Month: June 2023
Investigation into the use of Chemical weapons’ by Islamic State in Iraq
Islamic State fighters seized Iraqi cities and declared a self-styled caliphate in a large swath of territory in Syria and Iraq in 2014. The group was formally declared defeated in Iraq in 2017 following a three-year bloody battle that left tens of thousands dead and cities in ruins. However, its sleeper cells continue to stage
Russia wants clarification on Nord Stream Sabotage
The Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 were both badly damaged by the explosions which blasted a total of four holes in the pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm. The undersea pipelines carried natural gas from Russia to Germany. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has denied his government’s involvement in the sabotage of the
Ukraine counteroffensive against Russia
Heavy fighting in the Zaporizhzhia region, a part of the front line that has long been seen as a likely location of the new Ukrainian campaign. By cutting south through the flat fields of Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv’s forces could aim to sever the so-called land bridge between mainland Russia and the occupied Crimean Peninsula, cutting off
Cyber gang gives ultimatum to MOVEit hack victims
Russia has long been accused of being a safe haven to ransomware gangs which it denies. A prolific cyber crime gang thought to be based in Russia has issued an ultimatum to victims of a hack that has hit organisations around the world. The criminals found a way to break into a piece of popular
Twitch gambling ban
There are more people watching Twitch streamers gambling on virtual slot machines than playing Minecraft – with TwitchTracker estimating slots are the 10th most popular type of content on the platform. Gambling videos have proved contentious on Twitch since they first appeared – but in recent months, prominent streamers have been vocally critical, with some
Tiktok mother company accused of helping Chinese government t spy of activists in Hong Kong
In May, Montana became the first US state to pass a sweeping ban on the Chinese-owned video-sharing platform. The ban is due to take effect in January 2024. It will make it illegal for app stores to offer TikTok, but does not ban people who already have TikTok from using it. TikTok’s owner ByteDance has
Moving with AI technology
Interest in AI has mushroomed since chatbot ChatGPT burst on to the scene last November, amazing people with its ability to answer complex questions in a human-sounding way. It can do that because of the incredible computational power AI systems possess, which has caused deep unease.In May, AI industry leaders – including the heads of
Iran’s first hypersonic missile
Hypersonic missiles reach enormous speeds when they are launched. The high speed makes it difficult for air defence systems to detect incoming missiles in time. Moreover, such missiles can be launched not only from ramps, but also from aircraft. Iran unveiled on Tuesday the “Fattah,” the country’s first hypersonic missile, which can obtain speeds of
Showmax cyber attack
Streaming service Showmax has recently been targeted by hackers, who then published the subscribers’ login credentials on a fake website. The company recently released a statement on its website, stating that the clients’ details were compromised; however, the data was “not stolen” from Showmax. The company suggests that the hackers may have obtained the login
Pope Francis undergoes surgery
In 2021, Pope Francis spent 10 days in hospital after having a part of his colon removed, in a bid to address a painful bowel condition.The 86-year-old has faced a series of health issues in recent years, and uses a cane and a wheelchair due to a persistent knee ailment. Pope Francis will have surgery