An Iranian-flagged tanker seized by Indonesia in January over the suspected illegal transfer of oil has been released, an Indonesian official and Iranian state media said on Saturday.&nbsp;

Wisnu Pramandita, a spokesman for the Indonesian coastguard, said the Iranian-flagged tanker, the MT Horse, was released on Friday after a court decision earlier in the week.&nbsp;

The court ruled the vessel could leave Indonesia, while the captain would be subject to a two-year probation without any fine, the spokesman said.&nbsp;

Iran’s state broadcaster said the vessel had resumed its mission before returning home.&nbsp;

Jakarta has said it seized the MT Horse over the suspected illegal transfer of oil in Indonesian waters, while Iran's foreign ministry said the seizure was over 'a technical issue and it happens in shipping field'.&nbsp;

"The MT Horse, belonging to the National Iranian Tanker Company that had been detained in Indonesian waters since January 24, was released on Friday,” said state broadcaster Seda va Sima. “This vessel has now resumed its mission before returning to the country’s waters."&nbsp;

SHANA, the Iranian oil ministry news agency, quoted the tanker company as saying, "The MT crew, with their sacrifice and firm determination to pursue their mission, safeguarded Iran’s national interest in maintaining the export of its oil and petroleum products.”&nbsp;

Tehran, under harsh US sanctions that mainly target its oil exports, has been accused of concealing the destination of its oil sales by disabling tracking systems on its tankers.&nbsp;

Last year, it used the MT Horse to deliver 2.1 million barrels of condensate to fellow US-sanctioned Venezuela.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

An Iranian-flagged tanker seized by Indonesia in January over the suspected illegal transfer of oil has been released, an Indonesian official and Iranian state media said on Saturday.

An Iranian-flagged tanker seized by Indonesia in January over the suspected illegal transfer of oil has been released, an Indonesian official and Iranian state media said on Saturday. Wisnu Pramandita, a spokesman for the Indonesian coastguard, said the Iranian-flagged tanker, the MT Horse, was released on Friday after a court decision earlier in the week. The court ruled the vessel could leave Indonesia, while the captain would be subject to a two-year probation without any fine, the spokesman said. Iran’s state broadcaster said the vessel had resumed its mission before returning home. Jakarta has said it seized the MT Horse over the suspected illegal transfer of oil in Indonesian waters, while Iran's foreign ministry said the seizure was over 'a technical issue and it happens in shipping field'. "The MT Horse, belonging to the National Iranian Tanker Company that had been detained in Indonesian waters since January 24, was released on Friday,” said state broadcaster Seda va Sima. “This vessel has now resumed its mission before returning to the country’s waters." SHANA, the Iranian oil ministry news agency, quoted the tanker company as saying, "The MT crew, with their sacrifice and firm determination to pursue their mission, safeguarded Iran’s national interest in maintaining the export of its oil and petroleum products.” Tehran, under harsh US sanctions that mainly target its oil exports, has been accused of concealing the destination of its oil sales by disabling tracking systems on its tankers. Last year, it used the MT Horse to deliver 2.1 million barrels of condensate to fellow US-sanctioned Venezuela. (With inputs from agencies)

Iranian tanker seized by Indonesia is released after four months 

The Philippines on Saturday said the country's workers could again go to work in Saudi Arabia, reversing a brief deployment ban after the kingdom said they would not be charged for COVID-19 tests and quarantine upon arrival.&nbsp;

"Our Saudi-bound workers will no longer be disadvantaged," said Labour Secretary Silvestre Bello.&nbsp;

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines said it will accept Filipino workers on flights to Dammam and Riyadh, waiving rebooking fees for passengers, who had been unable to board because of the deployment ban.&nbsp;

Bello apologised for the 'inconvenience and momentary anguish; caused by his Thursday ban, saying, "I understand that the suspension order drew confusion and irritation among our affected departing overseas Filipino workers.&nbsp;

More than a million Filipinos work in Saudi Arabia, the most preferred destination of overseas Filipino workers in 2019, government data show. Many Filipinos are hired as construction workers, domestic helpers or nurses.&nbsp;

In 2020, Filipinos in Saudi Arabia sent home $1.8 billion in remittances, a key support for the consumption-led economy.&nbsp;

With more than 1.2 million cases and 20,722 deaths, the Philippines has the second-highest COVID-19 infections and casualties in Southeast Asia, behind Indonesia.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

The Philippines on Saturday said the country's workers could again go to work in Saudi Arabia, reversing a brief deployment ban after the kingdom said they would not be charged for COVID-19 tests and quarantine upon arrival.

