Month: June 2023
Ukraine counteroffensive
Recent Western injections of billions of dollars’ worth of military equipment some of it high-tech and top-of-the-line to Ukraine has raised expectations about when it would be used, and to what effect against dug-in Russian lines. For months, Ukrainian commanders in the eastern city of Bakhmut which was largely devastated in a months-long fight that
Europe compulsory military service
After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War, universal conscription seemed to be on the way out in Europe. Over the past 20 years, if not earlier, compulsory military service has been abolished in most countries on the continent. Germany suspended military service in 2011, but it can be
Ukraine air raid shelters row
Last week, two adults and a child were killed by Russian rockets in Kiev, and it later emerged that some air raid shelters had been closed against instructions. An investigation, which is still ongoing, revealed that of around 3,800 Kiev shelters already inspected, around 680 were either not operational or only partially operational. Kiev Mayor
Russia build drone factory east of Moscow with the help of “Iran”
President Joe Biden’s administration publicly stated in December that it believed Tehran and Moscow were considering standing up a drone assembly line in Russia for the Ukraine war. The new intelligence suggests that the project, in the Yelabuga region of Tatarstan, has moved beyond conception. Iran is providing Russia with materials to build a drone
Twitch removes ad changes
Twitch usually pays them 50% of the money it collects from their subscribers, though some of the biggest streamers receive a 70-30 “revenue split”. But the platform receives none of the revenue streamers make from ads or donations. Twitch is scrapping its own new advertising rules, following a backlash that saw streamers leave the platform.
Meta to create Twitter rival
Twitter has come under scrutiny in recent months over moderation on the platform, and in May withdrew from the EU’s voluntary disinformation code. Meta has shown staff plans for a text-based social network designed to compete with Twitter, It could allow users to follow accounts they already follow on Instagram, Meta’s image-sharing app and it
Reddit to go private
Reddit is introducing controversial charges to developers of third-party apps, which are used to browse the social media platform. Reddit users – or Redditors will typically join a variety of subreddits, rather than following individual users on other platforms, and see posts from these communities in their feed. A subreddit is the name given to
New Channels broadcasting tool for WhatsApp
Although Meta derives the bulk of its billions of dollars in annual sales from online advertising, it’s thus far avoided adding ads to WhatsApp akin to Facebook and Instagram. Instead, Meta has been pushing business-messaging features as a way to monetize WhatsApp, hoping to offer more compelling ways for companies to engage with users. Meta
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company to build a second semiconductor plant in Japan
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the world’s largest contract chip maker, on Tuesday announced plans to build a second plant in Kumamoto, in southern Japan, even before the firm’s first plant in the prefecture is completed. Japan will spend huge amounts on making advanced chips, with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company to build its second plant in
United Kingdom puts more sanctions on Belarus
Lukashenko is an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, having for decades relied on subsidies from Moscow to keep Belarus’s Soviet-style economy afloat. Russian support also helped the autocratic leader survive months of mass protests following the 2020 election that handed him a sixth term in office in a vote the West says was rigged.