World | WPN World People News

Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, president of FOWPAL, right, presented the FOWPAL World Education Model Award to the family of Dr. Gandhi. The award was received by Dr. Gandhi's wife, Dr. Bharti Gandhi, and their daughter.

Despite being just a month into 2024, international headlines are filled with news of layoffs. Even large corporations that were once considered “too big to fail” are resorting to workforce reductions due to financial difficulties, causing widespread concern. The global economy’s ability to recover and the possibility of renewed instability are being closely watched.

Among the companies announcing layoffs recently are tech giants such as Amazon, Google, Citigroup, Kiwi.com, Wipro, PayPal, SAP SE, eBay, SolarEdge, Discord, and Foodpanda, totaling 11 companies.

According to a report by North Korean official media outlet “Chosun Central News Agency” on January 31, North Korea has recently conducted frequent missile tests. On January 30, the North Korean People’s Army conducted a test launch of the “Arrow-2” cruise missile in the western waters of the Korean Peninsula.

The Russian Central Election Commission has officially registered Vladimir Putin as a candidate for the March presidential election. It is almost certain that Putin will win this election and continue to rule for another six years, becoming the longest-serving ruler in Russia since the 18th century.

Putin, who is 71 years old, has been leading Russia since the beginning of this century. He has won the presidential election four times and has only briefly served as prime minister. Under the current system in Russia, the opposition has almost become non-existent.

On January 28th, Ukrainian President Zelensky publicly disclosed his personal income for the past two years, demonstrating his commitment to transparency and anti-corruption efforts. This move is aimed at gaining international weapons and financial aid, as well as meeting the strict standards of the European Union. The day before, Ukrainian authorities also announced the exposure of a major military procurement corruption case worth a total of $40 million.

According to North Korean state media, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui met with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong. Both sides agreed to deepen the friendly cooperation between the two countries on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and North Korea, strengthen strategic communication and coordination, and exchange views on issues such as the relationship between the two countries, the international and regional situation, etc.

French farmers have launched a series of intense protests over the past week, demanding that the government take emergency action to address issues such as inflation, heavy taxation on farmers, cheap imported agricultural products, and soaring costs. On the 26th, farmers blocked a major highway connecting Paris with the northern cities of Lille, Benelux, and the UK. The several-kilometer-long road was blocked, causing severe traffic disruptions around the capital.

Tens of thousands of Australians took to the streets today to protest on January 26th, Australia's controversial National Day, which commemorates the arrival of European settlers at Sydney Cove in 1788, with demonstrators calling it an 'invasion day'.

After 20 months of Sweden’s application to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Turkey’s parliament finally approved Sweden’s membership on the 23rd. Hungary is the only member country that has not yet approved Sweden’s membership.

Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Marco Mendicino, announced on the 22nd that the number of foreign student visas issued will be significantly reduced in the next two years, with an expected reduction of about 35% this year. According to foreign media reports, the number of international students in Canada exceeded 800,000 in 2022, nearly four times the number ten years ago, leading to a surge in demand for housing and social services for foreign students, which has put considerable pressure on Canada.