Forces loyal to Libya's eastern-based commander Khalifa Haftar have closed the border with Algeria, they said on Sunday, after major deployments of his forces to the south underscored his continued role despite efforts to unify the country. 
 
Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) last week sent troops into the southern city of Sebha, which was already allied to eastern forces, and then on Saturday to a southern border crossing with Algeria. 
 
"The armed forces has closed the Libyan-Algerian border and declared it a military zone in which movement is prohibited,"&nbsp;said the Moral Guidance Department, an LNA media unit. 
 
The nearly 1,000-kilometre (620 miles) border between Algeria and Libya cuts through mostly uninhabited desert and has few crossings. 
 
Haftar was put onto the back foot last year after the collapse of his 14-month offensive against Tripoli, while a new unity government backed by a UN-facilitated peace process has called into question his political position. 
 
However, despite progress towards a political solution for Libya after a decade of violence and chaos, most of the country is still controlled by armed groups, corruption is rampant and the outside powers involved in the conflict have not withdrawn. 
 
Progress is expected on Sunday in implementing the terms of a military ceasefire in place since September, with the planned reopening of the main coast road across front lines, and foreign powers will convene in Berlin this week for Libya talks.

Forces loyal to Libya's eastern-based commander Khalifa Haftar have closed the border with Algeria, they said on Sunday, after major deployments of his forces to the south underscored his continued role despite efforts to unify the country.

Forces loyal to Libya's eastern-based commander Khalifa Haftar have closed the border with Algeria, they said on Sunday, after major deployments of his forces to the south underscored his continued role despite efforts to unify the country. Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) last week sent troops into the southern city of Sebha, which was already allied to eastern forces, and then on Saturday to a southern border crossing with Algeria. "The armed forces has closed the Libyan-Algerian border and declared it a military zone in which movement is prohibited," said the Moral Guidance Department, an LNA media unit. The nearly 1,000-kilometre (620 miles) border between Algeria and Libya cuts through mostly uninhabited desert and has few crossings. Haftar was put onto the back foot last year after the collapse of his 14-month offensive against Tripoli, while a new unity government backed by a UN-facilitated peace process has called into question his political position. However, despite progress towards a political solution for Libya after a decade of violence and chaos, most of the country is still controlled by armed groups, corruption is rampant and the outside powers involved in the conflict have not withdrawn. Progress is expected on Sunday in implementing the terms of a military ceasefire in place since September, with the planned reopening of the main coast road across front lines, and foreign powers will convene in Berlin this week for Libya talks.

Libya's Haftar closes border with Algeria

South Korea will relax social distancing rules and allow private gatherings of up to six people in the greater Seoul area from the current four starting July 1, the government said on Sunday. 
 
The announcement comes as South Korea has inoculated 29.2% of its population as of Saturday, putting it on track to meet a target of 70% by September. 
 
Daily new infections have held stubbornly in a range of 400 to 700 for the past few weeks, but have stayed below 600 for more than a week so far. 
 
Under the revised rules, restaurants, night-life venues and cafes will be allowed to open for business until 12 am, versus 10 pm&nbsp;currently. 
 
"The new social distancing system is an effort to find a balance between quarantine and daily life recovery amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic," Health Minister Kwon Deok-cheol said in a televised briefing. 
 
Unless daily infections spike significantly, the government plans to allow gatherings of up to eight people in the greater Seoul area from July 15, Kwon said. 
 
For those outside of greater Seoul, no restrictions will apply on the number of private gatherings allowed. 
 
South Korea reported 429 new infections by midnight on Saturday, for a tally of 151,149 cases, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said, with a death toll of 2,002. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

South Korea will relax social distancing rules and allow private gatherings of up to six people in the greater Seoul area from the current four starting July 1, the government said on Sunday.

South Korea will relax social distancing rules and allow private gatherings of up to six people in the greater Seoul area from the current four starting July 1, the government said on Sunday. The announcement comes as South Korea has inoculated 29.2% of its population as of Saturday, putting it on track to meet a target of 70% by September. Daily new infections have held stubbornly in a range of 400 to 700 for the past few weeks, but have stayed below 600 for more than a week so far. Under the revised rules, restaurants, night-life venues and cafes will be allowed to open for business until 12 am, versus 10 pm currently. "The new social distancing system is an effort to find a balance between quarantine and daily life recovery amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic," Health Minister Kwon Deok-cheol said in a televised briefing. Unless daily infections spike significantly, the government plans to allow gatherings of up to eight people in the greater Seoul area from July 15, Kwon said. For those outside of greater Seoul, no restrictions will apply on the number of private gatherings allowed. South Korea reported 429 new infections by midnight on Saturday, for a tally of 151,149 cases, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said, with a death toll of 2,002. (With inputs from agencies)

South Korea to loosen social distancing rules on July 1

Russia's ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, was in an optimistic mood ahead of his return to Washington on Sunday, expecting meetings scheduled with US&nbsp;colleagues next week to be constructive, the RIA news agency reported. 
 
President Vladimir Putin and his US&nbsp;counterpart Joe Biden agreed to return their respective ambassadors to Washington and Moscow during talks in Geneva on Wednesday, a first summit between the two that they both described as pragmatic rather than friendly. 
 
Moscow recalled Antonov for consultations after Biden said in March that he believed Putin was 'a killer'. The US&nbsp;ambassador later returned to Washington for consultations too. 
 
"There is a lot of work to be done. We are counting on progress," RIA cited Antonov as saying before he boarded a flight to the United States. 
 
Antonov said he was returning with an optimistic mindset and that meetings would begin on Monday and continue throughout the week. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Russia's ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, was in an optimistic mood ahead of his return to Washington on Sunday, expecting meetings scheduled with US colleagues next week to be constructive, the RIA news agency reported.

