The former general physician, who is the son of an Irish nurse and a doctor from India, won the Fine Gael party leadership earlier this month.
His family originates from Varad region near Malwan along Maharashtra's Konkan coast.
Air India had earlier initiated hub operations at Frankfurt but withdrew last year after facing a severe financial crunch.
The move came soon after Belgium confirmed a case of the B.1.1.529 variant in someone who had travelled back from Egypt earlier this month, with the European Union (EU) member states agreeing to a snap travel ban on seven African nations.
'The prime minister's announcement of a nation-wide shutdown was eloquent, but should have been more clearly phrased to avoid police overreach.' 'Migrant labour should have been allowed adequate notice and transport options to get home,' notes Rahul Jacob.
The UK's health authorities have confirmed that a new and "most significant" variant of COVID-19 is officially under investigation in the country as the government on Friday added six countries to its travel ban red list from southern Africa, where B.1.1.529 strain was first identified.
In the face of climate disaster, a new environmental movement by the name of Extinction Rebellion has risen up, and they will make sure you hear their plea -- 'To governments of the world: we declared a climate and ecological emergency. You did not do enough. To everybody else: rebel' The environmental group, which was founded in the United Kingdom, has planned a large coordinated movement -- called International Rebellion -- in more than 60 global cities. Demonstrators blocked roads and bridges leading to the Palace of Westminster in central London. They staged a "die-in" in Wellington, New Zealand. They obstructed a major roundabout in Berlin and splattered fake blood on Wall Street's "Charging Bull" sculpture. Here are some of the most powerful images from the movement.
They broke free yet failed to evade the clutches of law.