Author: Trainee Reporter

United States: Elon Musk has criticised the latest version of Donald Trump’s sprawling tax and spending package, calling it ‘utterly insane and destructive’ as the US Senate prepares to open debate on the nearly 1,000-page legislation. Musk stated that, “The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country. It gives handouts to industries of the past while severely damaging industries of the future.” Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, went further to warn that pushing forward with the bill would amount to political suicide for the Republican Party.…

China: India has declined to sign a joint statement at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers’ meeting in China, citing the document’s failure to reflect its concerns on terrorism, specifically the recent Pahalgam attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, said that the statement was not acceptable to India as it did not include issues India had raised. Randhir Jaiswal stated that, “Our concerns were not reflected. This was not acceptable to one particular country.” According to Indian media, the joint statement referred to militant activity in Balochistan but did not include the Pahalgam…

Iran: Iranian authorities have launched an extensive wave of arrests and executions targeting individuals accused of spying for Israel, in the aftermath of the recent Iran-Israel conflict. Officials say the crackdown comes in response to what they describe as an unprecedented infiltration of Iranian security agencies by Israeli intelligence operatives. The government claims that intelligence leaks played a key role in a string of targeted assassinations during the 12-day conflict, including the killing of senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders and nuclear scientists. Iran blames Israel’s Mossad for orchestrating these attacks using agents embedded within the country. Shaken by…

Pyongyang: North Korea has opened its long-delayed Wonsan Kalma beach resort, a project that leader Kim Jong Un hopes will elevate tourism and project a modern image of the reclusive state. The resort welcomed domestic tourists on July 1, six years after its initial planned opening. Located on a 4-kilometre stretch along the country’s east coast, the expansive development includes hotels, shopping malls, restaurants, and a water park. State media outlet KCNA claimed the resort can accommodate up to 20,000 visitors, though these details remain unverified by independent sources. Kim Jong Un, accompanied by his daughter Kim Ju Ae and…

United States: The US Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has ousted all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices (ACIP), replacing them with a new panel, many of whom are vaccine sceptics. The newly formed group convened for the first time, setting the stage for what could be a sweeping reassessment of routine childhood and adolescent immunisation schedules. The panel’s new chair, Dr. Martin Kulldorff, opened the meeting by revealing that he had been dismissed from his position at Harvard University for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. He announced that the committee would launch working groups to…

United Kingdom: The UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to announce the purchase of at least 12 F-35A fighter jets capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons. The announcement will be made at the NATO summit in The Hague, marking what Downing Street calls the ‘biggest strengthening of the UK’s nuclear posture in a generation.’ The acquisition will enable the Royal Air Force to carry nuclear weapons by air for the first time since the Cold War, significantly expanding the UK’s current deterrent, which is solely reliant on submarine-launched Trident missiles. Prime Minister Starmer stated that, “In an era of…

New York: Zohran Mamdani has secured a decisive lead over former governor Andrew Cuomo in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary, marking one of the most significant political upsets in the city’s recent history. Cuomo, 67, the former New York governor who resigned in 2021 with a sexual harassment scandal, was seeking a political comeback. But, Mamdani, 33, with a strong lead in the ranked-choice contest, prompting Cuomo to acknowledge defeat despite final results still pending. Mamdani, a democratic socialist and first-term state lawmaker representing Queens, ran a grassroots campaign focused on progressive issues. His platform includes free public…

London: The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has warned Google it may need to overhaul its search services to encourage fairer competition in the digital marketplace. The move comes as part of an ongoing investigation under the UK’s new digital markets legislation, which allows the CMA to implement changes if a company is found to wield excessive power in a specific sector. Google currently controls over 90 percent of the UK’s online search traffic, with around 200,000 businesses relying on its search advertising tools to reach customers. While the watchdog has stopped short of accusing the tech giant of…

Bangkok: Thailand has closed its border crossings with Cambodia to almost all travellers, including tourists and traders, with rising tensions over a long-standing territorial dispute. The Thai military announced that crossings across seven provinces, Ubon Ratchathani, Surin, Buriram, Sri Sa Ket, Sa Kaeo, Chanthaburi, and Trat will be closed to all vehicles and individuals, both Thai and foreign nationals. The move tracks a recent flare-up in hostilities between the two countries. Tensions have escalated since a deadly border clash in May, which resulted in the death of a Cambodian soldier. In response, both governments have taken retaliatory measures, including trade…

Srinagar: India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) has confirmed that all three militants involved in the April 22 attack on tourists in Baisaran near Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, were Pakistani nationals affiliated with the UN-proscribed militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The revelation follows the arrest of two local residents accused of sheltering the attackers before the incident, which left 26 people dead and drew international condemnation. Earlier, sketches released by police suggested two of the attackers were from Pakistan, while one was believed to be a local. However, the NIA now asserts all three were foreign nationals. The attackers remain at large. The…