Author: Trainee Reporter

Gaza: World Central Kitchen (WCK) has announced the immediate suspension of its operations in Gaza. The decision follows the killing of seven WCK team members in Gaza during an Israeli Defense Force (IDF) attack. According to reports, the World Central Kitchen crew was travelling in two armoured cars through a deconflict zone. The action of the convoy was associated with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). However, the convoy was hit as it was leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse. The team just unloaded more than 100 tons of humanitarian food aid, which was brought to Gaza by sea. Erin Gore, CEO of…

United Kingdom: The United States and the United Kingdom have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on developing tests for artificial intelligence (AI) models. This partnership is the result of the commitment made at the AI Safety Summit last November. Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan and US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo signed the MOU, and both countries will aim to align their scientific approaches while working closely to accelerate the development of robust suites of evaluations for AI models, systems, and agents. The AI security institutes in both countries have announced their plans to unite in AI security testing. They aim…

United States: Former President Donald Trump has submitted a bond of $175 million in the ongoing New York civil fraud case. This action halted the seizure of his assets while the case was on appeal. Last week, a state appeals court ordered Trump and his co-defendants to post the required amount within 10 days. The amount was reduced from the initial $464 million ruling that was initially due in March. Prior to the recent court ruling, Trump was responsible for paying $454 million, which was the majority of the fraud verdict against him. However, due to accumulated interest, the amount he…

Pyongyang: A suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile has been fired into the sea off the eastern coast of North Korea. The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea confirmed that they detected the launch emanating from Pyongyang, the North Korean capital. They said that, “We have stepped up monitoring and are closely sharing relevant information with the US and Japan.” Tokyo affirmed the liftoff of a ballistic missile by North Korea. The coastguard urged ships to be attentive and inform any fallen objects without approaching them. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida vilified the launch and stated that North Korea frequently launched ballistic…

Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, has recently declared his intention to take swift action to halt Al Jazeera’s operations in the country. This comes after the Israeli parliament passed a new law that grants senior ministers the power to shut down foreign news networks that are perceived as a security threat. After the legislation was approved, the Prime Minister noted in a post on X, that, “Al Jazeera will no longer be broadcast from Israel. I intend to act immediately in accordance with the new law to stop the channel’s activity.” There was a long-standing effort by Netanyahu to…

United States: Liberty Media, the owner of Formula One (F1), has agreed to purchase MotoGP for approximately €4.2 billion ($4.5 billion) from Dorna, the Spain-based owner. According to a statement released by MotoGP, Liberty Media will acquire an ‘approximately 86 percent’ stake in the company. The investment in Formula One and MotoGP by Liberty is anticipated to be finalised by the end of 2024, provided that all the necessary clearances and approvals from competition and foreign acquisition law authorities in different locations are obtained. It’s worth noting that Liberty won’t be the first firm to possess both of these motorsport franchises.…

United Kingdom: The Philippines and the UK have agreed to deepen their cooperation in addressing climate change and biodiversity issues at the fourth ‘UK-Philippines Climate and Environment Dialogue.’ The conference brought together the British Embassy and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Several key government agencies were involved in the discussion, which focused on setting priorities for the upcoming year. The conversation highlighted the need for better coordination platforms that can help share experience and technology, streamline priorities, and improve the scalability of environmental initiatives. To support this effort, the UK has pledged to assist the Energy Transition Council,…

China: Xiaomi, a leading Chinese smartphone maker, has said that its first electric vehicle (EV) may take up to six to seven months to deliver. The company notified customers of this delay days after their EV, the SU7 Max’s launch. There were reports on Chinese social media indicating that the company is disclosing to buyers that the SU7 Max could take up to 27 weeks to deliver. The company earlier announced that it received 88,898 pre-orders within 24 hours of beginning to take orders. The third largest seller of smartphones in the world is entering the biggest car market in…

Iran: Human Rights Watch (HRW), a New York-based NGO, has alleged that Iran’s persecution of its Baha’i minority is labelled as a ‘crime against humanity.’ The NGO noted in a statement that Iran’s biggest non-Muslim minority encountered a ‘spectrum of abuses’ since the Islamic rebellion of 1979. HRW suggested that the claim fits within the purview of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The organisation cited that persecution of Baha’is included arbitrary arrests, confiscation of property, and restrictions on schooling and employment possibilities. “The cumulative impact of authorities’ decades-long systematic repression is an intentional and severe deprivation of Baha’is’ fundamental rights and…

Seoul: Yoon Suk-yeol, President of South Korea, has announced that there will be no change in plans to increase medical school admissions. The President blamed the physicians for creating a cartel and emphasised that the proposed addition of 2,000 medical school places is the bare minimum required. In a speech to the nation, Yoon stated that this move was necessary to improve the country’s healthcare system. “The number 2,000 is not a random figure we came up with. We have thoroughly reviewed relevant statistics and research and reviewed present and future medical situations,” Yoon stated. He went on to explain…