World News

Drone attack that Ukraine blamed on Russia blew hole in painstakingly erected €1.5bn shield meant to allow for final clean-up of 1986 meltdown site

The protective shield over the Chornobyl disaster nuclear reactor in Ukraine, which was hit by a drone in February, can no longer perform its main function of blocking radiation, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has announced.

In February a drone strike blew a hole in the “new safe confinement”, which was painstakingly built at a cost of €1.5bn ($1.75bn) next to the destroyed reactor and then hauled into place on tracks, with the work completed in 2019 by a Europe-led initiative. The IAEA said an inspection last week of the steel confinement structure found the drone impact had degraded the structure.

The 1986 Chornobyl explosion – which happened when Ukraine was under Moscow’s rule as part of the Soviet Union – sent radiation across Europe. In the scramble to contain the meltdown, the Soviets built over the reactor a concrete “sarcophagus” with only a 30-year lifespan. The new confinement was built to contain radiation during the decades-long final removal of the sarcophagus, ruined reactor building underneath it and the melted-down nuclear fuel itself.

The baby seal is A-OK! But perhaps thirsty (wasn’t even served a sip of seltzer)…

A seal walked into a bar. Or to use a technical term, it galumphed. ... It was a wet, lazy Sunday evening when the baby fur seal waddled into the Sprig + Fern The Meadows craft beer bar in Richmond, at the top of New Zealand's South Island. ... "Everyone was in shock," Evans said. ... Evading its pursuers, the creature dashed into a restroom and then hid under the dishwasher, which was swiftly unplugged. ... "I just went to my fiancé, I said, grab the salmon! Grab the salmon!" Then it was a brief wait for conservation rangers to arrive. It turned out they were already tracking the wandering seal. "It was their fourth call for the day," Evans said. ... The seal was released on nearby Rabbit Island, considered a safe location because of its dog-free status, Otley said. It's not unusual for curious young seals to show up in unexpected places at this time of year, she added. ... "They can turn up in unusual places, like this pub, but this is normal exploratory behavior," Otley said.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/54425206

Rinaldo Nazzaro says detention of suspected Base members in Spain justifies ‘resistance … by any means necessary’

After Spanish police and Europol’s counter-terrorism section arrested three suspected members of the Base – a globally proscribed neo-Nazi terrorist group – in the eastern province of Castellón, its American leader living in Russia was defiant and signaled further actions.

In a text message to the Guardian, Rinaldo Nazzaro called the arrests another “example of political persecution” by world governments that are “further justifying our resistance to its hegemonic rule by any means necessary”.

The group’s presence on the Iberian peninsula underlines how its American brand of extremism, glorifying hyper-violence and modeling itself on an armed insurgency against the state, continues to popularize and be exported abroad. Nazzaro and the Base are also suspected of harboring links to Kremlin spy agencies and aiding their broader sabotage efforts.

Experts were shocked at the level of organization and the arsenal of weaponry the cell was able to achieve inside of Europe.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/54414754

In order to monitor encrypted communication, investigators will in future, according to the Senate draft and the Änderungen der Abgeordneten, not only be allowed to hack IT systems but also to secretly enter suspects' apartments.

If remote installation of the spyware is technically not possible, paragraph 26 explicitly allows investigators to "secretly enter and search premises" in order to gain access to IT systems. In fact, Berlin is thus legalizing – as Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania did before – state intrusion into private apartments in order to physically install Trojans, for example via USB stick.

Text signed by president seems to echo ‘great replacement’ theory, saying Europe faces ‘civilisational erasure’

Donald Trump’s administration has said Europe faces “civilisational erasure” within the next two decades as a result of migration and EU integration, arguing in a policy document that the US must “cultivate resistance” within the continent to “Europe’s current trajectory”.

Billed as “a roadmap to ensure America remains the greatest and most successful nation in human history and the home of freedom on earth”, the US National Security Strategy makes explicit Washington’s support for Europe’s nationalist far-right parties.

The document, with a signed introduction by Trump, says Europe is in economic decline but its “real problems are even deeper”, including “activities of the EU that undermine political liberty and sovereignty, migration policies that are transforming the continent, censorship of free speech and suppression of political opposition … and loss of national identities”.

The incident follows a string of recent drone incursions in NATO airspace.

The French navy opened fire at drones that were detected over a highly-sensitive military site harboring French nuclear submarines, according to newswire Agence France-Presse. 

Five drones were detected Thursday night over the submarine base of Île Longue, in Brittany, western France, a strategic military site home to ballistic missile submarines, the AFP reported, citing the the French_gendarmerie_, which is part of the military. The submarines harbored at the base carry nuclear weapons and are a key part of France's nuclear deterrent.

French navy troops in charge of protecting the base opened fire, the report said. It was unclear whether the drones were shot down.

