Author: News Desk

New Delhi: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the student-led online satirical movement campaigning for education reforms and action against examination irregularities, suffered a major setback on July 18 after activist and educationist Sonam Wangchuk was removed from the protest site. Wangchuk was taken to a government hospital after completing 20 days of an indefinite hunger strike in New Delhi. Despite his removal, the group vowed to press ahead with its planned march to Parliament on July 20. The 59-year-old had been fasting at Jantar Mantar, surviving only on water and salt, while backing the CJP’s campaign against examination paper leaks and…

Dover: Motorists heading to Europe faced lengthy delays at the Port of Dover on July 17 evening as the UK prepared for one of its busiest summer travel weekends in recent years. Queues of up to 45 minutes were reported at the port, while the RAC estimated that 14.1 million drivers would be on UK roads over the weekend. July 18 is expected to be the busiest day, with around 3.4 million journeys, making it the second busiest day for road travel since the RAC began tracking the data in 2016. https://twitter.com/PoD_travelnews/status/2078317439234810026 The Port of Dover anticipated handling around 7,500…

New York: Nike will have no team represented in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final on July 19, after England’s semi-final defeat to Argentina ended the sportswear giant’s hopes of appearing on football’s biggest stage. The result hands rival Adidas a significant branding advantage, with both finalists, Argentina and Spain, wearing Adidas kits, ensuring the German sportswear company will dominate visibility during the tournament’s showpiece match. Adidas sponsored 14 national teams at the tournament, while Nike backed 12 teams, including England and France. However, none of Nike’s sponsored nations reached the final. https://twitter.com/Nike/status/2062565040583262296 The outcome comes at a challenging time…

London: Every baby born in England will be screened for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) from October 2027, under a new government initiative aimed at identifying the rare genetic condition at birth and ensuring affected infants receive life-changing treatment as early as possible. The Department of Health and Social Care announced the nationwide rollout, describing it as a major step towards improving early diagnosis. Campaigners welcomed the decision, saying universal screening would help babies with SMA receive treatment before symptoms develop, allowing many to grow up free from the disease’s most severe effects. https://twitter.com/DHSCgovuk/status/2077649481093296213 Spinal muscular atrophy is a rare muscle-wasting…

London: The UK government has announced plans to introduce default overnight restrictions on social media use for 16 and 17-year-olds, alongside a wider ban on social media access for children under the age of 16 that is due to come into force next spring. The measures come during growing global concerns over the impact of social media on young people’s mental health, online safety, and well-being. More than 40 countries have either introduced similar restrictions or are considering them. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said that the latest proposals are designed to prevent older teenagers from being immediately exposed to the…

Dallas: Spain secured a place in the World Cup final after producing an impressive performance to defeat tournament favourites France in the semi-finals at Dallas Stadium. Luis de la Fuente’s side combined defensive discipline with clinical finishing to control the contest and earn a deserved victory, thanks to goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro. Spain will now compete in the final on July 19, as they chase their second World Cup title. The breakthrough came midway through the opening half when France defender Lucas Digne fouled Lamine Yamal while attempting to clear the ball inside the penalty area. Oyarzabal…

Mexico City: Chipotle Mexican Grill is making its long-awaited debut in Mexico this week, opening its first restaurant in the country whose cuisine inspired the brand’s globally popular burritos, tacos, and bowls. The US-based restaurant chain, which operates more than 4,100 locations worldwide, described the opening as a major milestone in its international expansion strategy. The first outlet is located in Nuevo León, a northeastern Mexican state near the US border. Chipotle stated that the restaurant will serve as an important proof of concept as it evaluates customer demand before expanding further. The company plans to open additional restaurants in…

Paris: The French-developed Yuka app is transforming how millions of people shop for groceries by providing instant health ratings for food, cosmetics, and personal care products through a simple barcode scan. Launched in 2015, Yuka now has more than 85 million users across 12 countries, including several in Europe, the United States, Canada, and Australia. The United States is its largest market with around 28 million users, followed by France with six million and the United Kingdom with approximately five million. The app evaluates more than six million products, adding around 1,200 new items to its database each day. Using…

Paris: French authorities have deployed two firefighting aircraft to combat a fast-moving wildfire in the Fontainebleau forest, south of Paris, as extreme heat continues to grip the country. Officials described the blaze as ‘virulent’ and of ‘exceptional scale,’ prompting the partial closure of France’s main north-south motorway during one of the busiest summer travel weekends.  Earlier on July 13, the fire had spread across 800 hectares and remained out of control in the forest, located around 60 kilometres southeast of Paris. The wildfire comes as the Paris region experiences its third heatwave of the year, with temperatures soaring during a…

Burbank, California: The Walt Disney Company’s live-action adaptation of Moana debuted at the top of the North American box office but delivered a weaker-than-expected opening weekend despite leading ticket sales. The film, which reportedly carried a production budget of $250 million, earned $43 million across the United States and Canada during its opening weekend, according to studio estimates. Overseas, it added $52 million from 50 international markets, bringing its global debut to $95 million. Disney had high expectations for the remake, given the franchise’s strong popularity. https://twitter.com/DisneyStudios/status/2076343313293017168 The original 2016 animated Moana remains the most-streamed film on Disney+, while its…