Author: Trainee Reporter

Virginia: The Pentagon has launched a comprehensive review of the Aukus security pact, an ambitious trilateral defence agreement between the US, UK, and Australia, with growing concerns over its compatibility with President Donald Trump’s ‘America First’ doctrine. A Pentagon official confirmed that the review is being conducted to ensure the initiative of the previous administration aligns with the president’s ‘America First’ agenda, citing the need for maximum readiness, equitable allied assistance to collective defence, and a robust defence industrial base. The Aukus deal, first announced in 2021 under President Joe Biden, was set to see Australia develop nuclear-powered submarines in…

Seoul: South Korea’s military has suspended its controversial loudspeaker broadcasts along the border with North Korea, in a move it defines as part of efforts to restore trust and reduce tensions between the two nations. The decision comes just a week after President Lee Jae-myung assumed office, having pledged to improve ties with Pyongyang and restart dialogue on the Korean Peninsula. The loudspeaker broadcasts, blaring South Korean news, democracy-related content, and foreign affairs updates had long been a source of tension with the North, which deems them an act of war and has previously threatened retaliation. South Korea’s military remarked…

Singapore: Jetstar Asia, the Singapore-based low-cost carrier, will cease operations at the end of July, observing the end of a two-decade run in the region’s competitive budget travel sector. The decision, announced jointly by the airline and its part-owner Qantas, will see over 500 employees laid off and 16 routes across Asia suspended. Citing soaring supplier costs some up to 200 percent higher, alongside mounting airport fees and fierce regional competition, Jetstar Asia established that operations will wind down progressively over the next seven weeks. The airline will advise customers whose travel plans are affected, with full refunds to be…

Ottawa: Canada is now set to meet NATO’s defence spending target of 2 percent of GDP by next year, significantly ahead of its original timeline, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced in a landmark speech at the University of Toronto. The decision sketches a significant shift in Canada’s approach to global security, driven by rising threats from hostile states, terrorism, and cyberattacks. Carney said Canada can no longer depend so heavily on the United States for defence and must step up to protect its interests. He warned that Washington is increasingly prioritising its economic advantage and scaling back its security responsibilities…

Europe: Eurostar has reaffirmed its plans to launch direct train services from London to Germany and Switzerland by the early 2030s, seeking to solidify its foothold with rising competition for space at its Temple Mills depot in east London. The cross-Channel rail operator’s chief executive, Gwendoline Cazenave, said she did not doubt that the new international routes including those to Frankfurt and Geneva would become a reality, marking a substantial shift toward sustainable long-distance travel across Europe. Cazenave stated that, “The willingness of passengers, Eurostar, and governments is aligned,” expressing confidence in crushing the infrastructure and regulatory hurdles involved. Competitive…

Brasília: Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro is set to face the Supreme Federal Court in a landmark case accusing him of directing a far-right conspiracy to illegally cling to power after his defeat in the 2022 presidential election. The 70-year-old ex-army captain turned populist leader is prepared to testify as part of a sweeping investigation into what federal police have described as a sprawling, three-year plot to degrade democracy in one of the world’s largest nations. Alongside Bolsonaro, seven other high-profile allies among them four former ministers (including three retired army generals), the ex-navy commander, and Bolsonaro’s longtime aide, Lt.…

Seoul: South Koreans are celebrating a landmark moment in their cultural history after the Broadway musical ‘Maybe Happy Ending’ clinched six Tony Awards, including the coveted Best Musical. The critically lauded show, which originally premiered in Seoul in 2016, marks South Korea’s first-ever Tony win firming its growing status as an international entertainment powerhouse. The production, which tells the tender story of the romance between two humanoid robots living in a Seoul apartment complex, entered the night’s ceremony with 10 nominations and emerged as a clear winner. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Maybe Happy…

Los Angeles: United States President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles following two days of intense protests and clashes initiated by a sweeping immigration crackdown. The White House said the deployment aims to manage ‘the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester’ in the nation’s second-largest city. The move marks the first time since the 1992 Rodney King riots that National Guard troops will be deployed in Los Angeles under federal command. “If Governor Gavin Newscum, of California, and Mayor Karen Bass, of Los Angeles, can’t do their jobs, which everyone knows…

Bogota: Senator Miguel Uribe, a leading opposition candidate in Colombia’s 2026 presidential race, was shot during a campaign event in Bogota and is currently hospitalised in serious condition. Uribe, 39, a prominent member of the conservative Democratic Centre party, was reportedly shot in the back while addressing allies in a public park in the Fontibón neighbourhood of the capital. According to a statement issued by his party, the attack was carried out by ‘armed subjects’ and has been described as ‘serious,’ though no further information on his current medical status has been revealed. The Democratic Centre party, founded by former…

London: The UK government has launched a $609.6 million (£450 million) plan to treat patients outside A&E in a bid to ease hospital overcrowding and improve emergency care. The initiative, led by Health Secretary Wes Streeting, is part of a broader effort to improve urgent and emergency care, especially ahead of another potentially difficult winter for the NHS. Streeting highlighted that around one in five people reaching at A&E do not have a physical health emergency, often turning to emergency departments because they cannot access timely GP appointments. He pointed out the financial inefficiency, noting that a GP appointment costs…