Author: HeraldStar

A new policy brief published by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on August 15 reveals that nearly 60,000 children aged 0-17 years across five countries in Central Asia are currently living in residential care facilities. This alarming figure translates to an average of 203 children per 100,000, nearly double the global average of 105 per 100,000, raising concerns about the effectiveness of child protection systems in the region. “The rate of children in residential care can reflect the strength of a country’s child protection system, with a higher rate signaling a system that is failing to keep families together,”…

Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz are set to launch their Democratic campaign for the White House with a bus tour through Georgia next week, as they seek to solidify support in a state that is poised to play a crucial role in the November 5th election. The tour marks the first time Harris and Walz will campaign together in Georgia, a state where polls show a tight race between Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump. Harris, who formally accepted the Democratic nomination for president on Thursday in Chicago, will be joined by Walz, her vice-presidential running…

In a startling turn of events, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Friday that he is ending his campaign and endorsing Republican Donald Trump. The decision marks the end of a bid that began with Kennedy running as a Democrat, leveraging one of the most storied names in American politics. Kennedy made the announcement during a press conference, where he explained that after meeting with Trump and his aides several times, he found common ground with the former president on key issues such as border security, free speech, and ending foreign wars. “There are still many issues…

In a historic visit to wartime Kyiv, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday, urging him to engage in peace talks with Russia to end the ongoing conflict. Modi’s visit marked the first time an Indian prime minister has traveled to Ukraine in modern history. As the war launched by Russia in February 2022 continues to escalate, Modi emphasized the need for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the crisis. “The road to resolution can only be found through dialogue and diplomacy. And we should move in that direction without wasting any time. Both sides…

An Italian prosecutor has launched a manslaughter investigation into the deaths of seven people, including British tech magnate Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, who were killed when a luxury yacht sank in stormy weather off Sicily earlier this week. Ambrogio Cartosio, head of the public prosecutor’s office of Termini Imerese, announced the investigation at a news conference, stating that while the yacht was hit by a sudden meteorological event, it was “plausible” that crimes of multiple manslaughter and causing a shipwreck through negligence had been committed. The investigation is currently not focused on any individual, Cartosio emphasized. Fifteen…

Shigeru Ishiba, a former defense minister and prominent figure within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), announced on Saturday his intention to run in the party’s leadership election on September 27. The election will determine the successor to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who will step down in September after completing his three-year term as leader of the world’s fourth-largest economy. Ishiba’s candidacy comes as the LDP seeks to navigate a period of economic transition, with the Bank of Japan (BOJ) gradually raising interest rates to normalize its ultra-loose monetary policy. In a recent interview with Reuters, Ishiba expressed his support…

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has expressed support for the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to gradually raise interest rates, citing increasing inflation expectations and the need to normalize its ultra-loose monetary policy. In an interview with Reuters at the Jackson Hole economic symposium, IMF chief economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas noted that Japan’s inflation has surpassed the BOJ’s 2% target, with expectations moving towards or even exceeding this level. He praised the BOJ’s recent steps towards normalizing policy, including ending negative interest rates in March and raising the short-term policy rate to 0.25% in July. Gourinchas emphasized that further rate increases will…

A recent meeting of China’s Politburo has stressed the importance of fostering a strong sense of community and maintaining national unity and border stability in the country’s western regions. The meeting’s readout, released by state news agency Xinhua, highlighted the need to prioritize ethnic unity and stability in provinces and regions including Xinjiang, Tibet, and Yunnan. The Chinese government has faced criticism from Western nations over its human rights record in these regions, allegations that Beijing has vehemently denied as “smears” against its reputation. To drive development in Western China, the Politburo meeting outlined key strategies, including: These initiatives aim…

Chicago Bears cornerback Douglas Coleman III was released from a Kansas City hospital on Friday and returned to Chicago after suffering an injury during a preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Coleman was injured while making a tackle during the game on Thursday night. “He was walking around,” Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said in an interview with Chicago radio station WSCR “670 The Score.” “I did talk to him. He’s in good spirits.” The incident occurred on the first play of the second half when Coleman tackled Chiefs wide receiver Cornell Powell near the sideline. As he made…

Fitch Ratings has downgraded Israel’s credit score from A+ to A, citing the ongoing conflict in Gaza and escalating geopolitical risks as primary factors. The agency has also maintained a “negative” outlook for Israel, indicating the possibility of further downgrades in the near future. The downgrade follows the October 7 attack by Hamas, which led to a sharp decline in Israel’s stock market and currency. While both have since rebounded, concerns about the country’s economic stability persist. Earlier this year, Moody’s and S&P also reduced Israel’s credit ratings. The conflict in Gaza has already resulted in more than 40,000 Palestinian…