The Philippines on Saturday said the country's workers could again go to work in Saudi Arabia, reversing a brief deployment ban after the kingdom said they would not be charged for COVID-19 tests and quarantine upon arrival. "Our Saudi-bound workers will no longer be disadvantaged," said Labour Secretary Silvestre Bello. Flag carrier Philippine Airlines said it will accept Filipino workers on flights to Dammam and Riyadh, waiving rebooking fees for passengers, who had been unable to board because of the deployment ban. Bello apologised for the 'inconvenience and momentary anguish; caused by his Thursday ban, saying, "I understand that the suspension order drew confusion and irritation among our affected departing overseas Filipino workers. More than a million Filipinos work in Saudi Arabia, the most preferred destination of overseas Filipino workers in 2019, government data show. Many Filipinos are hired as construction workers, domestic helpers or nurses. In 2020, Filipinos in Saudi Arabia sent home $1.8 billion in remittances, a key support for the consumption-led economy. With more than 1.2 million cases and 20,722 deaths, the Philippines has the second-highest COVID-19 infections and casualties in Southeast Asia, behind Indonesia. (With inputs from agencies)

Philippines lifts ban on workers deploying to Saudi Arabia 

A Canadian MP has stepped down from some of his duties and said he is seeking 'assistance' after being caught on camera urinating during a video conference in Parliament, a month after appearing naked in another virtual session.&nbsp;

"Last night, while attending House of Commons proceedings virtually, in a non-public setting, I urinated without realising I was on camera," MP William Amos wrote on his Twitter account on Thursday night. &nbsp;

"I am deeply embarrassed by my actions and the distress they may have caused anybody who witnessed them," he added. "While accidental and not visible to the public, this was completely unacceptable, and I apologise unreservedly." &nbsp;

In April, the MP was caught standing naked between the flags of Canada and Quebec, his private parts hidden by his phone, while connected by video to a Question Time session in Parliament. &nbsp;

Amos, a member of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party, also claimed that was an accident.&nbsp;

In the most recent episode, he was caught urinating into a coffee cup, the Conservative opposition said in a statement. &nbsp;

"This is the second time Mr Amos has been caught exposing himself to his colleagues in the House, and the House of Commons, virtual or otherwise, must be free of this type of unacceptable behaviour," said Conservative MP Karen Vecchio. &nbsp;

"This is a pattern of behavior from Mr Amos and it's now clear that Trudeau's Liberals failed in their duty to ensure a safe work environment following the first incident," she hammered in a statement. &nbsp;

Amos, 46, announced he was 'temporarily' stepping down from some of his parliamentary duties while continuing to represent his constituency. He added that he would seek 'assistance' but did not specify what that would be. &nbsp;

A Canadian MP has stepped down from some of his duties and said he is seeking 'assistance' after being caught on camera urinating during a video conference in Parliament, a month after appearing naked in another virtual session.

A Canadian MP has stepped down from some of his duties and said he is seeking 'assistance' after being caught on camera urinating during a video conference in Parliament, a month after appearing naked in another virtual session. "Last night, while attending House of Commons proceedings virtually, in a non-public setting, I urinated without realising I was on camera," MP William Amos wrote on his Twitter account on Thursday night. "I am deeply embarrassed by my actions and the distress they may have caused anybody who witnessed them," he added. "While accidental and not visible to the public, this was completely unacceptable, and I apologise unreservedly." In April, the MP was caught standing naked between the flags of Canada and Quebec, his private parts hidden by his phone, while connected by video to a Question Time session in Parliament. Amos, a member of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party, also claimed that was an accident. In the most recent episode, he was caught urinating into a coffee cup, the Conservative opposition said in a statement. "This is the second time Mr Amos has been caught exposing himself to his colleagues in the House, and the House of Commons, virtual or otherwise, must be free of this type of unacceptable behaviour," said Conservative MP Karen Vecchio. "This is a pattern of behavior from Mr Amos and it's now clear that Trudeau's Liberals failed in their duty to ensure a safe work environment following the first incident," she hammered in a statement. Amos, 46, announced he was 'temporarily' stepping down from some of his parliamentary duties while continuing to represent his constituency. He added that he would seek 'assistance' but did not specify what that would be.

Canadian MP caught naked during telework for second time in a month 

Two Icelanders managed to climb Mount Everest despite having contracted coronavirus and even though Nepalese authorities insisted there have been no virus cases on the world's highest peak.&nbsp;

The two climbers, Sigurdur Sveinsson and Heimir Hallgrimsson, began coughing and suspected they had caught the virus as they reached around 7,000 metres (about 23,000 feet), they wrote in a message published on Thursday in which they described their perilous descent to base camp.&nbsp;

"At this time and this place, there was no way to get tested," the pair wrote on the website of Umhyggja, an Icelandic aid organisation that helps children with long-term illnesses and for which the pair were raising funds.&nbsp;

The two had tested negative for the virus before beginning their ascent.&nbsp;

"Since we were feeling fine then, we saw no reason to change our plans," they said. &nbsp;

The pair reached the summit, at 8,849 metres on Monday at 4:30 am local time (Sunday at 2245 GMT).&nbsp;

"During the descent, we both began to suffer from increasing fatigue, coughs and discomfort," they said. &nbsp;

"When we left Camp 2, it was clear that Siggi's (Sigurdur's) lungs were very bad and we had to resort to oxygen."&nbsp;

Despite the difficulties, they managed to reach base camp on Wednesday, where tests confirmed they were infected with COVID-19.&nbsp;

In recent weeks, more than 30 climbers have been evacuated from base camp due to illness.&nbsp;

Other than the Icelanders, at least three other climbers have said publicly or told AFP that they have been infected with COVID-19. The total number of cases is not known.&nbsp;

Nepal officials have denied that there have been any cases of the virus on Everest.&nbsp;

Two Icelanders managed to climb Mount Everest despite having contracted coronavirus and even though Nepalese authorities insisted there have been no virus cases on the world's highest peak.

