Author: HeraldStar

In a high-stakes diplomatic meeting, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday asserted that Taiwan’s pursuit of independence poses the greatest threat to regional stability, but vowed that Beijing would refrain from any new actions that could escalate tensions with the United States or other nations. The statement comes amid rising tensions between the U.S. and China, particularly over the Taiwan issue. Wang Yi’s remarks were made during a visit by U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan to Beijing, signaling ongoing efforts to stabilize the strained relations between the two global powers. According to a statement from the White House,…

The World Health Organization (WHO) and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) are joining forces to highlight the transformative impact of assistive technology on sports during the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. The “Equipped for equity” campaign emphasizes the crucial role of assistive technology for Paralympic athletes to advocate for concerted global action to improve access to these essential health products. Throughout the Games, WHO and IPC will leverage the Paralympics platform to share messages and information focused on the importance of assistive technology, how athletes use it, and why universal access is essential. Examples of assistive technology used by Paralympians include: running blades, wheelchairs,…

South African billionaire Johann Rupert has overtaken Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote to become Africa’s richest person, according to the latest data from the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. This marks a significant shift in the rankings of the continent’s wealthiest individuals. Rupert, who controls Richemont, one of the world’s largest luxury goods companies, has seen his net worth surge by $1.9 billion, reaching a total of $14.3 billion. This increase places him at 147th position globally, moving him 12 places ahead of Dangote, whose fortune has declined by $1.7 billion this year. Dangote’s current net worth stands at $13.4 billion, placing him…

In a significant move, Bangladesh’s interim government, headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has lifted the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami, the country’s largest Muslim political party. The ban, originally imposed under an antiterrorism law during the final days of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s administration, has been revoked by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The government issued a gazette notification on Wednesday, stating that there was “no specific evidence of involvement of Jamaat” and its affiliates in terrorist activities, thereby justifying the decision to remove the ban. The Jamaat-e-Islami party had previously denied any allegations of inciting violence during the student…

A Chinese woman’s clever revenge plot against a Louis Vuitton outlet has gained widespread attention on social media. The incident occurred at the StarLight Place shopping center in Chongqing, where the woman had previously experienced poor customer service in June. According to reports, the woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, visited the store with her assistant and friend, claiming they intended to make a purchase. They handed over 600,000 yuan (approximately $87,000 USD) in cash, keeping the sales staff occupied for two hours as they counted the money. In a surprising twist, the woman then announced, “We don’t want to…

In a significant escalation of tensions between Japan and China, a Chinese military plane violated Japanese territorial airspace for the first time on Monday, prompting a swift response from Tokyo. According to the Japanese government, a Chinese Y-9 reconnaissance plane intruded into the country’s airspace over the Danjo islands, west of Kyushu, for approximately two minutes. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi condemned the incident as “utterly unacceptable” and a “serious violation of Japan’s sovereignty” that “threatens our security.” He noted that China’s military activities near Japan have increased in recent years, sparking concerns about regional stability. In response to the…

China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), Asia’s largest oil producer, is overhauling its global strategy to reignite deal-making and enhance its reserves. The state-owned energy giant is exploring opportunities in gas liquefaction, deepsea drilling, and optimizing production from aging wells. According to Lu Ruquan, director of CNPC’s Economics and Technology Research Institute (ETRI), the company may revisit its acquisitive approach of the 1990s and 2000s, when it made significant investments in Sudan, Chad, Kazakhstan, and Indonesia. Lu emphasized the need for CNPC to embark on more global acquisitions, stating, “One needs to paddle harder, or else it will retreat backward.” CNPC…

Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, has expressed regret over succumbing to alleged pressure from the Biden administration to censor content on Facebook and Instagram during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a letter addressed to House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, Zuckerberg revealed that senior officials, including those from the White House, repeatedly urged Meta to remove certain COVID-19 content, including satire and humor, in 2021. Zuckerberg acknowledged that Meta made decisions that, in hindsight, were misguided and pledged to be more outspoken in the face of similar pressure in the future. He emphasized that the company’s primary goal is to…

These restrictive laws have forced many women to carry unwanted pregnancies to term, travel abroad to have legal abortions or seek private unsafe procedures, based on information from the UN human rights office (OHCHR). The report from the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) published on Monday, found that most abortions in Poland are being carried out illegally and in unsafe conditions as it is illegal to assist women in getting abortions, with minimal legal exceptions, and services are often inaccessible. CEDAW members are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Committee Vice-Chair Genoveva Tisheva said: “The…

More than 640,000 children are targeted to receive the polio type two (nOPV) vaccines, UNICEF said in a post on X. The World Health Organization (WHO), the UN’s main agency assisting Palestine refugees (UNRWA) and other partners aim to coordinate to reach the unvaccinated as the war grinds on against the backdrop of multiple civilian displacements. The Israeli government agency COGAT said vaccine shipments had arrived in Gaza through the Kerem Shalom Crossing, adding that the vaccination campaign will be conducted in coordination with the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) as part of “routine” humanitarian pauses. Gaza has been in the grip of an ongoing…