Author: Amman Augustin

At least nine people died and several others were injured in West Bengal as the powerful Cyclone Mocha made landfall along the coasts surrounding Bay of Bengal, leading to excessive damage in the southeastern coastlines. The storm intensified into a category-5 storm, forcing the evacuation of over 500,000 people in low-lying areas along the coastline. The Impact of Cyclone Mocha in India In Mizoram, the cyclone damaged around 236 houses and eight refugee camps, leaving over 5,000 people affected. The Siaha district in Mizoram was the worst hit as 101 houses, including two relief camps, were damaged. A 12-year-old girl…

A fire broke out at a gold mine in southern Peru, killing at least 27 workers, making it the worst mining disaster in more than two decades. The local government stated that a short-circuit was the cause of the blaze that occurred in the Yanaquihua mine operated by a small-scale company in the Arequipa region. According to Peru’s Ministry of Energy and Mines, this is the worst mining catastrophe since 2000. The victims were 100 meters below ground, and their relatives gathered near the mine waiting for news about their loved ones. However, the news that has come out so…

At least 22 people died and several others were injured when a double-decker boat capsized off the coastal town of Tanur in the Malappuram district of India’s southern state of Kerala on Sunday evening. Survivors have alleged that the boat was overcrowded and did not have sufficient safety equipment. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has asked that the rescue operation be overseen by the district government. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi promised a Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the victims. Kerala Tourism Minister Mohammed Riyas is also on his way to Thanoor…

Habib Farajollah Chaab, a Swedish-Iranian dissident, was executed after being convicted of directing an Arab separatist group responsible for many attacks, particularly one at a military parade in 2018 that killed 25 people. Chaab received the death penalty for being “corrupt on earth,” a grave charge under Iran’s strict Islamic rules. Iran hanged Chaab on May 6, 2024, in Tehran after the top court upheld the death sentence in March. He was allegedly the main person behind the terrorist attack on the military parade in September 2018, according to authorities. The militants disguised as soldiers opened fire on an annual…

Wildfires in Alberta and British Columbia are causing smoky skies and affecting air quality in the regions all over North-Western Canada. Evacuation orders have affected around 13,000 people in Alberta, where crews are battling more than 900 fires across the province amid dry conditions and high winds.  There are several active fires currently in British Columbia’s northeast, like the 60-hectare Coffee Creek blaze just northwest of Fort St. John. The Fort St. John region received an Air Quality Health Index rating of 8, indicating “high risk”, with the conditions forecast to persist for the next 24 to 48 hours.Residents are…

Brazil’s former president, Jair Bolsonaro, is under investigation by the country’s Federal Police in connection with the alleged falsification of COVID-19 vaccine cards. Bolsonaro’s residence was searched by the police, and several other locations were raided in connection with the case. The police have seized Bolsonaro’s phone; half a dozen other individuals have also been detained. Bolsonaro has previously been criticized for spreading misinformation about the pandemic and the vaccine. Local media reported that vaccine cards belonging to Bolsonaro, his family members, and advisors were altered. The investigation centers on documents that were allegedly changed to comply with U.S. vaccine…

Fentanyl-related drug overdose deaths in the US more than tripled from 2016 to 2021, according to a report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to CDC data, the rate of fentanyl-related drug overdose deaths jumped from 5.7 per 100,000 individuals in 2016 to 21.6 in each 100,000 in 2021. During the same period, the rate of drug overdose deaths involving methamphetamine increased more than fourfold, while cocaine-related overdose deaths more than doubled. In contrast, heroin and oxycodone deaths decreased. The CDC report highlights the importance of understanding different drug sources and modes of ingestion to…

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) West and East have gone on strike after failing to reach an agreement with major studios over the last six weeks. The writers have been seeking better compensation for their work. WGA decided to strike after the negotiating committee’s efforts failed to secure a satisfactory response.  The Writers Guild of America has started their first Hollywood strike in 15 years. This comes after six weeks of negotiations with major studios failing to reach a mutual consensus, with screenwriters requesting more pay for their work on cinema, television, and streaming productions, as well as royalty…

At least 11 people died and nine were hospitalized following a gas leak that occurred in a factory in Punjab. The incident took place in the Giaspura area on Sunday morning. The area was sealed, and a team of the National Disaster Response Force was deployed to evacuate people from the affected area. Police officers were observed wearing masks, and residents were urged to stay away from a cordoned-off area. Eleven people have died and nine have been hospitalized after a gas leak in Ludhiana, Punjab, according to Rajinder Pal Kaur Chhina, a member of legislative assembly in Ludhiana. The…

13 Suspected gang members in Haiti were lynched and burned by residents in the capital, Port-au-Prince. The killing of more than a dozen members followed confrontations between gangs and security forces, and the country is currently facing its worst human rights crisis in decades. The United Nations has warned that the situation in the country has reached levels of insecurity comparable to those of countries in armed conflict. Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021, civilian discontent is at its highest, gangs have become stronger, and the capital and the countryside have become lawless. Approximately 80% of the…