Author: News Desk

United States: The US has announced plans to ban the sale of antivirus software from the Russian company Kaspersky because of its suspected ties to the Kremlin. According to research, the company’s influence from Moscow poses a serious risk to US infrastructure and services, as stated by Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on Thursday. She claimed that Russia’s “capacity and… intent to collect and weaponize the personal information of Americans” was the reason the US had to respond. “Kaspersky will generally no longer be able to, among other activities, sell its software within the United States or provide updates to software…

Switzerland: A United Nations study that is touted as the largest on the subject, has revealed that four out of five people want their nations to step up efforts in the battle against climate change. The poll, which was released on Thursday by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), revealed that most respondents in 62 of the 77 nations polled were in favour of a swift switch from fossil fuels to sustainable energy. These included the largest greenhouse gas emitters in the world, with 81 percent of respondents in China and 54 percent in the US endorsing the initiative. Russian respondents,…

Ecuador: A top government minister reported that a countrywide blackout struck Ecuador on Wednesday, leaving almost 18 million people without power for several hours. At approximately 2:00 PM local time on Wednesday, the traffic lights in Quito, the capital, ceased functioning and the metro system stopped completely. Roberto Luque, the minister of public works, attributed the power outage to underfunding of electrical systems not long after electricity was restored. Due to a drought in April, the government was compelled to declare several scheduled blackouts that left large cities without power for extended periods. The incident on Wednesday was deemed “major”…

Last year saw record highs for both greenhouse gas emissions and the use of fossil fuels worldwide, even as renewable energy sources produced more electricity than ever before according to an industry report. According to the Statistical Review of World Energy report released on Thursday, there was a 1.5 percent increase in the use of fossil fuels compared to 2022, while there was a 2.1 percent increase in emissions. Simultaneously, 14.6 percent of energy consumption came from renewable sources, a 0.4 percent increase from the year before. The Energy Institute’s CEO, Nick Wayth, stated that although the need for fossil…

India: Delhi, India’s capital, is experiencing a prolonged heatwave, pushing power demand to a record high of 8,647 megawatts (MW) this week. For weeks, the city and neighbouring northern Indian regions have seen temperatures between 44 and 45 degrees Celsius. Delhi experiences regular power interruptions as a result of the heavy demand on resources caused by the widespread usage of cooling appliances like air conditioners. The capital set a record on Tuesday, one day after power usage in northern India peaked at 89,000 MW. This season, Delhi’s electrical demand has shattered numerous records. On May 22, it reached 8,000 MW.…

North Korea: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged complete support for Russia’s war in Ukraine. During their meeting in Pyongyang, President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia is battling the long-standing “hegemonic and imperialist policy” of the United States and its allies. Putin expressed gratitude to Kim on Wednesday for his assistance in Ukraine and announced the signing of an agreement to further their collaboration. The Russian president is in North Korea for the first time in 24 years, and as tensions between the two nations have grown in the months since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine,…

United States: McDonald’s decided to end an experiment of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted ordering at a few drive-through locations after recordings of order blunders went viral online. As restaurant chains scramble to use the technology to save rising labor costs, the fast food behemoth decided to withdraw the AI-powered voice-ordering system from roughly 100 locations. In 2021, McDonald’s and IBM partnered to begin the test program at a few drive-through locations around the United States. Restaurant Business, a trade newspaper, broke the story first on Friday. “After a thoughtful review, McDonald’s has decided to end our current partnership with IBM on…

Hong Kong: The stock exchange in Hong Kong will no longer be closed during typhoons and other severe weather, as it has done for decades. According to John Lee, the chief executive of Hong Kong, the financial industry overwhelmingly backed the move, which would align the financial centre with other markets, particularly those in mainland China. “Shenzhen and Shanghai are now trading in bad weather. There is no reason why Hong Kong, as an international financial centre, should not follow suit,” Lee told reporters at a news conference on Tuesday. “Non-stop trading in inclement weather can strengthen the competitiveness of…

United States: The US lawmakers will hear from Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun, who acknowledged that the company’s safety culture is a source of concern following a mid-air incident in January. Prior to the US Senate subcommittee hearing, he made prepared remarks in which he stated that, “Our culture is far from perfect, but we are taking action and making progress. We understand the gravity.” Since an unusable door fell from a brand-new 737 Max aircraft during an Alaska Airlines flight and left a huge hole in its side, the airline has gained attention. In April, Boeing whistleblowers informed the Senate…

Russia: Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to arrive in North Korea later on Tuesday, marking his first visit in 24 years and highlighting the growing relationship between the two nuclear-armed nations. During his September visit to the east of Russia, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un invited Putin to the first meeting between the two men since 2019. “At the invitation of the Chairman of State Affairs of the DPRK, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin will pay a friendly state visit to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea on June 18-19,” the Kremlin said on Monday, using North Korea’s…