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Russia has opened a three-day parliamentary election from Sept 18-20 expected to return a United Russia-dominated State Duma. Most anti-war candidates were barred, the liberal Yabloko federal list was disqualified, and officials are holding ballots in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine. Kyiv has launched large drone strikes that have reached Moscow and Russian infrastructure this week.
Ukraine has intensified drone and mid-range strikes on Crimea and nearby Russian oil facilities, hitting an oil depot in Kerch and an oil transport site in Krasnodar. Russian-appointed officials have suspended civilian fuel sales across Crimea, reported casualties and imposed travel and event restrictions as power outages and transport disruptions leave tourists and residents stranded.
Two men linked to Ukraine and Romania have been convicted at London's Old Bailey of conspiring to commit arson and damaging property tied to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. A Russian-speaking Telegram handler, named El Money, directed the attacks to sow fear and disrupt UK politics. Sentencing is set for Friday as authorities stress the incident’s broader implications for security and foreign interference.
Hundreds of students and supporters have been sleeping on streets in New Delhi and staging protests in multiple cities after India cancelled a national medical entrance exam over alleged paper leaks. The government has temporarily restricted Telegram and ordered platform limits ahead of a June 21 NEET re-test while investigators probe channels that sold or advertised leaked or fake papers.
A gunman in military camouflage opened fire in Montreal’s Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood, killing an officer and injuring others before the assailant was neutralized. A bystander and a local resident were also killed. Investigations are underway, with authorities examining links to a manifesto and possible incel‑ideology influences.
WhatsApp has begun reserving usernames to replace phone numbers for contact, a move the company frames as a privacy feature. Several countries are scrutinising the plan as regulators warn of potential rises in fraud and impersonation. The rollout is to be gradual this year, with high-profile handles reserved to prevent abuse.
Prosecutors in Berlin have charged a 68‑year‑old man with 22 counts of aggravated rape involving 14 women, part of a wider probe into an online network that prosecutors say enabled drug‑facilitated sexual assaults. Investigations trace the crimes to chats and online forums with suspected involvement of dozens of people across countries. Authorities say the scale is likely under‑detected.
Australia’s social media age-restriction law has faced enforcement challenges as a study finds that initial age-inference checks are failing to identify under-16 users, despite platforms claiming to follow regulator guidance. A Kick platform shows stricter onboarding, while Meta, YouTube and others dispute the trial’s implications.
India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has given Meta seven days to report on action taken after a BBC Eye investigation found Instagram ran paid ads promoting child sexual abuse material in India, linking to Telegram channels. Meta says it has a zero-tolerance policy and is improving defenses.
Since January, a U.S. oil blockade has cut most foreign fuel shipments to Cuba and has pushed the island into its worst energy and economic crisis in decades. Repeated nationwide blackouts have occurred, hospitals and transport are strained, tourism has collapsed and Havana has approved limited economic reforms while secret U.S. intelligence and diplomatic contacts continue.
The Metropolitan Police warn that threats online are a continual battle, with Islamic extremism remaining the biggest risk and hostile states, far-right groups, and proxies targeting Britain. Authorities say Iran, Russia and China are linked to plots, while police are increasing surveillance and investigating proxy networks.
An international pattern of grooming and coercion by groups known as Com networks has emerged, with cases in the UK and beyond. Authorities report a surge in abuse linked to Discord, Telegram and other platforms, with tens to hundreds of cases; the networks recruit vulnerable youths, especially girls, to produce exploitative content for notoriety.
A Ukrainian drone campaign has expanded its strikes into Russia, hitting Wildberries warehouses in Krasnodar and Stavropol regions and causing casualties and fires. Attacks have also targeted logistics hubs and an oil depot, while Russia and Ukraine have exchanged strikes near Ukraine’s ports and in the Black Sea region.
Russia's FSB has accused Telegram of failing to remove channels, chats and bots that it says Ukrainian intelligence and extremist groups used to coordinate sabotage, terrorism and cyber-fraud inside Russia, and has placed founder Pavel Durov on an international wanted list; Telegram responded by posting an image of Durov making a rude gesture.
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has begun legal action against Telegram for failing to remove pro-terror material, citing content linked to Christchurch and Buffalo attacks. Telegram contests the allegations as Russia charges its founder, Pavel Durov, with facilitating terrorism amid ongoing safety talks with Australia.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Russian forces have used ballistic missiles supplied by North Korea in strikes that hit the Zaporizhstal steel plant and other Ukrainian cities, killing at least seven workers and wounding others. Kyiv has also said Moscow is receiving more North Korean missiles and preparing to deploy more North Korean personnel on Russian territory. Allies are being urged to send more air-defence systems.
Ukrainian drones target a Wildberries facility near Moscow, killing and injuring several. Russia counters with drone interceptions and strikes across multiple regions, including St. Petersburg and Belgorod. The events mark a renewed flare in the Ukraine conflict and affect civilian infrastructure.
A multi-source review shows a rising tide of nonconsensual AI pornography, with victims sharing trauma, lawmakers moving on bills like TAKE IT DOWN and DEFIANCE, and platforms under pressure to act. Cases from the UK, US, and Europe illustrate the scale and the legal gaps being addressed.
A judge has ruled that the confession by Abu Agila Mas’ud Kheir Al-Marimi will form a central part of the Pan Am 103 trial in Washington. Defence lawyers had argued the statement was false and made under duress, but prosecutors say the detail-rich document will be corroborated. Victims’ groups describe the ruling as a step forward in the long fight for justice.
The UN confirms July was the deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians since the invasion began, with 437 killed and 2,610 injured. Long-range weapons remain the main cause, and Kyiv calls for more air defences as Ukraine expands long-range strikes against Russian targets.
Lev Shlosberg, deputy chairman of Yabloko, has been sentenced to 11 years and 1 month in prison for discrediting the Russian armed forces and spreading false information about the war in Ukraine. The case marks a new blow to Russia's dissidence as Yabloko faces election bans and authorities tighten controls.
A daytime Russian drone strike has hit a busy shopping mall in Kryvyi Rih, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s hometown, in two waves. Rescue teams have continued searching the rubble; authorities have reported at least 14 dead, about 121–130 wounded and several people missing, including children. Kyiv has renewed appeals for more air-defence support.
A string of drone and missile strikes has hit Wildberries and Ozon facilities across Russia near Belgorod and Lipetsk regions, damaging warehouses, injuring civilians, and prompting evacuations as Ukraine intensifies attacks on logistics sites linked to Russian civilian supply chains.
A Russian drone strike on a Kyiv-area warehouse has killed at least 27 people, injured dozens, and prompted new calls from President Zelensky to hold perpetrators to account. Officials say the blast caused significant damage to nearby infrastructure and prompted mass evacuations in the Bucha district.
The FBI has seized cryptocurrency linked to Hamas’ fundraising and disrupted its online platforms. Authorities have also taken control of domains and platforms used for fundraising and recruitment, and gathered information on thousands who attempted to donate.
Ukraine has warned airlines and insurers that expanding Ukrainian drone strikes have made Russian airspace unsafe for civilian flights. President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine is not targeting civilian aircraft but that "drone‑infested skies" require airlines to rethink routings. Moscow has called the warning "state terrorism" and pledged to protect airports and keep services running.