Author: News Desk

London, UK: Turkey’s President Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to back Sweden’s bid to join NATO, according to an announcement by NATO chief Mr. Jens Stoltenberg. Mr. Erdogan has pledged to forward Sweden’s application to the Turkish parliament and ensure its ratification. The decision comes after months of Turkey blocking Sweden’s application, citing concerns about hosting Kurdish militants. As a NATO member, Turkey holds veto power over new countries seeking to join the alliance. The Swedish Prime Minister Mr. Ulf Kristersson expressed his happiness calling it a “good day for Sweden.” US President Mr. Joe Biden welcomed Erdogan’s commitment…

United States: The United States has charged the head of a US think tank with being an agent of China as well as seeking to broker the sale of weapons and Iranian oil. According to a statement released by the Justice Department, federal prosecutors in New York charged Mr. Gal Luft, a citizen of the US and Israel, of engaging “in multiple, serious, criminal schemes.” The prosecutors said the 57-year-old “subverted forIAGSeign agent registration laws in the United States to seek to promote Chinese policies by acting through a former high-ranking US Government official.” “In addition, Mr. Luft acted as…

London, UK: Taylor Swift’s 2024 UK tour tickets have gone on sale, causing a frenzy among fans eager to secure their seats. The first batch of tickets was made available to those who pre-ordered Swift’s latest album, Midnights, with sales starting at 11:00 BST for London and Edinburgh shows. Unlike the US sale, which was plagued by technical issues, the UK ticket sales reportedly went smoothly. However, some fans took to social media to express frustration after being unexpectedly kicked out of the ticket queue by Ticketmaster. Swift’s European leg of the tour is set to begin in May 2024,…

Nigeria: Nigerian President Mr. Bola Tinubu has been appointed as the new chairman of the West African regional bloc ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) amidst a backdrop of escalating insecurity, including military coups and violent activities by armed groups in the region. This decision comes at a critical time when West Africa has witnessed six successful military coups since 2020, indicating a regression in its democratic progress and challenging its efforts to shed the reputation of being a “coup belt.” The transfer of chairmanship occurred following an attempted coup in Guinea-Bissau, where President Umaro Sissoco Embalo passed on…

Netherlands: Dutch Prime Minister Mr. Mark Rutte, known for his long tenure as the country’s leader, has announced that he would be leaving politics following a general election triggered by his government’s resignation. Mr. Rutte’s decision brings an end to his more than 13 years in power, during which he earned the nickname “Teflon Mark” due to his ability to evade scandals that plagued his various administrations. Speaking at a parliamentary debate called to discuss the collapse of his latest governing coalition, Rutte, who is 56 years old and leads the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), revealed his…

Uzbekistan: Uzbekistan’s President Mr. Shavkat Mirziyoyev has been re-elected with an overwhelming majority of 87.1 percent of the vote, according to preliminary results announced by the country’s Central Election Commission. The election took place on 9th July 2023, with more than 15 million voters participating. Mr. Mirziyoyev, who has been ruling since 2016, called for a snap election after amending the constitution through a referendum. The constitutional changes reset his term count and extended the presidential term from five to seven years. Running against three relatively unknown candidates from minor parties, Mr. Mirziyoyev was widely expected to secure a majority…

North Korea: North Korea has strongly condemned the United States’ plan to deploy a nuclear missile submarine near the Korean peninsula, warning that it could lead to a devastating atomic conflict. The North Korean defense ministry, in a statement carried out by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), expressed concern over the introduction of US strategic nuclear weapons to the region, calling it a dangerous situation that could escalate military tensions and potentially trigger a nuclear crisis. The KCNA stated that the US plan amounted to nuclear blackmail against North Korea and other regional countries, posing a serious threat to…

Sudan: The United Nations has warned Sudan is on the verge of a large-scale civil war, as Egypt said it would host a summit on July 13 to discuss ways to end a 12-week conflict between rival Sudanese military factions. The upcoming summit in Cairo will focus on establishing effective mechanisms in collaboration with neighboring countries, as well as coordinating with regional and international initiatives, with the goal of achieving a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Diplomatic efforts to cease the fighting between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary have thus far been unsuccessful, as various competing…

France: France has banned the sale, possession, and transport of fireworks during the July 14 national holiday weekend, following protests sparked by the killing of a teenager by the police. Fireworks were used in some protests that erupted in France after a police officer shot dead 17-year-old Nahel M during a traffic stop on June 27 near Paris. The shooting of Nahel, who is of Algerian and Moroccan origin, rekindled long-pent-up frustrations and accusations of systemic racism among France’s security forces and sparked the severest unrest since 2005. More than 3,700 people were taken into police custody in connection with…

China: Ms. Janet Yellen, the United States Treasury Secretary, has stated that her talks with top Chinese officials in recent days were “direct” and “productive” and helped put the US-China relationship on “surer footing”. Ms. Yellen told a press conference that the US and China remained at odds on a number of issues but expressed confidence that her bilateral meetings, which totaled about 10 hours, had advanced Washington’s efforts to stabilise fraught relations between the world’s two biggest economies. “The US and China have significant disagreements,” the US Treasury Secretary told reporters at the US Embassy in Beijing, citing her…