DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

They call it an encirclement of their nation and say the United States is trying to constrain its main economic and military rival. The United States also has a new security agreement with Papua New Guinea. On Wednesday, Mr. Biden signed a $95-billion supplemental military aid and spending bill that Congress had just passed and that includes $8.1 billion to counter China in the region. In addition, the United States continues to send weapons and Green Beret trainers to Taiwan, a de facto independent island and the biggest flashpoint between the United States and China. A swarm of Chinese militia and Coast Guard vessels chased a Philippine Coast Guard ship in the South China Sea last year.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Biden, Antony J, Blinken, Yuri Gripas, ” Ely Ratner, Xi, ” Kurt Campbell, Joseph Wu, ”, “, Samuel J, Paparo Jr, Mr, Paparo, Carl Vinson, Richard A, Brooks, Trump, Lloyd J, Austin III, Chen Jining, Jes Aznar, David H, Berger, Obama, Tony Mcdonough, United States —, Admiral Paparo, China’s “ revanchist, we’re Organizations: Australian, U.S, Marines, United, Pentagon, Corps, Mr, White House, White, The New York Times, American, Marine, Green, China’s, Liberation Army, Seoul SOUTH, Pacific Command, People’s Liberation Army, Agence France, Nuclear Forces Treaty, Defense, Communist Party, Tokyo Okinawa, U.S . Navy, Coast Guard, Philippine Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Army, Philippines Luzon Partner, Australia Darwin Potential, NATO, Tomahawk Locations: Beijing, United States, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Japan, Okinawa, Taiwan, Asia, Pacific, U.S, China, Shanghai, South China, South Korea, Guam, Washington, Manila, Taipei, People’s Republic of China, Palau, West Papua, Seoul, Tokyo JAPAN CHINA Taipei TAIWAN Hong Kong, GUAM philippines MALAYSIA INDONESIA JAPAN CHINA TAIWAN, philippines GUAM, INDONESIA Seoul, GUAM philippines, MALAYSIA INDONESIA, Philippine, Moscow, Tokyo, Ryukyu Islands, South, Philippines Luzon, Luzon, Spratly, Australia, Canberra, Singapore, Darwin, Australia’s, . North Carolina, Virginia, Perth, United Kingdom, Navy’s, America

☆ US Marines train for war with China on an island-hopping battlefield, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

New US Marine formations are learning to battle adversaries like China on remote islands. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementUS Marines are learning how to battle adversaries like China on remote islands in response to rising tensions in the Pacific, a report says. Pentagon experts expect that US satellites will be jammed or destroyed by China in the event of a potential war, the Post noted. In 2021, The Washington-based think tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, conducted war games to imagine how a war between China and the US over Taiwan would play out.

Persons: —, John Aquilino, We've, Col, John Lehane, Lehane, Lewis B, Puller, Sarah Stegall, Mark Cancian Organizations: The Washington Post, Service, US Navy, US Armed Services House, China US, 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, 3rd, Littoral, Pentagon, Marine, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Marine Corps, US Marine Corps, Marines, Center for Strategic, International Studies, US Air Force Locations: China, Pacific, Beijing, Taiwan, Japan, Philippines, Inner Mongolia, Sarah Stegall China, South, The Washington, United States

☆ After years of building up its navy, Saudi Arabia is testing its new warships with real-world missions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in its navy in recent years, buying a number of new warships. AdvertisementThe first of the Spanish-built corvettes, Al Jubail, arrived at the Saudi naval base in Jeddah in August 2022. Patrol boats for Saudi Arabia at a German shipyard in April 2019. During that decade, Saudi Arabia initiated the first Saudi Naval Enhancement Program, which equipped its navy with modern American, French, and British warships. The current buildup, called Saudi Naval Enhancement Program II, or SNEP II, is the most significant one since then.

