Author: Trainee Reporter

Odesa: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has revoked the citizenship of Odesa Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov with allegations that he holds a Russian passport, the country’s SBU security service announced. In a related move, a military administration has been appointed to govern the Black Sea port city, which has a population of around 1 million. The agency accused Trukhanov of possessing a valid international passport from the aggressor country. Ukraine bars its citizens from holding dual citizenship with Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The revocation of Trukhanov’s citizenship could potentially lead to his deportation. President Zelenskyy, in…

Dhaka: At least 16 people have been confirmed dead after a massive garment factory fire in Dhaka’s Mirpur area, with officials warning that the death toll could rise as rescue operations continue. According to the Bangladesh Fire Service, sixteen charred bodies have been recovered from the four-storey building, all burned beyond recognition. The blaze, which erupted around midday, took firefighters nearly three hours to extinguish. However, an adjacent chemical warehouse stayed ablaze well into the night due to the presence of highly flammable materials. Eyewitnesses said the warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic, and hydrogen peroxide, substances known to intensify fires…

United States: Several high-profile figures, including Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Donald Trump Jr., have had their private phone numbers published on a US website that uses artificial intelligence to scrape publicly available information. The personal contact details for both individuals remain publicly listed on the platform. Albanese’s office has confirmed it is aware of the situation, first reported by independent Australian outlet Ette Media, and local authorities are now investigating. A spokesman for Australia’s opposition leader, Sussan Ley, whose private number was also included, described the publication as ‘obviously concerning’ and said they had requested the information be…

Oslo: Norway’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed that Venezuela has shut its embassy in Oslo without explaining, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Cecilie Roang stated that, “We have been informed by the embassy of Venezuela that it is shutting its doors and no reason has been given. It is regrettable. Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue open with Venezuela and will continue to work in this direction.” The closure follows the announcement that Machado received the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo. Machado, a…

Washington: US Vice-President JD Vance has warned that additional workforce cuts could be imminent if the ongoing government shutdown is not resolved soon. Vance stated that, “The longer this goes on, the deeper the cuts are going to be. To be clear, some of these cuts are going to be painful.” The current impasse began on October 1, after Democrats rejected a short-term funding bill that excluded federal health insurance subsidies. Democrats are demanding that the budget include an extension of subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. Hundreds of thousands of federal employees are already on leave without pay as…

Mali: Mali has announced that US nationals seeking business or tourist visas will now be required to post a bond of up to $10,000 (£7,500), mirroring a similar measure recently introduced by the Trump administration against Malian citizens. The US Embassy in Bamako said the bond aims to strengthen Washington’s commitment to protecting America’s borders and safeguarding US national security. Mali’s Foreign Ministry responded, stating that the US had imposed the measure unilaterally, prompting Bamako to introduce an identical visa programme for American visitors. The visa policy shift comes at a sensitive time, as both nations have been working to…

New South Wales: Three adults have died after a light aircraft crashed at Shellharbour Airport near Wollongong, New South Wales. The private plane took off at approximately 10:00 am before crashing and catching fire. It was reportedly en route to Ballarat. Speaking to the media, Chief Inspector Aaron Wunderlich of Lake Illawarra Police District described the incident as ‘a very tragic incident.’ Aaron Wunderlich confirmed that all three occupants were adults of a similar age group, but their identities have not yet been formally released. Aaron Wunderlich stated that, “Police are working to formally identify the three people involved, so…

Idaho: The United States and Qatar have signed a landmark letter of agreement to construct a Qatari Emiri Air Force facility at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, marking a new phase in bilateral defence cooperation. The announcement was made by US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, following his meeting with Qatari Defence Minister Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at the Pentagon. Hegseth commended Qatar’s pivotal role in mediating Gaza ceasefire talks, with the first phase of the Israel-Hamas peace deal going into effect the same day. Hegseth stated that, “No one other than President Donald Trump could…

Philippines: A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake has struck off the southern coast of the Philippines, prompting tsunami warnings across coastal regions and neighbouring Indonesia. Authorities in the Philippines urged residents in coastal towns across central and southern regions to evacuate as they warned of potential tsunami waves over a metre high. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the quake was felt strongly in Davao City and surrounding provinces, causing power cuts and suspension of classes in several areas. At least one person was confirmed dead, while reports of damaged buildings and widespread panic surfaced across affected regions. Local…

Baltimore: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has extended nationwide flight delays for a third consecutive day, affecting major airports such as Reagan Washington National and Newark Liberty International, as higher-than-normal staffing shortages continue to strain US air traffic operations. By 5:30 p.m. ET (2130 GMT), nearly 3,000 flights were delayed, following a combined 10,000 delays recorded. Many of these disruptions have been directly linked to air traffic controller absences, which have worsened as the federal government shutdown entered its eighth day. The FAA confirmed that several flights at Reagan National were forced to hold in the air due to reduced…