Thursday briefing: US warnings about a Russian space weapon
The US warned that Russia could place a nuclear weapon in space
US intelligence agencies have told their closest European allies that if Russia is going to put a nuclear weapon into orbit, it will probably happen this year. But they warned it could launch a harmless “dummy” warhead instead, leaving the West to doubt its capabilities.
The assessment came amid a US intelligence imbroglio: Officials held a series of hurried, classified briefings for their NATO and Asian allies as details began to leak. But U.S. intelligence agencies are divided, and officials have little confidence in their analysis of whether Russia is ready to launch such a space weapon.
The consequences of such a weapon are clearer. It could disrupt communications by destroying the commercial and military satellites that have reshaped global communications capabilities.
Answer: President Vladimir Putin said Moscow was “categorically against” placing nuclear weapons in space. Russia's defense minister said the warning was designed to push Congress to approve more aid to Ukraine.
The Pakistani army is in crisis
Pakistanis once viewed the military as the iron hand that controlled politics in the country. Recent elections shattered that myth of omnipotence as voters backed candidates aligned with jailed former leader Imran Khan despite military action against his party.
Their passion – and their accusations that the military then manipulated the results to deny candidates a majority – have created one of the military establishment's biggest crises yet.
“We have seen the military become increasingly isolated from its usual base of support, such as veterans and Pakistan's elite, who were also arrested and pressured in the pre-election crackdown,” Christina Goldbaum, our chief of staff, told IPS. Pakistani and Afghan agency, us. .
Young people refused to be intimidated by the military, and social media surpassed censorship. But Christina said the mood is uneasy: The military has doubled down since the election and moved to consolidate its control. “Most people I talk to don't believe that these elections alone are enough to fundamentally change the power dynamics between civilian and military leaders in Pakistan,” she said.
China lags behind the US in AI development
China is racing to build generative AI systems. But the companies are at least a year behind the US – and rely almost entirely on underlying US systems, according to more than a dozen technology industry insiders and leading engineers.
The battle for AI primacy could mark a new phase in the tense technological competition between the US and China.
Thousands of pages of court documents have been written about the troubled state of the jail on Rikers Island, in New York City. This also applies to thousands of pages of fiction: the prison has become a literary breeding ground for inmates and correctional officers.
Lives lived: Ameen Sayani, a pioneering and beloved Indian DJ, was on the air for over 42 years. He died at the age of 91.
Niue's fight for .nu
In the 1990s, the South Pacific island of Niue may have made a big mistake. This gave an American businessman the rights to the Internet suffix .nu, in exchange for access to the World Wide Web.
“Nu” means “new” in several Scandinavian languages, and thousands of Scandinavians have registered websites with .nu, making it very valuable. Niue has been fighting to reclaim the land for decades, arguing it is a fight for self-determination.
“We are victims of digital colonialism,” the island's prime minister told The Times. “This domain, the .nu, recognizes Niue as a sovereign country. It is that important to our identity.”
Niue is seeking damages of approximately $30 million. A court decision is expected soon.