Author: Trainee Reporter

Honiara: Solomon Islands’ people have begun voting in a national election since the government swapped tactful allegiances from Taiwan to Beijing. Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare signed a security agreement with China in 2022, which brought the country closer to Beijing. In the Solomon Islands, the night before an election is often referred to as Devil’s Night. It is common for political candidates to offer bribes to assure last-minute votes, ranging from cash to sacks of rice and Chinese-made solar panels. Despite the implementation of strict electoral laws, vote-buying remains prevalent in the Pacific nation’s elections. However, the reason that this vote…

Israel: An Israeli artist at the Venice Biennale has declared her exhibition will not open until a ceasefire is negotiated and the Gaza Captives are released. Ruth Patir’s video installation, entitled ‘Motherland,’ was originally scheduled to open at Israel’s national pavilion during the international art show, but as of now, it will remain closed. “The artist and curators of the Israeli pavilion will open the exhibition when a ceasefire and hostage release agreement is reached,” stated a sign posted in the pavilion’s window. On her website, Patir announced that, “The decision by the artist and curators is not to cancel themselves…

Europe: A NATO commander has warned that Russian attempts to target underwater infrastructure vulnerabilities pose a threat to nearly 1 billion people across Europe and North America. Wind farms, pipelines, and power lines are included in this category. According to V Adm Didier Maleterre, who is the deputy commander of NATO’s Allied Maritime Command (Marcom), the network of submarine cables and tubes that Europe’s energy and transmissions rely on, was not built to resist the ‘hybrid warfare’ presently being pursued by Moscow and other NATO opponents. Maleterre stated that, “We know the Russians have developed a lot of hybrid warfare…

Denmark: A fire has broken out at Copenhagen’s 17th-century former stock exchange, engulfing the building’s roof and toppling its spire. The Danish Chamber of Commerce, which is located next to Christiansborg Palace, the seat of the Danish parliament, stated on X that, “We are witnessing a terrible spectacle. The Bourse is on fire. Everyone is asked to stay away.” The video footage that spread around reveals large clouds of black smoke growing from a Dutch Renaissance-style building that was undergoing renovation and was surrounded by scaffolding. The police barricaded the main road and part of the city centre. Troels Lund Poulsen,…

United Kingdom: Members of Parliament in the UK are set to vote on a new law to protect people from smoking harms and create a smoke-free generation. The suggested Tobacco and Vapes Bill would make it unlawful to trade tobacco products with people born after 1 January 2009, who are presently aged 15 or younger. It’s crucial to remark that smoking itself would not be illegalised, and those who meet the legal age requirements for purchasing tobacco would not be affected. If the Bill is enacted, it would take the United Kingdom one step closer to forming the first smoke-free generation.…

Texas: Tesla company owner Elon Musk has sent a memo to his employees saying he would lay off 10 percent of the firm’s global workforce. In the email, Musk noted that the dismissals were required due to the ‘duplication of roles and job functions in certain areas,’ which resulted from the firm’s quick multinational development. Musk cited in the email that, Tesla is readying for its next expansion stage, and they are taking measures to downsize expenses and expand productivity. As part of this step, the company comprehensively scanned its organisation and made the hard conclusion to decrease its international…

Hague: The Azerbaijan government has requested that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) dismiss an ethnic cleansing suit brought by Armenia. Attorneys for Azerbaijan contended that the lawsuit did not comply with the United Nations anti-discrimination treaty. Additionally, they asserted that the ICJ lacks jurisdiction to rule on objections. In the three decades since the Soviet Union collapsed, the two Caucasus countries contested Nagorno-Karabakh territory. Since Baku took control of the mountainous enclave in September, Yerevan sought international attention for the region. Azerbaijan is blamed by Armenia, in a lawsuit filed with the International Court of Justice in 2021, for promoting…

Sweden: The government of Sweden has begun a trial against an ex-Syrian army officer for alleged war crimes during the civil war. General Mohammed Hamo, who currently resides in Sweden, is the first Syrian official to face trial in Europe over military operations during the country’s war. Despite European actions to bring justice against those accountable for human rights abuses during Syria’s 13-year civil war, this trial is one of only a few against high-ranking Syrian government or military officials. Hamo, the 65-year-old former military official, was charged with assisting and abetting misuses of international law. The former Syrian officer is charged…

United Kingdom: In the wake of the outbreak of conflict in Sudan, the UK has imposed new sanctions on businesses that are involved in financing the warring parties. These strict measures will freeze the assets of companies that are connected with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and it will limit their financial freedom. The sanctions send a clear message to the conflicting forces that they must end the fighting and meaningfully engage in a peace process. The ongoing dispute in Sudan resulted in the ouster of over 8.6 million people, with more than 6.6 million…

Hanoi: Apple, the tech giant, has announced its plans to increase investment in Vietnam as its CEO, Tim Cook, reached the Southeast Asian country for a two-day visit. The California-based company released a statement saying that it would increase spending on suppliers in the country. However, it did not provide any details about the amount it would spend or where the funds would be invested. The iPhone maker added that it spent nearly 400 trillion dong ($16 billion) since 2019 through stockpile chains in Vietnam and doubled its annual spending in the country during the same period. Apple’s CEO stated that…