TAIWAN: On the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to Chinese administration, Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang declared that freedom in the city had “vanished” and that China had failed to live up to its pledges of 50 years without change. John Lee, a former Hong Kong security head, is being sworn in as Hong Kong’s new leader by Chinese President …

INDIA: Experts predict that India’s ban on many single-use plastics on Friday (Jul 1) will encounter tremendous challenges from unprepared firms and consumers who are unwilling to pay more for products. A third of the country’s four million tons of plastic waste is thrown away and ends up in waterways and landfills, which frequently catch fire and contribute to air …

BRAZIL: Disinformation regarding President Jair Bolsonaro and ex-leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is having a big influence three months before the Brazilian presidential election. Verifying information has become even more difficult as a result of the proliferation of fake news, the emergence of new social media platforms, and the proliferation of ever-more-complex content. Between January and June, AFP fact-checked …

NORTH KOREA: In a statement released on Friday (Jul 1), North Korea blamed South Korea for the country’s first outbreak of COVID-19, claiming that patients had come into contact with “foreign substances” near the border. The North instructed citizens to “vigilantly deal with alien items coming by wind and other climate phenomena and balloons in the areas along the demarcation …

US: People have recently supplied cutting-edge AI systems, such as OpenAI’s DALL-E 2 and Google Research’s Imagen, text descriptions that these algorithms can utilize to create extraordinarily detailed, realistic-looking images. As a result, the images can be comical or even reminiscent of great art, and they’re being shared widely on social media, including by key players in the IT industry. …

UKRAINE: As a tennis player, Elina Svitolina has a “purpose” to aid her homeland, and she plans on using her platform to do it. Tennis has taken a backseat for the 27-year-old Ukrainian, who keeps in touch with her family and friends back home and is actively working to raise money and awareness for the country’s crisis. Svitolina said, “It’s …

SINGAPORE: As the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Singapore rises once more, doctors are observing an increase in the number of patients who test positive for COVID-19. Patient numbers with acute respiratory infections have steadily risen by roughly 10% in the last two weeks, according to Healthway Medical Group’s chief of primary care, Dr. John Cheng. More than …

US: Mental health disorders including depression and anxiety often have two primary treatment options: talk therapy and medication. The lifestyle choices that might have a significant impact on our mental well-being are rarely discussed. In spite of the fact that many people do not suffer from a mental health disorder, they may nevertheless be looking for ways to enhance their …

US: Tom Hiddleston and Zawe Ashton have announced that they are expecting their first child. Ashton made the announcement at a movie premiere on Wednesday night in a sparkling beige dress draped gracefully over her burgeoning baby bump. Hiddleston opted not to attend the ceremony with his new fiancee. While getting ready for the New York City premiere of “Mr. …

MALAYSIA: Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Minister Annuar Musa said on Thursday that the government expects to unveil a plan to sell a 70% ownership in the state-run 5G agency to six companies by the end of next week. By the end of June, Malaysia’s government had hoped to complete the sale of Digital Nasional Berhad’s stake. One of Malaysia’s most …