Author: Fatimah Idera

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Sunday that the federal government will present a budget in the autumn. This announcement comes days after Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne indicated that the new Liberal government would have an economic update later in the year rather than an annual budget in the near term. Carney’s statement followed a press conference in Rome, where he attended Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration at the Vatican. “There is not much value in trying to rush through a budget in a very narrow window – three weeks – with a new cabinet,” Carney said, explaining the delay.…

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Elton John has strongly condemned the UK government’s proposal to relax copyright laws, allowing tech firms to train artificial intelligence models on the country’s music and creative output without ensuring proper compensation. This move aims to make Britain an AI superpower under Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s leadership. However, prominent industry figures, including John, Paul McCartney, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Ed Sheeran, are urging the government to reconsider, citing the potential harm to young artists’ livelihoods. The proposed law would require creators to opt out if they don’t want their work used, rather than obtaining permission or receiving payment. John expressed…

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China has announced anti-dumping duties of up to 74.9% on imports of POM copolymers, a type of engineering plastic, from the United States, European Union, Japan, and Taiwan. The commerce ministry’s findings conclude a probe launched in May 2024, following the US’s sharp increase in tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, computer chips, and other imports. POM copolymers can partially replace metals like copper and zinc and have various applications in auto parts, electronics, and medical equipment. In January, the ministry determined that dumping was taking place and implemented preliminary anti-dumping measures in the form of a deposit starting January 24.…

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South Korea’s presidential candidates, Lee Jae-myung and Kim Moon-soo, faced off in their first TV debate on Sunday evening, ahead of a snap election on June 3 to choose a successor to former President Yoon Suk Yeol. The debate, the first of three TV debates scheduled over the next two weeks, focused on revitalizing the struggling economy, a key election issue. Lee Jae-myung, the main opposition Democratic Party’s candidate and frontrunner, advocated for increased investment in artificial intelligence, protection for unionized workers, a 4.5-day working week, and prioritizing South Korea’s interests in responding to US tariffs. He emphasized the need…

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A Federal Appeal court has lifted an order blocking President Donald Trump’s administration from stripping hundreds of thousands of federal employees of their ability to unionize and collectively bargain over working conditions. The 2-1 panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit put on hold an injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman at the behest of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU). The union had blocked the implementation of Trump’s executive order issued in March. The NTEU and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the ruling. Trump’s…

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Hadi Matar, 27, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for stabbing and partially blinding author Salman Rushdie onstage at a Western New York Arts Institute in 2022. The attack also wounded Henry Reese, co-founder of the City of Asylum. Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt said Rushdie has been traumatized and experiences nightmares. Matar was found guilty of attempted murder and assault in February. The prosecution argued that Matar’s actions were a major setback for Rushdie, who had been in hiding due to death threats since the publication of his novel “The Satanic Verses” in 1988. Ayatollah Ruhollah…

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