Author: News Desk

Russia: Russia is expelling Britain’s defence attaché to Moscow in a diplomatic tit-for-tat after the UK accused Russia of sponsoring espionage and hacking attacks against top British officials in a long-term campaign of “malign activity.” Adrian Coghill, the British defence attaché, was labelled “persona non grata” by the Russian foreign ministry. Within a week, he has to depart from Russian Federation territory. It was a reaction to the UK’s decision on May 8 to remove diplomatic status from the Russian-owned Seacox Heath property in Sussex and the Russian embassy’s trade and defence section in Highgate. The UK had accused the…

United States: The US Justice Department has initiated a significant shift in drug policy by moving to reclassify cannabis as a less dangerous substance. The proposal on Thursday does not completely legalize marijuana for recreational use, as is the case in 24 US states as well as the District of Columbia at the moment. Additionally, marijuana is now legal in thirty-eight US states for medical use. “Far too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. I’m committed to righting those historic wrongs. You have my word,” Biden said on Thursday on X. However, in an…

China: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping have signed a statement to strengthen their countries’ strategic partnership at a summit, emphasizing their relationship as a stabilizing influence in a turbulent world. Speaking at a joint press conference on Thursday, Xi said that “China is willing to … jointly achieve the development and rejuvenation of our respective countries, and work together to uphold fairness and justice in the world.” The visit coincides with Russia’s purported advances on the 1,000 km (600 mi) front line, where Ukrainian forces have been hindered by delayed arms and ammunition delivery from the…

France: France has declared a state of emergency in the island New Caledonia in the Pacific and sent in police and military forces to put an end to days of turmoil over the French government’s decision to alter the regulations governing provincial elections. Despite a nighttime curfew, violence that broke out on Monday night has left three Indigenous Kanak people and a police officer dead. Numerous people have been hurt. The state of emergency, which grants the authorities broad search and arrest powers, went into effect at 5 a.m. on Thursday (18:00 GMT on Wednesday). Five persons have been placed…

Slovakia: Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico has been critically injured after being shot multiple times in a politically motivated assassination attempt, according to the interior minister. The prime minister’s condition is life-threatening, Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok stated at a briefing outside the hospital in Banska Bystrica, the city’s center, earlier on Wednesday. He said that the shooting was “politically motivated and the perpetrator’s decision was born closely after the presidential election,” alluding to the election that an ally of Fico won in April. The shooting shocked the country of central Europe and sparked international outrage in the central town…

Russia: Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit China for the second time in less than a year, at the invitation of Chinese leader Xi Jinping. This is the latest indication of the two countries’ growing alignment at a time when global fault lines are becoming more pronounced as Russia advances in Ukraine and conflict devastates Gaza. Less than a week after taking office again and prolonging his despotic rule until 2030 as the outcome of an election with no real opposition, Putin is scheduled to arrive in China. According to Chinese official media, his visit, which is scheduled on May…

China: A well-known protest song in Hong Kong has been blocked on YouTube, following a court decision granting the government’s request to ban the anthem. YouTube said in a statement on Wednesday that, as a result of a court ruling, 32 online sites that play “Glory to Hong Kong” have been blocked and are no longer accessible in the semi-autonomous Chinese city. When users tried to view the videos—which feature the song’s instrumental and sign language versions—from Hong Kong, they were met with notices that said things like, “This video isn’t available anymore” or “This content is not available on…

United States: US President Joe Biden has declared a 100 percent tariff on electric vehicles manufactured in China. This move is aimed at safeguarding US manufacturers from the competition of inexpensive imports. The White House said that it was putting stricter restrictions on $18 billion worth of Chinese goods, a move that is sure to exacerbate trade tensions between the two largest economies in the world. According to sources, the action was taken after a four-year evaluation and was intended as a preventive measure to prohibit low-cost, heavily subsidized Chinese items from entering the US market and stunting the expansion…

Switzerland: An NGO monitor discovered that the global population of internally displaced people (IDPs) reached a record 75.9 million in 2023. In a report published by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) stated that 68.3 million people had been displaced by conflict and violence, and 7.7 million had been displaced by natural disasters. The numbers reached a new high as a result of the wars in Gaza and Sudan. “Over the past two years, we’ve seen alarming new levels of people having to flee their homes due to conflict and violence, even in regions where the trend had been improving,”…

Ukraine: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Kyiv in an unexpected diplomatic visit to stress US support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian forces that have established a new front line in the northeastern Kharkiv region. This month’s $61 billion military aid package for the nation was approved by Congress after much delay, and there are worries that the US leadership has been busy with Israel’s Gaza conflict. This is the first visit by a senior US official since then. According to a US official who briefed reporters travelling with Blinken on condition of anonymity, Blinken,…