Persons: —, Leonardo Jacopo Maria Mazzucco, MCS3 Louis Thompson Staats, Mazzucco, Al Jubail, Juan Carlos Toro, Lockheed Martin, Stefan Sauer, Nixon, Shah, HMS Badr, Paul Iddon Organizations: Service, Saudi, Royal Saudi Naval Forces, Combined Maritime Forces, International, Analytics, Stimson Center, US Navy, Royal Saudi Naval Force, Getty, RIM, Saudi Western Fleet, Saudi Eastern Fleet, Lockheed, Fleet, Saudi Naval Enhancement, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, IRGC Navy, SNEP Locations: Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Persian, Saudi, Iran, Yemen, Washington, Al, Madinah, Navantia's, Cádiz, Spain, Jeddah, East Africa, Iraq, Gulf

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. President of the Philippines speaks at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in San Francisco, California, U.S., November 15, 2023. This week's three-day joint air and maritime exercise was a "significant initiative" to boost interoperability between the two, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said. It will end in the West Philippine Sea, the name Manila uses for waters in the South China Sea that fall within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The joint patrol with the United States showed the Manila was making a stand over the South China Sea, said Jay Batongbacal, director of the Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea in Manila, the capital. "It shows that the Philippines is really firming up its posture on West Philippine Sea issues," Batongbacal said.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Carlos Barria, Eugene Cabusao, Marcos, Rodrigo Duterte, Xi Jinping, Jay Batongbacal, Batongbacal, Mikhail Flores, Karen Lema, Martin Petty, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, United States, South China, Washington, Institute for Maritime Affairs, Law, Philippine, Thomson Locations: Philippines, Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, Philippine, Taiwan US, Manila, China, MANILA, Taiwan, Mavulis, Luzon, West Philippine, South, United, Hawaii, United States, China's, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Beijing, South China

☆ China warns against maritime 'camp' confrontations but stops short of naming US
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Ryan Woo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks during the opening ceremony of the diplomatic symposium at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse on October 24, 2023 in Beijing, China. The Philippines, Japan and the United States have complained about what they say is growing Chinese aggression in the South China Sea. Last month, China and the Philippines traded barbs over a collision in the South China Sea as Chinese vessels blocked the passage of Philippine ships. Beijing has been especially critical of the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy, which identifies China as an aggressor in the region, including the South China Sea, undermining international maritime law including freedom of navigation. China will continue to fulfil its obligations under international maritime laws, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Wang said, again without referring to Washington.

Persons: Wang Yi, Ken Ishii, Wang, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Ryan Woo, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Rights, Economic Cooperation, United Nations Convention, UNCLOS, Thomson Locations: Diaoyutai, Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, United States, Philippines, Japan, South China, Philippine, Manila, Hainan, U.S, Asia, Washington

The strike has shut down 13 locks between Lake Erie and Montreal, bottling up ships in the Great Lakes and preventing more ships from coming in. It’s the first time that a strike has shut down the vital shipping artery since 1968. A U.S. Navy warship, the littoral combat ship USS Marinette, was supposed to leave Cleveland on Lake Erie on Monday, but remains stuck. Shipments within the four Great Lakes from Superior to Erie such as iron ore and coal can still go through. MarineTraffic.com showed that it was headed into Lake Erie, but it can go no farther without a resolution.

Persons: ”, Jason Card, “, Unifor, It's, MarineTraffic.com, —, John Jamian, ” Jamian, Isadora, There’s, Jason Hron, ” Hron Organizations: Lawrence Seaway, Lawrence Seaway Management Corp, Ships, “ lakers, Canadian, Seaway, binational Chamber of Marine Commerce, Officials, Management, seaway, — salties, lakers, U.S . Navy, Port, Duluth Seaway Port Authority Locations: MINNEAPOLIS, St, Lawrence, Canada, United States, Ontario, Quebec, Unifor, Lake Erie, Montreal, Great, The St, Lake Superior, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ottawa, Welland, U.S, Marinette, Cleveland, Thunder Bay , Ontario, Superior, Detroit, Lakes Huron, Erie, Port of Detroit, Europe, She’s, Twin Ports, Duluth , Minnesota, Superior , Wisconsin, Cyprus, Algeria, Duluth Seaway, Lakes

☆ A first-of-its-kind drone landing shows how the British navy plans to keep its new aircraft carriers in action for longer
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

During a test in September, a drone flew on and off a British aircraft carrier for the first time. A difficult operationRoyal Navy airman secure a W Autonomous Systems drone aboard HMS Prince of Wales in early September. In 2021, the Royal Navy tested a drone system meant to help crews train to defend against incoming jets and missiles. AdvertisementAdvertisementTurkey's navy will soon add TCG Anadolu, the world's first aircraft carrier designed for a drone air wing. The US Air Force's Next Aircraft Dominance Program is developing a sixth-generation family of aircraft, drone wingmen designed to fly alongside piloted planes.

