Telegram Accused of Removing Popular News Channel at Russia’s Request
The messaging app Telegram is facing censorship accusations after reportedly removing a popular Russian news channel whose alleged owners face criminal prosecution inside Russia. VChK-OGPU, an anonymously run channel claiming to share insider information from Russia’s security and law enforcement agencies, had 1.1 million subscribers when it was taken down overnight Monday. On a backup Telegram channel, VChK-OGPU’s owners wrote that the removal came at the request of the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office, the Federal Security Service (FSB) and state media watchdog Roskomnadzor….
UK court confirms Apple is suing British government over ‘backdoor’ request
A British court has confirmed that Apple is suing the British government over a legal order regarding the company’s encryption of iCloud accounts, lifting a veil of official secrecy regarding the controversial move. In a judgment on Monday, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal — the only court in the country that can hear certain national security cases — said it would confirm “the bare details of the case” despite the British government’s argument that to do so would undermine national security….
UK MPs barred from entering Israel
Two pro-Palestinian British MPs were denied entry to Israel and subsequently deported after local authorities accused them of misrepresenting the nature of their visit and planning to promote campaigns targeting the state. Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang, both members of the governing Labour Party, landed in Tel Aviv at 2:30pm local time on Saturday, accompanied by two aides. During questioning at Ben Gurion Airport, they told border officers they were part of an official UK parliamentary delegation – a claim…
China hits back at Trump with 34% tariff on U.S. imports
China announced a 34% tariff on all products imported from the U.S. on Friday, escalating the trade war between the world’s two biggest economies. The move came two days after President Donald Trump imposed the same tariff on all Chinese imports as part of what he called reciprocal tariffs on a long list of U.S. trade partners. Combined with 20% in other levies that Trump has imposed on Chinese goods since returning to office in January, the total U.S. tariff…
Jeep & Chrysler parent Stellantis lays off 900 US workers as tariffs bite
In sum:
Stellantis pauses production in Mexico and Canada due to tariffs
Automakers face 25% import tax on imported autos
UAW criticizes Stellantis for unnecessary layoffs
US automaker shares fall sharply
South Korea Removes Its Impeached President and Regains Direction
South Korea’s president Yoon Suk Yeol has been removed from office, four months after his shortlived attempt to impose martial law sparked a prolonged political crisis. The Constitutional Court on Friday announced in a unanimous verdict that it would uphold parliament’s vote to impeach Yoon last year over his failed power grab, stripping him of office and ending his presidency less than three years into his five-year term. A presidential election will be held within 60 days. Han Duck-soo, a…
Musk’s father says Tesla tycoon admires Putin
Errol Musk says his family looks up to the Russian leader for his calm leadership and logical speeches Errol Musk has said that his son Elon and their family admire Russian President Vladimir Putin. Speaking to the BBC in an interview, the billionaire’s father described the head of state as a “strong leader” and praised his speeches as logical. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, also leads the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as part of US President…
China’s response to US tariff announcement: Breach of WTO rules, countermeasures will follow
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson slammed US’ “reciprocal tariffs,” saying the US’ move seriously violates WTO rules and undermines the rules-based multilateral trading system. “China strongly opposes the US’ move and will resolutely take countermeasures to safeguard its legitimate interests,” Guo said, responding to a question over the US’ “reciprocal tariffs” on its major trade partners, including 34 percent on China. The Chinese side has repeatedly stressed that there is no winner in trade war and that protectionism leads nowhere, the spokesperson said. “China urges the US to immediately correct its wrongdoings and resolve trade disputes with China and other countries through equal, respectful, and mutually beneficial dialogue.”
In Texas, ‘water is the new oil’ as cities square off over aquifers that may soon dry out
In Central Texas, a bitter fight over a $1 billion water project offers a preview of the future for much of the state as decades of rapid growth push past the local limits of its most vital natural resource. On one side: Georgetown, the fastest growing city in America for three years straight, which in 2023 signed a contract with an investor-funded enterprise to quickly begin importing vast volumes of water from the Simsboro Formation of the Carrizo Wilcox Aquifer,…
JD Vance says Denmark has ‘under invested’ in Greenland
US Vice President JD Vance on Friday criticized Denmark for failing to adequately protect Greenland, during a visit to the strategically significant and resource-rich Arctic territory. His remarks, made at the Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, have been viewed as a provocation by both Copenhagen and Nuuk. “Denmark has not done enough” Speaking at a press conference, Vance accused Denmark of under-investing in Greenland and neglecting both its people and its security infrastructure. “Our message to Denmark is very…
Anti-war Russian Scientist at Harvard Med Detained by U.S. Border Agents
U.S. immigration authorities detained and revoked the visa of a Russian scientist who opposes the war in Ukraine and had been conducting genetic research at Harvard Medical School, her friends and colleagues said this week. Ksenia Petrova was stopped at Boston Logan International Airport on Feb. 16 after returning from a personal trip in France. U.S. officials revoked her research visa for failing to properly declare frog embryos she had brought with her, according to The Harvard Crimson. U.S. Customs…
1,400+ Arrested in Turkey as Erdoğan Jails Istanbul Mayor & Intensifies Authoritarian Crackdown
Mass demonstrations continue in Turkey, where Istanbul Mayor İmamoglu was arrested on corruption charges. Since protests broke out, Turkish authorities have detained more than 1,400 people, including students and journalists. İmamoglu is the main rival of President Erdogan in the 2028 election and was recently nominated by the Republican People’s Party. Erdogan has led the country since 2003, but his popularity has dropped in recent years amid authoritarian policies. “Everyone knows that this is politically motivated and that Erdogan is scared that he’s not going to win against Ekrem İmamoğlu,” says Turkish political scientist Ezgi Başaran.
23andMe files for bankruptcy, putting customers’ genetic data at risk
Genetic testing company 23andMe has begun Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, alarming regulators and privacy advocates who are warning customers to delete genetic information retained by the company. 23andMe said on Sunday it intends to put itself up for sale following the proceedings. In October 2023 it suffered a massive data breach causing major reputational damage and exposing the genetic information of more than six million people.
US Boeing 737 MAX fraud trial set for June 23
In July, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to a criminal fraud conspiracy charge after two fatal 737 MAX crashes A United States judge has abruptly set a June 23 trial date in the Department of Justice’s criminal fraud case against Boeing stemming from the plane maker’s alleged misrepresentations to US regulators about a key system on the 737 MAX. The judge set the trial date on Tuesday. In July, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to a criminal fraud conspiracy charge…
Hacker defaces NYU website, exposing admissions data on 1 million students
More than 1 million students at New York University had their personal information exposed by a hacker who took over the school’s website over the weekend. On Saturday, the hacker replaced the NYU homepage with charts and links to large student datasets categorizing standardized testing scores based on race. The hacker claimed personal information identifying students was redacted but linked to four different datasets that included personal information on NYU applicants, their citizenship status and more. Cybersecurity expert Zack Ganot,…
‘They’re out of control’: Donald Trump says Jeff Bezos frustrated with Washington Post’s ‘crazy people’
US President Donald Trump expressed optimism about his working relationship with Jeff Bezos and the future of The Washington Post, alleging that Bezos privately criticised the newspaper’s staff. In an interview with OutKick’s Clay Travis, Trump claimed Bezos lamented the financial losses from running the publication and voiced frustrations about its newsroom employees. “They actually did a couple of bad articles on him,” Trump said. “He said, ‘This is crazy, I lose my fortune running this thing and they’re out…
