Author: News Desk

London: A new survey reveals that almost half of young people would rather live in a world without the internet. The research shows that nearly 70 percent of 16- to 21-year-olds feel worse about themselves after spending time on social media. Half of those surveyed support a ‘digital curfew’ that would restrict access to certain apps and websites after 10 pm, while 46 percent said they would prefer to be young in a world without the internet at all. Deception and prolonged use The study found that a quarter of respondents spend four or more hours a day on social…

Redmond, Washington: Microsoft, ahead of its Build developer conference in Seattle, has unveiled new ambitions for artificial intelligence (AI), imagining a future where AI agents from different companies can collaborate and retain improved memories of past interactions. Chief Technology Officer Kevin Scott spoke to reporters and analysts at Microsoft’s Redmond, Washington headquarters, highlighting the company’s aim to standardize collaboration among AI agents, self-operating systems that can perform tasks such as fixing software bugs. Scott emphasized Microsoft’s support for the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open-source initiative introduced by Anthropic (a Google-backed AI firm), which aims to create an ‘agentic web.’…

Lisbon, Portugal: Portugal’s centre-right Democratic Alliance has won the country’s latest snap parliamentary election, the third in just three years, but once again fell short of securing a parliamentary majority. Luís Montenegro, leader of the Democratic Alliance, addressed supporters by vowing to ‘stimulate investment’ and ‘guarantee prosperity and social justice.’ His victory speech also acknowledged both his family and political allies who defended him against controversy surrounding business dealings made before he became party leader. The controversy, involving a company he founded and which is now owned by his sons, played a role in triggering this snap election, after the previous…

Basel, Switzerland: Austria claimed victory at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with an emotional performance by Austrian-Filipino singer-songwriter JJ. The 24-year-old, born Johannes Pietsch and trained as a countertenor, captivated audiences with his operatic ballad Wasted Love. Set on a dramatically storm-tossed ship, the performance depicted unrequited love and concluded with a techno breakdown. This marks Austria’s third Eurovision win, following Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph with Rise Like A Phoenix. Israel secured second place with New Day Will Rise, a piano ballad sung in Hebrew, French, and English by Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the 7 October 2023 attacks. Her…

New York City: The Mexican Navy training ship Cuauhtémoc crashed into New York City’s Brooklyn Bridge, injuring at least 22 people, with three in critical condition. The towering masts of the sailing vessel clipped the bridge as it passed underneath, causing parts of the masts to fall onto the deck. Injuries occurred because some crew members were standing on the masts at the time of impact. The ship was carrying over 200 people on board during a goodwill visit. Local reports indicate the vessel lost power before the collision, and the New York Police Department’s chief of operations suggested mechanical…

London: Trading standards officers have issued a major health warning over nasal tanning sprays that have been linked to skin cancer, respiratory problems, and severe allergic reactions. These unregulated and dangerous products, marketed online and boosted by social media influencers, are being flagged as a growing threat to public safety by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI). The sprays, which are inhaled through the nostrils, typically contain melanotan 2, a synthetic hormone not approved for use in the UK. This substance stimulates melanin production in the body to darken skin and can enhance tanning effects when used with sunbeds or…

Papua New Guinea: The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially declared a polio outbreak in Papua New Guinea and has called for an immediate and comprehensive vaccination campaign to prevent the disease from spreading further. The announcement follows the detection of the poliovirus in two healthy children during a routine health screening in Lae, a coastal city located in the northeast of the country. Although both children were asymptomatic, the highly infectious virus has sparked concern due to the country’s low immunisation rate. Currently, less than 50 percent of Papua New Guinea’s population is vaccinated against polio, a potentially deadly…

London: A coalition of the UK’s leading end-of-life and social care organisations has voiced strong opposition to the proposed Assisted Dying Bill, formally known as the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, expressing deep frustration over being excluded from vital consultations. The group warns the bill is ‘unworkable, unaffordable, and naive,’ expressing concern about its potential consequences on the workforce and vulnerable individuals. The Coalition of Frontline Care for People Nearing the End of Life represents key care stakeholders, including the Gold Standards Framework Charity (GSF), National Care Forum (NCF), British Geriatric Society (BGS), Care England (CE), and the…

Wellington: Three members of New Zealand’s Te Pāti Māori, co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi, along with the party’s youngest MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, are facing temporary suspensions from parliament for performing a haka during a vote on the controversial Treaty Principles Bill last November. The performance, which included Maipi-Clarke tearing up a copy of the bill, quickly went viral, garnering hundreds of millions of views globally. The bill in question, introduced by the libertarian ACT Party, aimed to reinterpret the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand’s founding agreement between the Māori and the British Crown. The proposal sparked nationwide protests, the…

San Francisco, CA: Airbnb has announced a major update to its app, introducing a suite of luxury services such as personal trainers, in-home massages, private chefs, spa treatments, makeup artists, and professional photographers. These new offerings, aimed at enhancing user experience and competing with traditional hotel amenities, will initially launch in 260 cities worldwide and are priced starting from below $50 (£37.57). Notably, these services will be available to both Airbnb guests and individuals not staying in Airbnb accommodations. “People choose hotels for their services. People choose Airbnbs for the space… now, we’re giving you the best of both worlds,”…