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Authorities across three U.S. states are conducting a coordinated search for four Indian-origin senior citizens who have mysteriously gone missing during a road trip from Buffalo, New York to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  The individuals, identified as Asha Divan, Kishore Divan, Shailesh Divan, and Gita Divan, were last seen on July 31, 2025, according to law enforcement officials. Image Source: Sheriff Office The family, all residents of New York state, were captured on surveillance footage at a Burger King restaurant on Peach Street in Erie, Pennsylvania.  Two members — one male and one female — were seen entering the establishment and using a credit card, which police confirmed as their last recorded transaction.  The Erie County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the footage timestamp and cross-referenced the payment data to verify the family’s presence at the location. The group was travelling in a 2009 light-green Toyota Camry with New York license plate EKW2611.  Their ...

In a development laden with geopolitical significance, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff is in Moscow this weekend for what observers say could be a pivotal diplomatic engagement with Russian President Vladimir Putin.  The revelation was made by U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO, Matt Whitaker, during an interview with NBC News, where he expressed hope that Witkoff’s presence in Russia "might bear fruit" toward achieving diplomatic headway. File Photo Source: RamAbdu on X Witkoff’s Moscow trip follows his recent visit to Israel and the Gaza Strip on August 1 as part of his ongoing efforts to mediate the intensifying Middle East crisis.  His sudden stopover in Russia has sparked speculation about the scope of Washington’s backchannel negotiations—not just in the Middle East but also in relation to broader strategic tensions with Moscow. The real estate mogul-turned-diplomat, Steven Witkoff, was appointed as Special Envoy to the Middle East by President Don...

For the first time since scientific records began, the Krasheninnikov volcano in Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula has erupted, just days after a powerful earthquake rocked the region and prompted tsunami warnings across the Pacific.  According to the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT), the eruption began at 4:50 p.m. GMT on August 2, 2025, marking an unprecedented geological event in the region's modern history. Image Source: Brigitte_Ba on X Spewing thick columns of ash into the sky, the Krasheninnikov eruption is being closely monitored. Ash plumes have reached altitudes between 3,000 and 6,000 meters above sea level, drifting eastward toward the Pacific Ocean.  Fortunately, no inhabited areas or registered tourist groups are within the danger zone, according to Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Services. Krasheninnikov is located inside the Kronotsky Nature Reserve on Kamchatka’s eastern coast. Named after the 18th-century explorer Stepan Krasheninnikov, the v...

Beijing is set to become the epicenter of the global robotics revolution as it hosts the 10th edition of the World Robot Conference (WRC) from August 8–12, 2025. Co-hosted by the Chinese Institute of Electronics (CIE) and the World Robot Cooperation Organization (WRCO), this milestone event is a showcase of China's ambition to lead the global robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) frontier. Image Source: Bridging News on X With the central theme “Artificial Intelligence + Robotics,” WRC 2025 aims to deepen international cooperation, stimulate intelligent manufacturing, and explore the convergence of robotics, AI, and machine learning.  Chinese President Xi Jinping’s earlier vision—labeling robots as the “jewel on the crown of manufacturing”—continues to guide national policy and technological investments.  That vision will be on full display as WRC2025 integrates AI-powered robotics across sectors like autonomous mobility, digital healthcare, industrial automation, and next...

U.S. President Donald Trump has ignited political and economic turbulence after abruptly firing the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) commissioner, Erika McEntarfer, following a revised federal jobs report that showed 258,000 fewer jobs were created since May than previously reported.  Image Source: DisavowTrump on X The dismissal, widely condemned by economists and opposition leaders, came hours before Trump departed for a weekend at his New Jersey golf resort. Markets responded with sharp losses, as the S&P 500 posted its steepest drop in three months. The Dow Jones shed 543 points, and Nasdaq tumbled by over 2%, with investor confidence rattled not only by the jobs data but also by new tariffs levied against major U.S. trade partners, including Canada, Japan, Brazil, India, and the European Union. McEntarfer’s ouster marks an unprecedented challenge to the independence of federal economic institutions. Former labor statistics heads, including Trump’s own first-term appointe...

International pop star Dua Lipa has been granted citizenship of Kosovo in recognition of her impact on global music and her advocacy for the country's cultural identity.  The 29-year-old singer, born in London to Kosovan-Albanian parents, was officially awarded citizenship during a ceremony led by Kosovo’s president, Vjosa Osmani. Image Source: PopVibes Lipa spent part of her childhood in Pristina after her family relocated to Kosovo following its declaration of independence in 2008. She later returned to London as a teenager to pursue her music career. The ceremony took place during her visit to Pristina for the Sunny Hill Festival, an event she co-founded in 2018 alongside her father, Dukagjin Lipa. During the opening night, she performed the song Era with her father, singing in Albanian.  The audience included local schoolchildren who welcomed her by singing her hit track Levitating . President Osmani presented Lipa with a formal citizenship certificate, calling her one ...

A new wave of extreme weather events is sweeping across the globe, underscoring the accelerating impact of climate disruption.  In northern China, heavy rainfall over the last week of July has triggered devastating floods that have claimed at least 70 lives and displaced tens of thousands. Image Source: WallStreetMav Official reports show that Beijing and its surrounding regions received rainfall far exceeding typical levels, with Miyun district recording over 540mm — an amount that normally falls across an entire year.  Among the fatalities, 31 occurred in a care facility in Miyun, while others died in a landslide in Chengde and when a minibus was swept away in Shanxi province.  More than 130 rural communities were cut off, and over 80,000 people were evacuated from their homes. The frequency and severity of such high-precipitation events in China are increasingly being linked to a warming planet.  With each degree of global temperature rise, atmospheric moisture c...

Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has been sentenced to 12 years of house arrest after being found guilty of witness tampering and procedural fraud, marking the first time in Colombia’s history that a former head of state has been criminally convicted and sentenced.  The ruling, issued by a Colombian judge on Friday, concludes a years-long judicial saga that has shaped political discourse in the country and stirred deep partisan divides. Image Source: FVallejoQuotes on X Uribe, 73, served as president from 2002 to 2010 and was known for a militarized approach to fighting drug cartels and guerrilla groups, particularly the FARC.  Despite longstanding accusations of ties to right-wing paramilitary groups during his tenure, he remained a dominant figure in Colombian conservative politics and continued to influence party leadership and national strategy long after leaving office. The charges stem from a case in which Uribe was found to have sought to manipulate testimo...

France has stated it cannot intervene in the planned destruction of nearly $9.7 million worth of contraceptives originally procured by USAID for distribution in some of the world’s poorest countries.  The stockpile, including long-acting birth control implants and IUDs, remains unexpired and was reportedly set to be incinerated by a private waste management company under a contract with the U.S. government. The products had been stored in Geel, Belgium, and began leaving the warehouse in recent days, according to French women’s rights groups. Image Source: WKNOFM on X The Biden-era aid was halted under the current U.S. administration, which has reinstated anti-abortion foreign aid restrictions. Offers from global health organizations to buy and distribute the contraceptives at no cost to the U.S. were reportedly rejected.  France’s health ministry said there was no legal basis for its agencies to seize or repurpose the products, as the contraceptives are not considered therape...