World News: 21 April 2023

Moonbin's death renews scrutiny on pressures of K-pop
Moonbin's death came in the middle of a world tour of his duo with fellow Astro member Sanha. Jung Chae-yull, a 26-year-old actress, was found dead in her home earlier this month. Actress Yoo Joo-eun died at the age of 27 in August last year. Sulli, former member of girl group f(x), died in 2019 aged 25 following a long struggle with online bullying. And her close friend Goo Hara, also a K-pop star, was found dead at home a month later.

Read more...


Russia’s air force accidentally bombs own city of Belgorod
Belgorod, a city of 340,000 located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of the Russia-Ukraine border, has faced regular drone attacks during Russia's current military operation in Ukraine. Russian authorities blamed the earlier strikes on the Ukrainian military, which refrained from directly claiming responsibility for the attacks.

Read more...


Sudan’s top general says military committed to civilian rule
In his first speech since the conflict engulfed Sudan nearly a week ago, army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan pledged the military would prevail and secure the vast African nation's safe transition to civilian rule.
But for many Sudanese, Burhan's claim rang hollow 18 months after he joined forces with his current rival to seize power in a coup that cast aside Sudan's pro-democracy forces.

Read more...



North Korea criticises G7 over call for denuclearisation
Tension has flared in recent weeks as the isolated country has ramped up military activities, and threatened "more practical and offensive" action as US and South Korean forces conduct annual springtime military exercises. North Korea has been reacting furiously to those exercises, calling them a rehearsal for "an all-out, nuclear war".

Read more...


Chile plans to nationalize its vast lithium industry
The shock move in the country with the world’s largest lithium reserves would in time transfer control of Chile’s vast lithium operations from industry giants SQM and Albemarle to a separate state-owned company. SQM, formally called Sociedad Quimica Y Minera de Chile, and Albemarle supply Tesla Inc, LG Energy and other electric vehicle (EV) and battery manufacturers.

Read more...


Western Balkans see boom in solar energy but grids unprepared
Renewables could help ease the power crisis as countries shift away from coal. But industry officials say distribution systems are not prepared for new energy feeds. Grid expansion, energy storage and tightened regulations are just a few ways countries aim to combat the problem.

Read more...



Comments