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☆ Pentagon chief urges Israeli consensus, action on settler violence
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Yves Herman/File PhotoWASHINGTON, July 25 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called for political consensus in Israel on Tuesday in a call with his Israeli counterpart, in the latest sign of strain between the allies over an Israeli judicial overhaul triggering major protests. The protests may be affecting the Israeli military. "Austin underscored the United States' belief that broad consensus through political dialogue, especially in the coming weeks and months, are critical elements of a resilient democracy," a Pentagon readout of the call said. She also declined to elaborate on Austin's comments regarding settler violence in Israel. A Pentagon readout said Austin urged Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant "to address extremist settler violence against Palestinian civilians."

Persons: Defence Lloyd Austin, Yves Herman, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Sabrina Singh, Yoav Gallant, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Defence, NATO Defence Ministers, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, . Defense, Pentagon, Israeli, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Israel, U.S, Israeli, United States

Pentagon officials had widely expected the nomination to go to Admiral Samuel Paparo, who leads the Navy in the Pacific and who has experience grappling with the growing challenge from China. "Throughout her career, Admiral Franchetti has demonstrated extensive expertise in both the operational and policy arenas," Biden said in a statement, noting that she was the second woman ever to achieve the rank of four-star admiral in the U.S. Navy. Last year, Biden picked Admiral Linda Fagan to lead the U.S. Coast Guard, making her its first female commanding officer. Franchetti would become the first woman to lead a military service within the Defense Department and to join the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a group of eight top uniformed service members who advise the president on military issues. Biden also elevated Paparo, nominating him to become the commander of all U.S. military forces in the Pacific.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Joe Biden, Lisa Franchetti, Biden, Samuel Paparo, Franchetti, Admiral Franchetti, Linda Fagan, Stephen, Koehler, Paparo, Tommy Tuberville, Charles " C.Q, Brown, Tuberville, Steve Holland, Phil Stewart, Jasper Ward, Rami Ayyub, Sharon Singleton, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: U.S . Marines, U.S . Navy, U.S . Navy Wasp, Fleet, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Navy, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Pentagon, Pacific, U.S . Naval Forces Korea, U.S . Coast Guard, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Defense Department, Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S . Pacific Fleet, Senate, Air Force, Marine Corps, United States Armed Forces, Thomson Locations: U.S, Bataan, New York, China

WASHINGTON, July 20 (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday voiced mounting concern over Army Private Travis King, who dashed into North Korea two days ago, saying Pyongyang had a history of mistreating captured Americans. But North Korea had yet to offer any response, officials said. American officials remained stumped about why King ran across the border into North Korea. Asked whether King might have sympathized with North Korea, Wormuth said: "I don't think we have any information that points to that clearly." Last week, North Korea launched its newest solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) which it said had the longest flight time ever.

Persons: Travis King, mistreating, Christine Wormuth, Washington, Wormuth, Otto Warmbier, John Kirby, King, Sabrina Singh, Army's, Singh, North Korea Sung Kim, Kim, Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un, Jake Sullivan, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, David Brunnstrom, Jonathan Oatis, Daniel Wallis, Grant McCool Organizations: U.S . Army, United, Aspen Security, White House, National Security, Army, Pentagon, Incheon International Airport, U.S, Reuters, South Korean, Thomson Locations: United States, North Korea, Pyongyang, United Nations, Colorado, U.S, South Korea, Japan, Incheon, Dallas , Texas, Korea

North Korea's state media, which in the past reported on the detention of U.S. nationals, have also not commented on the incident so far. "I don't think anyone who was sane would want to go to North Korea, so I assumed it was some kind of stunt." State Department spokesman Miller said Sweden has been engaged as it acts as a diplomatic channel for Washington which remains technically at war with North Korea. North Korea has previously detained Americans who entered the country and put them on trial but eventually released them, often following high-level diplomatic intervention. A former North Korean diplomat who defected to South Korea said King may be used as a propaganda tool, but it was not clear how long North Korea would want to exploit his presence.

