Author: News Desk

South Africa: The death toll has passed 300 as the number of fatalities from Tropical Storm Freddy continues to increase. It has taken authorities in Mozambique and Malawi many days to determine the magnitude of the destruction and casualties. After originally touching down in late February 2023, the storm tore over Southern Africa over the weekend for a second time. One of the worst tropical cyclones in Africa in recent years, it has one of the longest known in recent years. Authorities stated late on 15th March 2023 that at least 53 individuals have passed away in the Zambezia province…

Africa: After running unopposed at the congress of the world football’s ruling body, Gianni Infantino was chosen to serve as FIFA president for a further four years. The council in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital, on 16th March 2023 voted to confirm the 52-year-old Swiss-Italian lawyer in his position. It is officially his first re-election since he first assumed the remainder of Joseph Blatter’s tenure, which was suspended, in 2016. According to FIFA statutes, he can run for reelection in 2027 and serve till 2031. Even though Infantino is not generally liked by member associations for a variety of reasons, including pushing…

Libya: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has stated that approximately 2.5 tonnes of natural uranium are missing from a site in Libya that is not under government control. The director general of the IAEA, Mr. Rafael Grossi, told the organisation’s member states that inspectors found that 10 drums containing uranium ore concentrate “were not present as previously declared”. The UN nuclear watchdog would conduct further activities “to clarify the circumstances of the removal of the nuclear material and its current location.” Natural uranium cannot be immediately used for energy production or as bomb fuel, as the enrichment process requires…

North Korea: North Korea has launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into its eastern waters, hours before South Korea’s president was about to fly to Japan for the first summit between the two countries in years. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that Pyongyang had launched what appeared to be a banned ICBM. “The weapon flew towards the Korean Peninsula’s eastern waters after being launched from North Korea’s capital, Pyongyang. The ICBM launched at a steep angle and flew about 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) before landing in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan,” the military noted in…

United States: The Swiss bank Credit Suisse announced that it will take steps to strengthen its finances by borrowing up to $54 billion from the central bank after its shares crashed, dragging down other large European lenders in the wake of bank collapses in the United States. Credit Suisse stated that it would use a choice to borrow from the central bank up to 50 billion francs ($53.7 billion). With the recent loss of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in the US, which stoked further concerns about the stability of financial institutions, Credit Suisse shares briefly lost more than…

United States: The United States Secretary of Defense Mr. Lloyd Austin has stated that he talked to his Russian counterpart following the recent downing of a US drone over the Black Sea, which Washington has blamed on Moscow. Mr. Austin has talked with Russian Defense Minister Mr. Sergei Shoigu a day after US officials claimed that a Russian jet made contact with a US MQ-9 Reaper drone, forcing it to be shot down. Moscow has denied that a collision occurred. The discussion would mark the first time that US and Russian military assets have made contact since the war in…

South Korea: The world’s largest electronics maker, Samsung, says it will contribute almost $230.8 billion over a 20-year period to the South Korean government’s effort to create a major semiconductor hub there. By 2042, a chip-making mega cluster will be developed in Gyeonggi Province, with five new Samsung semiconductor plants serving as its cornerstone. According to the South Korean Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Energy, it would endeavour to draw 150 additional businesses that make materials and components or create high-tech chips. As per Samsung, the new plants would be close to its current domestic manufacturing and will make both…

United Kingdom: A new study has found that having high levels of caffeine in the blood may lower the amount of body fat and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. According to the findings published in the BMJ Medicine journal, calorie-free caffeinated drinks can be used to reduce obesity and type 2 diabetes, though further research is required. Dr. Katarina Kos, a senior lecturer in diabetes and obesity at the University of Exeter, stated that the study showed potential health benefits for people with high caffeine levels in their blood. Dr. Kos remarked that “it does not study or…

Japan: Mr. Yoshikazu Higashitani, also known by the online alias GaaSyy, was the first MP to be dismissed from the Japanese parliament in more than 70 years when he neglected to report for duty. Since 1950, the parliament has only ousted two individuals, but this is the first instance of an MP being expelled for frequent absences. Since 1950, the parliament has only ousted two individuals, but this is the first instance of an MP being expelled for frequent absences. The party’s sole platform is reforming NHK, Japan’s state broadcaster. Higashitani hasn’t shown up for a single session since being elected…

Honduras: Honduras President Ms. Xiomara Castro has stated that the country is seeking to open official diplomatic ties with China, which would end its official relationship with the self-ruled island of Taiwan. Ms. Castro, who had earlier announced during her election campaign in 2021 that she would switch ties to Beijing before later backtracking, wrote on Twitter that she had instructed her foreign minister to begin the process of recognising the People’s Republic of China. “The move was a sign of my determination to comply with the government plan and expand borders freely,” the president remarked. The decision comes weeks…