Two Icelanders managed to climb Mount Everest despite having contracted coronavirus and even though Nepalese authorities insisted there have been no virus cases on the world's highest peak. The two climbers, Sigurdur Sveinsson and Heimir Hallgrimsson, began coughing and suspected they had caught the virus as they reached around 7,000 metres (about 23,000 feet), they wrote in a message published on Thursday in which they described their perilous descent to base camp. "At this time and this place, there was no way to get tested," the pair wrote on the website of Umhyggja, an Icelandic aid organisation that helps children with long-term illnesses and for which the pair were raising funds. The two had tested negative for the virus before beginning their ascent. "Since we were feeling fine then, we saw no reason to change our plans," they said. The pair reached the summit, at 8,849 metres on Monday at 4:30 am local time (Sunday at 2245 GMT). "During the descent, we both began to suffer from increasing fatigue, coughs and discomfort," they said. "When we left Camp 2, it was clear that Siggi's (Sigurdur's) lungs were very bad and we had to resort to oxygen." Despite the difficulties, they managed to reach base camp on Wednesday, where tests confirmed they were infected with COVID-19. In recent weeks, more than 30 climbers have been evacuated from base camp due to illness. Other than the Icelanders, at least three other climbers have said publicly or told AFP that they have been infected with COVID-19. The total number of cases is not known. Nepal officials have denied that there have been any cases of the virus on Everest.

Icelandic duo scale Everest despite Covid infection 

Thousands of Hamas fighters held a military parade Friday in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, a week after a ceasefire with Israel took effect in the devastated coastal enclave.&nbsp;

Holding weapons, the masked members of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed branch of Hamas, the Islamist group that runs Gaza, paraded through the southern city, AFP reporters said.&nbsp;

Riding pick-up trucks, the fighters showed off a military arsenal including rocket launchers and a drone as groups of people, including women and children, cheered them on.&nbsp;

An Egyptian-brokered ceasefire that went into force on last Friday has so far held, ending 11 days of devastating Israeli bombardment of Gaza and rocket fire into Israel from the coastal strip that started on May 10.&nbsp;

Israeli strikes on Gaza killed 248 Palestinians, including 66 children, and have wounded more than 1,900 people, the Gaza health ministry says.&nbsp;

Rockets and other fire from Gaza claimed 12 lives in Israel, including one child and an Arab-Israeli teenager, an Israeli soldier, one Indian, and two Thai nationals, medics say. Some 357 people in Israel were wounded.&nbsp;

There is controversy about how many of those killed in Gaza were combatants, and how many were civilians.&nbsp;

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's bombing campaign had killed 'more than 200 terrorists' in Gaza, which Hamas has controlled since 2007.&nbsp;

But both sides claimed victory after the ceasefire went into force.&nbsp;

Hamas has held several post-ceasefire rallies across the devastated Gaza Strip, including one on Thursday in Khan Yunis and also in the south of the Israeli-blockaded territory.&nbsp;

Thousands of Hamas fighters held a military parade Friday in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, a week after a ceasefire with Israel took effect in the devastated coastal enclave.

Thousands of Hamas fighters held a military parade Friday in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, a week after a ceasefire with Israel took effect in the devastated coastal enclave. Holding weapons, the masked members of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed branch of Hamas, the Islamist group that runs Gaza, paraded through the southern city, AFP reporters said. Riding pick-up trucks, the fighters showed off a military arsenal including rocket launchers and a drone as groups of people, including women and children, cheered them on. An Egyptian-brokered ceasefire that went into force on last Friday has so far held, ending 11 days of devastating Israeli bombardment of Gaza and rocket fire into Israel from the coastal strip that started on May 10. Israeli strikes on Gaza killed 248 Palestinians, including 66 children, and have wounded more than 1,900 people, the Gaza health ministry says. Rockets and other fire from Gaza claimed 12 lives in Israel, including one child and an Arab-Israeli teenager, an Israeli soldier, one Indian, and two Thai nationals, medics say. Some 357 people in Israel were wounded. There is controversy about how many of those killed in Gaza were combatants, and how many were civilians. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's bombing campaign had killed 'more than 200 terrorists' in Gaza, which Hamas has controlled since 2007. But both sides claimed victory after the ceasefire went into force. Hamas has held several post-ceasefire rallies across the devastated Gaza Strip, including one on Thursday in Khan Yunis and also in the south of the Israeli-blockaded territory.

Hamas fighters display weapons in Gaza after truce with Israel 

Boeing has again halted deliveries of its 787 jetliner after federal regulators asked for more information about production flaws, including small gaps where panels of the fuselage are joined.&nbsp;

A Boeing spokesman said on Saturday that the company is working with the Federal Aviation Administration to provide more information about the company's analysis and documentation of work on new 787s. He said the delay affects 'near-term' deliveries.&nbsp;

The spokesman said the delay does not affect 787s, which Boeing calls the Dreamliner, that have already been delivered to airline customers.&nbsp;

It is not clear how long deliveries will be held up, the spokesman called it a near-term issue. Chicago-based Boeing gets a large chunk of the price for a new plane upon delivery, so a prolonged delay could affect the company's cash flow.&nbsp;

CFRA Research analyst Colin Scarola called it 'obviously disappointing news' for Boeing and its investors. But the issue appears related to inspection procedures, not a new design or manufacturing problem, and seems likely to be resolved quickly, he said.&nbsp;

Deliveries of 787s were halted for five months, until late March, by the fuselage flaw and other issues.&nbsp;

Boeing shares fell USD 3.68, or 1.5 per cent, to close on Saturday at USD 247.02. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

Boeing has again halted deliveries of its 787 jetliner after federal regulators asked for more information about production flaws, including small gaps where panels of the fuselage are joined.