Russia's ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, was in an optimistic mood ahead of his return to Washington on Sunday, expecting meetings scheduled with US colleagues next week to be constructive, the RIA news agency reported. President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Joe Biden agreed to return their respective ambassadors to Washington and Moscow during talks in Geneva on Wednesday, a first summit between the two that they both described as pragmatic rather than friendly. Moscow recalled Antonov for consultations after Biden said in March that he believed Putin was 'a killer'. The US ambassador later returned to Washington for consultations too. "There is a lot of work to be done. We are counting on progress," RIA cited Antonov as saying before he boarded a flight to the United States. Antonov said he was returning with an optimistic mindset and that meetings would begin on Monday and continue throughout the week. (With inputs from agencies)

Russian envoy to US returns to Washington with optimistic mindset: RIA

Taiwan will 'adjust' the operations of its representative office in Hong Kong after the government there demanded its officials sign a document supporting Beijing's claim to Taiwan under its 'one China' policy, the island's government said on Sunday. 
 
Chinese-ruled Hong Kong has become another bone of contention between Taipei and Beijing, especially after Taiwan lambasted a security law imposed on Hong Kong by Beijing and began welcoming Hong Kongers to settle on the island. 
 
Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council said that since July 2018 the Hong Kong government has repeatedly set unreasonable political conditions for staff visas for our Hong Kong office, demanding the signing of a 'One China Commitment Letter'. 
 
That has prevented staff for the office from staying there or taking up their posts, it added. 
 
"Starting from June 21, the Hong Kong office will adjust its business handling method," the council added, without giving details, though said the office will maintain 'necessary operations'. 
 
Taiwanese staff will not sign any such 'one China' letter, it added. 
 
China sees democratically-ruled Taiwan as part of 'one China' and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. 
 
Last month, Hong Kong suspended operations at its Taiwan representative office, blaming Taipei's 'gross' interference in internal affairs, including with its offer to assist 'violent' protesters, accusations Taiwan rejected. 
 
Macau's government followed suit on Wednesday, saying it would suspend operations at its representative office in Taiwan. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Taiwan will 'adjust' the operations of its representative office in Hong Kong after the government there demanded its officials sign a document supporting Beijing's claim to Taiwan under its 'one China' policy, the island's government said on Sunday.

Taiwan will 'adjust' the operations of its representative office in Hong Kong after the government there demanded its officials sign a document supporting Beijing's claim to Taiwan under its 'one China' policy, the island's government said on Sunday. Chinese-ruled Hong Kong has become another bone of contention between Taipei and Beijing, especially after Taiwan lambasted a security law imposed on Hong Kong by Beijing and began welcoming Hong Kongers to settle on the island. Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council said that since July 2018 the Hong Kong government has repeatedly set unreasonable political conditions for staff visas for our Hong Kong office, demanding the signing of a 'One China Commitment Letter'. That has prevented staff for the office from staying there or taking up their posts, it added. "Starting from June 21, the Hong Kong office will adjust its business handling method," the council added, without giving details, though said the office will maintain 'necessary operations'. Taiwanese staff will not sign any such 'one China' letter, it added. China sees democratically-ruled Taiwan as part of 'one China' and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. Last month, Hong Kong suspended operations at its Taiwan representative office, blaming Taipei's 'gross' interference in internal affairs, including with its offer to assist 'violent' protesters, accusations Taiwan rejected. Macau's government followed suit on Wednesday, saying it would suspend operations at its representative office in Taiwan. (With inputs from agencies)

Taiwan to 'adjust' Hong Kong office operations in 'one China' row

Canada will admit more refugees and their families this year as part of its effort to tackle a global crisis, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Marco Mendicino said on Friday. 
 
He said Canada will take nearly double the number of protected persons, defined as people, who have applied for and been granted refugee status after arriving in the country, as well as their immediate families abroad. The new target is 45,000, up from 23,500. 
 
Mendicino also said the government plans to spend an additional C$3 million ($2.4 million) over two years for refugee sponsorship and modestly expand a programme blending refugee resettlement with economic immigration. His announcement comes ahead of ahead of World Refugee Day on Sunday. 
 
"We hope to be able to facilitate their travel, obviously taking into consideration ongoing travel restrictions," Mendicino said, referring to refugees' family members. 
 
Canada aims to resettle 36,000 refugees this year - distinct from protected persons in that resettled refugees are referred directly to Canada by an agency like the UNHCR and have refugee status on arrival. Mendicino has said Canada may accept Central American migrants to help the United States, which is struggling to deal with an increase. 
 
The backlog of immigration applications for the family members of protected persons had been increasing before the pandemic and nearly doubled to 21,372 in January, 2021 from 11,177 in January, 2018, according to government data. 
 
Even as Canada prepares to accept more refugees, it has sought to prevent asylum-seekers from coming into the country via its land border - either through its Safe Third Country Agreement with the United States or through a COVID-19 policy being contested in court. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Canada will admit more refugees and their families this year as part of its effort to tackle a global crisis, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Marco Mendicino said on Friday.