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/5954308

Archived version

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In 2014, Lemeshchenko moved from the Russian city of Voronezh to Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine with her husband and son. ... In the spring of 2024, the athlete underwent training in shooting, drone control, and the manufacture of explosives in Kyiv. She then traveled to Russia via third countries. In October, Lemeshchenko blew up power line towers near St. Petersburg, and then monitored Colonel Alexei Loboda, the commander of an airbase in Voronezh, who is linked to the bombing of Kharkiv. The saboteur was arrested in January 2025. Lemeshchenko did not deny the facts of the charges, but said that she did not consider herself guilty “from a moral point of view.”

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Here is the closing statement of Yulia Lemeshchenko in court.

As you can see, I don’t have any notes, I haven’t really prepared, but I think I’ll improvise. I will probably repeat some of the things I have already said during the hearings, but let this be a kind of summary in a general monologue.

So, as I’ve already said, in any war, there is a clash between sides, and each side defends its own truth, its own justice. I’ve taken a side. I am not a citizen of the country I have decided to fight for. Nevertheless, I consider Ukraine my home. I love this country, I love Kharkiv infinitely.

There‘s a district in Kharkiv called North Saltivka. About 500,000 people lived there, half a million. Some of my acquaintances lived there, including my hairdresser. After Russian shelling and bombing, not a single building in this district remains intact. Not a single one. I’m not just talking about broken windows—I’m talking about entire parts of buildings that have collapsed.

There were explosions right next to my house. My neighbor Anya lived on the first floor with her four-year-old son Nikita. A shell exploded right under their windows, under the first floor. The apartment was completely destroyed. I don’t know what happened to Anya and her son Nikita. I still don’t know if they are alive or not.

In this war, I lost friends, one relative—my second cousin—and my colleagues. War is terrible. I couldn’t just stand by and watch. In any war, people who find themselves involved in it either try to fight or run away. I don’t know, maybe they run away because of cowardice or weakness. I don’t consider myself a cowardly or weak person. I decided to fight against this—against Russian military aggression.

Perhaps what I’m saying is making my situation worse, but my honor and conscience are more important to me. I did what I thought was necessary within my power. Regret, remorse—well, maybe on my deathbed. But for now, everything is as it is. That’s it, I have nothing more to add. Thank you.

You'll find more information on the linked site.

Three teenagers were killed when their car skidded off the road in southern France, went through a wall and crashed upside down in a private pool, trapping them inside.

The vehicle was a similar size to the pool and the teenagers - aged 14, 15 and 19 - were unable to open the doors and drowned.

Elon Musk's social media company X was fined 120 million euros ($140 million) by EU tech regulators on Friday for breaching EU online content rules, the first sanction under landmark legislation which will likely draw the U.S. government's ire.

Rival TikTok staved off a penalty with concessions.

The EU sanction against X followed a two-year-long investigation under the bloc's Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires online platforms to do more to tackle illegal and harmful content.

President Donald Trump's administration has warned that Europe faces "civilisational erasure" and questioned whether certain nations can remain reliable allies, in a new strategy document that puts a particular focus on the continent.

The 33-page National Security Strategy sees the US leader outline his vision for the world and how he will wield US military and economic power to work towards it.

Trump described the document as a "roadmap" to ensure America remains "the greatest and most successful nation in human history".

European politicians have begun to react, with Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul saying his country did not need "outside advice".

A formal National Security Strategy is typically released by presidents once each term. It can form a framework for future policies and budgets, as well as signalling to the world where the president's priorities lie.

The new document follows similar rhetoric to Trump's speech to the United Nations earlier this year, where he had harsh criticism for Western Europe and its approach to migration and clean energy.

The new report doubles down on Trump's point of view, calling for the restoration of "Western identity", combatting foreign influence, ending mass migration, and focusing more on US priorities such as stopping drug cartels.

Focusing on Europe, it asserts that if current trends continue the continent would be "unrecognisable in 20 years or less" and its economic issues are "eclipsed by the real and more stark prospect of civilizational erasure".

"It is far from obvious whether certain European countries will have economies and militaries strong enough to remain reliable allies," the document states.

It also accused the European Union and "other transnational bodies" of carrying out activities that "undermine political liberty and sovereignty", said migration policies were "creating strife" and said other issues included "censorship of free speech and suppression of political opposition, cratering birthrates, and loss of national identities and self-confidence".

Conversely, the document hails the growing influence of "patriotic European parties" and says "America encourages its political allies in Europe to promote this revival of spirit".

The Trump administration has fostered links with the far-right AfD party in Germany, which has been classified as extreme right by German intelligence.

The document says there must be a readjustment of "our global military presence to address urgent threats in our Hemisphere". To do this, the strategy calls for moving assets away from theatres which are less important to American national security than they once were.

This re-prioritising of military power can be seen already in the Caribbean, where the US military has a growing presence and has carried out repeated deadly strikes on boats which the government alleges are carrying drugs. The world's largest warship, the USS Gerald Ford, is currently based in the Caribbean along with its strike group.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/54385668

Germany's parliament, the Bundestag, has voted to introduce voluntary military service, in a move aimed at boosting national defences after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

It marks a significant shift in Germany's approach to its military and follows Chancellor Friedrich Merz's push to create Europe's strongest conventional army.