Persons: Kim Hong, Ji, Travis T, Matthew Miller, King, Sarah Leslie, Miller, Karine Jean, Pierre, Biden, Otto Warmbier, hyang Choi, Phil Smith, Steve Holland, Jack Kim, Ed Davies, Lincoln Organizations: REUTERS, State Department, Pentagon, Korean People's Army, North, Joint Security Area, New Zealand, Reuters, . State, U.S, United Nations Command, Thomson Locations: Panmunjom, South Korea, U.S, Sweden, North Korea, SEOUL, WASHINGTON, Washington, Pyongyang, North, United States, New, Korea, Korean, Seoul

North Korea's state media has made no mention of the incident. North Korea has been testing increasingly powerful missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, including a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile last week. Forces Korea, said the military was "working with our KPA counterparts to resolve this incident," referring to North Korea's People's Army. NORTH KOREA FIRES MISSILESThe soldier was on a tour of the Panmunjom truce village with other visitors when he crossed a Military Demarcation Line, U.S. officials say. The launch came hours after the South Korea and the United States held the first round of talks on Tuesday on upgrading coordination in the event of a nuclear war with North Korea.

Persons: Travis T, King, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Isaac Taylor, Taylor, Kim Hong, Panmunjom, Tae Yong, Josh Smith, Hyonhee Shin, hyang Choi, David Brunnstrom, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Nobuhiro Kubo, Jack Kim, Lincoln Organizations: U.S, The U.S . Army, Security Area, U.S . Defence, United Nations, U.S . Forces, Korea's People's Army, Command, UNC, North Koreans, KOREA, REUTERS, Ji, U.S ., Korea's Unification Ministry, South, United, Thomson Locations: North North Korea, Pyongyang, U.S, South Korea, WASHINGTON, American, North Korea, Washington, The, New York, U.S . Forces Korea, Paju, Ji U.S, United States, Korean, Korea's, Seoul, Tokyo

Asked whether the counter-offensive was a failure, at least so far, General Mark Milley, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said: "It is far from a failure. Speaking after another round of talks on arms for Ukraine in its fight against Russia's now nearly 17-month invasion, Milley said that the Ukrainian counteroffensive will be slow. Moscow says the Ukrainian counteroffensive has failed. Six weeks since Ukraine launched a counteroffensive in the east and south, Russia is mounting a ground offensive of its own in the northeast. Oleksiy Reznikov, Ukraine defence minister, said after the Tuesday talks that "supply of weapons and equipment urgently needed" is a priority for Ukraine.

Persons: Mark Milley, Russia's, Milley, Reznikov, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Doina, Lidia Kelly, Chris Reese, Leslie Adler, Michael Perry Organizations: Joint Chiefs, Staff, Kyiv, European Union, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Russia, United States, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Bakhmut, Moscow, Kupiansk, Reznikov, Melbourne

WASHINGTON, July 18 (Reuters) - Ukraine's counter-offensive against Russia is far from a failure, but the fight ahead will be long and bloody, the top U.S. general said on Tuesday, even as casualties on both sides mount and the front lines have moved only incrementally. The United States and other allies have spent months building Ukraine a "mountain of steel" of weaponry and training Ukrainian forces in combined arms techniques to help Kyiv pierce formidable Russian defenses during its counter-offensive. Asked whether the counter-offensive was a failure, at least so far, General Mark Milley, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said: "It is far from a failure. Moscow says the Ukrainian counteroffensive has failed. Six weeks since Ukraine launched a counteroffensive in the east and south, Russia is mounting a ground offensive of its own in the northeast.

Persons: Mark Milley, Milley, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Doina, Chris Reese, Leslie Adler Organizations: Joint Chiefs, Staff, Kyiv, Thomson Locations: Russia, United States, Ukraine, Kyiv, Bakhmut, Moscow, Kupiansk

☆ US soldier who crossed into North Korea faced disciplinary action back home
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, July 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. soldier who on Tuesday crossed into North Korea during a civilian tour of the border zone had been due to face disciplinary action by the U.S. military, two U.S. officials told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. It was not clear how the soldier arranged to participate in tour. A third U.S. official said the soldier had crossed into North Korea "willfully and without authorization." Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees AliOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali Organizations: U.S ., Reuters, U.S, Thomson Locations: U.S, North Korea

☆ Biden's pick for top U.S. general warns on Republican's hold on promotions
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] U.S. Air Force General Charles Brown Jr. attends a U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on his nomination to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., July 11, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Wurm/File PhotoWASHINGTON, July 11 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden's nominee to become the top U.S. general warned on Tuesday that a Republican senator's blockade of military promotions could have far-reaching impact across the U.S. armed forces, affecting troops and their families. General Charles "C.Q." Brown, the outgoing Air Force chief of staff, made the remarks at his Senate confirmation hearing to become chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Reporting by Phil Stewart and Patricia ZengerleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Charles Brown Jr, Kevin Wurm, Joe Biden's, General Charles " C.Q, Brown, Tommy Tuberville, Tuberville, Phil Stewart, Patricia Zengerle Organizations: U.S . Air Force, U.S . Senate Armed Services, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Capitol, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Republican, Air Force, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Pentagon, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, Alabama

