Author: News Desk

Cape Canaveral, Florida: SpaceX has initiated its mission to rescue two astronauts who have been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) since June. The Dragon capsule, featuring two vacant seats for Butch Wilmore and Sunitha Williams, launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on 28th of September. The duo’s mission at the space station was initially intended to last around eight days. However, a fault was discovered in the new Boeing Starliner, leading to an empty return to Earth as a precaution. NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov are traveling with fresh supplies for Wilmore and Williams, and…

Ontario, Canada: The Canadian government is reserving seats on commercial flights to assist its citizens in departing Lebanon, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly announced, following Israeli airstrikes that struck the capital, Beirut. Approximately 45,000 Canadians are in Lebanon, though only about half have officially registered with the embassy in Beirut. Joly said that, “Canada has secured seats for Canadians on the limited commercial flights available, if a seat is available, please take it.” Mélanie Joly also said on X that, “Please ensure you are registered with our embassy in Beirut and indicate you want help leaving. Embassy officials…

New York: The COP29 Presidency led a high-level discussion at UN Headquarters in New York called ‘The Road to COP29: A Multilateral Approach to Climate Adaptation’. The event convened senior government officials, representatives from financial institutions and climate funds, as well as climate experts. The conversation focused on strengthening global resilience to climate change, especially in the wake of recent climate disasters that highlighted the urgent need for increased funding for adaptation initiatives. COP29 will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 11th to 22nd November 2024. The discussions focused on advancing National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and the Global Goal on…

Tokyo: Shigeru Ishiba, the former defense minister, has emerged victorious in the tight leadership contest of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), defeating Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi. The final vote tally was 215 to 194 after a run-off, as no candidate secured a majority in the initial round. Ishiba has made five attempts to clinch the top position, making his win particularly significant. Takaichi would have made history as Japan’s first female prime minister had she prevailed in the race. The leadership change comes as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced his resignation amid a series of corruption scandals within…

Florida: Hurricane Helene has rapidly intensified to a Category 4 storm, making landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph. A state of emergency has been declared across the state, as Hurricane Helene approaches bringing potentially life-threatening conditions. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has emphasized the urgency of evacuation orders, especially for those in mobile homes and low-lying areas, stating that conditions will worsen rapidly. Hurricane Helene has already caused significant damage, swamping parts of Mexico and bringing tropical storm conditions to Florida. Tragically, there has been a fatality reported in Tampa when a sign fell onto…

Finland: Ähtäri Zoo, Finland’s oldest organic animal park, is returning two giant pandas to China eight years early, due to their high maintenance cost. Lumi and Pyry were brought to Finland in 2018, after the two countries signed an agreement to protect the animals. The pandas were supposed to stay in the Nordic country for 15 years, but they will be sent home in November. Ähtäri Zoo said that the announcement of pandas’ eviction was influenced by inflation and debt linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Zoo pointed out that it had spent €1.5 million (£1.2 million) a year on…

Beijing: China has successfully test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) carrying a dummy warhead into the Pacific Ocean, for the first time in decades. Beijing’s defence ministry said that, “The ICMB was launched and fell into expected sea areas,” adding that the test launch was a part of its routine and ‘annual training.’ China typically conducts its nuclear weapon tests domestically, having previously test-fired ICBMs westward into the Taklamakan Desert in the Xinjiang region. This is thought to be the first instance since 1980 that the country has launched an ICBM into international waters. The type of missile and its flight…

New York: US President Joe Biden has emphasized the United States’ commitment to preventing a full-scale war in the Middle East. Biden made his remarks in the final address at the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79). Biden addressed the rising conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, stressing that, “full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest, but the Israel-Lebanon crisis is now on the brink,” and urged for a diplomatic solution. Biden also said that, “The rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank, and the need to set the conditions for a better future, which…

Washington DC: TikTok has banned multiple accounts linked to Russian state media a significant move ahead of the upcoming U.S. elections. This decision stems from concerns about covert influence operations aimed at manipulating public opinion and disrupting the electoral process. The accounts affected belong to the media group Rossiya Segodnya, which operates the RIA Novosti and Sputnik news services, as well as TV-Novosti, the parent organization of the RT news channel. TikTok stated that these accounts had previously faced restrictions in the UK and EU, and their global content was labelled as state-controlled media. However, they are now believed to…

Beirut, Lebanon: World leaders and the United Nations called for an urgent ceasefire, amid escalating war tensions. At least 492 people, including 35 children, were killed, and 1,645 others wounded following a day of intense Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon, as reported by the country’s Health Ministry. Hezbollah retaliated with missile attacks on Israeli airbases. Gaza death toll has hiked to over 41,000, while more than 1,139 Israelis have died since the Hamas-led attacks on October 7. UN Secretary-General António Guterres.  says that he is alarmed by the escalating situation and the large number of civilian casualties, amidst the most intense Israeli…