Author: Naisha Khan

6th August marks the 78th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. On this occasion, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has deplored Russia’s threats to use nuclear weapons. A peace bell tolled at 8:15 am, the exact time when the bomb nicknamed ‘Little Boy’ was dropped. Approximately 50,000 people participated in the outdoor memorial ceremony. Among the participants were aging survivors who too observed a moment of silence. On August 6, 1945, around 140,000 people died in Hiroshima when the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city towards the end of the Second World War. Three days…

At the recent UN Security Council meeting on famine and conflict-induced global food insecurity in New York, Anthony Blinken, US Secretary of State, accused Russia of using grain as blackmail. Blinken urged all countries to press Russia to stop taking advantage of the grain from the Black Sea and Ukraine as “blackmail” and to stop using the world’s hungry and vulnerable people as pawns in its “unconscionable war.” Blinken condemned Russia’s response to the world’s outrage and distress by bombing granaries, mining port entrances, and threatening to attack any vessel in the Black Sea. How has Russia used grain as…

Mongolia’s Prime Minister, Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai, and Foreign Minister Battsetseg Batmunkh arrived in Washington on Tuesday to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and other senior U.S. officials. This marks the first official visit of a Mongolian PM to the US since 2018. Oyun-Erdene on Wednesday said that the country will deepen cooperation with the US to mine rare earths. He warned that the world economy would suffer greatly from a “new Cold War” between the United States and China. Mongolia has an abundance of rare earth metals and copper- materials essential for high-tech applications and…

Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie has been smashing box office records across the globe since its release. However, the movie has been met with a lukewarm response from South Korea. According to critics and activists, this is because of the reluctance to embrace a foreign movie with feminist themes. The Korean Film Council stated that Barbie has sold just over 460,000 tickets since its local release on 19 July. It received only an 8% share of total box office revenue for its opening weekend and just 3.9% for the second weekend. Comparatively, since its July 12 release, Mission: Impossible – Dead…

Extending the state of emergency, Myanmar’s military-run government has forced a further delay in elections than promised in 2021 when it took over. The military junta seized power from a democratically elected government two and a half years ago in Myanmar. Since then, the country has been in a state of emergency. Why has the emergency period been extended? On Monday, the National Defense and Security Council (NDSC), met in Naypidaw and extended the state of emergency for another six months. The decision was taken on the grounds that more time is needed to prepare for the elections. It should…

Near the Southern port city of Sidon in Lebanon is the country’s largest Palestinian refugee camp, where on Sunday, at least five people were killed. The shooting in the crowded camp of Ein el-Hilweh also wounded seven people. The fire was exchanged on Sunday between the Fatah faction of Palestine and its rival pro-Islamist groups in the camp. Among those killed were a Fatah commander Ashraf al-Armouchi and four of his comrades. The Fatah group’s statement condemned the “abominable and cowardly crime” targeted the security and stability of the Palestinian camps in Lebanon. What do we know about the clashes?…

As the Northern Hemisphere of the world grapples with excruciating heat this summer, the Southern Hemisphere, too, is reaching terrifying climate change milestones. Antarctica’s sea ice levels have fallen to unprecedented low levels this time around. Antarctic sea ice, at the end of February, during the continent’s summer, recedes to its lowest levels. The sea ice then increases again over the winter. But this year, researchers have seen a unique phenomenon. What has changed in Antarctica? Sea ice levels are still well below what was anticipated. In fact, since records began keeping track 45 years ago, it is at its…

On Thursday, U.S President Joe Biden and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met at the White House. The meeting focused on the shared stance of both Rome and Washington on Ukraine. The White House downplayed the differences between the two countries on the matters of China, abortion and LGBTQ rights, and immigration. What was discussed in the meeting? POTUS Joe Biden and Italian PM Giorgia Meloni vowed to strengthen economic ties and increase cooperation on the threats posed by China. The two leaders discussed Italy’s involvement in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). However, Meloni said that the US did…

In a landmark visit to the Pacific island of Vanuatu on Thursday, French President Emmanuel has denounced “new imperialism” in the Pacific. Warning smaller Pacific island states of the threat to their sovereignty, he said that new imperialism is appearing in the Indo-Pacific and particularly in Oceania. He said, “A power logic (that) is threatening the sovereignty of several states.- the smallest, often the most fragile.” Brief background: Earlier on Thursday, the US defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, on his visit to Papua New Guinea (PNG), said that the United States was not looking for a permanent base in the country.…

On 25th July, three firefighters on the Greek islands became the first known fatalities. Raging wildfires have been causing destruction in Greece for a week. Prime Minster Mitsotakis Kyriakos has warned citizens of more difficult days ahead. The fires have destroyed homes and forced tourists to evacuate. Latest updates: A Canadair CL-215 plane crashed on the island of Evia, killing two firefighting pilots. The air force said they were aged 34 and 27. The plane dropped water over a fire before crashing into a hillside, as shown in a TV footage. ERT, a state broadcaster, reported that a 41-year-old stockbreeder’s…