Author: Trainee Reporter

Canberra: Menulog is shutting down its Australian operations, marking the latest casualty in the fiercely competitive food delivery market. The move will affect thousands of delivery riders and about 120 direct employees, according to an announcement by the company’s Dutch parent, Just Eat Takeaway.com. The Australian-founded platform will officially stop taking orders from November 26, ending a 20-year presence in the country’s delivery industry. Worker impact and union response The Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) described the closure as a shock to riders who depend on Menulog for their livelihood. Michael Kaine, TWU’s national secretary stated that, “This will come as…

London: Hungarian-British writer David Szalay has won the Booker Prize 2025 for his novel Flesh, a profound and minimalist exploration of a tortured Hungarian émigré who makes and loses a fortune over the course of his life. The 51-year-old author triumphed over five other shortlisted writers, including India’s Kiran Desai and the UK’s Andrew Miller, to claim the £50,000 ($65,500) prize at a glittering ceremony held at Old Billingsgate in London. Written in spare yet evocative prose, Flesh traces the life of its protagonist, Istvan from a youthful romance with an older woman in Hungary to his struggles as an…

Ottawa: Canada has lost its measles elimination status, the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) announced, after failing to contain an outbreak for 12 consecutive months. The development means the Americas region as a whole can no longer be deemed measles-free, despite individual countries except Canada, still maintaining elimination status. The United States, however, may also lose its standing if it does not halt an ongoing outbreak by January, with related cases now confirmed in Utah, Arizona, and South Carolina. Canada’s outbreak began in October 2024, and health authorities have attributed it to declining vaccination rates. Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, PAHO’s director…

Washington: Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa will meet US President Donald Trump at the White House, marking the first official visit by a Syrian leader to Washington since the country’s independence in 1946. The talks are expected to centre on Sharaa’s push for the full removal of US sanctions that have crippled Syria’s economy during and after its 13-year civil war. Sharaa’s government argues the restrictions, particularly those imposed under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019, are no longer justified following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime last year. Sharaa, who led the Islamist rebel forces that toppled Assad,…

China: China has lifted export restrictions on computer chips critical to the global automotive industry, the Ministry of Commerce announced, signalling a fresh thaw in trade relations with the United States and Europe. The move grants exemptions for exports of Chinese-owned Nexperia products for civilian use, easing concerns among European carmakers that production could soon be disrupted. The decision follows weeks of uncertainty after China blocked exports from Nexperia in response to the Dutch government’s takeover of the company in October. Nexperia, headquartered in the Netherlands but owned by China’s Wingtech, produces chips vital to vehicle manufacturing and other industries.…

Philippines: More than 100,000 people have been evacuated from eastern and northern regions of the Philippines as Super Typhoon Fung-wong intensified, bringing destructive winds and torrential rain ahead of its expected landfall later in the day. Packing sustained winds of 185km/h and gusts reaching 230km/h, Fung-wong is forecast to deliver severe flooding, storm surges, and widespread damage across affected provinces. Storm alert signals have been raised across large parts of the country, with Eastern Visayas already experiencing power outages. According to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, more than 300 domestic and international flights have been cancelled. Images released…

Washington: The US Supreme Court has issued an emergency order permitting the Trump administration to temporarily withhold billions of dollars in funding for food benefits relied upon by millions of low-income Americans. The decision follows an appeal by the White House after a lower court ruled that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, must be paid out in full to recipients. The Trump administration argued that due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, it could only afford to partially fund the programme. Under the Supreme Court’s ruling, approximately $4 billion (£3.04 billion) can now be…

Turkey: Turkey has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several senior members of his government, accusing them of genocide and crimes against humanity in Gaza. The Istanbul prosecutor’s office announced that 37 individuals were listed as suspects, including Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Israel Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir. According to the prosecutor’s statement, the accused officials are responsible for what it described as ‘systematic and deliberate acts’ against the Palestinian population in Gaza, which have resulted in widespread civilian casualties and destruction. The statement also referred…

Jakarta: More than 50 people were injured in a series of blast during Friday prayers at a mosque located within a school complex in Kelapa Gading, a district in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta. Authorities have identified a 17-year-old student as the suspected perpetrator behind the blasts. The incident occurred around 12:15 p.m. local time (05:15 GMT) inside the mosque situated on the grounds of a state-run high school. Most of the victims were students who sustained injuries ranging from minor wounds to severe burns. The suspect was also among those injured, according to Indonesia’s National Police Chief, Listyo Sigit Prabowo. Police…

Australia: The Great Barrier Reef is on track for a ‘grim future’ and will experience a rapid loss of coral by 2050, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Queensland. However, parts of the reef may still recover, if global warming is kept below 2°C. Researchers simulated the eco-evolutionary dynamics of more than 3,800 individual reefs, analysing how corals adapt to rising water temperatures, compete with one another and respond to environmental stress. They found that some coral species are naturally better at adapting to warmer oceans and could help repopulate damaged reefs. Reefs located near…