Author: News Desk

Ukraine: Ukrainian President Mr. Volodymyr Zelenskyy has commented on Moscow’s withdrawal from the Black Sea grain deal, saying no one has the right to destroy the food security of any nation and the world has an opportunity to show Russia that it does not allow blackmail. Mr. Zelenskyy stated that the export of grain from Ukraine’s seaports should continue, with or without Russia’s participation. The President also observed that Ukraine’s exports have ensured food security for a staggering 400 million individuals. It is imperative that Russia is not permitted to wield this crucial supply as a hostage to its capricious…

Taiwan: Taiwan’s Vice President Mr. William Lai, a frontrunner in the 2024 presidential race, has announced plans to stop in the United States as he travels to Paraguay in August 2023. The visit was revealed as part of Mr. Lai’s plans to attend the August 15 inauguration of Paraguay’s President-elect Mr. Santiago Peña, a politician who campaigned on enhancing ties with Taiwan. Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan, referred to the Vice President’s US visit as a transit stop, but Chinese officials have expressed outrage, calling the move a surreptitious means of generating support for Mr. Lai’s “separatist” agenda. “China…

Russia: The Kremlin has announced that Russia has suspended its participation in the Black Sea grain export deal. The country’s decision to halt its participation in the deal is widely viewed as a severe blow to global food security. The United Nations and Turkey brokered the landmark accord with Ukraine and Russia in July 2022, which came with a separate agreement to facilitate shipments of Russian food and fertiliser that Moscow insists has not been applied. The Black Sea deal, which was aimed at assisting war-torn Ukraine in shipping grain through the Black Sea to regions in need, has been…

United States: The veteran singer Ms. Taylor Swift has become the first woman and the third artist ever to have four albums in the Top 10 of the US album chart simultaneously. The American singer-songwriter has broken a record set by Ms. Barbra Streisand to become the female artist with the most No. 1 albums in history. The 33-year-old’s latest album, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), has debuted at the top spot on the Billboard 200 with 716,000 album-equivalent units, a figure that combines physical sales with digital sales and streaming figures. It is the largest week for any album in…

Tunisia: The European Union and Tunisia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a “strategic and comprehensive partnership” to deal with irregular migration. The partnership further seeks to boost economic ties between the bloc and the North African country, which lies on a major route for migrants and refugees travelling to Europe. Tunisian President Mr. Kais Saied met with European Commission President Ms. Ursula Von der Leyen, Dutch Prime Minister Mr. Mark Rutte, and Italian Prime Minister Ms. Giorgia Meloni for renewed talks. The move comes amid a rising number of migrants and refugees departing from Tunisia and trying…

London, UK: In a recent study, researchers have discovered that climate change has the potential to abruptly push species beyond crucial thresholds when they confront unforeseen temperature conditions within their natural habitats. This sudden occurrence may expose them to unprecedented climatic extremes, endangering their survival and disrupting ecological balance. The study was led by a University College London researcher and published in Nature Ecology & Evolution. The research has shown the timeline and locations where the species may be dreadfully affected by dangerous temperature changes due to climate change. The researchers from UCL, the University of Cape Town, the University of…

China: The United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, Mr. John Kerry, has travelled to China on 16th July 2023, to meet Mr. Xie Zhenhua, the Special Representative for Climate Change Affairs of China. The visit aims to restart talks between the world’s two biggest emitters of planet-warming gases. Mr. Kerry’s trip to China is happening after weeks of record-setting summer heat that scientists say is being exacerbated by climate change. Last year, then Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Ms. Nancy Pelosi, visited self-ruled Taiwan and infuriated Beijing for Bilateral climate talks. But it didn’t go well, and the…

Syria: The United Nations has described conditions placed by the Syrian government on aid deliveries from Turkey to northwest Syria as “unacceptable.” The UN Security Council was unable to agree on either of the two competing proposals to extend the mandate for bringing aid from Turkey by way of the Bab al-Hawa border crossing, as per the statement. Syria has made life-saving support conditional on “full cooperation and coordination with the government” and on the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent running aid operations. In a letter sent to the UN Security Council on…

Libya: The Libyan oil ministry has announced that the closures could lead to a declaration of force majeure following the closure of three Libyan oilfields in protest against the abduction of a former finance minister. A statement from the ministry was called for by all parties and stated that energy production and exports should not affect the dispute. According to Zawi tribe leader Mr. Al-Senussi al-Ahlaiq, the protest started after a former finance minister, Mr. Faraj Bumatari, was kidnapped after arriving at Mitiga airport on 11th July 2023. Then Sharara oilfields were shut down for two days in protest. Mr.…

Ukraine: South Korean President Mr. Yoon Suk-yeol has made a surprise visit to Ukraine, offering support for the country in its war against Russia. According to Mr. Yoon’s office, the South Korean President travelled to Ukraine with his wife Ms. Kim Keon-hee following trips to Lithuania for a NATO summit and to Poland. It is his first visit since Russia invaded Ukraine almost 17 months ago. The President toured Bucha and Irpin, two small cities near Kyiv where bodies of civilians were found in the streets and mass graves after Russian troops retreated from the capital region last year. “The…