Global Online Outages Impact US Airlines, Australian Banks
U.S. airlines and Australian banks are among firms around the world suffering online outages.
World News
Ultraconservative cleric expected to win Iran’s presidential election
Iran may be about to take an even harder stance against the West, as it is expected ultraconservative cleric Ebrahim Raisi will replace “moderate” President Hassan Rouhani in the country’s presidential election on June 18, the Times of Israel reports. After three of the seven candidates dropped out of the race on Wednesday, the election is widely viewed as a foregone conclusion in favor of Raisi, and a record low turnout is anticipated.
Hungary Says Anti-LGBT Law Protects Children
Hungary’s conservative government says a new law prohibiting sharing with minors any content portraying homosexuality or sex reassignment is linked to its fight against pedophilia.
Hundreds of vaccinated Indonesian health workers get COVID-19
More than 350 health care workers have become infected with COVID-19 in Indonesia and dozens hospitalized despite being vaccinated with China’s Sinovac shot, officials said.
Biden Says US Could Strike Russia in “Cyber Way”
U.S. President Joe Biden says he has made it clear to Russian President Vladimir Putin he would not accept more cyberattacks and election interference. Biden suggested that America could respond in a “cyber way.”
Iran says it has 6.5 kg of 60%-enriched uranium, inching closer to weapons-grade
Iran said Tuesday that it has produced 6.5 kilograms (14.3 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity and 108 kilograms of uranium enriched to 20% purity in five months, far ahead of the schedule set by a law passed earlier this year by Tehran.
Russia Denies Responsibility for Cyber Attacks
Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied Russia was the source of the hacking onslaught and claimed the United States was the biggest offender. “Russia is not even on the list,” he said, adding that offenders also included Canada and Britain.
US, Russia Ambassadors Return To Posts; Talks “Constructive”
Russian President Vladimir Putin says he and U.S. President Joe Biden have agreed to return their ambassadors to their posts in a bid to lower tensions.
USS Ronald Reagan carrier group in S. China Sea amid tensions with Beijing
A U.S. Navy aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS Ronald Reagan began conducting operations in the disputed South China Sea on Monday amid mounting U.S.-China tensions.
China sends 28 warplanes near Taiwan in year’s largest exercise
China’s air force sent 28 aircraft close to Taiwan, the largest sortie this year, further ratcheting up military pressure on the government in Taipei as it seeks to strengthen ties with the US.
Germany rolling out digital COVID-19 vaccination ‘passport’
Germany last week Thursday began rolling out a digital COVID-19 vaccination pass that travelers can use to travel across Europe, the Associated Press reports. The “CovPass” is expected to be available by the end of the month to everyone in Germany who has been fully vaccinated.
US, EU End Airbus- Boeing Trade Dispute
The United States and the European Union have resolved their near 17-year conflict over aircraft subsidies, Worthy News learned Tuesday.
Belarus Parades Opposition Journalist At News Conference
Several journalists and diplomats left a news conference in Belarus after authorities unexpectedly paraded the detained opposition journalist Roman Protasevich at the briefing. With Protasevich appearing under duress, the uniformed officials gave their version of the Ryanair passenger plane diversion of May 23.
NATO Fears China’s Military Threat And Cooperation With Russia
Leaders of the NATO military alliance warned Monday that the military threat posed by China and its cooperation with Russia is a “systemic challenge.”
Pompeo has ‘high confidence’ Wuhan lab is linked to China’s military
Former Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said he has “high confidence” in an assessment published by the State Department in January linking the controversial Wuhan Institute of Virology to the Chinese military.
Group of Seven Rollout World Vaccination and Global Tax Plan
The Group of Seven (G7) nations have agreed to participate in a worldwide vaccination plan “to halt the coronavirus pandemic.” It comes amid concerns among G7 leaders that impoverished countries are being left out in the global jab drive. They also want a global tax as they seek to raise their contributions to meet an overdue spending pledge of 100 billion dollars a year by rich countries to help poorer ones cut carbon emissions. And, the leaders made clear they will be seeking to rival China in reaching out to lower and middle-income countries.
UK High Court rules in favor of employee fired for saying men cannot become women
The UK’s High Court of Justice ruled Thursday in favor of Maya Forstater, a British woman who was fired from her job at the Center for Global Development after she posted on social media her belief that men cannot become women, the Christian Post reports. Intervening in the case on behalf of Forstater, the Equality and Human Rights Commission asserted that religious and philosophical beliefs should be protected.
Report: China Expands Nuclear Weapons Arsenal
China is expanding its nuclear arsenal as tensions with the United States escalate, according to a report.
Russia Is Testing New Advanced ICBM’s
Thousands of missile troops are holding drills with Russia’s latest mobile intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system and other “special hardware.”
China in the Spotlight As G7 Backs Biden’s Counter-‘Belt and Road Initiative’ Proposal
President Biden arrived in Brussels on Sunday night for his second of three major intergovernmental summits where rallying democracies to counter China’s global agenda is emerging as a central theme.