Canada will admit more refugees and their families this year as part of its effort to tackle a global crisis, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Marco Mendicino said on Friday. He said Canada will take nearly double the number of protected persons, defined as people, who have applied for and been granted refugee status after arriving in the country, as well as their immediate families abroad. The new target is 45,000, up from 23,500. Mendicino also said the government plans to spend an additional C$3 million ($2.4 million) over two years for refugee sponsorship and modestly expand a programme blending refugee resettlement with economic immigration. His announcement comes ahead of ahead of World Refugee Day on Sunday. "We hope to be able to facilitate their travel, obviously taking into consideration ongoing travel restrictions," Mendicino said, referring to refugees' family members. Canada aims to resettle 36,000 refugees this year - distinct from protected persons in that resettled refugees are referred directly to Canada by an agency like the UNHCR and have refugee status on arrival. Mendicino has said Canada may accept Central American migrants to help the United States, which is struggling to deal with an increase. The backlog of immigration applications for the family members of protected persons had been increasing before the pandemic and nearly doubled to 21,372 in January, 2021 from 11,177 in January, 2018, according to government data. Even as Canada prepares to accept more refugees, it has sought to prevent asylum-seekers from coming into the country via its land border - either through its Safe Third Country Agreement with the United States or through a COVID-19 policy being contested in court. (With inputs from agencies)

Canada vows to nearly double intake of 'protected persons' as refugee family backlog grows

Alphabet unit Google could face its biggest regulatory threat, with EU antitrust regulators set to open a formal investigation into its lucrative digital advertising business before the end of the year, said people familiar with the matter. 
 
It would mark a new front by the EU competition enforcer against Google. It has in the last decade fined the company more than 8 billion euros ($9.8 billion) for blocking rivals in online shopping, Android smartphones and online advertising. 
 
An EU probe would focus on Google's position vis-a-vis advertisers, publishers, intermediaries and rivals, one of the people said, indicating deeper scrutiny than the French antitrust agency's case concluded last week. 
 
Google made $147 billion in revenue from online ads last year, more than&nbsp;any other company in the world. Ads on its properties, including search, YouTube and Gmail, accounted for the bulk of sales and profits. 
 
About 16% of revenue came from its display or network business, in which other media companies use Google technology to sell ads on their website and apps. 
 
Both units are under fire. The US&nbsp;Justice Department, joined by some states, sued Google last year for abusing its dominance in search ads. A group of states led by Texas in a later lawsuit focussed on anti-competitive behaviour on the network side of the house. 
 
France last week settled with Google for $268 million and various commitments over similar allegations related to the network business, and the unit also must work closely with Britain's competition regulator on upcoming software changes as part of a settlement reached days later. 
 
The Commission declined to comment. Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 
 
A new EU inquiry could end up targeting all of Google's ad empire. Market researcher eMarketer expects Google to control 27% of global online ad spending this year, including 57% for search ads and 10% of display. 
 
While the numbers may not look monopolistic at first blush, advertisers and rivals contend that Google's various software play a role in so many facets of the market that the company is impossible to avoid. 
 
They say Google takes advantage of the dependence buyers, sellers and intermediaries have on it to extract high fees from all sides and block rivals from fairly competing with it. 
 
In a questionnaire sent to Google rivals and third parties earlier this year and seen by Reuters, the EU watchdog asked if advertisers receive rebates when they use Google intermediaries, which allow advertisers or media agencies to buy advertising inventory from many sources. 
 
The Commission should conclude ongoing cases before starting new ones, said Thomas Hoppner, a partner at law firm Hausfeld, and who advises several complainants against Google. 
 
"From the practitioner's point of view and from the industry's point of view, it appears equally important to bring investigations into local search and Google's job search to an end when other authorities have opened investigations into Google's adtech," he said. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Alphabet unit Google could face its biggest regulatory threat, with EU antitrust regulators set to open a formal investigation into its lucrative digital advertising business before the end of the year, said people familiar with the matter.

Alphabet unit Google could face its biggest regulatory threat, with EU antitrust regulators set to open a formal investigation into its lucrative digital advertising business before the end of the year, said people familiar with the matter. It would mark a new front by the EU competition enforcer against Google. It has in the last decade fined the company more than 8 billion euros ($9.8 billion) for blocking rivals in online shopping, Android smartphones and online advertising. An EU probe would focus on Google's position vis-a-vis advertisers, publishers, intermediaries and rivals, one of the people said, indicating deeper scrutiny than the French antitrust agency's case concluded last week. Google made $147 billion in revenue from online ads last year, more than any other company in the world. Ads on its properties, including search, YouTube and Gmail, accounted for the bulk of sales and profits. About 16% of revenue came from its display or network business, in which other media companies use Google technology to sell ads on their website and apps. Both units are under fire. The US Justice Department, joined by some states, sued Google last year for abusing its dominance in search ads. A group of states led by Texas in a later lawsuit focussed on anti-competitive behaviour on the network side of the house. France last week settled with Google for $268 million and various commitments over similar allegations related to the network business, and the unit also must work closely with Britain's competition regulator on upcoming software changes as part of a settlement reached days later. The Commission declined to comment. Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A new EU inquiry could end up targeting all of Google's ad empire. Market researcher eMarketer expects Google to control 27% of global online ad spending this year, including 57% for search ads and 10% of display. While the numbers may not look monopolistic at first blush, advertisers and rivals contend that Google's various software play a role in so many facets of the market that the company is impossible to avoid. They say Google takes advantage of the dependence buyers, sellers and intermediaries have on it to extract high fees from all sides and block rivals from fairly competing with it. In a questionnaire sent to Google rivals and third parties earlier this year and seen by Reuters, the EU watchdog asked if advertisers receive rebates when they use Google intermediaries, which allow advertisers or media agencies to buy advertising inventory from many sources. The Commission should conclude ongoing cases before starting new ones, said Thomas Hoppner, a partner at law firm Hausfeld, and who advises several complainants against Google. "From the practitioner's point of view and from the industry's point of view, it appears equally important to bring investigations into local search and Google's job search to an end when other authorities have opened investigations into Google's adtech," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

Google's adtech business set to face formal EU probe by year-end: Sources

Crowds gathered outside a Hong Kong court early on Saturday ahead of a hearing for two executives of pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily charged under the city's sweeping national security law, in a case that has drawn international condemnation. 
 
