Bill Gates Calls for Worldwide Government Surveillance System
In an apparent lesson from Covid, American Oligarch Bill Gates wants eyes on any potential future pandemic.
World News
Iranians chant ‘Death to Palestine’ to protest Islamic Republic
Iranians chanted “Death to Palestine” in protests over the last few days, triggering a range of reactions and analyses by experts on the Islamic Republic of Iran in light of the unusual event.
EU Proposes Toughest Sanctions Yet As Russia Steps Up Offensive In Eastern Ukraine
The European Union on May 4 unveiled a proposal to ban Russian oil imports by the end of the year as Russian forces intensified their assault in on a steel plant in the southeastern port city of Mariupol that Ukrainian forces continue to defend.
Massive Chinese Fleet Seen Barreling Towards US Naval Base
The largest Chinese aircraft carrier group reportedly ever assembled is conducting combat training near a U.S. naval base in Japan, according to multiple Chinese media sources on Tuesday.
Pope Francis Seeks Talks With Russia’s Putin On Ukraine War
Pope Francis said Tuesday he wants to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin to help end Europe’s worst conflict since World War Two. “I am not going to [Ukraine’s capital] Kyiv for now. I feel that I must not go,” the leader of the Catholic Church told Italy’s daily newspaper Corriere della Sera.
Ukraine intelligence says Russia’s war may end in September
Russia may be looking to conclude its war in Ukraine within four months’ time, according to Kyiv’s Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense, which said Tuesday it believes September is Moscow’s intended deadline.
North Korea preparing nuclear test for first time in years, intelligence officials say
Western intelligence officials say North Korea is preparing to conduct a nuclear weapons test for the first time in over four years. Renewed tensions on the peninsula prompted China’s atomic envoy to meet his South Korean counterpart in Seoul on Tuesday calling the situation “severe.”
Russia Attacks Steel Plant After Some Evacuations
Russia’s military resumed attacking a steel plant in Ukraine’s bombed-out city of Mariupol with terrified civilians and soldiers trapped inside after some escaped.
Iran Nuclear Deal Said Near Death, but West Not Ready to Pull Plug
Western officials have largely lost hope the Iran nuclear deal can be resurrected, sources familiar with the matter said, forcing them to weigh how to limit Iran’s atomic program even as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has divided the big powers.
EU Ministers Discuss Russian Oil Embargo As Germany Signals Shift In Position
European Union ministers have met in Brussels to discuss a response to Russia cutting gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria and plans for a possible oil embargo to punish Moscow for invading Ukraine.
Ukraine President Seeks Evacuations From Mariupol As Battles Rage
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said 100 people trapped in a steel plant in the besieged city of Mariupol were evacuated as deadly clashes raged in the east. He spoke after meeting with U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who pledged humanitarian and security assistance amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Putin’s Future Uncertain Amid Health Scare
Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly nominated a hardline security official to replace him while he has cancer surgery.
US and UK held talks regarding China’s threat to Taiwan
The United States has held high-level talks with the UK over how they can co-operate more closely to reduce the chances of war with China over Taiwan and to explore conflict contingency plans for the first time, the Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with the situation.
EU leans towards Russian oil ban by year-end, diplomats say
The European Union is leaning toward a ban on imports of Russian oil by the end of the year, two EU diplomats said, after talks between the European Commission and EU member states this weekend.
Islamic State attacks natural gas pipeline in northern Sinai
Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists blew up a section of a natural gas pipeline in Egypt’s northern Sinai on Saturday, the Associated Press reported.
Finland and Sweden intensify talks on joint NATO application
The sudden elevation in intensity of top-level talks between Finland and Sweden has raised the bar on the expectation that the two unaligned Nordic states will jointly announce their decisions to join NATO by May 16.
Pro-Russia, Pro-Ukraine Protest In Budapest
A tense calm returned to the streets of Hungary’s capital late Saturday after rival protests were held about the ongoing Russian invasion of neighboring Ukraine.
Massive Fighting In East Ukraine
Ukrainian forces desperately tried to halt a massive Russian attack on Ukraine’s east Saturday, fighting village by village to stop the advance.
Radio Free Europe Reporter Killed In Ukraine Missile Strike
A prominent Ukrainian journalist of the U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) network has been killed in a Russian missile strike on her apartment building in the capital, Kyiv, her employer announced.
France Rolls Out Digital ID Despite Global Concerns
French President Emmanuel Macron faces a backlash after he authorized the creation of a digital identity document for France following his re-election last Sunday.