Author: News Desk

Iraq: The United States Secretary of State Mr. Antony Blinken has made an unannounced visit to Iraq amid growing fears that the Israel-Gaza war could lead to a regional conflict. Mr. Blinken held talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Mr. Mohammed Shia al-Sudani as Washington sought Baghdad’s help in dealing with “attacks on US forces from Iran-backed groups.” Mr. Blinken told reporters that the talks with Mr. al-Sudani were “productive” and his Iraqi counterpart was working with his security forces to “take necessary action” to deal with the attacks. “This is a matter of Iraqi sovereignty. No country wants to have…

Singapore: Singapore Prime Minister Mr. Lee Hsien Loong has announced that he will step down from the leadership of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) before the 2025 general elections. The 71-year-old Mr. Lee said that he would hand the reins to Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Lawrence Wong. This may occur as soon as the PAP’s 70th anniversary, which will be in November 2024. Addressing PAP members, Mr. Lee remarked that Mr. Wong had proved himself as head of the government’s COVID-19 task force during the pandemic and “there is no reason to delay the political transition.” “Therefore, I intend…

Ukraine: The Ukrainian President Mr. Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that the Israel-Gaza war is “taking away the focus” from the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Mr. Zelenskyy noted that this was “one of the goals” of Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Additionally, the Ukrainian President denied that fighting in Ukraine had reached a stalemate, despite a recent statement of this effect by the country’s top military general. “It’s clear that the war in the Middle East is taking away the focus from Ukraine,” Mr. Zelensky said while speaking at a briefing in Kyiv. The…

United States: US Secretary of State Mr. Antony Blinken has reaffirmed the White House’s position on “humanitarian pauses” in Gaza to protect civilians and allow foreign nationals to leave amid continuing Israeli military bombardment. The US Secretary of State attended a news conference in Jordan’s capital, Amman, along with Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Ayman Safadi and Egypt’s Foreign Minister Mr. Sameh Shoukry. Mr. Blinken noted that humanitarian pauses “can be a critical mechanism for protecting civilians, getting aid in, and getting foreign nationals out of Gaza” while “still enabling Israel to achieve its objective” to defeat Hamas. Jordan and…

Indonesia: Archaeologists have said that a giant pyramid buried under a hillside in Indonesia could be the oldest megalithic structure ever built. Gunung Padang may be the world’s oldest pyramidal structure, constructed on an extinct volcano long before the advent of agriculture or modern civilization. The archaeologists say that it could be older than Stonehenge in England or the great pyramids of Giza in Egypt, which are both about 5000 years old. Gunung Padang, which is situated on the island of West Java, means ‘mountain of enlightenment’ in the local language. Scientists in Indonesia suggest that its interior hides large…

Australia: The Australian Prime Minister, Mr. Anthony Albanese, will meet the Chinese President, Mr. Xi Jinping, and Premier, Mr. Li Qiang, during a visit to the country. After his arrival on November 4, 2023, Mr. Albanese will become the first Australian leader to visit the country since 2016. The visit comes as Mr. Xi officially invited Mr. Albanese to China. Analysis says this is evidence that the relationship between the two nations is steadily improving. Mr. Malcolm Turnbull was the last Australian prime minister to visit China in 2016. The relationship between the two countries didn’t go well in the…

United Kingdom: The University of Edinburgh in Scotland has handed over the skulls of four Paiwan warriors to Taiwanese Indigenous leaders. According to the University, the repatriation is the first of its kind for Taiwan and comes as Edinburgh and similar institutions across Europe confront their colonial past. “This repatriation is the culmination of international cooperation between the university and the Taiwanese community,” Professor Tom Gillingwater, chief of anatomy at the university, said in a statement. “We are committed to addressing our colonial legacy, and this repatriation is the latest action we have taken in line with our longstanding policy…

Germany: Archaeologists in Germany have discovered a centuries-old skeleton with a metal prosthetic hand to replace four missing fingers. The Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation stated that archaeologists used carbon dating to find that the man died some time between 1450 and 1620, aged between 30 and 50 years old, making the prosthetic hand potentially almost 600 years old. “The fingers on the man’s left hand appear to have been amputated, and the remaining part of the hand was surrounded in a hollowed-out case wrought from iron and other metal, revealing the advanced state of medicine at the time,”…

United States: The United States administration has stated that releasing Hamas captives will require a “very significant pause” in the war in Gaza. “It is something that is under very serious and active discussion. But there is no agreement as of yet to actually get this done,” a senior Biden administration official commented. According to Israeli authorities, Hamas took more than 240 people captive during its October 7 attacks. The US official noted that Washington was “doing everything we possibly can” to get the captives out of Gaza, including “indirect engagement.” “We’re hopeful and doing everything we possibly can to…

Switzerland: A new study has suggested that increased mobile phone use may be linked to low sperm concentration and total sperm count (TSC). The study was published in the journal Fertility and Sterility. The researchers surveyed 5,605 Swiss men aged 18–22 across six centres in the country. They also asked questions regarding their health and lifestyle and their parents’ preconception period. The men were asked about their phone usage time and where they kept their mobile when they didn’t use it. 2,866 Swiss men aged 18–20 were examined for genital anatomy, testicular volume, weight, and height, and semen samples were…