Month: October 2022

At least four people, including a pregnant woman, were killed in the capital despite the attempts of security forces to down the slow-moving unmanned aircraft, which explode on impact. Four others also died in the northern region of Sumy in strikes reportedly targeting energy infrastructure. Calls went up in Ukraine and among EU leaders for sanctions to be slapped on Iran which continues to deny supplying Russia with the drones, in the face of all the evidence. We have this explainer on "kamikaze" drones. Despite Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement last week that there was no need for further large-scale attacks for now, his military reported missile strikes on Ukraine's energy systems and military command facilities on Sunday. And fighting ...

Located 80 miles north of Alice Springs, the Nolans Project will be in one of the hottest and driest parts of the country. Despite the extreme conditions, Arafura believes the investment will be worth it. The planned mine and processing facility could satisfy up to 5% of global demand for neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr), which are used in high-power magnets. They are two of a group of so-called rare earth elements, that are essential to the electronics industry. NdPr, europium, terbium and other rare earth metals that were once barely heard of are now commonplace in the manufacture of phone touchscreens, wind turbines and other modern technologies. The mining of these minerals is an industry currently dominated by China, but geopolitical an...

Up to 30 former UK military pilots are thought to have gone to train members of China's People's Liberation Army. The UK is issuing an intelligence alert to warn former military pilots against working for the Chinese military. Attempts to headhunt pilots are ongoing and had been ramping up recently, western officials say. A spokesperson from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the training ​and the recruiting of pilots does not breach any current UK law but officials in the UK and other countries are trying to deter the activity. "It is a lucrative package that is being offered to people," said one western official. "Money is a strong motivator." Some of the packages are thought to be as much as £237,911 ($270,000). The retired Br...

Originally Germany planned to phase out all three by the end of this year. Mr Scholz's order overruled the Greens in his coalition, who wanted two plants kept on standby, to be used if needed. Nuclear power provides 6% of Germany's electricity. The decision to phase it out was taken by former chancellor Angela Merkel after Japan's Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011. But gas prices have soared since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, which disrupted Russia's huge oil and gas exports to the EU. In August Russia turned off the gas flowing to Germany via the Nord Stream 1 undersea pipeline. After relying so heavily on Russian gas Germany is now scrambling to maintain sufficient reserves for the winter. The crisis has also prompted i...

BERLIN -- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday called for reforms of the European Union to make it fit for the admission of new countries as well as more military autonomy of the 27-country bloc. Speaking at the Congress of the Party of European Socialists in Berlin, Scholz advocated for gradually abolishing the principle of unanimity for decisions in foreign policy, but also in other areas such as tax policy. “I know that we still have a lot of convincing to do there,” the chancellor said. “But I also say clearly: if a geopolitical Europe is our aspiration, then majority decisions are a gain and not a loss of sovereignty.” Currently, many EU decisions can only be made if all countries vote unanimously. Scholz also supports more military autonomy of the EU. He called for coordinat...

ROME -- The honeymoon is finished even before any marriage of political convenience in Italy could be formalized. The resounding victory by far-right leader Giorgia Meloni in the Sept. 25 general election isn't sitting well with 86-year-old Silvio Berlusconi, the former three-time conservative premier who, four decades her senior, fancies himself the elder statesman of Italy's political right. Meloni is expected to be asked next week by Italy's president to try to create a governing coalition with campaign allies Berlusconi and right-wing leader Matteo Salvini and become premier. Behind-the-scenes divvying up of ministries in what would be Italy's first far-right-led government since the end of World War II started after her Brothers of Italy party took 26% of the ballots cast, more than...