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11 dead, 98 injured after train derails in Egypt Daunte Wright killing: Shots fired at two National Guardsmen South African variant may 'break through' Pfizer v

11 dead, 98 injured after train derails in Egypt Daunte Wright killing: Shots fired at two National Guardsmen South African variant may 'break through' Pfizer vaccine protection: Study China's population to enter negative growth after 2025: Report

Morning news brief: 11 dead in Egypt train accident, shots fired at two National Guardsmen in Daunte Wright killing and more

New Zealand said Monday it would not let the 'Five Eyes' intelligence alliance dictate its dealings with its largest trading partner China, in the latest distancing from the US-led group's approach to tensions with Beijing. &nbsp;

Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta told the New Zealand China Council that the Five Eyes -- the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand -- should not stray from its scope of intelligence-sharing between member nations.

"We are uncomfortable with expanding the remit of the Five Eyes relationship," she said.

"We would much rather prefer to look for multilateral opportunities to express our interests on a number of issues."

New Zealand has previously been reluctant to sign joint statements from Five Eyes partners criticising China, including on the crackdown on Hong Kong's democracy movement and the recent arrests of activists in the city.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-tears-of-joy-as-australia-opens-travel-bubble-with-new-zealand-378539" hreflang="en">COVID-19: Australia opens travel bubble with New Zealand</a>

Officials in New Zealand have not previously addressed the issue but Mahuta said Wellington wanted to chart its own course in dealings with China.&nbsp;

"New Zealand has been very clear... not to invoke the Five Eyes as the first point of contact on messaging out on a range of issues," she said.

So we've not favoured that type of approach and have expressed that to Five Eyes partners."

The comments come just months after Trade Minister Damien O'Connor urged Australia to show more "respect" to Beijing.

New Zealand officials have also been careful not to directly criticise China's expanding influence in the Pacific, unlike their US and Australian counterparts.

In her speech, Mahuta&nbsp;raised the "major risk" posed by high levels of debt in the Pacific but stopped short of calling out China for what some critics have described as its "debt-trap diplomacy" in the region.

Mahuta took over the foreign affairs portfolio after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's re-election last year.

Her remarks further expose the growing divide on Beijing between New Zealand and partners like Australia and come just days ahead of a planned meeting with her Australian counterpart Marise Payne.&nbsp;

New Zealand recently sealed an upgraded free trade agreement with China.

In contrast, Canberra's robust criticism of Beijing on issues such as Hong Kong and the treatment of Uyghurs has resulted in punitive levies on more than a dozen Australian imports, including wine and barley.

(With input from agencies)

New Zealand said Monday it would not let the 'Five Eyes' intelligence alliance dictate its dealings with its largest trading partner China, in the latest distancing from the US-led group's approach to tensions with Beijing.

New Zealand said Monday it would not let the 'Five Eyes' intelligence alliance dictate its dealings with its largest trading partner China, in the latest distancing from the US-led group's approach to tensions with Beijing. Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta told the New Zealand China Council that the Five Eyes -- the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand -- should not stray from its scope of intelligence-sharing between member nations. "We are uncomfortable with expanding the remit of the Five Eyes relationship," she said. "We would much rather prefer to look for multilateral opportunities to express our interests on a number of issues." New Zealand has previously been reluctant to sign joint statements from Five Eyes partners criticising China, including on the crackdown on Hong Kong's democracy movement and the recent arrests of activists in the city. Also read| COVID-19: Australia opens travel bubble with New Zealand Officials in New Zealand have not previously addressed the issue but Mahuta said Wellington wanted to chart its own course in dealings with China. "New Zealand has been very clear... not to invoke the Five Eyes as the first point of contact on messaging out on a range of issues," she said. So we've not favoured that type of approach and have expressed that to Five Eyes partners." The comments come just months after Trade Minister Damien O'Connor urged Australia to show more "respect" to Beijing. New Zealand officials have also been careful not to directly criticise China's expanding influence in the Pacific, unlike their US and Australian counterparts. In her speech, Mahuta raised the "major risk" posed by high levels of debt in the Pacific but stopped short of calling out China for what some critics have described as its "debt-trap diplomacy" in the region. Mahuta took over the foreign affairs portfolio after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's re-election last year. Her remarks further expose the growing divide on Beijing between New Zealand and partners like Australia and come just days ahead of a planned meeting with her Australian counterpart Marise Payne. New Zealand recently sealed an upgraded free trade agreement with China. In contrast, Canberra's robust criticism of Beijing on issues such as Hong Kong and the treatment of Uyghurs has resulted in punitive levies on more than a dozen Australian imports, including wine and barley. (With input from agencies)

New Zealand says it will not let 'Five Eyes' intelligence alliance set China policy

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has cancelled his delayed visit to India next week, his office said on Monday. This was to be his first major bilateral foreign visit since taking power in 2019.