Editor-in-chief Ryan Law, 47, and chief executive Cheung Kim-hung, 59, were among five Apple Daily executives arrested on Thursday when 500 police raided the outlet's newsroom, which authorities described as a 'crime scene'. 
 
Both are charged with collusion with foreign powers, raising alarm over media freedoms in the financial hub as authorities intensify a crackdown under the contentious legislation. 
 
The other three, Chief Operating Officer Chow Tat-kuen, Deputy Chief Editor Chan Puiman and Chief Executive Editor Cheung Chi-wai, were released on bail late on Friday, according to Apple Daily. 
 
"I already left Apple Daily due to personal and safety reasons," said Chan, 37, a former Apple Daily reporter. 
 
"I hope the two being charged can think about themselves first. They also have their families. I worked with them before. We are like friends." 
 
The national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020 on the former British colony has brought an authoritarian tone to most aspects of life in Hong Kong, including education and arts. 
 
It punishes what Beijing broadly refers to as secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison. 
 
Police said dozens of the newspaper's articles were suspected of violating the national security law - the first time media articles have been cited as potentially falling foul of the legislation. 
 
Crowds gathered at dawn on Saturday outside West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts, some holding yellow umbrellas or wearing Apple Daily T-shirts saying, "No fear, fight on." 
 
"Right now, you can be charged with NSL because of a word or a speech that they didn't like. It's a big regression,” Lo, 29, a reader of the popular, 26-year-old paper, said. 
 
The arrests and scale of the Apple Daily raid have been criticised by Western nations, global rights groups, press associations and the chief UN&nbsp;spokesperson for human rights. 
 
Apple Daily and its listed publisher Next Digital have come under increasing pressure since their owner, pro-democracy activist and staunch Beijing critic Jimmy Lai, was arrested last year under the legislation. 
 
Lai, whose assets have been frozen under the security law, is already in jail for taking part in unauthorised assemblies and awaiting trial in his national security case. 
 
As investigations into Apple Daily and its senior executives ramp up, some employees and observers have expressed deepening concern over the newspaper's future. 
 
Since the law was imposed by Beijing in June last year, more than 100 people have been arrested, with most denied bail. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Crowds gathered outside a Hong Kong court early on Saturday ahead of a hearing for two executives of pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily charged under the city's sweeping national security law, in a case that has drawn international condemnation.

Crowds gathered outside a Hong Kong court early on Saturday ahead of a hearing for two executives of pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily charged under the city's sweeping national security law, in a case that has drawn international condemnation. Editor-in-chief Ryan Law, 47, and chief executive Cheung Kim-hung, 59, were among five Apple Daily executives arrested on Thursday when 500 police raided the outlet's newsroom, which authorities described as a 'crime scene'. Both are charged with collusion with foreign powers, raising alarm over media freedoms in the financial hub as authorities intensify a crackdown under the contentious legislation. The other three, Chief Operating Officer Chow Tat-kuen, Deputy Chief Editor Chan Puiman and Chief Executive Editor Cheung Chi-wai, were released on bail late on Friday, according to Apple Daily. "I already left Apple Daily due to personal and safety reasons," said Chan, 37, a former Apple Daily reporter. "I hope the two being charged can think about themselves first. They also have their families. I worked with them before. We are like friends." The national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020 on the former British colony has brought an authoritarian tone to most aspects of life in Hong Kong, including education and arts. It punishes what Beijing broadly refers to as secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison. Police said dozens of the newspaper's articles were suspected of violating the national security law - the first time media articles have been cited as potentially falling foul of the legislation. Crowds gathered at dawn on Saturday outside West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts, some holding yellow umbrellas or wearing Apple Daily T-shirts saying, "No fear, fight on." "Right now, you can be charged with NSL because of a word or a speech that they didn't like. It's a big regression,” Lo, 29, a reader of the popular, 26-year-old paper, said. The arrests and scale of the Apple Daily raid have been criticised by Western nations, global rights groups, press associations and the chief UN spokesperson for human rights. Apple Daily and its listed publisher Next Digital have come under increasing pressure since their owner, pro-democracy activist and staunch Beijing critic Jimmy Lai, was arrested last year under the legislation. Lai, whose assets have been frozen under the security law, is already in jail for taking part in unauthorised assemblies and awaiting trial in his national security case. As investigations into Apple Daily and its senior executives ramp up, some employees and observers have expressed deepening concern over the newspaper's future. Since the law was imposed by Beijing in June last year, more than 100 people have been arrested, with most denied bail. (With inputs from agencies)

Crowds gather for hearing of two Apple Daily executives on national security charge

Canada is extending a ban on non-essential travel with the United States and the rest of the world until July 21, officials said on Friday, prompting frustration from businesses and US&nbsp;legislators. 
 
Canada is under pressure from companies and the tourism industry to ease the ban, which was imposed in March 2020 to help contain spread of the coronavirus and has been renewed on a monthly basis ever since. 
 
But Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stood firm, saying the border would stay largely shut until 75% of Canadians had received the first of a two-dose coronavirus vaccine and 20% had been given both shots. 
 
Although Trudeau said Canada had basically achieved the first target, official data released after he spoke showed 73.4% had received their first shot. Only 5.5% of the eligible population has had both shots. 
 
"Even a fully vaccinated individual can pass on COVID-19 to someone, who is not vaccinated," Trudeau told reporters, saying Canada needed to avoid 'any further massive waves'. 
 
The extended border closure comes as the western province of Alberta unveiled plans to fully reopen on July 1, lifting virtually all remaining public health restrictions, after 70% of eligible Albertans received their first vaccination dose. 
 
