Author: Richard Parks

Suriname, the only Dutch-speaking country in the Caribbean, will hold its general elections on Sunday. These elections are very important. The party that wins will lead the country into a new era. Big money from oil and gas will start flowing in 2028. This could change Suriname’s future. More than a dozen parties want seats in the 51-member national assembly. But polls show that fewer than six will win many seats. The election will decide who runs the government and how the new oil money is shared. The top party is the VHP Hindustani Party. It is led by President…

The Trump administration has banned international students from enrolling in certain U.S. schools. This move has caused major controversy. Harvard University has taken legal action against this ban. On May 23, Harvard filed a lawsuit in a federal court in Massachusetts. The university says the ban is unfair and breaks the law. The ban stops many international students from joining Harvard. It also tells current foreign students to leave or transfer to other schools. Harvard says this order hurts their education and community. The university argues that the government is punishing them. Harvard refused to share some student records and…

Building a bridge often takes years. But a German company is changing that. Using a new fast-track method, the company can now build bridges in just a few weeks. This approach is faster, cleaner, and less disruptive for traffic. The German Ministry of Transport now wants to use this method for more bridge projects across the country. The company, Estahoff Bau, recently built a small bridge in the city of Münster. It used a new modular system that speeds up work and lowers delays. Engineers say this new method could cut the average build time by 75%. Udo Wessel, one…

Cheap Energy Plan may help Germany’s struggling factories recover. The government plans to cut electricity prices and offer cheaper energy to industries. This idea is under discussion across the country, with both support and criticism from experts and business leaders. Earlier this year, in February, before the general elections, business leaders hinted at this need. They asked the new government to take steps to cut down energy costs. They even warned that if no steps were taken, they might shut down or move their factories to other countries. Now, the current coalition government seems to be taking those warnings seriously.…

Two Israeli embassy staff members were shot and killed near a Jewish museum in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, May 22. The tragic event took place during an event at the museum. Reports from BBC and Reuters, citing U.S. officials, confirmed the deaths. According to NBC News, four senior law enforcement officials said a single shooter was responsible. The attacker shot a man and a woman. Eyewitnesses said the suspect shouted “Free Palestine” while firing. The shooter has been arrested. So far, police have not shared the identity of the person arrested. Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations called the incident…

Gonorrhea vaccine England program begins as the world’s first effort to fight the rising cases of this common sexually transmitted infection. This new vaccine drive aims to stop the spread of gonorrhea and fight germs that no longer respond to antibiotics. The British news site The Guardian reported this major health step. The vaccine will not be given to everyone at first. It will focus on men who have sex with men or on bisexual men. These men often have many partners or a history of infections. So, they are at higher risk. In 2023, over 85,000 gonorrhea cases were…

The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) finished a visit to Kiribati on Friday. This was the first official trip to Kiribati by Forum Secretary General Baron Waqa since he took the role. The visit showed Kiribati’s strong wish to work with other Pacific island countries. This is very important now, as the region faces many tough issues. During the visit, Secretary General Waqa met with Kiribati President Taneti Maamau. The President welcomed the Forum team warmly. He said it is good to have Forum staff actually in Kiribati. Being “on the ground” helps them understand Kiribati’s special challenges better. President…

President Donald Trump has launched a new $175 Billion defense project to protect the United States from major attacks by rival nations like China and Russia. The project is named “Golden Dome” and will cost $175 billion. It is one of the most advanced and expensive defense plans in U.S. history. According to a report by Reuters on Tuesday, Donald Trump announced the project during a press conference at the White House. The U.S. president said the goal of the Golden Dome is to build a space-based defense system. It will use satellites to detect, track, and stop missile threats…

Russia and Ukraine may soon begin talks to stop the war, said U.S. President Donald Trump. He made this statement after a two-hour phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The news was reported by BBC on Tuesday, May 20. Trump called the phone call with Putin “very productive.” He said both sides will decide the peace terms through direct talks. Trump is hopeful that peace talks will begin soon. However, there is no clear sign yet of a full ceasefire or peace deal. Still, Putin said Russia is ready to work…

Permanent representatives of several foreign countries to the United Nations recently visited Kyrgyzstan. This visit aims to promote Kyrgyzstan’s initiatives in the international arena, especially its focus on the mountain agenda. The visiting diplomats came from Mali, Kiribati, Vanuatu, Tonga, Tuvalu, Palau, Burkina Faso, the Solomon Islands, and Sao Tome and Principe, according to a report by Kabar. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan shared that the ambassadors met with the Kyrgyz Foreign Minister, Jeenbek Kulubaev, on May 19. These countries are from regions including the Caribbean, Oceania, and Africa. During the meeting, Minister Kulubaev spoke about Kyrgyzstan’s successes…