Author: News Desk

Ukraine: Russia has agreed to extend an agreement that has enabled Ukraine to transport grain through the Black Sea to regions of the world suffering from food shortages. This move has provided support for global food security, especially after the one-year-long war resulted in a rise in prices. “I want to give good news. With the efforts of our country, the support of our Russian friends, and the contribution of our Ukrainian friends, the Black Sea Grain Initiative has been extended by another two months,” Turkish President Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated in a televised speech. Senior officials from Russia,…

Nepal: Nepalese climber Mr. Kami Rita Sherpa has once again conquered the summit of Mount Everest, marking his 27th successful ascent. This achievement has reclaimed the record for the most summits of the world’s highest mountain, as confirmed by a government official and his hiking company. At the age of 53, Mr. Rita successfully scaled the 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) Mount Everest in the early morning hours of 17th May 2023. The Sherpa followed the traditional southeast ridge route, leading a Vietnamese climber along the journey. This remarkable achievement adds another chapter to Mr. Rita’s impressive mountaineering career and underscores his expertise…

Sweden: A new study presented at the European Congress on Obesity has stated that men who gain over 2 st (12.7kg) before the age of 30 are 27 percent more likely to die from prostate cancer in old age than those who maintain their teenage weight. The study examined the data of more than 250,000 Swedish men over several decades and found a strong link between men gaining weight and developing prostate cancer. Those who gained at least 0.5kg (1.1 lbs) per year from the age of 17 to 60 were found to have a 10 percent greater risk of…

China: A Chinese fishing vessel has capsized in the central Indian Ocean, resulting in the disappearance of its crew. The vessel carried a crew of 17 Chinese, 17 Indonesian, and five Filipino sailors who are currently missing. A search and rescue operation has been launched in response to the capsizing of a Chinese fishing vessel in the central Indian Ocean. The whereabouts of the 17 Chinese, 17 Indonesian, and five Filipino sailors remain unknown, prompting urgent efforts to locate them. China’s premier has called upon authorities to enhance safety protocols for fishing operations at sea, emphasizing the need for strengthened…

United Kingdom: Ms. Liz Truss, former British Prime Minister, has called for “free nations” to commit themselves to a “free Taiwan” and support it with concrete measures. During a keynote speech delivered in Taipei, Ms. Truss said she had come to show support for Taiwan, which was “on the frontline of the global battle for freedom” and under threat from a totalitarian regime in China. The former British PM arrived in Taiwan for a five-day visit and is expected to meet senior government officials. “We cannot pretend we have meaningful deterrence without hard power. If we’re serious about preventing conflict…

Australia: The Sydney Quad meeting, originally scheduled to take place, has been cancelled as a result of US President Mr. Joe Biden’s withdrawal from his planned Australian visit. Mr. Anthony Albanese, Australian politician and leader of the Labor Party, has confirmed the cancellation in light of the US President’s need to address pressing domestic matters. Mr. Albanese expressed optimism in the early hours of 17th May 2023 regarding the Sydney Quad meeting’s potential continuation, though with a high-ranking US representative in place of Mr. Biden. However, just hours later, Mr. Albanese confirmed the disappointing news that the event was officially…

United States: Mr. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, which developed the innovative AI chatbot ChatGPT and image generator Dall-E 2, has stated that “regulation of AI is essential,” as he testified in his first appearance in front of the US Congress. Speaking to the Senate judiciary committee, Mr. Altman remarked that he supported regulatory guardrails for the technology that would enable the benefits of artificial intelligence while minimising the harms. “We think that regulatory intervention by governments will be critical to mitigating the risks of increasingly powerful models,” Mr. Altman stated. Altman proposed that the US government consider licencing and…

Kenya: A report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has suggested that global plastic pollution can be reduced by 80 percent by 2040 through practical and affordable changes. According to the report, the initial step is to eliminate unnecessary plastic, including excessive packaging, followed by increasing the reuse of plastics, boosting recycling, and replacing plastics with environmentally friendly alternatives. Such changes, backed by government policies and plastic industry reforms, could reduce plastic pollution to 40 million metric tonnes by 2040. If no action is taken, the figure is expected to be 227 million metric tonnes. The report highlights the potential…

United States: A senior government official reveals that the United States is urging India to denounce ongoing incidents of religious violence. This call comes just a month before Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi’s scheduled state visit to the United States. In its recently published annual report on religious freedom, the US State Department highlights incidents of attacks against religious minorities, including Muslims and Christians, within the world’s most populous nation. During a briefing with journalists on the condition of anonymity, a senior US official expressed his concern over the “continued targeted attacks” on religious minorities in India. The official, while…

London, UK: Mobile operator giant Vodafone has announced plans to reduce its global workforce by 11,000 jobs within the next three years. Amidst a significant decline in its share price, telecommunications company Vodafone has stated the necessity of cost-cutting measures and business restructuring to enhance competitiveness against rivals and enhance the overall experience for its extensive customer base, numbering in the tens of millions. Under the leadership of newly appointed group chief executive Ms. Margherita Della Valle, Vodafone has announced substantial job cuts, accounting for approximately 12 percent of its global workforce of 90,000. This strategic decision represents Ms. Della…