Author: News Desk

United States: Tesla has predicted a significant slowdown in sales this year as the latest automaker to voice concerns about declining demand. Growth will be “notably lower” than in 2023, when deliveries increased by 38 percent, according to Elon Musk’s electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer. Following the announcement, the company’s shares dropped by nearly 6 percent during extended trading in New York. Musk added that if trade barriers are not implemented, Chinese competitors “will pretty much demolish most other car companies in the world.” Last year, Tesla frequently slashed prices in an effort to maintain demand. Due to the actions, the…

North Korea: North Korea claims to have tested a new type of cruise missile for the first time as it works to bolster its military might. The Pulhwasal-3-31 missile is still in the development stage, according to a report published on Thursday by the official Korean Central News Agency. The term “strategic” suggests that the missile will eventually be equipped with nuclear weapons. “The test-fire had no impact on the security of neighbouring countries and has nothing to do with the regional situation,” it said. The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea announced on Wednesday morning that it had…

While headlines scream of ship bombings and oil tanker threats in the Red Sea, the reality paints a more nuanced picture. Houthi attacks, primarily aimed at garnering regional support, have had minimal impact on the overall power balance. However, the disruption to global trade, particularly for China and India, has spurred these Asian giants to push for de-escalation. Limited damage: Despite media hype, actual damage to ships and tankers from the attacks remains small. Both sides operate within agreed-upon “rules of engagement,” preventing a full-blown conflict. However, the impact on global trade, especially for countries heavily reliant on the Red…

United States: Former US President Donald Trump solidified his path to a third consecutive Republican presidential nomination after defeating Nikki Haley in the GOP primary in New Hampshire. Following months of intense campaigning in the state, Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, finished second in the Republican primary. Trump won by a double-digit margin over Haley, earning his second clear-cut triumph following the Iowa caucuses one week prior. In Iowa’s caucuses last week, the former president prevailed handily. A few days later, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis abruptly withdrew from the Republican race, leaving Haley as Trump’s sole opponent.…

United States: A UN expert has issued a warning, claiming that peaceful protestors are the targets of “toxic discourse” and that environmental activists are facing a “severe crackdown” in the UK. During a recent visit to the UK, Michel Forst, the UN Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders, reported learning of “extremely worrying information” regarding “an increasingly severe crackdown.” In a statement on Tuesday, he warned that “regressive laws” were being used to punish environmental and climate activists severely, “including in relation to the exercise of the right to peaceful protest.” “The right to protest is a basic human right. It…

London: The House of Lords, part of the UK Parliament, advised the Conservative government against ratifying a Rwanda migration agreement. This advisory vote, while largely symbolic, indicates growing opposition to the controversial proposal to send certain asylum seekers to Rwanda. The Lords voted 214 to 171 on Monday to postpone the treaty, central to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s strategy to address legal obstacles to the deportation plan imposed by the UK Supreme Court. The Lords, comprising appointed members, supported a motion demanding evidence of Rwanda’s safety before ratification. Former diplomat John Kerr, a member of the Lords, stated the Rwanda policy…

Cameroon: The world’s first malaria vaccine was rolled out in Cameroon, reportedly marking a “transformative chapter in Africa’s public health history.” Children in the West African nation will receive 662,000 doses of the RTS,S vaccine. The first to receive vaccinations following the medication’s successful trials in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi in 2019 and 2021. It follows successful trial programmes in Kenya, Ghana, and Malawi, where Unicef reports that the vaccine reduced malaria deaths in children of qualifying age by 13 percent. In Africa, where 95 percent of malaria-related deaths occur, the majority of which affect children under five, this signifies…

United Kingdom: The Houthi militant group, which is aligned with Iran, is still attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea. As a result, the United States and the United Kingdom have launched a new round of strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. Since November, the Houthis, who hold sway over a large portion of Yemen, have attacked dozens of ships in the main waterway, disrupting international maritime trade and igniting fears about the effects on the world economy. Targeting a Houthi underground storage facility as well as missile and surveillance capabilities, the US and UK announced on Monday that they…

Germany: Thousands of Germans demonstrated against the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the country’s towns and cities. Protests against the AfD took place on Sunday in Leipzig, Dresden, and other traditional AfD voting strongholds in eastern Germany, in addition to Berlin, Munich, and Cologne. According to national polls, the AfD is trailing the main centre-right opposition bloc but ahead of the government parties. However, demonstrations against the far-right party gained momentum after an investigative news website reported on January 10th that a meeting of right-wing extremists in Germany regarding immigration policies had discussed mass deportations of foreign nationals.…

Israel: Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister, has turned down a proposal by Hamas to stop the war, free the prisoners, withdraw Israeli forces, and acknowledge the armed group’s rule over Gaza. Mr. Netanyahu claimed that Israel’s soldiers had “fallen in vain” and that accepting Hamas’ demands would mean leaving the armed group “intact.” Netanyahu is facing increasing domestic pressure to free the prisoners. “I reject outright the terms of surrender of the monsters of Hamas. If we accept this, we won’t be able to guarantee the safety of our citizens. We will not be able to bring evacuees home…