Author: News Desk

United States: Mr. Travis King, a US soldier, is having medical check-ups at a Texas base after being released by North Korea following a two-month detention. A Pentagon official stated that the tests are meant to evaluate his emotional and mental well-being. The statement came shortly after his arrival in San Antonio. In July 2023, the 23-year-old reconnaissance specialist crossed into North Korea from South Korea without authorization. “He’ll be going through medical screenings, medical evaluations, and then he’ll be meeting with professionals to assess his emotional and mental health,” Pentagon spokeswoman Ms. Sabrina Singh stated. Ms. Singh declined to…

United States: The US National Security Agency (NSA) has launched an artificial intelligence security centre to manage the development and integration of AI capabilities within US defence and intelligence services. Director of the NSA and US Cyber Command, General Paul Nakasone, commented that the US is aware of the increasing importance of AI in the national security landscape and that the opening of the new centre was part of steps to “shape the future” of AI technology in the security, defence, and intelligence sectors. “We maintain an advantage in AI in the United States today. That AI advantage should not…

Bangladesh: Human Rights Watch has stated that European maritime companies are ditching their old ships for scrap on beaches in Bangladesh in dangerous conditions that have killed workers pulling them apart. Bangladesh’s southeastern Sitakunda beaches have emerged as one of the world’s largest shipbreaking yards. According to the HRW report, European firms are among the shipping companies to have sent 520 vessels in harmful and polluting conditions to the site since 2020. “Companies scrapping ships in Bangladesh’s dangerous and polluting yards are making a profit at the expense of Bangladeshi lives and the environment. Shipping companies should stop using loopholes…

China: The trading of Evergrande, a Chinese real estate company, has been halted in Hong Kong. It comes due to reports suggesting that the company’s chairman is under police surveillance amidst the ongoing crisis. Following recent reports this week, it appears that additional current and former executives have been taken into custody. In August 2023, the company filed for bankruptcy in New York to safeguard its US assets while negotiating a major deal worth billions with its creditors. The current pause in market trading comes only a month after the company’s earlier 17-month trading suspension was lifted. Evergrande once considered…

North Korea: North Korea’s lawmakers have unanimously decided to incorporate their nuclear programme into the nation’s constitution. The state news agency KCNA reported on the “crucial agenda item”, explaining that the new constitutional amendment would establish North Korea’s pursuit of a nuclear force “as the basic law of the state.” It comes after a meeting held by North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly. Mr. Kim Jong Un, the country’s leader, spoke at the assembly to back the amendment’s approval. Mr. Kim urged for a faster upgrade of nuclear weapons to maintain a strong strategic deterrence against perceived threats, such as the…

United States: Three astronauts have successfully landed on Earth after being stuck in space for just over a year. The Soyuz capsule, launched in February, brought back American astronaut Mr. Frank Rubio and Russia’s cosmonauts Mr. Sergey Prokopyev and Mr. Dmitri Petelin. Mr. Rubio set a record for the longest US spaceflight as a result of his extended stay in space. The astronauts landed in a remote area of Kazakhstan in a Soyuz capsule, which was a replacement after their original ride was hit by space junk and lost all its coolant. This turned the 180-day mission into a 371-day…

United Kingdom: A new study has found that smoking during pregnancy is nearly three times more likely to cause premature birth in women compared with non-smokers. The study also found no evidence that above-average caffeine intake throughout pregnancy is linked to preterm birth or smaller babies. The study by Cambridge academics found that women who smoked during pregnancy were nearly three times more likely to give birth prematurely compared with women who are non-smokers, which is more than double the previous estimate. Additionally, it was found that babies born to mothers who smoked were four times more likely to be…

United States: Meta CEO Mr. Mark Zuckerberg has launched the tech giant’s ‘Connect’ developer conference. It kicked off with new AI products for consumers, including smart glasses that can answer questions and stream directly on Facebook, as well as bots that create photo-realistic images and an updated virtual-reality headset. Mr. Zuckerberg has expressed Meta’s dedication to creating the future of human connection. The CEO described a world where individuals engage with holographic representations of their friends or colleagues, as well as AI bots designed to aid them. The CEO has explained that Meta’s products blend the virtual and real worlds,…

United States: India has said it is ready to investigate any “specific” or “relevant” information provided by Canada regarding the killing of Sikh separatist Mr. Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Last week, Canadian Prime Minister Mr. Justin Trudeau said Ottawa has credible evidence linking Indian agents to the murder. India denied the allegation right after that but it created a dreadful diplomatic situation between the two countries. Mr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India’s foreign minister, has explained the country’s response to the diplomatic talks during a Council on Foreign Relations event in New York. “One, we told the Canadians that this is not the…

Nepal: Nepal has created history with the men’s team becoming the first to score more than 300 runs in a T20 international through a winning match against Mongolia at the Asian Games. Nepal scored 314 runs for three wickets in their 20 overs in Hangzhou, breaking the previous highest score of 278 for three by Afghanistan against Ireland in 2019. Kushal Malla, batting at number three, set the pace by cracking the quickest T20 international century with just 34 balls. Malla was followed by Dipendra Singh Airee, who finished the innings with 52 in just 10 balls, with eight of…