Society

During a visit to Kyiv, US General Antonio Aguto, who is responsible for coordinating support for Ukraine, suffered a concussion at a party where alcohol was served. And on his return from yet another visit, he left a briefcase containing confidential information on the train.

The Ukrainian company Stetman is working on creating its own satellite constellation in low Earth orbit. A test satellite is scheduled for launch as early as October 2026, with full-scale deployment of the network set to begin in 2027.

Every year on 17 March, the world celebrates St Patrick’s Day – the feast day of Ireland’s patron saint. This celebration has long since spread beyond the Emerald Isle: on this day, people in the UK, the US, Argentina, Japan, Ukraine and many other countries become ‘a little bit Irish’.

On 17 March, increased geomagnetic activity is expected on Earth, and periods of a weak G1-level magnetic storm are possible throughout the day. This forecast is linked to the prolonged but gradually weakening influence of a coronal hole, as well as to a possible additional effect from coronal mass ejections recorded on 13 and 15 March.

On 17 March, according to the new church calendar, Ukraine commemorates Saint Alexius, the man of God. Among the people, this day is known as ‘Alexius the Warm’, and a number of omens, traditions and taboos are associated with the date.

European publishers, tech companies and start-ups have called on the European Union to conclude its investigation into Google’s promotion of its own services in search results as soon as possible and to impose a fine on the company. This relates to the case being investigated by the European Commission under the Digital Markets Act.

Digital isolation is intensifying in Russia: Western tech companies are restricting access to their services, whilst the Kremlin is simultaneously blocking or slowing down key platforms within the country. Against this backdrop, it is not only civilian users who have been hit, but also Russian military communications, volunteer coordination and the internal logistics of the war.

The Swiss government has urged voters to reject the initiative to cap the population at 10 million, as officials believe this could jeopardise the economy and relations with the EU.

Forbes has published its list of the highest-paid actors of 2025. Adam Sandler took first place with earnings of $48 million after agent and manager fees, whilst Tom Cruise, Mark Wahlberg, Scarlett Johansson and Brad Pitt also made the top five.

A beta test has been launched on the ‘Dія’ single portal for public services, allowing people to submit an application to the International Register of Damages. It relates to cases of job loss due to the war.

Fires at oil depots and rocket explosions during the war with Iran have led to the release of toxic substances. Experts warn that the pollution could affect the health of millions of people and persist for decades.

На церемонії “Оскар-2026” у категорії “Найкращий ігровий короткометражний фільм” перемогли одразу дві стрічки - “Two People Exchanging Saliva” та “The Singers”. Це сьома нічия в історії премії Американської кіноакадемії.