Persons: —, Wales, Richard Hewitt, HMS Prince, LPhot Finn Stainer, Hutchins, Hewitt, Merlin, Ash Loftus, Prince, Burak, NavyMCS2 Colby, Alex Hollings, Hollings, George H.W, George H.W . Bush, MCS3 Brandon Roberson, Constantine Atlamazoglou Organizations: Service, Royal Navy, Autonomous Systems, Royal Navy Carrier Strike Groups, Wildcat, Fleet, Royal Navy Air Test, Anadolu, Anadolu Agency, Getty Images, US Air Force, Navy, US, Force's, Air Force, US Navy, Fletcher School of Law, LinkedIn, Twitter Locations: British, Prince, Wales, Dardanelles, Tulsa, Vietnam, George H.W .

Aslan Bzhania, the self-styled president of Russian-backed Abkhazia, said an agreement had been signed for a permanent naval base in the Ochamchira region. Three of the Black Sea littoral states are NATO members - Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania. The news of the Russian base at Ochamchira, where the Soviet Union had a naval base, could indicate Russia is seeking alternatives to Sevastopol while also expanding its military presence down the Black Sea coast towards Turkey. The Wall Street Journal reported that Russia had withdrawn the bulk of its Black Sea Fleet from its main base in annexed Crimea due to Ukrainian attacks. At his meeting with Bzhania on Wednesday, Putin did not say anything about a naval base.

Persons: Izvestiya Putin, Vladimir Putin, Aslan Bzhania, Bzhania, Izvestiya, Putin, Guy Faulconbridge, Gareth Jones Organizations: Abkhazia Abkhaz, Ukrainian, Russian Navy, NATO, Soviet, Street Journal, Thomson Locations: Abkhazia, Russia, Sevastopol MOSCOW, Georgian, Sevastopol, Moscow, Ukraine, Ochamchira, South Ossetia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, Syria, Soviet Union, Crimea

☆ The $362 million warship the US Navy just decommissioned wasn't even in service 5 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The US Navy officially decommissioned USS Sioux City this week. The $362 million Littoral Combat Ship has been in service roughly four years and nine months. USS Sioux City, a Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship, was commissioned into service with the Navy on November 17, 2018. In September last year, the Navy decommissioned the Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship USS Coronado after just eight years of service. USS Sioux City conducts a passing exercise with an Egyptian Navy frigate in the Red Sea in July 2022.

Persons: Brandon J, Vinson, Capt, Daniel Reiher, Nicholas S, Tenorio, Nicholas A, Bob Scott, Scott, Seaman Juel Foster, James Stavridis, Stavridis Organizations: US Navy, Navy, Service, USS, Naval, Brandon, Sioux, Coast Guard, Mayport, Littoral Combat Ship Training, Combat, Combat Ships, USS Sioux City, Egyptian Navy, Russell, Russell Sioux City, Iowa Public, Littoral Combat, USS Navy, Communication, Ships Locations: Sioux City, Wall, Silicon, USS Sioux City, Florida, Iowa, Coronado, Littoral, Souda Bay, Greece, USS Sioux, Egyptian, Red, Russell Sioux, China

☆ US Marines gearing up to defend 'key' terrain near China are about to get a first-of-its-kind ship-hunting missile
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

NMESIS, a ground-based anti-ship missile, is set to be fielded for the first time later this year. "NMESIS is the solution for the ground-based anti-ship missile capability," Staff Sgt. It emerged from the force redesign initiated by Gen. David Berger in 2019, shortly after taking over as Marine Corps commandant. We're shaping Marine Corps missile artillery and everything going forward" with the force-design plan, Reddy said. I think the learning begins this fall when we put it in the hands of a Marine unit."