The travel ban does not affect trade in goods but Statistics Canada said total exports of services in 2020 compared with 2019 fell by 17.7% and imports of services plunged by 24.0%, in part due to the border restrictions. Travel and transportation services were particularly hard hit. 
 
"The inability of the US and Canadian governments to reach an agreement on alleviating border restrictions ... is simply unacceptable," said US&nbsp;Representatives Brian Higgins and Bill Huizenga, co-chairs of the Canada-US&nbsp;Interparliamentary Group. 
 
The United States is Canada's largest trading partner. 
 
Harley Finkelstein, president of Canadian e-commerce company Shopify Inc, tweeted that the extended border closure was the wrong decision. "We need to open the border for fully vaccinated travellers immediately," he wrote. 
 
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce - a national group that advocates for businesses - lamented what it said was Ottawa's excessive caution. 
 
"All of the science would say we should be moving ahead to reopen the border. We don't even have a plan at this point," said Perrin Beatty, the group's president and chief executive. 
 
Ottawa will reveal on Monday how it plans to start easing measures for fully vaccinated Canadians. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Canada is extending a ban on non-essential travel with the United States and the rest of the world until July 21, officials said on Friday, prompting frustration from businesses and US legislators.

Canada is extending a ban on non-essential travel with the United States and the rest of the world until July 21, officials said on Friday, prompting frustration from businesses and US legislators. Canada is under pressure from companies and the tourism industry to ease the ban, which was imposed in March 2020 to help contain spread of the coronavirus and has been renewed on a monthly basis ever since. But Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stood firm, saying the border would stay largely shut until 75% of Canadians had received the first of a two-dose coronavirus vaccine and 20% had been given both shots. Although Trudeau said Canada had basically achieved the first target, official data released after he spoke showed 73.4% had received their first shot. Only 5.5% of the eligible population has had both shots. "Even a fully vaccinated individual can pass on COVID-19 to someone, who is not vaccinated," Trudeau told reporters, saying Canada needed to avoid 'any further massive waves'. The extended border closure comes as the western province of Alberta unveiled plans to fully reopen on July 1, lifting virtually all remaining public health restrictions, after 70% of eligible Albertans received their first vaccination dose. The travel ban does not affect trade in goods but Statistics Canada said total exports of services in 2020 compared with 2019 fell by 17.7% and imports of services plunged by 24.0%, in part due to the border restrictions. Travel and transportation services were particularly hard hit. "The inability of the US and Canadian governments to reach an agreement on alleviating border restrictions ... is simply unacceptable," said US Representatives Brian Higgins and Bill Huizenga, co-chairs of the Canada-US Interparliamentary Group. The United States is Canada's largest trading partner. Harley Finkelstein, president of Canadian e-commerce company Shopify Inc, tweeted that the extended border closure was the wrong decision. "We need to open the border for fully vaccinated travellers immediately," he wrote. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce - a national group that advocates for businesses - lamented what it said was Ottawa's excessive caution. "All of the science would say we should be moving ahead to reopen the border. We don't even have a plan at this point," said Perrin Beatty, the group's president and chief executive. Ottawa will reveal on Monday how it plans to start easing measures for fully vaccinated Canadians. (With inputs from agencies)

Businesses, US legislators fume as Canada extends travel ban; Trudeau stands firm

Boeing Co's 737 MAX 10, the largest member of its best-selling single-aisle airplane family, took off on its maiden flight on Friday, in a further step towards recovering from the safety grounding of a smaller model. 
 
The plane completed a roughly 2-1/2-hour flight over Washington State, returning to Renton Municipal Airport near Seattle at 12:38 pm. 
 
The first flight heralds months of testing and safety certification work before the jet is expected to enter service in 2023. 
 
In an unusual departure from the PR buzz surrounding first flights, the event was kept low-key as Boeing tries to navigate overlapping crisis caused by a 20-month grounding in the wake of two crashes and the COVID-19 pandemic. 
 
Boeing's 230-seat 737-10 is designed to close the gap between its 178-to-220-seat 737-9, and Airbus's 185-to-240-seat A321neo, which dominates the top end of the narrowbody jet market, worth some $3.5 trillion over 20 years. 
 
However, the market opportunity for the 737 MAX 10 is constrained by the jet's range of about 3,300 nautical miles (6,100 km), which falls short of the A321neo's roughly 4,000 nm. 
 
Boeing must also complete safety certification of the plane under a tougher regulatory climate following two fatal crashes of a smaller 737 MAX version grounded the model for nearly two years - with a safety ban still in place in China. 
 
Boeing has carried out design and training changes on the MAX family, which returned to US&nbsp;operations in December. 
 
Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stan Deal said the company is producing about 16 737 MAX jets a month at its Renton factory. 
 
Boeing is working on safety enhancements for the 737 MAX 10, including for its air data indication system and adding a third cockpit indication requested by European regulators of the 'angle of attack',&nbsp;a parameter needed to avoid stalling or losing lift. Deal’s comments were provided to the media via a pool reporter inside a Boeing aircraft delivery center. 
 
"We're going to take our time on this certification," Deal said. 
 
While the smaller MAX 8 is Boeing's fastest-selling jet, slow sales of the MAX 9 and 10 models have put Boeing at a disadvantage to the A321neo. 
 
Boeing has abandoned plans to tinker with the 737 MAX 10 design, but is weighing a bolder plan to replace the single-aisle 757, which overlaps with the top end of the MAX family. 
 
Even so, Boeing says it is confident in the MAX 10, and it is stepping up efforts to sell more of the jet, with key targets, including Ireland's Ryanair. 
 
Customers include United Airlines with 100 on order. Although sources say United is weighing a new order for at least 100 or even up to 200 MAX, its requirement for large single-aisles will be served by Airbus - reinforcing the market split. 
 
