Author: Trainee Reporter

Seoul: North Korea has put forth a demand for light water reactors in return for dismantling its nuclear facilities. The declassified documents indicated that the US saw North Korea’s latest demand as a solution to Pyongyang’s nuclear issues. The South Korean government released 30-year-old diplomatic dossiers that provide a glance into the first North Korean nuclear crisis of 1993. The records shed light on the whirlwind tactfulness that took place during that time when North Korea announced its intention to retreat from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which is a global pact aimed at averting the spread of nuclear weapons. The…

California: Elon Musk’s SpaceX has rescheduled the launch of another batch of its Starlink Internet satellites. It comes shortly after the company itself shelved the previous launch. The Falcon 9 rocket was supposed to carry 22 Starlink spacecraft from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. However, the company called off the launch before beginning the fueling process. The takeoff will be rescheduled for another date after tackling the issues that occurred before. According to reports, SpaceX plans to launch the mission before the end of March. Once it occurs, SpaceX will stream live visuals of the event via their X…

Netherlands: The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has issued a unanimous order instructing Israel to allow the free flow of aid into Gaza to prevent a famine. ICJ, the highest court of the United Nations (UN), stated that Israel must take immediate action to facilitate the ‘provision of urgently required basic services and humanitarian assistance.’ The order comes after earlier reported warnings that Gaza could face famine within weeks. In response to the charge, Israel described the allegation of withholding aid as absolutely baseless. Additionally, it rejected the genocide charges brought by South Africa before the International Court of Justice and blamed…

United States: Joe Biden, the US President, is joining forces with former Democratic Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton for a New York City fundraiser to boost support for his re-election campaign, featuring a lineup of celebrities. The upcoming campaign is anticipated to raise more than $25 million, which is considered a historic amount for a single event. The drive will start with a virtual pre-program featuring Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton, hosted by Biden’s campaign manager. Following that, actress Mindy Kaling will host a programme inside Radio City Music Hall, with Queen Latifah, Lizzo, Ben Platt, Cynthia Erivo,…

Philippines: Ferdinand Marcos Jr., President of the Philippines, has announced that he will retaliate against China as a result of last week’s skirmishes in the South China Sea. Filipino soldiers were wounded and ships were damaged in the attack. Macros said in a statement that, “We seek no conflict with any nation, more so nations that purport and claim to be our friends but we will not be cowed into silence, submission, or subservience.” The President remarked that, “The Philippines would respond with a ‘countermeasure package that is proportionate, deliberate, and reasonable in the face of the open, unabating, and…

China: The government of China has announced it will scrap significant taxes on Australian wine as ties between the two countries improve. Amid a string of economic blows to Australian exports in 2020, Beijing imposed tariffs of over 200 percent on Australian coal, barley, timber, and lobsters in a wider political fall-out. Since the new government was elected in Canberra in 2022, China-Australia linkages enhanced. Anthony Albanese, the Australian Prime Minister, welcomed the Chinese Commerce Ministry’s announcement, noting that his governance was also handled to relieve other trade obstacles. Australian barley, another key product targeted by China, was exempted from tariffs…

Ireland: The government of Ireland has announced that it will intervene in South Africa’s genocide lawsuit against Israel. It shows the strongest indication yet of Dublin’s concern about the war in Gaza. In a statement made by Micheal Martin, Minister of Foreign Affairs, he underlined that although it is up to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to determine whether genocide was being executed, Hamas’ attack in October and recent occurrences in Gaza portray the ‘blatant violation of international humanitarian law on a mass scale.” Martine further said that, “The taking of hostages. The purposeful withholding of humanitarian assistance to civilians.…

United Kingdom: The government of UK has announced a £16.6 million investment for semiconductor researchers and businesses to access new equipment. This will allow them to test and construct chips for use in high-energy machines like electric cars and manufacturing equipment. £14 million of the funding is targeted specifically towards semiconductors used in ‘power electronics.’ These chips are responsible for restoring and handling power in energy-intensive engines such as electric vehicles (EVs) and manufacturing equipment. The newly developed tools, primarily located in Newcastle and Strathclyde, will aid researchers and businesses of all sizes in testing new inventions in power electronics and…

United Kingdom: Julian Assange, WikiLeaks founder, has been granted the opportunity to fight against his extradition to the United States. Two judges ruled in his favour, allowing him to take his case to an appeal hearing. However, this will only happen if the Biden administration fails to provide the court with appropriate assurances. The President of the King’s Bench Division, Victoria Sharp, and Mr Justice Johnson declared that Julian Assange holds real chances of success on three out of the nine grounds claimed. However, they adjourned the leave to plead application to give the US government three weeks to deliver reassurance…

United Kingdom: The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) has launched a new themed competition, the ‘AUKUS Electronic Warfare Challenge (EW).’ This follows the ministerial declaration in December 2023 to establish an innovation challenge series under the Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States (AUKUS) collaboration. The Innovation Challenge Series is the first of its kind under AUKUS Pillar 2. This challenge is organised by three associations – the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA) in Australia, DASA in the United Kingdom, and the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) in the United States. The challenge was agreed upon by all three parties…