Author: Trainee Reporter

Sonora: An explosion at a Waldo’s supermarket in Hermosillo, in the northwestern Mexican state of Sonora, has left at least 23 people dead, including children, and injured at least 11 others, according to local authorities. The incident occurred as families across Mexico were marking the Day of the Dead. The front of the supermarket was left charred by fire, windows blown out, and nearby businesses shut their doors to prevent the flames from spreading. Este es un día triste para Sonora, especialmente para las familias que perdieron a un ser querido en el centro de Hermosillo. Me sumo con respeto…

Australia: A breakthrough from Australian researchers could transform how homes handle extreme heat. Scientists at the University of Sydney have developed innovative roof coatings that can cool surfaces by up to 6°C below the surrounding air temperature while harvesting water from the atmosphere, a dual benefit that could reduce indoor heat and provide an alternative water source. The study describes a porous, paintable film that reflects 96 percent of incoming solar radiation and emits heat efficiently into outer space, a process known as passive radiative cooling. When tested for six months on the Sydney Nanoscience Hub’s roof, the coating paired…

Kuala Lumpur: India and the United States have signed a landmark 10-year framework agreement to expand defence cooperation, setting the stage for deeper strategic alignment and military collaboration between the two nations. The pact was announced following a meeting between US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Kuala Lumpur. The agreement seeks to improve coordination, information sharing, and technology cooperation while promoting regional stability and deterrence. According to officials, the framework will serve as a guiding document for the entire spectrum of India-US defence ties, including policy coordination, joint exercises, and defence technology transfers. Rajnath…

United States: Meta Platforms has reported mixed financial results for the third quarter of 2025, posting record quarterly revenue but a sharp drop in earnings per share due to a one-time tax charge. The results, announced, come as the company wraps up a multibillion-dollar hiring spree focused on artificial intelligence talent. The tech giant recorded $51.24 billion in quarterly revenue, surpassing Wall Street estimates and its own projections. However, earnings per share (EPS) fell to $1.05, well below expectations of $6.70, following a non-cash income tax charge of $15.93 billion. Meta said EPS would have been $7.25 excluding the one-time…

United States: US President Donald Trump has called on the nation’s military leadership to resume testing of nuclear weapons. This move would mark a dramatic reversal of more than three decades of American policy. Trump said the decision comes in response to the ongoing nuclear testing programmes of other major powers, including Russia and China, emphasising the need for the US to maintain parity. Trump wrote online just before meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, stating that, “Because of other countries’ testing programmes, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an…

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia will continue to enforce its ban on the export of raw rare earths to safeguard domestic resources, even after signing a new critical minerals cooperation deal with the United States, Trade Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz announced. Speaking in parliament, Tengku Zafrul dismissed claims that Malaysia intended to permit the export of critical minerals and rare earths to the US for short-term economic or strategic benefits. Tengku Zafrul stated that, “We no longer want to be a country that only digs and ships out cheap raw materials like in the past.” Tengku Zafrul emphasised that the government aims…

Netherlands: Voters across the Netherlands are casting their ballots in parliamentary elections that could once again see Geert Wilders’s far-right Freedom Party (PVV) emerge as the largest party, but with little chance of returning to power. Polls suggest the PVV is marginally ahead, projected to win between 24 and 28 seats in the 150-member parliament. This marks a decline from its 2023 victory, when it secured 37 seats and led a short-lived four-party conservative coalition that collapsed after just a year over disputes about Wilders’s anti-refugee policies. Despite leading the race, the PVV remains politically isolated, with all major parties…

Washington: Amazon is preparing to lay off as many as 30,000 corporate employees, in what could become one of the largest rounds of job cuts by a global tech firm in recent months. According to media reports, the layoffs are part of a sweeping cost-reduction plan led by Chief Executive Officer Andy Jassy. The reported figure represents about 10 percent of Amazon’s corporate workforce but only a small portion of its overall global staff of more than 1.5 million employees. The move would mark Amazon’s biggest workforce reduction since 2022, when the company eliminated approximately 27,000 positions over several months.…

Tokyo: United States President Donald Trump has met Japan’s newly elected Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, in Tokyo, marking a significant moment as she became the country’s first female leader. The meeting focused on deepening economic and security cooperation, with both sides signing agreements on trade and critical minerals. Trump praised Takaichi as a ‘great leader’ and commended her plans to accelerate Japan’s military buildup. Trump stated that, “Everything I know from Shinzo and others, you will be one of the great prime ministers. I’d also like to congratulate you on being the first woman prime minister. It’s a big deal.”…

Hong Kong: A Hong Kong court has handed down prison sentences of up to 18 years to three men involved in a series of bomb plots during 2019 and 2020. Lukas Ho, 41, described by the judge as the mastermind behind the plots, received an 18-year jail term. Judge Johnny Chan said Ho had an ‘inflated ego’ and showed ‘no genuine remorse,’ posing a continued threat to public safety. Chan remarked that, “The court must provide sufficient deterrence, so the need for the defendant’s rehabilitation is less important than the former point. Also, if remorse is limited or superficial, there’s…