Author: News Desk

China: Two Russian navy ships, the frigates Gromkiy and Sovershenniy from the Pacific Fleet, have arrived in Shanghai for the first port visit to China in three years. The visit highlights the strong relationship between the two countries despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Upon their arrival, the ships were greeted by Chinese sailors dressed in parade uniforms, holding placards to welcome them. The vessels, based in Vladivostok, will stay in China until 11th July 2023 and are expected to participate in joint drills with the Chinese navy focusing on ship-to-ship communications, formation maneuvering, and maritime search and rescue. Mr. Dmitry…

United States: The Pentagon has revealed its plans to enhance control over classified information, prompted by a series of alleged leaks by a low-ranking service member that caused significant concern among US officials. Defense Secretary Mr. Lloyd Austin outlined the strategy in a memo released on 5th July 2023, following a 45-day review of Department of Defense practices. While the review did not identify a single point of failure, Austin emphasized the need to improve accountability measures and address insider threats to prevent the compromise of classified national security information (CNSI). The initiative comes in the wake of the arrest…

United States: The CEO of Meta, Mr. Mark Zuckerberg, has expressed his intention for the company’s newly-launched Threads app to compete with Twitter. Experts believe that Threads could attract Twitter users who are unhappy with recent changes made to the platform. Threads, which is currently not available in the European Union, allows users to post messages of up to 500 characters and shares many similarities with Twitter in terms of features. According to Mr. Zuckerberg, the app garnered five million sign-ups within its first four hours. He also emphasized the importance of maintaining a friendly environment on the platform, as…

Ukraine: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, has urged increased access to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine. This request comes amidst allegations between Moscow and Kyiv, each accusing the other of plotting acts of sabotage at Europe’s largest nuclear power facility. The IAEA has expressed the need for increased access to the Zaporizhzhia plant in order to “confirm the absence of mines or explosives at the site.” “With military tension and activities increasing in the region where this major nuclear power plant is located, our experts must be able to verify the facts…

France: French President Mr. Emmanuel Macron has suggested that the government should consider regulating and potentially cutting off social media networks in the country when situations escalate out of control. The comments were made in response to the recent riots and violence following the shooting of a teenager during a police traffic stop in a Paris suburb, with ministers blaming young people who organised and encouraged the unrest through platforms like Snapchat and TikTok. Speaking at a meeting attended by over 200 mayors whose municipalities were affected by the violence, Mr. Macron stressed the need to reflect on how young…

United States: British singer Adele has joined a growing number of musicians speaking out against the disturbing trend of audience members throwing objects during live performances. During her Las Vegas residency, Weekends With Adele, at Caesars Palace, she addressed her audience, expressing her strong disapproval of such behaviour. Filmed holding a T-shirt gun, Adele made it clear that she would not tolerate objects being thrown at her and warned the audience, saying, “I would ‘kill you’ if you tried.” This comes in the wake of several recent incidents involving other artists. Pink, during a London performance, had to pause when…

United Kingdom: A recent study has shed light on the potential impact of climate change on divorce rates among migratory species. The study, conducted by a team of scientists at an undisclosed research institution, has caught the attention of experts worldwide, including Dr. Samantha Patrick, an esteemed marine biology expert from the University of Liverpool. Dr. Patrick, who was not directly involved in the research, expressed her enthusiasm for the study’s findings. She found the results regarding the connection between migration asynchrony and divorce rates particularly intriguing, given her current research focus. The study suggests that as the climate becomes…

United States: A US federal judge, Mr. Terry Doughty, has issued a ruling that restricts the Biden administration’s ability to communicate with social media companies regarding their content moderation practices. The judge’s 155-page ruling, announced on 4th July 2023, prohibits White House officials and certain government agencies from contacting firms about “content containing protected free speech.” This decision is seen as a victory for Republicans who have accused officials of engaging in censorship. The case has sparked a heated debate over the government’s role in moderating content that it deems false or harmful. Democrats argue that social media platforms have…

Sweden: Researchers at Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology have developed a method capable of reducing mercury levels in sulphuric acid by more than 90 percent, even at low concentrations. Sulphuric acid is a vital chemical compound widely used across various industries, including paper manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, batteries, detergents, and fertilizers. Unfortunately, one of the most hazardous substances on Earth, mercury, often contaminates sulphuric acid. The new study gives hope to the global challenge. “Until now, there has been no viable method for purifying finished sulphuric acid at all. With such a radical reduction in the mercury content, we come well…

Guatemala: Guatemala’s Constitutional Court has temporarily suspended the certification of the results for the first round of the presidential election due to complaints from rival political parties. This unexpected move has sparked concerns about the potential overturning of the election outcome, which could pose a threat to the country’s already fragile democracy. The court’s decision was announced late on July 1, following a surprising victory by the progressive Seed Movement. Mr. Bernardo Arevalo, the underdog candidate, emerged as the winner in the crowded field, securing one of the two seats in the final round with 11.8 percent of the vote.…