Author: Onu Akter

Miss England is stirring controversy again, this time with the introduction of an AI round in its semi-finals. Contestants who enter must create AI-generated avatars of themselves and compete to secure commercial bookings for the digital doubles, with the most successful avatar advancing to the final. Only three of the 32 semi-finalists have opted to participate, reflecting mixed reactions within the modeling world. One participant, Jessica Pliskin, a 23-year-old physics master’s graduate from the University of Bristol, believes the AI round will help her career. “The modeling industry is going to change, but I think this is something that will…

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Falkirk on Saturday as rival protests over the housing of asylum seekers at the Cladhan Hotel escalated tensions in the town. Large crowds from both pro and anti-immigration groups faced each other across police lines, chanting slogans, holding signs, and trading accusations in one of the most heated demonstrations Scotland has seen this summer. The event marked the second major protest outside the Cladhan Hotel this month. Anti-immigration groups carried placards with messages such as “stop the boats” and “enough is enough,” while counter-demonstrators responded with chants of “refugees are welcome here.” Police set up…

President Donald Trump was seen on the South Lawn of the White House on Saturday, just hours after online rumors claimed he had gone missing from public view. The 79-year-old president appeared with his grandchildren, Kai Trump, 18, and Spencer Trump, 12, in a move that seemed aimed at silencing unverified claims spreading rapidly across social media. Late Friday night, hashtags including “Trump is dead” and “Where is Trump?” began trending on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. The posts sparked confusion and concern among users, leading to a surge of speculation about the president’s whereabouts and well-being. The…

The future of America’s most influential government-funded broadcaster has been thrown into uncertainty after the Trump administration moved to eliminate more than 500 jobs at the Voice of America and its sister networks. The announcement, made late Friday by acting US Agency for Global Media CEO Kari Lake, has ignited fierce backlash from employees, lawmakers, and legal experts who warn that the sweeping layoffs could silence America’s voice abroad at a time of growing global tension. Lake confirmed that her agency had initiated a reduction in force that would cut 532 full-time government jobs. She argued that the agency would…

Donald Trump’s trade agenda faced its toughest challenge yet on Friday after a federal appeals court ruled that the former president exceeded his constitutional authority when he imposed broad tariffs on nearly every country in the world. The Washington DC court, in a 7–4 ruling, declared that Trump had gone beyond the powers granted to him under existing US law. The decision noted that while presidents do have considerable leeway in responding to national emergencies, that authority does not extend to imposing tariffs or taxes on imports without congressional approval. The ruling directly targets tariffs Trump enacted on April 2,…

The United States has blocked Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and about 80 other Palestinian officials from attending next month’s UN General Assembly session in New York, citing concerns that their presence could undermine peace efforts. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the officials sought “the unilateral recognition of a conjectural Palestinian state” and blamed them for bypassing negotiations with Israel. The decision has drawn support from Israel but raised questions about compliance with international agreements governing UN operations. Typically, the US facilitates travel for foreign officials attending UN meetings. The State Department clarified that Palestinian representatives at the UN…

China has historically supported anticolonial struggles and the Palestinian cause, but today, despite rhetorical backing and diplomatic engagement, it is reluctant to confront Israel directly. During the 2023 Gaza conflict, videos circulated online suggesting China had airdropped humanitarian aid to Palestinians. Many viewers celebrated, seeing it as a significant step by Beijing to support Gaza. However, the footage was later proven false, raising questions about China’s actual involvement. Following the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023, Beijing refused to label them as terrorism. In February 2024, Ma Xinmin, a legal advisor to China’s foreign ministry, told the International…

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Saturday that it had arrested eight individuals suspected of passing coordinates of sensitive sites and details about senior military officials to Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad. The arrests were made during investigations into activities connected to the June war between Iran, Israel, and the United States. The conflict began in June when Israeli forces struck Iranian nuclear facilities, killing top military commanders and scientists. The attacks marked the most significant blow to the Islamic Republic since the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. Iran retaliated by launching missile and drone attacks on Israeli targets,…

Iran has arrested eight people suspected of passing sensitive military information to the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad during a recent 12-day war with Israel and the United States. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the arrests on Saturday, saying the suspects received specialized training from Mossad through online platforms. The IRGC statement said authorities apprehended the suspects in northeastern Iran before they could carry out their plans. Officials also seized materials that could be used to make launchers, explosives, bombs, and booby traps. State media reported earlier this month that Iranian police detained up to 21,000 people during the…

Several UK councils are pressing ahead with legal action to prevent asylum seekers being housed in local hotels, even after the Court of Appeal overturned a temporary injunction. The decision allows asylum placements to continue at The Bell Hotel in Epping, a case seen as a potential precedent for other areas. Epping Forest District Council, which secured the original injunction, said it is exploring all options, including appealing to the Supreme Court. Reform UK has called on all 12 councils it controls to consider legal challenges against hotel housing for asylum seekers. Kemi Badenoch encouraged Conservative-run councils to “keep going”…