Persons: NMESIS, Derek Reddy, Reddy, Earik Barton NMESIS, David Berger, Berger, Melanye Martinez, MCS2 Malcolm Kelley, Fielding, Nick Mannweiler, —, Eric Smith, We've, Smith Organizations: Navy - Marine Expeditionary Ship, Service, Corps, US Navy, Western Pacific, Marines, 1st Marine Division, Staff, Naval Air, US Marine Corps, Marine, Naval, Unit, Expeditionary, Tactical, Marine Littoral Regiment, Washington DC, Navy, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Tomahawk Locations: Wall, Silicon, California, Hawaii, Western, Southern California, Mugu, Philippines, Tripoli, San Diego, NMESIS, Taiwan, US, Okinawa —

☆ USS Canberra personnel parade in Australia capital amid joint war games
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, July 23 (Reuters) - United States Navy personnel from a newly commissioned U.S. combat ship paraded through Australia's capital on Sunday, as the two allies carry out war games amid China's military build-up in the region. "It's such an honour and a privilege to be able to do this," Captain of the USS Canberra Blue Crew, Will Ashley, told ABC television. "It's a culmination of not just the ship naming, of honouring the city, but the previous HMAS Canberra that was lost in World War Two." The Australian Capital Territory "Freedom of Entry" parade came after a commissioning ceremony for the USS Canberra on Saturday at an Australian naval base on Sydney Harbour. Under the AUKUS project announced in March, the United States and Britain have agreed to help Australia acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.

Persons: Will Ashley, Sam McKeith, Stefica Nicol, William Mallard Organizations: SYDNEY, United States Navy, Independence, Royal Australian Navy, U.S, Marine, USS Canberra Blue, ABC, Australian Capital Territory, USS Canberra, Talisman Sabre, Australia, Stefica Nicol Bikes, Thomson Locations: U.S, Guadalcanal, Canberra, Sydney Harbour, Australia, China, United States, Britain, Sydney

☆ USS Canberra: US commissions first Navy warship in foreign port
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, July 22 (Reuters) - The United States commissioned a warship in Sydney, Australia, on Saturday, the first time a U.S. Navy vessel joined active service at a foreign port, as the two close allies step up their military ties in response to China's expanding regional reach. "Australians can be proud that this ship, designed in Western Australia by local industry and named after HMAS Canberra, is being commissioned here for the first time in the history of the United States Navy," Australian Defence Minister Marles said in a statement. The commissioning of the U.S. ship in Australian waters reflected "our shared commitment to upholding the rules-based order", he added. Under the AUKUS project announced in March, the United States and Britain have agreed to help Australia acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines. Before that, in the early 2030s, the United States is supposed to sell Australia three U.S. Virginia class nuclear-powered submarines, with an option for Australia to buy two more.

Persons: Marles, Sam McKeith, Stephen Coates Organizations: SYDNEY, United, U.S . Navy, Royal Australian Navy, U.S, Marine, Sydney Harbour, United States Navy, Australian Defence, Talisman Sabre, Australia, ., Thomson Locations: United States, Sydney, Australia, U.S, Western Australia, China, Canada, Fiji, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Korea, Tonga, Britain, . Virginia

☆ Ted Cruz is getting really worked up about the 'Barbie' movie and accusing it of feeding young girls 'Chinese communist propaganda'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ted Cruz slammed the "Barbie" movie for its depiction of a disputed region in the South China Sea. "This is Chinese communist propaganda," Cruz told The Daily Signal on Sunday. "This is Chinese communist propaganda in which the Chinese are asserting sovereignty over the entirety of the South China Sea. This is not the first time the Texas Republican has weighed in on the "Barbie" movie. China has built 20 outposts in the Paracel Islands, a group of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea.

Persons: Ted Cruz, Cruz, Sen, Barbie, it's, " Cruz, hasn't Organizations: Daily, Service, Texas Republican, Twitter, Chinese Communist Party, Hollywood, Hague, US, US Navy, China, South China, Warner Bros Locations: South China, Vietnam, Philippines, Wall, Silicon, Texas, Asia, China, Paracel, South, United States, Barbie

Here are the meanings of the least-found words that were used in (mostly) recent Times articles. 1. tomtit — any of several small birds:The Audubon Society would file a complaint in defense of tomtit virility. But, such is the state of Massenet’s reputation, I doubt that many sophisticated operagoers would rush to defend him. When I have busy days and am running around, I throw some on an avocado with tamari as a quick snack. — Cheap(ish) Thrills: Gwyneth Paltrow’s Favorite Everyday Things (June 8, 2022)And the list of the week’s easiest words:

Persons: tomtit, Massenet — Minor, moratoria, —, rototill, torii, David, Julia Wolfe’s, “, ”, tallit —, Liverman’s, Crane’s, Chili Crisp, I’ve, Gwyneth Paltrow’s Organizations: Audubon Society, ”, David Geffen Hall Locations: California, Mycenae, Greece, Brandenburg

☆ These may be the world’s best warships. And they’re not American
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

A challenger for China’s world-beating Type 055sThe Pentagon estimates China’s navy to have around 340 warships at present, while the US has fewer than 300. Take China’s Type 055, in many eyes the world’s premier destroyer. The three Sejongs, which cost about $925 million each, are the pride of the South Korean fleet. All these Japanese and South Korean vessels are designed to incorporate US technology, weapons, spy radars and the Aegis command and control system. But then if the US, Japanese and South Korean ships use similar technology and can operate together, why does the law prevent the US from building some of its ships in Japanese and South Korean shipyards?

