Author: News Desk

London: The United States and China have agreed in principle to a trade truce framework aimed at easing escalating tensions, following two days of intensive negotiations in London. The agreement is expected to pave the way for a resolution on disputes involving rare earth minerals and restrictions on critical technologies. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the tentative deal, once approved by President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping, would address long-standing issues including China’s delays in rare earth exports and US restrictions on semiconductor technologies. https://twitter.com/howardlutnick/status/1932666920735592820 Trade truce framework set The talks followed a key phone conversation between the…

London: North-western Europe is experiencing severe dryness following an exceptionally dry spring, while May 2025 has been confirmed as the second warmest May ever recorded globally, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). The situation has sparked concerns about impending water shortages and rising instances of crop failures unless substantial rainfall occurs over the summer. New data from Copernicus indicates that the average global surface air temperature in May 2025 was 15.79°C, which is 0.53°C above the 1991–2020 average for May, and 1.4°C higher than the estimated 1850–1900 pre-industrial average. This data point interrupts an unprecedented streak of 21…

Bristol: Children aged 5 to 15 will be able to enjoy free bus travel across the West of England during the upcoming school summer holidays, in a groundbreaking move benefiting approximately 150,000 young people. The initiative applies across the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) – which includes Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, and South Gloucestershire, as well as North Somerset, and marks the first scheme of its kind in England outside London. The free travel offer will not require bus passes or prior registration and will run from 19 July to 5 September, coinciding with the school holiday…

New York: Warner Bros Discovery, the parent company of CNN and HBO Max, has announced a major restructuring plan to divide itself into two separate entities by mid-2026. The move will see the US media giant separate its film and streaming business from its traditional cable television networks in response to changing viewer habits and market dynamics. The company’s streaming service HBO Max, which has achieved critical and commercial success with series such as Succession, The White Lotus, and The Last of Us, will become part of a newly formed company called Streaming & Studios. This new division will also…

London: The NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) has issued an urgent appeal for one million regular blood donors to maintain national supply levels and avert a potential ‘red alert’, a scenario in which blood shortages pose a serious threat to public health and safety. This warning follows a difficult year for blood supply management. In July, NHS officials had declared an ‘amber alert’ for O negative and O positive blood types after a cyberattack severely impacted hospitals across London. Since then, according to NHSBT, blood stocks have remained consistently low. Dr. Jo Farrar, Chief Executive of NHSBT, described the situation…

London: A new round of trade talks aimed at resolving the ongoing trade war between the United States and China is scheduled to take place in London. US President Donald Trump announced that a senior delegation from the US would meet with Chinese representatives, a plan Beijing confirmed over the weekend by revealing that Vice Premier He Lifeng will attend the talks. These announcements follow a recent phone conversation between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, which Trump described as a ‘very good talk’ resulting in a ‘very positive conclusion for both countries.’ Last month, the two largest economies in…

Manila / Jakarta: Staying cool this summer is coming at a higher cost, as coconut oil prices, crucial for manufacturing ice cream, have skyrocketed in 2025. At the end of May, Philippine coconut oil delivered in Rotterdam hit $2,800 per tonne, double the price from the previous year, with further increases expected as demand outpaces supply. Coconut oil’s unique properties, like a high melting point without compromising flavor or texture, make it ideal for industrial ice cream production. As a result, rising oil prices have led to a spike in dessert costs. In the UK, ice lollies and cones jumped…

Beijing: China is rapidly advancing its autonomous truck sector, with self-driving lorries now operating between major hubs like Beijing and Tianjin ports. Though regulations still require safety drivers, the vehicles are fully capable of navigating highways without human input, signaling a dramatic shift in the country’s logistics industry. One such driver, 32-year-old Huo Kangtian, plays the role of a ‘safety driver,’ observing as the truck drives itself. After taking control for the initial part of the journey, he switches to autonomous mode with a few buttons, letting the vehicle navigate itself at high speed. It handles ramps, toll gates, and…

Tokyo: Japanese private space company ispace has declared the failure of its second lunar landing mission after losing contact with its uncrewed moon lander, Resilience. The announcement was made after hours of silence from the lander, which was attempting to touch down on the Moon’s surface. The Tokyo-based firm confirmed that communication was lost during the final descent, and preliminary analysis suggests that a faulty laser-based altitude measurement system caused Resilience to descend too rapidly, likely resulting in a ‘hard landing.’ This marks ispace’s second failed landing attempt, following the crash of its first lander in 2023. At a press…

Washington DC: The administration of President Donald Trump has followed through on its threat to impose sanctions on officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The move targets four judges accused of ‘illegitimate and baseless actions’ against the United States and its allies. The sanctions were announced in a strongly worded statement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rubio condemned the ICC as a ‘politicized’ institution that wrongly claims unrestricted authority to investigate, charge, and prosecute nationals of the US and its allies, including Israel. He said this “dangerous assertion” infringes on the sovereignty and national security of the…