Author: News Desk

Brazil: Mr. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is set to be inaugurated for a third term as Brazilian President in a ceremony underlining the deep divisions the veteran leftist inherits. Mr. Lula will walk to the Planalto palace to don the presidential sash in front of 30,000 supporters at 3 PM after the ceremony in Congress and some 300,000 people are anticipated to come to celebrate on the esplanade in Brasilia. 77-year-old Mr. Lula narrowly defeated Bolsonaro in October to win an extraordinary third presidential term following a break during which he spent an additional year and a half in…

North Korea: North Korean Leader Mr. Kim Jong-un has vowed to increase the production of nuclear warheads and develop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that is more potent while singling out South Korea as his nation’s “undoubted enemy.” In a speech at a Workers’ party plenary meeting, Mr. Kim demanded an “Exponential increase” in the regime’s nuclear arsenal, signalling growing hostility against the US, South Korea, and Japan. The leader’s statement was released just hours later It also launched three ballistic missiles days after sending five drones across the heavily armed border that has divided the peninsula since the 1950-53 Korean…

Vatican: Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who is the first Pope to resign in 600 years, has died at the age of 95. The death comes after Pope Francis announced during his weekly audience on December 28 that Pope Benedict was “very sick.” The former Pope spent his final years at the Mater Ecclesiae monastery within the walls of the Vatican. “With sorrow, I inform you that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI passed away in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican. Further information will be provided as soon as possible,” the Vatican spokesman Mr. Matteo Bruni shared. According to the Vatican…

United States: Six years of Mr. Donald Trump’s tax returns were made public by a congressional committee, ending the former president’s long-running effort to keep them secret. The documents, dating from 2015 to 2020, provide details about the complex finances and foreign bank accounts of Mr. Trump, who was accused of abusing the presidency for personal profit. The tax returns were released to the public by the House Ways and Means committee, after a long-running battle over their disclosure in the Supreme Court. The reports released by the Joint Committee on Taxation stated that Mr. Trump claimed large losses before and…

China: The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that Chinese officials must share more real-time information on COVID as infections surge across the country. COVID-19 cases have soared in China as the country lifted many of its strict restrictions. As a result, several countries have begun screening travelers from China. “WHO again asked for regular sharing of specific and real-time data on the epidemiological situation and data on vaccinations delivered and vaccination status, especially in vulnerable people and those over 60,” the UN health agency shared in a statement issued after talks with Chinese officials. The agency added that it…

United States: The famous American broadcast journalist Ms. Barbara Walters has died at the age of 93. Ms. Walters made headlines as the first female network news anchor in 1976. She has interviewed several renowned personalities across the world, including every US president from Mr. Richard Nixon to Mr. Donald Trump, Cuba’s Mr. Fidel Castro, and Russia’s Mr. Vladimir Putin. “Ms. Barbara Walters passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by loved ones. She lived her life with no regrets. She was a trailblazer not only for female journalists, but for all women,” publicist Ms. Cindi Berger shared. Mr. Robert…

Romania: The controversial online influencer Mr. Andrew Tate and his brother have been detained in Romania as part of an investigation into alleged human trafficking. According to Romanian prosecutors, Mr. Tate and his brother, Mr. Tristian, will be held for questioning for up to 24 hours. The influencer’s house in the capital, Bucharest, was also raided. Based on the statements from Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, four individuals, two United Kingdom citizens and two Romanian nationals, were alleged to form a criminal group for human trafficking in Romania as well as other countries, including the UK and…

London, UK: According to a recent study, those who live in polluted environments are more likely to have many chronic illnesses. More than 360,000 individuals with health data in the UK Biobank between the ages of 40 and 69 were examined by researchers. The researchers found greater chances of multiple neurological, respiratory, cardiovascular and common mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, even having allowed for differences in income. These persistent issues have a significant negative impact on people’s lives as well as our economy and healthcare system. The UK government set a goal for England to have the…

Myanmar: A court in military-run Myanmar has sentenced Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi to seven years in prison for corruption, putting an end to a series of secret and highly-politicized proceedings against the ousted former leader. The 77-year-old democratically elected icon of the opposition to decades of military rule, who led Myanmar for five years before being ousted from office in a violent coup in early 2021, received his last sentence on 29th December. The decision found Ms. Suu Kyi guilty of corruption in relation to the purchase, repair and rental of a helicopter for use in state activities and natural disasters,…

South Korea: The South Korean prime minister Mr. Han Duck-soo has announced that travelers from China will be required to provide a negative PCR test within 48 hours of departure or a rapid antigen test taken within 24 hours, followed by a PCR test after arrival. The country will restrict short-term visas for Chinese nationals, which was already done by some other countries due to surging COVID-19 infections in China. We need to urgently prepare for any domestic ripple effects following China’s easing of quarantine rules. We will prepare to take stronger measures in case the situation gets worse, if…