Boeing has again halted deliveries of its 787 jetliner after federal regulators asked for more information about production flaws, including small gaps where panels of the fuselage are joined. A Boeing spokesman said on Saturday that the company is working with the Federal Aviation Administration to provide more information about the company's analysis and documentation of work on new 787s. He said the delay affects 'near-term' deliveries. The spokesman said the delay does not affect 787s, which Boeing calls the Dreamliner, that have already been delivered to airline customers. It is not clear how long deliveries will be held up, the spokesman called it a near-term issue. Chicago-based Boeing gets a large chunk of the price for a new plane upon delivery, so a prolonged delay could affect the company's cash flow. CFRA Research analyst Colin Scarola called it 'obviously disappointing news' for Boeing and its investors. But the issue appears related to inspection procedures, not a new design or manufacturing problem, and seems likely to be resolved quickly, he said. Deliveries of 787s were halted for five months, until late March, by the fuselage flaw and other issues. Boeing shares fell USD 3.68, or 1.5 per cent, to close on Saturday at USD 247.02. (With inputs from agencies)

FAA questions lead to new halt in deliveries of Boeing plane 

Long dismissed as a kooky conspiracy theory favored by the far right, the idea that Covid emerged from a lab leak in Wuhan has been gaining increasing momentum in the United States.&nbsp;

The government's position has shifted to agnosticism in recent weeks, with top pandemic advisor Anthony Fauci and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Rochelle Walensky both saying they are open to all possibilities.&nbsp;

"We need to get to the bottom of this and we need a completely transparent process from China, we need the WHO (World Health Organization) to assist in that matter," senior White House Covid advisor Andy Slavitt said on Tuesday.&nbsp;

The demand for more investigation is in stark contrast to the start of the pandemic, when scientists quickly came together around the idea that the virus crossed over from bats via an intermediary animal.&nbsp;

The problem is, this link still hasn't been found, Scott Gottlieb, a former head of the Food and Drug Administration, told CNBC on Monday -- and not for want of trying.&nbsp;

Previous coronaviruses that crossed over to humans, SARS and MERS, were quickly traced back to civets and camels. &nbsp;

"The question for a lot of people is going to be when are too many coincidences too much?" added Gottlieb.&nbsp;

Citing a US intelligence report, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that a trio from the Wuhan Institute of Virology were hospitalised with a seasonal illness in November 2019.&nbsp;

China disclosed the existence of an outbreak of pneumonia cases in Wuhan to the World Health Organization (WHO) on December 31, 2019.&nbsp;

Beijing dismissed the Journal report as "totally untrue."&nbsp;

On Tuesday, the United States and other countries called for a more in-depth probe into the pandemic's origins, after an international mission to China earlier this year proved inconclusive.&nbsp;

A long-delayed report by a team of experts dispatched by the WHO to Wuhan and their Chinese counterparts drew no firm conclusions on the origins of the pandemic.&nbsp;

It said that a natural origin was the most probable scenario, and that a theory involving the virus leaking from a laboratory was "extremely unlikely."&nbsp;

After the report was released, however, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus himself insisted all theories remained on the table.&nbsp;

And calls from scientists for more transparency are growing.&nbsp;

"We must take hypotheses about both natural and laboratory spillovers seriously until we have sufficient data," a group of researchers from top US universities wrote in a letter published by the journal Science in mid-May.&nbsp;

The virus has claimed more than 3.4 million lives worldwide and determining how it passed to humans is considered crucial in preventing the next pandemic.&nbsp;

Long dismissed as a kooky conspiracy theory favored by the far right, the idea that Covid emerged from a lab leak in Wuhan has been gaining increasing momentum in the United States.

Long dismissed as a kooky conspiracy theory favored by the far right, the idea that Covid emerged from a lab leak in Wuhan has been gaining increasing momentum in the United States. The government's position has shifted to agnosticism in recent weeks, with top pandemic advisor Anthony Fauci and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Rochelle Walensky both saying they are open to all possibilities. "We need to get to the bottom of this and we need a completely transparent process from China, we need the WHO (World Health Organization) to assist in that matter," senior White House Covid advisor Andy Slavitt said on Tuesday. The demand for more investigation is in stark contrast to the start of the pandemic, when scientists quickly came together around the idea that the virus crossed over from bats via an intermediary animal. The problem is, this link still hasn't been found, Scott Gottlieb, a former head of the Food and Drug Administration, told CNBC on Monday -- and not for want of trying. Previous coronaviruses that crossed over to humans, SARS and MERS, were quickly traced back to civets and camels. "The question for a lot of people is going to be when are too many coincidences too much?" added Gottlieb. Citing a US intelligence report, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that a trio from the Wuhan Institute of Virology were hospitalised with a seasonal illness in November 2019. China disclosed the existence of an outbreak of pneumonia cases in Wuhan to the World Health Organization (WHO) on December 31, 2019. Beijing dismissed the Journal report as "totally untrue." On Tuesday, the United States and other countries called for a more in-depth probe into the pandemic's origins, after an international mission to China earlier this year proved inconclusive. A long-delayed report by a team of experts dispatched by the WHO to Wuhan and their Chinese counterparts drew no firm conclusions on the origins of the pandemic. It said that a natural origin was the most probable scenario, and that a theory involving the virus leaking from a laboratory was "extremely unlikely." After the report was released, however, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus himself insisted all theories remained on the table. And calls from scientists for more transparency are growing. "We must take hypotheses about both natural and laboratory spillovers seriously until we have sufficient data," a group of researchers from top US universities wrote in a letter published by the journal Science in mid-May. The virus has claimed more than 3.4 million lives worldwide and determining how it passed to humans is considered crucial in preventing the next pandemic.

