Author: Trainee Reporter

China: China’s electric vehicle (EV) giant BYD has reported a substantial financial milestone, surpassing Tesla in quarterly revenues for the first time. In an outstanding performance between July and September, BYD recorded revenues of over $28.2 billion (¥200 billion, £21.8 billion), marking a 24% rise from the same period in 2022. In comparison, Tesla’s revenue stood at $25.2 billion, although Tesla preserved its lead in overall EV sales for the quarter. The increase in BYD’s revenue mirrors China’s growing EV market, heavily supported by government motivations to encourage the shift away from petrol-powered vehicles. As part of a broader endeavour…

United States: Starbucks has discontinued its Oleato line of olive oil coffees in the US and Canada in early November, marking a strategic shift as the coffee giant strives to streamline its menu and appeal to cost-conscious customers. The decision pursues new CEO Brian Niccol’s commitment to facilitating Starbucks’ offerings, a move he hopes will draw back consumers packed by rising living costs. This announcement comes tumbling sales, with Starbucks noting a 7% decline in global revenue between July and September compared to last year. The Oleato range, featuring options like an iced shaken espresso and an oat milk latte…

Georgia: The Biden administration has called on Georgia’s government to address global concerns over widespread irregularities in parliamentary election. U.S. President Joe Biden criticised what he described as the country’s “democratic backsliding” and urged the Georgian Dream party to revoke recent legislation modelled after Russian policies. Georgian Dream, which claimed nearly 54% of the vote, is under growing pressure to analyse reported instances of voter intimidation, ballot-stuffing, and breaches of electronic voting protocols. Georgia’s pro-Western President, Salome Zourabichvili, has refused to recognise the election results, calling it part of a “Russian special operation” to convince Georgia back into Moscow’s influence.…

United Kingdom: HSBC has reported a 10% rise in quarterly profits, reaching $8.5 billion (£6.6 billion) pre-tax in the third quarter, looking forward global restructuring efforts. This boost in profits comes as the UK-based banking giant tackles one of the most significant shake ups in its 159-year history. The bank will undergo a strategic split, splitting operations into eastern and western markets in response to growing geopolitical tensions and the drive to reduce costs. New CEO Georges Elhedery, who took over in early September, affirmed that the restructuring efforts would “begin immediately” and remarked that further details will be shared…

Philippines: Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has made shocking entries regarding his controversial tactics in the war on drugs, revealing that he preserved a “death squad” while performing as mayor of Davao City. In his first testimony before an official investigation, Duterte disclosed that this death squad was composed of gangsters, stating that, “kill this person, because if you do not, I will kill you now.” Duterte, who ascended to the presidency in 2016 with a pledge to replicate his fierce anti-crime measures on a national scale, faces ongoing scrutiny over the thousands of deaths resulting from police operations during…

India: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh have announced severe penalties for food contamination practices, including hardy fines and potential imprisonment. Offenders in Uttarakhand could encounter fines of up to $1,190 (₹100,000; £920), while Uttar Pradesh is set to execute similar stringent food safety laws. The initiatives pursue the circulation of controversies on social media showing vendors encountering unhygienic practices, such as spitting on food. One particularly alarming video featured a domestic worker allegedly mixing urine into food preparations. The incidents flared public outrage, raising worries over food safety in these states. However, some social…

United States: McDonald’s has resumed Quarter Pounder sales across all U.S. locations after Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) testing cleared its beef patties as a source of the recent E. coli outbreak. The outbreak, which resulted in one death and multiple illnesses, led the fast-food giant to break sales last week in about 20% of its U.S. outlets as a precaution. Testing by the CDA found no evidence of E. coli in McDonald’s beef patties. McDonald’s North America Chief Supply Chain Officer Cesar Pina stated that, “The issue appears to be confined to a particular ingredient and geography, and we…

Tel Aviv: A truck has rammed into a bus stop near the Israeli Military Base in Glilot, just north of Tel Aviv, resulting in dozens of injuries. According to Israeli authorities, at least six individuals are in critical condition, while others stay trapped under the devastation as emergency responders work to extract them. Local reports demonstrate the happening may have been intentional, with armed civilians in the area reportedly interfering to “neutralise” the driver of the truck after he was seen driving directly into the crowd. Israeli police have yet to confirm these reports but are actively investigating the cases,…

Georgia: Preliminary election results in Georgia have indicated a clear lead for the ruling Georgian Dream party, with the Central Election Commission (CEC) notifying the party has garnered 53% of the vote. The announcement, made after tallying 72% of ballots, has sparked widespread allegations of fraud and violence, releasing doubt on the rightfulness of the electoral process in this pivotal vote. Opposition leaders, including Tina Bokuchava of the United National Movement, have rejected the preliminary results, alleging they were manipulated. Exit polls conducted by Western pollsters initially suggested a lead for the opposition, with Georgian Dream receiving between 40.9% and…

United States: President Joe Biden has apologised for the U.S. government’s role in the forced removal of Indigenous boarding school abuses, where many encountered physical and sexual abuse. Speaking to reporters before his departure to Arizona, Biden stated that, “I’m doing something I should have done a long time ago, to make a formal apology to the Indian nations for the way we treated their children for so many years.” From 1869 to the 1960s, over 18,000 Indigenous children—some as young as four—were forcibly taken from their families and placed in boarding schools, often run by Christian organisations. These institutions…