YOUR WEEKLY NEWS UPDATE
- The White House claims that Vladimir Putin is deceived by advisers who are too afraid to tell him how bad the war in Ukraine is. Secondly, British intelligence reported that Russian troops in Ukraine are troubled, lacking in equipment, and unwilling to obey orders. According to the White House, Mr. Putin is not informed about the ban’s impact on the Russian economy. The Kremlin still has not replied to the audits. White House spokeswoman, Kate Bedingfield, said the US was aware of the stress between Putin and his army due to misinformation.
- The Academy claims that Will Smith refused to leave after being ordered to leave the Oscars event after slapping Chris Rock. The event’s organising panel had to issue disciplinary actions against Smith. Rock was slapped after joking about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair which was shaved due to alopecia, a hair loss illness. Above this, Smith has apologised for his offence. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences commented on how Smith refused leaving the event but acknowledged that he could have been responded better to Rock’s remark.
- According to National Trust research, more than half of the orchards in England and Wales, an area corresponding to that of the Isle of Wight, have disappeared since 1900. Most of this decline occurred in the south west. Annie Reilly of the National Trust stated that this was caused by the expansion of towns and cities into areas previously covered by orchards. Often, all that then remains of 18th and 19th century orchards are street names or map evidence.
- According to a report by software firm SEMrush, interest in old mobile phones, known as dumbphones, is rising sharply. Google searches for them have jumped by 89% between 2018 and 2021. Another report by accountancy firm Deloitte estimated that more than 10% of UK mobile users had a dumbphone, while yet another report estimated that global 2021 sales of dumbphones could hit 1 billion. This compares favourably to global smartphone sales of 1.4 billion, a 12.5% drop from 2020. Reasons for the revival of dumbphones include nostalgia and fashion.
- According to new data, the cost of living in Russia is rising as a result of the country’s war with Ukraine. According to official data, the price of some domestic staples, such as sugar, has risen by up to 14% in the last week. This trend is expected to continue, since the Russian currency, the rouble, has lost about 22% of its value this year, raising the price of imports. After a month-long hiatus, the Russian stock market resumed trading on Thursday. Most of the shares ended higher, the Moex showing a 5.6% increase during volatile trading.
- Scientists worry that the levels of toxic PFAS chemicals – also known as forever chemicals – that are permitted in the UK’s tap water are too high. According to a BBC investigation, PFAS amounts surpassed European safety levels in just under half of samples collected, but all of them were below the current UK safety thresholds. The chemicals can be found in a variety of products, including nonstick cookware, food containers, carpets, furniture, and firefighting foam and have been associated with several illnesses, including cancer.
NEWS BROUGHT TO YOU BY PAMELA MOORE
Date: 25/03/22
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