Author: News Desk

Washington: Flight delays persisted across the United States for a second consecutive day as the federal government shutdown entered its seventh day, causing severe staffing shortages in air traffic control, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported. More than 3,000 flights were delayed nationwide, affecting major airports such as Houston, Nashville, Dallas, Chicago O’Hare, and Newark, according to flight tracking data. The FAA said that it is reducing the number of arrivals per hour at Chicago O’Hare due to staffing issues, resulting in average flight delays of 41 minutes. Additional staffing challenges were reported at the Atlanta Air Route Traffic Control…

London: The Metropolitan Police, under Operation Echosteep, have arrested 46 people after dismantling a criminal network suspected of smuggling up to 40,000 stolen phones from the UK to China. The months-long investigation, launched last December, began when officers discovered a box at a warehouse near Heathrow Airport containing around 1,000 stolen iPhones en route to Hong Kong. Specialist detectives were brought in to track down the suspects, leading to what is now being described as the UK’s largest-ever crackdown on phone theft. Investigators intercepted additional shipments and used forensic analysis to identify two men in their 30s, who were arrested…

London: For the first time, solar and wind farms across the globe have generated more electricity than coal-fired power plants, marking a major turning point in the world’s energy landscape, according to new data from the climate think tank Ember. In its latest report, Ember revealed that during the first six months of 2025, renewable energy production outpaced the world’s rising electricity demand, resulting in a slight decline in coal and gas use worldwide. Solar energy played a central role in this transformation; global solar and wind output grew rapidly, with solar power increasing by almost one-third compared to the same…

London: The UK government is considering a comprehensive home-buying overhaul that could reduce the time it takes to purchase a property by about a month and save buyers roughly £710 on moving costs. Key elements of the home-buying overhaul include requiring property sellers and estate agents to provide more detailed information at the point of listing, potentially reducing the need for buyers to carry out separate searches and surveys. Earlier binding contracts could also be introduced to minimise the risk of a chain collapsing or ‘guzumping,’ a situation where a higher offer is accepted after an initial agreement. Additionally, the…

Tingri, Tibet: Rescue operations are underway on Mount Everest after a powerful snowstorm trapped nearly 1,000 people in campsites along the mountain’s eastern side in Tibet, according to the media. The blizzard, which struck during China’s eight-day National Day holiday, left hundreds of trekkers stranded near the eastern Kangshung face of Everest, though many have since been guided to safety by rescue teams. As of October 5, around 350 people had reached the small township of Qudang, while contact had been established with over 200 others, China Central Television (CCTV) reported. The region was inundated with unusually heavy precipitation, including…

New Delhi: Indian authorities are investigating whether contaminated cough syrup caused the deaths of nine children under five years old in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan since late August. The federal Ministry of Health and Family Welfare ordered the probe on October 4, after a batch of the medication was found to contain dangerous levels of a toxic chemical. The ministry stated that samples of Coldrif cough syrup, manufactured by Sresan Pharma in Tamil Nadu, were tested by state authorities and found to contain diethylene glycol (DEG) exceeding permissible limits. DEG is a toxic substance used in industrial…

London: UK ministers are preparing to give police new powers to curb repeated protests, particularly demonstrations connected to Gaza, the Home Office has confirmed. The announcement comes the day after nearly 500 people were arrested in London for showing support for Palestine Action, a proscribed organisation. The new measures could allow police to order regular protests to take place at alternative locations. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will also review all anti-protest legislation, with the possibility of strengthening powers to ban certain protests outright. Mahmood said that there was ‘a gap in the law’ that required urgent attention, and she intends…

Sidoarjo: The death toll from the collapse of the Al-Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in Sidoarjo, East Java, Indonesia, has risen to 14, as rescuers continue efforts to recover dozens of students believed still buried under the rubble. Hundreds of students, mostly teenage boys, were inside the school when it collapsed, initially killing at least five and injuring around 100. BNPB (National Disaster Mitigation Agency) Chief Suharyanto told reporters that rescuers discovered nine additional bodies, raising the confirmed fatalities to 14. The Chief added that 49 people remain missing and could still be trapped beneath the debris. Heavy machinery is being…

San Francisco: OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, will soon introduce new features in its AI video-generating tool Sora that give copyright holders greater authority over how their characters are used. Chief Executive Sam Altman announced in a blog post that rights holders, including television and film studios, will gain ‘more granular control’ over character generation. These options will allow them to either block their content from appearing in Sora or permit its use under regulated terms. The decision comes during growing scrutiny of AI-generated content and its impact on intellectual property rights, as technology companies face increasing pressure to ensure…

Canterbury: Sarah Mullally has been named the Church of England’s first female Archbishop of Canterbury, Downing Street confirmed, nearly a year after Justin Welby stepped down following a safeguarding scandal. This appointment is historic, marking the first time a woman has been chosen for the role since the Church of England allowed women to become bishops in 2014. The Archbishop of Canterbury serves as the spiritual leader of the Anglican Church worldwide and holds a seat in the House of Lords. During the interim period, the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, assumed most of the responsibilities of the office and…