Tag: Ukraine War

Technology

Ukraine war at 2 years: Destruction seen from space through open-source data

As soldiers and citizens provide information from the front lines and affected areas of the war in Ukraine – two years old as of February 24, 2024 – in quasi-real time, an active open-source intelligence community has formed to keep track of troop activity, destruction and other aspects of the war.Remote sensing complements this approach, offering a safe means to study inaccessible or dangerous areas. For example, seismologists have documented the high pace of bombardments and firing of artillery around Kyiv during the first few months of the war. Previously, Teng Wang, a professor at the Peking University in China, and I – both Earth scientists – studied illegal nuclear tests in North Korea with satellite data. Putting our skills to good use once again, we, with graduate student Hang ...
Technology

Kremlin tells officials to stop using Apple iPhones

The Kremlin told officials involved in preparations for Russia's 2024 presidential election to stop using Apple iPhones because of concerns that the devices are vulnerable to Western intelligence agencies, the Kommersant newspaper reported.At a Kremlin-organised seminar for officials involved in domestic politics, Sergei Kiriyenko, first deputy head of the presidential administration, told officials to change their phones by April 1, Kommersant said, citing unidentified sources. "It's all over for the iPhone: either throw it away or give it to the children," Kommersant quoted one of the participants of the meeting as saying. "Everyone will have to do it in March." When asked about the issue on Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he could not confirm the report."Smartphones sh...
Business

10-Year-Old British-Indian’s Journey To Give Books To Ukraine’s Children

The schoolboy began his journey at the Ukrainian Centre in Bolton.London: A 10-year-old Indian-origin schoolboy and award-winning fundraiser has travelled to Poland with his parents to hand over books and other stationery products collected in the UK for Ukrainian children displaced by Russia's invasion.Milan Paul Kumar from Bolton in Greater Manchester, northern England, arrived in the Polish city of Krakow earlier this week ahead of the first anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on Friday. According to local reports, Kumar and his family visited the Meeting Point integration centre organised with the support of UNICEF and run by the Zustricz Foundation, among others.A rewarding day spent with the Consulates of Ukraine & Romania visiting a newly built school for 120 Ukrainian...
Business

2 Indian-Origin Men Recognised In Singapore For Feeding Ukraine Refugees

The winner of the award was 55-year-old Singaporean-Chinese Anson Ng. (File)Singapore: Two Indian-origin men were among the finalists for the Singaporean of the Year award 2022, which took place in the city-state on Thursday.Organised by The Straits Times newspaper and presented by UBS Singapore, the annual award is given to a Singaporean individual or group that has impacted society.Priveen Suraj Santakumar, 34, and Charanjit Singh Walia, 64, were recognised for their selfless act of providing meals to Ukrainian refugees escaping the Russia-Ukraine war in Poland.Mr Santakumar, a former nurse, flew to Poland in March to help feed those displaced by the conflict after watching the war break out on television. He met Mr Walia, who had been in Poland for the past 25 years, and was helping ...
Technology

Ukraine war moves ‘Doomsday Clock’ to 90 seconds to midnight

With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the specter of nuclear weapon use, Earth crept its closest to Armageddon, a science-oriented advocacy group said, moving its famous “Doomsday Clock” up to just 90 seconds before midnight. With Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the specter of nuclear weapon use, Earth crept its closest to Armageddon, a science-oriented advocacy group said, moving its famous “Doomsday Clock” up to just 90 seconds before midnight. “We are really closer to that doomsday,” former Mongolian president Elbegdorj Tsakhia said Tuesday at the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists annual announcement rating how close humanity is from doing itself in. He and former Ireland President Mary Robinson joined scientists to underscore what they consider a gathering of several existential ...
Technology

Russia Reaped $1 Billion of Wheat in Occupied Ukraine, NASA Says

Almost 6 million tons of wheat was collected from areas not under Ukrainian control, according to NASA Harvest. Ukraine has lost at least $1 billion of wheat that was harvested in areas controlled by Russia, according to research using satellite imagery from NASA's food security and agriculture program. The analysis gives an idea of what's happening in occupied territories, where information is tightly controlled. It uses a machine-learning model detecting texture and color changes based on a time-series of satellite images to map where crops have been harvested or left unharvested. Almost 6 million tons of wheat was collected from areas not under Ukrainian control, according to NASA Harvest. About 88% of the winter crops planted in occupied areas were harvested, while unharvest...
Technology

Russia Is Boosting Its Cyber Attacks on Ukraine, Allies, Microsoft Says

Moscow will intensify its cyber efforts to pressure the sources of Ukraine’s military and political support both domestic and foreign, according to Microsoft Corp. Moscow will intensify its cyber efforts to pressure the sources of Ukraine's military and political support both domestic and foreign, according to Microsoft Corp. In a post on the company's “On the Issues” blog, Clint Watts, general manager of Microsoft's digital threat analysis center, urged customers to prepare for more Russian cyber attacks over the winter. “Russian military intelligence actors' recent execution of a ransomware-style attack -- known as Prestige -- in Poland may be a harbinger of Russia further extending cyberattacks beyond the borders of Ukraine,” Watts said. Alongside almost two months of missi...
Technology

Ukrainian engineers scramble to keep mobile phones working

With Ukraine scrambling to keep communication lines open during the war, an army of engineers from the country's phone companies has mobilised to help the public. With Ukraine scrambling to keep communication lines open during the war, an army of engineers from the country's phone companies has mobilised to help the public and policymakers stay in touch during repeated Russian missile and drone strikes. The engineers, who typically go unseen and unsung in peacetime, often work around the clock to maintain or restore phone service, sometimes braving minefields to do so. After Russian strikes took out the electricity that cellphone towers usually run on, they revved up generators to keep the towers on. “I know our guys — my colleagues — are very exhausted, but they're motivated ...
Business

Canada Army Can Now Recruit Immigrants With Permanent Residency Status

Immigrants prime candidates for military as they arrive in Canada at young age. (Representational Image)Toronto: The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have announced that permanent residents, which includes a large number of Indians, will now be allowed to enlist, as the military struggles with low recruitment levels, according to a media report.The move also comes five years after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced that they're changing their "outdated recruitment process", means allowing permanent residents who have lived in Canada for 10 years to apply, CTV News reported.Permanent residents were previously only eligible under the Skilled Military Foreign Applicant (SMFA) entry programme, which was "open for individuals … that would reduce training costs or fill a special ne...
Technology

Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Moves Toward ‘War of Drones’ as Winter Looms

President Vladimir Putin’s swift and severe response to an attack on his Black Sea fleet reflects a war that is increasingly marked by a duel between long range Russian missiles and Ukraine’s innovative array of drones and truck bombs. President Vladimir Putin's swift and severe response to an attack on his Black Sea fleet reflects a war that is increasingly marked by a duel between long range Russian missiles and Ukraine's innovative array of drones and truck bombs.Putin on Monday made clear why he was suspending Russia's involvement in a deal that for three months had allowed much-needed Ukrainian grain to be shipped to global markets: He wants to secure the Russian Navy's ships after an attack by air and sea drones. His reaction speaks volumes about the dual nature of a war that's...