Author: Trainee Reporter

Colombia: A passenger aircraft operated by Colombia’s state-run airline Satena has crashed in the country’s north, killing all 15 people aboard, authorities confirmed. In a brief statement, Satena said its Beechcraft 1900 aircraft had suffered a fatal accident while operating Flight NSE 8849. The wreckage has since been located in a mountainous area of Norte de Santander department, near the border with Venezuela. The flight was en route from the city of Cúcuta to Ocaña when contact was lost just 11 minutes before its scheduled landing at 12:05 local time (17:05 GMT). The aircraft was carrying 13 passengers and two…

Pune: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has died after the private aircraft he was travelling is crashed during an attempted landing at Baramati airport in Pune district, officials said. Pawar and four others on board were killed when the plane crashed and burst into flames. The Learjet 45 aircraft, operated by VSR Aviation, had departed from Mumbai and was headed to Pawar’s home constituency of Baramati, where he was scheduled to attend election-related events. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed that all on board died in the crash. श्री अजित पवार जी हे जनतेशी घट्ट नाते असलेले,…

Georgia: Global parcel delivery giant UPS has planned to cut up to 30,000 jobs this year as it continues to reduce shipments for its largest customer, Amazon, in a move aimed at improving profitability. The company said the job reductions will be carried out mainly through voluntary buyout offers to full-time drivers and by not replacing employees who leave the business. UPS has been steadily scaling back deliveries for Amazon, describing the contract as ‘extraordinarily dilutive’ to its profit margins. Despite the workforce cuts, UPS reported solid financial performance, posting earnings of $24.5 billion (£17.7 billion) for the final three…

United States: Technology giant Meta is preparing to trial premium subscription plans for users of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp in the coming months, marking its latest push to expand paid services across its platforms. The proposed subscriptions would offer access to enhanced features, including expanded artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, while keeping the core services free for all users. Meta is positioning the new plans as optional upgrades designed to deliver added value to creators, professionals and heavy users rather than replacing its existing ad-supported model. Among the features being considered for subscription is access to Vibes, Meta’s AI-powered video generation…

England: Menopause may be associated with changes in the brain similar to those seen in Alzheimer’s disease, according to a large-scale study from the United Kingdom involving nearly 125,000 women. Researchers found that loss of grey matter in key brain regions linked to memory and emotional regulation could help explain why women are generally at higher risk of dementia than men. The study, published in the journal Psychological Medicine, analysed data from around 125,000 women, including more than 11,000 who underwent MRI brain scans. The findings showed structural changes in areas commonly affected by Alzheimer’s disease, including the hippocampus, which…

Philippines: At least 15 people have been confirmed dead after a ferry carrying more than 350 passengers and crew members sank in waters off the southern coast of the Philippines, triggering a major search-and-rescue operation. Authorities said 316 people have been rescued from the MV Trisha Kerstin 3, while at least 28 others remain missing. The vessel, which was transporting both passengers and cargo, was travelling from the southern mainland of Mindanao to Jolo Island when it issued a distress call at around 1:50 am local time. Search operations are ongoing, with coast guard units, local authorities, and volunteer responders…

London: The United Kingdom is set to support a vast new fleet of offshore wind projects in the North Sea as part of a joint initiative with eight European countries, including Norway, Germany and the Netherlands. The government says the agreement will strengthen energy security and help the UK move away from what it described as the ‘fossil fuel rollercoaster’. For the first time, some new offshore wind farms will be directly connected to multiple countries through undersea interconnectors, cables that allow electricity to flow between national grids. Supporters argue this will help reduce energy prices across the region. However,…

Myanmar: Polls have opened across parts of Myanmar for the third and final round of a highly controversial general election, with the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) on course for a sweeping victory. Voting began at 6am local time in 60 townships, including major cities Yangon and Mandalay. The election has been widely condemned by critics and rights groups, who say the process is designed to legitimise continued military rule nearly five years after the 2021 coup that plunged the country into conflict. Aung San Suu Kyi remains in detention, and her National League for Democracy (NLD), which…

Nuuk: Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, has experienced a widespread power outage, after strong winds caused a transmission issue at the main Buksefjord hydroelectric power plant, the state utility confirmed. Reports of the blackout began circulating on social media around 10:30pm local time on January 24, according to media reports. The utility company said gusty winds had triggered a line error on our transmission line and that emergency systems were being used to restore electricity. By 3:30am (5:30 GMT), around 75 percent of the city’s 20,000 residents had power restored. Officials urged residents to use electricity conservatively while the system continued to…

Washington: The United States has withdrawn from the World Health Organisation (WHO), cutting funding and ending its formal relationship with the UN health agency that it has long been one of the largest contributors to. US President Donald Trump had signed an executive order signalling the withdrawal a year ago, accusing the organisation of being overly ‘China-centric’ in its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. The decision has now taken full effect, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services. In a statement, the department said the move was driven by what it described as the WHO’s mishandling of…