Author: Akshara Das

Berlin: Germany’s social spending reached a new record high last year, with costs linked to old age and illness accounting for around 70 percent of total social spending, according to an analysis by the Ifo institute. The analysis found that spending related to old age and illness was responsible for more than 80 percent of the real increase in social spending since 1992, highlighting the growing impact of Germany’s ageing population on the country’s welfare system. Demographic change has become a major structural driver of rising social costs as the number of older people increases and demand for pensions, healthcare…

Beijing: Chinese authorities have launched an investigation into reports that formaldehyde was used to keep cabbages fresh, raising fresh food safety concerns in the country. Officials in northeastern Hebei province said they had verified footage showing individuals dipping cabbages into a solution before loading the vegetables onto trucks for transportation. The footage was first published last week by an environmental blogger and quickly attracted widespread attention across China. The use of formaldehyde to preserve food is strictly prohibited in China. Formaldehyde is a colourless chemical commonly used for preserving biological specimens and has been linked to cancer risks at relatively…

United States: TikTok has agreed to pay $400 million to the US government to settle a lawsuit alleging that the platform violated children’s privacy laws, marking one of the largest settlements involving the protection of children’s data. The settlement stems from a lawsuit filed by the US Department of Justice in 2024 under former President Joe Biden. The government alleged that TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, collected large amounts of personal data from millions of users under the age of 13 without obtaining the required parental consent. The case involved the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), a federal…

Democratic Republic of Congo: More than 2,500 people have died in the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to UN Ebola coordinator Julien Harneis, who warned that the disease is spreading exponentially across an area larger than France. Harneis said that the outbreak is expanding faster than the humanitarian response, creating major challenges for health workers and aid organisations operating across the affected areas. The outbreak is already the deadliest Ebola epidemic in the history of the DRC. The outbreak was spreading across a vast area affected by three decades of conflict and warned that the growing…

Singapore: Only seven commodity ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on August 20, half the previous day’s total, according to data from ship tracker Kpler, as uncertainty over Middle East shipping risks continued amid stalled US-Iran peace talks. Of the seven vessels, four entered the strategic waterway and three exited. The Strait of Hormuz was previously used for nearly one-fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, making the sharp decline in traffic significant for global energy markets. None of the vessels recorded by Kpler were very large crude carriers or liquefied natural gas tankers. However, one…

United Kingdom: Harry Brook struck a crucial 91 as England strengthened their position against Pakistan on a rain-shortened second day of the first Test at Headingley. England reached 366-8, giving the hosts a 195-run lead after making the most of limited playing time in Leeds. Brook’s innings was particularly important after the vice-captain was dropped on one, allowing the batter to make Pakistan pay for the missed opportunity. Brook shared a 120-run partnership with Dan Lawrence, who marked a return to the Test side with a half-century. The partnership helped England maintain control after Pakistan had created opportunities with the ball. https://twitter.com/englandcricket/status/2090523944939823249 Earlier, Joe Root and Jordan…

East Greenland: Giant whales are moving into previously inaccessible waters off East Greenland as disappearing sea ice creates new feeding grounds, according to a decades-long study tracking changes in the region’s marine ecosystem. Researchers recorded and filmed hundreds of humpback, minke and fin whales feeding in ice-free coastal waters during summer. These species were historically unable to access much of the area because thick sea ice blocked the coastal waters. The change has been linked to rising sea temperatures and the rapid loss of sea ice caused by climate change. Scientists describe the development as a major ecological shift in…

Mumbai: India’s Swiggy is shifting its quick-commerce unit Instamart towards an inventory-led model as the company looks to improve margins and compete more effectively with market leader Blinkit. The change follows shareholder approval that allows Swiggy to qualify as an Indian-owned and controlled company under India’s foreign investment rules. The status is required for Instamart to hold inventory directly rather than operating only as a marketplace connecting customers with sellers. Instamart has operated under a marketplace model since its launch in August 2020, earning commissions on products sold through the platform. An inventory-led approach would give Swiggy greater control over…

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…