Persons: South Korea CNN —, China’s, Lloyd Austin, Li Shangfu, ”, Blake Herzinger, Carl Schuster, –, Schuster, Herzinger, it’s, Arleigh Burke, ., Kim, Sejong, ” Kim, Alessio Patalano, Arleigh Burkes, ” Patalano, Japan’s, ” Schuster, It’s, Travis Callaghan, “, Nick Childs, There’s, Childs, ” Herzinger Organizations: South Korea CNN, United, US Navy, US, CNN, Beijing doesn’t, United States Studies Center, Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center, South Korea’s Sejong, South Korean, South Korean Navy, country’s Defense Media Agency, South, Korea Association of Military Studies, King’s College, Arleigh, Aegis, Maritime Administration, US Coast Guard, Shipbuilding, USNI News, Navy Locations: Seoul, South Korea, China, South, Taiwan, Singapore, Austin, Washington, Beijing, Japan, Australia, Hawaii, Xianyang, South Korea’s, London, Asia, Washington’s, United States, America

☆ Ukraine wants to work with Western countries to create another 'sea of NATO' on the border with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Doing so would help turn the Black Sea into another "sea of NATO," the foreign minister said. "It's time to turn the Black Sea into what the Baltic Sea has become, a sea of NATO," Dmytro Kuleba said. "The Black Sea can never be a NATO sea," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in response to Kuleba's comments. The Black Sea region is "a strategically important area for Euro-Atlantic security," Geoană said in April. At the conference in April, Romania's foreign minister said a strong NATO presence in the Black Sea was a "must."

They were in the Vietnamese Exclusive Economic Zone when the Chinese boats moved towards them, the Indian sources said. Ray Powell, who leads Project Myoushu on the South China Sea at Stanford University, said the boats belong to the Qiong Sansha Yu militia fleet in the area. Such militias consist of commercial fishing boats, which work in coordination with the Chinese authorities for political objectives in the South China Sea. Several of China’s littoral neighbours have accused it of using its official and militia vessels to harass and intimidate their fishing and military boats in the South China Sea. China has for years claimed sovereignty over the entire South China Sea, and has been sensitive to the presence of other militaries in the region.

☆ After a 35-year break, the US Navy is building frigates again, and it has a lot of catching up to do
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Fincantieri plans to lay the keel of that ship, USS Constellation, this August. It will be the US Navy's first frigate since the retirement of its last Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate in 2015. FrigatesUS Navy first-in-class frigate USS Oliver Hazard Perry in late 1977. Though not intended to operate alone against enemy capital ships, frigates are now primarily used to support destroyer squadrons and carrier battle groups by performing escort, anti-submarine, anti-air, and limited anti-surface missions. US Navy guided-missile frigate USS Curts in a dry dock at a shipyard in California in January 1982.

☆ US and Philippine forces fire on mock enemy warship in South China Sea military exercise
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —United States and Philippine forces fired on a mock enemy warship in the South China Sea on Wednesday, the latest display of American firepower in Asia as tensions with China continue to rise. Earlier this month, China’s state-run media labeled the drills as an “attempt to target China.”US and Philippine military leaders said Wednesday’s exercise was designed to synchronize combat forces. “Together we are strengthening our capabilities in full-spectrum military operations across all domains,” Jurney said. The four bases joined five included earlier, including three on the main island of Luzon, close to Taiwan, and one on Balabac Island close to Chinese installations on the disputed islands in the South China Sea. Meanwhile, in another sign of increasing US-Philippine military cooperation, the US Pacific Air Forces said Tuesday a key air exercise will return to the Philippines next month for the first time since 1990.

