Author: News Desk

New York: The United Nations issues a warning that only 17 percent of its 169 targets aimed at improving life for over 7 billion people globally are on track to be met by the 2030 deadline. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024. Guterres commended on the report that, “It shows the world is getting a failing grade.” World leaders had adopted 17 wide-ranging development goals from ending global poverty to achieving gender equality in 2015, and set 169 specific targets to be reached by the end of the decade. According to the report, nearly half…

United Kingdom: Omari Kellyman, an attacking midfielder from Aston Villa, has signed a six-year contract with Chelsea. The 18-year-old, an England U19 international, appeared in six first-team games at Villa Park. “It is fantastic to be standing here as a Chelsea player. It’s a massive club with an amazing history, so it is great to join. “It is a dream come true for sure. I’m buzzing to have put on the shirt and can’t wait to get started,” Kellyman told Chelsea’s official website. Kellyman signed a 10-year contract with Derby County to begin his career there before moving on to…

Panama City:  In a significant legal outcome, a Panamanian court has acquitted all 28 individuals charged with money laundering related to the Panama Papers scandal, following a trial that began in April. The secret financial documents, Panama Papers, were leaked in 2016, and it exposed how some of the world’s wealthiest and most influential individuals utilized offshore tax havens to hide their wealth. Among those cleared of charges were Jurgen Mossack and the late Ramon Fonseca, founders of Mossack Fonseca, the defunct law firm at the centre of the scandal. Judge Baloisa Marquinez cited insufficient evidence for the acquittal, stating…

A persistent form of human pollution is entering our bodies in ways we never fully understood. Using human tissue models, researchers from the University of Birmingham have demonstrated that “forever chemicals,” such as per- and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds, or PFAS, are surprisingly capable of penetrating human skin. Research by Ragnarsdóttir and her colleagues indicates that this isn’t always the case. Currently, there are over 12,000 identified PFAS variants on the market. However, experts are still unsure of the exact degree of exposure needed for these pollutants to cause hazardous consequences in the body or how cosmetic items connect to persistent…

Nouakchott : Mauritanians are voting in the presidential election today. President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani is facing six opponents in the election. Ghazouani, a former high-ranking military officer, vows to increase investments to drive a commodities boom in the country of 5 million people, where many live in poverty despite abundant fossil fuel and mineral resources. First elected in 2019, Ghazouani is expected to win due to the ruling party’s dominance. His opponents include anti-slavery activist Biram Dah Abeid, who came second in 2019 with over 18 percent of the vote, Lawyer Id Mohameden M’Bareck, Economist Mohamed Lemine El Mourtaji El…

United States: After a poor debate performance with Donald Trump heightened concerns about his age and mental sharpness, US President Joe Biden aimed to show confidence at a rally in North Carolina. During his statements on Friday, Biden appeared to dismiss suggestions that he should step down so that a younger candidate might challenge Trump in the crucial race in November. “I intend to win this election. When you get knocked down, you get back up,” Biden said, alluding to his debate performance the day earlier. The address comes after what many political observers deemed to be Biden’s terrible performance…

Mongolia: The Mongolian People’s Party (MPP), which is in power, is predicted to win the election despite growing public dissatisfaction with corruption and the country’s economic situation. Voters in the huge country, which is surrounded by Russia and China, will select 126 representatives to the enlarged State Great Khural, which will serve as the nation’s legislature. On Thursday, the polls opened at 7 AM local time (23 00 GMT) and closed at 10 p.m. (14 00 GMT). Because of automated vote counting, preliminary results are anticipated in a few hours. The MPP, led by Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene, won resoundingly…

United States: Amid escalating tensions between China and the US and its allies, the US Pacific Fleet is currently hosting the 29th Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), the largest international maritime exercise, in Hawaii. RIMPAC this year brings together the military forces from 29 countries for five weeks of training aimed at strengthening multilateral relations and readiness in the Indo-Pacific region. The training will continue until August. https://youtu.be/9gedqA_mdpQ Established by Australia, Canada, and the US in 1971, this year’s drills feature participants from South Korea, Japan, India, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Latin America, and Europe. The exercise centers around combat…

Belgium: Ursula von der Leyen has been nominated for a second term as head of the European Commission, with Estonia’s prime minister, Kaja Kallas, selected as foreign policy chief after European Union leaders reached a late-night agreement on the top roles within the institution. The accord nominated former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa as the chairman of the European Council, despite opposition from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Though Costa will automatically follow Michel this year, von der Leyen and Kallas must receive the legislature’s support to be confirmed in their roles. All three nominees are members of the centrist…

United States: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended that individuals aged six months and older should receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine for the 2024-25 immunisation campaign, regardless of their previous vaccination status. The new recommendation aligns with the unanimous vote of the CDC’s panel of outside experts. They had advised the use of updated COVID-19 vaccines, authorized or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), for those aged six months and older. The immunisation will take effect once the new vaccines from Moderna, Novavax, and Pfizer become available later this year, according to…