Johnson had already postponed the trip once from January when COVID-19 infections were high in Britain. Infections in India are currently surging as the country endures a second wave of the virus.

"In the light of the current coronavirus situation, Prime Minister&nbsp;Boris&nbsp;Johnson will not be able to travel to India next week," a joint statement from the British and Indian governments said.

"Instead, Prime Ministers Modi and Johnson will speak later this month to agree and launch their ambitious plans for the future partnership between the UK and India."

Relations with India are seen as a key component of both Britain's post-Brexit ambitions to reinvigorate trade with countries outside the European Union, and a diplomatic push to gain more influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

Britain has invited India to attend the G7 summit it is hosting in June.

Public Health England (PHE) has said that 77 cases of the so-called 'double mutant&nbsp;Indian variant have been detected in the UK since last month and that it has now been classed as a Variant Under Investigation (VUI).

The variant&nbsp;officially named B.1.617&nbsp;is believed to be almost certainly playing a part in the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in India and a major spike in infection rates.&nbsp;

(With input from agencies)

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has cancelled his delayed visit to India next week, his office said on Monday. This was to be his first major bilateral foreign visit since taking power in 2019.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has cancelled his delayed visit to India next week, his office said on Monday. This was to be his first major bilateral foreign visit since taking power in 2019. Johnson had already postponed the trip once from January when COVID-19 infections were high in Britain. Infections in India are currently surging as the country endures a second wave of the virus. "In the light of the current coronavirus situation, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will not be able to travel to India next week," a joint statement from the British and Indian governments said. "Instead, Prime Ministers Modi and Johnson will speak later this month to agree and launch their ambitious plans for the future partnership between the UK and India." Relations with India are seen as a key component of both Britain's post-Brexit ambitions to reinvigorate trade with countries outside the European Union, and a diplomatic push to gain more influence in the Indo-Pacific region. Britain has invited India to attend the G7 summit it is hosting in June. Public Health England (PHE) has said that 77 cases of the so-called 'double mutant Indian variant have been detected in the UK since last month and that it has now been classed as a Variant Under Investigation (VUI). The variant officially named B.1.617 is believed to be almost certainly playing a part in the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in India and a major spike in infection rates. (With input from agencies)

British PM Boris Johnson cancels visit to India over COVID surge, for the second time

Google&nbsp;Earth on Thursday added a timelapse feature to the popular platform, providing a glimpse into how climate change, urbanisation and deforestation have altered the planet over the last four decades.

Created with 24 million satellite images, along with 800 curated videos and interactive guides, the feature allows users to see a timelapse of any place on the planet, using inputs from the NASA, US&nbsp;Geological Survey's Landsat program, and the European Union's Copernicus program.

Climate change is causing more frequent and severe flooding, droughts, storms and heatwaves as average global temperatures rise to new records.

Google&nbsp;Earth's timelapse tool shows the change in coastlines, sprawling expansion of cityscapes and agricultural lands, as well as simultaneous recession of glaciers, forests and rivers.

One video shows rapid transition of forests near Bolivia into villages and farms, a major cause for deforestation in the Amazon rainforest; while another shows the recession of the Columbia Glacier in Alaska by 20 kilometers due to global warming.

Scientists have warned that a rise in global emissions of greenhouse gases may lead to extreme weather conditions and higher risks from natural disasters.

(With input from agencies)

Google Earth on Thursday added a timelapse feature to the popular platform, providing a glimpse into how climate change, urbanisation and deforestation have altered the planet over the last four decades.

Google Earth on Thursday added a timelapse feature to the popular platform, providing a glimpse into how climate change, urbanisation and deforestation have altered the planet over the last four decades. Created with 24 million satellite images, along with 800 curated videos and interactive guides, the feature allows users to see a timelapse of any place on the planet, using inputs from the NASA, US Geological Survey's Landsat program, and the European Union's Copernicus program. Climate change is causing more frequent and severe flooding, droughts, storms and heatwaves as average global temperatures rise to new records. Google Earth's timelapse tool shows the change in coastlines, sprawling expansion of cityscapes and agricultural lands, as well as simultaneous recession of glaciers, forests and rivers. One video shows rapid transition of forests near Bolivia into villages and farms, a major cause for deforestation in the Amazon rainforest; while another shows the recession of the Columbia Glacier in Alaska by 20 kilometers due to global warming. Scientists have warned that a rise in global emissions of greenhouse gases may lead to extreme weather conditions and higher risks from natural disasters. (With input from agencies)

Google Earth adds time-lapse feature for satellite imagery to show impacts of climate change

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California is providing the instrument that will enable a nonprofit organisation called Carbon Mapper to pinpoint and measure methane and carbon dioxide (CO2) point-sources from space.

