Author: Press Room

Ukraine forces are advancing along parts of the front line against Russian troops near the war-torn eastern town of Bakhmut. “Our soldiers are moving forward in some areas of the front, and the enemy is losing equipment and manpower,” Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, said on social media on Saturday. “The defensive operation in the Bakhmut direction continues.” Russia acknowledged on Friday its forces had fallen back north of Ukraine’s ruined eastern city in a retreat the head of Russia’s Wagner private army called a “rout” not a “regrouping”. In its latest bulletin, Russia’s defence ministry said…

Carlos Alcaraz will reclaim the No.1 ranking and go into the French Open as top seed after beating Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-4 6-1 in his first Italian Open match.Alcaraz will pass Novak Djokovic for the top spot when the rankings are next published on May 22, also ensuring he will get the No.1 seeding at the French Open, which starts on May 28.Alcaraz double-faulted to hand Ramos-Vinolas a break of his serve in the opening game of the match but quickly recovered and used his well-disguised drop shot to set up the key break at the end of the first set.Alcaraz…

BEIJING: China will fully implement the youth employment priority policy and vigorously explore market-based employment channels, China vice premier Ding Xuexiang said on Thursday (May 11). China will ensure that the number of college graduates accepted by central-owned and state-owned enterprises is no less than last year, Ding was cited by the official Xinhua news agency as saying. The government should implement various preferential policies and guide college graduates to find jobs in communities, Ding said. The latest job-supporting steps come after a recovery in the world’s second-largest economy from three years of pandemic lockdowns has been gradual and uneven.…

Some Questions Are Better Left UnansweredIf you think you are about to read a collection and litany of racist remarks on African-European history, you aren’t. This is more of an introspective treatise about why different societies transformed differently.It is perfectly obvious to everyone, whether an overt racist or not, that different peoples have fared differently in history and continue to fare differently. The other day, I asked my friend, why ancient African societies didn’t send out explorers, missionaries and colonialists to weave our culture in foreign lands and to orchestrate African imperialism and might, globally.My friend’s response was that it’s…

As the violence between the Israeli military and Palestinian militants in Gaza stretched into a fifth day on Saturday, Egyptian-led mediation efforts for a cease-fire were unable to stop the fighting, making this round of clashes among the longest in recent years.The fighting has remained contained because the militant group, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, has failed to draw in Hamas — the more powerful Islamic militant organization that controls Gaza — or any other major faction. The Islamic Jihad fighters, alone on the battlefield, have suffered crushing blows.Some experts attribute the stamina of Islamic Jihad — which Israel, the United States…

The Biden administration said it will appeal a federal judge’s order blocked immigration authorities from releasing apprehended migrants without court dates — a policy the administration says is necessary as Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities are over-capacity following an extreme surge in illegal migration this week as Title 42 ended.Justice Department attorneys on Saturday asked the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Florida for an emergency stay on Judge T. Kent Wetherell II’s two-week restraining order on the Biden administration policy, notifying the court of the administration’s intention to appeal to the 11th Circuit, according to court…

Wage growth ticked up in April, good news for American workers but bad news for officials at the Federal Reserve, who have been hoping to see a steady moderation in pay gains as they try to wrestle inflation back under control.Average hourly earnings climbed by 4.4 percent in the year through April. That compared with 4.3 percent in the previous month, and was more than the 4.2 percent that economists had expected.The increase in wages compared with the previous month — at 0.5 percent — was the fastest since March 2022.The hourly earnings measure can bounce around from month to…

Continuity is a big deal in the UK. Monarchy aside, Britain boasts a hedge fund business with a 240-year history. Robyn Grew is the latest boss to take charge at Man Group, once a rum supplier to the British Navy.Grew is currently president of the world’s largest listed hedge fund manager. She will replace Luke Ellis as chief executive when he retires in September. He has steadied the ship since he took the helm in 2016. He has also pushed heavily into AI-driven investment techniques, a natural move for a quant-based business.Grew is therefore taking over at a critical moment.…

Image Source: AP PhotoFlorida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a new bill banning central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) in the state. The bill, dubbed SB-7054, bans the use of a CBDC as money within the state of Florida. It also prohibits the use of CBDCs issued by other governments and calls on other states to use their commercial codes to institute similar prohibitions.During a recent press conference, DeSantis highlighted concerns about the potential use of CBDCs to control and surveil Americans.  He suggested that the government could use CBDCs to stop people from buying gas to combat global warming or track how…