The flight, watched by dozens of employees but virtually no visitors as Boeing sought to downplay the event, showcased a revamped landing gear system illustrating an industry battle to squeeze as much mileage as possible out of the current generation of single-aisles. 
 
It raises the landing gear's height during take-off and landing, a design needed to compensate for the MAX 10's extra length and prevent the tail scraping the runway on take-off. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Boeing Co's 737 MAX 10, the largest member of its best-selling single-aisle airplane family, took off on its maiden flight on Friday, in a further step towards recovering from the safety grounding of a smaller model.

Boeing Co's 737 MAX 10, the largest member of its best-selling single-aisle airplane family, took off on its maiden flight on Friday, in a further step towards recovering from the safety grounding of a smaller model. The plane completed a roughly 2-1/2-hour flight over Washington State, returning to Renton Municipal Airport near Seattle at 12:38 pm. The first flight heralds months of testing and safety certification work before the jet is expected to enter service in 2023. In an unusual departure from the PR buzz surrounding first flights, the event was kept low-key as Boeing tries to navigate overlapping crisis caused by a 20-month grounding in the wake of two crashes and the COVID-19 pandemic. Boeing's 230-seat 737-10 is designed to close the gap between its 178-to-220-seat 737-9, and Airbus's 185-to-240-seat A321neo, which dominates the top end of the narrowbody jet market, worth some $3.5 trillion over 20 years. However, the market opportunity for the 737 MAX 10 is constrained by the jet's range of about 3,300 nautical miles (6,100 km), which falls short of the A321neo's roughly 4,000 nm. Boeing must also complete safety certification of the plane under a tougher regulatory climate following two fatal crashes of a smaller 737 MAX version grounded the model for nearly two years - with a safety ban still in place in China. Boeing has carried out design and training changes on the MAX family, which returned to US operations in December. Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stan Deal said the company is producing about 16 737 MAX jets a month at its Renton factory. Boeing is working on safety enhancements for the 737 MAX 10, including for its air data indication system and adding a third cockpit indication requested by European regulators of the 'angle of attack', a parameter needed to avoid stalling or losing lift. Deal’s comments were provided to the media via a pool reporter inside a Boeing aircraft delivery center. "We're going to take our time on this certification," Deal said. While the smaller MAX 8 is Boeing's fastest-selling jet, slow sales of the MAX 9 and 10 models have put Boeing at a disadvantage to the A321neo. Boeing has abandoned plans to tinker with the 737 MAX 10 design, but is weighing a bolder plan to replace the single-aisle 757, which overlaps with the top end of the MAX family. Even so, Boeing says it is confident in the MAX 10, and it is stepping up efforts to sell more of the jet, with key targets, including Ireland's Ryanair. Customers include United Airlines with 100 on order. Although sources say United is weighing a new order for at least 100 or even up to 200 MAX, its requirement for large single-aisles will be served by Airbus - reinforcing the market split. The flight, watched by dozens of employees but virtually no visitors as Boeing sought to downplay the event, showcased a revamped landing gear system illustrating an industry battle to squeeze as much mileage as possible out of the current generation of single-aisles. It raises the landing gear's height during take-off and landing, a design needed to compensate for the MAX 10's extra length and prevent the tail scraping the runway on take-off. (With inputs from agencies)

Largest Boeing 737 MAX model takes off on maiden flight

The United Nations General Assembly on Friday called for a stop to the flow of arms to Myanmar and urged the military to respect November election results and release political detainees, including leader Aung San Suu Kyi. 
 
The General Assembly adopted a resolution with the support of 119 countries several months after the military overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government in a February&nbsp;1 coup. Belarus requested the text be put to a vote and was the only country to oppose it, while 36 abstained, including China and Russia. 
 
"The risk of a large-scale civil war is real," UN&nbsp;special envoy on Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener told the General Assembly after the vote. "Time is of the essence. The opportunity to reverse the military takeover is narrowing." 
 
Some countries, which abstained, said the crisis was an internal issue for Myanmar, others did not think the resolution would be helpful, while some states complained it did not adequately address the plight of Rohingya Muslims some four years after a military crackdown forced nearly a million to flee Myanmar. 
 
European Union UN&nbsp;Ambassador Olof Skoog said the UN&nbsp;resolution sends a powerful message: "It delegitimises the military junta, condemns its abuse and violence against its own people and demonstrates its isolation in the eyes of the world." 
 
UN&nbsp;Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had earlier on Friday pushed the General Assembly to act, telling reporters: "We cannot live in a world where military coups become a norm. It is totally unacceptable." 
 
The military cited the government's refusal to address what it said was fraud in a November election as the reason for the coup. International observers have said the ballot was fair. 
 
An initial draft UN&nbsp;resolution included stronger language calling for an arms embargo on Myanmar. According to a proposal last month, nine Southeast Asian countries wanted that language removed. 
 
The compromise text 'calls on all member states to prevent the flow of arms into Myanmar'. 
 
General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding but carry political weight. Unlike the 15-member Security Council, no country has veto power in the General Assembly. 
 
The junta's forces have killed more than 860 people since the coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. The junta says the number is much lower. 
 
The UN&nbsp;resolution calls on the Myanmar military to 'immediately stop all violence against peaceful protesters' and end restrictions on the internet and social media. 
 
The General Assembly also called on Myanmar to swiftly implement a five-point consensus the junta forged with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in April to halt violence and start dialogue with its opponents. 
 
ASEAN has led the main diplomatic effort to find a way out of the crisis, but was split on Friday over the UN&nbsp;action. 
 
Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam and Myanmar's UN&nbsp;Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, who speaks for the country's elected civilian government, voted yes, while Brunei, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand abstained. 
 
