Author: News Desk

London: The UK government is consulting on proposals to make water-saving features mandatory in new homes across England, including aerated taps and showerheads, dual-flush toilets, and other water-efficient devices. The move comes as five areas in England continue to face drought this autumn, following a record-breaking hot summer. Officials say the measures would have minimal impact on residents’ daily routines while cutting water usage by about 20 litres per person per day and saving households around £100 annually. England is expected to face water shortages of up to five billion litres per day by 2050, driven by a growing population…

Hong Kong: Hong Kong has announced the closure of schools, some businesses, and major flight cancellations as Super Typhoon Ragasa, the year’s most powerful storm, approaches the city on the evening of September 23. Authorities and residents are bracing for a severe impact, with supermarkets stripped of essentials like bread and fresh produce, while shop owners fortified their premises with sandbags. The storm, which has already battered the Philippines, where it is called Super Typhoon Nando, killed at least one person in a landslide on northern Luzon Island and displaced hundreds of families. More than 10,000 people were evacuated before…

London: Some of Europe’s largest airports faced ongoing disruptions over the weekend after a cyberattack targeted automatic check-in systems, causing delays, long queues, and flight cancellations. Brussels Airport asked airlines to cancel half of the September 22nd scheduled departures as technical issues persisted. The attack on September 19 affected Collins Aerospace, a provider of check-in and boarding systems owned by RTX, and disrupted operations at London’s Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport, Berlin Brandenburg Airport, and Brussels Airport. Passengers experienced significant inconveniences, particularly on September 20. By the 21st, officials reported that disruptions had eased considerably at Berlin and Heathrow, although some…

New Delhi: From September 22, Monday, millions of Indians will see a reduction in the cost of living as the government implements sweeping changes to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime. The overhaul, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this month, is designed to simplify India’s complex tax structure, stimulate consumer spending, and support economic growth. Under the revised slabs, everyday essentials including milk, bread, life-saving drugs, and both life and medical insurance will become tax-free. Consumption tax on small cars, television sets, and air conditioners will drop from 28 percent to 18 percent, while household staples such…

Dallas: Air travel across North Texas faced major disruption as more than 1,800 flights were delayed and hundreds were canceled at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Dallas Love Field. The chaos was triggered by a telecommunications outage that prompted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to impose ground stops at both airports. The FAA said that the problem originated from local telephone company equipment, stressing that it did not involve FAA systems. “The FAA is working with the telephone company to determine the cause,” the agency confirmed in a statement. Departures to DFW were halted until 11 pm ET, while…

Ottawa: The Canadian government has banned the Belfast-based rap group Kneecap from entering the country, citing allegations that the band has ‘glorified terrorist organisations.’ The trio strongly rejected the accusations as ‘wholly untrue and deeply malicious’ and announced plans to launch legal action. Kneecap, comprising Naoise Ó Cairealláin, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, and JJ Ó Dochartaigh, is known for its politically charged lyrics, provocative merchandise, and vocal support for the Palestinian cause. The group has been repeatedly embroiled in controversy this year. In April, video footage surfaced appearing to show a band member chanting “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah” at a…

Kamchatka, Russia: A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia’s Far East on September 19, identified by the US Geological Survey (USGS) as a powerful aftershock of July’s 8.8 earthquake, which was the strongest in the region in over a century. The quake was caused by shallow reverse faulting at a depth of 10 kilometers, according to USGS data, and was followed by several aftershocks, the strongest measuring 5.8. Russia’s Emergencies Ministry registered the event as a 7.2 magnitude quake. Authorities immediately issued tsunami warnings across Kamchatka and nearby areas. The Russian Tsunami Center confirmed that waves between…

Oslo, Norway: Earlier this month, aviation enthusiasts in Bergen, Norway’s second-largest city, witnessed a historic moment when Alia, an all-electric aircraft developed by US aerospace company Beta Technologies, touched down after a 100-mile (160km) journey completed in 55 minutes on battery power alone. The demonstration flight simulated a cargo route between Stavanger and Bergen, showcasing Alia’s ability to carry up to 560kg (half a tonne) of cargo. Pilot Jeremy Degagne, who led the test, highlighted its efficiency: “If you do the drive, it’s four and a half hours. And we did the flight in 52 minutes.” According to Karianne Helland…

London: Burberry’s turnaround strategy will be tested as the British fashion house presents its latest designs at London Fashion Week. The brand has turned to cultural icons such as Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman and Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher to champion its British heritage and iconic trench coats. American CEO Joshua Schulman, who took charge in July 2023, has overhauled Burberry’s marketing to project a version of Britishness that resonates globally. Schulman has been critical of former leadership decisions, particularly product and pricing choices, arguing that some previous collections carried a ‘niche aesthetic’ that was not instantly recognizable as Burberry. Anna…

London: Scientists have developed a groundbreaking artificial intelligence model named Delphi-2M that can forecast people’s health problems more than a decade before they occur. The technology has been trained to analyse patterns in anonymous medical records and calculate the risk of developing over 1,231 diseases, functioning much like a weather forecast that gives probabilities rather than exact outcomes. Delphi-2M, which is based on the same generative AI principles as language models like ChatGPT, does not provide exact dates for events such as a heart attack, but instead estimates probabilities, for example, a 70 percent chance of developing a specific disease…