Author: News Desk

Port Moresby, PNG: Papua New Guinea has imposed a sudden ban on Facebook, citing a “test” aimed at reducing hate speech, misinformation, and explicit content. The move, which took effect earlier this week, has sparked backlash from opposition leaders and media advocates, who see it as a threat to free speech. Police Minister Peter Tsiamalili Jr defended the decision, stating that the government has a duty to protect citizens from harmful online content rather than restrict free expression. With approximately 1.3 million users, Facebook remains the most widely used social media platform in the country, serving as a crucial tool…

Wellington, New Zealand: Authorities have urged people in coastal areas of New Zealand’s South Island to stay out of the water and move away from beaches following a powerful 6.7 magnitude earthquake that struck on Tuesday, 25th of March. The National Emergency Management Agency advised residents in the Southland and Fiordland regions to avoid marine areas due to the risk of strong and unusual currents. Officials also warned those on boats, live-aboards, and marinas to evacuate their vessels and remain onshore until further notice. More than 4,700 people reported feeling the tremor, according to government seismic monitor Geonet. New Zealand…

London: A mysterious glowing spiral appeared in the night sky over the UK and Ireland on Monday, 24th of March evening, leaving many stargazers intrigued. The phenomenon was visible for several minutes before gradually fading, with observers as far north as Denmark and as far south as Milan in Italy reporting similar sightings. The Met Office addressed the spectacle in a post on X, explaining that the spiral was likely caused by frozen exhaust smoke from Elon Musk’s SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The agency stated that the rocket’s frozen exhaust plume appeared to spin in the atmosphere while reflecting sunlight,…

Hong Kong: South Korean K-pop group NewJeans has announced a pause in all activities after a court ruled against them in their ongoing legal dispute with their record label, Ador. During their performance at ComplexCon Hong Kong on Sunday 23rd of March, the five-member group—who have attempted to rebrand as NJZ—told fans, “This will be our last performance for a little while,” after debuting their new song, Pit Stop. The court ruling, issued on Friday, 21st of March, prohibits the group from organizing their performances, producing music, or signing independent advertising deals while their legal battle with Ador continues. Despite…

Victoria, Australia: Victoria has achieved the highest cardiac arrest survival rate in Australia and the third-best in the world, thanks to rapid CPR intervention and widespread use of defibrillators. The 2023/24 Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest Registry annual report highlights that 41% of patients survived to hospital discharge—surpassing previous records and ranking just behind King County in the US and Denmark. Seventeen-year-old Austin Blight is one such survivor. He collapsed at the gym with no prior warning signs of cardiac arrest. Quick-thinking staff immediately performed CPR and used an automated external defibrillator (AED) to restore his heartbeat before paramedics arrived. Thanks…

Washington DC: The Trump administration has announced it will revoke the temporary legal status of more than 530,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV), instructing them to leave the US before April 24 when their permits and deportation shields expire. The affected individuals were admitted under the Biden-era CHNV sponsorship program, which Trump suspended upon taking office. CHNV, introduced in 2022, initially covered Venezuelans before expanding to other nationalities. It allowed migrants and their immediate families to enter the US legally with an American sponsor and remain under a two-year temporary parole status. The Biden administration had argued…

London, UK: Uber has launched a new initiative offering 20 hours of free childcare to all UK drivers for the rest of 2025. The move is part of an effort to attract more women to the profession by making it easier for parents to balance work and family life. The childcare will be provided through the babysitting and nannying app Bubble, and drivers can use the allowance flexibly, even outside of working hours. Uber UK General Manager Andrew Brem emphasized the company’s commitment to increasing female participation in ride-hailing. “We really, really would like to attract more female drivers onto…

Austin, Texas: Tesla has issued its largest-ever recall, affecting more than 46,000 Cybertrucks in the US due to concerns over a trim panel that may detach while driving, creating a potential road hazard. The recall, which includes nearly all Cybertrucks produced since November 2023, was reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). According to NHTSA filings, the issue involves the cant rail, a stainless-steel exterior trim panel, which can delaminate and detach from the vehicle. Tesla began investigating the problem in January and has received about 150 complaints from drivers. While no accidents have been reported, the defect…

London, Heathrow: More than 1,300 flights to and from Heathrow Airport will be disrupted on Friday, March 21, due to a power outage caused by a fire at the North Hyde electrical substation in west London. The blaze left thousands of homes without electricity and forced the evacuation of more than 100 people. Heathrow, which relies on the substation for power, confirmed that the outage had significantly impacted airport operations. A spokesperson announced that the airport would remain closed until 23:59 on March 21, 2025, for safety reasons and urged passengers not to travel to the airport until further updates…

Oxford, UK: Finland has once again claimed the top spot in the 2025 World Happiness Report, followed by Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Costa Rica, Norway, Israel, Luxembourg, and Mexico. Meanwhile, the United States has fallen to its lowest ranking ever, amid increasing social isolation and political polarization. The annual report, published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford in collaboration with Gallup and the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, assesses happiness in 147 countries. It evaluates factors such as health, wealth, freedom, generosity, and freedom from corruption, based on self-reported assessments from individuals worldwide. At…