Kyaw Moe Tun said he was disappointed it took so long for the General Assembly to adopt a 'watered down' resolution, adding: "It is critically important that no country should support the military."

(With inputs from agencies)

The United Nations General Assembly on Friday called for a stop to the flow of arms to Myanmar and urged the military to respect November election results and release political detainees, including leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The United Nations General Assembly on Friday called for a stop to the flow of arms to Myanmar and urged the military to respect November election results and release political detainees, including leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The General Assembly adopted a resolution with the support of 119 countries several months after the military overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government in a February 1 coup. Belarus requested the text be put to a vote and was the only country to oppose it, while 36 abstained, including China and Russia. "The risk of a large-scale civil war is real," UN special envoy on Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener told the General Assembly after the vote. "Time is of the essence. The opportunity to reverse the military takeover is narrowing." Some countries, which abstained, said the crisis was an internal issue for Myanmar, others did not think the resolution would be helpful, while some states complained it did not adequately address the plight of Rohingya Muslims some four years after a military crackdown forced nearly a million to flee Myanmar. European Union UN Ambassador Olof Skoog said the UN resolution sends a powerful message: "It delegitimises the military junta, condemns its abuse and violence against its own people and demonstrates its isolation in the eyes of the world." UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had earlier on Friday pushed the General Assembly to act, telling reporters: "We cannot live in a world where military coups become a norm. It is totally unacceptable." The military cited the government's refusal to address what it said was fraud in a November election as the reason for the coup. International observers have said the ballot was fair. An initial draft UN resolution included stronger language calling for an arms embargo on Myanmar. According to a proposal last month, nine Southeast Asian countries wanted that language removed. The compromise text 'calls on all member states to prevent the flow of arms into Myanmar'. General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding but carry political weight. Unlike the 15-member Security Council, no country has veto power in the General Assembly. The junta's forces have killed more than 860 people since the coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. The junta says the number is much lower. The UN resolution calls on the Myanmar military to 'immediately stop all violence against peaceful protesters' and end restrictions on the internet and social media. The General Assembly also called on Myanmar to swiftly implement a five-point consensus the junta forged with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in April to halt violence and start dialogue with its opponents. ASEAN has led the main diplomatic effort to find a way out of the crisis, but was split on Friday over the UN action. Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam and Myanmar's UN Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, who speaks for the country's elected civilian government, voted yes, while Brunei, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand abstained. Kyaw Moe Tun said he was disappointed it took so long for the General Assembly to adopt a 'watered down' resolution, adding: "It is critically important that no country should support the military." (With inputs from agencies)

United Nations calls for halt of weapons to Myanmar

Millions of Iranians voted on Friday in a contest set to hand the presidency to a hardline judge, who is subject to US&nbsp;sanctions, though anger over economic hardship and curbs on freedoms mean many will heed calls for a boycott. 
 
Senior officials appealed for a large turnout in an election widely seen as a referendum on their handling of the economy, including rising prices and unemployment and a collapse in the value of its currency. 
 
"I urge everyone with any political view to vote," judiciary head Ebrahim Raisi, the front-runner in the contest, said after casting his ballot. 
 
"Our people's grievances over shortcomings are real, but if it is the reason for not participating, then it is wrong." 
 
While state television showed long queues at polling stations in several cities, the semi-official Fars news agency reported 22 million or 37% of voters had cast ballots by 7:30 pm&nbsp;(1500 GMT), citing its own reporter. The interior ministry said it could not confirm turnout figures. 
 
State television said voting officially ended at 1930 GMT. However, the interior ministry said voting had been extended for two hours in some polling stations across the country to allow latecomers to cast ballots. 
 
The final results are expected to be announced by mid-day on Saturday. 
 
After voting in the capital Tehran, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged Iranians follow suit, saying 'each vote counts ... come and vote and choose your president'. 
 
Raisi, 60, is backed by security hawks in his bid to succeed Hassan Rouhani, a pragmatist prevented under the constitution from serving a third four-year term in the post, which runs the government day-to-day and reports to Khamenei. 
 
Supported by the powerful Revolutionary Guards Corps, Raisi, a close Khamenei ally, who vows to fight corruption, is under US&nbsp;sanctions for alleged involvement in executions of political prisoners decades ago. 
 
Voters expressed mixed views. 
 
Maryam, 52, a hairdresser in Karaj near Tehran, said she would not vote because "I have lost confidence in the system." 
 
"Every time I voted in the past, I had hope that my living standard would improve. But I lost hope when I saw the highest official in the country wasn't brave enough to resign when he couldn't make things better," she said, referring to Rouhani. 
 
Asked which candidate he preferred, Mohammad, 32, at a polling station in a hamlet in southern Iran, replied: "To be honest none of them, but our representative in parliament says we should vote for Raisi so that everything will improve."

(With inputs from agencies)

Millions of Iranians voted on Friday in a contest set to hand the presidency to a hardline judge, who is subject to US sanctions, though anger over economic hardship and curbs on freedoms mean many will heed calls for a boycott.

