News & Current Events

[ad_1] A young Barack Obama is seen delivering the speech A video has emerged of a speech by ex-US President Barack Obama, a Harvard University alumni, from a 1991 protest in support of a law professor, amid the current stand-off between US President Donald Trump and Harvard over the institute's refusal to implement the Trump administration's new federal directives to it.Trump retaliated by freezing Harvard's federal funding of over $2.2 billion. Obama came out in support of his alma mater, where he studied law, and called out the US President over his alleged "ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom."Barack Obama's viral speechAccording to a 2022 report, Derrick Bell, an African American and a law professor at Harvard, and a pioneer of the so-called "critical race theory," had launched a hunger strike over the institute's denial of tenure to Regina Austin, […]

[ad_1] China has expressed its willingness to resume trade negotiations with the United States, provided that certain key preconditions are fulfilled. Among the primary demands is a call for greater diplomatic respect, a consistent US trade stance, attention to its concerns on sanctions and Taiwan, and the appointment of a lead negotiator with Trump's full backing, Bloomberg reported citing a Chinese government source.Trump administration has raised the tariffs to 245% on the Asian nation after Beijing decided to block new Boeing aircraft purchases by Chinese airlines.“China now faces up to a 245% tariff on imports to the United States as a result of its retaliatory actions,” the White House said.Meanwhile, China has responded saying that it wasn't "afraid to fight", however, adding that if the US wanted to resolve the matter, it should talk "on the basis of equality, respect […]

[ad_1] In an increasingly polarised Canadian election landscape, it’s not policy but psychology that appears to be shaping voter behaviour. A new National Post poll released on April 16 paints a striking emotional divide: 75% of Conservative voters say they are motivated by hope—for economic revival, lower taxes, and political change—while 60% of Liberal supporters cite fear as their primary motivator, particularly in the face of Donald Trump’s threats to Canada’s sovereignty and trade.This fear-versus-hope narrative is playing out at the highest levels of leadership, with unelected Liberal leader Mark Carney doubling down on warnings of a Trump-dominated North America, while Conservative challenger Pierre Poilievre pitches a vision of renewal and national pride.Carney’s Fear Gambit: Trump as the BogeymanSince assuming leadership of the Liberal Party in March 2025 with an overwhelming 85.9% internal vote, Mark Carney has made one thing […]

[ad_1] If you thought Elon Musk was just the bloke sending Teslas into orbit and Doge memes into your timeline, think again. Behind the code, rockets, and Twitter tantrums lies a full-blown sci-fi fertility cult, with a plot that makes Handmaid’s Tale look like a parenting blog. From hush money to hush babies, Musk isn’t just building rockets—he’s building a legion. Literally. Here are ten jaw-dropping revelations from the Wall Street Journal’s expose that reads less like journalism and more like leaked notes from a Vatican fertility summit hosted by Trump.1. He Calls Them His “Legion”—Because Why Stop at a Soccer Team?Elon Musk doesn’t have children. He has a legion. That’s what he calls his sprawling brood, borrowing the term from Roman military units known for conquest and expansion. The mission? To out-breed the collapse of Western civilisation. The method? […]

[ad_1] JERUSALEM: Israel said Wednesday it would keep blocking humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, where a relentless military offensive has turned the Palestinian territory into a "mass grave", a medical charity reported.Air and ground attacks resumed across the Gaza Strip from March 18, ending a two-month ceasefire with Hamas that had largely halted hostilities in the territory.However, Israel has halted the entry of aid into Gaza since March 2, as the humanitarian crisis continues to grow amid ongoing military assaults which rescuers said killed at least 11 people Wednesday.Defence minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday Israel would continue preventing aid from entering the besieged territory of 2.4 million people."Israel's policy is clear: no humanitarian aid will enter Gaza, and blocking this aid is one of the main pressure levers preventing Hamas from using it as a tool with the population," […]

[ad_1] Mohammad Javad Zarif (AP) DUBAI: Iran 's president formally approved the resignation of one of his vice presidents who served as Tehran's key negotiator in its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, just as the head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog was due to arrive in the Islamic Republic on Wednesday. President Masoud Pezeshkian's announcement late Tuesday regarding Mohammad Javad Zarif comes as Iran prepares for a second round of negotiations with the United States over its rapidly advancing nuclear program. Meanwhile, the visit by Rafael Mariano Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, scheduled to start Wednesday may include negotiations over just what access his inspectors can get under any proposed deal. The stakes of the negotiations couldn't be higher for the two nations closing in on half a century of enmity. US President Donald […]

[ad_1] Fresh from a courtroom loss over The Associated Press' access to the presidency, the White House on Tuesday put forward a new media policy that sharply curtails access to Donald Trump by news agencies that serve media outlets around around the world. It was the latest attempt by the new administration to control coverage of its activities. The move would block the AP and other wire services that serve billions of readers through thousands of news outlets. It comes after a judge ruled the White House had violated the organization's free speech by banning it because it disagreed with the outlet's decision not to rename the Gulf of Mexico. While outlining a new "pool coverage" policy for small spaces like the Oval Office and Air Force One, the White House also said it will ultimately give press secretary Karoline […]

[ad_1] US president Donald Trump is earning rare praise from animal advocacy groups, including PETA, after federal agencies announced plans to phase out animal testing. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have outlined changes that would shift research practices towards modern, humane alternatives. Kathy Guillermo, senior vice president at PETA, called the FDA’s announcement “a significant step” towards ending harmful and outdated testing methods. “PETA applauds the FDA’s decision to stop harming animals and adopt human-relevant testing strategies,” she said, reported Fox News.The group is also urging a broader commitment to end all government-funded animal experiments, including those on monkeys at primate research centres. The FDA plans to replace animal tests with tools such as lab-grown human organoids and AI-based modelling. Commissioner Dr Martin Makary said these approaches could lead to safer treatments, faster […]

[ad_1] Nations reach a historic agreement in Geneva to combat future pandemics. The accord addresses shortcomings exposed by Covid-19. It focuses on pathogen data sharing and technology transfer. Article 11 was a point of contention. The World Health Organization will present the final text for approval next month. The US absence and potential tariffs cast a shadow. GENEVA: Years of negotiations culminated early Wednesday with countries agreeing the text of a landmark accord on how to tackle future pandemics, aimed at avoiding the mistakes made during the Covid-19 crisis.After more than three years of talks and one last marathon session, weary delegates at the World Health Organization's headquarters finally sealed the deal at around 2:00 am (0000 GMT) Wednesday."Tonight marks a significant milestone in our shared journey towards a safer world," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus."The nations of the […]

[ad_1] US President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Wednesday to declare that the US is collecting “RECORD NUMBERS” in tariffs while prices of “gasoline, groceries, and just about everything else” are falling — a message of economic victory under his leadership: “Promises Made, Promises Kept!” But his celebration comes as confusion deepens around his administration’s latest moves on electronics tariffs, particularly those targeting China. On Friday, US Customs and Border Protection announced a pause on new taxes for consumer electronics, offering a temporary reprieve to companies like Apple and HP. Yet within 48 hours, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick contradicted that position, stating the exemption was only temporary and new, sector-specific tariffs would arrive “in a month or two.” Trump himself added to the chaos on Monday, posting that there were “no exceptions at all,” and that electronics would […]