Author: News Desk

Saudi Arabia: Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) producers have decided to reduce their voluntary oil output for the first quarter of the following year to stimulate the market. However, this decision resulted in a decline in crude prices. OPEC+ members, which produce over 40 percent of the world’s oil, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, and others, convened virtually on Thursday and released a statement compiling the announcements of voluntary reductions made by each nation. Brazil was invited to join the group by OPEC+, and the country’s energy minister said it hoped to join in January 2024. As OPEC+ producers…

Switzerland: A new report has stated that newly emerging billionaires have collected a significant portion of their wealth from inheritances rather than through their own work and entrepreneurship. The report by Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) noted that of the 137 people who became billionaires in the 12 months to April 2023, 53 inherited a combined $150.8 billion from their families. This exceeds the combined $140.7 billion created by “84 new self-made” billionaires over the same period. The bank noted that, for the first time in the nine-year span of its annual report focusing on the wealth of the wealthiest…

Qatar: Israel’s military has stated that the truce with Hamas will extend to its seventh day. The ceasefire will be extended into a seventh day, according to Hamas, which on Wednesday night released 16 hostages in return for 30 Palestinian prisoners. The ceasefire will last “in light of the mediators’ efforts to continue the process of releasing hostages, and subject to the terms of the agreement,” according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It was planned that the six-day cease-fire in Gaza would expire on Thursday at 7 am local time (5 am GMT). The one-day extension of the ceasefire…

United Kingdom: A new study has found that air pollution from fossil fuel use is causing the deaths of 5 million people globally each year, surpassing previous estimates of the mortality toll. The study published in BMJ noted that pollution from the use of fossil fuels in industry, power generation, and transportation accounts for 5.1 million avoidable deaths a year globally. According to reports, the contribution of fossil fuels equates to 61 percent of a total estimated 8.3 million deaths worldwide due to outdoor air pollution from all sources in 2019. “Our results suggest that a global phase-out of fossil…

South Korea: South Korea has suspended striker Hwang Ui-jo seven weeks before the Asian Cup due to a police investigation into allegations he illegally filmed his ex-girlfriend. The Norwich City forward is accused of recording a sexual encounter with his ex-partner on his phone and posting the footage to social media without her consent. But the footballer denied the allegation. Hwang scored a penalty in South Korea’s two World Cup qualifying matches this month, but the Korea Football Association (KFA) suspended him on Tuesday while they awaited the results of police inquiries. The 31-year-old remains able to play for English…

United States: The United States authorities have alleged that an Indian government official orchestrated a failed plot to kill a Sikh separatist on American land. The federal prosecutors noted that Mr. Nikhil Gupta, a 52-year-old Indian man, had worked with an Indian government intelligence and security worker in a secret plot to kill a Sikh activist in New York. Prosecutors did not name the Indian official or the target but referred to the target as a critic of the Indian government and an advocate for an independent Sikh state in the Punjab region. Mr. Gupta was arrested by Czech authorities…

United Kingdom: The International Energy Agency (IEA) has stated that the Ukraine war acted as a turning point for Europe’s gas consumption, as demand reduced significantly. According to the global energy watchdog, consumption is expected to fall again this year as homes and firms embrace efficiency upgrades and heat pumps. The IEA noted in a report that Europe’s developed economies reduced their gas use by 15 percent in 2022 after Russia cut off flows after its invasion. “European homes and businesses reduced their gas demand by a further 9 percent in the first three-quarters of this year, which could lead…

United States: Tech giant Amazon has revealed that it will launch a business chatbot named Q powered by generative artificial intelligence (AI) during an annual conference in Las Vegas. The annual conference hosted by the company for its AWS cloud computing service represents Amazon’s response to rivals that have introduced chatbots capturing the public’s attention. Since the release of ChatGPT by San Francisco start-up OpenAI a year ago, there has been a significant increase in interest from the general public and industry players in generative AI tools that can produce textual content such as essays, marketing pitches, emails, and other…

United Kingdom: A new study found that walking faster may help significantly lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. According to the World Health Organisation, type 2 diabetes is one of the world’s major health threats, with its prevalence rising sharply in the last three decades. The latest study showed that a brisk walk or striding is better for reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes than walking at a slower pace. The data analysis was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The research team found that people who walked faster than 3 km/h were less likely…

France: France will ban smoking on all beaches, as well as in public parks, forests, and near schools, after Mr. Emmanuel Macron, France’s President, vowed to create “the first tobacco-free generation” by 2032. The French health minister, Mr. Aurélien Rousseau, stated that, “From now on, no-smoking areas will be the norm.” France currently has 7,200 tobacco-free zones, with Nice being the first. In 2012, the French League Against Cancer approved the establishment of a cigarette-free beach in Nice, located on the French Riviera. The central government announced that it would impose a national ban on smoking rather than letting local…