Articles by Editor,Taryn Pedler

Technology

Putin boasts 'unstoppable' Poseidon underwater nuclear drone has been successfully tested - defying Trump's warning over nukes

Putin has boasted that Russia has successfully tested the nuclear-capable underwater 'Poseidon' drone, defying Donald Trump's warning over nukes. The Russian president on Sunday oversaw a test of another advanced nuclear-capable cruise missile, which he said had an 'unlimited range'. Trump called that exercise not 'appropriate', adding: 'You ought to get the war ended, the war that should have taken one week is now in... its fourth year, that's what you ought to do instead of testing missiles.' In televised remarks while visiting a military hospital treating Russian soldiers wounded in Ukraine, Putin said: 'Yesterday, another test was conducted for another prospective system - the unmanned underwater device 'Poseidon,' also equipped with a nuclear power unit.' The Russian leader said there was 'no way to intercept' the drone torpedo, which, according to Putin, can travel at a speed higher than conventional submarines and reach any continent in the world. Putin said no country could match Poseidon's speed and diving depth, adding, 'it is unlikely that anything similar will appear in the near future.' The device can operate at a depth of more than one kilometre and travel at speeds of up to 70 knots while remaining undetectable, according to a source in the Russian military-industrial complex quoted by state news agency TASS. In 2023, strategic experts warned that the Poseidon torpedo would have the potential to devastate a coastal city, cause radioactive floods, and result in millions of deaths. According to its mission statement, the Poseidon project was focused on 'damaging the important components of the adversary's economy in a coastal area and inflicting unacceptable damage to a country's territory by creating areas of wide radioactive contamination that would be unsuitable for military, economic, or other activity for long periods of time'. The weapon could be also unleashed from Russian submarines such as the Belgorod. In September 2024, Putin propagandists called for Britain to be sunk beneath a radioactive tsunami with its Poseidon 'superweapon'. Russian hardline MP Andrei Gurulev sneered 'swim, swim, swim' as he demanded the use of Moscow's unique Poseidon high-speed underwater atomic drone on Britain. Kremlin propaganda TV on Rossiya-1 channel demanded a 'critical threat' from Putin to stop Britain, the US and other Western countries giving permission to Ukraine to use long-range missiles for strikes on Russian territory. 'There is, of course, a more radical option,' said Lt-Gen Gurulev, a former tank commander and military strategist. 'The people of Britain are there, they also want to live a good and happy life at our expense, right? 'But if there is no Britain, there is no problem.' First tested in 2018, it is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead of up to two megatons, the source told TASS. After Sunday's cruise missile test, Trump urged Putin to focus instead on ending the war in Ukraine. Putin said on Sunday that Russia had successfully tested its 'unstoppable' nuclear-powered cruise missile, known as the 'Flying Chernobyl', with an 8,700-mile test flight. Moscow says the weapon can pierce any defence shield, and has 'unlimited range'. Asked on Air Force One about the test of the missile, dubbed the SSC-X-9 Skyfall by NATO, Trump said the United States did not need its nukes to fly so far as it had a nuclear submarine off the coast of Russia. 'They know we have a nuclear submarine, the greatest in the world, right off their shores, so I mean, [our missile] doesn't have to go 8,000 miles,' Trump told reporters, according to an audio file posted by the White House. 'I don't think it's an appropriate thing for Putin to be saying, either, by the way: You ought to get the war ended, the war that should have taken one week is now in... its fourth year, that's what you ought to do instead of testing missiles.' In response to Trump on Monday, the Kremlin defiantly said that Russia would be guided by its own national interests. 'Despite all our openness to establishing a dialogue with the United States, Russia, first of all, and the president of Russia, is guided by our own national interests,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. 'That's how it was, that's how it is, and that's how it's going to be.' The US president last week scrapped a planned summit with Putin in Budapest over what he cast as the Russian leader's unwillingness to compromise to end the conflict. Trump has been trying to secure a deal since he returned to the White House in January, but talks have yielded no progress and he has shown increasing frustration with Putin, who has rejected multiple calls for a ceasefire. Washington last week slapped sanctions on Russia's two largest oil companies, complaining that his talks with Putin to end the Ukraine war 'don't go anywhere.' Putin first announced Russia had developed the Burevestnik and the Poseidon during a fiery anti-Western speech in 2018.

Technology

Brazilian police favela raid leaves 64 dead in bloody 'clear out' days before Prince William's visit

