Author: Trainee Reporter

London: The Olivier Awards 2024 has recognised Sunset Boulevard with seven wins, following the outstanding performance of Nicole Scherzinger. The American actress and singer won the Best Actress in a Musical award at the Royal Albert Hall. The show, which is a modern take on the 1950 black comedy of the same name, also received awards for Best Director and Best Musical Revival. Tom Francis also won the Best Actor in a Musical award for his role in the play at the Savoy Theatre. During her acceptance speech on stage at the Royal Albert Hall, Scherzinger referred to almost tripping…

United States: The US military has announced that it neutralised at least six ballistic missiles and 80 drones that were aimed at Israel by Iran and Yemen. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that their forces targeted over 80 one-way attack drones, which included seven unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that were aimed at the ground before they could be launched. In a post on X, CENTCOM noted that, “Iran’s continued unprecedented, malign, and reckless behaviour endangers regional stability and the safety of U.S. and coalition forces. CENTCOM remains postured to support Israel’s defence against these dangerous actions by Iran. We will…

Afghanistan: The Disaster Management Department of Afghanistan has said that heavy rains and flash floods killed at least 33 people in the past three days. Janan Sayeq, a spokesperson for the department, revealed that “From Friday onwards, flash floods caused high human and financial losses. The preliminary information indicates that, unfortunately, 33 people lost their lives and 27 people were injured in the floods.” The majority of casualties resulted from roof destructions, with around 600 houses damaged or destroyed. Additionally, approximately 200 livestock perished, around 370 miles of road were eradicated, and almost 1,975 acres of agricultural land flooded away,…

Cyprus: The government of Cyprus has halted the processing of asylum applications from Syrians after a significant rise in arrivals this month, officials report. More than 1,000 individuals have reached Cyprus on boats from Lebanon in recent weeks due to escalating tensions in the Middle East. This mass movement of people resulted in calls from Nicosia to its European Union allies to provide more aid to Lebanon, as well as rethink the situation of war-torn Syria, which is currently deemed unsafe for repatriating asylum seekers. According to Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, this is an emergency measure and a challenging decision, taken…

Gaza: Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, has declared its support for Iran after the latter’s launch of hundreds of missiles and drones against Israel in retaliation for an attack on its consulate in Damascus, Syria. In a statement released by the Palestinian Hamas group, stated that it professed ‘the natural right’ of Middle Eastern countries and populace to safeguard themselves ‘against Zionist aggression.’ The group said that, “The military operation carried out by Iran against the Zionist entity is a natural right and a due response to the crime of targeting the consulate in Damascus.” The Iranian military launched a…

As parents, we all want our children to be healthy, and vaccinations are an essential part of safeguarding them against preventable diseases. However, the fear of needles and the associated pain can make the vaccination process daunting. Currently, there are two main options available for vaccinating your child; painless vaccines and non-painless vaccines. But, the question remains which option is better? Here we will discuss everything you need to know about these two options and also debunk some myths. Painless vaccinations; what are they? Painless vaccination, also known as the DTaP vaccine, combines three essential immunizations – diphtheria, acellular pertussis…

United Kingdom: The Government of UK has announced a £1.5 million fund for new technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) to reform occupational health services. The aim is to reduce work sickness and boost economic activity through the use of unique technology and AI. Five projects are selected to receive funding for designing innovative methods to enhance occupational health assistance. The purpose is to ultimately create these services obtainable to small businesses to help them support their workers to stay at their jobs. One of the successful companies that received funding is Kinseed Limited, which is inventing a revolutionary cloud-based occupational fitness…

Ireland: The newly appointed Ireland’s Taoiseach is set to meet with Spain’s PM to discuss their shared plan to recognise Palestine as a nation-state. They will also talk about their efforts to compel the European Union to consider Israel’s human rights obligations as a prerequisite for their trade agreement with the bloc. Pedro Sánchez, the Spanish PM, will be arriving in Dublin, and it will be the first time Simon Harris, the Taoiseach, will meet with a foreign premier in his new position. Since the Hamas attacks in October and Israel’s offensive in Gaza, Spain and Ireland became the EU’s most…

Germany: The government of Germany will encounter a lawsuit from human rights groups to halt all arms sales to Israel. This comes amid rising public concern about the high number of casualties and destruction in the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The rights groups filed a case in German domestic courts demanding that the government urgently revoke all arms licenses to Israel issued since October 2020, when Hamas launched its attack on Israel. Germany is known to be the second largest arms exporter to Israel after the United States and is a more significant provider of arms than the United Kingdom. The…

South Africa: The Electoral Commission of South Africa is appealing to the highest court for clarity on whether Ex-President Jacob Zuma can run as a candidate. In a statement issued, the commission said that it submitted an ‘urgent and direct’ plea to the Constitutional Court seeking a definitive interpretation of the constitutional article that relates to the candidacy of individuals who were convicted. It is important to clarify the current matter not only for a live issue but also for future elections. This statement was made about the ongoing legal dispute regarding the eligibility of senior politician Jacob Zuma. An…