Author: NCIJ NETWNCIJ NETWORK

One of the unintended consequences of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine was that it gave Poland a rare slice of geopolitical stardom. When Russian tanks started their ultimately unsuccessful cavalcade towards the Ukrainian capital, ordinary Poles rushed to help millions of people fleeing the looming conflict. As Polish people opened their doors to civilians running from Russian bombs, even the then ruling populist Law and Justice party had to follow suit.It seemed that Poland and Ukraine were bound for an iron-clad alliance, unprecedented in their shared history. Poland advocated for the Ukrainian cause in the west, with some success. Ukrainian…

The matte black brick building has stood in the heart of Seoul for 50 years. It is also unusual for the slit-like windows that run across its fifth floor. Each looked out of small cells, some of which were painted blood red to evoke fear.There, in 1981, South Korea’s military dictatorship tortured Yoo Dong-woo, a former factory worker, for organizing labor protests. His ribs were broken, some of his teeth were knocked out, and blood constantly pooled in his mouth.“So, this is how a person dies,” he recalled thinking at the time.Mr. Yoo and his cause survived. South Korea is…

A French tourist has died in California’s Death Valley after becoming stranded on the side of the road during 46.6C (116F) heat.Police found 68-year-old Pierre Michel Formosa recently following a brief search, with the National Park service saying he died while trying to seek help in the blistering heat when his car got stuck in mud.”This is a heartbreaking reminder of how quickly conditions here can turn dangerous,” Death Valley National Park Superintendent Mike Reynolds said in a statement. Soaring temperatures across the United States have caused millions of people to sweat through record heatwaves, leading to dozens of heat-related…

Gentner Drummond, Oklahoma’s attorney general and a candidate in a hard-fought Republican primary runoff for governor, has repeatedly taken positions that put him at odds with other Republican state leaders since taking the office in 2023.Mr. Drummond, a lawyer from a longtime Oklahoma ranching family, is facing opposition from President Trump and the outgoing governor, Kevin Stitt, who have both endorsed his opponent, Mike Mazzei.Should he win the nomination in the deep-red state, Mr. Drummond would enter the general election as the favorite against the Democratic nominee, State Representative Cyndi Munson.Here are five things to know about Mr. Drummond:1. He…

Mike Mazzei, the head of a financial planning firm who is vying to be the Republican nominee for Oklahoma governor, has presented himself as a staunch supporter of President Trump, who endorsed him and carried Oklahoma with 66 percent of the vote in 2024.A former state senator and budget secretary under Gov. Kevin Stitt, Mr. Mazzei is locked in a hard-fought Republican primary runoff against the state’s attorney general, Gentner Drummond.Should he prevail, Mr. Mazzei, 61, would be the favorite in the general election against the Democratic nominee for governor, State Representative Cyndi Munson.Here are five things to know about…

Garmin/Matthew Miller/ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.The Garmin Fenix 8 has been one of my favorite sports watches of the past few years, which is why I was excited to hear about the news of the new Garmin Fenix 9 and 9 Pro watches, available on August 28th. The Fenix series is built for those who want it all in a sports watch — and don’t mind paying over $1,000 to get there. Given the capabilities of the Fenix line, you can even choose models that let you leave your phone behind, justifying the high price for some users. Also: I…

Soluna Holdings is asking shareholders to substantially expand its ability to issue stock as the data-center developer tries to finance a 6.3-gigawatt pipeline that remains overwhelmingly unbuilt.An SEC filing showed that Soluna shareholders will vote at the company’s Oct. 16 annual meeting on whether to increase its authorized common stock to 1 billion shares from 375 million.Investors will also consider a separate proposal allowing Soluna to issue more than 20% of its outstanding shares under a standby equity agreement with YA II PN. The company had 246.7 million shares outstanding as of Aug. 21. Related ReadingBitcoin miner Bitdeer unlocks a…

NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley invites media to learn more about NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, scheduled to launch Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Roman telescope will provide a wide, detailed view of the universe, helping scientists study dark energy, exoplanets, and cosmic structures. Roman also will test advanced technology designed to directly image planets around nearby stars — a key step in NASA’s search for life beyond Earth.  Ames subject matter experts will be available for virtual interviews to discuss Roman’s goals and the center’s contributions to the mission on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026,…

ELMORE, Ala.—Tiffany Montellano can’t sleep.  Instead, she lies awake, worried about her husband Andrew, 31, who is incarcerated at Elmore Correctional Facility just north of Montgomery, Alabama’s state capital.  She worries because a few days ago, she received a call during her lunch break from Andrew, who had missed their usual call the night before.  He told her he had become dizzy the previous day because of the overwhelming heat inside the un-air-conditioned, 200-person dorm where he’s housed.  “He said the room wouldn’t stop spinning, and they had to hook him up to an IV,” Montellano said. Montellano is among…

The gunmen, reportedly dressed in military-style clothing, attacked the villages of Dekara, Gidan Zana, Sabon Gida and Masaka.Police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun told the BBC that more than 40 people were killed, but the exact number of deaths had not been confirmed.Looking at the footage released on social media, the local youth leader, who asked not to be named, said he recognised several individuals from his community.”I was able to identify many people. There is an elderly man in the video who is like a grandfather to us,” he said. “He lives in Gidan Zana village.”He said families who had spotted…