Author: News Desk

London: Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is facing a major legal battle in the UK, where more than 3,000 claimants have accused the global healthcare giant of knowingly selling talcum powder contaminated with asbestos for decades. The claimants allege that they or their family members developed ovarian cancer or mesothelioma after using Johnson’s Baby Powder between 1965 and 2023. The collective lawsuit, filed by KP Law at the High Court in London, seeks damages against both Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue UK, a company that was spun off from J&J in 2023 and now operates as an independent business. The claim…

London: Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) release nearly five times more planet-heating emissions than official data indicates, a report by Transport and Environment has revealed. These vehicles, which run on both electric batteries and combustion engines, have been promoted by European automakers as a way to cover long distances without fully relying on petrol or diesel, while still reducing emissions. However, the analysis found that PHEVs emit just 19 percent less CO2 than conventional petrol and diesel cars, far below the 75 percent reduction suggested under laboratory testing. The study examined data from the onboard fuel consumption meters of 800,000…

New Delhi: India’s Supreme Court has permitted the sale and use of so-called ‘green firecrackers’ during the upcoming Diwali festival, even as air quality in the capital city, Delhi, continues to plunge to ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ levels. The top court’s ruling, issued on October 15, allows the sale and bursting of firecrackers that are said to emit 20–30 percent less pollution than conventional ones and produce minimal ash. Manufacturers claim these ‘eco-friendly’ crackers are a cleaner alternative; however, critics argue that even green firecrackers still release harmful substances that worsen air quality and pose serious health risks. Delhi has…

OpenAI has announced plans to relax restrictions on its ChatGPT chatbot, including allowing erotic content for verified adult users, in line with the company’s principle of ‘treat adult users like adults.’ The updated ChatGPT will also enable users to customise their AI assistant’s personality, offering options such as more human-like responses, friend-like behaviour, or heavy emoji use. The most significant change is scheduled for December, when OpenAI plans to introduce comprehensive age-gating that will permit adult content only to users who have verified their age. However, the company has not yet shared details on the age verification process or additional…

Cardiff: A new study conducted by scientists at Cardiff University has found that having peppermints can significantly boost alertness and wellbeing in people suffering from the common cold. The research offers a surprising yet simple aid for those battling seasonal illnesses. The study, published in the World Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, monitored 81 university students over a period of 10 weeks. The study During the study, 17 participants developed mild upper respiratory tract illnesses. Among them, six were given peppermints, another six were given butterscotch sweets, and five were not given any sweets. The remaining 64 participants, who…

Mexico City: The Mexican government announced on Monday that at least 64 people have died and 65 others remain missing after a week of torrential rains swept across the country, causing widespread flooding and landslides in parts of the Gulf Coast and central states. The severe weather was triggered by an unnamed tropical depression, which struck near the end of Mexico’s rainy season, battering already saturated land and causing rivers to burst their banks. Forecasters had been monitoring two Pacific hurricanes and several tropical storms, but the heavy downpours from the depression came unexpectedly, intensifying over regions that had endured…

London: Five major car brands are on trial in the UK over the diesel emissions scandal, commonly referred to as ‘dieselgate.’ The class action lawsuit, involving approximately 850,000 drivers, is being heard at the High Court and is expected to continue for three months, with judgment likely to be reserved until mid-2026. The dieselgate scandal first emerged in 2015 when Volkswagen was found to have installed defeat devices, software that gave false low emissions readings, on most of its diesel models. These devices allowed vehicles to pass emissions tests while emitting nitrogen dioxide up to 40 times above the legal…

Berlin: A global health study published in The Lancet and presented at the World Health Summit in Berlin has found that the world faces an ’emerging crisis’ of rising death rates among teenagers and young adults. The Global Burden of Disease study, conducted by a network of 16,500 scientists, used over 300,000 data sources to assess health trends across 204 countries. While global life expectancy has improved, standing at 76.3 years for women and 71.5 for men, the study has raised concerns over increasing mortality rates among youth populations. In North America and parts of Latin America, the report links…

Washington DC: A single social media post by US President Donald Trump triggered a severe crash in both cryptocurrencies and global stock markets, marking historic losses. Cryptocurrencies plunged to record lows, while the US stock market lost nearly $2 trillion in a single day. Trump’s post, made at 10:57 am ET, announced that the US would impose a 100 percent tariff on all imports from China starting November 1, in addition to existing duties. This came after China announced plans to restrict exports of rare earth metals, which it controls 70 percent of globally, from December. These materials are critical…

Redmond, Washington: A major transition awaits millions of computer users as Microsoft officially ends support for its Windows 10 operating system on October 14, marking the end of nearly a decade of updates and improvements. After this date, Microsoft will no longer issue security updates, bug fixes, or technical support, leaving devices that still run on Windows 10 at a higher risk of malware, viruses, and cyberattacks. The tech giant is urging users to upgrade to Windows 11, which remains available as a free upgrade for compatible PCs. However, many older computers do not meet the system requirements for Windows 11,…