The data collected by the instrument will help to find super-emitters, the small percentage of individual sources that are responsible for a significant fraction of global emissions of methane and carbon dioxide.

“JPL is excited to be pioneering this research effort, which will provide critical information about greenhouse gases and the future of Earth’s climate,” said James Graf, director for the Earth Science and Technology Directorate at JPL.

“This effort is the first time we have partnered on a space mission with a consortium of nonprofit organizations, universities, and the State of California.”

The first Carbon Mapper satellite is targeting a 2023 launch. JPL will provide a state-of-the-art imaging spectrometer, a type of instrument used widely in scientific research. Where a digital photograph breaks down visible light into just three colors,&nbsp;red, green, and blue, an imaging spectrometer breaks down light into hundreds of colors to reveal the unique spectral signatures of molecules such as methane and carbon dioxide in the air.

JPL has been developing imaging spectrometers since the 1980s for NASA, and its instruments have unmatched performance. In the last few years, the laboratory has used these imagers deployed on airplanes to measure atmospheric gases, including methane in California and the Four Corners region of the US&nbsp;JPL imaging spectrometers will also be aboard upcoming missions to the Moon and Jupiter’s moon Europa.

The Carbon Mapper’s Earth-orbiting imaging spectrometer will have a pixel size of about 30 meters (98 feet) square. Other imaging spectrometers currently in orbit have larger pixel sizes, making it hard to pinpoint the locations of sources that may not be visible on the ground, such as cracks in natural gas pipelines.

“With such high-resolution images, there is no question where greenhouse gas plumes originate. This technology enables researchers to identify, study, and quantify the strong gas emission sources,” said JPL scientist Charles Miller, who has spent decades studying methane around the world.

JPL’s research in methane quantification from spectroscopy, funded by NASA’s Earth science division, is also helping Carbon Mapper to address a second challenge: making its data on emissions accessible to all interested users in industry, government, and the private sector.

Carbon Mapper will have an open data portal making its findings available quickly and continuously, speeding disaster responses and the repair of faulty industrial equipment.

“This decade represents an all-hands-on-deck moment for humanity to make critical progress in addressing climate change,” said Riley Duren, Carbon Mapper’s chief executive officer and a research scientist at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

“Our mission is to help fill gaps in the emerging global ecosystem of methane and CO2 monitoring systems by delivering data that are timely, actionable, and accessible for science-based decision making.”

NASA’s Earth science division pioneers technological innovations that propel observations and scientific understanding of the changing Earth system.

Besides JPL, other Carbon Mapper partners are the State of California, Planet, the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, High Tide Foundation, and RMI.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California is providing the instrument that will enable a nonprofit organisation called Carbon Mapper to pinpoint and measure methane and carbon dioxide (CO2) point-sources from space.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California is providing the instrument that will enable a nonprofit organisation called Carbon Mapper to pinpoint and measure methane and carbon dioxide (CO2) point-sources from space. The data collected by the instrument will help to find super-emitters, the small percentage of individual sources that are responsible for a significant fraction of global emissions of methane and carbon dioxide. “JPL is excited to be pioneering this research effort, which will provide critical information about greenhouse gases and the future of Earth’s climate,” said James Graf, director for the Earth Science and Technology Directorate at JPL. “This effort is the first time we have partnered on a space mission with a consortium of nonprofit organizations, universities, and the State of California.” The first Carbon Mapper satellite is targeting a 2023 launch. JPL will provide a state-of-the-art imaging spectrometer, a type of instrument used widely in scientific research. Where a digital photograph breaks down visible light into just three colors, red, green, and blue, an imaging spectrometer breaks down light into hundreds of colors to reveal the unique spectral signatures of molecules such as methane and carbon dioxide in the air. JPL has been developing imaging spectrometers since the 1980s for NASA, and its instruments have unmatched performance. In the last few years, the laboratory has used these imagers deployed on airplanes to measure atmospheric gases, including methane in California and the Four Corners region of the US JPL imaging spectrometers will also be aboard upcoming missions to the Moon and Jupiter’s moon Europa. The Carbon Mapper’s Earth-orbiting imaging spectrometer will have a pixel size of about 30 meters (98 feet) square. Other imaging spectrometers currently in orbit have larger pixel sizes, making it hard to pinpoint the locations of sources that may not be visible on the ground, such as cracks in natural gas pipelines. “With such high-resolution images, there is no question where greenhouse gas plumes originate. This technology enables researchers to identify, study, and quantify the strong gas emission sources,” said JPL scientist Charles Miller, who has spent decades studying methane around the world. JPL’s research in methane quantification from spectroscopy, funded by NASA’s Earth science division, is also helping Carbon Mapper to address a second challenge: making its data on emissions accessible to all interested users in industry, government, and the private sector. Carbon Mapper will have an open data portal making its findings available quickly and continuously, speeding disaster responses and the repair of faulty industrial equipment. “This decade represents an all-hands-on-deck moment for humanity to make critical progress in addressing climate change,” said Riley Duren, Carbon Mapper’s chief executive officer and a research scientist at the University of Arizona in Tucson. “Our mission is to help fill gaps in the emerging global ecosystem of methane and CO2 monitoring systems by delivering data that are timely, actionable, and accessible for science-based decision making.” NASA’s Earth science division pioneers technological innovations that propel observations and scientific understanding of the changing Earth system. Besides JPL, other Carbon Mapper partners are the State of California, Planet, the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, High Tide Foundation, and RMI.

