Author: News Desk

Darwin, Australia: Severe Tropical Cyclone Fina has strengthened into a category-three system as it moves towards Darwin, becoming the first November cyclone of this intensity in Australian waters in 20 years. The city was expected to experience the cyclone’s most severe conditions on November 22, as Fina travelled through the Van Diemen Gulf, drawing closest to Darwin at about 9 pm. Darwin Airport suspended operations from 9 am, and Qantas proactively cancelled several flights for safety. The airline said that the passengers were being moved to other services, with additional flights planned for Sunday once the weather stabilises. Travellers were…

Los Angeles: Matt and Ross Duffer, the twin filmmaking duo behind ‘Stranger Things,’ say they have intentionally raised the scale and intensity of every season, a creative approach they consider essential as the hit sci-fi series reaches its fifth and final instalment. The concluding season premieres on November 26 and will roll out in three parts on Netflix. Matt Duffer explained that the series’s structure was inspired by ‘Game of Thrones,’ noting that they wanted each season to expand in scope, similar to major film sequels. One key area they aimed to elevate each year was the scale of the…

Sydney: Younger Australian teenagers using Instagram, Facebook, and Threads are being warned that their accounts will soon be deactivated ahead of the country’s new nationwide social media ban for under-16s. Meta, owner of all three platforms, has begun sending alerts via text, email, and in-app notifications to users it believes are aged 13 to 15, informing them that account shutdowns will begin on December 4. The national ban officially comes into effect on December 10, covering platforms including TikTok, YouTube, X, and Reddit in addition to Meta’s services. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the ban as a ‘world-leading’ step designed…

Glasgow: Scotland have qualified for the men’s World Cup 2026 for the first time since 1998 after a dramatic 4–2 victory over Denmark at Hampden Park, sealed by stoppage-time goals from Kieran Tierney and Kenny McLean. The night began spectacularly when Scott McTominay produced a stunning bicycle kick in the third minute to give Scotland a 1–0 lead heading into half-time. Denmark responded early in the second half, with Rasmus Højlund scoring in the 57th minute. Moments later, Danish defender Rasmus Kristensen was sent off, giving Scotland an advantage. Lawrence Shankland capitalised soon after to restore Scotland’s lead. However, Denmark…

San Francisco: Several major websites, including X and ChatGPT, faced widespread outages on November 18, after issues emerged at Cloudflare, a major global internet infrastructure and security provider. The disruption began shortly after 11:30 GMT, when thousands started reporting problems on Downdetector as multiple apps and services became inaccessible. Cloudflare confirmed that a ‘significant outage’ occurred when a configuration file, intended to help manage threat traffic, malfunctioned and caused a crash in the software that routes traffic across its broader services. The company apologised publicly and stated that, “We apologise to our customers and the Internet in general for letting…

London: Cambridge Dictionary has selected ‘parasocial’ as its 2025 Word of the Year, highlighting how deeply one-sided emotional connections with celebrities, influencers, and even AI chatbots have become embedded in modern digital life. The term describes a perceived relationship someone feels toward a public figure they do not personally know. Though it first appeared in 1956, when University of Chicago sociologists observed television audiences forming emotional attachments to on-screen personalities, the rise of social media and artificial intelligence has transformed a once-academic concept into a mainstream cultural phenomenon. According to Cambridge Dictionary editor Colin McIntosh, ‘parasocial’ reflects the spirit of…

Nairobi: Nestlé continues to add sugar to most of the baby cereals it sells across Africa, according to a new investigation by campaigners who claim the company is ‘putting the health of African babies at risk for profit.’ The findings have led to accusations of ‘double standards,’ especially as childhood obesity rates rise across the continent, intensifying calls for Nestlé to remove added sugar from all its baby-food products. The investigation was conducted by Public Eye, a Swiss global justice organisation. Nestlé rejected the report as ‘misleading.’ A company spokesperson argued that mildly sweet cereals are necessary to ensure infants…

Edinburgh: Scotland’s top prosecutor, Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC, has issued a strong reassurance to survivors of rape and sexual abuse following a landmark UK Supreme Court ruling that raised concerns about how Scottish courts handle evidence in sexual offence trials. Bain emphasised that victims will continue to receive full protection when giving evidence, despite the court’s warning that Scotland’s existing ‘rape shield’ laws, designed to prevent invasive questioning about a complainant’s sexual history or character, may risk infringing defendants’ rights to a fair trial. In a firm statement, Bain stressed that, “Sexual abuse committed against women and children remains…

Wellington: Multiple schools across New Zealand have been forced to temporarily close, while hundreds of education providers have requested official guidance, after asbestos was detected in several brands of popular coloured play sand. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment confirmed last week that a voluntary recall was in progress for two coloured sand brands sold in New Zealand, following Australian tests that revealed asbestos in similar products. The situation escalated when the Faculty of Asbestos Management of Australia and New Zealand found tremolite asbestos in four additional sand items, the 14-piece Sandcastle Building Set and the blue, green, and…

Monmouth, South Wales: A major incident has been declared in South Wales after ‘severe and widespread flooding’ struck the region overnight, with further warnings in place and much of England preparing for a cold spell starting November 17. South Wales Fire and Rescue Service announced the major incident in Monmouth at around 1.30 am. Emergency crews have been responding continuously, carrying out rescues, evacuations, and welfare checks across affected communities. Area Manager Matt Jones described it as a ‘large-scale incident,’ praising emergency crews and partner agencies for working tirelessly through challenging conditions. Jones urged the public to stay away from…