Author: Web Desk

Kyiv: Ryan Evans, a former British soldier and Reuterian*, was killed in a suspected Russian missile attack on a hotel in Kramatorsk, Ukraine. The strike occurred at the Hotel Sapphire on Saturday night, where Mr. Evans was staying with five other Reuters employees covering the conflict. Reuters expressed deep sorrow, stating, “We send our deepest condolences and thoughts to Ryan’s family and loved ones. Ryan has helped so many of our journalists cover events worldwide; we will miss him terribly.” Two other Reuters journalists were injured, one seriously. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that a Russian Iskander missile hit the…

Washington: NASA has decided it’s too risky to bring two astronauts back to Earth in Boeing’s Starliner capsule, delaying their return until next year via SpaceX. What was intended as a weeklong test flight has now extended to over eight months due to issues with the capsule. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have been at the International Space Station since early June. Their trip was affected by thruster failures and helium leaks, leading to a prolonged stay while engineers assessed the situation. On Saturday, NASA decided that Wilmore and Williams will return in a SpaceX spacecraft in February. The…

Beijing: China’s push for a digital and green future has taken a significant step forward with the release of new guidelines aimed at synchronizing digital development with green growth. The guidelines, issued by China’s Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission alongside nine central departments, emphasize the country’s commitment to sustainable development through innovative technologies. Published on Saturday, the guidelines highlight two primary goals: promoting green, low-carbon development within digital industries and accelerating the green transformation of various sectors through digital technology. By merging emerging technologies with green initiatives, China aims to enhance traditional industries while fostering a more sustainable…

World Health Organization (WHO) has unveiled an action plan that calls for $135 million over the next six months to contain the mpox outbreak. The current monkeypox (mpox) outbreak “can be controlled and can be stopped. Responding to this complex outbreak requires a comprehensive and coordinated international response,” quoted WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The briefing was held just over a week after he declared that mpox was a public health emergency of international concern. Tedros said the global outbreak first emerged in 2022, with more than 100,000 confirmed cases reported since then. While the virus continues to circulate at…

Dhaka: Bangladesh’s interim government has revoked the diplomatic passport of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India following a student-led uprising. The decision, announced on Thursday, puts Hasina in a precarious position as she remains in exile. The revocation coincides with the arrival of a United Nations team in Dhaka to assess possible investigations into human rights violations during Hasina’s administration. In the weeks leading up to her ousting, over 450 people were reportedly killed, many by police, as protests against her rule intensified. Sheikh Hasina, who governed Bangladesh for 15 years, fled her official residence in Dhaka…

London: Former US President Donald Trump has once again found himself at the centre of controversy, this time involving an AI-generated image of pop sensation Taylor Swift. The image, which depicts Swift in a style reminiscent of the iconic Uncle Sam poster, shows her pointing at the viewer with a caption urging fans to vote for Trump. The image was shared on Truth Social, the social media platform owned by Trump, and has raised eyebrows for both its unusual nature and potential legal implications. The situation took an interesting turn when, a few days later, Trump was asked by Fox…

Islamabad: The Taliban government in Afghanistan has introduced strict new laws that impose further restrictions on women’s public appearances and behavior. These measures, recently approved by the supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, reflect the Taliban’s ongoing efforts to enforce their interpretation of Islamic principles and morality. The newly implemented laws, announced on Wednesday, were developed by the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, a body established shortly after the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. The ministry released a comprehensive 114-page document containing 35 articles that outline these regulations, covering various aspects of daily life, including…

London: The issue of illegal asylum seekers entering Britain via the English Channel is becoming increasingly urgent. Since the Labour government took office, the country has experienced a notable surge in the number of people seeking refuge on its shores. Government figures released yesterday revealed that 19,294 individuals have already made the perilous journey across the Channel in small, illegal boats this year. This figure marks a significant increase from the same period last year. In 2023, a total of 29,437 people arrived via this dangerous route, a decrease from the record 45,755 arrivals in 2022. Although the numbers showed…

Bristol: Recent Ipsos polling reveals that nearly three-quarters of Britons are increasingly worried about the rise of Far-right extremism following anti-migrant riots, highlighting growing concerns over societal divisions in the UK just weeks after the worst unrest in a decade. The survey indicates that 73% of respondents are concerned about right-wing extremism, a significant rise of 11 percentage points since March. This concern is echoed by a broader anxiety about societal divisions, with 85% of those surveyed believing that British society is either “very” or “fairly” divided—the highest level since 2019. The unrest, which erupted in various towns and cities,…

Moscow: Ukraine launched a major drone attack on Moscow, with Russian officials reporting that at least 11 drones were shot down by air defences on Wednesday. This marks one of the most substantial strikes on the Russian capital since the war began in February 2022. The conflict, primarily an artillery and drone battle in eastern Ukraine, escalated on August 6 when Ukraine sent soldiers into Russia’s western Kursk region. Ukraine has also intensified drone attacks on Russian infrastructure, though large-scale strikes on Moscow, a city of over 21 million people, are less common. Russia’s defence ministry reported the destruction of…