Morning digest | Israel and Hamas agree to ceasefire; EAM Jaishankar to meet U.S. vaccine makers, and more

A select list of stories to read before you start your day.

Palestinians inspect damage to buildings in Gaza City on May 20, 2021 in Gaza City, Gaza.

Israel, Hamas agree to ceasefire to end bloody 11-day war

Israel and Hamas announced a ceasefire Thursday, ending a bruising 11-day war that caused widespread destruction in the Gaza Strip and brought life in much of Israel to a standstill.

Jaishankar may meet U.S. vaccine makers

As the government gears up to tackle the growing vaccine shortage, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is expected to travel to the U.S. next week to discuss procurement with American companies. Mr. Jaishankar is expected to meet U.S. officials and executives from Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson in Washington and New York, sources told  The Hindu .

Biden hails Israel-Hamas ceasefire

U.S. President Joe Biden welcomed the 

ceasefire between Israel and Hamas on Thursday  after he spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and other leaders in the region.

Two AstraZeneca COVID-19 shots 85-90% effective: Public Health England

Two doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is around 85% to 90% effective against symptomatic disease, Public Health England (PHE) said on Thursday, citing an analysis of real-world data from the rollout of the shot.

Singapore asks social media giants to issue correction notice on virus strain

The Ministry of Health of Singapore on Thursday cautioned social media networks against a “false statement” circulating online which described Singapore as the place of origin of a highly infectious COVID-19 variant that is threatening children.

BBC reporter Martin Bashir used deceit to get 1995 Diana interview

A BBC journalist used “deceitful behavior” to secure an explosive interview with Princess Diana in 1995, in a “serious breach” of the broadcaster’s guidelines, according to investigation findings published Thursday.

Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination and the downfall of LTTE

May 21 marks the 30th anniversary of the grotesque killing of the former Prime Minister, who was believed to be on a comeback trail to power.

Biden hails Israel-Hamas ceasefire, sees 'opportunity'

President Joe Biden on Thursday hailed the impending  ceasefire in the fighting between Israel and Hamas , saying he sees a “genuine opportunity” toward the larger goal of building a lasting peace in the Middle East.

 

China completes strategic Tibet highway near Arunachal border

China has completed construction of a strategically significant highway through the world’s deepest canyon in Tibet along the Brahmaputra river, enabling greater access to remote areas along the disputed border with Arunachal Pradesh in India.

U-17 Women's World Cup to be held in India in October 2022: FIFA

The U-17 women's World Cup will be held in India from October 11 to 30 next year, FIFA Council said on Thursday. India were earlier scheduled to host the 2020 U-17 World Cup but it was postponed to 2021 before being cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Twitter restores account verification after three years

Twitter on Thursday said it will begin rolling its new application and review process for account verification on Twitter, almost three and a half years after pausing the programme.