Author: News Desk

United States: A US federal judge, Mr. Terry Doughty, has issued a ruling that restricts the Biden administration’s ability to communicate with social media companies regarding their content moderation practices. The judge’s 155-page ruling, announced on 4th July 2023, prohibits White House officials and certain government agencies from contacting firms about “content containing protected free speech.” This decision is seen as a victory for Republicans who have accused officials of engaging in censorship. The case has sparked a heated debate over the government’s role in moderating content that it deems false or harmful. Democrats argue that social media platforms have…

Sweden: Researchers at Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology have developed a method capable of reducing mercury levels in sulphuric acid by more than 90 percent, even at low concentrations. Sulphuric acid is a vital chemical compound widely used across various industries, including paper manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, batteries, detergents, and fertilizers. Unfortunately, one of the most hazardous substances on Earth, mercury, often contaminates sulphuric acid. The new study gives hope to the global challenge. “Until now, there has been no viable method for purifying finished sulphuric acid at all. With such a radical reduction in the mercury content, we come well…

Guatemala: Guatemala’s Constitutional Court has temporarily suspended the certification of the results for the first round of the presidential election due to complaints from rival political parties. This unexpected move has sparked concerns about the potential overturning of the election outcome, which could pose a threat to the country’s already fragile democracy. The court’s decision was announced late on July 1, following a surprising victory by the progressive Seed Movement. Mr. Bernardo Arevalo, the underdog candidate, emerged as the winner in the crowded field, securing one of the two seats in the final round with 11.8 percent of the vote.…

Turkey: Turkey and Egypt have appointed ambassadors to restore diplomatic relations between the two countries at the highest diplomatic level. In a joint statement released by the Turkish foreign ministry on Tuesday, Cairo and Ankara declared that Turkey nominated Mr. Salih Mutlu Sen as its ambassador to Cairo, and Egypt in turn nominated Amr Elhamamy as its ambassador to Ankara. “The elevation of the level of diplomatic relations between the two countries was implemented in accordance with the decision taken by the presidents of the two countries,” the statement said. “This step aims at the renormalization of relations between the…

France: NATO members have decided to extend the term of Secretary General Mr. Jens Stoltenberg for an additional year, as they struggled to find a suitable replacement amidst the backdrop of Russia’s conflict in Ukraine. The announcement comes just one week before a NATO summit in Lithuania, where discussions will primarily revolve around the alliance’s response to the ongoing conflict and Ukraine’s aspirations for membership. The decision to extend Mr. Stoltenberg’s tenure was made by the 31 member countries of NATO after failing to reach a consensus on an alternative candidate. Several potential contenders, including Danish Prime Minister Mr. Mette…

Thailand: Thailand’s parliament has officially appointed Mr. Wan Muhamad Noor Matha from the Prachachart Party as the speaker of the newly elected House of Representatives. Mr. Wan Noor’s appointment is viewed as a compromise between the two major parties, Move Forward and Pheu Thai, who are coalition partners but had conflicting interests regarding the speaker position. Wan Noor was the sole candidate proposed for the role, eliminating the need for a voting process to endorse the 79-year-old politician. This compromise on the house speaker role aims to ease tensions between the progressive Move Forward and the populist Pheu Thai parties,…

Japan: Mr. Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), arrived in Japan to present a review of Tokyo’s proposal to release treated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea. The Fukushima plant suffered a nuclear accident in 2011 when several reactors went into meltdown after a massive tsunami overwhelmed the cooling systems. The subsequent clean-up has spanned over a decade, and while most radiation-affected areas have reopened, decommissioning the plant itself will take many more years. The immediate challenge faced by the plant’s operator, TEPCO, is the accumulated 1.33 million cubic meters of water…

United States: Meta, the company behind Facebook, is set to launch a new app called Threads to compete with Twitter. The app, which can be pre-ordered on the Apple App Store, will be linked to Instagram and features a dashboard resembling Twitter. Described as a “text-based conversation app,” Threads is expected to be a free service without restrictions on post visibility. However, it will collect user data, including location, purchases, and browsing history. The rivalry between Meta’s Mr. Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter’s Mr. Elon Musk has escalated recently. In a playful yet ambiguous gesture, the two CEOs agreed to a…

China: China has announced that the country will restrict exports of rare metals used to manufacture semiconductors due to concerns over national security. According to the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Commerce and China Customs, Chinese exporters will need approval to send certain gallium and germanium products overseas from August 1 to “preserve security and national interests.” The announcement comes as the United States is reportedly considering new curbs on the export of advanced chips to China. Gallium, which has been designated a critical raw material by the European Union, is used in the production of integrated circuits, LEDs…

Iran: Iran has criticized France for permitting a meeting and rally held by the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK), a group blacklisted by Iran and referred to as the People’s Mujahidin Organization. Iran considers this support for “terrorism” and has urged French officials to rectify their past support for the “murderers of Iranian people.” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Mr. Nasser Kanani stated that France should address its own internal crisis and discriminatory treatment of its citizens, referencing the recent violence and unrest following the killing of a teenager by a French police officer. “Instead, they create the grounds for a rally of…