Dozens of bodies have been laid out in the street of a Brazilian favela after police killed over 60 in a gang raid just days before Prince William is set to visit the country. More than 40 dead bodies were seen on a street in Rio de Janeiro's Penha favela complex early on Wednesday, just a day after the most lethal police operation in the city's history targeting a major gang. Rio de Janeiro state authorities said on Tuesday that at least 64 people, including four cops, were killed in the raids which saw 2,500 police officers descend on the city. Ninety-three rifles and half a tonne of drugs were seized in the operation, authorities said. An updated death toll is expected later on Wednesday. Heavily armed officers backed with 32 ballistic-resistant vehicles, two helicopters, 12 demolition vehicles and drones descended on two favela neighbourhoods in the northern region of Rio on Tuesday afternoon. Gunfire rang out for miles near RIOgaleão International Airport, and smoke could be seen billowing from the raging fires which broke out several hours after the busts began. Residents in the impoverished neighbourhoods scrambled for cover and shops closed their doors amid police claims that the gangs were retaliating with drones of their own. The central government said the blitz was launched to halt the narcotics network of a gang called Comando Vermelho - meaning Red Command - from expanding its operations. But there has been swirling speculation the raid may have been designed as a warning to gang members ahead of two important international events which will be held next week in the city - the C40 global gathering of mayors tackling climate change, and the awarding of Prince William's Earthshot Prize. State Governor Claudio Castro described the war-like operation, which unfolded in the Complexo da Penha and Complexo do Alemao favelas, as the largest in the state's history. Castro reported a death toll of 60 suspected gang members, and a source within his administration said at least four police officers were killed during the raids. Sharing a video of a suspected gang-controlled drone launching a projectile from the foggy skies, Castro said: 'This is how the Rio police are treated by criminals: with bombs dropped by drones. 'This is the scale of the challenge we face. This is not ordinary crime, but narcoterrorism.' Police could be seen in the Vila Cruzeiro neighbourhood of Penha, guarding around 20 young people who were huddled together and sitting on the pavement with their heads bowed, barefoot, and shirtless. Dramatic images from the raids show alleged criminals being led away by police, who made around 81 arrests. One anonymous resident said: 'This is the first time we've seen drones (from criminals) dropping bombs in the community. Everyone is terrified because there's so much gunfire.' Police used their destroyer vehicles to smash a row of barricades which had been erected by drug traffickers to prevent police from entering the narrow streets of the favelas. Congressman Henrique Vieira, an evangelical pastor, roundly condemned the police operation. The state government 'treats the favela as enemy territory, with a license to shoot and kill,' he wrote on X. The UN human rights office also denounced Tuesday's violence, saying it was 'horrified' by the scenes. 'This deadly operation furthers the trend of extreme lethal consequences of police operations in Brazil's marginalised communities,' UN officials said in a statement. 'We remind authorities of their obligations under international human rights law, and urge prompt and effective investigations.' While raids in Rio's favelas are common due to their links to drug crime, gangs and violence, this is the deadliest bust there has ever been. Until now the highest death toll came in a raid in 2021 that left 28 people dead. Last year, approximately 700 people died during police operations in Rio. Experts and human rights groups have lambasted the security efforts in Brazil, deeming them ineffective against criminal organisations. The Human Rights Commission of the Rio State Legislative Assembly will demand 'explanations of the circumstances of the action, which has once again transformed Rio's favelas into a theatre of war and barbarism,' said Dani Monteiro, a congresswoman who heads the commission. Tuesday's operation also wreaked havoc on many of the city's streets, which were ground to a dramatic halt. 'We're left without buses, without anything, in this chaos and not knowing what to do,' said Regina Pinheiro, a 70-year-old retiree, who was trying to return home.

Technology

Shocking moment Nile cruise ship catches fire with hundreds of tourists on board

A tourist cruise ship burst into flames on the River Nile, forcing the evacuation of over 200 holidaymakers. Terrifying footage captured the Iberotel Crown Empress engulfed in an orange blaze with flames exploding from the windows as the vessel sailed between Luxor and Edfu, Egypt. The fire is believed to have broken out in the ship's galley at around 6:15pm on Tuesday for reasons which are still being investigated. The inferno spread throughout the entire hull and left the cabins completely destroyed, forcing the ship's staff to activate the emergency alarm and move passengers to the upper deck. Empress was quickly docked at an unofficial anchorage near Esna to allow for the evacuation of some 220 tourists of varying nationalities. No injuries or deaths have been reported following the incident. The tourists on board had been partaking in their first day of a 12-day Nile river cruise when disaster struck. 'At 6:30pm, other boats shone flashlights toward our cabins. When we opened the window, we saw a huge plume of smoke on deck,' one passenger on board told VRT News. He explained that the evacuation process proved difficult as the fire had broken out on the ground floor so the tourists were not able to exit that way. 'It was pure chaos. People didn't know what to do. Some passengers were able to reach safety via the gangway, others couldn't even leave their cabins and were eventually rescued by two small boats,' he added. A crew member on board the burning Empress also told La Repbblica that staff had used emergency exits to signal to other vessels to stay away. 'It was a difficult moment, the passengers were frightened but cooperative,' they said. Passengers on board told how they had to leave their luggage behind as they made their quick escape. The Public Prosecution office has begun its investigations, with initial findings indicating that the cause of the fire was an electrical short circuit in the ship's kitchen, as per local reports. It comes after a Norwegian Cruise ship rescued 63 people who were left stranded in the Ionian Sea last week. The luxury vessel, operated by Norwegian Cruise Lines, rescued dozens of people off the Greek coast on the night of October 22. The cruise line's Norwegian Epic vessel worked with Greek authorities to bring '63 individuals to safety,' according to the company. Norwegian told USA TODAY: 'The individuals were brought on board and tended to by the ship's crew who provided a medical evaluation, food and other items for their comfort. 'Following a mandatory directive from the Rescue Coordination Centre, the ship proceeded to Kalamata, Greece where the rescued individuals were turned over to the Greek authorities.' The cruise line did not specify who the people rescued were.