Kyiv utility outages, Russia’s treaty exit, refrigeration cyberattacks

Russian strikes cut power and water for hours in Kyiv

Russian attacks interrupted power and water in Kyiv and nearby areas, while emergency outages affected cities across Ukraine. Residents in the capital were directed to drinking-water fountains and centers with charging points.

Russia leaves European anti-torture convention, ending monitoring

Russia’s departure from the European anti-torture convention ends its detention-inspection safeguard. Russia remains a party to the UN Convention Against Torture and can still authorize publication of withheld European inspection reports.

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US appeals court permits election-worker prosecution threats

US appeals court rulings permit prosecution threats against election workers, changing the protection a district judge had ordered as officials processed ballots.

Cocaine-linked deaths overtake heroin in England and Wales

Cocaine was mentioned more often than any other single substance in drug-poisoning deaths registered in England and Wales, although opiates and opioids combined were linked to more deaths. Registration delays mean the figures do not all relate to deaths in the same year.

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Refrigeration cyberattacks hit at least 11 European countries

Refrigeration cyberattacks affected at least 11 European countries, forcing retailers to discard food. France’s blood service says staff also protected blood supplies after cold stores run by contractors were hit.

US cybersecurity agency adds exploited WordPress Core flaw to catalog

CISA has added a WordPress Core flaw to its exploited-vulnerability catalog. Its directive requires federal civilian agencies to prioritize high-risk listed flaws on publicly exposed systems where exploitation grants total control, and sets expectations for checking for compromise before patching.

Nexus Mods requires disclosure of superintelligence use in new mods

Nexus Mods requires authors to declare superintelligence use in new uploads and explain how it was used in assisted mods. The platform will enforce the rules for existing work after the grace period and plans to add content-hiding controls to search.

Russia raises duty on spirits from ‘unfriendly’ countries from 20% to 35%

Russia has approved higher duties on spirits from designated countries, which will increase costs for importers. Industry experts expect retail prices to rise once existing stocks run out.

Canada bars Russia and Belarus from World Junior Hockey Championships

Canada’s restriction keeps Russian and Belarusian players out of the junior tournament in Alberta, after a sports court allowed Russians to compete in international federation events.

Leicestershire lose cricket appeal, confirming relegation

Leicestershire’s failed appeal settles the County Championship relegation places: Essex stay in Division One, while Leicestershire return to the second tier next season.