Author: News Desk

Ireland: The Irish Prime Minister Mr. Leo Varadkar has stated that mistakes were made on all sides in the handling of Brexit. Mr. Varadkar vowed that he would be “flexible and reasonable” when attempting to solve issues with the Northern Ireland protocol. Mr. Varadkar was recently elected as Prime Minister, or Taoiseach, for the second time. “I am sure we have all made mistakes in the handling of Brexit. There was no road map, no manual, it was not something that we expected would happen and we have all done our best to deal with it,” Mr. Varadkar remarked. The…

Saudi Arabia: Cristiano Ronaldo will be formally introduced Al Nassr following the signing of a contract that extends until 2025 and is reportedly worth more than $213 million. But the riches and fanfare that await the 37-year-old in Saudi Arabia are at odds with his reduced status as a fallen star trading on past heroics. It is a terrible indictment of Ronaldo’s lacklustre play over the previous 18 months that he is being forced to play out what will undoubtedly be the final chapter of his illustrious career in the football deserts of Saudi Arabia. https://twitter.com/AlNassrFC_EN/status/1609331198123249665?s=20&t=kB_a1sRUK-2zuuk7OU5ZXg Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon…

United States: The former drummer of the Earth, Wind and Fire band Mr. Fred White has died at the age of 67. Mr. White’s brother Verdine White paid tribute to the “amazing and talented” musician on his Instagram post, sharing that “Freddie is now drumming with the angels.” “Dearest family, friends and fans. Our family is saddened today with the loss of an amazing and talented family member, our beloved brother Frederick Eugene ‘Freddie’ White,” Mr. Verdine White shared. “But more than that at home and beyond he was the wonderful bro that was always entertaining and delightfully mischievous. He…

Australia: Hundreds of passengers have been stranded on a cruise ship, the Viking Orion, off the Australian coast after finding a potentially harmful growth on its hull. The Viking Orion was denied permission to dock in Adelaide after authorities discovered “biofoul,” an accumulation of microorganisms, plants, algae, or small animals. According to Australia’s fisheries department, the fungus, which it called biofoul, was “potentially harmful.” Officials stated that the ship’s hull must be cleared before entering the country. According to the department’s statements, biofoul management was “a common practise for all arriving international vessels,” and the ship had to be cleaned…

South Korea: South Korean President Mr. Yoon Suk-yeol has stated that Seoul and Washington are exploring joint exercises involving US nuclear assets in order to confront North Korea’s expanding nuclear and missile programs. Mr. Yoon noted that Washington’s existing “nuclear umbrella” and “extended deterrence” were no longer enough to reassure South Koreans in a statement.  The leader was referring to the US military’s capability to prevent attacks on its allies, notably its nuclear forces. “What we call extended deterrence was also the US telling us not to worry because it will take care of everything, but now, it’s difficult to…

Canada: A ban on foreigners purchasing residential property in Canada went into effect on 1st January 2023 with the aim to provide additional housing options for locals experiencing a housing shortage. The act contains a number of exclusions that let non-citizens, such as refugees and legal permanent residents, purchase the property. In late December, Canada authorities also clarified that the ban would apply only to city dwellings and not to recreational properties such as summer cottages. When home ownership remained out of reach for many Canadians due to price hikes in the 2021 election campaign, Prime Minister Mr. Justin Trudeau offered…

Croatia: Croatia has adopted the euro and entered Europe’s borderless zone, which Prime Minister Mr. Andrej Plenkovic called a “historic moment” for his country that joined the European Union nearly a decade ago. The Balkan nation became the 20th member of the eurozone after bidding farewell to its kuna currency. Croatia became the 27th nation in the Schengen Zone, the world’s largest passport-free travel area, which enables more than 400 million people to move freely among its members. “It is the season of new beginnings. And there is no place in Europe where this is more true than here in…

Washington, D.C. US: The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that a third of the global economy will be in recession In 2023. Ms. Kristalina Georgieva stated that 2023 will be “tougher” than last year as the economies of the US, EU, and China see slow growth. The global economy is currently being weighed down by the conflict in Ukraine, rising costs, higher interest rates, and the expansion of COVID in China. In October the IMF cut its global economic growth outlook for 2023. “We expect one-third of the world economy to be in recession, even countries…

 Brazil: Brazil’s new president Mr. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has vowed to save the country from Mr. Jair Bolsonaro’s era of “devastation, barbarism, and hate” after being sworn in as the head of Latin America’s largest democracy. In his inaugural address before congress, Mr. Lula vowed to “maintain, defend, and obey the constitution” as he returned to the presidency. The veteran left-wing politician, who previously led the country between 2003 and 2010, defeated Mr. Jair Bolsonaro in the October 2022 poll. Mr. Lula celebrated the defeat of the far-right radical’s “authoritarian project” in his speech to Brazil’s national congress,…

Columbia: According to President Mr. Gustavo Petro’s announcement on New Year’s Eve, the five largest armed groups operating in Colombia have agreed to a six-month ceasefire. The truce was the fundamental goal of Petro’s “total peace” program, which intends to end the nation’s armed conflict despite the disintegration of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in 2017. According to the Institute for Development and Peace Studies (Indepaz), an independent think tank, the armed groups still active in Colombia, the country that produces the most cocaine in the world, are engaged in fatal conflicts over the profits of drug trafficking…