A van carrying teachers from Government Lower Primary School, Pang, in Malappuram district plunged off a cliff on the Valparai ghat road, killing nine people. The vehicle fell from hairpin bend number 13 and tumbled down to hairpin bend number 9, a significant vertical drop along one of southern India's most treacherous mountain stretches. Most passengers were teachers and their family members. The Valparai ghat road, known for its 40-plus hairpin bends winding through the Anamalai Hills, presents persistent safety challenges, particularly for vehicles navigating steep gradients and sharp turns. Authorities will likely face renewed scrutiny over road safety measures, barrier infrastructure, and vehicle fitness standards on high-risk ghat routes. The death toll and identity of all victims had not been fully confirmed in initial reporting. Monitoring the official rescue operation update and any state government response on ghat road safety protocols will be the immediate next step.
Iranian armed forces attacked a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, briefly halting traffic through the waterway. The strike threatens a fragile US-Iran arrangement and could push shipping insurance costs and oil prices higher.
The US has struck Iran, with President Trump citing an Iranian attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz as justification. The action raises immediate risks for global oil flows through one of the world's most critical shipping chokepoints.
The US struck ten Iranian targets on the second consecutive day of military action, putting a fragile ceasefire under serious pressure. The escalation raises immediate risks for Gulf shipping, global oil supply, and regional stability.
Venezuela's twin earthquakes, magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, have killed at least 164 people and injured 971, interim president Delcy Rodriguez confirmed Thursday. The quakes are the country's strongest since 1900, collapsing buildings across Caracas and prompting a state of emergency, with the death toll expected to rise as
