Iran Violates UN Security Council Resolution To Launch Satellite Into Space
In the wake of an acknowledgement by the United States, it has been confirmed that Iran has successfully put an imaging satellite into orbit this week, even though utilizing a ballistic missile in doing so violates a UN Security Council resolution that calls for Iran not to engage in actions that involve missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons. The successful launch follows years of effort by the Iran Revolutionary Guard to build up a domestic space program in Iran.
Read full storyMore Than 55 Dead In Pakistan Following Two Suicide Terrorist Attacks
A gathering to celebrate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad in a mosque located in southwestern Balochistan in Pakistan ended in disaster as terrorists conducted a suicide attack. Abdul Khaliq Sheikh, the police chief of Balochistan, has confirmed that the explosion that occurred was a suicide attack that occurred despite the efforts of a senior police officer trying to stop the attacker. The police officer himself was killed. As things stand, at least 50 people have been killed in this attack, with a like number injured, though it has been speculated there might be more people trapped under the rubble.
Read full storyNorth Korea Changes Constitution To Include Status As Nuclear Power
In the latest effort taken by Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un to intimidate his enemies in South Korea and the United States, North Korea has moved to make its nuclear force-building policy as part of the country's constitution. A major blow against hopes to eventually get North Korea to peaceably disarm its nuclear weapons, or at the very least cease pursuing more powerful versions of them, this modification to the constitution mean nuclear development "which no one is allowed to flout with anything."
Read full storyCouncil on American-Islamic Relations Suing US Government Over Terrorism Watchlist
The Council on American-Islamic Relations is suing the US government over its terrorism watchlist, making the claim that it disproportionately and unfairly targets Muslim Americans. Amy Doukoure, a staff attorney for the Michigan Chapter of the organization, has made the claim that there is "...not a shred of credible evidence that the unconstitutional watch-listing of American Muslims has made America even the slightest bit safer." Indeed, in striving to make the case that this list is unconstitutional, the lawsuit focuses in part on the standards for which individuals can be included in it.
Read full storyEstonia Proposes Calling Russian Exclave Königsberg Instead Of Kaliningrad
In Estonia, the Riigikogu Foreign Affairs Committee has proposed that the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, named as such from 1946 onwards, should instead be referred to by its historical name of Königsberg for now on. The name itself is tied to the founding of the city in the year 1255 by Tuetonic Knights during the time of the Baltic Crusades, which were Christian colonization and military campaigns launched against the pagan Baltic, Finnic, and West Slavic peoples that lived in the area at that time.
Read full storyElon Musk's Social Media Platform Disables Tool To Report Disinformation On Elections
Elon Musk's social media platform titled 'X', and formerly known as Twitter, has acted to disable a feature that allowed users of the platform to report misinformation about elections, with only the jurisdiction of the European Union (EU) keeping the ability to report misinformation intact. This is purely because the EU requires social media companies to implement measures like these to fight mis/disinformation within their jurisdictions, and threatens massive fines potentially into the billions should a social media company allow the promotion of misinformation and disinformation to occur.
Read full storyUS Soldier That Fled To North Korea Back In US Custody
After months in North Korea, American soldier Private 2nd Class Travis King has been returned to U.S. custody after he confessed to North Korean authorities that he had illegally entered their country. This follows earlier claims by the North Koreans that Private King had told investigators after he had crossed the border into their country that it was due to his holding "ill feeling against inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination within the U.S. Army." According to reports, King is in "good health and good spirits as he makes his way home."
Read full storyEU Commissioner Attacks X (Formerly Twitter) Over Disinformation Record
At a press conference focused on calling for social media platforms to take greater steps to step up enforcement against online misinformation and disinformation in Brussels, Belgium, European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova focused criticism on the formerly known Twitter, now know as X after being taken over by Elon Musk. According to Vice President Jourova, X stood out as having the "largest ratio of mis/disinformation posts" among the platforms that submitted reports to the European Union.
Read full storyDemocrat Senator John Fetterman Introduces Legislation To Cancel School Lunch Debt
Democrat Senator John Fetterman (PA), alongside Democratic Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) and Peter Welch (VT), introduced a bill that would cancel all school lunch debt across the country. If passed into law, the nearly $262 million in public school meal debt that accrues across the country every year would be dealt with under the aptly named School Lunch Debt Cancellation Act by requiring the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to pay all debts associated with schools for breakfast or lunch programs.
Read full storyCalifornia Governor Signs Law Doubling Taxes On Guns and Ammunition
Governor Gavin Newsom of California today signed several gun regulation bills into law, including one which will effectively double the taxes on the sale of guns and ammunition that occur within the state. Under the new law, these funds will be directed to help fund public school security measures as well as violence intervention programs. The enforcement of the new 11% tax, combined with the pre-existing 10-11% tax, will take effect on July 1, 2024 and led to an estimated $159 million each year in funding for the measures and programs.
