Author: News Desk

China: A news study has found that tai chi, a Chinese martial art, can help slow down the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease for several years. According to researchers, the patients who practiced tai chi twice a week had fewer complications and a better quality of life than those who didn’t. Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological condition that leads to tremors and slow movement, and currently, there is no known cure. The study, from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, analysed the health of hundreds of Parkinson’s patients for up to five years. Among these, one group of 147…

China: China has sent a new crew to its Tiangong space station as part of its expanding space programme, with the goal of sending humans to the Moon by 2030. The Chinese spaceflight Shenzhou-17 took off from the Jiuquan launch site in northwest China at 11:14 am, carrying a crew of three astronauts with the youngest average age ever for the space station’s construction. During a farewell ceremony, hundreds of supporters, waving the Chinese national flag and holding yellow flowers, enthusiastically cheered on the three astronauts. Tiangong, also known as the Tiangong space station, is a space station built by…

Australia: Australian authorities have returned three historical artefacts to Beijing that are believed to have been illegally exported from China. According to reports, the artefacts returned to Chinese officials in Canberra include a dinosaur fossil aged more than 100 million years and two Tang Dynasty figurines. The police working at the Australian border seized the items and referred them to authorities for investigation. The handover comes shortly before Australian Prime Minister Mr. Anthony Albanese’s visit to China in November. “Today we’ve witnessed how two nations can work effectively together to return cultural property to its rightful home. Whether it’s items…

United States: United States President Mr. Joe Biden has demanded an end to the attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Settler attacks against Palestinians have surged since the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7 and Israel’s continuing bombardment in Gaza. According to Palestinian authorities, settler violence has killed several Palestinians. Rights groups stated that settlers have torched cars and attacked several small Bedouin communities, as well as forced them to evacuate to other areas. Mr. Biden noted that attacks by “extremist settlers” must end. “It has to stop. They have to be held…

Europe: A new report has found that anti-Black racism is rising throughout Europe, with the first half of people of African descent facing discrimination in their daily lives. The study, conducted by the European Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), found that 46 percent of first- and second-generation black immigrants in 13 EU countries have experienced discrimination. This may range from verbal harassment to being denied a home or job. The result reveals a six percent jump since 2016. Discrimination is particularly high in Germany and Austria, the countries that have witnessed the revival of anti-migrant, populist movements. In these nations,…

Japan: Japan’s Supreme Court has declared that it is unconstitutional to mandate sterilisation before individuals can legally change their gender. In 2004, a law defined that gender change was only allowed if individuals had no ability to reproduce. The recent ruling on October 25, 2023, followed a petition by a transgender woman who challenged this law. Human Rights Watch has described it as “abusive and outdated.” Japan is among 18 nations that enforce mandatory sterilisation surgery, a requirement that the World Health Organisation (WHO) also opposes. The woman’s attorney argued that her capacity for reproduction had already been reduced due…

China: China’s Ministry of Defence has criticised the recent US report on Beijing’s growing military strength and nuclear arsenal. “We express our strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to this report,” Defence Ministry spokesperson Mr. Wu Qian said in a statement, calling the report “exaggerated hype about a non-existent Chinese military threat.’’ Mr. Wu noted that China’s growing military strength is necessary for safeguarding its national interests and as a deterrent to future wars. According to reports, China is in the midst of two major campaigns to turn its People’s Liberation Army (PLA) into a “world-class military” by 2027 and achieve…

Canada: A new study suggests that our favourite music can act as an effective pain reliever. Music has been known for a while to ease pain, and recent studies indicate this pain relief might extend to babies. Furthermore, research shows that the music we prefer can provide stronger pain relief than the soothing music chosen for us. Scientists suggest that the emotions stirred by the music are also significant. “We can approximate that favourite music reduced pain by about one point on a 10-point scale, which is at least as strong as an over-the-counter painkiller like Advil under the same…

Palestine: The United Nations chief Mr. Antonio Guterres has repeated his demand for a ceasefire in Gaza, remarking that international law is being violated in the Israel-Hamas war. In recent days, Israel has continuously bombarded the besieged Gaza Strip since Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7. After the attack, Israel cut off supplies of water, food, fuel, and electricity to the enclave’s 2.3 million residents. It also launched an assault on the territory, killing at least 5,791 people. Speaking before the 15-member UN Security Council, Mr. Guterres pleaded for protection for civilians and warned that…

South Korea: The Seoul military has announced that a small boat carrying suspected defectors from North Korea has been detained after it entered South Korea’s waters. The crossing was detected on South Korea’s side of the Northern Limit Line, the maritime boundary between the two countries. The Joint Chiefs of Staff noted that the four people on board were “presumed to have defected” from North Korea. Defections have become more difficult after North Korean leader Mr. Kim Jong Un came to power in 2011. Border controls were also tightened further since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. South Korean authorities did…