Author: News Desk

Washington DC: US President Donald Trump’s White House has launched a new COVID-19 website, as part of a broader effort to revisit the pandemic’s handling. The website blames the origin of the coronavirus on a laboratory leak in China and delivers pointed criticism at Democratic former President Joe Biden, former top US health official Dr. Anthony Fauci, and the World Health Organization (WHO). The site also expresses opposition to key public health policies implemented during the pandemic, denouncing measures such as social distancing, mask mandates, and lockdowns. Trump, who took office in January, initiated a 12-month process to withdraw the…

Kyiv, Ukraine:  Ukraine’s government has signed a Memorandum of Intent with the United States, outlining potential minerals deal that could pave the way for deeper economic cooperation and post-war reconstruction support. The announcement was made by Ukrainian Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, who described the agreement as a precursor to an Economic Partnership Agreement. The proposed deal would include the creation of an investment fund aimed at rebuilding Ukraine’s infrastructure and economy. Svyrydenko shared the news with a post on X, accompanied by photos showing her and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signing the document separately. Svyrydenko wrote that, “We are…

Weymouth, UK: SeaCURE, a groundbreaking pilot project to capture carbon from seawater, has begun operating on England’s south coast. Funded by the UK government, the initiative is part of broader efforts to explore innovative technologies to combat climate change. While reducing greenhouse gas emissions is the priority for scientists, many agree that capturing some of the gases already released is crucial. SeaCURE aims to test the efficiency of removing carbon from seawater, where concentrations are much higher than in the atmosphere. How this works? Located in Weymouth, the facility pulls seawater into the project through a pipe that extends under…

Hong Kong: In response to what it calls ‘unreasonable and bullying’ tariff measures by Washington, Hong Kong Post has suspended its sea mail services for goods bound for the United States and announced plans to halt air mail containing goods starting April 27, 2025. In an official statement, Hong Kong Post warned senders to prepare for ‘exorbitant and unreasonable fees’ when mailing goods to the US and firmly stated that it ‘definitely’ will not collect any such tariffs on behalf of the United States. The suspension affects only parcels containing goods, while regular postal items such as documents, remain unaffected.…

Geneva: WHO Member States have made history in Geneva by reaching consensus on a proposed draft Pandemic Accord, marking a major milestone in global health diplomacy. The agreement, which follows over three years of negotiations and 13 formal rounds of discussion, sets the stage for a coordinated international response to future pandemics. The finalized draft will now be presented for consideration at the World Health Assembly in May, the WHO confirmed. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised the milestone as proof that multilateralism remains effective, stating that countries have shown they can work together to find consensus. Tedros said…

Washington DC: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg took the witness stand in a landmark antitrust trial at a federal court in Washington DC, defending his company against claims it unfairly dominates the social media market. The case, brought by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 2020 during the end of the Trump administration, accuses Meta of monopolistic behavior through its acquisitions of Instagram in 2012 for $1 billion and WhatsApp in 2014 for $19 billion. The FTC argues that Meta made these purchases not to innovate but to neutralize competition, highlighting internal communications in which Zuckerberg admitted concern about how…

Van Horn, Texas: Pop superstar Katy Perry and five other women returned safely to Earth following a successful suborbital spaceflight aboard Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin New Shepard rocket. The mission marked a notable moment for private space travel, featuring an all-female crew that included high-profile figures from entertainment, science, and activism. Joining Perry were Lauren Sánchez, Bezos’s fiancée; Gayle King, CBS presenter; Aisha Bowe, a former NASA rocket scientist; Amanda Nguyen, a civil rights activist; and film producer Kerianne Flynn. The rocket launched from West Texas on 14th April, 2025, at approximately 08:30 local time, and the flight lasted around…

London: In an unprecedented move, an emergency bill aimed at securing the future of British Steel’s Scunthorpe blast furnaces has officially become law. Passed in just one day, the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Bill grants UK ministers sweeping powers to ensure the plant remains operational. The legislation was rushed through both the House of Commons and the House of Lords during a special sitting, the first such recall from recess in over four decades. It was swiftly granted royal assent by King Charles. The new law empowers the government to intervene directly in the steel industry, allowing ministers to take…

Washington DC: In a major policy shift, former US President Donald Trump’s administration has revealed that smartphones, computers, and other electronic devices will be excluded from steep tariffs, including the 125 percent levies on Chinese imports. This marks the first significant exemption under the sweeping tariff strategy initiated during Trump’s term. According to a notice by US Customs and Border Protection, these goods are also excluded from the global 10 percent tariff previously applied to most countries. The exemptions, which are backdated to April 5, extend to semiconductors, solar cells, memory cards, and other essential electronics. While traveling to Miami,…

New York: A tragic helicopter crash in New York’s Hudson River has claimed the lives of six people, including three children, officials confirmed. The victims were identified as Agustin Escobar, President & CEO of Siemens Spain, his wife, their 3 children, and the Pilot. The aircraft, operated by New York Helicopters, departed from the Downtown Skyport in Manhattan at 2:59 pm local time and crashed minutes later, around 3:17 pm, near the George Washington Bridge while flying along the New Jersey shoreline. Video footage showed the helicopter flipping upside down before hitting the water. Emergency services responded swiftly, deploying rescue…