World

A tiny juniper shrub in Finnish Lapland has been recognized as Europe’s oldest woody plant, measuring just four inches in trunk diameter and estimated to be 1,647 years old, Earth.com reported. This discovery, led by Marco Carrer from the University…

The Netherlands has officially banned civil servants from using the Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek, citing concerns over potential espionage, Anadolu Agency reported. State Secretary for Kingdom Relations and Digitalization Zsolt Szabo announced the ban, following warnings from the Dutch Data…

Amnesty International has called on the Philippine government to stop misusing anti-terrorism laws against human rights advocates and NGOs, Jurist News reported. The organization highlighted a troubling trend of state-sponsored harassment targeting development workers and activists, particularly through “red-tagging,” which…

Approximately 2,900 people have died in violent clashes between M23 rebels and Democratic Republic of Congo forces in Goma, Anadolu Agency reported citing a UN official. The humanitarian crisis in this eastern city has drawn the attention of the International…

Malaysia’s recent government guidelines requiring non-Muslims to seek official approval before inviting Muslims to events at places of worship have been met with widespread criticism, South China Morning Post reported. The new rules mandate that non-Muslims obtain permission from Islamic…

Human Rights Watch reports China restricts Uyghurs’ freedom of movement, despite easing some travel bans, prompting concerns over human rights violations and international law breaches. China is violating Uyghurs’ right to freedom of movement by enforcing strict travel restrictions for…

The M23 rebel group has declared a unilateral ceasefire in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), amid rising violence and a dire humanitarian crisis, The Guardian reported. Following the capture of…

Updated guidelines regulating Muslim participation in non-Muslim events, funerals, or houses of worship are set to be finalized by Malaysia’s National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs (MKI) by late February 2025, The Star reported. Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar…

A majority of the European Union’s surface water bodies are polluted by chemicals, according to a European Commission report released Tuesday, highlighting significant challenges in protecting water resources. As of 2021, only 39.5% of lakes, rivers, and coastal waters were…

Australia announced on Tuesday a ban on the Chinese AI startup DeepSeek from all government devices due to security concerns, Reuters reported. The Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs issued a directive prohibiting the use, installation, and retention of…