07 May 2021; MEMO: Jordan yesterday appointed Jafar Hassan as director of the Office of King Abdullah II.

Royal Decrees also announced that the resignation of Haifa Khraisha from her position as Adviser to His Majesty for Policies had been accepted.

Kemal Al Nasser's resignation from his position as adviser to the king was also accepted.

While a final decree also accepted the resignation of Zeina Toukan from her position as adviser for Economic Affairs at the Royal Hashemite Court.

MINSK, May 7. /TASS/: Belarus has put together retaliatory measures towards the West, in case it slaps new sanctions against the Belarusian state, Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei told journalists Friday.

"We’ve discussed these measures before, they have been prepared. They will fit the situation that is unfolding. Steps by both European and Western opponents won’t be left unanswered. These measures have indeed been hammered out, so we are awaiting further development of the situation and further decisions by our Western partners," the top Belarusian diplomat said.

07 May 2021; MEMO: The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, is "deeply concerned" by the tension in the occupied West Bank and Israeli attempts to expel Palestinians from Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, the international organisation said on Thursday.

Male (Maldives), May 7 (PTI) Australian pace spearhead Pat Cummins believes if hosting the ICC T20 World Cup amidst raging COVID-19 pandemic is a "drain on Indian resources" or is "unsafe", it would be prudent to shift it to the United Arab Emirates.

The postponement of Indian Premier League after multiple cases of COVID-19 inside the bio-bubble has led to a big question-mark on whether the marquee ICC event should be held in India where a third wave is expected around that time.

New Delhi, May 7 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday attacked the Union government over the central vista project, terming it a "criminal wastage" and asked the dispensation to focus on people's lives.

The redevelopment project of the Central Vista -- the power corridor of the country -- envisages a new triangular Parliament building, a common Central Secretariat and the revamping of the three-km-long Rajpath from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate and new residences for the prime minister and the vice president.

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced Thursday she will not seek a second term, an election-year surprise that marks a sharp turnabout for the city’s second Black woman executive who months ago was among those President Joe Biden considered for his running mate.

Bottoms, 51, disclosed her decision publicly in a lengthy open letter and accompanying video Thursday night after having told family and a close circle of associates and supporters.

07 May 2021; MEMO: France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian arrived in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, yesterday and met with President Michael Aoun as part of efforts to end months of political deadlock hindering the formation of a new government.

The minister said on Twitter that the visit is an expression of France's solidarity with the Lebanese people, and that France will deal firmly with those hindering the formation of a new Lebanese government.

New Delhi, May 7 (PTI) Petrol price on Friday scaled to Rs 102 per litre in some parts of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh after rates were raised for the fourth straight day after ending of more than two-week-long hiatus during assembly elections in states like West Bengal.

On Friday, petrol price was hiked by a steep 29 paise per litre and diesel by 31 paise a litre, according to a price notification by state-owned fuel retailers.

This took the price of petrol in Delhi to Rs 91.27 per litre and that of diesel to Rs 81.73.

New Delhi, May 6 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the national capital received 730 metric tonnes of oxygen on May 5.

In a letter, Kejriwal said that it was for the first time the national capital received more than 700 metric tonnes of the life-saving gas.

KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 (NNN-Bernama) — Malaysian Ministry of Trade and Industry (MITI) has concluded a successful trade and investment mission to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with a renewed commitment from both countries to escalate the unique and special relations with Malaysia to a higher and more strategic level, particularly in the sphere of trade and investment.

Led by Senior Minister cum International Trade and Industry Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali, the mission took place from April 26 to May 4, 2021.

Mumbai, May 6 (PTI) Actor Abhilasha Patil, who has acted in films like "Chhichhore" and "Good Newwz", has died due to COVID-19 complications, her co-actor said.

Patil was in her 40s.

She was admitted at a hospital soon after she tested positive for the novel coronavirus and died on May 4.

Actor Kushal Koli, who worked with Patil in the show Shree Gurudeva Dutta , said he got to know about her demise through a common friend.

(Reuters) --- Swiss voters are set to back government measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic and to support a crackdown on pesticide use -- in defiance of Bern's wishes -- in binding referendums next month, a poll for broadcaster SRF showed on Friday.

Parliament passed the COVID-19 act in September, but critics of the steps to restrict public life and provide financial support to the economy forced a vote on them under the Swiss system of direct democracy.