January 18, 2025 5:55 am

Day: January 14, 2025

Oscar Nominations Delayed Again Due to LA Wildfires

The Academy Awards have been significantly impacted by the ongoing wildfires sweeping through Los Angeles. The announcement of this year’s Oscar nominations has been delayed once again, now set to occur on Thursday, January 23. In response to the crisis, the voting period for the Oscars has been extended to January 17. The decision to […]

Australia’s National Autism Strategy: A Landmark Plan for Change

The Australian government has introduced its first national autism strategy, a comprehensive seven-year initiative aimed at improving the lives of autistic individuals across the country. This plan seeks to foster a more inclusive society where autistic people are supported to thrive. What Does the Strategy Include? The strategy outlines 22 commitments across four primary areas: […]

Controversial Shia Imam Husham Al-Husainy to Deliver Benediction at Trump Inauguration

Reports have surfaced that Husham Al-Husainy, a Shia imam with a controversial past, will deliver a benediction at President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. Critics have labeled Al-Husainy as “anti-Semitic” and accused him of having a “significant history of extremism.” In 2007, Al-Husainy publicly criticized the US campaign in Iraq, describing it as an “oppression and occupation”. […]

MI5 Releases Confessions of Britain’s Notorious Double Agents

Top secret MI5 files detailing first-hand accounts of confessions from three of Britain’s most notorious double agents, including Mr. Kim Philby and Mr. Anthony Blunt, who spied for the Soviet Union, were released for the first time on January 14. Mr. Philby and Mr. Blunt, along with Mr. Guy Burgess, Mr. Donald Maclean, and Mr. […]

Former Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad’s Viral Video: A Humorous Search for RM3 Billion

A video of Malaysia’s former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has gone viral again, this time involving a “search” for his purported billions. In an 86-second video posted on X on January 12, Tun Dr Mahathir is seen looking around his home for RM3 billion (S$916 million) allegedly in his possession. He looks behind his TV […]

Philippines Protests China’s Deployment of ‘Monster Ship’ in EEZ

The Philippines has lodged a protest over the presence of the 165-meter-long Chinese coast guard vessel 5901, which was spotted 77 nautical miles off the coast of Zambales province. National Security Council spokesman Jonathan Malaya described the deployment as “alarming” and “clearly meant to intimidate fishermen operating around a contested shoal in the South China […]

Chinese Social Apps Xiaohongshu and Lemon8 Take Over iPhone Download Charts Amid TikTok Ban

A pair of Chinese-made social apps, Xiaohongshu and Lemon8, have surged to the top two positions on Apple Inc’s iPhone download charts in the US as users seek alternatives to TikTok ahead of an imminent ban. ByteDance Ltd’s TikTok faces a deadline of January 19 to find a US buyer to continue operating in the […]

Nine Sydney Beaches Closed Due to Mysterious Debris

Nine beaches in Sydney, including the well-known Manly Beach, were closed to bathers on January 14 after small white and grey balls of debris washed up on the shores at the height of the summer holiday season. The Northern Beaches Council stated that it was working on safely removing the matter. Most of the samples […]

Unveiling of Iran’s Laser-Guided Air Defense System

Iran’s military has unveiled a state-of-the-art laser-guided air defense system during an air defense force drill in the western and northern regions of the country. On Sunday, the equipment, named Seraj (meaning “light”), was rolled out on wheels during the drill near the country’s Fordow uranium enrichment facility. The military has described this system as […]

NASA will send commercial spacecraft to the Moon

Nearly 56 years after the first lunar conquest, the United States space agency NASA is set to send a spacecraft to the Moon for commercial purposes. On Wednesday, January 15, NASA’s first commercial spacecraft will depart from Earth toward the Moon. Named the “Blue Ghost Mission 1,” this mission will carry a robot called “Blue […]