Germany calls for ‘thorough probe’ into Ukraine’s energy sector corruption scandal

"Germany has demanded that Kiev conduct a thorough investigation into the major corruption

scandal involving the inner circle of Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky.
On Monday, Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies said they had uncovered an embezzlement and kickback scheme in the energy sector worth around $100 million. Among those charged was Timur Mindich, a close associate and former business partner of Zelensky. The scandal has led to the resignations of the ministers of energy and justice.
German government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said Wednesday that Berlin was monitoring the corruption case and expects “a thorough and transparent investigation.” RT

Strong mag. 5.1 Earthquake - 107 km WNW of Basco, Philippines

"A strong magnitude 5.1 earthquake occurred in the South China Sea 78 km (48 mi) from Philippines in the evening at 8.02 pm local time (GMT +8). The quake had a very shallow depth of 24 km (15 mi) and was reported felt by some people near the epicenter." VD

Strong mag. 5.2 Earthquake - 5.4 km east of Paphos, Pafos, Cyprus

"A strong magnitude 5.2 earthquake hit 5.4 km (3.4 mi) away from Paphos, Pafos, Cyprus, in the morning at 11.31 am local time (Asia/Nicosia GMT +2). The depth of the quake could not be determined, but is assumed to be shallow.The earthquake was felt over a large region.. The shallow depth of the quake caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicenter than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would." VD

Strong mag. 5.3 Earthquake - 3 km SE of Meládeia, Cyprus

"A strong magnitude 5.3 earthquake hit 24 km (15 mi) away from Paphos, Pafos, Cyprus, in

the afternoon at 4.23 pm local time (Asia/Nicosia GMT +2). The depth of the quake could not be determined, but is assumed to be shallow.

The earthquake was felt over a large region.. The shallow depth of the quake caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicenter than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would." W

Over 1 000 homes flooded as Tropical Storm Fung-wong brings extreme rainfall to Taiwan

"More than 8 300 people were evacuated across 11 counties and cities in Taiwan as Tropical Storm Fung-wong approached landfall. The storm brought intense rainfall to the island’s eastern regions, with over 1 000 homes flooded in Yilan County and at least 51 injuries reported." W

226 combat clashes on front lines over past day

"226 combat engagements between Ukraine's Defense Forces and Russian invaders on the frontline.
On the Northern Slobozhanshchyna and Kursk axis, three combat engagements were recorded. The enemy carried out three air strikes, dropping eight glide bombs, and conducted 212 artillery attacks, including 14 using multiple launch rocket systems.
On the Southern Slobozhanshchyna axis, there were 18 combat engagements in the Vovchansk, Synelnykove, and toward Dvorichanske and Hryhorivka sectors.
On the Kupiansk axis, nine Russian attacks were recorded. The Defense Forces repelled assault actions toward Petropavlivka, Pishchane, and Bohuslavka.

On the Lyman axis, the enemy attacked Ukrainian positions 32 times, attempting to advance in the areas of Ridkodub, Hrekivka, Karpivka, Zarichne, and Novoselivka, as well as in the directions of Novyi Myr, Hlushchenkove, Novoserhiivka, Stavky, Drobysheve, Korovii Yar, and Lyman.
On the Sloviansk axis, Russian forces attacked the positions of the Defense Forces nine times in the areas of Dronivka, Yampil, Serebrianka, and Vyimka.
On the Kramatorsk axis, the invaders did not conduct any offensive actions.
On the Kostiantynivka axis, the enemy carried out 24 attacks in the areas of Oleksandro-Shultyne, Pleshchiivka, Shcherbynivka, Kostiantynivka, Yablunivka, Rusyn Yar, and in the directions of Berestok and Sofiivka.
On the Pokrovsk axis, Ukraine's defenders stopped 81 attacks by the Russian army in the areas of Shakhove, Maiak, Novoekonomichne, Nove Shakhove, Rodynske, Chervonyi Lyman, Myrnohrad, Novohrodivka, Zelene, Kotlyne, Udachne, Molodetske, Novomykolaivka, Filiia, Dachne, and in the direction of Novopavlivka.
On the Oleksandrohrad axis, the Defense Forces repelled 15 enemy assaults near Andriivka-Klevtsove, Sichneve, Sosnivka, Verbove, Zlahoda, Oleksandrohrad, Stepove, and Rybne.
On the Huliaipole axis, the Defense Forces repelled six attacks in the area of Zelenyi Hai.
On the Orikhiv axis, Russian troops made five unsuccessful attempts to storm the positions of Ukrainian defenders in the Prymorske and Novodanylivka area.
On the Prydniprovske axis, enemy units made two futile attempts to advance on the positions of the Defense Forces toward the Antonivskyi Bridge.
In the Volyn and Polissia sectors, no signs of the formation of enemy offensive groups were detected." Ukrin

Cabinet suspends Ukrainian minister implicated in Energoatom corruption scandal

"Herman Halushchenko, who is implicated in a corruption scandal at state nuclear power

company Energoatom, has been suspended from the job of justice minister, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on Nov. 12.
Halushchenko is being investigated by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) as part of a large-scale corruption case into Energoatom involving Timur Mindich, a close associate of President Volodymyr Zelensky. He has not been officially charged yet.
An extraordinary meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers has suspended Halushchenko and appointed Lyudmila Suhak, deputy justice minister for European integration, as acting justice minister, Svyrydenko said on Telegram." KI

