Author: News Desk

United States: The US has claimed that three commercial ships were attacked by missiles in the Red Sea, and one of the US destroyers shot down armed drones while en route to assist. The US military’s Central Command said that the British-owned Bahamas-flagged Unity Explorer was one of the ships that was attacked on Sunday by drones and missiles, and it only sustained minor damage. The Houthi rebels, who have taken responsibility for the attacks and threatened to halt Israeli-linked ships from passing while the Gaza conflict is still raging, carried out the attacks close to Yemen. Israel claimed that…

United States: The US ex-President’s , Mr. Donald Trump, attempt to use “presidential immunity” to deny allegations of election meddling has been rejected by a federal judge. According to Mr. Trump’s attorneys, he was within his presidential duties to reject the 2020 results. However, Judge Tanya Chutkan did not find any legal justification for the conclusion that presidents are immune from criminal prosecution after leaving office. It is alleged that Mr. Trump attempted illegally to void his election loss. “Whatever immunities a sitting president may enjoy, the United States has only one chief executive at a time. That position does…

United Kingdom: The Met Office, the national weather service for the United Kingdom, has issued fresh yellow weather warnings for snow and ice in northern Scotland and some southern regions of the country. From Newcastle-upon-Tyne to below London, the warnings also cover the eastern coast of England. They are in force until 10 AM on Saturday. The forecaster stated that snow cover and some icy patches would result from wintry showers. On icy surfaces, people may slip and fall and sustain injuries, and drivers may encounter hazardous driving conditions and delays in public transportation. Three prior yellow weather warnings were…

Israel: The US Secretary of State, Mr. Antony Blinken, has told Israel that it must take responsibility for the safety of Palestinian civilians before restarting any military operations in Gaza. Captives on both sides were exchanged during a week-long truce. The top diplomat for the US made his third trip to the region since the Israel-Palestinian conflict started on October 7, 2023, while negotiators from Qatar and Egypt engaged in challenging negotiations on Thursday for a fresh two-day extension to the cease-fire between Hamas and Israel. Mr. Blinken stated that although Washington is still supportive of Israel’s right to self-defense,…

Saudi Arabia: Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) producers have decided to reduce their voluntary oil output for the first quarter of the following year to stimulate the market. However, this decision resulted in a decline in crude prices. OPEC+ members, which produce over 40 percent of the world’s oil, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, and others, convened virtually on Thursday and released a statement compiling the announcements of voluntary reductions made by each nation. Brazil was invited to join the group by OPEC+, and the country’s energy minister said it hoped to join in January 2024. As OPEC+ producers…

Switzerland: A new report has stated that newly emerging billionaires have collected a significant portion of their wealth from inheritances rather than through their own work and entrepreneurship. The report by Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) noted that of the 137 people who became billionaires in the 12 months to April 2023, 53 inherited a combined $150.8 billion from their families. This exceeds the combined $140.7 billion created by “84 new self-made” billionaires over the same period. The bank noted that, for the first time in the nine-year span of its annual report focusing on the wealth of the wealthiest…

Qatar: Israel’s military has stated that the truce with Hamas will extend to its seventh day. The ceasefire will be extended into a seventh day, according to Hamas, which on Wednesday night released 16 hostages in return for 30 Palestinian prisoners. The ceasefire will last “in light of the mediators’ efforts to continue the process of releasing hostages, and subject to the terms of the agreement,” according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It was planned that the six-day cease-fire in Gaza would expire on Thursday at 7 am local time (5 am GMT). The one-day extension of the ceasefire…

United Kingdom: A new study has found that air pollution from fossil fuel use is causing the deaths of 5 million people globally each year, surpassing previous estimates of the mortality toll. The study published in BMJ noted that pollution from the use of fossil fuels in industry, power generation, and transportation accounts for 5.1 million avoidable deaths a year globally. According to reports, the contribution of fossil fuels equates to 61 percent of a total estimated 8.3 million deaths worldwide due to outdoor air pollution from all sources in 2019. “Our results suggest that a global phase-out of fossil…

South Korea: South Korea has suspended striker Hwang Ui-jo seven weeks before the Asian Cup due to a police investigation into allegations he illegally filmed his ex-girlfriend. The Norwich City forward is accused of recording a sexual encounter with his ex-partner on his phone and posting the footage to social media without her consent. But the footballer denied the allegation. Hwang scored a penalty in South Korea’s two World Cup qualifying matches this month, but the Korea Football Association (KFA) suspended him on Tuesday while they awaited the results of police inquiries. The 31-year-old remains able to play for English…

United States: The United States authorities have alleged that an Indian government official orchestrated a failed plot to kill a Sikh separatist on American land. The federal prosecutors noted that Mr. Nikhil Gupta, a 52-year-old Indian man, had worked with an Indian government intelligence and security worker in a secret plot to kill a Sikh activist in New York. Prosecutors did not name the Indian official or the target but referred to the target as a critic of the Indian government and an advocate for an independent Sikh state in the Punjab region. Mr. Gupta was arrested by Czech authorities…