Latest news with #KnowledgeBank
The Journal
01-08-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
US to deploy two nuclear submarines in response to 'highly provocative' comments from Russia
LAST UPDATE | 3 hrs ago US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump has said he ordered that two nuclear submarines be deployed in response to 'highly provocative' comments by a senior Russian official. Trump did not say whether he meant nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed submarines. He also did not elaborate on the locations, which are kept secret by the US military. The United States and Russia control the vast majority of the world's nuclear weaponry, and Washington keeps nuclear-armed submarines on patrol as part of its so-called nuclear triad of land, sea and air-launched weapons. 'Based on the highly provocative statements of the Former President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev…, I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that,' Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. 'Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances.' Trump did not refer specifically to what Medvedev had said to prompt the highly unusual public display of nuclear sabre-rattling. On Monday, Medvedev harshly criticised Trump's threat of new sanctions against Russia over the continuing invasion of Ukraine. Advertisement Accusing Trump of 'playing the ultimatum game,' he posted on X that Trump 'should remember' that Russia is a formidable force. 'Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country,' the Russian official said. Medvedev is currently deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council and a vocal proponent of President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine – and generally antagonistic relations with the West. He served one term as president between 2008-2012, effectively acting as a placeholder for Putin, who was able to circumvent constitutional term limits and remain in de facto power. - © AFP 2025 Want to know more about what's happening in Ukraine and why? Check out our FactCheck Knowledge Bank for essential reads and guides to finding good information online. Visit Knowledge Bank
The Journal
31-07-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Russian missile and drone attack kills six and injures 52 in Kyiv
RUSSIA ATTACKED UKRAINE'S capital overnight with missiles and drones, killing at least six people including a six-year-old boy, authorities have said. Kyiv City Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko said at least 52 other people were injured in the attacks, and the number is likely to rise. A large part of a nine-storey residential building collapsed after it was struck, he added. Rescue teams are at the scene to rescue people trapped under the rubble. 'Missile strike. Directly on a residential building. People are under the rubble. All services are on site,' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on his official Telegram page. Images from the scene showed plumes of smoke emanating from a partially damaged building and debris strewn on the ground. Residents defied police orders not to return to the scene to retrieve their belongings. Advertisement Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and interior minister Ihor Klymenko also arrived at the scene. At least 27 locations across Kyiv were hit by the attack, Tkachenko said, with the heaviest damage in the Solomianskyi and Sviatoshynskyi districts. US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he was giving Russian President Vladimir Putin a shorter deadline, August 8, for peace efforts to make progress or Washington will impose punitive sanctions and tariffs. Western leaders have accused Putin of dragging his feet in US-led peace efforts in an attempt to capture more Ukrainian land. Want to know more about what's happening in Ukraine and why? Check out our FactCheck Knowledge Bank for essential reads and guides to finding good information online. Visit Knowledge Bank
The Journal
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Russia accuses Ukraine of escalating air attacks to thwart peace talks
RUSSIA HAS ACCUSED Ukraine of increasing air barrages with the aim of disrupting peace talks and said that its own massive assaults on Ukraine were a 'response' to Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia. US-led efforts to force peace negotiations between the neighbours have failed to reach a breakthrough, and left president Donald Trump frustrated with both sides. Yesterday, Moscow launched the biggest air attack on Ukraine since the start of its 2022 full-scale offensive. 'Kyiv, with the support of some European countries, has taken a series of provocative steps to thwart negotiations initiated by Russia,' Moscow's defence ministry said, adding that the Russian army was striking Ukraine 'in response to mass Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian regions'. Russia claimed it was hitting 'only military targets' in Ukraine – but it launched an attack on Sunday that killed 13 civilians, including three children from the same family, in Ukraine's central city of Zhytomyr. Advertisement The rubble of a destroyed house in Zhytomyr, Ukraine. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Russian officials said they had launched the attacks after Ukraine sent 1,465 drones into Russia since 20 May. It said Russian civilians, 'including women and children', were wounded in the Ukrainian attacks, and warned that it would continue strikes 'in response to any terrorist attacks or provocations by Kyiv'. After the massive attacks on Ukraine, Trump said that Russian leader Vladimir Putin had gone 'crazy', in rare criticism of the Kremlin chief. Want to know more about what's happening in Ukraine and why? Check out our FactCheck Knowledge Bank for essential reads and guides to finding good information online. Visit Knowledge Bank
NZ Herald
28-04-2025
- General
- NZ Herald
On the Up: Knowledge Bank keeps Hawke's Bay story alive despite limited funding
It documents everything from family letters to records of orchards, old books, remarkable videos, sports clubs and storm recovery. Keeping the doors open and the archives running comes at a cost – dozens of volunteers and at least $100,000 a year are needed. Bainbridge says the organisation receives $30,000 a year from Hastings District Council, a small contribution from Napier City Council, and some lottery and community grants. Each year, the Knowledge Bank has to reapply, fundraise and manage how it will fund the projects. This year it's looking to spread its arms a little bit. Right now, it relies on volunteer power. About 80 people help to scan, transcribe, upload and proofread hundreds of records, pouring in about 1000 volunteer hours each month. Yet the backlog continues to grow. For every photo they capture, each click demands about three hours of work. 'At the moment we've got 70 boxes sitting in the container, and that's over 100 years of architectural history,' Bainbridge said. 'We can't start any projects without funding.' The bank is currently working on a Cyclone Gabrielle history project, capturing stories from 150 residents across Hastings affected by the devastating storm. Grant Nicholson, a six-year volunteer at the bank who is interviewing people for the project, said the experience has been deeply emotional and real. 'We don't worry about editing or saying, 'Oh, you can't say that'. We want criticism, we want the good stuff, the bad stuff and the tears stuff, and there's plenty of it.' Bainbridge said, unlike museums that prioritise notable artefacts or public institutions that focus on structural history, the Knowledge Bank's mission is to preserve stories of everyday life. 'You don't have to be important to bring your family history here.' The organisation is looking to implement a suggested donation system when accepting new collections, so the burden doesn't fall entirely on grant funding. 'We want to spread our arms and start being a little bit more self-sufficient,' Bainbridge said. The organisation is now partnering with the Ministry of Social Development (MSD). Hazel Belleza is one of the volunteers referred by the MSD. She has been volunteering for the bank for two months and does 40 hours a week. 'When I am at home, I get bored. Here I can get busy clicking and digitalising the books. I enjoy it,' she says. Bainbridge says the work done by the Knowledge Bank is essential. One of her favourite memories is from one of her first tasks at the Knowledge Bank when she started in 2016. She transcribed the official handbook of Hastings, published in 1929. 'There is so much information, like how many streetlights, footpaths and shops. It talks about Cornwall Park and about how they've got monkeys in the zoo there. And how it was going to be a world-renowned zoo. 'They had all these great ambitions and plans about how Hastings was going to be. And then we had the earthquake in 1931, and it totally devastated the landscape. I often think about it.' Bainbridge says that despite any financial struggle, they will keep fighting to preserve the Bay's memories. 'If we don't continue to preserve these stories, they're going to be lost.'
