Author: News Desk

Washington DC: A federal judge has dismissed a major election case against Donald Trump, which alleged that he illegally sought to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The dismissal followed a request from special prosecutor Jack Smith, who cited a Justice Department policy that prevents the prosecution of a sitting president. The case was dismissed “without prejudice,” meaning that charges could be refiled once Trump completes his second term in office. Smith had also asked for the dismissal of a separate case concerning Trump’s handling of classified documents, but that request still requires approval by a judge. Trump, who…

Geneva: A new report by UN Women has revealed a chilling statistic: an estimated 140 women and girls are killed every day by their partner or family member, underlining the global scale of femicide, the gender-related killing of women and girls. According to the report, a total of 85,000 women and girls were intentionally killed in 2023, with 60 percent (51,100) of these deaths committed by someone close to the victim. The UN’s findings paint a disturbing picture, showing that, globally, the most dangerous place for a woman is within her own home, where the majority of femicides occur. Nyaradzayi…

Manila: Huge fire engulfed a closely-built shanty community in the port area of Manila, leaving at least 2,000 families homeless, according to City’s disaster management office. The blaze, which erupted in the morning, destroyed about 1,000 homes constructed from light, combustible materials. Firefighter Alejandro Ramos of the Manila City Fire Department said the fire spread quickly due to strong winds from Manila Bay and the narrow streets of the residential community, which made firefighting efforts difficult. The area, home to illegal settlers, was densely populated, and fleeing residents crowded the streets, complicating access for emergency responders. In response, the Philippine…

Busan: Delegates from 175 countries gathered in Busan, South Korea, on Monday for the fifth round of talks aimed at securing a global treaty to curb plastic pollution. South Korea is hosting the UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) meeting this week, which is expected to be the final round of negotiations. The previous round of talks in Ottawa in April ended without a clear pathway forward on capping plastic production. As a result, discussions will now focus on chemicals of concern and other measures, with key petrochemical-producing nations such as Saudi Arabia and China strongly opposing efforts to limit plastic…

Montevideo, Uruguay: Yamandu Orsi, the candidate from the left-wing Broad Front coalition, is projected to win Uruguay’s presidential run-off, defeating Alvaro Delgado of the ruling National Party in a tight race, while Carolina Cosse has been elected as the Vice President. Despite public opinion polls indicating a close contest leading up to the election, Orsi surged ahead as the results came in. His supporters celebrated in the streets of Montevideo, waving the Broad Front’s red, blue, and white flag. Orsi’s victory marks the return of the Broad Front to power, after a five-year hiatus following the presidency of Luis Lacalle…

Nunavik: The Canadian government has formally apologised to the Inuit of northern Quebec for the mass killing of sled dogs in the 1950s and 1960s. The devastating event had disrupted Inuit communities by depriving them of the means to hunt and travel across the vast northern terrain. Gary Anandasangaree, Canada’s Federal Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, delivered the apology in Kangiqsujuaq, Nunavik. Anandasangaree acknowledged the government’s role in this historical injustice and announced a compensation package of CAD 45 million ($32.19 million) to support the affected communities. The mass slaughter of sled dogs, known as qimmiit, was carried out by the…

Washington: Donald Trump has officially nominated Brooke Rollins, a longtime ally, as the Secretary of Agriculture, finalizing his cabinet appointments. Rollins, the president of the America First Policy Institute, a MAGA-aligned think tank, is tasked with leading efforts to support American farmers, according to Trump. Rollins previously served in key roles during Trump’s first term, including as director of the Office of American Innovation and acting director of the Domestic Policy Council. Trump made the announcement tapping the head of Maga-backed think tank the America First Policy Institute for the job. Trump said in a statement that, “As our next…

London: An artificial intelligence (AI) tool called Squirrel Agent is being hailed as a potential game changer in the battle to save red squirrels in the UK. Developed by Genysys Engine, the system boasts 97 percent accuracy in distinguishing red squirrels from grey squirrels, promising to revolutionise conservation practices. Smart Monitoring Trained on thousands of images, Squirrel Agent uses advanced AI algorithms to identify the species of squirrels visiting feeders. Red squirrels gain access to feeders with nutritious food, while grey squirrels are directed to feeders containing contraceptive paste to manage their population. Emma McClenaghan, the co-founder of Genysys Engine,…

Baku, Azerbaijan: COP29 in Azerbaijan concluded with a landmark pledge from wealthier nations, committing $300 billion (£238 billion) to help developing countries prepare for and mitigate the effects of climate change. However, the talks, which ran 33 hours over schedule, nearly collapsed when developing nations and climate-vulnerable countries staged a walkout on November 22nd afternoon, protesting the slow progress. By 24th November, after some key adjustments to the agreement, the deal was finally passed with mixed reactions. While the announcement was met with applause, India’s impassioned speech underscored ongoing frustrations with the outcome. Several countries, including Switzerland, the Maldives, Canada,…

London: The National Health Service (NHS) is ramping up its vaccination efforts to stave off a potential ‘tripledemic’ this winter, delivering more than 300 vaccinations per minute. Between 30 September and 17 November 2024, the NHS administered a staggering 3.4 million vaccinations each week, with a total of nearly 25 million jabs given to date. The surge in vaccinations, aimed at tackling COVID-19, flu, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), follows concerns over a possible rise in cases during the colder months. The NHS has rolled out an RSV vaccine for the first time this year, targeting vulnerable groups, including older…