Author: Trainee Reporter

Philippines: Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has made shocking entries regarding his controversial tactics in the war on drugs, revealing that he preserved a “death squad” while performing as mayor of Davao City. In his first testimony before an official investigation, Duterte disclosed that this death squad was composed of gangsters, stating that, “kill this person, because if you do not, I will kill you now.” Duterte, who ascended to the presidency in 2016 with a pledge to replicate his fierce anti-crime measures on a national scale, faces ongoing scrutiny over the thousands of deaths resulting from police operations during…

India: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh have announced severe penalties for food contamination practices, including hardy fines and potential imprisonment. Offenders in Uttarakhand could encounter fines of up to $1,190 (₹100,000; £920), while Uttar Pradesh is set to execute similar stringent food safety laws. The initiatives pursue the circulation of controversies on social media showing vendors encountering unhygienic practices, such as spitting on food. One particularly alarming video featured a domestic worker allegedly mixing urine into food preparations. The incidents flared public outrage, raising worries over food safety in these states. However, some social…

United States: McDonald’s has resumed Quarter Pounder sales across all U.S. locations after Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) testing cleared its beef patties as a source of the recent E. coli outbreak. The outbreak, which resulted in one death and multiple illnesses, led the fast-food giant to break sales last week in about 20% of its U.S. outlets as a precaution. Testing by the CDA found no evidence of E. coli in McDonald’s beef patties. McDonald’s North America Chief Supply Chain Officer Cesar Pina stated that, “The issue appears to be confined to a particular ingredient and geography, and we…

Tel Aviv: A truck has rammed into a bus stop near the Israeli Military Base in Glilot, just north of Tel Aviv, resulting in dozens of injuries. According to Israeli authorities, at least six individuals are in critical condition, while others stay trapped under the devastation as emergency responders work to extract them. Local reports demonstrate the happening may have been intentional, with armed civilians in the area reportedly interfering to “neutralise” the driver of the truck after he was seen driving directly into the crowd. Israeli police have yet to confirm these reports but are actively investigating the cases,…

Georgia: Preliminary election results in Georgia have indicated a clear lead for the ruling Georgian Dream party, with the Central Election Commission (CEC) notifying the party has garnered 53% of the vote. The announcement, made after tallying 72% of ballots, has sparked widespread allegations of fraud and violence, releasing doubt on the rightfulness of the electoral process in this pivotal vote. Opposition leaders, including Tina Bokuchava of the United National Movement, have rejected the preliminary results, alleging they were manipulated. Exit polls conducted by Western pollsters initially suggested a lead for the opposition, with Georgian Dream receiving between 40.9% and…

United States: President Joe Biden has apologised for the U.S. government’s role in the forced removal of Indigenous boarding school abuses, where many encountered physical and sexual abuse. Speaking to reporters before his departure to Arizona, Biden stated that, “I’m doing something I should have done a long time ago, to make a formal apology to the Indian nations for the way we treated their children for so many years.” From 1869 to the 1960s, over 18,000 Indigenous children—some as young as four—were forcibly taken from their families and placed in boarding schools, often run by Christian organisations. These institutions…

Kazan, Russia: Venezuela has sharply criticised Brazil’s decision to veto its application to join the Brics membership of emerging economies, calling it an “immoral aggression” and accusing Brasilia of fostering Western “hatred, exclusion, and intolerance.” The rejection, declared during a Brics summit in Russia, has additionally strained relations between the two left-wing governments following Venezuela’s disputed presidential election in July. After initially backing President Nicolas Maduro, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva later withdrew consent, instructing a transparent vote breakdown with international assertions that opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez won by a large margin. Despite widespread scepticism, several foreign governments…

India: Authorities in India’s eastern states of Odisha and West Bengal have declared full emergency mode as they vacate hundreds of thousands of residents from coastal areas ahead of the impending arrival of Cyclone Dana. Currently situated over the Bay of Bengal, the cyclone is cast to make landfall, with wind speeds ranging from 100-110 km/h (62-68 mph), and gusts potentially running up to 120 km/h (75 mph), according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). In Odisha, Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling reported that nearly one million people from vulnerable coastal regions are being resettled to cyclone shelters. Meanwhile, over 100,000…

United States: Vice President Kamala Harris has criticised Donald Trump, calling him “increasingly unhinged and unstable.” Speaking outside the vice-presidential residence in Washington, DC, Harris referenced recent comments by John Kelly, Trump’s former White House Chief of Staff, who described Trump as someone who “certainly falls into the general definition of fascists” and has reportedly spoken approvingly of Adolf Hitler. Harris escalated her rhetoric, accusing Trump of seeking “unchecked power.” When pressed during a Town Hall if she believed Trump was a fascist, she answered directly that, “Yes, I do.” Trump’s campaign immediately hit back, with spokesperson Steven Cheung accusing…

United States: Starbucks’ new CEO, Brian Niccol, has revealed plans to simplify the coffee chain’s “overly complex menu” in a bid to win back customers and address declining sales. This initiative to simplify menu comes as the company encounters significant challenges, including a 7% drop in global sales from July to September, with a more pronounced 14% decline in China, where the economy is struggling. During a recent statement, Niccol highlighted the need for Starbucks to “fundamentally change,” highlighting a review of pricing techniques as part of the company’s efforts to enhance customer satisfaction. The ongoing rise in living costs…