Author: Trainee Reporter

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…

United States: The Supreme Court of the United States will listen to oral arguments on whether to limit access to ‘Mifepristone,’ a common abortion drug. The pill was legalised in 2000. This is the most important reproductive privileges lawsuit since June 2022, when the court ceased the nationwide right to abortion. According to the Biden administration, as a result of safety concerns raised by anti-abortion groups, the court may overturn the decision to limit access to the drug. An umbrella group of anti-abortion doctors and activists, known as the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, filed a lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)…

Venezuela: The main opposition coalition of Venezuela has claimed it was unable to register its presidential candidate, Corina Yoris. The Plataforma Unitaria Democrática (PUD) also known as the Democratic Unitary Platform, argued that it was prevented from fielding their candidate against President Nicolás Maduro. The coalition stated in a video that it could not register Yoris on the electoral authority’s online registration system before the midnight deadline. It raised concerns in neighbouring states that President Maduro deliberately blocked his chief opponents from the July vote. Omar Barboza, a Coalition official, stated that, “They haven’t let us get in.” He also…

Japan: The cabinet of Japan has authorised the export of new fighter jets that are being developed in partnership with the UK and Italy. This decision marks a significant shift from Japan’s pacifist policies. The country alleviated its arms export regulations to enable the sale of these fighter jets to countries that signed defence pacts with Japan, and where there is no ongoing conflict. Japan promised to double its military spending by 2027, mentioning the dangers posed by China and North Korea. The government also said that each fighter jet sale would require cabinet consent. In December 2022, Japan joined a…

New Zealand: The government of New Zealand has blamed Chinese state-sponsored hackers for entering their country’s parliament. The allegations come after US and UK authorities accused Beijing of malicious cyber activity. Winston Peters, New Zealand’s Foreign Minister, expressed his displeasure with the cyberattack and conveyed his country’s concerns directly to Beijing. Foreign Minister said that, “Foreign interference of this nature is unacceptable, and we have urged China to refrain from such activity in future. New Zealand will continue to speak out – consistently and predictably – where we see concerning behaviours like this.” Peters stated that New Zealand and China…

United Kingdom: The government of UK has initiated a new phase of its worldwide campaign to caution migrants about the results of entering the UK illegally. The Home Secretary launched the drive in Vietnam, building on the thriving social media campaign that took place in Albania last year. The campaign in Albania led to a 90 percent reduction in Albanian small boat arrivals. Criminal gangs smuggle thousands of people into the UK through one of the world’s most active shipping lanes every year to make a profit. A series of adverts use real-life testimonies of people who regretted illegally entering the…

United States: Dave Calhoun, CEO of Boeing, along with two top executives, have announced their resignation from the company. This decision comes after a series of accidents that raised concerns about safety among the public. Boeing is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells aeroplanes, helicopters, rockets, satellites, and missiles. In a memo posted on the company’s website, Calhoun referred to the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 incident as a ‘watershed moment’ for Boeing. He further stated that the company is dedicated to assuring more safety and quality guarantees in the future. Calhoun will continue to serve as CEO until…

Dubai: World Future Energy Summit 2024 (WFES) will bring together global industry experts to discuss Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) Green Hydrogen Adoption initiatives. The experts will discuss how carbon-free hydrogen can propel the GCC’s energy transition. The 2024 Summit is the 16th edition of the annual business event for Future Energy and Sustainability in the MENA region. It is scheduled to be held in April at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC). Before the Summit, there were several project announcements in the green hydrogen sector, which are now moving into the development phase. Companies and policymakers are working together to unleash the transformative potential…

Senegal: Early poll results have shown that Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the presidential candidate of Senegal, is leading the race. Faye arose as the favourite candidate to win the election after several competitors conceded. At least five of the 17 contenders in the leadership race issued statements complimenting Faye on what they called his victory. Anta Babacar Ngom, who was the only female candidate, extended her wishes for Faye’s success. Millions of people partook in a peaceful vote after three years of turbulence and opponent objections against the incumbent, Macky Sall. The ruling syndicate’s nominee, Amadou Ba, rejected reports of downfall and…