The change means that all 18-year-olds in Germany will be sent a questionnaire from January 2026 asking if they are interested and willing to join the armed forces. The form will be mandatory for men and voluntary for women.

Child rescue groups are trying to save victims from sex trafficking in the Philippines. But a DW investigation found that they could be enabling abuse.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/39769652

The maternity ward in Gaza’s Al Shifa Hospital has been reopened after renovation by the Palestinian ministry of health.

As part of the renovations walls of the maternity ward have been painted and the ceiling has been repaired. However, the rooms in the ward are not equipped for patients. According to reports, there is no oxygen, no monitors and no medical supplies.

According to doctors, the beds were retrieved from under the rubble and are worn out. The Palestinian ministry of health and the doctors had strived to find the tools and supplies for the maternity ward. However, most of the departments of the Al Shifa Hospital remain burnt and destroyed.

Archived

On the evening of 12 June 2013, according to court documents, three “Chinese intruders” were arrested by the Indian army in Sultan Chusku, a remote and uninhabited desert area in the mountainous northern region of Ladakh.

The three Thursun brothers – Adil, 23, Abdul Khaliq, 22 and Salamu, 20 – had found themselves in an area of unmarked and disputed borders after a 13-day journey by bus and foot over the rugged Himalayan terrain through China’s Xinjiang province, which borders Ladakh.

The men told army officials that they had fled their family home near the city of Kashgar in Xinjiang after the Chinese authorities intensified their crackdown on Uyghur Muslims and took several of their relatives into detention centres.

More than a million Uyghurs in Xinjiang appear to have been imprisoned in “re-education” camps and subjected to torture over the past decade for just attending a mosque or wearing a hijab.

[...]

Latief U Zaman Deva, a former senior government official in Indian-administered Kashmir, of which Ladakh was part until 2019, believes the three men are victims of discrimination.

“Jailing these three violates the law. This is one of many examples where the current government demonstrates how it deals with a particular community: Muslims,” Deva says.

“The law being used against them is intended for people involved in anti-national activities or serious offences, not for persecuted people seeking refuge.”

Shafi says he will continue to fight for their release. “India has given refuge to tens of thousands of people from different persecuted communities at different stages of history. Even thousands of persecuted Tibetans live here and run their government in exile.

“If the government doesn’t want them to live here, they can release them and allow them to travel to a country which can offer them asylum. I hope they will be free one day – that is the goal of my life.”

Donald Trump's administration has set forth a new national security strategy that paints European allies as weak and aims to reassert America's dominance in the Western Hemisphere.

The document released Friday by the White House is sure to roil long-standing U.S. allies in Europe for its scathing critiques of their migration and free speech policies, suggesting they face the "prospect of civilizational erasure" and raising doubts about their long-term reliability as American partners.

At the same time the administration is sharply critical of its democratic allies in Europe and carrying out a pressure campaign of boat strikes in South America, it chides past U.S. efforts to shape or criticize Middle Eastern nations and seeks to discourage attempts for changes in those countries' governments and policies.

Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Slovenia withdrew from the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest on Thursday after organizers declined to hold a vote on Israel's participation, marking the largest boycott in the competition's 70-year history.

The European Broadcasting Union's General Assembly in Geneva voted 738 to 264, with 120 abstentions, to adopt new voting regulations without holding a separate ballot on whether Israel should be barred from next year's contest. The decision prompted immediate withdrawals from four countries that had threatened to boycott if Israel remained in the competition.

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/43056460

Web archive link

Ukrainian children abducted by Russia are being forcibly sent to a summer camp in North Korea, a legal expert has said.

Kateryna Rashevska, a representative from Ukraine’s regional centre for human rights, told the US Senate that at least two young girls had been sent to Songdowon camp in North Korea.

At the children’s camp, the two girls – Misha, 12, and Liza, 16 – were “taught to ‘destroy Japanese militarists’ and met Korean veterans who … attacked the US Navy ship Pueblo”, she said.

Ms Rashevska made the comments at the start of the US Senate’s hearing on Russia’s mass abduction of Ukrainian children.

At least 19,546 Ukrainian children are believed to have been abducted from Russian-controlled territory and taken to Russia since the start of the invasion in Feb 2022.

They are often taken to re-education camps, where they are “militarised and Russified”, Ms Rashevska said, adding that the human rights centre had identified at least 165 such camps.

The Songdowon camp – located in Wonsan, North Korea – hosts around 400 children every year. It hosts a series of activities, including a water park, a football pitch and a large private beach.

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Russia is one of a handful of countries that is allowed to send children to the camp. A former attendee, Yuri Frolov, previously told CNN that he attended the camp when he was 15, and socialised with children from Laos, Nigeria, Tanzania and China.

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Earlier this week, Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, said only 1,859 Ukrainian children abducted by Russia had been brought back so far. Kyiv has made the return of stolen Ukrainian children a key demand during US-brokered peace negotiations with Russia, which are set to continue on Thursday.