NASA-built instrument will help to spot greenhouse gas super-emitters

US space agency NASA is set to launch SpaceX Crew Dragon second flight to the International Space Station on April 22. 
 
The Crew-2 with four astronauts on board will lift off at 6:11 a.m. EDT on April 22, from Launch Complex 39A at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. 
 
The Crew-2 flight will carry NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, who will serve as the mission's spacecraft commander and pilot, respectively along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Akihikoa Hoshidea and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomasa-Pesquet, who will serve as mission specialists to the space station, the space agency said in a statement. 
 
The mission is the second of the six certified, crew missions NASA, and SpaceX will fly as a part of the agency's Commercial Crew Programme. Crew-1 successfully docked into the ISS in November, last year. 
 
The Crew-2 astronauts will remain aboard the space station for approximately six months as expedition crew members, along with three crewmates who will launch via a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. 
 
The increase of the full space station crew complement to seven members, over the previous six,&nbsp;&nbsp;will allow NASA to effectively double the amount of science that can be conducted in space, NASA said.

Kathy Lueders, head of NASA’s human exploration office, said it was “moving” to be on the verge of flying three SpaceX crew flights in 11 months.

“Looking back, it’s really, really amazing what both the SpaceX and NASA teams have accomplished,” she said.

SpaceX said it must resolve one issue before conducting a test firing at the launch pad this weekend. It appears the company has been loading more liquid oxygen into its first-stage boosters than anticipated, and engineers want to make “extra certain” that poses no safety risks, said Bill Gerstenmaier, a new SpaceX vice president who used to work for NASA.

For nearly a decade, the only route to the space station for astronauts was on Russian rockets. NASA turned to private companies for taxi service after the space shuttles retired in 2011. SpaceX has been shipping cargo to the space station since 2012, using the same kind of rocket and similar capsules, and recycling those parts as well.

(With input from agencies)

US space agency NASA is set to launch SpaceX Crew Dragon second flight to the International Space Station on April 22. The Crew-2 with four astronauts on board will lift off at 6:11 a.

US space agency NASA is set to launch SpaceX Crew Dragon second flight to the International Space Station on April 22. The Crew-2 with four astronauts on board will lift off at 6:11 a.m. EDT on April 22, from Launch Complex 39A at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Crew-2 flight will carry NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, who will serve as the mission's spacecraft commander and pilot, respectively along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Akihikoa Hoshidea and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomasa-Pesquet, who will serve as mission specialists to the space station, the space agency said in a statement. The mission is the second of the six certified, crew missions NASA, and SpaceX will fly as a part of the agency's Commercial Crew Programme. Crew-1 successfully docked into the ISS in November, last year. The Crew-2 astronauts will remain aboard the space station for approximately six months as expedition crew members, along with three crewmates who will launch via a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. The increase of the full space station crew complement to seven members, over the previous six, will allow NASA to effectively double the amount of science that can be conducted in space, NASA said. Kathy Lueders, head of NASA’s human exploration office, said it was “moving” to be on the verge of flying three SpaceX crew flights in 11 months. “Looking back, it’s really, really amazing what both the SpaceX and NASA teams have accomplished,” she said. SpaceX said it must resolve one issue before conducting a test firing at the launch pad this weekend. It appears the company has been loading more liquid oxygen into its first-stage boosters than anticipated, and engineers want to make “extra certain” that poses no safety risks, said Bill Gerstenmaier, a new SpaceX vice president who used to work for NASA. For nearly a decade, the only route to the space station for astronauts was on Russian rockets. NASA turned to private companies for taxi service after the space shuttles retired in 2011. SpaceX has been shipping cargo to the space station since 2012, using the same kind of rocket and similar capsules, and recycling those parts as well. (With input from agencies)

NASA SpaceX Crew-2 set for launch on April 22

&nbsp;In a sweeping reshuffle, South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday replaced the prime minister and six other cabinet members in a bid to revive his party, after devastating local election defeats, and his policy agenda.

