Author: News Desk

VW to invest up to $5bn in electric vehicle maker Rivian German car giant Volkswagen (VW) announced plans to invest up to $5 billion in electric vehicle (EV) maker Rivian, creating a joint venture to share technology. Following the announcement, Rivian shares surged nearly 50%. This collaboration comes as competition among EV manufacturers intensifies and Western nations impose tariffs on Chinese imports. VW will initially invest $1 billion in Rivian, with an additional $4 billion to be invested by 2026. Despite being founded in 2009, Rivian has yet to post a quarterly profit and reported a net loss of over…

Julian Assange flying back to Australia after leaving US court a free man WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has walked free from a US court after pleading guilty in a deal that ends his years-long legal battle. He faces no further prison time and is now returning to Australia after the hearing in the Northern Mariana Islands, a US territory. WikiLeaks is scheduled to hold a news conference in Canberra at 21:15 local time. Assange was pursued by US prosecutors for leaking extensive military information and feared a lengthy sentence in a high-security prison. Last week, he signed a deal with…

Conservatives heap pressure on Trudeau with by-election win The Conservatives have narrowly won the Toronto-St Paul’s seat from the Liberals in a significant political upset, increasing pressure on Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Conservative candidate Don Stewart secured victory by just over 500 votes, a result Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre called a “shocking upset.” In response, Trudeau acknowledged Canadians’ “concerns and frustrations.” The loss is seen as a major embarrassment for Trudeau, as the Liberals had held the seat for 30 years. Political expert Alex Marland noted the significance of the Conservative victory in an area historically dominated by Liberals.…

‘High risk’ of famine in Gaza persists, new UN-backed report says A UN-backed assessment reveals that nearly half a million Palestinians in Gaza are experiencing “catastrophic levels” of hunger, with a “high risk” of famine persisting due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict and limited humanitarian access. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report clarifies that there is no current famine in northern Gaza, though a March assessment had warned of an imminent famine. Since then, aid deliveries have increased and essential services like nutrition, water, and health have been improved. However, the report highlights severe food shortages in southern…

Five killed and parliament ablaze in Kenya tax protests At least five protesters were shot dead by police in Kenya, and part of the parliament building in Nairobi was set on fire as demonstrations against new tax proposals intensified. An enraged crowd broke through police barriers to storm the parliament before igniting parts of it. In a Tuesday evening address, President William Ruto declared that all measures would be used to prevent “dangerous criminals” from undermining national security. He has deployed the military to control the protests. “There are some things that are hard to understand, like how can you…

William Gallas feels there is one particular ‘very solid’ player at Euro 2024 that Chelsea should look to sign in the summer transfer window. The Blues, along with their Premier League rivals, are watching this summer’s tournament with intrigue as they plot moves for a number of international stars. Gallas is keen to see his former side recruit a new central defender after veteran Thiago Silva ended his four-year stint at Stamford Bridge at the end of 2023-24. Chelsea have a number of younger centre-backs but Gallas feels it is important for the west Londoners to have a ‘leader’ in…

Cristiano Ronaldo will start against Georgia, Roberto Martinez has confirmed, despite Portugal already being safely through to the Euro 2024 knockouts. A 2-1 comeback win over Czechia and a 3-0 thumping of Turkey has sealed Portugal’s place as Group F winners with a game to spare. It means Wednesday night’s clash against Georgia in Gelsenkirchen is a dead-rubber for Martinez’s side, and the manager had previously said he would be resting many players in preparation for the last-16. Many expected that would include Ronaldo who has played every minute of the tournament so far and performed well despite not finding…

England have secured their place in the Euro 2024 knockout stage but the Three Lions face a wait to see who they will play next in the last 16. Gareth Southgate’s side delivered another uninspiring performance in their final group game against Slovenia on Tuesday night but a goalless draw was enough to secure top spot in Group C. The result means England will play one of the best third-placed finishers from Groups D or E. And their last-16 tie will be played this Sunday, June 30, at 5pm. More crucially for Southgate’s side, they will avoid Germany, France, Portugal…

Roy Keane and Gary Neville have questioned Gareth Southgate’s decision to bring Conor Gallagher into England’s midfield for their Euro 2024 clash against Slovenia. After naming unchanged starting XIs for group games against Serbia and Denmark, Southgate tweaked his side for Tuesday’s game with Chelsea star Gallagher coming into midfield. Trent Alexander-Arnold partnered Declan Rice in midfield for the first two games with Southgate hopeful the introduction of Gallagher can inject some energy into his side after those underwhelming performances so far in Germany. While believing Gallagher can deliver that, former Manchester United captain Keane questioned whether Gallagher has the…

England are competing in Euro 2024 this summer hoping to win their first major trophy since their World Cup triumph 58 years ago. Despite their poor performances in Germany, there’s no question that England’s squad is, on paper at least, more than capable of becoming just the second set of players to get their hands on international silverware. But whilst England players earn a standard match fee for every match they play, the financial rewards for playing for the Three Lions are dwarfed compared to the salaries they earn with their clubs. Let’s take a look at how much England…