North Korean nuclear activity detected, possibly extracting plutonium
North Korea could be at it again. New activity has been detected at the Yonbyong nuclear site north of Pyongyang.
World News
New Zealand downgrades tsunami threat after 8.1-magnitude quake
Officials in New Zealand on Friday downgraded a tsunami warning after multiple powerful earthquakes struck off the coast earlier in the day.
Facebook trains A.I. to ‘see’ using 1 billion public Instagram photos
Pugs, Ferraris, mountains, brunches, beaches, and babies — Instagram is full of them. In fact, it’s become one of the largest image databases on the planet over the last decade and the company’s owner, Facebook, is using this treasure trove to teach machines what’s in a photo.
US urges ‘serious consequences’ for Syria’s Assad over chemical weapons use: envoy
The UN National Security Council must hold the regime of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad accountable for the use of chemical weapons, US envoy to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Thursday.
‘Space hurricane’ seen hovering above Earth for the first time ever
As if humanity didn’t have enough weather phenomena to worry about, scientists have discovered a “space hurricane” that occurred over the Earth’s upper atmosphere for the first time.
Airbase hosting U.S. troops targeted in rocket attack
American civilian contractor, who has not been named, died of a ‘cardiac episode’ Wednesday after a barrage of rockets hit an Iraqi airbase hosting US troops, the Washington Times reports. At least 10 rockets were reportedly fired on the Ain al-Asad military airbase at 7.20 local time; no US troops were injured.
France, allies to push on with protest at IAEA over Iran’s activities
France and its Western allies plan to lodge a protest with the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog to criticize Iran’s decision to curb cooperation with the agency, the French foreign minister said on Tuesday.
Internet disruption reported in southeast Iran amid unrest
Iran’s impoverished southeast has been experiencing wide disruptions of internet services, experts said, as unrest gripped the remote province after fatal border shootings.
US, Russia warships dock in strategic Sudan port
A US warship docked in Sudan Monday a day after a Russian frigate arrived in the same key Red Sea port where Moscow is planning to establish a naval logistics base, an AFP correspondent said.
Former French President Sarkozy Jailed For Corruption
A Paris court has sentenced former French Nicolas Sarkozy to three years in prison, two of them suspended, for corruption and influence peddling.
COVID-19: UK to discuss EU proposals for coronavirus vaccine passport aimed at reviving international travel
The UK will discuss with the EU the bloc’s proposals to create a vaccine passport that could allow people to travel more freely in time for the summer holidays.
Protests erupt after 47 Hong Kong opposition leaders charged under China’s new National Security Law
Hong Kong authorities Sunday charged dozens of pro-democracy figures with violating China’s new National Security Law, sparking large protests in the territory, which has come under increased control by the Chinese Communist Party.
US drops key obstacle to global digital tax: Treasury
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told her G20 colleagues Friday that Washington is dropping a push for a controversial provision in a global digital tax, opening the door to a likely agreement.
US military releases video showing Iran missile attacks on US troops at Al Asad airbase
On Monday, the U.S. Central Command released newly unclassified footage of Iranian missiles raining down on U.S. forces last year in retaliation for U.S. airstrikes that killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani.
US ‘disappointed,’ but still open to Iran nuclear talks after Tehran’s rejection
The Biden administration said Sunday it remains open to talks with Iran over the 2015 nuclear deal despite Tehran’s rejection of an EU invitation to join a meeting with the US and the other original participants in the agreement.
‘6,500 Migrant Workers Die In Qatar For World Cup’
More than 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka have reportedly died in Qatar since it won the right to host soccer’s 2022 World Cup, fueling calls to boycott the event.
Amnesty International: Mass executions in Tigray may constitute crimes against humanity
Amnesty International has stated that the massacre of a large number of civilians in the historical city of Axum in Ethiopia’s Tigray region last year may constitute crimes against humanity, Sky News reports. It is understood that on November 28, 2020, hundreds of people, including children, were systematically executed by Eritrean forces fighting with the Ethiopian government against the Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF).
Dutch parliament: China’s treatment of Uighurs is “Genocide”
Holland’s parliament passed a non-binding motion Thursday stating that China’s treatment of the Uighur Muslim minority amounts to genocide, Reuters reports. Although Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s conservative VVD party voted against the resolution, Holland’s parliament is the second after Canada’s to pass such a motion.
Armenia’s Political Tensions Escalate; Protestors Storm Government Building
Armenia’s political tensions escalated Monday, with protestors storming a government building in Yerevan, the capital, and opponents demonstrated nearby.
Iran Dismisses Idea of Talks With EU and U.S. to Revive 2015 Nuclear Deal
Iran on Sunday ruled out holding an informal meeting with the United States and European powers to discuss ways to salvage the unraveling 2015 nuclear deal with major powers, insisting that Washington must first lift all its unilateral sanctions.