The passing of Prince Philip
On April 9th, Prince Philip passed away aged 99 at Windsor castle. The Duke of Edinburgh was the longest serving royal consort in British history, having been at the Queen’s side for more than six decades of her reign.
In tribute to the duke, Westminster Abbey began tolling its tenor bell once every 60 seconds at 18:00 BST. It rang out 99 times to honour each year of his life. However, the government urged the public not to gather or leave tributes at royal residences amid the coronavirus pandemic.From midday on Saturday, a 41-gun salute took place for Prince Philip in cities including London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, as well as in Gibraltar and at sea from Royal Navy warships, the Ministry of Defence said. They were broadcast online and on television for the public to watch from home.
Queen Elizabeth, four days after the passing of her husband, returned to royal duties.
Derek Chauvin Murder Trial – Day 12 – 13 April
Mr. Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, faces charges of manslaughter, second-degree murder and third-degree murder in the death of George Floyd.
A police officer was “justified” in pinning George Floyd to the ground before his death, says a use-of-force expert called by the defence team. Barry Brodd, an expert on the use of force who was called to testify by the defence, said on Tuesday that Mr. Chauvin had been justified in his actions, and that he did not consider the restraint that Mr. Chauvin used (keeping Mr. Floyd pinned under his knee while handcuffed and face-down on the street) a use of force.
He compared the situation to that of a police officer who uses a Taser, only to have the suspect fall back, hit their head and die. Mr. Brodd’s testimony contradicted that of numerous witnesses who were called by the prosecution, including other use-of-force experts and the chief of the Minneapolis Police Department.
Stolen Roman statue found in antique shop
A Roman statue dating back to the first century BCE has been recovered, almost a decade after it was stolen from archaeological site in Italy. Two Italian officers came across the sculpture of a headless figure wearing a toga at an antique shop in Belgium. The sculpture is believed to be worth around €100,000 (£87,000).
An investigation confirmed the statue had been stolen from the Villa Marini Dettina site on the outskirts of Rome in November 2011. It was seized by Belgian authorities and has now been returned to Italy, the government in Rome has announced. An Italian trader using a Spanish pseudonym has since been referred to the prosecutor’s office in Rome for receiving stolen goods and illegally exporting the statue.
Biden plans to withdraw from Afghanistan
The US will continue to support Afghanistan after withdrawing all US troops, but not “militarily,” President Joe Biden, has confirmed. President Biden is the fourth US president to oversee the war, which has been American’s longest, starting on the 7 October 2001.
The withdrawal is to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the 11 September 2001 terror attacks, officials say. The total number of US troops on the ground in Afghanistan fluctuates, and US media report the current total is close to 3,500.
Mr Biden’s plan pushes back the 1 May deadline agreed to by the Trump White House. The deal signed in February 2020 said the US and its NATO allies would withdraw all troops by May 2021 if the Taliban upheld its promises including not allowing al-Qaeda or other militants to operate in areas it controlled and proceeding with national peace talks. Although the group stopped attacks on international forces as part of the historic agreement, it has continued to fight the Afghan government.
Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 study paused
The study of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine has been paused due to an unexplained illness in a study participant. The vaccine, currently being used in the US, South Africa, and the European Union, has caused reports of rare blood clotting.
Six cases were detected in more than 6.8 million doses of the vaccine, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said. All six cases were in women aged between 18 and 48, with symptoms appearing six to 13 days after vaccination.
There are conflicting expert opinions regarding the consumption of aspirin, an anticoagulant, before or after being administered a COVID vaccine to prevent the risk of clotting, but currently it is not recommended.