Covid lab origin theory gains traction in United States 

Tesla Inc said on Tuesday that&nbsp;it will drop a radar sensor in favour of a camera-focused Autopilot system for its Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in North America starting this month.&nbsp;

The move came amid growing scrutiny by regulators and media about the safety of what Tesla dubs 'Autopilot' and 'Full Self-Driving (FSD)' features, following a series of crashes.&nbsp;

"Pure vision Autopilot is now rolling out in North America," CEO Elon Musk said in a tweet.&nbsp;

He said it plans to release an improved 'FSD beta V9.0' based on the pure vision system about three weeks later.&nbsp;

"FSD subscription will be enabled around the same time," he said.&nbsp;

In October, Tesla rolled out the test version of its new FSD system to a limited number of people, enabling cars to navigate on city streets in semi-autonomous mode as well as highways. A wider launch has been delayed.&nbsp;

While most companies like Waymo equip autonomous cars with cameras paired with sensors like lidars and radars, Tesla relied on cameras and one radar to detect and analyse objects.&nbsp;

Tesla's approach helped reduce costs and commercialise its driver assistant features, but experts and other companies have raised safety concerns.&nbsp;

Tesla said the transition to a camera-focused system may result in limitations of some features, such as lane-centering and parking assistance, saying those functions will be restored via software updates 'in the weeks ahead’.&nbsp;

All new Model S and Model X cars, as well as all vehicles built for markets outside North America, will still be equipped with a radar, Tesla said.&nbsp;

A radar sensor uses radio waves and sensors to detect objects.&nbsp;

In March, Tesla told California regulators, it might not achieve full self-driving technology by the end of 2021.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

Tesla Inc said on Tuesday that it will drop a radar sensor in favour of a camera-focused Autopilot system for its Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in North America starting this month.

Tesla Inc said on Tuesday that it will drop a radar sensor in favour of a camera-focused Autopilot system for its Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in North America starting this month. The move came amid growing scrutiny by regulators and media about the safety of what Tesla dubs 'Autopilot' and 'Full Self-Driving (FSD)' features, following a series of crashes. "Pure vision Autopilot is now rolling out in North America," CEO Elon Musk said in a tweet. He said it plans to release an improved 'FSD beta V9.0' based on the pure vision system about three weeks later. "FSD subscription will be enabled around the same time," he said. In October, Tesla rolled out the test version of its new FSD system to a limited number of people, enabling cars to navigate on city streets in semi-autonomous mode as well as highways. A wider launch has been delayed. While most companies like Waymo equip autonomous cars with cameras paired with sensors like lidars and radars, Tesla relied on cameras and one radar to detect and analyse objects. Tesla's approach helped reduce costs and commercialise its driver assistant features, but experts and other companies have raised safety concerns. Tesla said the transition to a camera-focused system may result in limitations of some features, such as lane-centering and parking assistance, saying those functions will be restored via software updates 'in the weeks ahead’. All new Model S and Model X cars, as well as all vehicles built for markets outside North America, will still be equipped with a radar, Tesla said. A radar sensor uses radio waves and sensors to detect objects. In March, Tesla told California regulators, it might not achieve full self-driving technology by the end of 2021. (With inputs from agencies)

Tesla doubles down on camera-based Autopilot amid growing scrutiny 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's former chief adviser will on Wednesday cast his former boss as a dithering leader surrounded by fools whose ineptitude led to a 'disastrous' response to the most devastating global pandemic in decades.&nbsp;

With almost 128,000 deaths, the United Kingdom has the world's fifth worst official Covid toll, and Johnson was slow to appreciate the significance of the threat from the virus in early 2020 as it spread from China towards Britain's shores.&nbsp;

Dominic Cummings, the strategist behind the 2016 Brexit campaign and Johnson's landslide election win in 2019, will be quizzed by British lawmakers from 0830 GMT on the lessons that can be learned from the pandemic.&nbsp;

Cummings, who left the government late last year, has said the British health ministry was a 'smoking ruin', that Western governments failed during the crisis, and that the secretive British state was woefully unprepared for the pandemic.&nbsp;

"The Covid plan was supposed to be 'world class' but turned out to be part disaster, part non-existent," Cummings said on May 18 in one of dozens of tweets forming a critique of Britain's response.&nbsp;

"If we'd had the right preparations + competent people in charge, we would probably have avoided lockdown1, *definitely* no need for lockdowns 2&amp;3," he said.&nbsp;

Cummings, played by Benedict Cumberbatch in the film 'Brexit: The Uncivil War', casts the British state as an outdated system run by incompetent amateurs, who are resistant to any innovation that would bring them closer to the modern world.&nbsp;

