Author: News Desk

Burundi: More than 56,000 Congolese refugees may soon only receive half the food rations they require due to a reduction in financing for food needs in five camps in Burundi.  The majority of the refugees, who are escaping fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), need food aid to feed their families. On 1st April 2023, World Food Programme (WFP) will be forced to reduce rations in a country experiencing humanitarian needs compounded by high levels of food insecurity, poverty and the continued influx of refugees fleeing the conflict. The ration cut will worsen food insecurity and…

Japan: Japan’s government has announced that it plans to restrict exports of 23 types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, following similar moves by the US and the Netherlands. Japan, a country home to major international chip equipment makers such as Nikon Corp. and Tokyo Electron Ltd., did not refer to China as the target of those measures, stating equipment makers will need to seek export permission for all regions. “We are fulfilling our responsibility as a technological nation to contribute to international peace and stability,” the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry noted in a statement. According to the Ministry, the…

London, UK: A rule that prohibits individuals deemed to have violated human rights from running or owning football clubs has been approved by the Premier League. At a shareholder meeting, the top-flight football teams in England unanimously approved the changes, which went into effect right away. Under strengthened owners and directors test for the Premier League, human rights violations will be one of many new “disqualifying events” based on the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations 2020. A person or organisation subject to British government sanctions would also be disqualified under the new regulations. Crimes involving aggression, corruption, fraud, tax evasion,…

Israel: A new finding shows that the plant kingdom is not as silent as it first appears, and that ultrasonic sounds released by plants may even help alter their ecosystems, according to one independent expert who called it “exciting and thought-provoking.” A plant eventually reaches a point in its existence when the head droops, the leaves become pale and the body erupts in a hail of ultrasonic sounds similar to stamping on bubble wrap. A lack of water or a sudden wound can also cause plants to create staccato pops, which adjacent species may respond to. While any gardener is…

United States: A New York jury has indicted former United States President Donald Trump on charges related to an alleged hush money payment made to a porn star ahead of the 2016 presidential election. The Manhattan jury voted to indict Mr. Trump, making him the first former president to face criminal prosecution in US history. The office of Manhattan District Attorney Mr. Alvin Bragg issued a statement saying prosecutors are working with Mr. Trump’s lawyers to arrange his surrender. “Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected,” the statement added. The former President responded to the indictment by…

Mexico: Eight guards and officials are perhaps facing murder charges after a fire at a Mexican migrant detention facility in the northern border city of Ciudad Juarez claimed the lives of 39 imprisoned migrants. Ms. Sara Irene Herrerias, a prosecutor specialising in human rights, stated that an inquiry had been begun “for the crime of homicide and damage to property,” though other potential charges will also be taken into consideration. According to witnesses and a survivor, dozens of detainees were locked in cells during the incident. The deceased were all men, and the Mexican government is under pressure to determine…

Moscow: The European Union agreed to roughly increase the proportion of renewable energy in the energy consumption of the 27-nation bloc by 2030 to become carbon neutral and move away from Russian fossil fuels. The temporary political agreement aims to increase the amount of renewable energy from its current 22 percent to 42.5 percent. It was agreed following a night of negotiations between the EU parliament and states. By 2050, the EU wants to have a “climate neutral” economy with zero net emissions of greenhouse gases. The decision also comes at a time when the EU is attempting to reduce…

United States: Kentucky and West Virginia have become the latest US states to advance laws limiting access to gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth. With these new laws, at least 11 states have imposed restrictions on treatments that leading medical groups like the American Academy of Paediatrics state are necessary and even life-saving for transgender young people. The proponents of the restrictions argue that people under the age of 18 are too young to undergo gender-affirming treatments, which can range from temporary, reversible measures like puberty blockers, which pause sexual development, to hormone treatment and surgery. The laws were introduced in Kentucky…

London, UK: A global evaluation of the evidence reveals that a Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of a heart attack, stroke, or early death for hundreds of millions of individuals who are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease. A diet high in olive oil, almonds, fish, whole grains, and vegetables has been linked to several advantages in the past, and it is generally known that it can help healthy people live longer. There hasn’t been much research on how it might benefit people who are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease, though. They include the hundreds of millions of…

Myanmar: The United States, Japan, Australia, and the United Kingdom have expressed their opposition to the Myanmar military’s dissolution of the country’s former ruling party and warned that the move could bring further instability to the country. The statements of concern came after the Myanmar military disbanded Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) and 39 other parties over their failure to meet a deadline to register for an election that is set to extend the army’s grip on power. The NLD has repeatedly ruled out running in the poll, calling it illegitimate. The US State Department Deputy…