Author: News Desk

London: Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk announced a partnership with OpenAI to integrate artificial intelligence across its operations, aiming to strengthen its position in the highly competitive weight-loss drug market, where it faces growing competition from Eli Lilly. The company, known for weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Ozempic, said that the collaboration will leverage OpenAI’s technology to analyse complex datasets, identify potential drug candidates, and enhance efficiency across manufacturing, supply chains, distribution, and commercial operations. Pharmaceutical firms are increasingly adopting AI to streamline time-consuming aspects of drug development, such as identifying clinical trial participants, selecting trial sites, and preparing regulatory submissions.…

London: A new global study has warned that nearly 1.8 billion people could be affected by Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease by 2050, driven by rising obesity, high blood sugar levels, and population growth. MASLD, previously known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, is already one of the most common and fastest-growing liver conditions worldwide. Current estimates indicate that around 1.3 billion people are living with the disease, reflecting a 143 percent increase over the past three decades. Today, approximately one in six people globally, around 16 percent, are affected. The findings, published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology, are based…

Sydney: Lieutenant General Susan Coyle will become the first woman to lead the Australian Army, marking a historic milestone in Australia’s defence leadership. Her appointment has been confirmed, with her term set to begin in July. Defence Minister Richard Marles described Coyle as a ‘standout candidate’ for the role. At the same time, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, the current Chief of Navy, has been promoted to Chief of the Defence Force, replacing outgoing Admiral David Johnston upon his retirement. Rear Admiral Matthew Buckley will take over as the new Chief of the Navy following Hammond’s promotion. The changes were also…

London: The government in England has announced sweeping new reforms to improve school meals, aiming to tackle childhood obesity by removing high-sugar and deep-fried foods from the menus. Under the proposed changes, school meals will no longer include ‘unhealthy’ options such as pizza and sausage rolls every day. Desserts in meals will be restricted, while fried foods will be completely banned from meal offerings. The plans are currently subject to a nine-week consultation period. Instead, schools will be required to upgrade the meals by offering healthier, high-fibre wholegrain options such as wholemeal bread, brown pasta, and rice. Every school’s main…

Seoul: BTS has officially kicked off its global ‘ARIRANG’ concert tour in the South Korean city of Goyang, following the massive success of its comeback single, which topped charts worldwide. The tour begins with three sold-out performances in Goyang on April 9, 11, and 12, before expanding to 34 cities across the globe, setting a new record for the highest number of tour stops by a K-pop act. According to the group’s management agency, tickets for the opening shows sold out during pre-sale, while concerts across South Korea, North America, and Europe were snapped up within hours of both pre-sale…

Houston: Astronauts aboard NASA’s Artemis II mission shared their emotions as they prepared to return to Earth after completing a historic journey around the Moon. Speaking during their first press conference from space, the crew described the experience as they approached the final and most intense phase of the mission, re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. Traveling in the Orion spacecraft since their launch from Florida last week, the four astronauts are scheduled to splash down off the coast of Southern California on the evening of April 10. Earlier in the mission, they flew past the Moon’s far side, becoming the farthest-traveling…

London: Keir Starmer is set to visit the Gulf region for high-level talks with regional leaders aimed at ensuring the permanent reopening of the strategically crucial Strait of Hormuz, following a ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran. The Prime Minister has been actively involved in diplomatic coordination surrounding the crisis, including hosting multinational meetings with allies to explore ways to support the reopening of the key maritime route, which is essential to maintaining global energy flows. Starmer’s position has also attracted criticism from Donald Trump, who has faulted him for not backing recent US and Israeli strikes on…

Guwahati, India: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been widely praised for his fearless and explosive batting after the 15-year-old prodigy delivered a stunning performance against Jasprit Bumrah in the Indian Premier League. Opening for the Rajasthan Royals, Sooryavanshi made an immediate impact against the Mumbai Indians, taking on Bumrah, one of the world’s premier pacers, with remarkable confidence. Facing him for the first time, the teenager launched a six over long-on and followed it up just a few deliveries later with another powerful shot over deep backward square leg. Sooryavanshi raced to an electrifying 39 runs off just 14 balls, forming a…

Washington: Astronauts aboard Artemis II are en route back to Earth after completing a historic lunar fly-by, during which they also witnessed a total solar eclipse from their spacecraft, an experience never before seen by humans in space. Commander Reid Wiseman described the mission as extraordinary, noting that the crew had witnessed sights no human has ever seen. Pilot Victor Glover echoed the sentiment, saying there were no words sufficient to describe the experience. During the mission, the Orion spacecraft reached its maximum distance from Earth at 252,756 miles (406,771 km) during the lunar fly-by, surpassing the previous record for…

London: Resident doctors across England have begun a six-day strike after rejecting a government pay offer they argue fails to address years of declining real wages and mounting workforce pressures. The industrial action, organised by the British Medical Association, started on Tuesday and is set to continue until the morning of April 13, coinciding with the Easter holiday period. The walkout follows the expiration of a 48-hour deadline issued by Prime Minister Keir Starmer without reaching an agreement. In response, the government has withdrawn its commitment to fund 1,000 additional specialty training positions, which had been tied to acceptance of…