Ayoola Atitebi

Germany's New Year's Eve celebrations were marked by tragedy as five people died and numerous emergency workers were injured in fireworks-related incidents across the country. Two deaths occurred in Saxony, including a 45-year-old man who died while handling what was described as a "firework bomb." In Berlin, firefighters responded to 1,892 incidents, an increase of 294 from the previous year, with over 1,500 emergency personnel on duty. The capital city reported 13 attacks on emergency workers, and police detained 330 people. One police officer was severely injured by a suspected illegal firework and required surgery. Munich experienced particularly serious injuries, including three children aged two, eleven, and fourteen. The younger children suffered burns, while the teenager lost parts of his hand to a firecracker. The city also saw a major apartment fire caused by a stray firework that spread from […]

Nearly 40 tornadoes swept across five southern U.S. states over the weekend, resulting in four deaths and widespread damage. The severe weather system affected Texas, North Carolina, Louisiana, Georgia, and Arkansas, causing extensive property destruction and widespread power outages. Mississippi reported two fatalities, with deaths occurring in Adams County and Lowndes County. The state also recorded at least ten injuries, and approximately 32,000 residents remained without power by Monday morning, down from 100,000 immediately after the storms. In Texas, the Storm Prediction Center issued a rare "particularly dangerous situation" designation for a tornado watch on December 28, a warning level used for only about 7% of annual tornado events. A 48-year-old woman died in Brazoria County near the Gulf Coast, and four others sustained non-critical injuries. Montgomery County, north of Houston, saw significant damage with 300 buildings affected, including 30 […]

Russia and Ukraine have conducted a significant prisoner exchange facilitated by the United Arab Emirates. While the Russian defense ministry reported exchanging 150 soldiers from each side, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that 189 Ukrainians had returned home. Among those released to Ukraine were defenders of the Azovstal steel plant and Mariupol, which fell to Russian forces in May 2022 after a prolonged siege, as well as personnel from the Chernobyl nuclear facility. Two civilians captured in Mariupol were also included in the exchange. Zelensky shared images of released prisoners on a coach displaying Ukrainian flags, reaffirming his commitment to freeing all captives. The Russian defense ministry confirmed their released personnel are now in Belarus receiving medical care and contacting their families. Russian human rights commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova released video footage showing soldiers in military and winter clothing preparing to […]

South Korea's acting President Choi Sang-mok has ordered an emergency inspection of all airline operations following a devastating crash at Muan International Airport that killed 179 people. The Jeju Air flight crash-landed and burst into flames, with only two crew members surviving. The directive comes as another Jeju Air Boeing B737-800 returned to Seoul's Gimpo International Airport shortly after takeoff on Monday due to landing gear issues. The aircraft model is the same as the one involved in Sunday's crash, and comprises 39 of Jeju Air's 41-plane fleet. Sunday's ill-fated flight 7C2216 crashed after attempting to land following a bird strike warning. The plane skidded off the runway and hit a wall around 09:00 local time. The victims, aged between three and 78 years old, included two Thai nationals, with the remaining passengers believed to be South Korean. Boeing has […]