Author: News Desk

China: China and the Maldives strengthened their relationship during the first state visit to Beijing by the newly elected President, Mr. Mohamed Muizzu. According to information released by Mr. Muizzu’s office, the Maldives and China, its biggest external creditor, inked a number of new agreements that cover infrastructure, agriculture, and climate change. Neither party disclosed the exact amount of the deals. Speaking at the Great Hall of the People, Chinese President, Mr. Xi Jinping, referred to Mr. Huang Zheng as “an old friend” as the Asian agreed to a “comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership,” opening the door for additional investment in…

United States: The UN Security Council has approved a resolution calling on the Houthis in Yemen to stop attacking ships in the Red Sea and to release the Japanese-operated Galaxy Leader, which was taken over a year ago. The resolution demanding the Houthis, who support Iran, to “immediately cease all attacks, which impede global commerce and navigational rights and freedoms as well as regional peace,” was approved by eleven council members. Russia, China, Mozambique, and Algeria were the four members that abstained. Nobody voted against it. China and Russia have veto power as permanent members of the council, but they…

China: Beijing has informed US military officials that it will “never compromise” on Taiwan, the self-governing island that it claims as its own. The Pentagon announced that China and the United States had concluded their two days of military talks in Washington, DC, on Tuesday. This is the latest round of talks since the two nations decided to resume military-to-military relations. Following a meeting between US President, Mr. Joe Biden, and Chinese President, Mr. Xi Jinping, last November, the two sides decided to resume talks despite their disagreements on a number of issues, including Taiwan and Beijing’s assertive claims in…

United States: The European Union (EU) may launch a merger investigation into Microsoft’s multibillion-dollar investment in ChatGPT developer OpenAI, according to officials. Microsoft holds the largest minority stake in OpenAI Global LLC, a “capped profit” subsidiary under the management of OpenAI Inc., the non-profit organisation’s majority owner. Its investment, which comes in the form of cash and cloud computing credits, formally grants it no control over the business itself but does offer the chance to earn a return on capital of up to 100 times. “Checking whether Microsoft’s investment in OpenAI might be reviewable under the EU merger regulation,” the…

United Kingdom: The foreign minister of the United Kingdom, David Cameron, has expressed concern that Israel may have broken international law during its war on Gaza. Although Israel was deemed compliant, Mr. Cameron said there were still unanswered questions. Mr. Cameron expressed deep concern about what he saw during the war in the besieged Palestine territory while speaking to the British Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee. During a question-and-answer period with lawmakers, Cameron responded that Israel was “near to that” when asked if the country could be “vulnerable to a challenge” from the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague regarding…

Dubai: British Business Group Dubai and Northern Emirates (BBG) is marking a significant milestone in the history and future of the organization, adopting the title of Chamber of Commerce. Endorsed by Dubai Chambers and the British Chambers of Commerce, the group will be known as the British Chamber of Commerce Dubai. Representing British businesses in Dubai and the Northern Emirates since 1997, the group has provided a dedicated and consistent platform for creating stronger trade relations between the UK and UAE. The transition to Chamber follows the group’s recent success, winning second place in the British Chambers of Commerce Best…

United States: Experts in the industry are now concerned about the manufacturing process of passenger planes after United Airlines and Alaska Airlines reported finding loose parts on several grounded Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which oversees the sector in the US, grounded 171 Max 9 aircraft globally on Friday after a cabin panel on an aircraft operated by Alaska blew off in midair, requiring the pilots to perform an emergency landing. In its initial inspections, United said that it “found bolts that needed additional tightening.” When Alaska conducted fleet inspections, early reports from its technicians…

France: Ms. Elizabeth Borne, the prime minister of France, has resigned as Mr. Emmanuel Macron, France’s President, gets ready to announce a much-awaited cabinet reshuffle in an effort to renew his presidency. “Ms. Elisabeth Borne today submitted the resignation of the government to the president, who accepted it,” the French presidency said in a statement. In a post on X, Mr. Macron expressed gratitude to Borne for “work in the service of our nation that has been exemplary every day.” Ms. Borne became only the second female prime minister in French history when she was appointed in May 2022. Until…

Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina, the prime minister of Bangladesh, has been re-elected to a fifth term in office despite low voter turnout and a brutal crackdown on the opposition. The Awami League, led by Ms. Hasina, was proclaimed the winner of nearly 75 percent of the seats and a fourth consecutive term in office by the election commission. She was prime minister twice before, from 1996 to 2001 and again in 2009, so this will be her fifth term in office. Following the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) boycotting Sunday’s vote and calling for a general strike, calling it a “sham…

Qatar: The US Secretary of State, Mr. Antony Blinken, has stated that Palestinians must be free to return to their homes when conditions allow and should not be forced to leave Gaza. Mr. Blinken denounced remarks made by a few Israeli ministers advocating for the relocation of Palestinians to other locations. During his most recent Middle East tour, the US official stopped in Qatar. Following reports that several people had died at a camp for refugees in northern Gaza, he made these remarks. “Palestinian civilians must be able to return home as soon as conditions allow. They cannot, they must…