Author: News Desk

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…

Japan: Japan has raised the age of consent from 13 to 16 years old, joining the ranks of countries with higher minimum ages for sexual activity. Lawmakers passed key reforms to sex crime legislation, including provisions to clarify rape prosecution requirements and criminalise voyeurism. The unanimous vote in the parliament’s upper house led to the adoption of a new bill that marks a crucial update to Japan’s outdated laws on sexual offences. Prior to this reform, Japan had maintained an age of consent of 13 since 1907, considering children aged 13 and above capable of giving consent. However, regional ordinances…

London, UK: Spotify has decided to end its partnership with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, for the production of podcasts. The couple’s company, Archewell Audio, and the streaming giant issued a joint statement stating that they have “mutually agreed to part ways.” As a result, Spotify will not be renewing Meghan’s podcast, Archetypes, for a second season. The deal between Spotify and the Sussexes, which was estimated to be worth $25 million when it was signed in late 2020, was one of the significant commercial agreements the couple secured after stepping down from their…

Ukraine: A United Nations expert has stated that reports of the widespread use of torture by Russian forces in Ukraine could indicate that the severe abuse of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians is “state-endorsed” by Moscow. The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Ms. Alice Jill Edwards noted that she was alarmed by “reports and testimonies” that appeared to indicate that Russian forces in Ukraine are “consistently and intentionally inflicting severe physical and psychological pain and suffering” on both civilian and military prisoners. “The alleged practises include electric shocks, beatings, hooding, mock executions, and other threats of death,” Ms. Edwards…