Author: Grace Johnson

South Korea has passed a law banning smartphones and other smart devices during school hours. The country joins a growing number of nations limiting phone use to protect students’ learning and wellbeing. The law will take effect in March 2026. Lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties supported it. They argue it is necessary to curb smartphone addiction, which research increasingly links to harmful effects. Parents and lawmakers push for change Supporters say phones disrupt lessons and weaken academic performance. Children spend too much time scrolling instead of studying or socialising. Parents worry devices prevent children from forming friendships or…

US President Donald Trump has announced he will immediately remove Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook from her position. The decision heightens tensions with the central bank. Trump claimed Cook submitted false information on mortgage documents and argued that constitutional authority allows him to remove her. Cook rejected the claim, insisting the president lacks the legal power to fire her. She confirmed she will not resign. No US president has previously attempted to dismiss a Federal Reserve governor. Trump’s move follows months of criticism against the Fed and its chair Jerome Powell. He accuses Powell of refusing to lower interest rates…

Vintage once ruled the wine world In wine, the vintage has always been king. Every bottle of red, white, or rosé almost always carries the year of harvest on the label. Non-vintage still wine, which blends grapes from several years, has long been seen as cheap and undesirable. It is also far less common. But climate change is now shaking this tradition. Heatwaves, droughts, and extreme weather push winemakers to seek consistency. A small but growing group of respected wineries now release non-vintage bottles. They argue blending ensures quality when nature brings chaos. Napa Valley feels the heat Chris Howell,…

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker condemned President Donald Trump’s plan to deploy the National Guard in Chicago. He said the move is an abuse of power. Pritzker argued no emergency exists that would justify troop deployment in Illinois. He accused Trump of manufacturing a crisis for political gain. Trump already deployed about 2,000 troops to Washington DC. The capital’s Democratic leaders rejected the measure. Trump portrays the action as part of a wider crackdown on crime in US cities. On Friday, he said Chicago and New York could face the same response. Chicago mayor warns of unrest and setbacks Chicago Mayor…

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced on Friday that Washington will acquire a 10% stake in Intel. “This historic agreement strengthens American leadership in semiconductors. It will grow our economy and secure our technological edge,” Lutnick wrote on X. He posted the message with a photo of himself alongside Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan. President Donald Trump confirmed the deal earlier in the Oval Office. He described it as “a great deal for them.” Shares of the Santa Clara-based company rose more than 5% on Friday. Intel confirmed that Washington will invest $8.9bn (£6.6bn) in its common stock. Funding redirected to…

Elon Musk and his company X have agreed to settle with former employees. The workers had taken legal action demanding $500 million in unpaid severance. The agreement was revealed in a court filing on Wednesday. Both parties asked the San Francisco appeals court to delay a hearing. They said more time was needed to complete the settlement process. Case sparked by mass layoffs The lawsuit followed Musk’s 2022 decision to dismiss about 6,000 workers. That figure made up more than half of the company’s workforce. Many of those affected challenged the severance terms through court action. So far, X and…

Sony will raise the price of the PlayStation 5 in the United States by about $50 starting Thursday. The Japanese tech giant faces higher production costs and a slowing gaming market. Sony executive Isabelle Tomatis said in a blog post that the company is navigating a “challenging economic environment.” All three console models will see price hikes. The Pro version will now sell for $749.99. Tariffs put pressure on prices The price rise follows tariffs introduced by President Donald Trump on multiple trade partners, including Japan. These measures have raised concerns about higher costs for American consumers. Tomatis stated: “We…

The Kremlin has dismissed speculation about an early summit between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky. At the same time, Donald Trump renewed his call for the two leaders to meet and explore ways to end the war in Ukraine. The push for direct talks followed Trump’s meeting with Putin in Alaska last week. On Monday, he hosted Zelensky and seven European leaders at the White House. Trump admitted the conflict was hard to resolve and warned that Putin might not want peace. “We’re going to find out about President Putin in the next couple of weeks,” he said on Tuesday.…

An Australian court has fined airline giant Qantas 90 million Australian dollars for illegally sacking over 1,800 ground staff during the Covid-19 pandemic. Australia’s Transport Workers’ Union welcomed the ruling, calling it the largest fine ever for breaching industrial relations law. Court sends a strong warning Federal Court Justice Michael Lee said the penalty must act as a real deterrent. He stressed that employers cannot ignore legal responsibilities. Qantas accepted the ruling and confirmed it will pay the fine. The airline acknowledged the serious harm caused to its employees. “We sincerely apologise to all 1,820 employees and their families who…

Leaked report sparks public outrage A US senator launched an investigation into Meta after a leaked internal report suggested its artificial intelligence engaged in “sensual” and “romantic” conversations with children. The document, titled GenAI: Content Risk Standards, raised alarm across social media and political circles. Republican Senator Josh Hawley called the report “reprehensible and outrageous” and demanded full access to the document along with detailed explanations of the products involved. Meta denied the allegations. A company spokesperson insisted the examples and notes were “erroneous and inconsistent with our policies.” The spokesperson added that Meta enforces strict rules for chatbot responses,…