Mark Rutte, the outgoing prime minister of the Netherlands, is set to become NATO’s next secretary general when Jens Stoltenberg steps down this autumn. Rutte’s candidacy has received unanimous support from all 32 member states, with Hungary and Slovakia confirming their endorsement on June 18. Romanian president Klaus Iohannis, Rutte’s last contender for the position, withdrew his candidacy on June 20. Stoltenberg’s term ends on October 2. Rutte, the longest-serving prime minister in Dutch history since 2010, will assume his new role as NATO faces significant challenges. The ongoing war in Ukraine and China’s growing international ambitions will be his…
Author: Agnidipto Chakraborty
A top-secret autonomous submarine developed by the U.S Navy for long-term underwater missions was recently discovered on Google Maps by people exploring the coasts around Naval Base San Diego. Curious Google Maps users noticed what looked like an American prototype weapon submarine, named the ‘Manta Ray,’ at the Port Hueneme naval base in California. The Manta Ray, named for its sleek design and ability to operate in low-power mode while anchored deep underwater, was created by Northrop Grumman. This is part of the Navy initiative to develop long-range underwater weapons. The unmanned undersea vessel (UUV) is engineered to showcase the…
On Monday, the Kremlin warned Washington of “consequences” because of its actions and summoned its Ambassador after a Ukrainian strike on Crimea, reportedly using a U.S. missile, killed four people. Moscow has increasingly criticized Washington and Kyiv’s Western allies for providing weapons used against Russian targets, labeling them as direct participants in the ongoing two-year conflict. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov condemned the strike on Sevastopol as “barbaric” and accused Washington of “killing Russian children.” Sevastopol governor Mikhail Razvozhayev confirmed that two of the victims were minors. Peskov stated, “Time will reveal the consequences. Ask my colleagues in Europe and Washington…
Russia, the world’s largest nuclear power, may shorten the decision-making time outlined in its nuclear weapons use policy if it perceives escalating threats, according to the chairman of parliament’s defense committee. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has intensified tensions between it and the West to levels not seen since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Last month, President Vladimir Putin hinted at a possible revision of Russia’s nuclear doctrine, which currently specifies the conditions under which nuclear weapons could be deployed. On Sunday, Andrei Kartapolov, head of the Russian lower house of parliament’s defense committee, told the state news agency RIA…
NASA recently conducted a hypothetical exercise revealing a 72% chance of a potentially hazardous asteroid hitting Earth, underscoring significant gaps in our disaster preparedness. The fifth biennial Planetary Defense Interagency Tabletop Exercise took place in April, with its summary released on June 20. Held at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, the exercise included nearly 100 representatives from various U.S. government agencies and international partners. Though no immediate asteroid threats are known, the exercise aimed to test Earth’s readiness for a potential impact. NASA stressed the importance of the exercise in understanding risks, refining response strategies,…
Over the weekend of May 10-12, 2024, Earth experienced its most intense solar storm in over two decades. This celestial event sparked a geomagnetic storm, creating stunning auroras visible at much lower latitudes than usual. The active sunspot region AR3664 was behind this remarkable display. As it moved out of Earth’s view around May 14th, it released an X8.79-class solar flare, the strongest of its kind at the time, causing significant radio blackouts. However, this was just the beginning of AR3664’s solar fireworks. Enter the Solar Orbiter, a spacecraft led by the European Space Agency (ESA), which observed solar activity…
According to the State of Global Air report released on Wednesday, nearly 170,000 children under the age of five died in India due to air pollution in 2021. Despite some progress, air pollution-related deaths among young children remain high in regions like South Asia and parts of Africa, based on data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD 2021) conducted by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Exposure to air pollution in young children is linked to pneumonia and lower respiratory tract infections, responsible for one in five child deaths globally, and asthma, the…
The sudden brightening of a distant galaxy has been linked to the core of its star system and the unexpected activity of a colossal black hole, one million times the mass of the sun. For decades, the galaxy in the Virgo constellation showed no unusual behavior. This changed dramatically at the end of 2019, when astronomers detected a significant and ongoing increase in its brightness. Scientists now believe they are observing unprecedented changes, with the central black hole of the galaxy staging an intense cosmic display as it engulfs large amounts of material. “We discovered this source just as it…
China has sharply criticized the recent G7 Leaders’ Communique, accusing the group of using China-related issues as a pretext for unjust attacks. According to Beijing, the G7’s statements reflect ongoing efforts to maintain US and Western dominance in global affairs. Responding to a media inquiry, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian denounced the G7’s accusations as unfounded and prejudiced. China also questioned the relevance and representation of the G7 in today’s global context. Lin Jian pointed out that the seven countries represent only 10 percent of the world’s population and contribute less to global economic growth than China. China’s accusation Beijing…
The motive behind the shooting is still unclear at the moment, police have yet to discern a probable motive for the attacker. Two children, one of them being an 8-year-old, were among the people who were injured when the gunman started attacking a children’s water park located in Michigan on Saturday evening. According to Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard, the shooter, who had been hiding in a nearby home, was found dead. Police reported that “nine, maybe 10” victims were injured in the shooting at Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad in Rochester Hills and were taken to the hospital. “We are…