Author: Akshara Das

London: Queen Camilla has spoken publicly for the first time about the difficulty of keeping King Charles’ cancer diagnosis private after the British monarch was diagnosed in early 2024. Buckingham Palace announced in February 2024 that King Charles was undergoing treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer. The King remains under medical care, although treatment was later reduced following an early diagnosis and effective intervention. Camilla discussed the experience during a video released by Maggie’s, a cancer support charity, to mark its 30th anniversary. The Queen is president of the organisation. The conversation was recorded during a visit to a…

London: The UK is increasingly vulnerable to food supply disruptions and price shocks because of its dependence on countries facing even greater climate pressures, according to a new report from the Food Foundation. Around 40 percent of Britain’s food is imported, including approximately 80 percent of fruit and 47 percent of vegetables. The figures make the UK more dependent on imported fruit than countries such as France, Germany and Spain. The warning comes as the UK experiences increasingly challenging weather conditions. Record heat, drought and wildfires have damaged crops and reduced yields of some domestic produce, highlighting the growing pressure…

United Kingdom: Disabled people across England will be able to use their bus passes for free at any time of day from April 1, under new government plans aimed at removing transport barriers and reducing living costs. Currently, disabled bus passes can generally be used for free travel between 9:30am and 11pm on weekdays. Pass holders can use the passes at any time on weekends and bank holidays. The government estimates that around one million people could benefit from the change. The reform is also intended to make it easier for disabled people to travel to work, attend evening events…

Beijing: China’s autonomous driving company Pony.ai said its pipeline of planned and potential overseas robotaxi deployments has expanded to more than 4,000 vehicles, highlighting growing international interest in autonomous ride-hailing technology. The company reported strong second-quarter financial results, with total revenue rising 68.8 percent from a year earlier to $36.2 million, according to a company statement. Robotaxi services were a major driver of the growth. Revenue from the segment surged 691.2 percent compared with the same period last year and accounted for one-third of Pony.ai’s total revenue for the first time. Pony.ai stated that the overseas pipeline includes both planned…

United States: Meta is facing a major legal battle in the United States that could fundamentally change how young people use Instagram and Facebook if the company loses a trial brought by 30 US states over alleged violations of child privacy laws. The jury trial is set to begin August 18 and stems from a lawsuit filed in 2023 by states including California and New York. The states accuse Meta of violating federal and state privacy laws and argue that the company’s platforms have been designed in ways that can harm children and teenagers. The states are seeking potentially more…

Beijing: China rejected enough clean energy to power Mexico for a year during the first six months of 2026 as electricity grids struggled to absorb the country’s rapidly expanding renewable power generation. The world’s largest producer of solar power turned away an estimated 360 terawatt-hours of clean electricity between January and June, according to a report from Global Energy Monitor and the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air. The figure was 49 percent higher than during the same period last year. The rejection of renewable electricity, known as curtailment, occurs when electricity grids cannot absorb additional power from…

Darwin: Bangladesh have made history by securing their first-ever Test victory on Australian soil, defeating the hosts by nine wickets in the opening match of the series in Darwin on August  16. The landmark result came after four days of dominant cricket from the visitors. Chasing a target of just 57 runs, Bangladesh reached the required total with one wicket down. Mominul Haque struck the winning boundary to trigger celebrations among the Bangladesh players and supporters at Marrara Oval. The victory is regarded as one of the finest achievements in Bangladesh’s 26-year Test history. Australia entered the match as the…

High Fens: Firefighters battled a major wildfire in Belgium’s largest nature reserve on August 15, as the blaze tore through the High Fens and was described by local officials as the country’s largest wildfire in recent history. The fire, which began on August 14, remained out of control on August 15 afternoon, prompting authorities to evacuate residents from two nearby villages as flames threatened to spread towards homes. A local gymnasium was opened to accommodate people forced to leave their properties. Water-bombing aircraft and helicopters were deployed from several European countries to support Belgian firefighters tackling the blaze near the…

Flores: At least five people have died after a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia’s Flores island before dawn on August 15, according to the governor of East Nusa Tenggara province. The governor of East Nusa Tenggara Province, Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena, stated that the victims were killed while they were sleeping after rubble from collapsing structures fell on them. The earthquake struck shortly before 5 am local time at a depth of 15 kilometres, according to Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics agency. The main earthquake was followed by dozens of aftershocks, including a strong tremor measuring 6.1 magnitude, raising…

Paris: France’s top constitutional court has blocked a planned ban on social media for children under 15, ruling that the legislation infringed upon freedom of expression and communication. The Constitutional Council issued its ruling on August 14, overturning legislation approved by French lawmakers in July. The decision means the proposed restrictions cannot be introduced in their original form. The legislation would have made France the first European country to introduce a nationwide ban preventing children under 15 from opening social media accounts. The measure was proposed amid growing concerns about the potential effects of social media use on children’s mental…