World

China now has “a world-class Navy,” retired Rear Admiral Mike Studeman, a former Commander of the Office of Naval Intelligence, told The Cipher Brief. “It’s not, ‘Hey, we’re going to achieve this in 2049.’ And it’s just not in the numbers, it’s in the quality. These ships are modern by any standard.” The recently commissioned Fujian is the first Chinese …

The government in Kiev has been intensifying its crackdown on the country’s largest Orthodox church The government in Kiev has sentenced an Orthodox priest to prison over alleged pro-Russia remarks, as it continues a widening campaign against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). Archpriest Ivan Pavlichenko, a cleric at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Odessa, was handed a five-year …

A 7.6 magnitude earthquake off the northeastern coast of Japan has prompted a tsunami warning.  Situated at a point where several continental on oceanic plates collide, Japan experiences around 1,500 to 2,000 each year, ranging from mild to severe.  A magnitude of 7.6 is a rare occurrence that signifies a major to great earthquake, capable of causing serious damage over …

Paramount Skydance on Monday launched a hostile bid worth US$108.4 billion for Warner Bros Discovery, in a last-ditch effort to outbid Netflix and create a media powerhouse that would challenge the dominance of the streaming giant. Netflix had emerged victorious on Friday from a weeks-long bidding war with Paramount and Comcast, securing a US$72 billion equity deal for Warner Bros …

Beijing has said its good ties with both Moscow and New Delhi contribute to security, stability, and prosperity globally China said on Monday that good relations between Beijing, Moscow, and New Delhi are beneficial for global stability and prosperity. Responding to a query about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statement on ties between the BRICS countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo …

Two months before Bangladesh heads to the polls for the first time since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government, the most established party still in the race, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), is facing deep uncertainty as its two top figures are either gravely ill or stuck abroad. BNP chair Begum Khaleda Zia, a former prime minister, is battling serious …

A British tourist has been arrested in Majorca for failing to settle his €19,000 (£16,600) bill after spending almost 50 days in the luxury hotel. According to reports, he allegedly left without informing the hotel reception. The man was only caught when he cheekily tried to extend his month-and-a-half stay by trying to check into another hotel owned by the …

Artificial general intelligence could be only five years away, although the path is not without risks, Google’s Demis Hassabis has said The path towards creating artificial general intelligence (AGI) could involve “catastrophic outcomes” such as cyberattacks on energy or water infrastructure, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis has warned. He suggested that AGI could arrive within the next decade.  Speaking at …

Late one night in southern Nepal last month, whispers spread of an unusual wedding taking place. Inside a modest home, an 18-year-old girl was about to be wed to a Chinese national nearly twice her age. The match was illegal. Nepal’s minimum age for marriage is 20, and the bride’s youth alarmed onlookers. Police were called and the ceremony in …

Donald Trump is ramping up pressure on Volodymyr Zelensky to accept a peace deal with Russia. The Ukrainian president is meeting European leaders in London today, seeking to ensure any deal deters a future Russian attack. The US president slammed Zelensky, implying he was playing for time when Ukraine’s own negotiators “love” the draft deal which, Trump claimed, Vladimir Putin …