the disease. The World Health Organization's long-awaited estimate of the total number of deaths caused by the pandemic — including lives lost as a result of the pandemic's knock-on effects — finally puts a number on the crisis's broader impact. "New World Health Organization estimates show that the total death toll associated directly or indirectly with the COVID-19 pandemic between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021 was approximately 14.9 million (range 13.3 million to 16.6 million)," according to a statement from the UN health agency. The figure represents what is known as excess mortality as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, which has rocked much of the world for more than two years. "These sobering data not only point to the pandemic's impact, but also to the need for

  On the back of high energy prices, the central bank forecasts a severe slowdown in GDP later this year. After annual inflation in the United Kingdom reached a 30-year high of 7% in March, the Bank of England raised its benchmark interest rates by 0.25 percentage points to 1% on Thursday. Inflation is predicted to peak in the fourth quarter at around 10%. The rate hike is the fourth since the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street began tightening policy in an attempt to reduce the rate of growing prices without harming the British economy too much. However, the Bank expects growth to drop dramatically in the first half of the projected period as a result of increasing prices, particularly for energy. "GDP is anticipated to fall in [the fourth quarter], driven mostly by a drop in families' real incomes, particularly that resulting from a projected increase of about 40 [percent] in retail gas and electricity prices when... price caps are next established in October," the report

  ISLAMABAD: The federal government has agreed to extradite Farah Gogi to Pakistan for questioning. PMLN leader Maryam Nawaz stated last month that a woman named Farah Khan was involved in billions of rupees in corruption. The PMLN leader told the media that the woman had been accepting bribes in exchange for transfers and postings. Farah Gogi is a friend of First Lady Bushra Bibi, according to leading Pakistani media. Farah Gogi, also known as Farah Gujjar, has links with Owais Muzaffar Tappi, Asif Ali Zardari's foster brother, in Dubai, according to a leading Pakistani journalist. Farah Gogi is the wife of Ahsan Jameel Gujjar and the daughter-in-law of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MP Iqbal Gujjar, who was elected to the Gujranwala House of Representatives in 2018. Since 1985, he has been a minister in Nawaz Sharif's government. In 2018, he was the PMLN's candidate for Speaker of the Punjab Assembly. VIDEOS YOU MAY WANT TO SEE BELOW > SIMPLE home made remedy

  BERLIN: Germany and the United Kingdom vowed to send more weapons to Ukraine and to work together to put pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin, downplaying differences over tougher sanctions against Moscow.  Following talks in Downing Street, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the United Kingdom would send an additional 100 million pounds ($130 million) in military equipment, including precision munitions that can linger in the sky until they hit their target.  Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that Germany would continue deliveries to Kyiv without specifying the types or quantities.  "Unity is essential," Scholz said. "Unity within the EU, unity within the G-7, and unity within NATO." Putin was taken aback by everything that happened. He was certain that we would be split. And he needed to see that we were united and will remain united.  Despite years of tension over Brexit, the two leaders put on a show of unity, announcing plans for regular governme

Boris Johnson agreed with one of his ministers that some Covid regulations appeared "inhumane" in retrospect, while arguing that another lockdown was impossible to rule out in the future. Johnson also claimed that "a lot of nonsense" had been said about lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street in an interview with GB News conducted by two backbench Tory MPs, Philip Davies and Esther McVey. Davies and McVey, both lockdown sceptics, questioned the prime minister about comments made on Monday by Brexit opportunities minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, who said some lockdown rules were "unkind and inhumane." When asked if he agreed, Johnson replied, "I do." Yes, I do. And I believe that some of them – I understand why people feel that way, and I believe that people felt that way in particular because of the loss of the ability to visit their loved ones in care homes or meet properly for funerals. It was truly appalling, to say nothing of the loss of religio