Moon named Kim Boo-kyum, a former interior minister and four-term lawmaker, to succeed Chung Sye-kyun as prime minister, while nominated new ministers of land, industry, fisheries, labour, and science and technology.

All six candidates are subject to parliamentary confirmation hearings, although lawmakers don't have the power to block the appointment if the president presses ahead with formal appointment.

The reshuffle came about a week after Moon's leading Democratic Party suffered crushing losses in a special elections for key mayoral posts amid political scandals and economic policy blunders.

With the elections seen a litmus test for political shifts ahead of the March 9, 2022 presidential election, the ruling party's defeat signalled a rough ride for Moon's policy agenda, including stopping runaway home prices and reforming powerful the prosecution system.

Moon's single five-year term ends in 2022.

New prime minister Kim, who served as mayor of the southeastern metropolitan city of Daegu, could play a key role in bridging political strife and steering anti-virus efforts, Moon's chief of staff You Young-min said.

"He's a reformist and dedicated to national unity, and he also had experience of handling disasters and social crises," You told a briefing.

Senior finance official Noh Hyeong-ouk will replace Byeon Chang-heum as the land minister who resigned amid allegations that employees at a state-run property developer used insider information to profit from city development projects.

The scandal added fuel to public uproar over skyrocketing apartment prices, which surged 28 per cent&nbsp;since early 2020, KB Kookmin Bank data shows.

Moon Sung-wook, nominated as the new industry minister, is a ministry insider who had worked for years shaping Korea's corporate policy.

He faces the task of carrying out Moon's efforts to drum up corporate investment and create jobs, and bolster cooperation between chips and auto sectors to localise auto chips production amid global shortages.

In a sweeping reshuffle, South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday replaced the prime minister and six other cabinet members in a bid to revive his party, after devastating local election defeats, and his policy agenda.

In a sweeping reshuffle, South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday replaced the prime minister and six other cabinet members in a bid to revive his party, after devastating local election defeats, and his policy agenda. Moon named Kim Boo-kyum, a former interior minister and four-term lawmaker, to succeed Chung Sye-kyun as prime minister, while nominated new ministers of land, industry, fisheries, labour, and science and technology. All six candidates are subject to parliamentary confirmation hearings, although lawmakers don't have the power to block the appointment if the president presses ahead with formal appointment. The reshuffle came about a week after Moon's leading Democratic Party suffered crushing losses in a special elections for key mayoral posts amid political scandals and economic policy blunders. With the elections seen a litmus test for political shifts ahead of the March 9, 2022 presidential election, the ruling party's defeat signalled a rough ride for Moon's policy agenda, including stopping runaway home prices and reforming powerful the prosecution system. Moon's single five-year term ends in 2022. New prime minister Kim, who served as mayor of the southeastern metropolitan city of Daegu, could play a key role in bridging political strife and steering anti-virus efforts, Moon's chief of staff You Young-min said. "He's a reformist and dedicated to national unity, and he also had experience of handling disasters and social crises," You told a briefing. Senior finance official Noh Hyeong-ouk will replace Byeon Chang-heum as the land minister who resigned amid allegations that employees at a state-run property developer used insider information to profit from city development projects. The scandal added fuel to public uproar over skyrocketing apartment prices, which surged 28 per cent since early 2020, KB Kookmin Bank data shows. Moon Sung-wook, nominated as the new industry minister, is a ministry insider who had worked for years shaping Korea's corporate policy. He faces the task of carrying out Moon's efforts to drum up corporate investment and create jobs, and bolster cooperation between chips and auto sectors to localise auto chips production amid global shortages.

South Korea's Moon replaces PM, cabinet ministers after election defeat

The French parliament on Thursday adopted legislation that characterises sex with a child under the age of 15 as rape and punishable by up to 20 years in jail, bringing its penal code closer in line with many other Western nations.

While the age of consent was previously 15, prosecutors in&nbsp;France&nbsp;used to be required to prove sex was non-consensual to obtain a rape conviction.

"This is an historic law for our children and our society," Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti told the National Assembly.

"No adult aggressor will be able to claim the consent of a minor younger than 15-years-old."

The vote in favouor of the bill was unanimous at its final reading, the Assembly said on Twitter.

There had been concerns from some lawmakers that an age of consent below which sex automatically constituted rape might criminalise a consensual sexual relationship between a minor and a person only a few years older.

As a consequence, a "Romeo and Juliet" clause that allows for sexual relations between a minor and an individual up to five years older. The clause will not apply in cases of sexual assault.

The legislation also considers incestuous sex with a minor under 18 to be rape.

In a country that has long cherished its self-image as the land of seduction and romance, sexual abuse against women and children for years went undetected or undeclared in the upper echelons of power and within celebrity circles. But there has been much soul-searching in recent years.

