Author: News Desk

Israel: The Palestinian militant group Hamas has said it will release some foreign hostages in the coming days. The Qassam Brigades spokesman, Mr. Abu Obeida, announced the decision in a video address. The spokesman also promised to turn Gaza into a “graveyard” and a “quagmire” for Israeli forces amid increased ground operations. “We have informed intermediaries that we will release a certain number of foreigners in the next few days,” Mr. Obeida said. Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza has been hit in the latest Israeli airstrike, causing severe damage to the buildings and killing dozens. The Israeli authorities claim…

United States: The chief of the main UN agency operating in Palestine has told the UN Security Council that the entire population of Gaza is “being dehumanised.” Mr. Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner general of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), said that thousands of children died in Gaza in the past few weeks and that there “cannot be collateral damage.” UN agencies are calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire as a result of the civil order breakdown in Gaza. “An immediate humanitarian ceasefire has become a matter of life and death for millions,” Mr. Lazzarini remarked. The director of the UN…

Saudi Arabia: Data centres are re-evaluating their current strategies as competition intensifies at the Data Centre & Cloud Infrastructure Summit (DCCI), taking place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on November 29–30, 2023. The DCCI has announced EDGNEX Data Centres by DAMAC, a global digital infrastructure provider owned by DAMAC Group, as the title sponsor of the event, which promises an impactful two days in Riyadh. The atmosphere is charged with enthusiasm, and the delegate community has shared insights on the involvement of the multi-tenant data centre provider at the DCCI. By choosing the Kingdom as the starting point for…

London, UK: The international business magnet Mr. Elon Musk will reportedly attend the UK AI Safety Summit. The UK Prime Minister, Mr. Rishi Sunak, said he would do a live interview with the tech billionaire after the second day of the event. The event is scheduled to take place on November 1–2, 2023, at Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire. Mr. Sunak will host the AI Safety Summit 2023 along with the UK technology secretary Ms. Michelle Donelan. “In conversation with Elon Musk, After the AI Safety Summit Thursday night on,” Mr. Sunak shared on X. The Summit will see the participation of…

United States: A new study has suggested that people who are angry perform better while doing challenging tasks than those who are emotionally neutral. “These findings demonstrate that anger increases effort towards attaining a desired goal, frequently resulting in greater success,” Dr. Heather Lench, the first author of the study, commented. The study, held by researchers at Texas A&M University, was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. The research team conducted experiments involving more than 1,000 people and analysed survey data from more than 1,400 people to study the possible impact of anger on people in various…

Canada: Canada has banned Chinese messaging application WeChat and Russian antivirus programme Kaspersky from government devices over security concerns. “The ban was announced after an assessment by Canada’s chief information officer that Tencent-owned (0700.HK) WeChat and applications made by Moscow-based Kaspersky present an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security,” the Treasury Board of Canada, which oversees public administration, said in a statement. “The decision to remove and block the WeChat and Kaspersky applications was made to ensure that government of Canada networks and data remain secure and are in line with the approach of our international partners,” the…

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…