Author: KAVIA M R

Singapore: Researchers at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), in collaboration with Camfil, a global manufacturer of air filters, have found that office air quality has a big impact on creativity. The study found that when people were required to build 3D models out of LEGO bricks, high concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are gases released from items like paint, aerosol sprays, detergents, pesticides, and perfumes, hurt their creativity. The NTU team conducted a statistical analysis and found that a 72 percent reduction in total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) may enhance an individual’s creative potential by 12 percent.…

Iceland: A volcano in southwest Iceland has erupted, spouting smoke and lava over a vast swath of land, just weeks after nearly 4,000 people in a nearby town were ordered to evacuate due to strong seismic activity. “At 22:17 this evening, a volcanic eruption began north of Grindavik on the Reykjanes peninsula,” Iceland’s Meteorological Office remarked. The live-streamed footage of the eruption showed flaming orange lava rising into the night sky and a plume of red smoke surrounding it. “A Coast Guard helicopter will take off shortly to confirm the exact location and size of the eruption,” the IMO said.…

China: The long-awaited trial of politician and media tycoon Mr. Jimmy Lai, who is accused of “colluding with foreign forces,” has started in Hong Kong. If convicted, the 76-year-old, who has been incarcerated since December 2020, could receive a life sentence. China is alleged to have used the National Security Law, which Mr. Lai was detained under, to stifle criticism. Many people believe that his case will test the independence of Hong Kong’s judiciary and has sparked outrage on a global scale. Dozens of supporters and a substantial security presence surrounded a Hong Kong court where the national security trial…

United States: Mr. Donald Trump, former US President, has once again stated at a rally in New Hampshire that immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country” shortly after labelling certain segments of American society as “vermin” in a fascist manner. The former President seemed to go back on his previous threats to “root out the communists, Marxists, fascists, and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country that lie, steal, and cheat on elections” at his previous rally in New Hampshire, which drew criticism. On Saturday, he appeared to make similar threats in…

United States: Former New York mayor and Mr. Donald Trump’s ex-personal attorney, Mr. Rudy Giuliani, has been ordered to pay $148 million in damages to two former election workers he falsely accused of being involved in the 2020 presidential election. In Washington, DC, a federal jury of eight people ruled that Mr. Giuliani must pay Ms. Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Ms. Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, $75 million in punitive damages. Additionally, they are to receive $36 million each for defamation and emotional distress. This decision stems from Mr. Giuliani’s false claims, accusing them of attempting to manipulate the election against…

United States: A team led by engineer Feng Guo of Indiana University Bloomington has built a hybrid biocomputer that can perform tasks like voice recognition by fusing traditional circuitry with human brain tissue grown in a lab. Although the accuracy was marginally lower than that of an artificial intelligence-powered pure hardware computer, the research represents a significant first step towards a novel kind of computer architecture. It uses brain organoids, which are collections of human cells that mimic tissue and are used in research to simulate organs. Organoids are derived from stem cells that can differentiate into various cell types.…

United States: Business tycoon Mr. Elon Musk has invited right-wing American conspiracy theorist Mr. Alex Jones back to X after a poll. After nearly 70 percent of respondents to an unscientific poll on X supported Mr. Jones’ return, he was reinstated on Sunday. Mr. Jones had been ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion in damages for defaming the families of the Sandy Hook school shootings in the US. Mr. Jones released a video teaser shortly after being reinstated, promoting a conversation he had with Mr. Musk and kickboxer-turned-influencer Mr. Andrew Tate at X Spaces. A poll asking users if Jones’s…

Philippines: A Chinese ship and a Philippine boat have collided close to a disputed reef in the South China Sea, sparking the latest territorial dispute between the two nations. China has “harassed, blocked, and executed dangerous manoeuvres,” according to the Philippines. It comes one day after China was charged by the Philippines with obstructing three of its vessels with water cannons. A territorial dispute involving China, the Philippines, and other nations revolves around the South China Sea. China reportedly targeted Philippine civilian supply vessels in the Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands, which is a point of contention between…

Switzerland: A new study shows that every year, at least 40 million women are likely to experience a long-term health problem caused by childbirth. The research, which was supported by the US Agency for International Development, the World Health Organisation, and the UN’s Special Programme on Human Reproduction, was published in a series of papers in the journals Lancet Global Health and eClinicalMedicine. It reveals that postnatal conditions, which last for months or even years after childbirth, are significantly more common. These include pain during sexual intercourse (dyspareunia), affecting more than a third (35 percent) of postpartum women; low back…

United States: The UN Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres, has urged the UN Security Council to take action regarding the conflict in Gaza, invoking Article 99 of the UN Charter. As per the statement, the UN chief has the authority to draw the attention of the Security Council to any issue that he deems potentially dangerous for the preservation of global peace and security. The overall effects of the more than eight weeks of fighting had “appalling human suffering, physical destruction, and collective trauma across Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” Mr. Guterres wrote in a letter to the president of…