Author: News Desk

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…

Australia: Chinese Premier Li Qiang was welcomed by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to the Australian Parliament in Canberra for high-level discussions that were honest, according to both parties. Li’s four-day visit marks the first time a Chinese premier has visited Australia in seven years. Prior to this, Beijing had imposed broad taxes on important Australian exports, such as coal, wine, and barley. Following the talks, Albanese expressed his concerns about the state of human rights in China, the Pacific region, and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine at a press conference. “We … have our differences … that’s why…

Israel: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes the military’s plan for daily tactical pauses along a main road into Gaza to allow aid delivery. The daily pauses in the area from the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing to the Salah al-Din Road and then northward had been declared by the IDF. They would last from 05:00 to 16:00 GMT. “When the prime minister heard the reports of an 11-hour humanitarian pause in the morning, he turned to his military secretary and made it clear that this was unacceptable to him,” an Israeli official told the Reuters news agency. The…

Gaza (Palestine): The UN has praised Israel’s decision to temporarily halt fighting around a key Gaza route to allow for aid deliveries but stressed the need for more substantial actions to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Israel’s military announced a ‘local, tactical pause’ in military activities during daylight hours near Rafah to facilitate humanitarian assistance. The UN’s aid agency OCHA, represented by spokesman Jens Laerke, acknowledged the move but emphasized that it has yet to significantly increase aid reaching those in need. Dire Humanitarian Situation UN agencies and aid groups have repeatedly raised alarms about severe shortages of food and…

Switzerland: World leaders are gathering in Switzerland for a summit to pressure Russia to end its war in Ukraine, but the absence of key Moscow allies like China may reduce its impact. Alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the summit, which begins on Saturday, are anticipated to be Vice President Kamala Harris of the United States and the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan. It is also anticipated that Turkey, Hungary, and India—all of which have better ties with Russia—will join. China, meanwhile, has decided not to participate after Russia was barred from the proceedings on the…