Author: News Desk

Nouakchott : Mauritanians are voting in the presidential election today. President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani is facing six opponents in the election. Ghazouani, a former high-ranking military officer, vows to increase investments to drive a commodities boom in the country of 5 million people, where many live in poverty despite abundant fossil fuel and mineral resources. First elected in 2019, Ghazouani is expected to win due to the ruling party’s dominance. His opponents include anti-slavery activist Biram Dah Abeid, who came second in 2019 with over 18 percent of the vote, Lawyer Id Mohameden M’Bareck, Economist Mohamed Lemine El Mourtaji El…

United States: After a poor debate performance with Donald Trump heightened concerns about his age and mental sharpness, US President Joe Biden aimed to show confidence at a rally in North Carolina. During his statements on Friday, Biden appeared to dismiss suggestions that he should step down so that a younger candidate might challenge Trump in the crucial race in November. “I intend to win this election. When you get knocked down, you get back up,” Biden said, alluding to his debate performance the day earlier. The address comes after what many political observers deemed to be Biden’s terrible performance…

Mongolia: The Mongolian People’s Party (MPP), which is in power, is predicted to win the election despite growing public dissatisfaction with corruption and the country’s economic situation. Voters in the huge country, which is surrounded by Russia and China, will select 126 representatives to the enlarged State Great Khural, which will serve as the nation’s legislature. On Thursday, the polls opened at 7 AM local time (23 00 GMT) and closed at 10 p.m. (14 00 GMT). Because of automated vote counting, preliminary results are anticipated in a few hours. The MPP, led by Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene, won resoundingly…

United States: Amid escalating tensions between China and the US and its allies, the US Pacific Fleet is currently hosting the 29th Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), the largest international maritime exercise, in Hawaii. RIMPAC this year brings together the military forces from 29 countries for five weeks of training aimed at strengthening multilateral relations and readiness in the Indo-Pacific region. The training will continue until August. https://youtu.be/9gedqA_mdpQ Established by Australia, Canada, and the US in 1971, this year’s drills feature participants from South Korea, Japan, India, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Latin America, and Europe. The exercise centers around combat…

Belgium: Ursula von der Leyen has been nominated for a second term as head of the European Commission, with Estonia’s prime minister, Kaja Kallas, selected as foreign policy chief after European Union leaders reached a late-night agreement on the top roles within the institution. The accord nominated former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa as the chairman of the European Council, despite opposition from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Though Costa will automatically follow Michel this year, von der Leyen and Kallas must receive the legislature’s support to be confirmed in their roles. All three nominees are members of the centrist…

United States: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended that individuals aged six months and older should receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine for the 2024-25 immunisation campaign, regardless of their previous vaccination status. The new recommendation aligns with the unanimous vote of the CDC’s panel of outside experts. They had advised the use of updated COVID-19 vaccines, authorized or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), for those aged six months and older. The immunisation will take effect once the new vaccines from Moderna, Novavax, and Pfizer become available later this year, according to…

United States: OpenAI and Microsoft, are being sued by another US Center for Investigative Reporting for alleged copyright infringement. In a “rebuke to artificial intelligence and its exploitative practices,” the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR), the publisher of Mother Jones and Reveal, announced on Thursday that it had filed a lawsuit against the tech companies for allegedly copying its content without authorisation. “OpenAI and Microsoft started vacuuming up our stories to make their product more powerful, but they never asked for permission or offered compensation, unlike other organisations that license our material,” Monika Bauerlein, CEO of the Center for Investigative…

London: Famous Indian author and activist Suzanna Arundhati Roy has been awarded this year’s PEN Pinter Prize. Established in memory of playwright Harold Pinter, the award honours writers of “outstanding literary merit” who provide an “unflinching” look at the world. Arundhati Roy is best known for her novel “The God of Small Things,” which won the Booker Prize in 1997. Roy has written extensively on human rights issues in India, as well as war and capitalism globally. English PEN chair Ruth Borthwick praised Roy for her ability to tell, “urgent stories of injustice with wit and beauty.” “While India remains…

United States: American actor Bill Cobbs has passed away at the age of 90. He was best known for his roles as security guard Reggie in the 2006 film “Night at the Museum” and as Bill Devaney, Whitney Houston’s manager, in the 1992 film “The Bodyguard.” 2014 saw the release of Secret Of The Tomb, the sequel to the former in which he also appeared. Cobbs is also noted for his turns as Dr. Elton Lloyd in Sunshine State, Moses the Clock Man in The Hudsucker Proxy, and Arthur Chaney in Air Bud. He appeared on Sesame Street, The West…

Glastonbury, England: Thousands of fans have begun arriving at Worthy Farm in southwest England for the Glastonbury music festival. This year’s festival features hundreds of artists, including Dua Lipa, Coldplay, and Shania Twain, set to entertain the audience over the five-day festival. Tickets for Glastonbury are tough to get, often selling out within minutes, even before the line-up is revealed. The festival will conclude on Sunday with R&B singer SZA performing hits like “Kill Bill” and “The Weekend” on the main Pyramid stage. The line-up for this year also includes Afrobeats sensation Burna Boy, rapper Little Simz, American electro-rock group…