Singapore calls for proposals to pilot autonomous public buses
Singapore, Jan 27 (IANS) Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) has invited industry players to submit proposals for a pilot programme to test autonomous public buses, the authority announced Monday. The call for proposals, which closes by the second quarter of 2025, aims to kick-start a three-year trial of smaller autonomous buses on two selected routes […]
Presidential election kicks off in Belarus
Minsk, Jan 26 (IANS) The presidential election kicked off in Belarus on Sunday with polling stations opening at 8:00 a.m. (0500 GMT) and closing at 8 p.m. (1700 GMT). Five candidates, including incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko, have been registered for the presidential election, Xinhua news agency reported. Voters will cast their ballots at 5,325 polling […]
WEF calls for cooperation to address global challenges, uncertainty
Davos, Jan 25 (IANS) The World Economic Forum (WEF) concluded its annual meeting, calling for increased cooperation in the face of global challenges and uncertainty. Amid ongoing conflicts, economic instability, and rapid technological advancements, the WEF Annual Meeting 2025 served as a crucial platform for fostering dialogue, encouraging collaboration, and driving sustainable solutions to shared […]
Profiteering landlords gouge LA fire survivors
Los Angeles, Jan 24 (IANS) Recent wildfires in the Los Angeles area destroyed over 10,000 structures, many of them homes. Tens of thousands have been displaced, and the search for housing is becoming increasingly brutal. Some landlords are profiting from the crisis. “It’s a shark tank in LA right now with blood in the water,” […]
New wildfire in Los Angeles scorches over 8,000 acres
California, Jan 23 (IANS) A fast-moving brush fire erupted in Los Angeles County, expanding to 8,096 acres (32.76 square km) with zero containment, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). The blaze dubbed Hughes Fire broke out around 10:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday in the area of Lake Hughes […]
Death toll from Turkish ski resort fire rises to 78
Ankara, Jan 23 (IANS) The death toll from the devastating fire at Turkey’s Kartalkaya ski resort in northwestern Bolu province has risen to 78, and 11 people have been detained in connection with the incident, Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said Thursday. Among the detainees are Bolu municipality’s Deputy Mayor responsible for the fire department, […]
Trump administration sued on day 1 over order aiming to end birthright citizenship
Washington, Jan 21 (IANS) Hours after President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship in the United States, a coalition of civil rights and immigration groups filed a lawsuit challenging the move, setting the stage for a major legal battle. The executive order, signed Monday night, directs federal agencies to deny […]
Death toll in Indonesia’s Central Java landslides rises to 18
Jakarta, Jan 21 (IANS) The death toll from landslides that struck Pekalongan region in Indonesia’s Central Java province on Tuesday has risen to 18, according to the provincial disaster mitigation agency. Bergas Catursasi Penanggungan, head of the Central Java disaster mitigation agency, said that over nine people are still missing following the landslides that occurred […]
Emergency warning issued over category three cyclone in Australia
Canberra, Jan 20 (IANS) A tropical cyclone affecting the northwest coast of Western Australia (WA) has been upgraded to a category three storm, Australia’s national provider of weather services said on Monday. The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) on Monday morning upgraded Tropical Cyclone Sean from a category two system, warning of wind speeds of up […]
TikTok goes dark in US; users get ‘not available right now’ message
Los Angeles, Jan 19 (IANS) The popular video-sharing app TikTok went dark late Saturday in the U.S. TikTok users in the country were greeted with a message that read: “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now”, Xinhua news agency reported. “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use […]