Read full storyCalifornia Governor Signs Into Law A Ban On Book Bans
Governor Gavin Newsom of California has signed a bill into law that prohibits school boards in his state from banning books, instructional materials, or curricula that is categorzied as being inclusive or diverse. According to this new law, any school that attempts to block books from their students, that would otherwise allow them to learn about diverse communities, can be subject to a fine.
Read full storyRamzan Kadyrov Expresses Pride In Teenage Son For Beating Prisoner In Chechnya
Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Russia's Chechnya region, released a clip on Telegram showing his teenage son Adam punching and kicking a man cowering in a chair, before wrestling him to the floor and slapping him on the head. In the comments accompanying the video, Kadyrov expressed how proud he was of his son for beating up the prisoner, who is in jail in Chechnya following accusations of burning a Koran. The justification that Kadyrov gave for releasing the video, given that the assault it depicts occurred last month, was to settle any doubts as to whether the incident actually took place.
Read full storyUS Adds New Companies To Trade Blacklist Over Support For Russia
The United States has imposed new trade restictions on eleven Chinese and five Russian companies for their apparent roles in supplying components to the Russian government to construct drones for use in the war against Ukraine. All told, some 28 companies, some even from Finland and Germany, will be placed on a trade blacklist which will make it increasingly difficult for any suppliers in the U.S. to provide them technology. The fact that so many countries around the world are continuing to assist Russia in the production of military equipment that has been used to destroy not just Ukrainian military targets but also civilian targets far from the front lines is concerning to say the least.
Read full storySouth Korea Warns North Korea Of An Overwhelming Response If It Uses Nuclear Weapons
During the first large scale military parade in a decade, South Korea put on display a wide range of sophisticated weapons ranging from modern tanks and jets to ballistic missiles and reconnaissance drones, likely in an attempt to reflect a tougher stance on the rhetoric coming out of North Korea in recent months. Thousands of Korean soldiers participated alongside many different kinds of military equipment, and even 300 U.S. soldiers participated in the parade in a show of solidarity.
Read full storyUS Abrams Tanks Arrive In Ukraine For Use Against Russia
The first Abrams tanks produced by the United States have arrived in Ukraine for use in their counteroffensive against Russian forces in the occupied eastern portion of Ukraine. Upon learning of the arrival of the battle tanks, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted his appreciation on Telegram for the efforts of Ukraine's allies in helping make this possible. All told there should be some 31 of the battle tanks now at Ukraine's disposal in its ongoing efforts against the Russian occupiers.
Read full storyPhilippines Defies China To Remove Fishing Barrier
In defiance of Beijing, the Philippine Coast Guard removed a "floating barrier" set by China in a an area disputed by both states in the South China Sea. According to Jay Tarriela, spokesperson of the Philippine Coast Guard, the operation was carried out under the direct instructions of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines, and was in accoundance with upholding international law.
Read full storyRussia Dismisses Ukraine's Peace Plan, Says "Let's Decide It On The Battlefield"
At the United Nations this past weekend, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed for the international community what many had already begun to fear over the past several months. Despite the setbacks Russia has faced in its war against Ukraine, which has seen hundreds of thousands of casualties and gradual losses of seized Ukrainian territory, President Putin and his supporters see the 10-point peace plan put forth by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as being "unrealisable" and that "It is not possible to implement this. It’s not realistic and everybody understands this, but at the same time, they say this is the only basis for negotiations." Such commets echo those made previously by Russia at the G20 last year, when they complained Ukraine was asking for too much.
Read full storyArmed Forces of Israel and Lebanon Clash Along Shared Border
The armed forces of Israel and Lebanon clash along their shared border due to the illegal crossing to the Israeli side of a tractor. As the tractor crossed the border into the Mount Dov area, Israeli forces responded by launching stun grenades to deter it. In response, Lebanese forces launched several grenades of their own in the direction of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). This in turn led to Israeli forces returning fire against the Lebanese forces, at which point the tractor returned back across the border.
Read full storyIran Foils ISIS Terrorist Attack Involving 30 Bombs in Tehran
According to the government of Iran, security forces were able to foil a massive terrorist attack linked to ISIS that involved 30 bombs timed to explode on the anniversary of the start of protests in the country following the killing of Mahsa Amini last year. Based on a statement coming from Iran's intelligence ministry, 28 individuals had been arrested in connection to the planned attack.
Read full storyMax Exodus of Ethnic Armenians After Azerbaijan Seizes Nagorno-Karabakh
Following the successful completion of a military action by Azerbaijan that saw the seizure of their internationally recognized territory of Nagorno-Karabakh from breakaway ethnic Armenians, information coming out of the previously frozen conflict is that there will be a mass exodus by car of the Armenian population. According to the leadership of Nagorno-Karabakh in communications with Reuters, the 120,000 Armenians did not want to live as part of Azerbaijan due to fears that they might well decide to engage in persecution against them, and perhaps even resort to ethnic cleansing.
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