UN condemns terror attack, offers condolences to victims’ families
On Monday (8 September), two Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a bus stop on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Police described the incident as a “terrori...
Google has admitted its Android alert system failed to warn millions during the 2023 Türkiye earthquakes, with only 469 people receiving the most critical alerts.
Google’s Android Earthquake Alerts (AEA) system did not issue effective warnings to the majority of people affected by the deadly earthquakes in Türkiye on 6 February 2023, the company has acknowledged.
Only 469 users received the top-tier “Take Action” alert, which provides up to 35 seconds’ notice and sounds an alarm to prompt shelter-seeking. Researchers estimate nearly 10 million people within a 158 km radius could have received such a warning.
A further half a million users were issued lower-level alerts designed for minor tremors. These do not override phones’ “Do Not Disturb” mode and are silent by default, reducing their effectiveness—particularly as the quake struck at 04:17, when most people were asleep.
Although Google initially claimed the system had worked well, it has since admitted its algorithm wrongly detected the first tremor as magnitude 4.5–4.9, far below the actual 7.8.
The second major quake later that day also triggered incomplete alerts, with only 8,158 phones receiving “Take Action” and 4 million users notified at the lower tier.
Following the disaster, Google’s engineers remodelled the initial event and generated simulated alerts for 10 million people, with an additional 67 million lower-tier notifications for those further afield.
While Google stresses its system is designed to supplement—not replace—official early warning mechanisms, scientists have warned that some countries may be placing excessive trust in technologies still undergoing validation.
More than 55,000 people were killed and more than a 100,000 injured in the twin earthquakes, which devastated southeastern Türkiye and parts of Syria.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
Violent clashes broke out on Monday in Nepal between police and protesters demonstrating against a social media ban and alleged corruption.
On Monday (8 September), two Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a bus stop on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Police described the incident as a “terrorist attack,” reporting that six people were killed and several others injured.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has proposed the creation of a unicameral parliament in the country. Speaking to the nation on Monday at the parliament in Astana, he said the reform would have a “serious positive impact” on the country’s socio-economic development.
U.S. defence secretary Pete Hegseth and joint chiefs of staff chairman Dan Caine made a surprise visit to Puerto Rico on Monday, marking the first trip by senior Pentagon officials since Washington increased its military presence in the Caribbean, heightening tensions with Venezuela.
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