Author: News Desk

United States: After days of conjecture, Barack Obama has officially backed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic contender for president. In a joint statement, former First Lady Michelle Obama and former President Barack Obama expressed their belief that Harris possesses the “vision, the character, and the strength that this critical moment demands”. According to reports, Harris spoke with over 100 notable Democrats, including Obama, following President Joe Biden’s announcement last Sunday that he was withdrawing from the race. Obama wasn’t directly backing Harris in the statement he made at the time, but he did applaud Biden’s resignation. The US…

China: Typhoon Gaemi hits mainland China after causing chaos in Taiwan, the Philippines. In advance of the storm, more than 150,000 residents in the province of Fujian in southeast China have been moved to safer locations. It follows extensive flooding and at least 21 fatal landslides in Taiwan and the Philippines. Following the capsize and sinking of a tanker carrying 1.5 million litres of industrial fuel off the coast of the nation, the Philippines claims it is “racing against time” to stop the oil spill. The ship was one of two that sank in the area on Thursday; the other…

United Kingdom: Researchers have found that the approved shingles vaccine, Shingrix, may significantly reduce the risk of developing dementia. The discovery, based on a study of US medical records, highlights a potential new benefit of the vaccine beyond its primary purpose of preventing shingles, a painful condition caused by the herpes zoster virus. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Oxford, analysed the health records of over 200,000 US citizens vaccinated for shingles. It found that those who received Shingrix, the newer and more effective vaccine introduced in October 2017, had a 17 percent lower risk of developing…

United States: OpenAI is enhancing its artificial intelligence (AI) bot with new capabilities, aiming to surpass Google as the preferred search engine. The company announced that it is testing a search function that enables real-time information to be integrated into its ChatGPT product. This feature enables the bot to provide users with links and current information in response to their inquiries. Currently, only a small number of US users have access to the tool. However, it is anticipated to eventually be integrated into the business’s ChatGPT bot, which was responsible for sparking the initial enthusiasm surrounding AI when it emerged…

Paris: France is set to dazzle the world with an extravagant opening ceremony for the Paris 2024 Olympics, amid heightened security risks and geopolitical tensions. The ceremony, which will take place along the river Seine, aims to showcase Paris’s iconic landmarks in a grand display of culture and sport. Security measures With security at its peak, approximately 45,000 police, 10,000 soldiers, and 2,000 private security staff will secure the event. A procession of barges carrying nearly 7,000 athletes will pass by the city’s most famous landmarks, watched over by over 300,000 spectators along the banks. Security forces have implemented extensive…

Paris: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has conditionally selected France to host the 2030 Winter Olympics, contingent upon the provision of key financial guarantees. The French Alps bid emerged as the preferred choice in June, but due to ongoing elections and a caretaker government, the necessary state and regional financial assurances were delayed. The IOC requires France to secure these guarantees, signed by the Prime Minister, by October 1, with parliamentary ratification by March 1, 2025. French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the IOC session before the vote, expressing strong support for the bid. Emmanuel Macron stated that, “I confirm the…

Paris: The 2024 Paris Olympics has officially kicked off on Wednesday with football and rugby sevens competitions. To accommodate athletes’ recuperation periods and guarantee that the championship matches take place before the closing ceremony on August 11, some sports began two days ahead of schedule on Friday night. Due to crowd disruptions, the opening football match of the Olympics was postponed for about two hours, culminating in anarchy. After the game was eventually finished in an empty stadium, Morocco defeated Argentina 2-1. Les Bleus defeated Uruguay in their second match of the day after being held to a draw by…

Scotland: Two incredibly rare fossils discovered from Scotland’s Isle of Skye have reshaped human understanding of mammal evolution. Scientists have found that one of the first mammals to roam the Earth, alongside dinosaurs, could live for seven years or more, a sharp contrast to modern small mammals that often live just a year. The fossils belong to Krusatodon kirtlingtonesis, a primitive shrew-like mammal. Among the rare finds are two exceptionally complete skeletons: a juvenile and an adult. These discoveries are crucial, as only a handful of Krusatodon fossils have ever been found by scientists. Researchers have employed advanced X-ray imaging…

United States: Boeing has agreed to plead guilty to fraud after US prosecutors determined the company violated a deferred prosecution agreement related to two fatal crashes involving the 737 Max jetliner. Following the plea agreement submitted on Wednesday to a federal court in Texas, Boeing will have to pay a $243.6 million fine for deceiving aviation authorities on software that contributed to 346 fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019. The company, which earlier this month agreed to enter a guilty plea in principle, would also have to spend $455 million on compliance safety programs and hire an independent compliance monitor for…

United Kingdom: Inventors are trying to address the challenge of creating a reliable clean water supply on the moon, with one innovative approach involving a microwave oven from Tesco. As plans for a crewed lunar base advance, the need for a sustainable water source has become critical. Extracting and purifying water from ice in lunar craters at the south pole could provide drinking water, support crop growth, and be split into hydrogen for rocket fuel and oxygen for breathing. The UK Space Agency has announced £30,000 ($37,500) in seed funding for each of 10 UK teams competing in the Aqualunar…