British officials, he said, failed to learn the early Covid lessons from Asia, were resistant to new ideas from young scientists, overly secretive, overly bureaucratic and lacked any real scrutiny from a compliant domestic media.&nbsp;

Asked about Cummings' criticism, Johnson's spokesman said. "At all times, we have been guided by the data and the latest evidence we had."&nbsp;

In a series of investigations, it was reported how the British government made several errors: it was slow to spot the infections arriving, it was late with a lockdown and it continued to discharge infected hospital patients into care homes.&nbsp;

The government's chief scientific adviser, Patrick Vallance, said in March 2020 that 20,000 deaths would be a good outcome. Soon after, a worst-case scenario prepared by government scientific advisers put the possible death toll at 50,000. The toll is now close to 128,000.&nbsp;

Johnson has admitted that mistakes were made and that lessons need to be learned, but his ministers say they were working at pace in the biggest public health crisis in a century.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's former chief adviser will on Wednesday cast his former boss as a dithering leader surrounded by fools whose ineptitude led to a 'disastrous' response to the most devastating global pandemic in decades.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's former chief adviser will on Wednesday cast his former boss as a dithering leader surrounded by fools whose ineptitude led to a 'disastrous' response to the most devastating global pandemic in decades. With almost 128,000 deaths, the United Kingdom has the world's fifth worst official Covid toll, and Johnson was slow to appreciate the significance of the threat from the virus in early 2020 as it spread from China towards Britain's shores. Dominic Cummings, the strategist behind the 2016 Brexit campaign and Johnson's landslide election win in 2019, will be quizzed by British lawmakers from 0830 GMT on the lessons that can be learned from the pandemic. Cummings, who left the government late last year, has said the British health ministry was a 'smoking ruin', that Western governments failed during the crisis, and that the secretive British state was woefully unprepared for the pandemic. "The Covid plan was supposed to be 'world class' but turned out to be part disaster, part non-existent," Cummings said on May 18 in one of dozens of tweets forming a critique of Britain's response. "If we'd had the right preparations + competent people in charge, we would probably have avoided lockdown1, *definitely* no need for lockdowns 2&3," he said. Cummings, played by Benedict Cumberbatch in the film 'Brexit: The Uncivil War', casts the British state as an outdated system run by incompetent amateurs, who are resistant to any innovation that would bring them closer to the modern world. British officials, he said, failed to learn the early Covid lessons from Asia, were resistant to new ideas from young scientists, overly secretive, overly bureaucratic and lacked any real scrutiny from a compliant domestic media. Asked about Cummings' criticism, Johnson's spokesman said. "At all times, we have been guided by the data and the latest evidence we had." In a series of investigations, it was reported how the British government made several errors: it was slow to spot the infections arriving, it was late with a lockdown and it continued to discharge infected hospital patients into care homes. The government's chief scientific adviser, Patrick Vallance, said in March 2020 that 20,000 deaths would be a good outcome. Soon after, a worst-case scenario prepared by government scientific advisers put the possible death toll at 50,000. The toll is now close to 128,000. Johnson has admitted that mistakes were made and that lessons need to be learned, but his ministers say they were working at pace in the biggest public health crisis in a century. (With inputs from agencies)

UK's Covid 'disaster' to be laid bare by PM Johnson's ex-chief adviser Dominic Cummings

Myanmar’s Roman Catholic leader has called for attacks on places of worship to end after he said four people had died and more than eight were wounded when a group of mainly women and children sought refuge in a church during fighting this week.&nbsp;

The conflict between the army and forces opposed to military rule has escalated in recent days in eastern Myanmar near the border of Shan and Kayah states, with dozens of security forces and local fighters killed, according to residents and media reports.&nbsp;

Thousands of civilians have also fled their homes due to the fighting and have also suffered casualties.&nbsp;

"It is with immense sorrow and pain, we record our anguish at the attack on innocent civilians, who sought refuge in Sacred Heart Church, Kayanthayar," Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, who is the Archbishop of Yangon, said in a letter posted on Twitter.&nbsp;

The church in the district of Loikaw, the capital of Kayah State bordering Thailand, suffered extensive damage during the Sunday night attack, Bo said.&nbsp;

Myanmar is predominantly Buddhist but some areas including Kayah have large Christian communities.&nbsp;

"The violent acts, including continuous shelling, using heavy weaponary on a frightened group of largely women and children" had resulted in the casualties, he said.&nbsp;

"This needs to stop. We plead with you all...kindly do not escalate the war," he said.&nbsp;

Bo said that churches, hospitals and schools were protected during conflict by international conventions.&nbsp;

He said the attack had prompted people to flee into the jungle with more than 20,000 now displaced and in urgent need of food, medicine and hygiene.&nbsp;

Another resident in the area trying to help displaced people estimated on Wednesday the number who had fled their homes had now risen to between 30,000 and 50,000 and were still using churches to shelter in.&nbsp;

"The elderly and children are in the churches. All the churches have put up white flags in order to stop the shelling," said the 20-year-old, who asked not to be identified.&nbsp;

She said the situation remained tense in the area and accused the military of continuing to use heavy weapons against lightly armed local militia.&nbsp;

A junta spokesman did not answer phone calls seeking comment.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Myanmar’s Roman Catholic leader has called for attacks on places of worship to end after he said four people had died and more than eight were wounded when a group of mainly women and children sought refuge in a church during fighting this week.

