Author: News Desk

China: China has launched an astronomical satellite, developed over nearly 20 years by Chinese and French scientists, to capture gamma-ray bursts from the farthest parts of the universe. According to the China National Space Administration (CNSA), a Long March-2C rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China’s Sichuan Province launched the satellite, the Space-based Multi-band Variable Object Monitor (SVOM), at 3:00 p.m. (Beijing Time). The satellite was launched into an orbit more than 600 kilometres above Earth with a five-year design life, but experts anticipate that it may remain in use for up to 20 years. The SVOM,…

Spain: Barcelona, a popular vacation spot in Spain, has declared that it will prohibit tourists from renting apartments starting in 2028. This is a somewhat bold step meant to control skyrocketing housing costs and improve living conditions for locals. The left-leaning mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, declared on Friday that the 10,101 units that are currently permitted for short-term rentals would no longer have their licenses valid by November 2028. Some locals were unable to purchase an apartment due to the surge in short-term rentals in Barcelona, Spain’s most popular tourist destination, as prices for apartments increased by 68 percent…

South Korea: South Korea’s military fired warning shots after several North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the border, marking the third such incident this month. According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the incident happened on Thursday at approximately 11:00 a.m. (02:00 GMT), when North Korean soldiers breached the Military Demarcation Line that passes through the center of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The JCS stated on Friday that “the North Korean soldiers retreated back northwards after our military’s warning broadcasts and warning shots.” There were similar instances on June 9 and Tuesday. Seoul claimed that on both instances, the North…

Canada: Donald Sutherland, the well-known Canadian actor who captivated and mesmerized audiences in movies like MASH, Klute, and The Hunger Games, passed away at the age of 88. According to his son, actor Kiefer Sutherland, the actor passed away on Thursday. The actor’s long career spanned the 1960s and the 2020s. Among his most well-known performances were those of Hawkeye Pierce in Robert Altman’s MASH, which takes place in a Korean War-era military field hospital, and of a hopeless father in Robert Redford’s Oscar-winning feature debut, Ordinary People. His portrayal as President Coriolanus Snow, the dictatorial ruler in The Hunger…

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,…