UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday apologised to thousands of people infected with contaminated blood in a decades-long scandal that a damning report concluded was covered up and largely could have been avoided.
More than 30,000 people were infected with viruses such as HIV and hepatitis after being given the tainted blood in Britain between the 1970s and early 1990s, the Infected Blood Inquiry concluded.
Victims included those needing blood transfusions for accidents and in surgery, and those suffering from blood disorders such as haemophilia who were treated with donated blood plasma products, as well as the partners of those infected.
Some 3,000 people died, and more will follow, in what has been described as the biggest treatment disaster in the eight-decade history of the state-run National Health Service (NHS).
“I am truly sorry,” Sunak told the House of Commons, calling the findings of the long-awaited report “a day of shame for the British state”.
“Time and again people in..

The Mumbai Indians ended the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 campaign bottom of the 10-team points table, securing just 4 wins from 10 matches. The season saw Hardik Pandya taking over the captaincy from Rohit Sharma, a decision that remained in the headlines the entire campaign. As the Mumbai Indians squad gathered together for one last time this season, owner Nita Ambani had no qualms in calling the season a disappointing one for all. She admitted that there’s a need to go back and review what happened in this campaign.
In a video shared by the Mumbai Indians on social media, Mrs. Ambani spoke about the manner in which the current season ended for the side, not just as an owner but also as a fan.
“Disappointing season for all of us. Things didn't go the way we wanted them to, but I'm still a huge Mumbai Indians fan. Not just an owner. I think to wear the Mumbai Indians jersey is a huge honour and a privilege, and to be associated with Mumbai Indians, for me, is an honour a..

Temperatures in several parts of Delhi again breached the 47 degrees Celsius mark on Monday, with the weather office issuing a 'red alert' for the next five days due to heatwave to severe heatwave conditions in the national capital.
The searing heat pushed the city's peak power demand to its highest for May, while the Delhi government directed the schools that have not closed for summer vacations to do so with immediate effect.
Delhi has been seeing a steady rise in temperature in recent days, culminating in the highest temperature recorded this summer on Sunday when the overall temperature reached 44.4 degrees Celsius. Saturday's temperature was 43.6 degrees Celsius, up from 42.5 degrees Celsius on Friday.
On Monday the national capital experienced the second-highest maximum temperature, 3.7 degrees above normal.
Najafgarh recorded a high of 47.4 degrees Celsius on Monday, a day after the southwest Delhi area had recorded 47.8 degrees Celsius — the highest in the ..

A Japanese town was set Tuesday to mount a large mesh barrier across the road from an Instagram-famous view of Mount Fuji in an attempt to deter badly behaved tourists.
The plan made headlines last month when it was announced by officials fed up with what locals said were unending streams of mostly foreign visitors littering, trespassing and breaking traffic rules.
Since then, poles have been put up in preparation for a screen measuring 2.5 by 20 metres (eight by 65 feet) to block the sight of Japan's highest mountain emerging from behind a Lawson convenience store.
On Tuesday morning, workers in hard hats were putting the finishing touches to the metal poles in preparation for attaching the barrier at the photo spot in Fujikawaguchiko town, an AFP reporter at the scene said.
Snaps of this visual juxtaposition taken from a narrow stretch of pavement across a busy road from the Lawson, a ubiquitous Japanese chain, have been widely shared online.
But construction of the barrier itse..

US President Joe Biden on Monday condemned an “outrageous” request by the International Criminal Court's prosecutor for an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
As Washington moved to defend its key ally, Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that the Hague-based court's move could harm ceasefire talks to end the Gaza conflict.
ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan is seeking arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as top Hamas leaders, on suspicion of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
“The ICC prosecutor's application for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders is outrageous” Biden said in a statement.
“And let me be clear: Whatever this prosecutor might imply, there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas.”
He added that the United States “will always stand with Israel against threats to its security.”
Neither the United States nor Israel is a member of the ICC, which was set up in 2002 as ..

The BJP has taken action against former Union Minister and MP Jayant Sinha after he allegedly failed to cast his vote today. The party has issued a show-cause notice against him, claiming he has not been taking part in “organisational work and election campaigning” ever since Manish Jaiswal was declared a candidate from the Hazaribagh seat in Jharkhand. Mr Sinha, who in March expressed his desire not to contest the Lok Sabha polls, is the sitting MP from the high-profile seat.
“You are not taking any interest in organisational work and election campaigning ever since the party declared Manish Jaiswal as the candidate from the Hazaribagh Lok Sabha seat. You did not even feel the need to exercise your vote. The party's image has been maligned because of your conduct,” BJP state general secretary Aditya Sahu said in a notice.
The party has asked Mr Sinha to explain his stand within two days. The 61-year-old is yet to respond to the notice.
On March 2, Mr Sinha, in a post on X, reques..

Justice Chitta Ranjan Dash, who retired as a judge of the Calcutta High Court on Monday, said he was a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Speaking at his farewell at the high court in the presence of the judges and members of the bar, Justice Dash said he was “ready to go back to the organisation” if they called him for any assistance or for any work that he was capable of doing.
“To the distaste of some persons, I must admit here that I was and I am a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS),” he said.
Demitting office after over 14 years as a high court judge, Justice Dash came to the Calcutta HC from the Orissa HC on transfer.
“I owe a lot to the organisation… I am there from my childhood and throughout my youth,” he said.
“I have learnt to be courageous, upright and have an equal view for others and above all, the sense of patriotism and commitment to the work,” he said.
Justice Dash said that he had distanced himself from the organisation for about 37 years ..

Iran President Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash in East Azerbaijan province on Sunday, Iranian media said. Elections to elect the next President will be held on June 28, it added.
The chopper carrying Iran President Raisi and his foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian had disappeared over a mountainous region
There was “no sign” of life among passengers of the helicopter, Iran's state television said. “Upon finding the helicopter, there was no sign of the helicopter passengers being alive as of yet,” the state TV said.
This incident follows a period of heightened regional tensions, particularly in light of the Gaza conflict and Iran's recent escalations with Israel. President Raisi, who has been in office since 2021, has pledged Iran's steadfast support for Palestine, a stance reiterated during his recent dam inauguration speech.
Iran state media shared videos of the leader on board the chopper on Sunday. The video shows the Iranian leader looking out o..