Author: Trainee Reporter

India: An Air India flight from Chicago to Delhi was forced to return to the US city last week after multiple toilets became clogged with plastic bags, rags, and clothing. The airline confirmed the incident, which took place on 5 March aboard Flight AI126. Around two hours into the journey, crew members found that several lavatories had become “unserviceable,” and soon, eight out of the 12 toilets across business and economy class were rendered unusable. With the aircraft flying over the Atlantic and limited options for emergency landings due to night restrictions at European airports, the pilots decided to turn…

United States: Elon Musk’s social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter has suffered widespread outages, affecting thousands of users in the US and UK. Downdetector reported tens of thousands of outage reports from American users, while UK users raised more than 8,000 complaints by early afternoon. Many users were unable to refresh their feeds, facing a persistent loading icon. Some experienced connectivity issues well into the afternoon. Musk attributed the disruptions to a “massive cyber-attack” originating from the “Ukraine area,” though he delivered no evidence to support the claim. Musk suggested that, “either a large, coordinated group and/or a…

Queensland: The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has defended its forecasting after an objection that it failed to provide adequate warning to the coastal Queensland community of Hervey Bay before a torrential downpour struck in the wake of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. Fraser Coast mayor George Seymour called for a review of BoM’s warning systems, arguing that the community was unprepared for more than 260mm of rain that fell within hours, triggering an emergency and multiple rescues. However, senior forecaster Christie Johnson stated that “the bureau operated well.” She said broad warnings had been issued and refined as conditions evolved. Queensland Premier…

Canada: Mark Carney has won the race to succeed Justin Trudeau as Canada’s prime minister, securing a landslide victory in the Liberal Party’s leadership contest. The former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor takes office at a time of economic tension and escalating trade tensions with the United States. Carney, 59, defeated three rivals, including former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, winning 85.9 percent of the vote on the first ballot. Speaking to a packed crowd of 1,600 supporters in Ottawa, he vowed to encounter US President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade policies, which he described as an attack on…

The world unites to celebrate International Women’s Day 2025 on March 8 to unlock equal rights, power, and opportunities, anticipating a feminist future where no one is left behind. The United Nations (UN) directs this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) celebrations under the theme: “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.” This year also celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a landmark dedication to gender equality that has shaped global policies on women’s rights. Since its adoption in 1995, the declaration has driven improvement in legal protections, access to education and healthcare, youth…

United States: The White House is pressing ahead with its aggressive trade policy, reinforcing its dedication to tariffs even as financial markets react and business leaders voice concerns. This week, US President Donald Trump partially walked back tariffs on Canada and Mexico, lessening some of the economic pressure on America’s closest trading partners. However, the administration has made it clear that its broader tariff strategy remains firmly in place. While some observers challenge the administration’s resolve given its swift policy reversals, Trump’s ongoing trade war with China tells a different story. The US has now set at least a 20…

Thailand: Thailand’s Supreme Administrative Court has annulled a 50-year-old directive regulating student hairstyles, contributing to students’ greater freedom over their appearance. The directive, issued in 1975 under a military junta, mandated short hair for boys and ear-length bobs for girls. While many schools had gradually loosened their enforcement, some continued adhering to the old rules—sometimes resorting to cutting students’ hair as punishment for non-compliance. The court ruled that the directive violated constitutional protections of individual freedoms and was outdated in modern society. The decision comes after a petition was filed in 2020 by 23 public school students claiming that the…

United States: A private US company, Intuitive Machines, has landed its Athena spacecraft near the Moon’s South Pole but fears the lander is not in an upright position. Despite the uneven landing, Athena is still communicating with Earth, the company’s CEO confirmed in a press conference. The mission desires to deploy scientific instruments, including a hopping robot called Micro Nova Hopper, designed to analyse a nearby crater. It also carries a lunar mobile communications antenna—the first of its kind on the Moon. Athena touched down at approximately 1730 GMT (1230 EST) in the lunar highlands region known as Mons Mouton,…

United States: US President Donald Trump has issued what he described as a “last warning” to Hamas, demanding the immediate release of hostages held in Gaza. In a strongly worded statement on his Truth Social platform, Trump vowed to equip Israel with “everything it needs to finish the job” and warned that “not a single Hamas member will be safe” if his demands were not met. The statement comes just hours after the White House confirmed it has engaged in direct negotiations with Hamas—marking a significant departure from previous US policy, which has long prohibited direct contact with groups designated…

Washington, D.C.: The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) has charged 12 Chinese nationals for their alleged involvement in a state-sponsored hacking operation that targeted American dissidents and government agencies, including the Treasury Department. According to the DOJ, the hackers also penetrated an American religious organisation and a Hong Kong-based newspaper. Federal prosecutors allege that the hackers worked under the direction of Chinese ministries while also operating independently for profit. The indictment claims that the individuals—some linked to China’s Ministry of Public Security—instructed cyber intrusions on behalf of Chinese agencies, charging between $10,000 and $75,000 per exploited email inbox. Sue J Bai,…