Author: Desk Reporter

Las Vegas: Conor McGregor’s highly anticipated return to the UFC ended in heartbreaking fashion after the Irish superstar suffered a serious knee injury just over a minute into his UFC 329 bout against Max Holloway at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. McGregor, a former two-division UFC champion, was competing for the first time since July 2021, when he sustained a broken leg during his trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier. Fans had eagerly awaited his comeback, but the contest came to an abrupt end after he attempted a flying kick early in the opening round. The 37-year-old landed awkwardly, immediately…

Toronto: At least two people were killed and several others injured after a shooting broke out at a popular street festival in Toronto, Canada, prompting a major police response and an ongoing search for the suspects. Toronto Police said officers responded to reports of an active shooter on St. Clair Avenue at approximately 8:12 p.m. local time during the annual Salsa on St. Clair festival. Upon arrival, emergency crews discovered six people suffering from gunshot wounds. Two victims were pronounced dead at the scene, while the injured were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment. Authorities confirmed the area has been…

Hainan: China has achieved a significant breakthrough in its space programme after successfully landing a reusable rocket for the first time, marking a major advancement in its efforts to develop cost-effective space launch technology. According to state media, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) launched the Long March 10B rocket from Hainan in southern China at 12:15 local time (04:15 GMT). Approximately six minutes after separating from the rocket’s upper stage, the booster executed a controlled vertical descent and was successfully recovered on a floating platform. The achievement places China among a small group of nations capable of…

London: The UK government has launched a nationwide consultation on a series of stricter measures aimed at preventing vaping products from being marketed to children, including plans for plain packaging, restrictions on flavour descriptions and tighter controls on how vapes are displayed in shops. The proposals, announced by Health Secretary James Murray, are part of a wider effort to tackle the growing number of young people experimenting with vaping while preserving access to vaping products as a smoking cessation tool for adults. Under the proposed regulations, vape packaging would be required to adopt a plain, standardized appearance with strict limits…

Melbourne: Australia and India have announced a major breakthrough in their bilateral relationship with a new uranium export agreement that is expected to pave the way for regular Australian uranium shipments to India for peaceful civilian purposes. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese unveiled the agreement during talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Melbourne, describing it as another milestone in the growing strategic partnership between the two nations. The agreement addresses long-standing delays that followed a 2014 uranium export pact, under which regular shipments had not commenced due to concerns over the potential use of Australian uranium in India’s…

Bangladesh: At least eight people, including seven students and a teacher, were killed after a landslide buried an Islamic study centre inside a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar, as relentless monsoon rains continued to batter the region. The landslide struck the girls’ school during the afternoon, engulfing the structure in mud and debris and triggering an urgent rescue operation. Authorities said 13 people were pulled from the collapsed school building, but eight of them succumbed to their injuries. According to Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, the victims included young students and one teacher. Several of…

Poland: White storks across parts of Europe are increasingly feeding on food waste from landfill sites, gaining weight and conserving energy, but new research suggests the trend could pose significant long-term health risks. The study, presented at the Society for Experimental Biology conference in Florence, found that white storks feeding at landfill sites generally have greater body mass and higher energy reserves than those relying on natural prey. Researchers say the readily available food allows the birds to spend less time searching for meals and more time breeding and caring for their young. Scientists from the University of Veterinary Medicine…

Sharjah: A search and rescue operation is underway after a cargo aircraft carrying five crew members disappeared off the coast of Karachi, Pakistan, while flying from Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. According to Pakistan’s aviation authorities, the Boeing 737 lost contact with air traffic controllers at approximately 9:21 pm local time (16:21 GMT), as it approached Karachi. Preliminary reports indicate that the aircraft experienced a rapid descent shortly before communication was lost. Officials said the crew had reported a navigation system malfunction just minutes before the aircraft disappeared from radar. The exact cause of the incident remains under investigation. The aircraft…

Nanjing: A court in eastern China has sentenced former Nanjing city official Yang Youlin to death after convicting him of accepting more than 2.2 billion yuan (approximately $325 million) in bribes over a 30-year period, making it one of the country’s largest corruption cases in recent years. The Changzhou Intermediate People’s Court announced that the 69-year-old was found guilty of bribery, embezzlement, abuse of power and money laundering. According to Chinese state media, Yang exploited senior positions he held in Nanjing between 1993 and 2023 to help businesses and individuals secure engineering contracts, land transfers and financing in exchange for…

Nova Scotia: Canada has selected German defence manufacturer TKMS to build a new fleet of 12 conventionally powered submarines in what Prime Minister Mark Carney described as the largest military procurement deal in the country’s history. Carney announced the decision in Halifax, Nova Scotia, confirming that the Canadian government will begin contract negotiations with TKMS, the world’s largest non-nuclear submarine manufacturer. The agreement is expected to take several months to finalise. The new submarine fleet is a key part of Canada’s long-term defence modernisation strategy as the country seeks to strengthen maritime security, particularly in the Arctic, where climate change…