At Least Nine Killed in New Delhi Car Explosion, Terrorism Suspected

"At least nine people were killed when a car exploded near the historic Red Fort in New Delhi,
India, on Monday evening. The incident is being investigated under India’s counter-terrorism law, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi seemed convinced that the deadly explosion was a deliberate act.
According to New Delhi police, the explosion originated from a Hyundai i20 automobile which was stopped at a traffic signal near the Red Fort metro station a few minutes before 7:00 p.m. local time. All of New Delhi’s metro stations and government buildings, plus the international airport, were placed on high alert after the explosion." Breitbart

Suicide bomber kills 12 outside court in Pakistan capital

"A suicide bomber killed at least 12 people outside a court building in Pakistan's capital

Islamabad on Tuesday, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said.
Several others were wounded and some were in a critical condition, a hospital source said.
The bomber tried to enter the court building on foot, but detonated the device outside, close to a police vehicle, after waiting there for 10 to 15 minutes, Naqvi told reporters at the site." msn

Strong mag. 5.4 Earthquake - 111 km E of Miyako, Japan

"A strong magnitude 5.4 earthquake occurred in the North Pacific Ocean 102 km (63 mi) from
Japan on Wed, Nov 12, 2025 at 00:29 GMT. The quake had a shallow depth of 35 km (22 mi) and was not felt." VD

5.4 Earthquake - Aru Sea, 48 km west of Pulau Wasir Island, Maluku, Indonesia

"A strong magnitude 5.4 earthquake occurred in the Aru Sea near Pulau Wasir island, Indonesia, in the early morning of Wednesday, Nov 12, 2025 at 6.23 am local time (GMT +9). The quake had a very shallow depth of 26 km (16 mi) and was not felt." VD

5.0 Earthquake - South Sandwich Islands Region

"A strong magnitude 5.0 earthquake occurred in the South Atlantic Ocean 111 km (69 mi)
from South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in the early morning of Wednesday, Nov 12, 2025 at 2.23 am local time (GMT -2). The depth of the quake could not be determined, but is assumed to be shallow." VD

Strong mag. 5.8 Earthquake - Greenland Sea

"A strong magnitude 5.8 earthquake occurred in the Norwegian Sea 400 km (249 mi) from
Svalbard and Jan Mayen in the early morning of Wednesday, Nov 12, 2025 at 6.03 am local time (GMT +0). The depth of the quake could not be determined, but is assumed to be shallow." VD

217 combat clashes on front lines over past day

"There were 217 combat engagements between Ukraine's Defense Forces and Russian invaders over the past 24 hours.
Russian airstrikes targeted areas near Lozova in the Kharkiv region, Malomykhailivka in the Dnipropetrovsk region, and Zelenyi Hai in the Zaporizhzhia region.
On the Northern Slobozhanshchyna and Kursk axes, there were ten combat engagements. The enemy carried out 157 artillery strikes, including three with multiple launch rocket systems.
On the Southern Slobozhanshchyna axis, 17 combat clashes took place near Vovchansk, Vovchanski Khutory, Odradne, and toward Dvorichanske.

On the Kupiansk axis, the enemy launched 18 assaults. Ukrainian defenders repelled attacks near Kupiansk, Stepova Novoselivka, Borivska Andriivka, and toward Hlushkivka, Petropavlivka, and Novoosynove.
On the Lyman axis, Russian forces attacked Ukrainian positions 12 times, attempting to advance near Zarichne, Ridkodub, Nadiia, Tverdokhlibove, Kolodiazi, and toward Korovii Yar.
On the Sloviansk axis, eight enemy assaults targeted Ukrainian positions near Yampil, Serebrianka, Vyimka, and Dronivka.
On the Kostiantynivka axis, the invaders launched 16 attacks near Bila Hora, Shcherbynivka, Pleshchiivka, Kostiantynivka, Yablunivka, Rusyn Yar, and toward Sofiivka.
On the Pokrovsk axis, Ukrainian defenders repelled 76 enemy assaults near Volodymyrivka, Nykanorivka, Chervonyi Lyman, Myrnohrad, Rodynske, Lysivka, Pokrovsk, Kotlyne, Udachne, Molodetske, and Novomykhailivka.
On the Oleksandrohrad axis, the Defense Forces repelled 23 attacks near Sosnivka, Stepove, Novomykhailivka, Pershotravneve, Rybne, and toward Solodke.
On the Huliaipole axis, Ukrainian troops fought off three assaults near Zelenyi Hai, Solodke, and Danylivka.
On the Orikhiv axis, Russian forces attacked Ukrainian positions four times toward Prymorske." Ukrin

Scientists record first-of-its-kind tectonic plate rupture within the Pacific Ocean

"For the first time in history, scientists have observed the rupture of a tectonic plate in a subduction zone in real time. The study, published in the scientific journal Science Advances, was conducted by scientists from Louisiana State University.

The observed rupture occurred on the Juan de Fuca plate, located at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, between the North American Plate and the Pacific Plate, near California and British Columbia.
This recent study revealed that the Explorer microplate is detaching from what remains of the ancient Farallon oceanic plate, in a process called " slab tearing ." Furthermore, this type of rupture alters the Earth's internal movement. It may, in the future, impact the occurrence of earthquakes and volcanic activity in the North Pacific.
"There is a very large fault that is actively fracturing the plate. It's not 100% broken yet, but it's close," said Brandon Shuck.
According to scientists, when a segment breaks completely, it ceases to generate earthquakes, since the rocks are no longer joined together." msn