Thursday, March 28, 2024

BIG Wrap

Violence and mass arrests as former Pakistan PM charged with corruption

(BBC News) Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan has pleaded not guilty to corruption charges a day after his arrest sparked nationwide protests. Eight people have died in the protests and about 1,000 have been arrested, police say. The army is being deployed in some areas, and has issued a stern warning after crowds attacked its properties. Khan's arrest dramatically escalated tensions between Khan and the military at a time of economic crisis. Conviction would disqualify the former...

Russian cyberespionage campaign disrupted — U.S. Justice Department

(The Associated Press) The U.S. Justice Department said Tuesday that it had disrupted a long-running Russian cyberespionage campaign that stole sensitive information from computer networks in dozens of countries, including the U.S. and other NATO members. Prosecutors linked the spying operation to a unit of Russia’s Federal Security Service, or FSB, and accused the hackers of stealing documents from hundreds of computer systems belonging to governments of NATO members, an unidentified journalist for a U.S....

Canada and China exchange diplomatic expulsions

(Al Jazeera Media Network) Canada “will not be intimidated” by China, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, after the Chinese government said it is expelling a Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move linked to allegations Beijing sought to intimidate a Canadian legislator and his family. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Trudeau said his government made the decision to expel Zhao Wei, a Chinese diplomat based in Toronto, from the country this week after “careful consideration.” Hours later, Beijing announced...

Research offers hope for vision regeneration

(Université de Montréal) There is hope for potentially restoring vision in patients suffering from degenerative retinal disease, thanks to work by researchers at Université de Montréal. Published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the research was led by UdeM medical professor Michel Cayouette, director of cellular neurobiology research at the UdeM-affiliated Montreal Clinical Research Institute. His research team discovered that cells that lie dormant in the retina (glial cells) can be induced to transform...

Alberta announces state of emergency over wildfires

(Al Jazeera Media Network) Alberta has announced a state of emergency as wildfires flare, forcing 25,000 people to flee their homes in what the Canadian province's Premier Danielle Smith said was an “unprecedented” crisis. Thousands more have been told to be prepared to leave on a moment’s notice, as the number of fires – fanned by strong winds – jumped to 110. One-third of the blazes were listed as out of control. “We’ve declared a provincial state of...

Why was the Kremlin attacked? It depends who you ask

(Al Jazeera Media Network) An apparent drone attack on the Kremlin this week has sparked fears of an escalation in Russia’s war in Ukraine. On Wednesday night, two remotely operated devices flew toward the domed roof of the Kremlin before being shot down by Russian air defences, exploding but harming no one. After the incident, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin declared that flying drones by private citizens was now banned in Moscow. Russia said the United States masterminded...

WHO declares ‘global health emergency’ over

(BBC News) The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that COVID-19 no longer represents a "global health emergency." The statement comes three years after it first declared its highest level of alert over the virus. Officials said the virus's death rate had dropped from a peak of more than 100,000 people per week in January 2021 to just more than 3,500 on April 24 of this year. The head of the WHO said at least seven million...

Fed raises U.S. interest rates to highest in 16 years

(BBC News) The U.S. central bank has raised interest rates to the highest level in 16 years as it battles to stabilize prices. The Federal Reserve increased its key interest rate by 0.25 percentage points — its 10th hike in 14 months. The Fed signalled that Wednesday's rise may be its last for a while. The moves have pushed its benchmark rate to between 5% and 5.25% — up from near zero in March 2022. Higher rates have...

Iran seizes second oil tanker in a week

(Al Jazeera Media Network) Iran has seized an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz in the second such incident in the region in a week, as tension with the United States continues. The Middle East-based U.S. 5th Fleet and Iranian media confirmed on Wednesday that the naval force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stopped a tanker in the busy waterway. A video released by the 5th Fleet appeared to show about a dozen fast-attack...

More than 100 police hurt in French May Day demonstrations

(BBC News) At least 108 police officers have been injured in clashes across France with protesters angry at pension reforms, the interior minister has said. Gérald Darmanin said such a large number of police wounded was extremely rare, adding that 291 people had been arrested during the unrest. Hundreds of thousands have been taking part in May Day demonstrations against President Emmanuel Macron's reforms. Most were peaceful but radical groups threw petrol bombs and fireworks. Police responded with...