Myanmar’s Roman Catholic leader has called for attacks on places of worship to end after he said four people had died and more than eight were wounded when a group of mainly women and children sought refuge in a church during fighting this week. The conflict between the army and forces opposed to military rule has escalated in recent days in eastern Myanmar near the border of Shan and Kayah states, with dozens of security forces and local fighters killed, according to residents and media reports. Thousands of civilians have also fled their homes due to the fighting and have also suffered casualties. "It is with immense sorrow and pain, we record our anguish at the attack on innocent civilians, who sought refuge in Sacred Heart Church, Kayanthayar," Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, who is the Archbishop of Yangon, said in a letter posted on Twitter. The church in the district of Loikaw, the capital of Kayah State bordering Thailand, suffered extensive damage during the Sunday night attack, Bo said. Myanmar is predominantly Buddhist but some areas including Kayah have large Christian communities. "The violent acts, including continuous shelling, using heavy weaponary on a frightened group of largely women and children" had resulted in the casualties, he said. "This needs to stop. We plead with you all...kindly do not escalate the war," he said. Bo said that churches, hospitals and schools were protected during conflict by international conventions. He said the attack had prompted people to flee into the jungle with more than 20,000 now displaced and in urgent need of food, medicine and hygiene. Another resident in the area trying to help displaced people estimated on Wednesday the number who had fled their homes had now risen to between 30,000 and 50,000 and were still using churches to shelter in. "The elderly and children are in the churches. All the churches have put up white flags in order to stop the shelling," said the 20-year-old, who asked not to be identified. She said the situation remained tense in the area and accused the military of continuing to use heavy weapons against lightly armed local militia. A junta spokesman did not answer phone calls seeking comment. (With inputs from agencies)

Myanmar cardinal appeals for end to fighting after fatal church attack 

The overall global COVID-19 caseload has topped 167.6 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.48 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.&nbsp;

In its latest update on Wednesday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 167,628,424 and 3,481,199, respectively.&nbsp;

The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 33,165,808 and 590,922, respectively, according to the CSSE.&nbsp;

In terms of infections, India follows in the second place with 26,948,874 cases.&nbsp;

The other worst countries with over 3 million cases are Brazil (16,194,209), France (5,670,486), Turkey (5,203,385), Russia (4,960,174), the UK (4,483,177), Italy (4,197,892), Germany (3,662,568), Spain (3,652,879), Argentina (3,586,736) and Colombia (3,270,614), the CSSE figures showed.&nbsp;

In terms of deaths, Brazil comes second with 452,031 fatalities.&nbsp;

Nations with a death toll of over 100,000 are India (307,231), Mexico (221,963), the UK (128,001), Italy (125,501), Russia (117,197) and France (109,040).&nbsp;

The overall global COVID-19 caseload has topped 167.6 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.48 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

The overall global COVID-19 caseload has topped 167.6 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.48 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University. In its latest update on Wednesday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 167,628,424 and 3,481,199, respectively. The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 33,165,808 and 590,922, respectively, according to the CSSE. In terms of infections, India follows in the second place with 26,948,874 cases. The other worst countries with over 3 million cases are Brazil (16,194,209), France (5,670,486), Turkey (5,203,385), Russia (4,960,174), the UK (4,483,177), Italy (4,197,892), Germany (3,662,568), Spain (3,652,879), Argentina (3,586,736) and Colombia (3,270,614), the CSSE figures showed. In terms of deaths, Brazil comes second with 452,031 fatalities. Nations with a death toll of over 100,000 are India (307,231), Mexico (221,963), the UK (128,001), Italy (125,501), Russia (117,197) and France (109,040).

Global COVID-19 caseload tops 167.6 mn 

Airlines re-routed flights to avoid Belarus's airspace on Tuesday and Belarusian planes faced a possible ban from Europe, as international outrage mounted over Minsk forcing down a jetliner and arresting a dissident journalist on board.&nbsp;

Western nations accused Belarus of hijacking and piracy over the interception of the Ryanair plane as it crossed the country on a flight from Greece to Lithuania, and diplomats said France, Ireland and Estonia would raise the incident at a private meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday.&nbsp;

"The behaviour of the Belarus regime is outrageous, illegal, and completely unacceptable ... we also condemn this kind of dangerous interference in civil aviation," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters.&nbsp;

A video released overnight showed 26-year-old Roman Protasevich, who was pulled from the passenger plane after Belarus scrambled a warplane to escort it to Minsk on Sunday, confessing to having organised anti-government demonstrations.&nbsp;

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the video was 'concerning'. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko must pay a 'bitter price' for detaining Protasevich.&nbsp;

Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said the footage showed Protasevich had been tortured.&nbsp;

"He said that he was treated lawfully, but he's clearly beaten and under pressure. There is no doubt that he was tortured. He was taken hostage," she told a news conference in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius.&nbsp;

Belarus did not immediately comment on the torture allegation but has consistently denied abusing detainees.&nbsp;

Rights groups have documented hundreds of cases of what they describe as abuse and forced confessions during a crackdown on pro-democracy opponents of Lukashenko since last year.&nbsp;