☆ US Marine Corps in historic leadership limbo due to Republican block
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, July 10 (Reuters) - The Marine Corps is now without a Senate-confirmed leader for the first time in over a century thanks to a Republican senator's block on military nominations. Retiring Gen. David Berger formally relinquished command on Monday as the Marine Corps' commandant, creating the first of several possible vacancies of Senate confirmed leaders on the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff in the coming months. Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said last time the Marine Corps had an acting Commandant was from December 1, 1910 to February 2, 1911. Berger's retirement leaves General Eric Smith, the Marine Corps' No. He is President Joe Biden's nominee to become the next commandant but is expected to avoid major decisions without Senate confirmation.

Persons: David Berger, Tommy Tuberville, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Sabrina Singh, Singh, Roe, Wade, Charles " C.Q, Brown, Eric Smith, Joe Biden's, Phil Stewart, Patricia Zengerle, Stephen Coates Organizations: Corps, Republican, Marine Corps, military's, Chiefs, Staff, Pentagon, . Defense, Department, U.S, Supreme, Democratic, Army, Navy, Joint Chiefs, Air Force, Senate Armed Services Committee, Thomson Locations: Alabama, United States

☆ Exclusive: Wagner fighters neared Russian nuclear base during revolt
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +20 min

Reuters GraphicsOnce the Wagner fighters reach more rural regions, the surveillance trail goes cold – about 100 km from the nuclear base, Voronezh-45. But in an exclusive interview, Ukraine's head of military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, said that the Wagner fighters went far further. The only barrier between the Wagner fighters and nuclear weapons, Budanov said, were the doors to the nuclear storage facility. It is one of Russia's 12 "national-level storage facilities" for nuclear weapons, according to a report by U.N. scientists. Another female resident also said Wagner had widespread support in the town, and that many Wagner fighters are from Boguchar.

Persons: Wagner, Ukraine's, Kyrylo Budanov, Budanov, Alexander Lukashenko, Adam Hodge, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Matt Korda, Vladimir Putin's, Hans Kristensen, David Jonas, Amy Woolf, Jonas, Prigozhin, Dmitry Utkin, Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Shoigu, Oleksiy Danilov, Don, Anna Sandrakova, Maxim Yantsov, Mikhail Vedernikov, Talovaya, Alexei Yablokov, Kristensen, Alexsandr Lukashenko, Dmitry Peskov, Lukashenko, he's, Mari Saito, Tom Balmforth, John Shiffman, Phil Stewart, Polina, Maria Tsvetkova, Anton Zverev, Christian Lowe, David Gauthier, Stephen Grey, Reade Levinson, Eleanor Whalley, Milan Pavicic, Daria Shamonova, Janet McBride Organizations: Reuters, Kremlin, Belarusian, U.S, White, National Security, Nuclear, Federation of American, Federation of American Scientists, U.S . National Nuclear Security Administration, Library, Congress, Wagner, State, Staff, Russian, Defence Ministry, Defence Council, Main, Russian Defence, U.S . Congress, Telegram, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russian, Voronezh, United States, Ukraine, Russia, Rostov, Talovaya, Soviet, Washington, dabble, Syria, Libya, Mali, ., Pavlovsk, Elizavetovka, Vorontsovka, Buturlinovka, Talovaya district, Pskov, Soviet Union, Belarus, Minsk, he's, St Petersburg, Kyiv, London, New York, Paris, Villars, Istanbul, Gdansk

☆ US to send Ukraine cluster munitions, NATO makes membership pledge
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The cluster munitions "will deliver in a time frame that is relevant for the counteroffensive," a Pentagon official told reporters. Cluster munitions are prohibited by more than 100 countries.Russia, Ukraine and the United States have not signed on to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans production, stockpiling, use and transfer of the weapons. BOTH SIDES SHOULD STOP USING CLUSTER BOMBS -HRWHuman Rights Watch has accused Russian and Ukrainian forces of using cluster munitions, which have killed civilians. Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan said after meeting Zelenskiy that Ukraine deserved NATO membership and that Ankara would continue working on a negotiated end to the war. "Our summit will send a clear message: NATO stands united, and Russia's aggression will not pay," Stoltenberg said at a news conference in Brussels.