The #MeToo movement that swept around the world after numerous women in 2017 accused US&nbsp;movie producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault proved a turning point in&nbsp;France. So too did the fall from grace in 2020 of a French writer who had written openly about his pedophilia.

France&nbsp;had already toughened its sex crimes laws in 2018 when it outlawed sexual harassment on the streets, leaving cat-callers and aggressively lecherous individuals facing potential on-the-spot fines.

(With input from agencies)

The French parliament on Thursday adopted legislation that characterises sex with a child under the age of 15 as rape and punishable by up to 20 years in jail, bringing its penal code closer in line with many other Western nations.

The French parliament on Thursday adopted legislation that characterises sex with a child under the age of 15 as rape and punishable by up to 20 years in jail, bringing its penal code closer in line with many other Western nations. While the age of consent was previously 15, prosecutors in France used to be required to prove sex was non-consensual to obtain a rape conviction. "This is an historic law for our children and our society," Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti told the National Assembly. "No adult aggressor will be able to claim the consent of a minor younger than 15-years-old." The vote in favouor of the bill was unanimous at its final reading, the Assembly said on Twitter. There had been concerns from some lawmakers that an age of consent below which sex automatically constituted rape might criminalise a consensual sexual relationship between a minor and a person only a few years older. As a consequence, a "Romeo and Juliet" clause that allows for sexual relations between a minor and an individual up to five years older. The clause will not apply in cases of sexual assault. The legislation also considers incestuous sex with a minor under 18 to be rape. In a country that has long cherished its self-image as the land of seduction and romance, sexual abuse against women and children for years went undetected or undeclared in the upper echelons of power and within celebrity circles. But there has been much soul-searching in recent years. The #MeToo movement that swept around the world after numerous women in 2017 accused US movie producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault proved a turning point in France. So too did the fall from grace in 2020 of a French writer who had written openly about his pedophilia. France had already toughened its sex crimes laws in 2018 when it outlawed sexual harassment on the streets, leaving cat-callers and aggressively lecherous individuals facing potential on-the-spot fines. (With input from agencies)

France passes 'historic' bill to set age of sexual consent at 15

April 16 in history: Discovery of psychedelic effects of LSD, coining of term 'Cold War' and more

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Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga arrives in US for summit with Joe Biden Pfizer CEO says third dose of COVID vaccine 'likely' needed within 12 months Rare

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga arrives in US for summit with Joe Biden Pfizer CEO says third dose of COVID vaccine 'likely' needed within 12 months Rare blood clot risk higher from coronavirus than vaccine says UK study Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai, others to be sentenced for illegal assembly

Morning news brief: Suga arrives in US for summit, Pfizer CEO says third dose 'likely' needed and more

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga arrived in the United States on Thursday&nbsp;for a summit meeting with US&nbsp;President Joe Biden.

The meeting will be Biden's first in-person summit with a foreign leader since taking office in January.

Suga and Biden are expected to present a united front on Taiwan, China's most sensitive territorial issue, at Friday's summit, according to a senior US&nbsp;administration official.

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Biden and Suga are expected to agree on a joint statement on the Chinese claimed but democratically ruled island, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The last time US and Japanese leaders referred to Taiwan in a joint statement was in 1969, when Japan's prime minister said maintenance of peace and security in the "Taiwan area" was important for its own security. That was before Tokyo normalized ties with Beijing.

The move now aims to ratchet up pressure on China. However, such a statement appears likely to fall short of what the United States has been hoping to see from Suga, who inherited a China policy that sought to balance security concerns with deep economic ties when he took over as premier last September.

Biden and Suga will also discuss Beijing's treatment of Muslims in the Xinjiang region and its influence over Hong Kong, while also announcing a $2 billion Japanese investment in 5G telecommunications to counter China's Huawei Technologies.

Suga&nbsp;in September succeeded his ally Shinzo Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister, who was one of the few democratic allies to manage to preserve stable relations with Biden's volatile predecessor Donald Trump.

Biden's inaugural summit, held an unusually late three months into his term due to the Covid-19 pandemic, is expected to be a tame affair after the Trump era, with the president welcoming the soft-spoken Japanese leader for one-on-one talks and an expanded meeting with the cabinet before a joint news conference.

But&nbsp;Suga, who Japanese media reported arrived in Washington Thursday evening, is expected to balk at becoming an overenthusiastic cheerleader for the US line on China, which remains the vital top trading partner for resource-scarce Japan.

Tokyo since Abe's time has worked to stabilize relations with Beijing and not joined Washington in sanctions over rights concerns in Hong Kong and Xinjiang.

"The Biden administration, I think, is concerned at how aggressive China has been and how much ground the US has lost in recent years in Asia and wants to catch up quickly," said Michael Green, who was the top Asia adviser to former president George W. Bush and is now senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Japan will welcome what is expected to be a fresh declaration that the Japanese-administered Senkaku islands -- where Beijing, which calls them the Diaoyu, has been increasingly assertive -- fall under the US-Japan security treaty that requires mutual defense.

