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 restricting 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 needed to curb smartphone addiction, which research increasingly links to harmful effects. Parents and lawmakers push for action Supporters say phones disrupt lessons and reduce 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 move heightens tensions with the central bank. Trump alleged Cook provided false information on mortgage documents and argued that constitutional powers allow him to dismiss her. Cook rejected the claim, insisting the president lacks the legal authority to fire her. She confirmed she will not resign. No US president has previously attempted to remove a Federal Reserve governor. Trump’s action follows months of criticism toward 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 criticized President Donald Trump’s plan to send the National Guard to Chicago. He called it an abuse of power. Pritzker argued no emergency exists that would justify deploying troops in Illinois. He accused Trump of creating a crisis for political reasons. Trump has already sent about 2,000 troops to Washington DC. The city’s Democratic leaders opposed the move. Trump frames the deployment as part of a nationwide effort to crack down on crime. On Friday, he said Chicago and New York could be next. Chicago mayor warns of heightened tensions Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said he…

US Secretary of Commerce 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 protect our technological edge,” Lutnick wrote on X. He posted the message alongside a photo of himself with Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan. President Donald Trump confirmed the deal earlier in the Oval Office. He called it “a great deal for them.” Shares of the Santa Clara-based chipmaker rose more than 5% on Friday. Intel confirmed that the US government will invest $8.9bn (£6.6bn) in its common stock. Grants…

Elon Musk and his company X have agreed to a settlement with ex-staff. The employees had sued for $500 million in unpaid severance. The agreement was revealed in a court filing on Wednesday. Both sides asked the San Francisco appeals court to delay a hearing. They said more time was needed to finalize the paperwork. Lawsuit followed large-scale layoffs The dispute began after Musk dismissed about 6,000 employees in 2022. That represented more than half of the company’s workforce. Many of the affected staff challenged the severance packages in court. Representatives of X and the employees’ lawyers have not issued…

Sony will raise the price of the PlayStation 5 in the United States by around $50 starting Thursday. The Japanese company faces rising production costs and slowing demand in the gaming industry. Sony executive Isabelle Tomatis said in a blog post that the firm is operating in a “challenging economic environment.” All three console models will become more expensive. The Pro edition will now sell for $749.99. Tariffs add pressure on US consumers The increase follows tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on several trade partners, including Japan. These measures have raised concerns about higher costs for American buyers. Tomatis…

The Kremlin has dismissed talk of an imminent meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky. Donald Trump has urged the two leaders to meet and work toward ending the war in Ukraine. Trump made the call after meeting Putin in Alaska last week and hosting Zelensky alongside seven European leaders at the White House on Monday. He admitted the conflict is difficult 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. “It’s possible that he doesn’t want to make a deal.”…

An Australian court has fined airline giant Qantas 90 million Australian dollars for illegally sacking more than 1,800 ground staff during the Covid-19 crisis. Australia’s Transport Workers’ Union welcomed the ruling. It called the fine the largest ever imposed for breaches of industrial relations law. Court issues strong deterrent Federal Court Justice Michael Lee said the penalty must act as a real deterrent. He stressed that employers must face consequences for unlawful actions. Qantas accepted the decision and confirmed it will pay the fine. The company acknowledged the harm caused to its employees. “We sincerely apologise to all 1,820 employees…

A US senator has opened an investigation into Meta. A leaked internal document reportedly showed the company’s artificial intelligence allowed “sensual” and “romantic” conversations with children. Leaked report sparks outrage Reuters reported the document was titled “GenAI: Content Risk Standards.” Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican, described it as “reprehensible and outrageous.” He demanded access to the full document and the list of products it referenced. Meta denied the allegations. A spokesperson said: “The examples and notes in question were erroneous and inconsistent with our policies.” They stressed Meta enforced “clear rules” for chatbot responses. Those rules “prohibit content that sexualizes…