Author: News Desk

Taiwan: Taiwan has cancelled Han Kuang military drills due to the imminent threat of the most powerful typhoon in nearly four years. Typhoon Doksuri, barreling across the Pacific Ocean and heading towards the region between Taiwan and the Philippines, has turned into a super typhoon with powerful winds of 240 kilometers per hour. The Han Kuang exercises, the largest annual exercises in Taiwan that are meant as a display of its military strength against China, were disrupted shortly after their commencement. The Ministry of National Defence (MND) noted that the drills at the civilian Taitung Fengnian Airport were cancelled because…

London, UK: Digital music service Spotify has raised prices for its 200 million ad-free subscribers across countries, including the US, UK, and Australia. Prices will rise in the UK by $1.28 (£1) a month, to $14.11 (£10.99) for an individual plan, $19.24 (£14.99) for a premium duo plan, and $23.09 (£17.99) for a family plan. The price of the student plan stays the same at $7.69 (£5.99). In a US plan, the price will rise by $1 a month, with the premium single now starting at $10.99, the duo at $14.99, the family at $16.99, and the student plan at…

China: TikTok, a Chinese-owned video streaming app, has announced that it will offer text-only posts as competition between social media giants escalates. The social media platform noted that the new feature will give users “another way to express themselves.” TikTok users will now be offered three options on the app, including whether to post photos, videos, or text. In addition, the users will be able to customise posts by adding sound, location, or Duets, which are video reactions to posts by other TikTok users. “These features make it so your text posts are just as dynamic and interactive as any…

United States: A new scientific study has reported that the heatwaves in Europe and the US in July 2023 are likely to have been caused by human-created climate change. According to a rapid attribution analysis from the World Weather Attribution initiative, the “heat hell” searing parts of the United States and southern Europe would have been “virtually impossible” without climate change. Global warming resulting from the burning of fossil fuels has been identified as a significant factor that has increased the possibility of the heatwave affecting parts of China. The WWA, a group of international scientists who assess the role…

Pakistan: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for the former Prime Minister Mr. Imran Khan. The politician has been facing more than 150 cases, including terrorism, since he was removed as Prime Minister in a no-confidence vote in parliament in April 2022. The warrant said Mr. Khan was in contempt of the Election Commission’s proceedings and had failed to appear before the commission despite earlier notices and bailable warrants. “The Election Commission of Pakistan’s notice was received at the residence of Chairman Tehreek-e-Insaaf. The notice was received by Rai Muhammad Ali Advocate, a member…

North Korea: South Korea and Japan have stated that North Korea has fired two ballistic missiles into the sea off its east coast. The launch came hours after a nuclear-powered United States submarine arrived at a naval base in South Korea. “In its third round of launches since last week, North Korea fired the missiles consecutively from an area near its capital, Pyongyang. Both missiles travelled about 400 kilometres (248 miles) before landing in waters off the Korean Peninsula’s eastern coast,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff stated. According to the South Korean military, North Korea’s missile launches are a…

United States: Mr. Elon Musk has revealed the new logo for Twitter, choosing a “minimalist art deco” X. The Twitter owner’s new move comes as part of rebranding the platform. The Twitter owner noted that the design would be altered, tweeting that it “probably changes later and certainly will be refined.” Ms. Linda Yaccarino, Twitter’s CEO, confirmed the change by tweeting the design with the message “X is here! Let’s do this.” https://twitter.com/lindayacc/status/1683353772917940225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1683353772917940225%7Ctwgr%5Ecebd984a2da85dcb807a57a123660967c032e1dd%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ftechnology%2F2023%2Fjul%2F24%2Felon-musk-reveals-the-new-twitter-logo-x Mr. Musk sought design ideas from his 149 million followers on Twitter and appeared to have selected a logo he had flagged in a flickering video posted…

North Korea: The United Nations (UN) military has begun to talk to officials in Pyongyang about the missing American soldier, Mr. Travis King, who crossed the border into North Korea last week. “A conversation has commenced with the KPA through the mechanism of the armistice agreement,” Lieutenant General Mr. Andrew Harrison, Deputy Commander of United Nations Command in South Korea, stated. UN Command is the multinational military force established to support the Republic of Korea during and after the Korean War. It was the first international unified command in history and the first attempt at collective security pursuant to the…

Russia: Russia has reportedly ‘suppressed’ a Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow. The attack came a day after Ukraine vowed to “retaliate” for a Russian missile attack on the Black Sea port of Odesa. The strikes caused no serious damage or casualties, Moscow Mayor Mr. Sergei Sobyanin said. According to Russian state media outlets, a drone hit a high-rise business centre on Likhacheva Avenue in Moscow. “On the morning of July 24, an attempt by the Kyiv regime to launch a terrorist attack using two unmanned aerial vehicles against facilities on the territory of the city of Moscow was thwarted,” Russia’s…

New Zealand: Ms. Kiri Allan, Minister of Justice of New Zealand , has resigned after police charged her with reckless driving and resisting arrest after a car crash. The New Zealand Prime Minister Mr. Chris Hipkins stated that “Ms. Allan was involved in the crash shortly after 9 PM on Sunday in Wellington, and she was detained at the central police station before being released four hours later.” Ms. Allan was charged with careless use of a motor vehicle and refusing to accompany a police officer, and she has been summoned to appear in court at a later date. The minister…