Persons: Washington's, Vladimir Putin, Jake Sullivan, Joe Biden, Anatoly Antonov, Antonov, Igor Ovcharruck, Clodagh, It's, Colin Kahl, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Tayyip Erdogan, Zelenskiy, Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Biden, Putin, Martin Griffiths, Griffiths, Robert Muller, Jason Hovet, Pavel Polityuk, Mike Stone, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Michelle Nichols, Grant McCool, Diane Craft, David Gregorio Our Organizations: NATO, United States, Rights, United Nations, Pentagon, Cluster Munitions, White House, Watch, U.S, Washington, TASS, REUTERS, Treaty Organization, CNN, UN, Initiative, U.N, United, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, U.S, United States, Ukrainian, Kharkiv, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Zelenskiy, Ankara, Prague, Sofia, Brussels, Vilnius, Lithuanian, RUSSIA, Moscow, Odesa, United Nations, Kyiv, Washington

☆ Pentagon has strategic germanium stockpile but no gallium reserves
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, July 6 (Reuters) - The Pentagon holds a strategic U.S. stockpile for germanium but currently has no inventory reserves for gallium, a spokesperson said on Thursday, after China announced export restrictions on the two metals used in semiconductors. "The (Defense) Department is proactively taking steps using Defense Production Act Title III authorities to increase domestic mining and processing of critical materials for the microelectronics and space supply chain, including gallium and germanium," the spokesperson said. Germanium is used in high-speed computer chips, plastics and military applications such as night-vision devices, as well as satellite imagery sensors. Gallium is used in radar and radio communication devices, satellites and LEDs. While major defense contractors like Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) may not buy gallium and germanium directly, they likely purchase semiconductors from suppliers who source Chinese gallium and germanium, said Arun Seraphin, executive director for the National Defense Industrial Association’s Emerging Technologies Institute.

Persons: Arun Seraphin, ”, Dak Hardwick, Hardwick, Xi Jinping, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Valerie Insinna, Rami Ayyub, Doina Chiacu, Mark Porter, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Pentagon, China, Defense, Department, Lockheed Martin Corp, National Defense Industrial, Emerging Technologies, Aerospace Industries Association, U.S, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Thomson Locations: U.S, China

☆ Pentagon to tighten controls on classified information after leak
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, July 5 (Reuters) - The Pentagon announced on Wednesday plans to tighten controls on classified information after an alleged leak incident that saw an airman arrested in April and later indicted on accusations of posting classified documents on the messaging app Discord. Jack Douglas Teixeira, 21, of North Dighton, Massachusetts, was indicted last month on six counts of wilful retention and transmission of classified information relating to national defense. Prosecutors say Teixeira leaked classified documents to a group of gamers on the messaging app Discord. "As someone who has read a lot of DoD policies, they are not the clearest documents," the official said. The official said the Pentagon needed to be more clear about policies related to classified information and spaces it can be accessed in, along with greater accountability for personnel who work with sensitive information.

Persons: Jack Douglas Teixeira, Teixeira, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Franklin Paul, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Pentagon, WikiLeaks, Justice Department, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: North Dighton , Massachusetts, U.S

☆ Chinese spy balloon did not collect information over US, Pentagon says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, June 29 (Reuters) - A Chinese spy balloon that flew over the United States earlier this year before being shot down did not collect information as it went across the country, the Pentagon said on Thursday. "We assess that it did not collect while it was flying over the U.S.," Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder told reporters. The balloon spent a week flying over the United States and Canada before the U.S. military shot it down off the Atlantic Coast on Biden's orders. Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Pat Ryder, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Chris Reese Organizations: Pentagon, Thomson Locations: United States, Canada, U.S

☆ Russian general Surovikin was sympathetic towards Wagner rebellion, US officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, June 28 (Reuters) - General Sergei Surovikin, the deputy commander of Russia's military operations in Ukraine, was sympathetic to mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's weekend rebellion, U.S. officials said on Wednesday, though it was unclear if he actively supported it. As the rebellion began, Surovikin publicly urged fighters of the Wagner private militia to give up their opposition to the military leadership and return to their bases. The New York Times reported on Tuesday that Surovikin had advance knowledge that Prigozhin was planning a rebellion. U.S. officials and Western officials said Prigozhin had been stockpiling weaponry ahead of the mutiny attempt. The U.S. officials suggested he must have believed he had enough firepower and sympathy within the Russian military to carry out his uprising.

