Author: News Desk

Taiwan: Taiwan’s two rival opposition parties are set to collaborate in the upcoming presidential election, in a move analysed as a major political upset for the East Asian democracy. The deal will bring together the Kuomintang (KMT), one of Taiwan’s two major political parties, and the independent Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) to compete in a joint ticket for the presidency and legislature in the national vote to be held on January 13, 2024. Both parties did not reveal further details of the collaboration. According to reports, they would base their decisions on the results of polling, which has been under…

London, UK: Ms. Suella Braverman, the UK’s sacked home secretary, has accused Mr. Rishi Sunak, the UK’s Prime Minister, of “betraying” a secret deal they made to secure her backing during the Tory leadership contest that led the way for him to become prime minister. In a letter after being fired as home secretary, the Conservative Member of Parliament criticized Mr. Sunak, stating that he had continuously failed to fulfil important policies. Ms. Braverman wrote that Mr. Sunak is “weak, uncertain, and lacking in leadership qualities.” The sacked home secretary noted that she agreed to join Mr. Sunak’s cabinet with…

United Kingdom: A new study has found that consuming higher levels of ultraprocessed food increases the risk of developing multimorbidity, or having multiple chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. The study, published in the journal The Lancet, analysed dietary information from 266,666 men and women from seven European countries between 1992 and 2000. Researchers monitored the participants for 11 years to observe the occurrence of different chronic conditions, such as cancer. “What is particularly significant in this large study is that eating more ultra-processed foods, in particular animal products and sweetened beverages, was linked to an increased…

North Korea: The state media has said North Korea has successfully held static tests of a new solid-fuel engine for its banned intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBM). The country “has developed new-type high-thrust solid-fuel engines for intermediate ballistic missiles again, which are of important strategic significance,” the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) stated. “The test provided a sure guarantee for reliably accelerating the development of the new-type IRBM system,” KCNA added. In recent years, North Korea has conducted numerous weapons trials, revealing its initial solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and a new type of submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). These actions…

Finland: Finland has accused Russia of leading asylum seekers to the country’s border and warned that it will take action against “the jump in the number of arrivals.” The Finnish Border Guard pointed out that the number of arrivals from Russia has soared in recent days, with about 60 asylum seekers coming since November 13. This data is notable when compared to the overall figure of 91 people who arrived without the necessary documents from August 1 to November 12. According to Interior Minister Ms. Mari Rantanen, the number of crossings at Finland’s southeastern border has risen substantially since August…

Nepal: Nepal has banned the Chinese social media app TikTok, claiming that the platform is adversely affecting the “social harmony” in the South Asian country. Nepal’s Foreign Minister Mr. Narayan Prakash Saud commented that the app has been banned with immediate effect following a cabinet meeting. “The government has decided to ban TikTok as it was necessary to regulate the use of the social media platform that was disrupting social harmony, goodwill, and the flow of indecent materials,” Mr. Saud said. China’s ByteDance-owned TikTok was previously banned by several countries, including India and Afghanistan, with the UK, Australia, and the European…

Columbia: A new study has found that chronic insufficient sleep can increase insulin resistance in women. The study, published in the journal Diabetes Care, revealed that it affects otherwise healthy women, with more marked effects in postmenopausal women. The findings highlight the significance of sufficient sleep in lowering the risk for type 2 diabetes, which can develop when the body fails to effectively use a key hormone, insulin, to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. The researchers enrolled 38 healthy women and 11 postmenopausal women who routinely slept at least seven hours each night. During the study, the participants went through…

United States: The Supreme Court of the United States has unveiled its first formal code of ethics governing the conduct of its nine justices. The move comes after months of external pressure stemming from revelations about justices receiving undisclosed luxury gifts from benefactors. The nine members of the nation’s highest court are the only federal judges not explicitly subject to ethical oversight. Democrats in the Senate have been increasingly urging them to embrace a code of conduct. The nine-page code contains sections codifying that justices should not let outside relationships influence their official conduct or judgement, spelling out restrictions on…

London, UK: The former UK Prime Minister, Mr. David Cameron, will be attending his first Cabinet meeting in 7 years. The UK Prime Minister, Mr. Rishi Sunak, had reshuffled his cabinet, making Mr. James Cleverly as home secretary after Ms. Suella Braverman was sacked. Mr. Cameron replaces Mr. Cleverly as foreign secretary. Mr. David Cameroon stepped down as prime minister and quit as an MP after losing the Brexit referendum in 2016. Ex-Business Secretary Ms. Andrea Leadsom has taken on a junior role in the Department for Health and Social Care. Meanwhile, Mr. Damian Hinds has become a minister in…

United States: United States President Mr. Joe Biden has stated that Gaza’s Al-Shifa hospital “must be protected” as Israeli tanks surround the facility. The hospital accommodates hundreds of patients and staff. Mr. Biden commented that he hoped to see Israel take “less intrusive action” at the largest hospital in Gaza, which has been repeatedly targeted by Israeli bombing and snipers. “My hope and expectation is that there will be less intrusive action relative to hospitals and that we remain in contact with the Israelis. Also, there is an effort to get this pause to deal with the release of prisoners,…