Author: News Desk

United Kingdom: A new report has stated that the recent rise in interest rates has led to the end of Britain’s wealth boom and caused total household wealth to plunge by a quarter since the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the report by the Resolution Foundation and the asset manager Abrdn, the recession was due to a drop in house prices and pension pots, which account for about $4.85 out of every $6.06 of total wealth. The analysis noted that while total household wealth was worth 840 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2021, it had dropped to 630 percent…

United States: The US District Judge, Ms. Tanya Chutkan, has reinstated former US President Mr. Donald Trump’s limited gag order in the 2020 election interference case, barring him from attacking prosecutors, court staff, and potential trial witnesses. The judge issued the gag order earlier this month and then temporarily lifted it for his attorneys to present their argument against it. However, the prosecutors requested the judge to reimpose that order, arguing Mr. Trump had taken advantage and posted a slew of inflammatory statements. The statements contain Mr. Trump’s repeated attacks on the special counsel, Mr. Jack Smith, and the former…

London, UK: Researchers at the University of Cambridge in the UK have developed a simple blood test that could diagnose around 30 percent of patients with bipolar disorder. Its effectiveness increases when used in conjunction with a digital mental health assessment. By including biomarker testing, doctors can better distinguish between major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. These conditions share similar symptoms but necessitate distinct medication approaches. While the blood test is still in its early stages, a study in the JAMA Psychiatry journal revealed that it could be a valuable addition to current psychiatric diagnosis methods. Additionally, it has the…

United States: US President Mr. Joe Biden has called for “accelerating” humanitarian assistance to Gaza through phone calls with Israeli Prime Minister Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Mr. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. According to the White House report, Mr. Biden spoke with the two leaders separately, and they discussed different aspects of the Israel-Gaza war. The US President told Mr. Netanyahu that Israel has “every right and responsibility to defend its citizens from terrorism” but he added that this needs to happen “in a manner consistent with international humanitarian law that prioritises the protection of civilians.” “Mr. Biden also underscored…

France: French President Mr. Emmanuel Macron has vowed to include the abortion rights of women in the country’s constitution by 2024. Mr. Macron stated that his government would submit a draft text to France’s highest administrative court to make abortion rights constitutional by the end of the year. “In 2024, the right of women to choose abortion will become irreversible,” the French President posted on social media. The announcement follows a promise made by Mr. Macron on March 8, International Women’s Day, when he tweeted in response to the overturning of federal abortion rights in the US. “A universal message…

United States: A recent United Nations University (UNU) report from Germany has identified approaching risk tipping points. The report emphasizes that having foresight about these points enables the potential for taking preventive action to stop them. These tipping points can be set in motion by minor increases in their driving forces but can result in significant consequences. The risk tipping points, distinct from the climate tipping points facing the world, such as the Amazon rainforest collapse and the Atlantic Ocean current shutdown, are driven by human-induced global warming. Climate tipping points involve significant, broad-scale changes, whereas risk tipping points are…

Israel: Internet and phone services have been restored in Gaza after a communication blackout, which humanitarian organizations had cautioned might be exploited to conceal war crimes. Paltel Group, the provider of communication services in Gaza, announced that landline, mobile, and internet services were slowly coming back online after disruptions caused by ongoing aggression. “Our technical teams are diligently addressing the damage to the internal network infrastructure under challenging conditions. May God protect you all and our Country,” the telecom said in a statement. Gaza experienced an almost complete communication blackout lasting nearly 36 hours, which resulted from Israeli air attacks…

China: Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has fired an associate professor who researched the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. Ms. Rowena He has been fired from her university position after the city’s immigration authorities declined to extend her visa. Ms. He has previously received outstanding teaching awards in 2020 and 2021. Ms. He is also the author of the well-received 2014 book Tiananmen Exiles: Voices of the Struggle for Democracy in China, and has published numerous articles in Chinese and English on China’s democracy movement and its aftermath. CUHK stated that Ms. He had been let go when she failed…

United States: A news study has found that female chimpanzees live for a lengthy period after menopause. “Menopause ends reproduction around the age of 50 in both humans and wild chimpanzees,” the researchers report, adding they found it was not unusual for chimpanzees, like humans, to live longer. In the study published in the journal Science, researchers noted how they studied 185 females in the Ngogo community of wild chimpanzees in Kibale National Park, Uganda, from 1995 to 2016. The research team found the probability of giving birth fell after chimpanzees reached 30 years old, and no births occurred in animals…

United States: US President Mr. Joe Biden is expected to meet Chinese President Mr. Xi Jinping in November 2023 after China’s top diplomat’s visit to the White House. According to reports, the two leaders will meet at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco in November, a gathering of world and business leaders. A recent readout from China’s Foreign Minister Mr. Wang Yi and US National Security Adviser Mr. Jake Sullivan noted that the two sides were “working together towards a meeting.” The last meeting between Mr. Xi and Mr. Biden was at the G20 summit in Bali…