Author: News Desk

China: Record-breaking temperatures and heavy rains in parts of China are causing significant damage to farm animals and crops, leading to concerns about food security in the world’s second-largest economy. The country is experiencing extreme weather patterns, with a heatwave hitting many regions earlier than last year. Since March 2023, dozens of Chinese cities have seen record seasonal highs, and the heatwave has intensified in recent days, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in several cities in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces. According to the China Meteorological Administration, 578 national weather stations across the country have recorded their…

United States: Mr. Elon Musk has regained his position as the world’s wealthiest individual, surpassing Mr. Bernard Arnault, the head of luxury goods company LVMH. Mr. Arnault briefly surpassed Musk on the rich list in December 2022 when LMVH shares soared amid a rebound in luxury goods demand. However, Tesla’s shares experienced a sharp decline as concerns arose about Mr. Musk’s leadership due to his involvement with Twitter. Nonetheless, Tesla shares have since rebounded by nearly 92 percent as investor confidence has been restored and Mr. Musk announced his successor as Twitter CEO. Additionally, Mr. Musk’s recent visit to China…

United States: The United States will stop providing Russia with some notifications required under the New START nuclear arms control treaty, including updates on missile and launcher locations, in what Washington describes as a retaliatory “countermeasure” due to Moscow’s “violations” of the accord. The US State Department stated that it had ceased providing the status and locations of its nuclear missiles and launchers but would continue to provide notification of the launch of intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launched ballistic missiles. According to a State Department fact sheet, Russian inspection activities on US territory have ceased, and visas issued and pending…

China: A surge in the trafficking of methamphetamine, known as meth, from Myanmar, has been observed, with criminal syndicates increasingly using boats to smuggle the illicit drugs out of the country. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has reported a significant increase in the production and transportation of synthetic drugs, particularly meth, from the remote jungles of northern Shan State in Myanmar. The Golden Triangle region, which encompasses parts of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar, has long been notorious for its involvement in the drug trade. Historically known for opium production, the area has now become a hub…

Russia: Russia has accused United States intelligence agencies of hacking thousands of iPhones belonging to Russian users and foreign diplomats in the country. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) stated that it had discovered an “intelligence action” that had compromised the phones of Russians as well as diplomats from Israel, Syria, China, and NATO members. The FSB, the successor to the Soviet-era KGB spy service, said Apple worked closely with US spy agencies, including the National Security Agency (NSA), but did not provide evidence for its claim. In a statement, Apple did not comment on whether iPhones in Russia had been hacked…

United States: The United States and Taiwan are set to sign a new trade deal as tensions with China rise. The announcement comes ahead of a significant global security summit set to take place in Singapore over the weekend. Over the past few years, the relationship between the US and China has grown increasingly strained. The Taiwan Office of Trade Negotiations confirmed that the agreement will be signed in Washington, D.C., in the morning US time. Deputy United States Trade Representative Ms. Sarah Bianchi is expected to be present at the event. The signing will be a significant milestone for…

United States: Amazon has agreed to pay a total of $30.8 million to settle allegations of customer privacy violations, including incidents of spying on women in their homes. The settlement includes a payment of $5.8 million following an investigation by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) into a former Amazon employee’s actions in 2017. The employee reportedly used Ring security cameras, owned by Amazon, to spy on female customers in their bedrooms and bathrooms. In a separate settlement, Amazon will pay $25 million over allegations of violating children’s privacy related to Alexa smart speaker recordings. The FTC’s Bureau of Consumer…

London, UK: Mr. Boris Johnson, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, has announced that he has provided the government with all the WhatsApp messages and notebooks requested by the COVID-19 inquiry. Mr.  Johnson urges the government to hand over the materials of the investigation without any redactions. The inquiry, set to commence public hearings in two weeks, aims to investigate the government’s handling of the pandemic. However, the government has thus far refused to disclose information it deems irrelevant. The COVID inquiry has given the Cabinet Office, responsible for supporting the Prime Minister in governing the country, a…

Australia: A prominent judge in Australia is set to deliver a long-awaited verdict on 1st June 2023 afternoon. The case at hand involves Mr. Ben Roberts-Smith, an esteemed soldier known as the nation’s most decorated living military figure, who has filed a defamation lawsuit. As the nation holds its breath, the judge’s imminent decision carries significant implications for both the plaintiff and the defendant. The outcome of this closely watched trial is poised to shape the future course of events surrounding this high-profile defamation case. The highly anticipated verdict in the defamation case brought by Mr. Smith, Australia’s most decorated…

Sweden: A groundbreaking analysis conducted by the Earth Commission group of scientists reveals that human activity has pushed the world into a perilous state across seven out of eight newly established indicators of planetary safety and justice. While climate disruption has received significant attention, the report published in Nature highlights additional crises faced by the planet, including water scarcity, nutrient overload, ecosystem degradation, and aerosol pollution. These threats not only undermine the stability of life-support systems but also exacerbate social inequality. The study represents an unprecedented effort to merge indicators of planetary health with measurements of human welfare. Its objective…