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Cuba’s electrical grid collapsed late Tuesday evening in Havana. In the aftermath of the hurricane, the whole island was left without electricity within hours of Hurricane Ian. This hurricane devastated the western side of the island with flooding and violent winds. It was reported by Reuters, citing state-run media, that Lázaro Guerra, Technical Director of the Electric Union of Cuba, said that a failure in the national electric system, which was in part caused by the storm, had affected infrastructure. According to Guerra, the union will work through the night and early Wednesday morning in an effort to restore power…

One after another, presidents and prime ministers from around the world spoke of their countries’ trials and triumphs. One of the biggest issues, however, was largely ignored in both columns. While war, climate change, and inequality have dominated the United Nations General Assembly, leaders have largely left the historic growth of the aging population unspoken. “Older persons are pretty much missing,” said Claudia Mahler, one of the few voices at the U.N. devoted to aging, in the Commission on Human Rights. “Everybody thinks the future belongs to the young.” Across the globe, societies are witnessing the promise and peril of…

Almost 2% of the world’s rarest zebras have been wiped out by Kenya’s most severe drought in 40 years, as well as 25 times as many elephants as usual. Kenya’s famed wildlife is being starved of normal food sources and being driven into deadly conflict with people. This is because they wander further into towns and villages seeking sustenance, according to Reuters. Conservationists say animals in the East African country could face an existential crisis if interventions to protect wildlife are not made, or if the rainy season fails again. Grevy’s Zebra Trust (GZT) monitoring officer Andrew Letura described it…

According to a government announcement on Monday, all COVID-19 restrictions for travelers will end on October 1. This includes vaccination and masking requirements for flights and trains. According to Reuters, the move is likely to boost the Canadian travel industry, which is already booming following months of lull during the pandemic. The Canadian carriers also called for an end to mask mandates on flights, citing thousands of incidents of noncompliance this year. The removal of all remaining measures effective October 1, 2022 will expedite the recovery of our industry and the Canadian economy as Canadians and international visitors make travel…

In the first defence test of its type, a NASA spacecraft intentionally smashed into an asteroid to alter its trajectory. DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) was the first mission to attempt to direct a dangerous object by using a direct experiment, according to space mission director Thomas Zurbuchen. NASA tweeted impact success shortly after the asteroid Dimorphos collided with the vending machine-sized spacecraft at 2314 GMT Monday. Dimorphos is the size of a football stadium and poses no threat to Earth. As the unmanned probe approached the asteroid, the space agency live-streamed its approach. As the spacecraft’s camera transmitted images…

A surge of voyages on rickety boats has been fueled by Lebanon’s financial collapse, which is among the most severe in human history. In this country of about 6.5 million people, poverty rates have skyrocketed. As search operations continue for the migrant boat that sank off the Syrian coast earlier this week after sailing from Lebanon, at least 94 people died. Reuters reports that it is the deadliest such voyage yet from Lebanon, where mounting economic desperation has led many to board overcrowded and often rickety boats. At the apartment of Mustafa Misto’s family in the impoverished Bab Al-Ramel district…

It has been reported that the death toll from the migrant boat that sank off the Syrian coast earlier this week after sailing from Lebanon has risen to 94. This is after more bodies were recovered from the Baniyas coast on Syria’s Mediterranean coast, Syrian state TV reported on Monday. The trip from Lebanon is the most dangerous yet. Economic desperation has led thousands of people to board often rickety and overcrowded boats in the hope of reaching Europe, according to Reuters. On Thursday afternoon, Syrian authorities began finding bodies off the coast of Tartus, a port city in the…

As Indian Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh has pointed out, sustainable biofuels play a major role in reducing Green House Gas emissions from transport. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi consistently encourages Net Zero initiatives. Today, he addressed the Main Stage Summit on International Collaboration to Accelerate the Clean Energy Transition in Pittsburgh. Dr. Jitendra Singh said India stands at the forefront of addressing climate change at another side event on “India Clean Energy Showcase.” According to him, India has committed to reducing emissions intensity by 33 to 35 percent in 2030 in comparison to 2005 levels, as part of…

Almost 2.5 years after it was first implemented, Hong Kong will scrap its controversial COVID-19 hotel quarantine policy for all arrivals beginning September 26, a long-awaited move for residents and businesses. Reuters reports that international arrivals will be able to go back home or to accommodation of their choice after entering the Chinese special administrative hub, but must self-monitor for three days. During a press conference, Chief Executive John Lee said, “We aim for people to have more convenience and they can carry about their activities with maximum possibilities.” For three days, people can report to work or school but…

The Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, has lauded the deep ties between Egypt and India, expressing Egypt’s eagerness to cooperate with India in the field of defense. President El Sisi and Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh discussed this during their meeting on Monday. The Middle East News Agency (MENA) reported that Egyptian President El Sisi expressed Egypt’s desire to strengthen relations with India in the area of military and defense cooperation, as well as cultivate a partnership between the two countries, according to the spokesman. An Indian minister emphasized Egypt’s crucial role in fighting terrorism, which reflects in the security…