Persons: Sergei Surovikin, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Prigozhin, Wagner, Surovikin, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Joel Schectman, Don Durfee, Grant McCool Organizations: Wagner Group, New York Times, U.S, Kremlin, Russian, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, U.S, Ukrainian, Moscow, Russian, Chechnya, Syria, Western, Belarus

Chinese officials have repeatedly said they want those sanctions, imposed in 2018, dropped to facilitate discussions. This scuppered planned talks between theatre-level commands, regular defence policy co-ordination and military maritime consultations, which included operational safety issues. Diplomats and Chinese analysts say military attaches at embassies Beijing and Washington are still able to meet officials - an important element of routine communication. Senior Chinese military intelligence officials also participated in a secret meeting of regional spies in Singapore earlier this month - a session that included U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines. The official said some lower-level interactions with the Chinese military had continued.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Li Shangfu, Li, Nancy Pelosi's, National Intelligence Avril Haines, Austin, Zhou Bo, Yang Tao, Admiral John Aquilino, General Lin Xiangyang, Greg Torode, Tian, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Gerry Doyle Organizations: . Defence, China's Defence, Taiwan, Pentagon, Diplomats, National Intelligence, PLA, Beijing's Tsinghua University . Senior, Reuters, U.S, Pacific Command, Eastern Theatre, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, East Asia, China, United States, Beijing, Singapore, U.S, Taiwan, Washington, Hong Kong

WASHINGTON, June 26 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden on Monday said a brief uprising by Russian mercenaries against the Kremlin was part of a struggle within the Russian system and that the United States and its allies were not involved in it. "We made clear we were not involved, we had nothing to do with this," Biden said in his first comments on the uprising by Wagner mercenaries that fizzled over the weekend. The Biden administration would not address a widely held perception in Washington that the uprising showed that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been weakened by his 16-month war against Ukraine. The White House said Biden also consulted on Monday with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni about the situation. Kirby said the United States does not know the parameters of the deal reached between Putin and Prigozhin that ended the uprising.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Wagner, John Kirby, Sergei Lavrov, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Vladimir Putin, Matt Miller, Putin's, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Giorgia Meloni, It's, Kirby, We're, Jeff Mason, Steve Holland, Simon Lewis, Jonathan Landay, Phil Stewart, Kanishka Singh, Trevor Hunnicutt, Humeyra Pamuk, Mark Porter, Alistair Bell, Alex Richardson, Deepa Babington, Sandra Maler Organizations: Kremlin, Ukraine, White House, TASS, U.S ., Ukraine . State, NATO, Italian, Putin, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russian, United States, Russia, Moscow, U.S, Washington, Ukraine, United

☆ Analysis: Mutiny lays bare prospect for Putin of 'forever war' in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

But current and former officials in Kyiv say the mutiny offered a startling glimpse into the strain the Russian political system is under. It revealed that Russian reserve forces were so thin they struggled to respond to the threat. A war stretching many more months and possibly years would inevitably mean more deaths and wounded on each side. U.S. officials, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said much remained unclear, including why Russian forces did not do more to halt Wagner's advance. A senior Central European diplomat said they saw "no immediate effect on the war" from Prigozhin's aborted mutiny.

Persons: Wagner, Stringer, Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner, Andriy Zagorodniuk, Putin, Prigozhin's Wagner, Zagorodniuk, Prigozhin, Sergei Shoigu, Dmytro Kuleba, Mykhailo Podolyak, Voldomyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Pavel Polityuk, Andrew Gray, Phil Stewart, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Southern Military District, REUTERS, Reuters, Central, National Resistance Centre, Airborne Assault Division, Defence Ministry, Thomson Locations: Rostov, Don, Russia, KYIV, Ukraine, Belarus, Kyiv, Moscow, Russia's, Russian, hurtling, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, Brussels, Washington

