Author: News Desk

United States: US President Mr. Joe Biden has stated that he has made it clear to Israeli Prime Minister Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu that taking over Gaza would be “a big mistake.” The President suggested that a two-state solution was the only way to put an end to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. “I made it clear to the Israelis I think it’s a big mistake for them to think they’re going to occupy Gaza and maintain Gaza. I don’t think that works,” Mr. Biden said in a statement to the media. The Israeli Prime Minister said earlier this month that after the…

United Kingdom: A study around the world found that magicians are less prone to mental health difficulties than other groups or the general population. The research, led by Aberystwyth University’s psychology department, assessed the psychopathological traits of almost 200 magicians and compared the results with those of other artistic groups and the general population. The study, published in the journal BJPsych Open, concluded that magicians scored significantly lower than other types of creatives and “normal” folk. “Despite their job involving the illusion of delving into mystery, magicians were less likely to have unusual experiences such as hallucinations or cognitive disorganization,”…

France: France has issued an arrest warrant for Syria’s president, Mr. Bashar al-Assad, over using banned chemical weapons against civilians in Syria. The French judicial department has ordered the arrest warrant for Syria’s president, his brother, Mr. Maher, and military generals Mr. Ghassan Abbas and Mr. Bassam al-Hassan. As per the reports, they were charged with complicity in crimes against humanity and complicity in war crimes. According to the rights group Civil Rights Defenders, Mr. Maher al-Assad heads a Syrian military unit; meanwhile, Mr. Ghassan Abbas and Mr. Bassam al-Hassan work with a Syrian research agency suspected of developing chemical…

United States: The United Nations Security Council has passed a resolution for “urgent and extended humanitarian pauses throughout the Gaza Strip.” The resolution called for allowing aid delivery and medical evacuations after four previous failed attempts to stop the war. The resolution, introduced by Malta, further demanded for “corridors throughout the Gaza Strip for a sufficient number of days” to safeguard civilians, particularly children. It additionally asked for the unconditional release of captives held in Gaza. The resolution was adopted by 12 votes in favour, zero against, and three abstentions, including Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The…

Taiwan: Taiwan’s two rival opposition parties are set to collaborate in the upcoming presidential election, in a move analysed as a major political upset for the East Asian democracy. The deal will bring together the Kuomintang (KMT), one of Taiwan’s two major political parties, and the independent Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) to compete in a joint ticket for the presidency and legislature in the national vote to be held on January 13, 2024. Both parties did not reveal further details of the collaboration. According to reports, they would base their decisions on the results of polling, which has been under…

London, UK: Ms. Suella Braverman, the UK’s sacked home secretary, has accused Mr. Rishi Sunak, the UK’s Prime Minister, of “betraying” a secret deal they made to secure her backing during the Tory leadership contest that led the way for him to become prime minister. In a letter after being fired as home secretary, the Conservative Member of Parliament criticized Mr. Sunak, stating that he had continuously failed to fulfil important policies. Ms. Braverman wrote that Mr. Sunak is “weak, uncertain, and lacking in leadership qualities.” The sacked home secretary noted that she agreed to join Mr. Sunak’s cabinet with…

United Kingdom: A new study has found that consuming higher levels of ultraprocessed food increases the risk of developing multimorbidity, or having multiple chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. The study, published in the journal The Lancet, analysed dietary information from 266,666 men and women from seven European countries between 1992 and 2000. Researchers monitored the participants for 11 years to observe the occurrence of different chronic conditions, such as cancer. “What is particularly significant in this large study is that eating more ultra-processed foods, in particular animal products and sweetened beverages, was linked to an increased…

North Korea: The state media has said North Korea has successfully held static tests of a new solid-fuel engine for its banned intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBM). The country “has developed new-type high-thrust solid-fuel engines for intermediate ballistic missiles again, which are of important strategic significance,” the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) stated. “The test provided a sure guarantee for reliably accelerating the development of the new-type IRBM system,” KCNA added. In recent years, North Korea has conducted numerous weapons trials, revealing its initial solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and a new type of submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). These actions…

Finland: Finland has accused Russia of leading asylum seekers to the country’s border and warned that it will take action against “the jump in the number of arrivals.” The Finnish Border Guard pointed out that the number of arrivals from Russia has soared in recent days, with about 60 asylum seekers coming since November 13. This data is notable when compared to the overall figure of 91 people who arrived without the necessary documents from August 1 to November 12. According to Interior Minister Ms. Mari Rantanen, the number of crossings at Finland’s southeastern border has risen substantially since August…

Nepal: Nepal has banned the Chinese social media app TikTok, claiming that the platform is adversely affecting the “social harmony” in the South Asian country. Nepal’s Foreign Minister Mr. Narayan Prakash Saud commented that the app has been banned with immediate effect following a cabinet meeting. “The government has decided to ban TikTok as it was necessary to regulate the use of the social media platform that was disrupting social harmony, goodwill, and the flow of indecent materials,” Mr. Saud said. China’s ByteDance-owned TikTok was previously banned by several countries, including India and Afghanistan, with the UK, Australia, and the European…