Stay informed with the latest news and analysis from Catamist
A tragic bus accident near Medina, Saudi Arabia, on November 17, 2025, claimed the lives of 45 Indian Umrah pilgrims, predominantly from Telangana, after their bus collided with a diesel tanker and erupted in flames. The Indian Consulate in Jeddah is providing assistance, while the Telangana government announced ex-gratia payments for the victims, leaving only one survivor from the horrific incident.
NASA's ESCAPADE mission, launched on November 13, 2025, aboard a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket, will send two probes to Mars to study its magnetic environment and atmospheric loss, providing crucial data for future human exploration. This innovative mission employs a "launch-and-loiter" trajectory via the Earth-Sun L2 Lagrange point, revolutionizing future interplanetary travel with more flexible launch windows.
In a significant operation, the Philippine government successfully repatriated 346 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) on November 12, 2025, who were victims of human trafficking and forced labor in online scam hubs located in Myanmar. This marks the largest single batch of repatriates from Myanmar to date, underscoring the nation's unwavering commitment to combating transnational crime and protecting its vulnerable citizens abroad.
A devastating car explosion near Delhi's iconic Red Fort on November 10, 2025, tragically killed at least 13 people and injured over 20, leading the Union Cabinet to officially declare it a "heinous terror incident." The National Investigation Agency is now probing the attack, identifying Dr. Umar Mohammad as the driver of the exploded vehicle and exploring potential links to a recently dismantled "white-collar terror module.
Recently released emails from Jeffrey Epstein's estate, made public by House Democrats, allege that Donald Trump was aware of Epstein's illicit activities, directly contradicting Trump's repeated denials. These revelations are intensifying scrutiny on the connections between Epstein and prominent figures, with Trump and the White House dismissing the claims as a "distraction" and a "hoax.
Global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels are projected to hit an unprecedented high in 2025, severely jeopardizing the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C warming limit, which is now considered "virtually exhausted." This alarming increase, largely driven by surging energy demand from power-intensive data centers, highlights the urgent need for more aggressive climate action despite the expansion of renewable energy sources.
The U.S. House of Representatives successfully passed a critical bipartisan funding package, bringing an end to the nation's unprecedented 43-day government shutdown that had furloughed hundreds of thousands of federal employees. Now heading to President Trump's desk for an expected signature, this legislative action will officially reopen the federal government, provide backpay for affected workers, and offer a temporary reprieve from the fiscal impasse until January 30, 2026.
The technology sector has experienced a turbulent 2025, with over 180,000 global job losses by November, as major players including Amazon, Intel, Microsoft, and Google implemented significant workforce reductions. This widespread restructuring is largely driven by the accelerating adoption of AI-driven automation, a "course correction" after pandemic overexpansion, and a renewed focus on profitability amidst global economic uncertainty.
The International Energy Agency's 2025 World Energy Outlook forecasts an unprecedented surge in global electricity demand, ushering in a new "Age of Electricity" driven by widespread electrification, the rapid expansion of data centers, AI, and growth in emerging economies. This significant shift presents both immense opportunities for accelerating the clean energy transition and critical risks, underscoring the urgent need for strategic investments and policy decisions to avoid potential negative consequences.
A 540-million-year-old fossil called Salterella has been reclassified, profoundly changing our understanding of early animal evolution by definitively linking it to the cnidarian family, which includes modern jellyfish and corals. This significant discovery, made by Virginia Tech researchers, sheds new light on how animals first developed skeletons during the Cambrian Period and fills a crucial gap in the evolutionary tree.
Israeli forces conducted airstrikes in northern Gaza's Beit Lahiya and engaged in gunfire in central Gaza on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, directly violating an existing ceasefire agreement. These renewed hostilities exacerbate an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis, with over 69,000 people killed and 170,000 injured since October 7, 2023, prompting grave concerns from international bodies.
The UN's nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, has reported a critical inability to verify Iran's growing stockpile of near-weapons-grade uranium for several months, intensifying international concerns about its nuclear program. This oversight gap emerged after Iran suspended cooperation following June 2025 strikes on its nuclear sites, leaving a 440.9 kg reserve of 60% enriched uranium that could potentially be used for up to 10 nuclear bombs.