Millions of Iranians voted on Friday in a contest set to hand the presidency to a hardline judge, who is subject to US sanctions, though anger over economic hardship and curbs on freedoms mean many will heed calls for a boycott. Senior officials appealed for a large turnout in an election widely seen as a referendum on their handling of the economy, including rising prices and unemployment and a collapse in the value of its currency. "I urge everyone with any political view to vote," judiciary head Ebrahim Raisi, the front-runner in the contest, said after casting his ballot. "Our people's grievances over shortcomings are real, but if it is the reason for not participating, then it is wrong." While state television showed long queues at polling stations in several cities, the semi-official Fars news agency reported 22 million or 37% of voters had cast ballots by 7:30 pm (1500 GMT), citing its own reporter. The interior ministry said it could not confirm turnout figures. State television said voting officially ended at 1930 GMT. However, the interior ministry said voting had been extended for two hours in some polling stations across the country to allow latecomers to cast ballots. The final results are expected to be announced by mid-day on Saturday. After voting in the capital Tehran, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged Iranians follow suit, saying 'each vote counts ... come and vote and choose your president'. Raisi, 60, is backed by security hawks in his bid to succeed Hassan Rouhani, a pragmatist prevented under the constitution from serving a third four-year term in the post, which runs the government day-to-day and reports to Khamenei. Supported by the powerful Revolutionary Guards Corps, Raisi, a close Khamenei ally, who vows to fight corruption, is under US sanctions for alleged involvement in executions of political prisoners decades ago. Voters expressed mixed views. Maryam, 52, a hairdresser in Karaj near Tehran, said she would not vote because "I have lost confidence in the system." "Every time I voted in the past, I had hope that my living standard would improve. But I lost hope when I saw the highest official in the country wasn't brave enough to resign when he couldn't make things better," she said, referring to Rouhani. Asked which candidate he preferred, Mohammad, 32, at a polling station in a hamlet in southern Iran, replied: "To be honest none of them, but our representative in parliament says we should vote for Raisi so that everything will improve." (With inputs from agencies)

Judge under US sanctions set to take over Iran presidency

The Palestinian Authority (PA) cancelled a deal on Friday to receive soon-to-expire COVID-19 vaccines from Israel after an initial Israeli shipment showed an expiration date sooner than had been agreed, the PA health minister said. 
 
Israel and the PA announced a vaccine swap deal earlier on Friday that would have seen Israel send up to 1.4 million Pfizer-BioNTech doses to the PA, in exchange for receiving a reciprocal number of doses from the PA later this year. 
 
The doses were due to 'expire soon', Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's office said in a statement announcing the deal. The PA said they had been 'approved in order to speed up the vaccination process' in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. 
 
"They told us the expiration date was in July or August, which would allow lots of time for use," PA Health Minister Mai Alkaila told reporters later on Friday. 
 
"But (the expiration) turned out to be in June. That's not enough time to use them, so we rejected them," she said. 
 
The PA cancelled the deal over the date issue, a PA spokesman said, and sent the initial shipment of around 90,000 doses back to Israel. 
 
Bennett's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 
 
Rights groups have criticised Israel, which led one of the world's swiftest vaccination campaigns, for not doing more to ensure Palestinian access to doses in the West Bank and Gaza, territory it captured in a 1967 war. 
 
Israeli officials argue that under the Oslo peace accords, the PA health ministry is responsible for vaccinating people in Gaza and parts of the West Bank where it has limited self-rule. 
 
The vaccine deal was among initial policy moves towards the Palestinians by Bennett, who was sworn in on Sunday and replaced veteran leader Benjamin Netanyahu. 
 
Around 55% of Israel's 9.3 million population are fully vaccinated - a coverage rate largely unchanged by this month's expansion of eligibility to include 12- to 15-year-olds. 
 
Some 30% of eligible Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, home to a combined 5.2 million people, have received at least one vaccine dose, according to Palestinian officials. 
 
According to a poll released on Tuesday by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, 40% of Palestinians are willing to take the vaccine once it is available, while 35% say they and their families are not willing to get vaccinated. 
 
The Palestinians have received vaccine doses from Israel, Russia, China, the United Arab Emirates and the global COVAX vaccine-sharing initiative. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

The Palestinian Authority (PA) cancelled a deal on Friday to receive soon-to-expire COVID-19 vaccines from Israel after an initial Israeli shipment showed an expiration date sooner than had been agreed, the PA health minister said.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) cancelled a deal on Friday to receive soon-to-expire COVID-19 vaccines from Israel after an initial Israeli shipment showed an expiration date sooner than had been agreed, the PA health minister said. Israel and the PA announced a vaccine swap deal earlier on Friday that would have seen Israel send up to 1.4 million Pfizer-BioNTech doses to the PA, in exchange for receiving a reciprocal number of doses from the PA later this year. The doses were due to 'expire soon', Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's office said in a statement announcing the deal. The PA said they had been 'approved in order to speed up the vaccination process' in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. "They told us the expiration date was in July or August, which would allow lots of time for use," PA Health Minister Mai Alkaila told reporters later on Friday. "But (the expiration) turned out to be in June. That's not enough time to use them, so we rejected them," she said. The PA cancelled the deal over the date issue, a PA spokesman said, and sent the initial shipment of around 90,000 doses back to Israel. Bennett's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Rights groups have criticised Israel, which led one of the world's swiftest vaccination campaigns, for not doing more to ensure Palestinian access to doses in the West Bank and Gaza, territory it captured in a 1967 war. Israeli officials argue that under the Oslo peace accords, the PA health ministry is responsible for vaccinating people in Gaza and parts of the West Bank where it has limited self-rule. The vaccine deal was among initial policy moves towards the Palestinians by Bennett, who was sworn in on Sunday and replaced veteran leader Benjamin Netanyahu. Around 55% of Israel's 9.3 million population are fully vaccinated - a coverage rate largely unchanged by this month's expansion of eligibility to include 12- to 15-year-olds. Some 30% of eligible Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, home to a combined 5.2 million people, have received at least one vaccine dose, according to Palestinian officials. According to a poll released on Tuesday by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, 40% of Palestinians are willing to take the vaccine once it is available, while 35% say they and their families are not willing to get vaccinated. The Palestinians have received vaccine doses from Israel, Russia, China, the United Arab Emirates and the global COVAX vaccine-sharing initiative. (With inputs from agencies)

Palestinians cancel deal for near-expired COVID-19 vaccines from Israel

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