Author: News Desk

Hungary: Pope Francis has stated that the Vatican is involved in a peace mission to try to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. “I am willing to do everything that has to be done. There is a mission in progress now, but it is not yet public. When it is public, I will reveal it,” the pope told reporters during a flight home after a three-day visit to Hungary. The pope’s announcement comes hours after Moscow claimed that its forces took control of four more urban quarters in the front-line Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. “I think that peace is…

United States: The United States has accused China of intimidating and harassing Philippine vessels in the South China Sea, calling for an end to the “provocative” actions. This comes after a near-miss between a Chinese vessel and a Philippine Coast Guard boat near the Spratly Islands. “We call upon Beijing to desist from its provocative and unsafe conduct,” the US State Department spokesperson Mr. Matthew Miller said in a statement, just two days before President Mr. Joe Biden is to host his counterpart, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, in Washington, DC. The State Department further warned that an attack on Philippine…

United Kingdom: A new study has found that the Juan Fernández fur seal, a species that was hunted to near-extinction in the 19th century, can tolerate high levels of cadmium and other metallic pollutants without any adverse effects. This is significant as it offers hope for finding solutions to one of the most harmful environmental pollutants. The Juan Fernández seal is a rare aquatic mammal that lives only on the Juan Fernández archipelago and nearby islands in the Pacific Ocean, hundreds of miles off the coast of Chile. The species was believed to be extinct until a small colony was…

Japan: Japan has approved a drug that can terminate early-stage pregnancies and will make the abortion pill available for the first time. Abortion is legal in Japan for up to 22 weeks, but consent is usually required from a spouse or partner, and until now, surgical procedures had been the only option. The health ministry has approved a two-step treatment of mifepristone and misoprostol made by British pharmaceutical company, Linepharma. Similar medication has been available in many countries, including France since 1988, and in the US since 2000. The approval of the pill to end pregnancies up to nine weeks…

Ukraine: Local authorities have reported that an oil depot in Russian-occupied Crimea has suffered a significant fire as a result of a drone strike. Videos on social media showed flames emerging from the Sevastopol oil depot, the primary city in Crimea, in the early hours. According to the governor appointed by Moscow for the region, the fire was eventually extinguished, and there were no casualties reported. Russia carried out a series of air strikes in various cities in Ukraine on 28th April 2023, resulting in the deaths of at least 25 individuals. The attack was the first of its kind…

United States: Ms. Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Mr. Kim Jong-un, has issued a warning regarding the recent agreement between the United States and South Korea. According to Ms. Kim, the deal will result in an increased threat to the region. State media has reported that Ms. Kim Yo-jong declared that North Korea’s nuclear deterrent “must be further perfected” in response to the recent deal between the United States and South Korea. To counter nuclear threats from North Korea, the United States has consented to deploy nuclear-armed submarines in South Korea and incorporate Seoul in its…

Italy: OpenAI has successfully resolved issues raised by Italy’s data protection authority, resulting in the restoration of access to the ChatGPT chatbot in Italy. Italian officials and OpenAI have confirmed that the concerns have been addressed or clarified, allowing users to once again utilize the popular language model. Last month, OpenAI, which is supported by Microsoft Corp, took down the ChatGPT chatbot in Italy following a temporary ban by the country’s Data Protection Authority, also known as Garante. The chatbot was being investigated for a suspected violation of privacy regulations, prompting OpenAI to take swift action. The Italian Data Protection…

United Kingdom: A recent analysis by the World Wide Fund (WWF) has stated that the UK government is not meeting its targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from farming and land use, which fall short of promises made in its net zero strategy. WWF used data from the government’s carbon budget delivery plan to show that projected emissions reductions for agriculture and land use until 2037 were 58 percent less than the figures underpinning the original net zero strategy. This equates to the entire UK building sector’s emissions. The UK government replaced the EU’s common agricultural policy, which paid land…

Argentina: Argentina’s Vice President, Ms. Cristina Kirchner, has announced that she will not be running for the presidency in the upcoming October election. Ms. Kirchner, who previously served as the country’s leader, has stated that she will not be seeking a return to the highest office. The announcement comes as Argentina prepares for a closely watched election that will determine the future direction of the country. Despite being convicted of overseeing fraudulent public works contracts during her presidency, centre-left politician who led Argentina from 2007-15, was able to avoid imprisonment due to parliamentary immunity. The 70-year-old former leader has been…

Egypt: Amidst ongoing controversy over a Netflix drama-documentary, Egypt’s antiquities ministry has reiterated its stance that Cleopatra had “white skin and Hellenistic characteristics.” This statement affirms the ministry’s position on the depiction of the legendary beauty of antiquity as black in the said show. The release of “Queen Cleopatra”, a Netflix production produced by Jada Pinkett Smith and starring Adele James, is scheduled for 10th May 2023 on the streaming platform. According to promotional material on the Netflix website, “Queen Cleopatra” is a docudrama that depicts the last pharaoh of Egypt’s struggles to safeguard her legacy, family, and throne. The…