Author: Trainee Reporter

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…

Hong Kong: A Portuguese citizen with Hong Kong residency has become the first European imprisoned under China’s National Security Law. This law was widely criticised by human rights organisations. Joseph John, also known as Wong Kin-Chung, was formerly based in the UK and was arrested for posting pro-independence and anti-China content on social media. In 2022, he returned to Hong Kong to visit his family and was convicted in February of ‘secession.’ He was sentenced to five years in prison. ‘Secession’ is the act of promoting Hong Kong’s separation from China, which is considered a crime under the law. John previously…

London: Baldur’s Gate 3 has won five Bafta Game Awards including the coveted title of best game, making it the most successful game at the 20th ceremony.  This role-playing game, based on Dungeons & Dragons, received awards for its music and narrative, as well as an acting award for Andrew Wincott’s portrayal of fan-favourite devil Raphael. Super Mario Bros. Wonder received two awards, while Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, despite holding six nominations, failed to win any awards. In the meantime, Viewfinder, a photography-based puzzle game, won the award for best British game at the event. According to the Digital Entertainment…

Washington: Japan, the Philippines, and the US have expressed ‘serious concerns’ about China’s moves in the South China Sea at the Trilateral Summit. In recent years, Beijing increased its activities in the strategic waterway, leading to heightened pressures, especially from the Philippines, one of several Southeast Asian nations that claim parts of the sea around their shores. Last month, President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines announced that Manila would carry countermeasures against China after a conflict with Second Thomas Shoal resulted in injuries to Filipino soldiers and damage to ships. The leaders of three countries held their first-ever summit in…

Myawaddy: Around 200 Myanmar soldiers have retreated to the Friendship Bridge that connects the border town of Myawaddy to Thailand, as they face continuous attacks from anti-coup forces. This withdrawal is a clear indication of the mounting tension among the military generals who took over the government in a coup in February 2021. The coup sparked an armed insurgency after protection powers started using violence to suppress delicate anti-coup protests. The Karen National Union (KNU), an ethnic armed group, announced on Facebook that they defeated the 275 battalion, the remaining major military force in the town, in their attack on…

Poland: Legislators in Poland are currently discussing changes to the country’s strict abortion laws, which become more stringent over the past eight years under conservative nationalist governments. Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his Civic Coalition, who won the October elections with a high turnout partly due to women’s rights issues, promised to liberalise access to abortion. Poland currently encloses some of the toughest abortion laws in the European Union, permitting abortion only in cases of rape, incest, or when the life or health of the mother is at risk. Alliance parties presented multiple bills that legislators are anticipated to discuss. Some…

Russia: Angara A5, a space rocket of Russia, has successfully launched from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, located in the Amur region bordering China. The launch held to be postponed for two days due to technical glitches. This mission is an attempt to showcase Russia’s post-Soviet space ambitions and the growing significance of the Vostochny Cosmodrome. The Russian space agency, Roscosmos, announced that two previous attempts to launch a rocket were cancelled due to issues with the pressurising system in an oxidizer tank and the engine control system. However, the recent launch was successful, and minutes after takeoff, the rocket entered orbit, travelling at…

Seoul: In South Korean general election, the liberal opposition party has won a sweeping majority to maintain control of parliament. The Democratic Party (DPK) and other opposition parties jointly secured 192 out of 300 seats in the National Assembly. The election is seen as an interim assessment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who still owns three years left in office. Following the defeat, his party leader Han Dong-hoon resigned, and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo proposed stepping down. The recent election resulted in a significant defeat for Yoon and his People Power Party (PPP). They were stumbling to advance their agenda…