☆ Israel cements ties to Turkmenistan on Iran's border
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Although the countries established diplomatic relations 30 years ago, there had only been a temporary Israeli mission in Ashgabat and predominantly Muslim Turkmenistan still has no embassy in Israel. "I came to open an Israeli embassy 17 kilometres from the border with Iran, and to hold a series of meetings with the president and other officials," Cohen tweeted on Thursday. In English remarks to Israeli reporters accompanying Cohen, his Turkmen counterpart, Rashid Meredov, described the embassy inauguration as "a very shining example of our friendship". Cohen, who also met Turkmen President Serdar Berdymukhamedov, called his visit "historic" and said Israel's ties with Central Asia's "energy superpower" were of strategic importance. "We intend to widen economic relations to include agriculture, water, technology and border defence," Cohen said in a video issued by Israel's Foreign Ministry.

The Black Sea and its Ukrainian coast have been crucial theatres of war since Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year. "The Black Sea is instrumental for making the whole of Europe peaceful and future-oriented," Kuleba, speaking via video link, told a Black Sea security conference in the Romanian capital Bucharest. It's time to turn the Black Sea into what the Baltic Sea has become, a sea of NATO." The remarks were brushed aside in Moscow, where Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a briefing: "The Black Sea can never be a NATO sea." Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said a strong NATO foothold in the Black Sea going forward was a "must."

☆ Philippines, U.S. begin joint troop exercises amid regional tensions
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] General view during the opening ceremony of the annual Philippines-U.S. joint military exercises or Balikatan, at the Armed Forces of the Philippines headquarters, in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, April 11, 2023. The expanded annual exercises underscore improved defence ties under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr after his predecessor scaled back drills to pursue closer ties with Beijing. For the first time, the Philippines and the United States will hold live-fire drills at sea during the three-week event known as the 'Balikatan' or 'shoulder-to-shoulder' exercises. China's foreign ministry on Monday criticised the joint exercises, saying they "must not interfere in South China Sea disputes, still less harm China's territorial sovereignty, maritime rights and interests and security interests." President Marcos is expected to witness the live-fire sea drills which will involve the sinking of an old Philippines navy ship, according to a Philippine military official.

☆ Shipbuilder Austal sinks on former U.S. executives' indictment for financial fraud
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 3 (Reuters) - Australian shipbuilder Austal Ltd (ASB.AX) sank as much as 8.4% to its lowest level in more than four years on Monday after the United States Department of Justice indicted three of its former U.S. employees on manipulating financial information. Austal, which builds ships for the U.S. Navy and is working on parts of the Virginia class submarines, plunged to its lowest level since October 25, 2018, and marked its worst intraday drop since January 17. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has also filed civil charges against the three individuals, Austal said. Austal is down 17% so far this year, as of last close, compared with a 2.1% increase in the ASX All Ordinaries index (.AORD). Reporting by Sameer Manekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia CheemaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China and U.S. tensions grow over guided-missile destroyer in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

China's defense ministry said on Friday that it yet again had to monitor and drive away the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Milius that entered its territorial waters in the South China Sea near the Paracel Islands. "We sternly demand the U.S. to immediately stop such provocative acts, otherwise it will bear the serious consequences of unforeseen incidents," a spokesperson said in a statement from the Ministry of National Defense. The U.S. Navy said the guided-missile destroyer was asserting its navigational rights and freedoms. "Unlawful and sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea pose a serious threat to the freedom of the seas, including the freedoms of navigation and overflight, free trade and unimpeded commerce, and freedom of economic opportunity for South China Sea littoral nations," the U.S. Navy Seventh fleet said in an emailed statement.

☆ China, U.S. Navy in row over guided-missile destroyer in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, March 24 (Reuters) - China's defence ministry said on Friday that it yet again had to monitor and drive away the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Milius that entered its territorial waters in the South China Sea near the Paracel Islands. The U.S. Navy said the guided-missile destroyer was asserting its navigational rights and freedoms. "Unlawful and sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea pose a serious threat to the freedom of the seas, including the freedoms of navigation and overflight, free trade and unimpeded commerce, and freedom of economic opportunity for South China Sea littoral nations," the U.S. Navy 7th fleet said in an emailed statement. U.S. forces operate in the South China Sea on a daily basis, the U.S. Navy said. It was the second straight day of a stand-off between the two super powers amid growing tensions in the South China Sea.

Search resuls for: "Littoral"

25 mentions found