Author: News Desk

London, UK: The government has unveiled plans to prohibit the sale of ivory derived from the tusks and teeth of five additional species. This new measure aims to further combat the illegal ivory trade, protecting vulnerable species and preserving their populations. Following the UK’s ban on the import, export, and trade of elephant ivory last year, the government is now considering extending the list of protected species. Killer whales, hippos, walruses, narwhals, and sperm whales are among the animals under scrutiny to potentially join this list. The proposed move reflects the government’s ongoing commitment to combatting the illegal wildlife trade…

Thailand: Thailand’s progressive Move Forward Party has signed an agreement with seven other parties to draft a new constitution, end monopolies, and allow same-sex marriage if they are allowed to form a government, but made no mention of a controversial proposal to revise royal insult laws. The 23-point agreement states the coalition’s policy plans and priorities as it seeks support among legislators to form a government after nine years of conservative, military-backed rule. Move Forward, along with Pheu Thai, a populist party linked to former Prime Minister Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra, dominated the recent election. “This is another historic moment that…

United States: WhatsApp has introduced a remarkable editing feature that grants its users the ability to modify sent messages within a generous 15-minute timeframe. According to a recent blogpost by Meta-owned messaging service, WhatsApp, the highly anticipated editing function has commenced its global rollout and is expected to reach all users in the upcoming weeks. This much-awaited feature will empower WhatsApp’s user base with the ability to revise their messages post-delivery, offering a greater degree of control over their conversations. As part of WhatsApp’s new editing feature, users will now notice an “edited” notification accompanying messages that have been modified.…

United States: Seven states have reached a “historic consensus” on conserving water from the Colorado River in the western United States, a breakthrough in a region where persistent drought has made water allocation a point of debate. As per a statement from the US Department of the Interior (DOI), the three states comprising the Colorado River Basin, including Arizona, California, and Nevada, have voluntarily committed to implementing measures aimed at conserving 3 million acre-feet of water, equivalent to 3.7 billion cubic metres, until 2026. This entails a reduction in water usage of approximately 13 percent over a span of three…

London, UK: Meta, the parent company of Facebook, faces a hefty fine of $1.3 billion for its mishandling of user data during transfers between Europe and the United States. The substantial penalty highlights the consequences of privacy breaches and underscores the ongoing scrutiny faced by tech giants regarding data protection and international data transfers. Ireland’s Data Protection Commission imposes record-breaking fine on Meta for data mishandling, marking the largest penalty under EU’s privacy law. GDPR mandates companies to obtain individuals’ consent prior to utilizing their personal data. Meta vows to challenge the unjustified and unnecessary ruling, announcing its intention to…

China: China has banned some sales of Micron products after launching a probe into the American memory chip giant for cybersecurity risks in early April. The decision is widely seen as part of the tit-for-tat in the ongoing US-China economic competition, which has started to upend a deeply intertwined global tech supply chain. In 2022, the US added China’s state-backed memory chip maker Yangtze Memory Technologies Corporation to the entity list, barring US companies from supplying it without approval. The US has also restricted Nvidia from exporting H100, its state-of-the-art GPU for generative AI training, to China. The Cyberspace Administration…

United States: In a development highlighting geopolitical dynamics in the Pacific region, the United States is poised to sign a significant security pact with Papua New Guinea on 22nd May 2023. As concerns mount within the country over escalating militarisation, the agreement comes amidst a competitive atmosphere between the US and China for influence in the Pacific. The State Department has announced a forthcoming agreement that will allocate $45 million to enhance security cooperation between the United States and Papua New Guinea (PNG). The agreement encompasses various aspects, including the provision of protective equipment for the PNG defense force, assistance…

United States: In a historic moment for the Arab world, a private rocket successfully launched, carrying the inaugural Arab woman astronaut on a groundbreaking mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Ms. Rayyanah Barnawi, a Saudi breast cancer researcher, and Mr. Ali al-Qarni, a fighter pilot from the same country, embarked on a joint mission. The pair joined a historic space expedition, furthering Saudi Arabia’s presence in space exploration. Marking a significant milestone for Saudi Arabia, Ms. Barnawi and Mr. al-Qarni has become the first Saudi astronauts to embark on a space voyage in decades. Departing from the Kennedy Space…

New Zealand: New Zealand has unveiled its most significant initiative to date to reduce emissions by transitioning from coal to renewable electricity at its major steel plant. This move, considered equivalent to removing 300,000 cars from the road, involves a government investment of $140 million to cut coal usage by half at the Glenbrook steel plant and replace it with an electric-powered furnace for recycling scrap steel. The project’s total cost will be partially covered by the plant’s contribution of $160 million. The steel company currently accounts ftor 2 percen of New Zealand’s overall emissions due to coal-intensive processes used…

Greece: The Greek Prime Minister Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis has stated that his conservative party unleashed a “political earthquake” with a thumping win in the election but hinted that he would seek another election in order to secure an absolute majority that would allow the party to govern alone. With most votes counted, New Democracy party had 40.8 percent of the votes, a 20-point lead over the left-wing Syriza party of Mr. Alexis Tsipras, which had 20.1 percent. Despite holding a significant lead, Greece’s interior ministry projections indicated that New Democracy would fall six seats short of an outright majority in parliament,…