News & Current Events

[ad_1] According to the UK-based human rights organization Amnesty International, we are at a "critical juncture" when it comes to universal human rights worldwide. Its report underlines religious, patriarchal and racist assaults on the system of human rights conventions, universal human rights, international humanitarian law, and international courts agreed upon by states after the crimes of the Nazis and World War II."Unprecedented forces are hunting down the ideals of human rights for all, seeking to destroy an international system forged in the blood and grief of World War Two and its Holocaust," writes Agnes Callamard, International Secretary General of Amnesty International (AI), in the foreword to her organization's annual report. Amnesty International assesses the human rights situation in a total of 150 countries every year.Increasing violence against civilians and minoritiesAmnesty's annual report identifies three main ongoing trends. Firstly, civilians are […]

[ad_1] WASHINGTON: Secretary of state Marco Rubio warned on Tuesday that the United States would give up on mediation unless Russia and Ukraine put forward "concrete proposals," as US patience wanes on an early priority for Donald Trump.The US President had vowed to end the war in his first 24 hours back in the White House but, as Trump celebrates 100 days in office, Rubio has suggested the administration could soon turn attention to other issues."We are now at a time where concrete proposals need to be delivered by the two parties on how to end this conflict," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters, in what she said was a message from Rubio."If there is not progress, we will step back as mediators in this process."She said it would ultimately be up to Trump to decide whether to move […]

[ad_1] An Indian-origin tech entrepreneur from Mysuru allegedly shot and killed his wife and one of his sons before taking his own life at their home in Newcastle, Washington, on April 24.The victims have been identified as Harshavardhana S Kikkeri, 57, his wife Shwetha Panyam, 44, and their 14-year-old son. The family had been living in the US for several years, The Renton Reporter noted.According to the King County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a 911 call on the evening of April 24 and discovered three bodies inside the family's townhouse in the 7000 block of 129th Street SE. Harshavardhana’s wife Shwetha and their son died from gunshot wounds and their deaths were ruled as homicides, while he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, which was classified as a suicide, the King County Sheriff’s Office reported.The motive behind the crime […]

[ad_1] Washington, Apr 30 (AP) The US government has begun shedding new light on a crackdown on international students, spelling out how it targeted thousands of people and laying out the grounds for terminating their legal status. The new details emerged in lawsuits filed by some of the students who suddenly had their status cancelled in recent weeks with little explanation. In the past month, foreign students around the US have been rattled to learn their records had been removed from a student database maintained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Some went into hiding for fear of being picked up by immigration authorities or abandoned their studies to return home. On Friday, after mounting court challenges, federal officials said the government was restoring international students' legal status while it developed a framework to guide future terminations. In a court filing […]

[ad_1] US President Donald Trump (File Image) US President Donald Trump defended his controversial trade policies and said that China "probably will eat those tariffs." In an exclusive ABC News interview, President Trump asserted that China would likely absorb the tariff costs, dismissing concerns about price increases across various sectors.Responding to a query on imposing 145% tariff on China, Trump said, "China probably will eat those tariffs ... They were ripping us off like nobody's ever ripped us off … They're not doing that anymore."Trump doubled down on China tariffs and said 'They deserve it.'"It'll raise prices on everything from electronics to clothing to building houses," ABC's Terry Moran said."You don't know that," Trump said. "You don't know whether or not China's going to eat it.""That's mathematics," Moran said.He also addressed public apprehension, following his recent social media message urging […]

[ad_1] Canadian PM Mark Carney's Liberals staged a major political comeback to retain office in parliamentary elections, fuelled by a backlash against US President Donald Trump's tariffs and comments on making Canada the 51st US state. With almost all votes counted, results from Elections Canada showed that the Liberals had won 168 electoral districts, just short of the 172-majority mark, followed by Conservatives with 144.Conservative chief Pierre Poilievre, who three months ago had looked certain to sweep the polls, lost his seat in the Ontario district of Carleton.Tensions with the US caused supporters of two smaller parties, the left-leaning New Democratic Party and the separatist Bloc Quebecois, to shift to the Liberals. NDP chief Jagmeet Singh, known for his pro-Khalistan tilt, conceded defeat in his own district and said he planned to quit as party leader. NDP was projected to […]

[ad_1] After defence secretary, the FBI has recently begun conducting polygraph examinations to identify information leaks, as confirmed by a bureau spokesperson. National security agencies in the Trump administration are intensifying leak investigations, implementing polygraph tests that are creating an atmosphere of fear amongst officials.Attorney General Pam Bondi's revised legal guidelines now permit the Justice Department to access reporters' personal communications and expand criminal prosecution scope beyond classified material to include "privileged and other sensitive" information, Washington Post reported.Officials express concern that the broader scope could encompass information that merely causes embarrassment or challenges administrative positions."People are trying to keep their heads down," stated a former FBI field office head, speaking anonymously. "Morale's in the toilet. ... When you see people who are being investigated, or names [of agents who worked on Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot cases] being passed […]

[ad_1] Defence secretary Pete Hegseth boasted about dismantling a program supporting women on security teams, which he claimed that the "woke & weak" Joe Biden administration distorted & weaponized the "Women, Peace & Security” program. In a post on X, Hegseth said, "This morning, I proudly ENDED the 'Women, Peace & Security' (WPS) program inside the @DeptofDefense. WPS is yet another woke divisive/social justice/Biden initiative that overburdens our commanders and troops — distracting from our core task: WAR-FIGHTING. WPS is a UNITED NATIONS program pushed by feminists and left-wing activists. Politicians fawn over it; troops HATE it. DoD will hereby executive the minimum of WPS required by statute, and fight to end the program for our next budget."However, after the media start reminding him that the legislation was signed into law by US President Donald Trump in 2017, Hegseth posted […]

[ad_1] Retail giant Amazon on Tuesday dismissed the proposal of displaying US tariff-related price increases to customers. This response came after the White House criticised the proposal. "The team that runs our ultra-low-cost Amazon Haul store considered the idea of listing import charges on certain products. This was never approved and is not going to happen," Amazon spokesperson Tim Doyle stated.Punchbowl News had reported earlier Tuesday that the website would indicate "how much Trump's tariffs are adding to the price of each product," according to an unnamed source.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the reported plan as "a hostile and political act by Amazon," questioning why similar measures weren't taken during the Biden administration's period of high inflation.Stephen Miller, a senior Trump advisor, told Fox News he accepted Amazon's statement, but noted that customers frequently express frustration about product […]

[ad_1] Canadian firm The Metals Company (TMC) announced on Tuesday that it has submitted application to the United States for deep-sea mineral mining in international waters. This marks the first such application, supported by President Donald Trump’s push for the industry. The minerals targeted by TMC are crucial for manufacturing electric vehicle batteries and electric cables, as reported by AFP. However, environmental groups have expressed concerns about the potential ecological impact of extracting these resources. TMC USA, a subsidiary of The Metals Company, is seeking a license to mine polymetallic nodules, multi-metal deposits found in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone of the Pacific Ocean. Gerard Barron, chairman and CEO of The Metals Company, called the move "a major step forward for America’s mineral independence and industrial resurgence." The company initially planned to submit its application to the International Seabed Authority (ISA) but […]