Author: News Desk

China: The European Union’s (EU) trade chief Mr. Valdis Dombrovskis, has said that tough security laws and a more politically influenced business environment have made it difficult for European companies to understand their obligations and question the future in China. The trade commissioner, Mr. Dombrovskis, stated this in a speech at Beijing’s Tsinghua University. The Chief stated that China’s denial to blame ally Russia for its war in Ukraine also poses a “reputational risk” for the country. Mr. Dombrovskis mentioned that being transparent and open is a successful strategy in the long term, especially as trade tensions rise between the…

Ethiopia: Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia have concluded their trilateral negotiations surrounding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) with an inconclusive note promising to continue talk “in good faith”. The two-day talks, which included representatives from the three countries to address contentious issues surrounding the GERD project on the Blue Nile, ended in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. The negotiations centred on finding common ground on key issues, including the filling and operation of the dam as well as mechanisms for resolving disputes that may arise in the future. Ambassador Mr. Seleshi Bekele, head of the Ethiopian negotiating team, commented that…

Canada: The speaker of Canada’s parliament has apologised for giving a standing ovation to a Ukrainian veteran during a visit by President Mr. Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The veteran was accused of fighting for the Nazis in World War II. Speaker of the House Mr. Anthony Rota paid tribute to Mr. Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old Ukrainian immigrant. Mr. Rota praised Mr. Hunka as “a Ukrainian Canadian war veteran who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians during the Second World War,” calling him “both a Ukrainian and Canadian hero.” The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre (FSWC) stated that the comments overlook the…

United States: The screenwriters union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have stated that Hollywood writers have reached a tentative deal with studios, which could lead to the end of their nearly five-month strike. The deal came after five days of renewed talks by negotiators for the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and an alliance of studios, streaming services, and production companies and must be approved by the guild’s board and members before the strike officially ends. The terms of the deal were not immediately announced, but the WGA called the deal “exceptional, with meaningful gains and…

United States: A NASA spacecraft with the largest soil sample ever collected from an asteroid’s surface has touched down in the Utah desert, seven years after it was launched. The capsule was released by the robotic spacecraft OSIRIS-REx when it came within 108,000 km (67,000 miles) of Earth. It landed in a specific area west of Salt Lake City, part of the expansive Utah Test and Training Range used by the United States military. The soil samples will be transported to NASA’s Johnson Space Centre in Houston. This facility already holds almost 400 kg (842 lb) of moon rocks collected…

United States: Mr. Joe Biden, the United States President, is set to open new embassies on the Cook Islands and Niue as part of defending Chinese inroads into the South Pacific. The announcement about the new diplomatic missions came as the US President prepared to welcome Pacific Island leaders to Washington, DC, for a two-day US-Pacific Island Forum Summit. Mr. Biden has put a premium on improving relations in the Pacific since US concerns about China’s growing military and economic influence. Two senior administration officials confirmed the plans for the embassies, and they briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity…

Israel: Health officials have reported that two Palestinians lost their lives during an Israeli military operation in a refugee camp in Tulkarem, located in the northern occupied West Bank. The Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed that two individuals, Mr. Asid Abu Ali (21) and Mr. Abdulrahman Abu Daghash (32), lost their lives due to Israeli gunfire during the raid. The attack caused significant damage to the infrastructure in the camp. The Israeli military stated that they entered the Nour Shams refugee camp to target and destroy a building housing a militant command centre and bomb storage facility in response to…

Australia: A recent study suggests that including nuts in a weight-loss diet could be beneficial. According to the study, those who incorporated almonds into a calorie-restricted diet lost approximately 9.3 percent of their body weight. Additionally, they saw enhancements in heart and metabolic health indicators like blood pressure, blood sugar, and lipids. The study depicts that, the impact of almonds on weight loss, 140 adults aged 24 to 65 with a body mass index (BMI) in the overweight or obese range were chosen. They were split into two groups: one had almonds as part of their diet, providing 15 percent…

China: China has clinched its first gold medals at the Asian Games, securing victories in rowing, shooting, and wushu as the host nation. President Xi Jinping inaugurated the two-week multisport event with a vibrant ceremony. China took the first gold medal as Zou Jiaqi and Qiu Xiuping dominated the women’s lightweight double sculls rowing final in Hangzhou, setting the stage for the host nation’s anticipated medal success. The Chinese duo completed the race in 7 minutes and 6.78 seconds, with Uzbekistan’s Luizakhon Islamova and Malika Tagmativa securing the silver medal, nearly 10 seconds behind them. “I am very excited, as…

United Kingdom: A new study has found that people living with ‘long COVID’ after being admitted to the hospital are more likely to have some damage to major organs. According to researchers, MRI scans revealed patients were three times more likely to have abnormalities in multiple organs, such as the lungs, brain, and kidneys. The study, published in Lancet Respiratory Medicine, analysed 259 patients who fell so ill with the virus that they were admitted to the hospital. Five months after they were discharged, MRI scans of their major organs showed some significant differences when compared to a group of…