Author: News Desk

Ethiopia: As the leaders of the continent gathered for their annual summit in Addis Ababa UN chief Mr. Antonio Guterres urged them to take “action for peace” in order to stop the escalating violence. The African Union (AU) gathering aims to address these challenges and jump-start a faltering free trade agreement. Africa is now dealing with a record drought in the Horn of Africa and deadly unrest in the Sahel area and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The majority of the two-day summit’s meetings will take place behind closed doors at the AU’s headquarters in the capital…

New Zealand: Water and electrical services began to slowly resume in the cyclone-devastated cities of New Zealand as the number of fatalities from the disaster reached nine. Recovery operations have picked up steam over a week after Cyclone Gabrielle battered New Zealand’s North Island with scouring winds and torrential rains, triggering landslides and severe floods. The National Emergency Management Agency’s acting director, Mr. Roger Ball, stated that some residents of the nearby city of Napier now have power and that water service has been restored to the east coast city of Gisborne. Despite being one of the richest countries in the…

Peru: Amnesty International has accused Peru of using “excessive and lethal force” driven by “marked racist bias” against a largely indigenous and campesino population, following an investigation into more than two months of anti-government protests that have claimed at least 60 lives. An Amnesty International fact-finding mission investigated 46 possible cases of human rights violations and documented 12 cases of deaths from the use of firearms, in which all the victims appeared to have been shot in the chest, torso, or head, following visits to the capital Lima and the southern cities of Chincheros, Ayacucho, and Andahuaylas. Ms. Erika Guevara-Rosas,…

Canada: The Canadian Prime Minister Mr. Justin Trudeau has announced that the country will send navy vessels to the coast of Haiti to gather intelligence as the Caribbean nation continues to reel from economic and political insecurity as well as violence. The decision was stated at a meeting of Caribbean leaders, where discussions were held on the powerful armed gangs operating in the country, leading to widespread reports of murder, kidnappings, and sexual violence. “Right now, Haiti is confronted with unrelenting gang violence, political turmoil, and corruption. Now is the moment to come together to confront the severity of this…

Turkey: The United Nations (UN) has appealed for funds worth more than $1 billion for the Turkish earthquake relief operation. The move comes just two days after launching a $400 million appeal for Syrians. After his recent visit to Turkey, UN aid chief Mr. Martin Griffiths remarked that the people have “experienced unspeakable heartache. We must stand with them in their darkest hour and ensure they receive the support they need.” UN Secretary-General Mr. Antonio Guterres commented in a statement that the funds would provide humanitarian relief for three months to 5.2 million people. According to the Secretary-General, the money…

United States:  Mr. David Malpass, the head of the World Bank, has announced he will leave in June 2023, almost a year before his tenure is up. Mr. Malpass, who was appointed to his five-year term in 2019 by former US President Donald Trump, stated that he has made the decision to move on from the “enormous honour and privilege” of serving as the head of the international lender. “With developing countries facing unprecedented crises, I’m proud that the Bank Group has responded with speed, scale, innovation, and impact,” Mr. Malpass remarked in a statement posted on the lender’s website.…

United Kingdom: A ThinkTank report has warned that the world is at risk of descending into a climate “doom loop.” The report stated that simply coping with the escalating impacts of the climate crisis could draw resources and focus away from efforts to slash carbon emissions, making the situation even worse. The damage caused by global warming across the globe is increasingly clear, and recovering from climate disasters is already costing billions of dollars. In addition, these disasters can cause cascading problems, including water, food, and energy crises, as well as increased migration and conflict. The researchers, from the Institute…

South Korea: For the first time in six years, South Korea referred to the nuclear-armed North as its “enemy” in a defence document signalling a further hardening of Seoul’s stance towards Pyongyang. Since the 1950–1953 Korean War concluded in an armistice rather than a peace treaty, the two nations are still technically at war. After the failure of a rare round of negotiation in 2019, talks have stopped as Mr. Kim Jong Un intensifies his military buildup. The North Korean leader declared his nation to be an “irreversible” nuclear power and conducted nearly monthly weapons tests that violated international sanctions…

Nicaragua: Nicaragua has stripped of citizenship 94 political opponents, including prominent writers, activists, and journalists. Appeals Court Justice Ernesto Rodriguez Mejia shared in a statement that the 94 people were labelled “traitors” and would have their properties confiscated. Mr. Rodriguez claimed those on the list, including rights activist Ms. Vilma Nunez, former Sandinista rebel commander Mr. Luis Carrión, and journalist Mr. Carlos Fernando Chamorro, were guilty of “spreading false news” and “conspiracy to undermine national integrity.” Most of those included in the list left Nicaragua when President Mr. Daniel Ortega began arresting opponents in 2021, and Mr. Mejia stated that…

United States: The White House stated that it is working with Tesla to increase the number of electric vehicle charging stations in the US, with the goal of having at least 7,500 of these stations open to all-electric vehicles (EVs) by the end of 2024. Tesla EVs require use an adaptor to connect to charging stations that employ a specific type of power connector. According to the White House, Tesla will seek to add at least 3,500 new and existing 250 KW superchargers along highways and level 2 destination charges at establishments like hotels and restaurants across the nation. Additionally,…