Fears of a return to Cold War heats up geopolitics after Russia unveils hypersonic jetfighter
The world was on Tuesday reminded of a simmering Cold War after Russia announced the launch of its latest fighter jet – Checkmate. President Vladimir Putin inspected the newly unveiled Checkmate warplane on Tuesday, signal the Moscow was still keen on domination geopolitics with latest technology. There was no immediate...
Biden vs Facebook: Conservative media sigh with relief as Big Tech accused of ‘killing people’
US resident Biden’s criticism of Facebook is a double win for Fox News. Not only does it draw attention away from the network’s own culpability for the vaccination gap, but it feeds a potent right-wing narrative about government and Big Tech colluding to silence conservatives. ‘ Biden and Facebook have...
South Africa’s unrest hits neighbours as Namibia tells of coffin shortage for burial of Covid victims
South Africa’s neighbours felt the shockwaves of days of unrest and looting, prompting some to rethink their economic reliance on the regional power. In Namibia, the effect was immediate. In commenting on the country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Health Minister Kalumbi Shangula said the unrest in South Africa threatened...
Chelsea offloads striker Tammy Abraham to London rivals Arsenal on loan, initially
Chelsea are willing to allow Arsenal to sign Tammy Abraham on an initial loan deal, according to reports. The Champions League holders are actively looking to sell Abraham this summer but have been holding out for a £40 million transfer fee. West Ham and Aston Villa both registered their interest...
Possible diplomatic crisis over Pegasus spyware triggers damage limitation frenzy in Israel
The Israeli government is forming a special team to manage the fallout from reports that software developed by Israeli firm NSO was used by governments around the world to spy on journalists, human rights activists and possibly world leaders, two Israeli officials tell me. So far, this is primarily a...
Liverpool leads Arsenal for Aouar as Lyon raise asking price for midfielder to $48m
Liverpool is leading Arsenal in the chase for Houssem Aouar’s signature after the Gunner’s interest for the Olympic Lyon’s playmaker appeared to cool, reports in France say. Arsenal failed with a £32 million ($48 million) offer to land Aouar ahead of the 2020-21 season – with Lyon demanding €60 million...
Australia to host Olympics for the third time as Brisbane is picked for 2032 games
Brisbane has been confirmed as the host city for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2032. It will be the third time that the Games has been held in Australia after Melbourne in 1956 and Sydney in 2000. Brisbane’s bid was the only one in the running, although it still...
US President Biden and Facebook feud over Covid vaccine hesitancy as virus ravages Americans
The White House and Facebook got into a feud over the past few days after President Biden and aides repeatedly accused the company of doing too little to combat Covid vaccine misinformation. On Thursday, US surgeon general Vivek Murthy released an advisory about health misinformation that included some fairly banal...
China launches world’s largest carbon market, but questions linger over defiant emitters
China, the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, has launched its first national emissions-trading scheme. Such carbon-pricing mechanisms exist in around 45 countries already, but China’s scheme, which began trading last week, is the world’s biggest. It has been plagued by delays, and researchers argue it might not be ambitious...
