Stay informed with the latest news and analysis from Catamist
Sri Lanka is facing a severe crisis as Cyclonic Storm Ditwah has triggered devastating floods and landslips, claiming 56 lives, leaving 21 missing, and forcing the closure of government offices and schools across the island nation. The widespread destruction to infrastructure and homes has prompted military rescue operations and international aid, with warnings of continued heavy rainfall exacerbating the dire situation.
New Zealand has launched an ambitious plan to eradicate feral cats across the country by 2050, integrating them into its "Predator Free 2050" strategy to protect vulnerable native wildlife. This crucial initiative, driven by strong public support and the severe threat posed by an estimated 2.5 million feral cats, aims to safeguard indigenous species from these "stone cold killers.
A groundbreaking MIT review, utilizing the "Iceberg Index," reveals that roughly one in eight global jobs are highly susceptible to replacement by artificial intelligence, signifying a profound and accelerating shift in the job market. This widespread impact, affecting an estimated 11.7% of the U.S. workforce and $1.2 trillion in annual wages, is quietly transforming sectors like finance, healthcare, and back-office functions as AI increasingly automates routine tasks.
A powerful 6.0-magnitude earthquake rattled the Anchorage metropolitan area on Thanksgiving morning, causing widespread shaking across south-central Alaska but fortunately resulting in no immediate reports of significant damage or casualties. Despite the tremor, officials quickly confirmed no tsunami threat and that key public infrastructure remained intact, though residents were reminded of Alaska's highly seismic nature and the potential for aftershocks.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized a significant rule extending compliance deadlines for the oil and gas industry, reversing stringent mandates originally established by the Biden-Harris administration. Announced on November 26, 2025, this decision by the Trump EPA aims to provide an estimated $750 million in financial relief over 11 years, addressing industry concerns over "unrealistic regulations" and operational challenges.
NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev successfully docked with the International Space Station on Thursday, November 27, 2025, marking a significant moment for international space collaboration. Their arrival expands the orbiting laboratory's crew to ten members for the next two weeks, facilitating increased research and operational activities, with two of the trio embarking on their inaugural journey into space.
A devastating fire at Hong Kong's Wang Fuk Court residential complex has claimed at least 83 lives and left hundreds missing, marking the city's deadliest blaze in decades. Fueled by external scaffolding during renovation, the inferno prompted a Level 5 alarm and a police investigation, leading to the arrest of three construction executives on manslaughter charges.
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has commenced a 27-year prison sentence following his conviction for allegedly plotting a military coup and undermining democratic institutions, a landmark decision upheld by the Supreme Court with no further avenues for appeal. This historic imprisonment, stemming from his efforts to remain in power after the 2022 election, has deeply polarized public opinion across Brazil and garnered significant international attention.
Scientists led by Professor Tomonori Totani may have achieved the first direct observation of dark matter, nearly a century after its theoretical proposal, by analyzing gamma-ray patterns from NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. This groundbreaking discovery involves a unique 20 GeV gamma-ray glow near the Milky Way's center that matches predictions for dark matter particle annihilation, representing a crucial step in understanding the universe's composition, pending further verification.
Ethiopia's Hayli Gubbi volcano erupted on November 23, 2025, for the first time in nearly 12,000 years, sending massive ash plumes 45,000 feet high and causing significant disruptions to air travel across multiple continents. This rare sub-Plinian eruption raised concerns for local livestock herders due to ash-covered villages and prompted widespread monitoring of the ash cloud's international drift.
Groundbreaking research has uncovered concerning early indicators of brain stress in young adults with obesity, revealing higher inflammation, liver strain, and elevated neurofilament light chain (NfL) as key markers of neuronal injury. A critical discovery from the study highlights a strong correlation between these brain stress indicators and unusually low levels of choline, an essential nutrient, suggesting that metabolic disruptions could accelerate cognitive decline much earlier than previously understood.
Facing an alarming surge in mass kidnappings across Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu declared a nationwide security emergency on November 26, 2025, following widespread abductions of hundreds, including schoolchildren and women. In response to this escalating crisis, which saw over 300 students and teachers taken from one school alone, the government is deploying significant security reinforcements, including 50,000 new police officers and forest guards, to restore order and secure the release of captives.