Author: News Desk

Ukraine: The United Nations (UN) has accused Russia of continuing to block humanitarian aid deliveries to Moscow-controlled areas in eastern Ukraine that have been impacted by the recent Kakhovka dam rupture. “The Government of the Russian Federation has so far declined our request to access the areas under its temporary military control,” the UN humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine, Ms. Denise Brown, noted in a statement. According to Ms. Brown, the UN will continue to engage to seek the necessary access. Ms. Brown urged the Russian authorities to act in accordance with their obligations under international humanitarian law. “The UN will…

United States: President Mr. Joe Biden delivered his 2024 re-election pitch to union members in Philadelphia, marking his first political rally since launching his campaign in April 2023. The event, hosted by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), saw the endorsement of Mr. Biden and Vice President Ms. Kamala Harris, making it the earliest endorsement by the AFL-CIO in a US presidential election. Addressing approximately 2,000 union members, Mr. Biden expressed gratitude for their support and emphasized the significance of the early endorsement, stating it would make a “gigantic difference” in the election. Union workers…

Philippine: 120 people onboard a ferry that caught fire off the Philippine island of Bohol on 18th June 2023 have been successfully rescued, according to the country’s coast guard. The incident involved the MV Esperanza Star, which was carrying 65 passengers and 55 officers and crew members while travelling from Siquijor Island to nearby Bohol Island. Videos shared by the Philippine Coast Guard depicted flames and billows of black smoke emerging from the rear of the vessel. Coast guard firefighters from another ship utilized a water cannon to extinguish the fire by around 0200 GMT. The cause of the fire…

United States: Mr. Antony Blinken, the United States Secretary of State, has arrived in Beijing for his first visit to China in nearly five years. The two-day trip comes at a time of strained relations between the two countries, exacerbated by the discovery of a suspected spy balloon above the US in February 2023, which led to the postponement of Mr. Blinken’s planned visit. Although China and the US have expressed hopes of improving communication, they have downplayed expectations of a major breakthrough. US President Mr. Joe Biden downplayed the balloon incident, stating that he believed it was unintentional and…

Greece: United Nations agencies have called for “urgent and decisive action” to be taken by the European Union to prevent further deaths in the Mediterranean following the presumed drowning of hundreds of people this week off the coast of Greece. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and UN refugee agency (UNHCR) remarked in a statement that between 400 and 750 people are believed to have been on board the boat that capsized on June 14 in the Ionian Sea, some 47 nautical miles (87 kilometres) off Pylos. In what could be one of the worst tragedies of its kind in…

Belgium: NATO has established a new centre focused on protecting undersea pipelines and data cables following the apparent attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines and as concerns mount that Russia has mapped vital Western underwater infrastructure around Europe. The defence ministers of NATO members approved plans for a NATO “maritime centre for the security of critical underwater infrastructure” at a meeting in Brussels, NATO’s Secretary General Mr. Jens Stoltenberg stated. The centre will be based at NATO’s naval headquarters in Northwood, near London, and, among other things, will be responsible for creating a new surveillance system to monitor parts…

United States: The United States has implemented travel restrictions on Ugandan officials in response to the recently enacted anti-LGBTQ legislation endorsed by President Mr. Yoweri Museveni of Uganda. This law, regarded as one of the most severe globally, has faced widespread criticism. The law includes a provision that introduces capital punishment for individuals found guilty of “aggravated homosexuality,” which encompasses the transmission of HIV via homosexual intercourse, among other offences. It also carried a life sentence for same-sex intercourse and a 20-year sentence for promoting homosexuality. In a brief release, US Department of State spokesman Mr. Matthew Miller stated that…

Spain: FIFA President Gianni Infantino has called for a “zero tolerance” approach towards racism in football, urging referees at all levels to halt matches if incidents occur. Infantino’s statement came after a meeting with Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, who has been subjected to sustained racist abuse by fans in Spanish stadiums throughout the season, with little intervention from referees or football authorities. Last month, Real Madrid filed a complaint stating that the racist abuse directed at Vinicius constituted a hate crime. Infantino emphasized the need for action, stating that football authorities must shoulder responsibility and take decisive measures against racism.…

Pakistan: The Asia Cup will be held according to Pakistan’s hybrid proposal after India declined to participate due to strained relations between the two South Asian countries. The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has accepted the proposal, which includes four games to be hosted in Pakistan and the remaining nine to be played in Sri Lanka, as stated by the ACC. According to the report, the Asia Cup will be played between August 31 and September 17 this year. The ACC statement did not mention the venues for the tournament or which team will play where, but it is understood that…

London, UK: According to the European Union’s climate monitoring unit, the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), the average global temperatures at the beginning of June 2023 reached unprecedented levels, surpassing previous records by a significant margin. Ms. Samantha Burgess, the deputy director of C3S, stated that the world has just experienced its warmest early June 2023 ever recorded. The data from C3S, which spans back to 1950, reveals that global surface air temperatures during the initial days of June 2023 were the highest in history for that period. Although temperatures have slightly decreased since then, experts warn that the surge…