Author: Trainee Reporter

Texas: The US Supreme Court has cleared the way for Texas to implement a new congressional map that could significantly bolster Republican efforts to maintain control of the House in the 2026 midterm elections. In an unsigned order issued, the court granted Texas’ emergency request to halt a lower-court ruling that had blocked the map. The decision, reached on an apparent 6–3 ideological split, said Texas met the criteria for emergency relief and that the lower court had made at least two serious errors in its ruling. The lower court had previously determined that the map, approved by the Texas…

Lancashire: A 3.3-magnitude earthquake has rattled parts of north-west England, sending tremors through homes across Lancashire and the southern Lake District, according to the British Geological Survey (BGS). The quake struck shortly after 23:23, with its epicentre located just off the coast of Silverdale, Lancashire, at a shallow depth of 1.86 miles. Residents in Kendal, Ulverston, and surrounding areas, within roughly 12 miles of the epicentre, reported feeling strong vibrations. BGS received multiple accounts describing the tremor as an underground explosion, and so powerful that it shook the whole house. Many residents reported hearing a loud bang as the quake…

Hong Kong: Authorities of Hong Kong have ordered all buildings currently under renovation to remove their external scaffolding mesh, as investigations continue into the city’s worst fire disaster in decades. Officials have confirmed that 159 people were killed in a blaze at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex, while 31 remain missing. The fire spread rapidly across the exteriors of multiple towers, and investigators found that the protective mesh used during renovation failed to meet flame-retardant standards. Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho announced that new testing guidelines for scaffolding materials will be released next week, highlighting that accountability will…

Malaysia: A renewed search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 will begin on December 30, Malaysian authorities announced, marking a fresh attempt to solve one of aviation’s most haunting mysteries. The 55-day operation had initially started in March but was paused due to severe weather. According to the transport ministry, the revival of the mission underscores Malaysia’s commitment to providing closure to the families affected by this tragedy. The Boeing 777, carrying 239 people from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, vanished on March 8, 2014, triggering the largest search effort in aviation history. Despite extensive operations involving 60 ships, 50 aircraft and…

California: San Francisco has filed a landmark lawsuit against ten of the world’s biggest food manufacturers, accusing them of deliberately selling ultra-processed products linked to rising rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancers and other chronic illnesses. The complaint, filed in San Francisco Superior Court, compares the industry’s alleged tactics to those used by tobacco companies, arguing that local governments are left to bear the financial burden of the resulting public health crisis. Kraft Heinz, Mondelez, Coca-Cola and other corporations are among the defendants named in the suit, which claims they violated California’s public nuisance and unfair competition laws by…

Hong Kong: John Lee, Hong Kong Chief Executive, has ordered the formation of an independent committee to investigate the catastrophic fire that tore through the Wang Fuk Court housing complex, killing at least 151 people in the city’s worst blaze in more than seven decades. The inferno engulfed seven of the estate’s eight residential tower blocks, while the complex was undergoing extensive renovations. Authorities later found that protective netting wrapped around the buildings did not meet flame-retardant safety standards, allowing the fire to spread rapidly upward and between blocks. At least 13 people, including directors of a construction company, have…

Washington: US President Donald Trump is remaining in excellent overall health following a comprehensive executive physical, according to a memo released by his White House physician, Captain Sean Barbabella. The memo stated that the advanced imaging of the 79-year-old president’s heart and abdomen showed results that were ‘perfectly normal’. Barbabella said the MRI, performed in October, was ordered because men of his age group benefit from a thorough evaluation of cardiovascular and abdominal health. Democrats demand clarity The release comes with mounting pressure from Democrats, including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who have called for greater transparency over Trump’s health as…

Australia: The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has added new safety warnings for widely used diabetes and weight loss medications, including Ozempic, Wegovy, Saxenda, Trulicity, and Mounjaro, with concerns about mental health and contraceptive effectiveness. While there is no confirmed causal link, experts say the potential risks are significant enough to warrant caution. The warnings focus on suicidal thoughts, mood changes, and reduced effectiveness of oral contraceptives for certain patients. The TGA highlighted that suicidal behaviour and ideation have been reported with GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), a class of relatively new medicines often prescribed for diabetes and obesity. Doctors are…

Washington: Tesla CEO Elon Musk has voiced concerns over the misuse of H-1B visas by certain outsourcing companies but stressed that the solution lies in stopping abuse rather than dismantling the programme. Speaking on his podcast with Indian entrepreneur Nikhil Kamath, Musk highlighted that the United States has long benefitted from skilled Indian migrant workers, while acknowledging the need to address issues in the H-1B system. Roughly 70 percent of H-1B visas, which allow US companies to hire foreign talent in sectors such as technology and medicine, are used by Indian citizens. However, the programme has often been criticised for…

Kandy: Sri Lanka is facing one of its worst weather disasters in years, with at least 193 people confirmed dead after floods and landslides swept through large parts of the island following the impact of Cyclone Ditwah. More than 200 people remain missing, and close to 20,000 homes have been destroyed, according to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC). Over 108,000 residents have been forced into state-run temporary shelters, as authorities struggle to restore electricity and water supplies across nearly a third of the country. A state of emergency has been declared, and evacuation orders remain in place in multiple districts…