Author: News Desk

Ukraine: Ukrainian President Mr. Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that he would ask parliament this week to dismiss Defence Minister Mr. Oleksii Reznikov, suggesting Mr. Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s main privatisation fund, as the new Defence Minister. The announcement came following Mr. Reznikov’s statement that Ukraine’s allies will deploy the F-16 fighter jets by the upcoming spring. Mr. Reznikov also highlighted Ukraine’s intentions to ramp up drone production during an interview with the Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform. Mr. Zelensky’s announcement set the stage for the biggest shakeup of Ukraine’s defence establishment during the war, as per the statement. Mr. Reznikov,…

South Africa: South African President Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa has stated that an independent inquiry has found “no evidence” that his country supplied weapons to Russia. Mr. Reuben Brigety, the United States ambassador to South Africa, had previously claimed the Russian ship Lady R was loaded with arms at a naval base near Cape Town in December 2022. The South African inquiry found that the Russian cargo ship instead delivered armaments that had been ordered in 2028 for the South African National Defence Force. Mr. Ramaphosa stressed that there was no evidence that any arms had been exported, based on interviews…

London, UK: Analysis of genomic data from 3,154 modern humans indicates a dramatic population decline around 900,000 years ago, dropping from around 100,000 individuals to only 1,280 breeding individuals. This staggering 98.7 percent reduction persisted for 117,000 years and posed a severe threat to humanity’s survival. The existence of our large and thriving population today serves as evidence that extinction did not occur. However, the findings, led by geneticists Mr. Haipeng Li from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ms. Yi-Hsuan Pan from East China Normal University in China, could provide an explanation for a puzzling gap in the human…

India: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced that the rover Pragyan from the Chandrayaan-3 mission has finished its tasks and has been put in sleep mode. The ISRO shared this update on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Currently, the battery is fully charged. The solar panel is oriented to receive light at the next sunrise, expected on September 22, 2023. The receiver is kept on,” ISRO stated. “Hoping for a successful awakening for another set of assignments. Else, it will forever stay there as India’s lunar ambassador,” the space agency said. The 26-kilogram, six-wheeled rover named Pragyan is…

North Korea: North Korea has declared that it carried out a practice drill involving two long-range missiles fitted with imitation atomic warheads, simulating a “tactical nuclear attack.” According to a report by the KCNA news agency, North Korea conducted the drill on September 2 as a warning to potential adversaries, indicating its readiness for nuclear conflict. The country also reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening military deterrence against South Korea and the United States. The report stated that the two cruise missiles, carrying simulated nuclear warheads, were launched towards the West Sea off the peninsula. They traveled a distance of 1,500…

India: India has launched Aditya-L1, its first space mission to the sun. The launch comes days after the country made history by becoming the first to land near the moon’s south pole. Aditya-L1 lifted off from the launch pad at Sriharikota. It will travel 1.5 million kilometres (932,000 miles) from the Earth, or 1 percent of the Earth-Sun distance. According to India’s space agency, it will take four months to travel that far. The mission is named after Surya, the Hindu god of the sun, also known as Aditya. And L1 stands for Lagrange Point 1, the exact place between…

Russia: Russia has added renowned journalist and Nobel Prize co-recipient Mr. Dmitry Muratov to its list of foreign agents, which is a label authorities use to suppress critics. The move targeting the editor of Russia’s top independent publication, Novaya Gazeta, is part of a suppression of civil society institutions that criticize Moscow’s war on Ukraine. “Mr. Muratov used foreign platforms to disseminate opinions aimed at forming a negative attitude towards the foreign and domestic policy of the Russian Federation”, Russia’s Justice Ministry commented. The Ministry also accused Mr. Muratov of creating and distributing content from other foreign agents. “What is…

Guatemala: The Organisation of American States (OAS) has accused prosecutors in Guatemala of preventing President-Elect Mr. Bernardo Arevalo from taking power. Mr. Eladio Loizaga, leader of the OAS’s election observation mission, stressed that the August 20 presidential election had been fair and accurate. The OAS leader further denounced subsequent actions taken against the election’s victor Mr. Arevalo and his political party, the Movimiento Semilla, or Seed Movement. “Given the documented conditions, it is impossible that the Electoral Observation Mission would arrive at any other conclusion than that, in this very specific case, the mechanisms and tools of Guatemalan justice are…

Ukraine:  The British defence company BAE Systems has stated that it set up a local entity in Ukraine and signed deals with the government to support Kyiv’s supply of weapons and equipment. The move will allow BAE to work directly with Kyiv officials to explore potential partners for a plan to ultimately produce 105-millimetre light guns, a kind of artillery weapon, in Ukraine and to better understand its capability requirements. Being the United Kingdom’s biggest defence contractor, BAE has manufactured many of the weapons that Britain and other governments have provided to Ukraine during Russia’s invasion. Britain is one of…

Iceland: Iceland’s government has ended its summer suspension on whaling and has now permitted hunting to resume under strict regulations. Fisheries and Foods Minister Ms. Svandis Svavarsdottir acknowledged that she comprehends the sentiments of the majority of Icelanders who wish to see an end to whaling. However, the Minister explained that she had to adhere to a legal framework established by the license granted earlier this year by her predecessor. “We are the last nation in the world that is fishing for large whales in this way, and there is only one party doing this whaling,” Ms. Svavarsdottir told reporters.…