Niger ordered US troops to leave after Biden officials warned about ties to Russia, Iran: Pentagon
Niger is pulling its military cooperation deal with the United States and ordering some 1,000 American military personnel to leave the country, a startling development that comes after U.S. officials last week traveled to the capital of Niamey to “raise a number of concerns” about … Read More
King Charles is not dead, despite Russian media ‘announcement’ that forced palace to scramble
Buckingham Palace was forced to deny reports that King Charles III died on Monday after Russian media ran wild with reports based on a dubious-looking “announcement.” The statement, dated March 18 and featuring the seal of the British monarch’s official … Read More
Russian watchdog says presidential election was ‘far short of constitutional standards’
March 18 (UPI) — Russian election watchdog, the Golos Movement, said the nation’s three-day election that saw Vladimir Putin elected to a new six-year term did not meet the standards of its constitution. Russia’s recent election that saw President Vladimir … Read More
Exclusive: Musk’s SpaceX is building spy satellite network for US intelligence agency, sources say
WASHINGTON, March 16 (Reuters) – SpaceX is building a network of hundreds of spy satellites under a classified contract with a U.S. intelligence agency, five sources familiar with the program said, demonstrating deepening ties between billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s space … Read More
Weekly Update by Mark Armstrong – March 15, 2024
Greetings from Tyler, Hope you weren’t planning a vacation in Haiti. The rival gangs have the upper hand. they’re turning the facilities at Guantanamo Bay into a processing center for Haitian migrants. Nobody asked you. There are demonstrations against Israel … Read More
Uber, Lyft to stop operations in Minneapolis over minimum wage law
March 15 (Reuters) – Uber Technologies (UBER.N), opens new tab and Lyft said on Friday they will stop operations in Minneapolis starting May 1 after the city’s council paved the path for rideshare drivers to be paid a minimum wage. … Read More
Gunmen who kidnapped 287 school children in Nigeria say they will kill them all if $622,000 ransom not paid
Abuja, NigeriaCNN — Gunmen who kidnapped at least 287 school children in Nigerialast Thursday have demanded a ransom of 1 billion naira ($621,848) and threatened to kill all of the students if their demands are not met, a member of the local community … Read More
Formation of Dutch government advances as far-right Wilders admits he can’t be PM
Four parties have agreed to pursue ‘extra-parliamentary’ cabinet, says mediator overseeing tense coalition talks Dutch coalition talks will move on from exploratory discussions to more concrete negotiations aimed at forming a largely technocratic government, after the far-right leader Geert Wilders accepted he … Read More
Denmark plans to draft women as it seeks to bolster military
March 14 (UPI) — Denmark plans to conscript women into its military, it defense ministry said, as it seeks to bolster its ranks while strengthening its armed forces. The Nordic nation announced plans Wednesday to implement changes to its conscription policy … Read More
House passes TikTok bill. Are TikTok’s days numbered? What you need to know.
The House voted overwhelmingly to approve a measure that would ban TikTok from operating in the United States or force a sale, posing the most serious threat yet to the popular short-form video platform. The bill passed the House 352 to 65 … Read More
White House announces $300m stopgap military aid package for Ukraine
Ukraine is running dangerously low on munitions as efforts to get fresh funds for weapons have stalled amid Republican opposition The Pentagon will rush about $300m in weapons to Ukraine after finding some cost savings in its contracts, even though … Read More
Google restricts AI chatbot Gemini from answering queries on global elections
March 12 (Reuters) – Google is restricting AI chatbot Gemini from answering questions about the global elections set to happen this year, the Alphabet-owned firm (GOOGL.O), opens new tab said on Tuesday, as it looks to avoid potential missteps in … Read More
Lebanon on edge: Hezbollah fires 100 rockets, Israel hits Baalbek
Israeli airstrikes pounded Lebanon’s northeast city of Baalbek after Hezbollah fired 100 rockets in Israel in the heaviest exchange of fire since October. BEIRUT — The Israeli military resumed airstrikes in northeastern Lebanon on Tuesday after exchanging fire with Hezbollah … Read More
Somali pirates hijack Bangladeshi cargo ship, take more than 20 hostage
March 12 (UPI) — Somali pirates hijacked a Bangladeshi cargo ship on Tuesday and took more than 20 of the crew hostage. The cargo ship “MV” Abdullah was hijacked while on its way to Al Hamriyah port in the United … Read More
India enacts citizenship law criticised as ‘discriminatory’ to Muslims
Controversial rules grant Indian nationality to refugees who are Hindu, Christian, Parsi, Jain or Buddhist, but not Muslim India’s interior ministry has said it was enacting a citizenship law that critics say discriminates against Muslims, just weeks before the world’s … Read More