Author: LoveWorld UK

AFRICAN UNION URGES M23 DISARMAMENT -To avert regional war in Congo The African Union (AU) on Sunday (February 16) urged the M23 rebel group to disarm in order to avert a wider war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as chaotic scenes unfolded in the eastern city of Bukavu after rebels reached the city. The Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have been pushing south towards Bukavu, the second-largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, since they seized Goma, the largest city, at the end of last month. They reached Bukavu’s northern suburb Bagira on Friday evening, and took the city center…

NEW DOWNLOADS OF DEEPSEEK SUSPENDED IN SOUTH KOREA – DeepSeek admitted to overlooking certain agency rules on data protection South Korea’s data protection authority said new downloads of the Chinese AI app DeepSeek had been suspended in the country after DeepSeek acknowledged failing to take into account some of the agency’s rules on protecting personal data. The service of the app will resume once improvements are made in accordance with the country’s privacy law, the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) said in a media briefing. The measure that came into force on Saturday (February 15) aims to block new downloads…

DELIVEROO CRACKS DOWN ON ILLEGAL WORKERS – The London-listed food delivery giant Dismissing Over 100 Riders Deliveroo has dismissed 105 riders as part of a crackdown on illegal workers using its platform, the company revealed to MPs. The action follows increasing government scrutiny over undocumented migrants gaining access to Deliveroo’s workforce through its substitute system, which allows registered riders to delegate work to others. Concerns over abuse of this system have intensified political pressure on food delivery firms, including Just Eat and UberEats, prompting a parliamentary inquiry into employment practices. Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick previously warned that inadequate right-to-work…

UK UNVEILS STEEL STRATEGY TO COUNTER US TARIFFS – The government will inject £2.5 billion into the domestic steel industry  The British Department for Business and Trade announced that it is seeking public feedback on a steel strategy aimed at maintaining the global competitiveness of the British steel sector while addressing challenges posed by U.S. tariffs on steel imports. Speaking on Sunday, British business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said tariffs could increase costs for U.S. taxpayers. Britain and the U.S. have a “mutual interest” in negotiating an exemption for Britain from U.S. President Donald Trump’s planned tariffs on steel, he said,…

UK FIRMS CONSIDER BIGGEST LAYOFFS IN 10 YEARS-Chancellor Reeves’ Tax Increase slated for April looms closer UK employers are reportedly bracing for the biggest layoffs in 10 years as firms anticipate tax increases from April that Rachel Reeves announced in her autumn budget. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), representing human resources professionals, stated that a survey of 2,000 employers showed redundancy intentions at their highest level in 10 years. Reeves has come under intense pressure after a series of weak economic data, undermining her plans to grow the economy. Official figures last week showed Britain narrowly avoided…

REAL CLOSE TO AGREEING A CONTRACT EXTENSION WITH VINICIUS JR – Amid interest from Saudi Arabia to sign FIFA’s Player of the Year Real Madrid is close to agreeing on a contract extension with Vinicius Jr after discussions began in January amid interest from Saudi Arabia to sign FIFA’s Player of the Year to a record-breaking deal. Despite the Brazil forward’s current contract running to the end of the 2026-27 season, the Spanish champions contacted the player’s agents last month to rework his deal and end the Saudi interest that has rumbled on for over a year. A source close…

TIKTOK RETURNS TO MAJOR AMERICAN APP STORES – Trump delayed the enforcement of the ban on the social media platform until April 5 TikTok has returned to Apple and Google’s U.S. app stores after President Donald Trump postponed a ban on the Chinese-owned social media platform. The app, used by nearly half of Americans, was briefly unavailable last month before a law took effect on January 19, requiring its parent company, ByteDance, to sell the platform over national security concerns or face a ban. However, Trump signed an executive order delaying enforcement by 75 days, allowing TikTok to continue operating…

US F-35 STEALTH FIGHTER PERFORMS AT INDIAN AIR SHOW – Trump says the US is to eventually provide F35s to India U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States will increase military sales to India starting in 2025 and will eventually provide F-35 fighter jets. Trump did not provide a timeline, but foreign military sales, especially for cutting-edge technology like the stealthy F-35 jet, typically take years to work through. Addressing a joint news conference after a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trump also said the countries had struck an agreement that includes India importing more U.S. oil…

RUSSIA TO BE ‘REINTEGRATED’ INTO WORLD ECONOMY  – If War in Ukraine Ends, Says Victor Orban Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told state radio, that Russia will be “reintegrated” into the world economy and the European energy system once a peace deal is achieved and the war ends. U.S. President Trump said both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed a desire for peace in separate phone calls with him on Wednesday, and he ordered top U.S. officials to begin talks on ending the war. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, Orban has emerged as a…

SUSPECT NAMED WITH AT LEAST 30 INJURED Ahead of Zelensky’s visit for a Security Conference A failed asylum-seeker in Germany has driven into crowds at a trade union demonstration, injuring at least 30 people, including young children. At least two of the wounded in Munich were fighting for their lives. Anti-terror police are investigating what authorities believe was a deliberate attack and a 24-year-old Afghan was arrested after officers shot at the car, police say. Prosecutors say the suspect has at least “indications of an extremist background”, German news site Zeit Online reports, and Der Spiegel says he is believed…