Author: HeraldStar

Preparations for the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), scheduled to take place in Baku this November, are progressing. To ensure that the event is organised in line with UNFCCC protocols and standards, the COP29 Azerbaijan Operating Company (Operating Company) has started a technical testing phase for seamless and uninterrupted provision of ICT systems. The Proof of Concept (PoC) phase was launched on August 19th at Baku Stadium, the venue for COP29, with representatives from both the Operating Company and the UNFCCC in attendance. On the first…

Iran has pledged to retaliate for the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, but officials indicate that the response may be delayed. Ali Mohammad Naeini, a spokesperson for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), stated on Tuesday that Iran’s response could take time, suggesting a more measured approach. “Time is on our side, and the waiting period for this response may be prolonged,” Naeini said, according to state media. Former IRGC commander Mohsen Rezaee echoed this sentiment in an interview with CNN, emphasizing that Iran’s actions will be “very calculated.” The Middle East has remained tense since…

Kazakhstan is bracing for economic turbulence in the latter half of 2024 as a projected surplus of wheat, the nation’s primary agricultural export, threatens to depress prices. Adding to the challenges, Kazakhstan has unexpectedly halted wheat exports to China, one of its largest markets, following abrupt tariff changes imposed by Beijing. The Kazakh Ministry of Agriculture recently announced that more wheat was planted this spring than anticipated, which is expected to result in a substantial harvest and, consequently, lower market prices. Compounding this issue, the ministry also revealed the suspension of wheat exports to China due to what it described…

Divers and an underwater drone have been deployed in the search for six missing individuals, including prominent UK tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, following the sinking of a luxury superyacht off the coast of Sicily. Also among the missing are Jonathan Bloomer, chair of Morgan Stanley International, and his wife, Judy. The 56-meter (185-foot) British-flagged yacht, named Bayesian, was anchored with 10 crew members and 12 passengers aboard when it was reportedly struck by a waterspout—a powerful mini-tornado—early on Monday morning. The sudden and violent storm caused the yacht to sink rapidly. Rescue teams have so…

In response to the shocking rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee medic at a state-run hospital in Kolkata, India’s Supreme Court has taken decisive action by forming a national task force of medical professionals. This task force is tasked with developing comprehensive safety guidelines to protect doctors and healthcare workers across the nation. The Supreme Court initiated the case independently, underscoring the gravity of the situation. On Tuesday, Chief Justice Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud announced the creation of the doctors’ panel, emphasizing the importance of workplace safety, particularly for women in the medical profession. The task force has been instructed…

The United States has formally accused Iran of orchestrating cyberattacks on the presidential campaigns of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, as well as conducting influence operations aimed at deepening political divisions among American voters. This marked the first time U.S. federal agencies, including the FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, have directly blamed Iran for such activities during the election cycle. The agencies issued a joint statement on Monday, expressing concern over the “increasingly aggressive Iranian activity” that targeted both the American public and presidential campaigns. The statement highlighted recent…

In a significant reversal, Disney has withdrawn its claim that a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Jeffrey Piccolo over the death of his wife should be subject to arbitration due to terms he agreed to in a free trial of Disney+. The legal battle centers on the tragic death of Dr. Kanokporn Tangsuan in 2023, who suffered a fatal allergic reaction after dining at Raglan Road, a restaurant at Disney World in Florida. Piccolo, her husband, filed the lawsuit against both Disney and the restaurant’s owners, alleging that the establishment failed to adequately address his wife’s severe allergies to dairy…

Eight police officers in Kenya have been suspended on suspicion of facilitating the escape of a suspected serial killer, Collins Jumaisi Khalusha, who is alleged to have confessed to the murders of 42 women, including his wife, since 2022. The suspensions were announced as authorities continue their investigation into the escape. Khalusha had been in custody since his arrest in July, following the discovery of nine mutilated bodies in an abandoned quarry in Nairobi. According to police reports, the victims were all women aged between 18 and 30, and were killed in a similar manner. The gruesome nature of the…

As dawn breaks over Nyiragongo General Referral Hospital, situated just north of Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), healthcare workers are already deeply engaged in their day’s work. The facility is a frontline site for the treatment of mpox, a viral disease that has seen a resurgence in the region. Despite the early hour, the medics move with practiced efficiency, screening, isolating, and caring for patients who have been infected by the highly contagious disease. The urgency of their work has been underscored by a recent global alert. Just two days earlier, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued its highest-level…

The United States and China have taken a significant step toward enhancing their economic collaboration by signing an agreement aimed at bolstering financial stability in both nations. This agreement was formalized during a two-day meeting of the U.S.-China Financial Working Group, held in Shanghai on Thursday and Friday. Co-led by Brent Neiman, the U.S. Deputy Under Secretary for International Finance, and Xuan Changneng, Deputy Governor of the People’s Bank of China (PBC), the working group engaged in comprehensive discussions on various aspects of financial cooperation. The two countries exchanged lists of key contacts to facilitate communication in the event of…