Author: Trainee Reporter

Singapore: Singapore opposition leader, Pritam Singh, has been convicted of perjury for lying under oath during a parliamentary committee inquiry. The court imposed a fine of $5,223(S$7,000; £4,148) for each of the two charges. Singh has revealed his intention to appeal the conviction. The charges stem from Singh’s involvement with Raeesah Khan, a former lawmaker from his party, who had lied to parliament in a separate incident. Khan’s false declarations in August 2021, where she alleged police misconduct during a sexual assault case, were later admitted to be untrue. She was fined $26,094(S$35,000) for her actions and subsequently resigned from…

South Korea: South Korea has banned new downloads of China’s DeepSeek AI chatbot, citing non-compliance with the country’s personal data protection laws. The decision, made by the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC), follows a surge in the app’s popularity, which saw it reach over a million weekly users in just one week. The chatbot has been removed from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. However, users who had previously downloaded the app can still continue to use it or access it through its website. This move comes after several South Korean government agencies imposed a ban on their…

United States: The US Forest Service is set to lay off approximately 3,400 employees, while the National Park Service (NPS) will remove around 1,000 workers as part of the Trump administration’s push to cut federal spending and bureaucracy. The cuts primarily target employees within their probationary employment periods—those hired less than a year ago—and will impact major sites including Yellowstone National Park, the Appalachian Trail, the Sequoia National Forest, and the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park. Firefighters, law enforcement personnel, certain meteorologists, and 5,000 seasonal workers are exempt from the layoffs. The reductions represent approximately 10 percent of…

Paris: European leaders are set to gather for an emergency summit on the war in Ukraine, with growing concerns that the United States is moving forward with Russia on peace talks that could leave Europe sidelined. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who is expected to attend the summit in Paris, called it a “once-in-a-generation moment for our national security,” highlighting that Europe must take on a greater role in NATO. The urgency follows comments from Donald Trump’s special representative to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, who stated that while European leaders would be conferred, they would not be directly affected in…

South Korea: South Korean international footballer Hwang Ui-jo has been handed a one-year jail sentence, suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to filming sexual encounters with a woman without her consent. The 32-year-old former Premier League forward, who was also part of South Korea’s squad during the 2022 World Cup, emerged in court in October where he acknowledged his wrongdoing. Judge Lee Yong-je, who issued the ruling, emphasised the gravity of the crime, stating that it was necessary to set a strict punishment given the social harm caused by illegal filming crimes. The court noted that Hwang filmed sexual…

India: India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hailed a “mega partnership” with the United States following a high-profile meeting with US President Donald Trump, where both leaders decided on new energy and defence trade deals. The visit comes with rising tensions over tariffs and trade barriers between the two nations. During a joint press conference, Modi declared India’s plans to increase imports of American oil and gas, calling the agreement a “win-win” for both economies. Trump echoed this sentiment, highlighting that the deal would help close the US trade deficit with India. Trump stated that, “They need it. And we…

France: India and France have announced plans to jointly develop small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) as part of efforts to improve energy security and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy. The agreement follows Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France, where he met French President Emmanuel Macron. India’s foreign ministry confirmed the collaboration, stating that both nations will work on developing SMRs and advanced modular reactors for civilian use. Unlike conventional nuclear plants, SMRs can be factory-built and assembled on-site, demanding less land and infrastructure. The announcement comes just days after India signalled a potential shift in its…

Austria: Austria is facing renewed political uncertainty after the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) abandoned its attempt to form a coalition government with the conservative People’s Party (OVP). The collapse of negotiations comes after weeks of hectic discussions and marks the second failed coalition attempt since September’s general election. FPO leader Herbert Kickl announced the decision, blaming the OVP for refusing to compromise. Herbert Kickl stated that, “Although we made compromises on many points, the OVP was more concerned with power games than reaching an agreement.” Kickl has now called for swift new elections. Austria’s coalition negotiations, usually held behind closed…

United States: Coca-Cola may be pushed to increase its use of plastic bottles in the US if the 25 percent import tariffs on aluminium lead to higher costs for aluminium cans, CEO James Quincey warned during a call with investors. The tariffs, raised under President Donald Trump’s trade policies, are expected to drive up the cost of canned beverages, which could impact Coca-Cola’s pricing strategies. While the company has traditionally embraced aluminium cans for their recyclability, the price hikes could push it to shift to less expensive plastic bottles to maintain affordability. This move comes on the heels of Coca-Cola…

United States: Google has stopped including references to Black History Month, Women’s History Month, LGBTQ+ holidays, and other cultural observances in its online and mobile calendars for 2025. The tech giant previously marked events such as Black History Month in February and Pride Month in June, but users will no longer see these listed automatically. The removal was first reported by The Verge last week. A Google spokesperson, Madison Cushman Veld, said that the holidays were removed due to sustainability concerns. Madison Cushman stated that, “Some years ago, the Calendar team started manually counting a broader set of cultural moments…