Author: News Desk

Palestine: The United Nations Secretary-General Mr. Antonio Guterres has condemned Israel’s “collective punishment” of Palestinians. The UN chief called for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in the Israel-Gaza war. The comments came just hours after the bombing of the al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza. Mr. Guterres noted that “Hamas attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people”. During his talk at a forum to mark 10 years of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the UN chief reiterated what he called “two urgent humanitarian appeals.” Mr. Guterres called on Hamas to “immediately and unconditionally release” those it is holding…

China: Chinese leader Mr. Xi Jinping has told Russian President Mr. Vladimir Putin that the “political mutual trust” between their countries was “continuously deepening.” The two leaders met for bilateral talks in Beijing. The Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported that Mr. Xi also called for joint efforts by China and Russia to “safeguard international fairness” and “justice” as he praised “close and effective strategic coordination” between their two nations. Mr. Xi observed that he and Putin had met “42 times in the past 10 years and developed a good working relationship and a deep friendship.” The last meeting between…

Switzerland: A new study has stated that people tend to pay less attention to tasks when working alongside a robot. The researchers have found evidence of “social loafing,” a situation where team members work less hard if they think others will cover for them. Researchers at the Technical University of Berlin stated that people come to see robots as part of their team. “Where they think a colleague—or the technology—performs particularly well or where they think their own contribution would not be appreciated, people tend to take a more laid-back approach,” the study, published in the journal Frontiers in Robotics…

United States: The Pentagon’s key official for Indo-Pacific security stated that there have been more cases of Chinese pilots engaging in “coercive and risky” behaviour towards US aircraft in the East and South China Seas in the last two years. The Pentagon shared photos and videos ahead of the upcoming release of its annual China Military Power Report, anticipated to be published soon. Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Mr. Ely Ratner described a “sharp increase in coercive and risky operational behaviour in the East and South China seas.” Mr. Ratner highlighted an event from January 2023, in…

New Zealand: The social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, has started imposing fees on its new users in New Zealand and the Philippines to use the platform’s basic features. The platform further aims to expand the annual fee to all new users globally. In the latest trial, new users in the Philippines and New Zealand will have to pay about $0.75 and $0.85, respectively, each year, to be able to post and engage on X. According to reports, those who decline to pay will only be able to read posts, watch videos, and follow accounts. “This will evaluate…

Belgium: The EU counties’ climate ministers have approved the bloc’s negotiating position for this year’s UN COP28 climate summit to phase out CO2-emitting fossil fuels. During the November COP28 UN climate discussions, the EU will urge to eliminate the immediate subsidies for fossil fuels which do not serve to combat energy poverty or ensure a a fair transition. However, they won’t specify a deadline, disappointing NGOs who had hoped for one. “Council stresses that the transition to a climate-neutral economy will require a global phase-out of unabated fossil fuels and a peak in their consumption in this decade”, said a statement released…

India: The Supreme Court of India has rejected an appeal for legal recognition of same-sex marriages. The country’s top court noted that it is beyond its scope and should be decided by parliament, and it ruled that gay couples would be allowed to adopt children. The marriage ruling was widely analysed as a disappointment for the LGBTQ+ community in India, which had hoped for recognition of their marriage equality rights. In 2018, the Supreme Court scrapped a colonial-era law banning homosexuality in India. Chief Justice Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud pointed out that it was outside the court’s remit to decide the…

France: The world’s energy watchdog has urged ministers to “open their eyes” to the immediate need to develop new electricity grids to help countries hit climate goals. Mr. Fatih Birol, the executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), has warned that the entire global electricity grid needs to be upgraded by 2040 to hit climate targets and ensure reliable power supplies. According to the IEA, global investment in energy needs to double to more than $600 billion a year by 2030 to hit national climate targets after “over a decade of stagnation at the global level.” Demand for electricity…

London, UK: Researchers have found that the AI chatbot ChatGPT might excel at adhering to treatment guidelines for depression compared to human doctors. The study mentioned that the technology has the potential to enhance decision-making in primary care. The researchers emphasized the necessity for further assessment to identify potential risks or ethical concerns that may arise from the practical use of this technology. In Israel, a team provided brief descriptions of hypothetical patients showing signs of depression to two versions of ChatGPT: 3.5 and 4. They had eight different characters, differing in gender, socioeconomic status, and the severity of depression.…

China: Russian President Mr. Vladimir Putin has landed in Beijing for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Mr. Xi invited his “dear friend” to attend China’s third Belt and Road Initiative forum, which will host leaders from 130 countries. The meeting is expected to focus on the Israel-Hamas war as well as Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. China is one of the first countries Mr. Putin has visited since the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against him in March for illegally deporting children from Ukraine. China is not one of the 123 countries that are…