Author: News Desk

Washington: The US Senate has approved a bipartisan deal aimed at ending the nation’s record-breaking 40-day government shutdown, marking the first breakthrough after weeks of political gridlock. Following intense weekend negotiations, a minority of Democrats joined Republicans to vote in favor of the agreement, which represents the initial procedural step toward restoring federal funding after the government ran out of money on October 1. The measure still requires approval from the House of Representatives before government services and federal employee pay can resume. The government shutdown, the longest in US history, has left around 1.4 million federal workers either on…

London: King Charles III will lead the nation in a solemn two-minute silence at the Cenotaph on November 9, during the annual Remembrance Sunday service, paying tribute to those who lost their lives in military service. King Charles will be accompanied by members of the Royal Family and senior politicians, who will lay wreaths in memory of the fallen. An estimated 10,000 armed forces veterans will participate in the Royal British Legion’s marchpast, including around 20 veterans from the Second World War, marking 80 years since the end of WWII. https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1987430007619170557 Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said that the occasion…

Los Angeles: Once a little-known part of the human body, the vagus nerve, the body’s ‘superhighway’ that carries information between the brain and major organs, has recently become a viral topic across social media. Videos promoting techniques to ‘heal,’ ‘stimulate,’ or ‘reset’ the vagus nerve have gained millions of views, all promising to reduce stress and anxiety through simple exercises. Methods such as humming, tapping, eye movements, gargling, and breathwork are frequently recommended online as ways to activate the nerve and promote calm. Proponents believe that stimulating the vagus nerve can help balance the autonomic nervous system, which regulates involuntary…

Lima: Peru has declared Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum a ‘persona non grata,’ effectively barring her from entering the country, escalating a growing diplomatic dispute between the two nations. The move comes just days after Peru severed diplomatic ties with Mexico, following Mexico’s decision to grant political asylum to former Peruvian Prime Minister Betssy Chavez. Peru’s Congress voted 63 to 34 in favor of the measure, which symbolically prohibits Sheinbaum’s entry. The declaration of ‘persona non grata,’ typically reserved for foreign diplomats, is widely viewed as a diplomatic rebuke toward Mexico’s government. According to El País, Fernando Rospigliosi, President of Peru’s…

New York: Rockstar Games has announced another delay for its highly anticipated title, Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6), pushing its release to 19 November 2026. Originally slated for May 2026, the game had already been postponed once before from its earlier autumn 2025 launch window. In a statement, the developer explained that the additional months are necessary to complete the game with the level of polish fans ‘expect and deserve.’ Rockstar also apologized for the prolonged wait and thanked the gaming community for its continued patience, expressing excitement for players to explore Leonida, a fictional US state inspired by…

Manila: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared a state of national emergency in the Philippines after Typhoon Kalmaegi devastated central provinces, leaving at least 114 people dead and nearly 130 missing, marking the deadliest natural disaster to hit the nation this year. Most fatalities resulted from flash floods and drowning, with Cebu province suffering the heaviest losses: 71 deaths, 65 missing, and 69 injured, according to the Office of Civil Defence. The typhoon Kalmaegi, which has now moved into the South China Sea, affected nearly 2 million people and displaced over 560,000 residents, including 450,000 evacuated to temporary shelters. President…

Washington: US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that starting November 7, Friday morning, air travel capacity will be reduced by 10 percent at 40 major airports across the United States if the ongoing government shutdown continues, the longest in US history. The move, jointly announced with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) chief Bryan Bedford, follows growing concerns over air traffic controller fatigue and mounting safety risks as thousands of essential employees continue to work without pay. Bedford explained that the gradual reduction will begin with a 4 percent cut in domestic flights on Friday, followed by 5 percent on Saturday and…

San Francisco: Amazon has filed a lawsuit against Perplexity AI, accusing the fast-growing AI startup of illegally accessing private Amazon customer accounts through its ‘Comet’ browser and automated AI agent, which reportedly placed orders and browsed products while disguising automated activity as human behavior. Filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, the suit claims Perplexity’s system posed security risks to customer data and ignored multiple cease requests. Amazon stated that Perplexity “purposely configured its software to conceal its activities,” asserting that such digital intrusion remains unlawful despite occurring via code rather than physical means. Perplexity,…

Sydney: Australia has expanded its landmark social media ban for children under 16 to include Reddit and Kick, increasing the number of affected platforms to nine. The restriction set to take effect from December 10 already applies to Facebook, X, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Threads as part of the world’s first nationwide initiative to restrict underage access to social media. Under the new regulations, tech companies could face penalties of up to A$50 million (US$32.5 million; £25.7 million) if they fail to take ‘reasonable steps’ to deactivate existing accounts held by under-16s or prevent the creation of new ones.…

Perth: Australia is set to roll out a groundbreaking Solar Sharer program in 2026, which will provide at least three hours of free solar power daily to households, including those without rooftop solar panels, as part of its national clean energy transition. Announced by Energy Minister Chris Bowen, the initiative aims to help residents cut energy costs while improving overall grid efficiency. The program will initially launch in New South Wales, South Australia, and southeast Queensland, before being expanded across the country. The free solar power will be available during midday hours, when solar generation is at its peak. “People…