Suga, and Moon next month, will also consult Biden as he reviews US policy on North Korea, where Trump's unusual personal diplomacy with leader Kim Jong Un eased tensions but did not bring a lasting accord on Pyongyang's nuclear program.

(With input from agencies)

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga arrived in the United States on Thursday for a summit meeting with US President Joe Biden. The meeting will be Biden's first in-person summit with a foreign leader since taking office in January.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga arrived in the United States on Thursday for a summit meeting with US President Joe Biden. The meeting will be Biden's first in-person summit with a foreign leader since taking office in January. Suga and Biden are expected to present a united front on Taiwan, China's most sensitive territorial issue, at Friday's summit, according to a senior US administration official. Biden and Suga are expected to agree on a joint statement on the Chinese claimed but democratically ruled island, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The last time US and Japanese leaders referred to Taiwan in a joint statement was in 1969, when Japan's prime minister said maintenance of peace and security in the "Taiwan area" was important for its own security. That was before Tokyo normalized ties with Beijing. The move now aims to ratchet up pressure on China. However, such a statement appears likely to fall short of what the United States has been hoping to see from Suga, who inherited a China policy that sought to balance security concerns with deep economic ties when he took over as premier last September. Biden and Suga will also discuss Beijing's treatment of Muslims in the Xinjiang region and its influence over Hong Kong, while also announcing a $2 billion Japanese investment in 5G telecommunications to counter China's Huawei Technologies. Suga in September succeeded his ally Shinzo Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister, who was one of the few democratic allies to manage to preserve stable relations with Biden's volatile predecessor Donald Trump. Biden's inaugural summit, held an unusually late three months into his term due to the Covid-19 pandemic, is expected to be a tame affair after the Trump era, with the president welcoming the soft-spoken Japanese leader for one-on-one talks and an expanded meeting with the cabinet before a joint news conference. But Suga, who Japanese media reported arrived in Washington Thursday evening, is expected to balk at becoming an overenthusiastic cheerleader for the US line on China, which remains the vital top trading partner for resource-scarce Japan. Tokyo since Abe's time has worked to stabilize relations with Beijing and not joined Washington in sanctions over rights concerns in Hong Kong and Xinjiang. "The Biden administration, I think, is concerned at how aggressive China has been and how much ground the US has lost in recent years in Asia and wants to catch up quickly," said Michael Green, who was the top Asia adviser to former president George W. Bush and is now senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Japan will welcome what is expected to be a fresh declaration that the Japanese-administered Senkaku islands -- where Beijing, which calls them the Diaoyu, has been increasingly assertive -- fall under the US-Japan security treaty that requires mutual defense. Suga, and Moon next month, will also consult Biden as he reviews US policy on North Korea, where Trump's unusual personal diplomacy with leader Kim Jong Un eased tensions but did not bring a lasting accord on Pyongyang's nuclear program. (With input from agencies)

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga arrives in US for summit with Joe Biden

Hong Kong media tycoon&nbsp;Jimmy&nbsp;Lai&nbsp;and nine other pro-democracy activists are expected to be sentenced on Friday after they were found guilty of participating in unauthorised assemblies during anti-government protests in 2019.

It would be the first time that&nbsp;Lai, one of Hong Kong's most prominent democratic activists, who has been in jail since December after being denied bail in a separate national security trial, will receive a sentence.

About 100 people queued outside the court early on Friday to get a seat for the hearing.

"It was already very difficult to fight for democracy and freedom in the past. With the national security law, it’s even harder," 19-year-old student Yan said while waiting.

"We need to believe in our faith and wait for the time to come again,” said the student, who declined to give his full name due to the sensitivity of the subject.

Lai&nbsp;was found guilty in two separate trials earlier in April for illegal assemblies on August&nbsp;18 and August&nbsp;31 2019, respectively. The maximum possible punishment is five years in prison.

His repeated arrests have drawn criticism from Western governments and international rights groups, who raised concerns over waning freedoms in the global financial hub, including freedom of speech and assembly.

In the August&nbsp;18 case, District Court judge Amanda Woodcock found him guilty together with Martin Lee, who helped launch the city's largest opposition Democratic Party in the 1990s and is often called the former British colony's "father of democracy."

As he entered the court on Friday, Lee said: "I feel completely relaxed, I'm ready to face my sentence."

The other defendants, also found guilty, included prominent barrister Margaret Ng and veteran democrats Lee Cheuk-yan, Albert Ho, Leung Kwok-hung, Cyd Ho, Au Nok-hin and Leung Yiu-chung. The latter two had pleaded guilty.

