Author: News Desk

Sri Lanka: Former Sri Lankan President Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa has denied claims from a British TV program that suggested he used ISIL (ISIS)-inspired attackers for 2019 suicide bombings to destabilize the country and secure his election victory later that year. “To claim that a group of Islamic extremists launched suicide attacks in order to make me president is absurd,” Mr. Rajapaksa said in a public statement. The former President said the documentary on Britain’s Channel 4 television was “mostly an anti-Rajapaksa tirade.” During a broadcast, Channel 4 interviewed a person who claimed to have organized a meeting between a local…

Lebanon: Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Mr. Najib Mikati has expressed concerns about the influx of Syrian refugees into the country, saying it could affect the nation’s demography. Over the past months, thousands of Syrian citizens have reached Lebanon through illegal crossing points, seeking a better life. At the start of a cabinet meeting, Mr. Mikati stated that the fleeing Syrians “could create harsh imbalances. “What is most worrying is that most of the refugees are young men and women,” the Lebanon PM commented. “That threatens our entity’s independence and could create harsh imbalances that could affect Lebanon’s demographic balance,” Mr.…

London, UK: King Charles III has shared a message and released a photo of Queen Elizabeth II to commemorate the one-year anniversary of her passing. In his message, the King mentioned that he remembered the late Queen’s “devoted service and all she meant to so many of us.” The King picked a photograph that features a youthful Queen, who was 42 years old at the time, during an official portrait session in 1968. Elizabeth II passed away at the age of 96 in Balmoral Castle on September 8, 2022. This occurred just a few months after she celebrated her platinum…

United Kingdom: The United Kingdom Prime Minister Mr. Rishi Sunak has stated that he is looking forward to a “special” trip to New Delhi, which will be “India’s son-in-law’s” first visit to the country since entering Downing Street. The Prime Minister will land in the capital city ahead of this weekend’s G20 summit, marking the first time he has been to India since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Downing Street is hoping Mr. Sunak’s Indian heritage and the presence of his wife, Mr. Akshata Murty, the daughter of one of India’s richest men, will help guarantee a warm reception from locals…

France: The State Council, France’s top administrative court, has confirmed the government’s prohibition on wearing traditional abayas in public schools. This decision disregards claims of discrimination and potential incitement of hatred. Abayas are the long and loose garments worn by some Muslim women. The Council has announced that it has denied a request for an injunction against the ban. The State Council is the highest court for addressing complaints against public authorities. Before the court’s decision, France’s Council of the Muslim Faith, which represents Muslims in dealings with the government, cautioned that banning these garments might increase discrimination. They also…

Gabon: Gabon’s military government, which seized power in a coup, appointed former opposition leader Mr. Raymond Ndong Sima as the Prime Minister of its transitional government. The 68-year-old economist was an outspoken critic of the ousted President Mr. Ali Bongo. Mr. Sima served as Mr. Bongo’s Prime Minister from 2012 to 2014, then resigned and ran against him for president in 2016. The former PM became part of an opposition coalition in 2023. The appointment was made through a decree by the new strongman, General Brice Oligui Nguema, who was recently sworn in as interim president. In his inauguration speech,…

London, UK: The UK government has announced its decision to rejoin the EU’s leading scientific research program, Horizon. UK-based scientists and institutions can begin applying for money from the $60 billion fund. Associate membership had been included as part of the Brexit trade deal when the UK officially departed from the EU in 2020. However, for the past three years, the UK has been excluded from the program due to a dispute concerning the Northern Ireland Protocol. Prime Minister Mr. Rishi Sunak stated that, “With a wealth of expertise and experience to bring to the global stage, we have delivered…

United States: The US has announced that it will send weapons to Ukraine as part of more than $1 billion in military and humanitarian aid, a move condemned by Russia. The US will send Abrams tanks with shells strong enough to pierce conventional tank armour to Ukraine. The tanks are made of depleted uranium, a by-product of uranium enrichment stripped of most radioactive material. The announcement of a new security package for Ukraine came during top US diplomat Mr. Antony Blinken’s visit to Kyiv, prompting an angry Russian response. The 120mm uranium tank rounds, included in $175 million of US…

Indonesia: Australian Prime Minister Mr. Anthony Albanese has confirmed his visit to China later this year, as Canberra aims to improve and stabilize its relationship with Beijing. The announcement was made during the Southeast Asia summit in Indonesia led by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The announcement came following years of tension related to political and economic issues, including Chinese sanctions imposed on Australian imports. “I confirmed the invitation from President Xi. That I would accept an invitation and will visit China later this year at a mutually agreeable time,” Mr. Albanese told reporters after meeting Chinese Premier…

Mexico: Mexico is likely to elect the country’s first woman president as the ruling Morena party and the opposition coalition chose female candidates in the 2024 election. The Morena Party has confirmed former Mexico City mayor Ms. Claudia Sheinbaum as its candidate in the presidential election. Ms. Sheinbaum is a climate scientist-turned-politician who was widely believed to be the preferred choice of President Mr. Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who is unable to run again. The former mayor has presented herself as a continuity candidate and stands to benefit from Mr. López Obrador’s enduring popularity as well as the support of…