Author: Trainee Reporter

Sydney: Australia has booked their place in the final of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over China, powered by a decisive strike from captain Sam Kerr. The Australia women’s national football team captain delivered the winning goal from a tight angle in front of a crowd of 35,170, sealing a crucial semi-final triumph. Earlier in the match, Caitlin Foord had opened the scoring with a powerful first-time finish, before Zhang Linyan brought China level from the penalty spot. The victory sends Australia into final in Sydney, where they will face either Japan women’s national football…

Havana: Millions of people across Cuba were left without electricity after the country’s national power grid collapsed, deepening an already severe energy crisis. According to the state-run grid operator UNE, the outage affected nearly the entire island, home to around 10 million people, with authorities working to gradually restore power across provinces and major cities. Initial assessments indicate the failure was caused by transmission issues rather than a single power plant breakdown. Fuel shortages push system to breaking point The blackout marks the latest in a string of widespread outages driven by chronic fuel shortages and ageing infrastructure. Cuba depends…

Colombo: Sri Lanka has announced that every Wednesday will be observed as a public holiday as the country moves to conserve fuel with rising concerns over shortages triggered by the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that the government must remain cautious as global supply chain disruptions intensify. Anura Kumara Dissanayake remarked that, “We must prepare for the worst, but hope for the best.” The crisis has been exacerbated by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy corridor that carries millions of barrels of oil daily. Nearly 90 percent…

Odisha: At least ten people were killed after a fire broke out in the trauma centre of a government hospital in the eastern Indian state of Odisha. All the victims were patients at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, where the blaze reportedly began in the trauma care intensive care unit (ICU) at around 02:30 local time. According to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, 11 hospital staff members suffered burns while attempting to rescue patients and are currently receiving treatment. Officials suspect the fire was triggered by an electrical short circuit. Fire service teams rushed to the hospital and…

Kyiv: Ukraine is seeking financial support and advanced technology from Middle Eastern partners after deploying military specialists to help counter Iranian drone threats in the region. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said three Ukrainian expert teams were sent to assess drone defence systems and demonstrate interception techniques as several countries face growing threats from Iranian drones with the ongoing tensions between Israel, the United States and Iran. Zelenskyy clarified that Ukraine’s involvement is limited to technical assistance. Zelenskyy remarked that, “This is not about being involved in operations. We are not at war with Iran.” Ukrainian teams deployed across Gulf region Earlier…

Shanghai: George Russell has secured victory in the sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix after an intense early battle with Lewis Hamilton. The two drivers exchanged the lead multiple times in the opening laps before Russell eventually pulled clear to claim the win. Hamilton, racing for Ferrari, initially surged from fourth on the grid and quickly joined Russell in a thrilling duel. The pair swapped positions five times within the first five laps, delivering one of the most exciting starts of the sprint season. After Russell finally established control of the race, Hamilton came under pressure from his teammate…

Ottawa: Canada has lost more than 100,000 full-time jobs since the beginning of 2026, raising concerns about the country’s economic outlook and increasing pressure on Prime Minister Mark Carney as his government attempts to protect the economy from the impact of US tariffs. According to the latest labour market data released, Canada’s unemployment rate has climbed to 6.7 percent, making it the second-highest among G7 nations, behind France. The figures show that February recorded the sharpest employment drop since the COVID-19 pandemic, reversing much of the job growth seen toward the end of last year. The wholesale and retail trade…

Florida: The NASA is preparing for a historic return of astronauts to deep space as it targets early April for the launch of the Artemis II mission. The mission will mark the first time in more than 50 years that humans travel around the Moon, reviving crewed lunar exploration efforts. The mission was initially scheduled to launch in March but was postponed after engineers detected a helium leak in the rocket system. The rocket was subsequently returned to the Vehicle Assembly Building in Cape Canaveral for repairs. NASA officials say the issue has now been addressed and the agency plans…

Michigan: A driver who rammed his vehicle into a Jewish synagogue in the US state of Michigan has died, authorities said, in an incident being investigated as a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community. According to officials, the suspect drove a vehicle through the doors of Temple Israel synagogue before continuing down a hallway inside the building. The vehicle later caught fire, causing heavy smoke that engulfed parts of the synagogue. Oakland County Mike Bouchard said that security guards at the synagogue opened fire as the suspect approached and later confronted him inside the building. One security guard…

Canberra: Indonesia and Australia are planning to expand their defence and security cooperation to include Japan and Papua New Guinea (PNG), Indonesia’s Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said after talks with his Australian counterpart. Following a meeting with Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles, Sjafrie said the two countries were looking to establish trilateral security arrangements involving Indonesia, Australia and Japan, as well as Indonesia, Australia and PNG, according to reports. The discussions also covered deeper cooperation in intelligence sharing between the two nations, although further details were not disclosed. Marles later said in a social media post that the meeting provided…