In the second trial, the same judge found&nbsp;Lai&nbsp;and Lee Cheuk-yan guilty together with Yeung Sum. The Aug. 31 clashes were some of Hong Kong's worst, with police firing tear gas and water cannons at pro-democracy protesters who threw petrol bombs.

All three had pleaded guilty.

Lee Cheuk-yan posted on Facebook late on Thursday that he expected to go to jail but that his mind was "free as the ocean and the sky."

The 2019 pro-democracy protests were spurred by Beijing's tightening squeeze on wide-ranging freedoms promised to Hong Kong upon its return to Chinese rule in 1997, and plunged the semi-autonomous city into its biggest crisis since the handover.

Beijing has since consolidated its authoritarian grip on Hong Kong by imposing a sweeping national security law, punishing anything it deems as secession, subversion, terrorism or collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison.

Supporters of the law say it has restored stability.

Lai, founder of the Apple Daily tabloid, has been a frequent visitor to Washington, meeting officials such as former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to rally support for Hong Kong democracy, prompting Beijing to label him a "traitor".

Lai&nbsp;is scheduled for two more court mentions on Friday, in the ongoing trial where he is charged with collusion with a foreign country and a fraud case related to the lease of the building which houses Apple Daily.

Earlier this week, the tabloid published a hand-written letter&nbsp;Lai&nbsp;sent to his colleagues from prison, saying: "It is our responsibility as journalists to seek justice. As long as we are not blinded by unjust temptations, as long as we do not let evil get its way through us, we are fulfilling our responsibility."

It is "time for us to stand tall," he wrote.

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai and nine other pro-democracy activists are expected to be sentenced on Friday after they were found guilty of participating in unauthorised assemblies during anti-government protests in 2019.

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai and nine other pro-democracy activists are expected to be sentenced on Friday after they were found guilty of participating in unauthorised assemblies during anti-government protests in 2019. It would be the first time that Lai, one of Hong Kong's most prominent democratic activists, who has been in jail since December after being denied bail in a separate national security trial, will receive a sentence. About 100 people queued outside the court early on Friday to get a seat for the hearing. "It was already very difficult to fight for democracy and freedom in the past. With the national security law, it’s even harder," 19-year-old student Yan said while waiting. "We need to believe in our faith and wait for the time to come again,” said the student, who declined to give his full name due to the sensitivity of the subject. Lai was found guilty in two separate trials earlier in April for illegal assemblies on August 18 and August 31 2019, respectively. The maximum possible punishment is five years in prison. His repeated arrests have drawn criticism from Western governments and international rights groups, who raised concerns over waning freedoms in the global financial hub, including freedom of speech and assembly. In the August 18 case, District Court judge Amanda Woodcock found him guilty together with Martin Lee, who helped launch the city's largest opposition Democratic Party in the 1990s and is often called the former British colony's "father of democracy." As he entered the court on Friday, Lee said: "I feel completely relaxed, I'm ready to face my sentence." The other defendants, also found guilty, included prominent barrister Margaret Ng and veteran democrats Lee Cheuk-yan, Albert Ho, Leung Kwok-hung, Cyd Ho, Au Nok-hin and Leung Yiu-chung. The latter two had pleaded guilty. In the second trial, the same judge found Lai and Lee Cheuk-yan guilty together with Yeung Sum. The Aug. 31 clashes were some of Hong Kong's worst, with police firing tear gas and water cannons at pro-democracy protesters who threw petrol bombs. All three had pleaded guilty. Lee Cheuk-yan posted on Facebook late on Thursday that he expected to go to jail but that his mind was "free as the ocean and the sky." The 2019 pro-democracy protests were spurred by Beijing's tightening squeeze on wide-ranging freedoms promised to Hong Kong upon its return to Chinese rule in 1997, and plunged the semi-autonomous city into its biggest crisis since the handover. Beijing has since consolidated its authoritarian grip on Hong Kong by imposing a sweeping national security law, punishing anything it deems as secession, subversion, terrorism or collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison. Supporters of the law say it has restored stability. Lai, founder of the Apple Daily tabloid, has been a frequent visitor to Washington, meeting officials such as former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to rally support for Hong Kong democracy, prompting Beijing to label him a "traitor". Lai is scheduled for two more court mentions on Friday, in the ongoing trial where he is charged with collusion with a foreign country and a fraud case related to the lease of the building which houses Apple Daily. Earlier this week, the tabloid published a hand-written letter Lai sent to his colleagues from prison, saying: "It is our responsibility as journalists to seek justice. As long as we are not blinded by unjust temptations, as long as we do not let evil get its way through us, we are fulfilling our responsibility." It is "time for us to stand tall," he wrote.

Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai, others to be sentenced for illegal assembly

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