Lukashenko, whose opponents accuse him of rigging an August 2020 election, has so far shrugged off Western sanctions, which mostly consist of barring various officials from travelling or doing business in the United States and EU.&nbsp;

The Belarusian leader enjoys financial and security support from Russia.&nbsp;

The White House said President Joe Biden would discuss the incident with Russian President Vladimir Putin at their summit next month, but added the United States did not believe Moscow had played any role in it.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Belarusian authorities on Tuesday released a transcript of a conversation between the plane and an air traffic controller in which the pilot repeatedly questioned information about the threat before agreeing to land at Minsk.&nbsp;

The transcript, which could not be verified independently, differs from excerpts previously released by Belarus state TV, which had suggested the pilot had asked to land in Minsk, rather than that the controller had advised him to do so.&nbsp;

In response to Minsk's actions, the European air traffic control agency, Eurocontrol, recommended that EU and British carriers that fly over Belarus should re-route via the Baltic states.&nbsp;

Britain also said it was banning Belarusian airlines from entering its airspace.&nbsp;

European Union leaders at a summit on Monday had called for airlines based in the 27-member bloc to halt flights over Belarusian airspace, which is along a major corridor connecting Europe and Asia and earns hard currency from overflight rights.&nbsp;

Lufthansa, KLM, SAS, Air France, LOT and Singapore Airlines were among carriers that announced they would stop flying over Belarus.&nbsp;

Belgium's Charles Michel, who chairs EU summits, tweeted 'Europe in action', with a picture of a flight tracker map of the continent showing no planes flying over Belarus.&nbsp;

EU leaders also directed officials to draw up unspecified new sanctions against Belarus, and to work out a way to ban Belarusian airlines from the bloc's skies.&nbsp;

Belarus's neighbour, Ukraine, announced a ban on flights to or from Belarus, and on its own airlines using Belarusian airspace.&nbsp;

"If we let this go, tomorrow Alexander Lukashenko will go further and do something even more arrogant, more cruel," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a statement.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Airlines re-routed flights to avoid Belarus's airspace on Tuesday and Belarusian planes faced a possible ban from Europe, as international outrage mounted over Minsk forcing down a jetliner and arresting a dissident journalist on board.

Airlines re-routed flights to avoid Belarus's airspace on Tuesday and Belarusian planes faced a possible ban from Europe, as international outrage mounted over Minsk forcing down a jetliner and arresting a dissident journalist on board. Western nations accused Belarus of hijacking and piracy over the interception of the Ryanair plane as it crossed the country on a flight from Greece to Lithuania, and diplomats said France, Ireland and Estonia would raise the incident at a private meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday. "The behaviour of the Belarus regime is outrageous, illegal, and completely unacceptable ... we also condemn this kind of dangerous interference in civil aviation," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters. A video released overnight showed 26-year-old Roman Protasevich, who was pulled from the passenger plane after Belarus scrambled a warplane to escort it to Minsk on Sunday, confessing to having organised anti-government demonstrations. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the video was 'concerning'. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko must pay a 'bitter price' for detaining Protasevich. Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said the footage showed Protasevich had been tortured. "He said that he was treated lawfully, but he's clearly beaten and under pressure. There is no doubt that he was tortured. He was taken hostage," she told a news conference in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. Belarus did not immediately comment on the torture allegation but has consistently denied abusing detainees. Rights groups have documented hundreds of cases of what they describe as abuse and forced confessions during a crackdown on pro-democracy opponents of Lukashenko since last year. Lukashenko, whose opponents accuse him of rigging an August 2020 election, has so far shrugged off Western sanctions, which mostly consist of barring various officials from travelling or doing business in the United States and EU. The Belarusian leader enjoys financial and security support from Russia. The White House said President Joe Biden would discuss the incident with Russian President Vladimir Putin at their summit next month, but added the United States did not believe Moscow had played any role in it. Meanwhile, Belarusian authorities on Tuesday released a transcript of a conversation between the plane and an air traffic controller in which the pilot repeatedly questioned information about the threat before agreeing to land at Minsk. The transcript, which could not be verified independently, differs from excerpts previously released by Belarus state TV, which had suggested the pilot had asked to land in Minsk, rather than that the controller had advised him to do so. In response to Minsk's actions, the European air traffic control agency, Eurocontrol, recommended that EU and British carriers that fly over Belarus should re-route via the Baltic states. Britain also said it was banning Belarusian airlines from entering its airspace. European Union leaders at a summit on Monday had called for airlines based in the 27-member bloc to halt flights over Belarusian airspace, which is along a major corridor connecting Europe and Asia and earns hard currency from overflight rights. Lufthansa, KLM, SAS, Air France, LOT and Singapore Airlines were among carriers that announced they would stop flying over Belarus. Belgium's Charles Michel, who chairs EU summits, tweeted 'Europe in action', with a picture of a flight tracker map of the continent showing no planes flying over Belarus. EU leaders also directed officials to draw up unspecified new sanctions against Belarus, and to work out a way to ban Belarusian airlines from the bloc's skies. Belarus's neighbour, Ukraine, announced a ban on flights to or from Belarus, and on its own airlines using Belarusian airspace. "If we let this go, tomorrow Alexander Lukashenko will go further and do something even more arrogant, more cruel," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a statement. (With inputs from agencies)

Airlines re-route to avoid Belarus, opposition says journalist beaten 

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