Author: News Desk

Haiti: The UN Security Council will discuss endorsing an international force to support Haiti’s police in their fight against criminal gangs, as per the published agenda. Haitian Prime Minister Mr. Ariel Henry and UN Secretary-General Mr. Antonio Guterres have been urging for a force to deal with Haiti’s worsening security situation for the past year. Finding a country willing to lead the effort to address Haiti’s current security challenges is challenging due to the risks associated with past peacekeeping efforts in Haiti and the complexities of interfering in the current situation. In late July 2023, Kenya declared its readiness to…

United States: American actor and filmmaker Tom Hanks has warned his fans about a fake dental plan advertisement featuring his image, clarifying that it was created using artificial intelligence. In a post to his 9.5 million Instagram followers, the actor shared that his image was used without consent. “BEWARE!! There’s a video out there promoting some dental plan with an AI version of me. I have nothing to do with it,” Hanks wrote alongside a screenshot of the computer-generated image of himself from the clip. Tom Hanks appeared as a CGI character in the 2004 animated Christmas movie, The Polar…

New Zealand: Mr. Chris Hipkins, Prime Minister of New Zealand, has tested positive for COVID-19 amid campaigning ahead of the election on October 14. Mr. Hipkins cancelled his upcoming campaign plans after the Labour leader tested positive in Auckland. A spokesman for the Prime Minister stated that “Mr. Hipkins has cold and flu symptoms that began yesterday. He will be isolating for five days or until he returns a negative test.” “The PM will continue with engagements he can undertake via Zoom,” the spokesman added. Mr. Hipkins posted on Instagram that he would try to keep up campaign engagements remotely.…

Maldives: The Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) candidate Mr. Mohamed Muizzu has won the presidential election after a second-round run-off against Mr. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) leader Mr. Solih conceded defeat shortly before midnight after the Elections Commission of the Maldives said Mr. Muizzu had won 54.06 percent of the vote in the run-off contest. “Congratulations to president-elect Mr. Muizzu,” Mr. Solih posted on X. “Thank you for the beautiful democratic example shown by the people in the elections,” the MDP candidate added. The 61-year-old will remain as caretaker president until his successor’s inauguration on November…

Armenia: The Armenian government has stated that over 100,000 people have fled the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Mr. Nazeli Baghdasaryan, the press secretary to Armenian Prime Minister Mr. Nikol Pashinyan, noted that 100,417 people had arrived in Armenia from Nagorno-Karabakh, which had a population of approximately 120,000. “A total of 21,043 vehicles have crossed the Hakari Bridge, which links Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh, since last week,” Mr. Baghdasaryan said, adding that “some lined up for days because the winding mountain road that is the only route to Armenia became jammed.” Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly rejected the accusations, saying the mass migration…

Ukraine: Ukraine has hosted a defence industry conference to boost domestic weapons production, aiming to defend against Russia’s invasion and lessen reliance on foreign arms imports. This event signifies a shift in support for Ukraine. Previously, the focus was on delivering weapons, repairing damaged equipment, and providing military training to Ukrainian soldiers. During the international defence industries forum’s opening, President Mr. Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned that over 250 defence companies from 30+ countries gathered in Kyiv. Defence ministers and representatives from various nations also attended the event. Mr. Zelenskyy shared insights from his recent visit to Washington, highlighting an agreement with…

United Kingdom: A new study has found that a sugar replacement called erythritol, used to add bulk or sweeten stevia, monkfruit, and keto-reduced-sugar products, may increase the risks of blood clotting, stroke, heart attack, and death. “The degree of risk was not modest,” the lead study author, Dr. Stanley Hazen, director of the Centre for Cardiovascular Diagnostics and Prevention at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, commented. According to a study published in the journal Nature Medicine, people with existing risk factors for heart disease, such as diabetes, were twice as likely to experience a heart attack or stroke if…

Russia: The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has decided not to impose a complete ban on Paralympic participation for athletes from Russia and Belarus in the upcoming games next year. Competitors from Russia and Belarus can participate in Paris as neutral athletes due to the partial suspension of their National Paralympic Committees by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, both Russia and Belarus have been suspended from Paralympic competition. The Paris Games in 2024 will begin on August 28. Para-athletes from Russia and Belarus can participate in world and regional championships, as well as approved…

United States: The United States has called on Serbia to withdraw its forces from the border with Kosovo. The White House warned that Serbia has deployed sophisticated tanks and artillery near the frontier with Kosovo after deadly clashes erupted at a monastery in northern Kosovo last weekend. The conflict, which has led to the killing of a Kosovan police officer and three Serb gunmen, is one of the gravest acts of violence between Serbia and the former breakaway province that is now Kosovo. “We are monitoring a large Serbian military deployment along the border with Kosovo,” White House National Security…

United States: The Governor of New York City has declared a state of emergency due to powerful storms causing flash floods. The subway, streets, and highways in the city are flooded, and one terminal at LaGuardia Airport is closed. Some areas of the city received up to 8 inches (20 cm) of rain, and forecasters predict a few more inches. New York Governor Ms. Kathy Hochul stated that, “this is a dangerous, life-threatening storm.” “I am declaring a state of emergency across New York City, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley due to the extreme rainfall we’re seeing throughout the…