Author: News Desk

Russia: According to American and French analysts, Russia’s cyberwar against Ukraine has mostly failed and Moscow is now focusing more on Kyiv’s European allies. In a report released by the French defence company, Thales claimed that Russia was using a variety of cyberweapons against Poland, the Nordic, and Baltic nations in an effort to create discord and spread anti-war sentiments. “These groups of independent, civilian hacktivists have emerged as a new component in the conflict. They can be assimilated to a cybercriminal group with specific political objectives and interests, acting out of conviction, yet not directly sponsored by any government.…

China: The Chinese government has threatened retaliation if Taiwan President Ms. Tsai Ing-wen meets the US House speaker and urged the US not to let her transit through the country, stating it would be a “provocation.” Ms. Tsai left Taiwan for a 10-day trip to visit Central American allies Belize and Guatemala. The trip includes two stopovers, in New York on the way in and Los Angeles on the way out. “If she contacts US House Speaker Mr. Kevin McCarthy, it will be another provocation that seriously violates the one-China principle, harms China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and destroys peace…

London, UK: According to the Climate Change Committee (CCC), attempts to prepare for the effects of global warming have been “lost for a decade,” and the UK is “strikingly unprepared” for them. The official climate adviser to the government, the CCC, predicted that the effects of climate change will undoubtedly worsen for decades to come. It has frequently warned about inadequate planning and urged urgent government action to safeguard people, their homes, and their means of subsistence. The extreme heatwave in 2022, when temperatures for the first time exceeded 40C, served as both a warning and an example, according to…

United States: The United States has announced that it will stop exchanging detailed data on its nuclear weapons stockpiles, calling the move a response to Russia’s suspension of participation in the New START nuclear arms treaty. According to reports, the US and Russia hold nearly 90 percent of the world’s nuclear warheads. The New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) limits the number of strategic nuclear warheads countries deploy. “Russia has not been in full compliance and has refused to share data, which we agreed in New START to share biannually,” Mr. John Kirby, the US National Security Council spokesperson, told…

Switzerland: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has stated that it no longer recommends additional COVID-19 vaccine booster doses for regular, medium-risk adults as the benefit is marginal. According to the WHO’s vaccine experts, for people who have received their primary vaccination course and one booster dose, there is no risk in having further jabs. The UN health agency’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) issued updated recommendations after its regular biannual meeting. The new announcement reflects the impact of the dominant Omicron variant of the virus and the high  level of immunity achieved in the population through infection…

London, UK: There are concerns that Afghan refugees in the UK may lose their homes as a result of deadlines to leave hotels and offers of alternative housing. After leaving the Taliban’s control in August 2021, there are over 9,000 Afghans residing in hotels in the UK. Ms. Peymana Assad, a Labour councillor from Harrow in north-west London who is of Afghan descent and who has worked closely with Afghan refugees in hotels, claimed that it was the government, not the refugees, who were to blame for people being stuck in hotels. The announcement is related to, but distinct from,…

North Korea: North Korea’s leader Mr. Kim Jong Un has urged his nation’s experts to increase the production of “weapon-grade nuclear materials” and develop more potent weapons. Mr. Kim’s most recent phone conversations occurred before a United States Navy carrier strike group was slated to land in South Korea, reiterating an earlier pledge to increase nuclear weapons production “exponentially.” In a briefing with representatives from his nuclear weapons institute, Kim reportedly stressed that North Korea should be ready to use its nuclear weapons “anytime and anywhere,” according to the official Korean Central News Agency of North Korea. Mr. Kim recently…

China: A new study has found that tiny glass beads strewn across the moon’s surface contain potentially billions of tonnes of water that could be extracted and used by astronauts on future lunar missions. The discovery is thought to be one of the most important breakthroughs yet for space agencies that have set their sights on building bases on the moon, as it means there could be a highly accessible source of not only water but also hydrogen and oxygen. “This is one of the most exciting discoveries we’ve made. With this finding, the potential for exploring the moon in…

Ukraine: The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has met with the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to discuss the safety at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station. According to Mr. Zelenskiyy, the facility’s safety could not be guaranteed while it was occupied by Russian forces, as part of what he described as Moscow’s “radiation blackmail.” The President met IAEA Director-General Mr. Rafael Grossi in the city of Zaporizhzhia, which is located in Ukrainian-held territory about 50 kilometres (30 miles) northeast of the nuclear plant. Mr. Zelenskyy told the IAEA Director-General that staff at the Zaporizhzhia plant were under constant pressure from…

Moscow: A proposal from Moscow that demanded an impartial investigation into the disruption of the Nord Stream petrol pipelines from Russia to Germany last year was rejected by the UN Security Council. The Baltic Sea explosions in September 2022 were attributed to Russia by Western nations, but the Kremlin has accused the West of sabotage. The resolution got three votes, with China and Brazil backing Russia and the other 12 members abstaining. The resolution called for the creation of a commission to “conduct comprehensive, transparent and impartial international investigation of all aspects of the act of sabotage on the Nord…