Author: Trainee Reporter

Canberra: The Australian federal government will inject $2 billion into a new national programme designed to divert children with mild to moderate developmental delays or autism away from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) by mid-2027. Health Minister Mark Butler unveiled the initiative, known as the ‘Thriving Kids’ programme, during a speech at the National Press Council. Mark Butler said the scheme would provide earlier and more tailored interventions for children, addressing what he described as an over-reliance on the NDIS for support. Butler stated that, “Many children have been placed on the NDIS, which was designed for permanent disability,…

Washington, D.C.: Walmart has recalled several varieties of frozen shrimp sold under its Great Value label after a shipment tested positive for radioactive contamination, according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA said the contaminated shipment, sourced from an Indonesian supplier, was found to contain traces of Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope known to increase the long-term risk of cancer. Officials confirmed that one sample of breaded shrimp tested positive, but emphasised that this particular batch did not reach US consumers. Consumers, distributors, and retailers should not eat, serve or sell impacted lots of Great Value raw frozen…

 Washington: United States President Donald Trump has announced plans to convene a face-to-face summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, marking his most ambitious effort yet to broker peace in the nearly four-year war. The proposal was unveiled as Trump hosted Zelenskyy and key European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, at the White House for high-stakes talks on ending Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Today, important negotiations took place in Washington. We discussed many issues with President Trump. It was a long and detailed conversation, including discussions about the…

United States: Intel shares have jumped more than 5 percent in after-hours trading after Japanese investment giant SoftBank announced a $2 billion (£1.5 billion) stake in the US semiconductor maker. SoftBank confirmed it will acquire Intel shares at $23 each, describing the move as a joint commitment with Intel to advance semiconductor innovation in the United States. The announcement came just hours after reports emerged that the Trump administration is considering taking around a 10 percent stake in Intel by converting government grants into equity. The potential deal is aimed at supporting the company’s planned flagship manufacturing hub in Ohio.…

La Paz: Bolivia is on course to elect a non-left wing president for the first time in almost two decades, according to official preliminary results from  presidential election. Senator Rodrigo Paz Pereira of the Christian Democratic Party emerged as the surprise frontrunner, edging out former interim president Jorge Quiroga into second place. Neither candidate secured the majority required for an outright win, pushing the contest to a run-off in October. Paz Pereira, who campaigned under the slogan ‘capitalism for all, not just a few’, focused on redistributing funds from the central government to the regions, tackling corruption, offering accessible credit…

Canberra: Australia’s Federal Court has imposed a A$90 million (£43 million; $59 million) fine on Qantas Airways for unlawfully sacking more than 1,800 ground staff at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. The landmark ruling marks the largest penalty ever imposed on an employer in Australian history. Justice Michael Lee said the penalty should serve as ‘real deterrence’ for other corporations, noting Qantas’ ‘unrelenting and aggressive’ legal strategy to avoid paying compensation despite acknowledging the harm caused. Qantas confirmed it would pay the fine and admitted accountability for its actions. Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson remarked that, “We sincerely apologise…

Islamabad: The death toll from relentless monsoon rains and flash floods across northern Pakistan has surged to at least 321 within the past 48 hours, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) confirmed. According to officials, the hardest-hit region is Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where 307 people have lost their lives. Nine fatalities were reported in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, while five more were confirmed in Gilgit-Baltistan. At least 21 others have been injured. The NDMA said most victims died when flash floods swept through villages or as houses collapsed under the heavy rains. The Pakistan Meteorological Department has issued a fresh alert, warning of…

Denmark: At least one person has died and 27 others have been injured after a passenger train collided with a slurry tanker and derailed in southern Denmark, officials confirmed. The crash occurred between the towns of Tinglev and Kliplev in southern Jutland, near the German border. Police said the victim was a 60-year-old woman. Of the injured, five remain in serious condition, with two in critical care at the hospital. Authorities said 106 people were on board the train at the time of the accident, including a group of school pupils from Sønderborg, the train’s intended destination. None of the…

California: Shares in Intel have risen more than 7 percent after reports that the Trump administration is in talks to acquire a stake in the chipmaker. Bloomberg said the move would back Intel’s plans to build a major manufacturing hub in Ohio, though the size of the potential investment remains unclear. White House spokesman Kush Desai called any talk of such a deal ‘speculation unless officially announced by the administration.’ Intel declined to comment, but a spokesperson stressed the company’s commitment to supporting President Trump’s push to strengthen US technology and manufacturing leadership. The report follows a recent meeting between…

United States: Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have used artificial intelligence to design two potential antibiotics capable of killing drug-resistant gonorrhoea and MRSA. The breakthrough, revealed in Cell, could mark the start of a ‘second golden age’ in antibiotic discovery. The AI-designed compounds, built atom-by-atom, successfully killed the superbugs in lab experiments and animal tests. However, they remain years away from clinical use, instructing further refinement and extensive human trials. Antibiotic resistance is a growing global crisis, with over a million deaths annually linked to infections that no longer respond to treatment. Overuse of existing drugs has…