☆ Pentagon chief expresses optimism over eventual China talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, June 16 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed optimism on Friday that he would eventually hold talks with his Chinese counterpart after being snubbed by Beijing during an event in Singapore earlier this month. Relations between the United States and China are increasingly acrimonious, with friction over issues from Taiwan and China's military activity in the South China Sea to U.S. efforts to hold back China's semiconductor industry. Austin said he has not reached out since China declined to hold formal talks with him at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's top security summit, in Singapore. And we will continue to work to make sure that we have open lines of communication," Austin said. Reporting by Andrew Gray, Sabine Siebold and Phil Stewart Editing by Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, we're, Austin, Austin's, Antony Blinken, Biden, Jake Sullivan, China's, ramping, I've, Andrew Gray, Sabine Siebold, Phil Stewart, Alistair Bell Organizations: . Defense, NATO, U.S, House, Tokyo . Relations, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Beijing, Singapore, Brussels, China, Tokyo, United States, Taiwan, South, U.S

[1/4] U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark A. Milley holds a news conference on the day of a NATO Defence Ministers' meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium June 15, 2023. Milley was speaking after a meeting of the U.S.-led Contact Group of some 50 countries that give military aid to Ukraine. Austin noted the group had already given Patriot, IRIS-T and NASAMS air defence systems that had protected Ukraine from Russian missile attacks. "I ask that the members of this Contact Group continue to dig deep to provide Ukraine with the air defence assets and munitions that it so urgently needs to protect its citizens," Austin said in opening remarks. Later in the day, NATO defence ministers met separately with Reznikov to discuss their support for Kyiv.

Persons: Mark A, Milley, Yves Herman BRUSSELS, Kyiv's, It's, Mark Milley, Lloyd Austin, Austin, We'll, Oleksii Reznikov, Reznikov, Phil Stewart, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Joint Chiefs, NATO Defence Ministers, REUTERS, U.S, Ukraine, Russian, Joint Chiefs of Staff, NATO, Group, U.S . Defense, IRIS, Washington, Kyiv, Ukrainian Defence, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Ukraine, U.S, Russian, Kyiv

There are about 900 U.S. personnel deployed to Syria, most of them in the east, as part of a mission fighting the remnants of the Islamic State. In March, 25 U.S. troops were wounded in strikes and counter-strikes in Syria, which also killed one U.S. contractor and injured another. U.S. forces first deployed into Syria during the Obama administration's campaign against Islamic State, partnering with a Kurdish-led group called the Syrian Democratic Forces. Thousands of other Islamic State fighters are in detention facilities guarded by Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, America's key ally in the country. U.S. officials say that Islamic State could still regenerate into a major threat.

Persons: Obama, Bashar al, Assad, Phil Stewart, Kanjyik Ghosh, Kim Coghill, Gerry Doyle Organizations: U.S, military's, Command, U.S . Central Command, Islamic State, Syrian Democratic Forces, Islamic, Thomson Locations: Syria, U.S, Islamic State, Iran, Kurdish, State, Iraq, Russia, Iranian, Washington, Bengaluru

☆ Convicted 'Unabomber' Ted Kaczynski dead at 81
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Alistair Bell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/2] Theodore Kaczynski is led out of federal court where he was charged with a single federal weapons violation April 4,1997. June 10 (Reuters) - Ted Kaczynski, former math professor and "twisted genius" who came to be known as the Unabomber when he carried out a 17-year spree of mysterious bombings that killed three people and baffled the FBI, died on Saturday at the age of 81. Kaczynski's younger brother, David, tipped off police that the author's ideas sounded like those of Ted. In 1980, Kaczynski sent a package bomb that exploded and injured United Airlines President Percy Wood at his Illinois home. Kaczynski detailed how modernization has destabilized society, subjected humans to indignities and "inflicted severe damage on the natural world."

Persons: Theodore Kaczynski, Ted Kaczynski, Kaczynski, Kaczynski's, David, Ted, Theodore John Kaczynski, Dale Eickelman, Eickelman, Percy Wood, Hugh Scrutton, Thomas Mosser, Gilbert Brent Murray, Janet Reno, Dan Whitcomb, Phil Stewart, Lucia Mutikani, Daniel Wallis, Diane Craft, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Federal Medical Center, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Reuters, The Harvard University, University and Airline, Society, FBI, Harvard University, Daily, Harvard, University of Michigan, University of California, Chicago's Northwestern University, American Airlines, Dulles International, United Airlines, Illinois, New, Exxon, U.S, Washington Post, Thomson Locations: Montana, Butner , North Carolina, California, Florence, Florence , Colorado, North Carolina, Chicago, Berkeley, Lincoln, Washington, Sacramento , California, New Jersey, Los Angeles

☆ China has been spying from Cuba for some time, U.S. official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, June 9 (Reuters) - China has been spying from Cuba for some time and upgraded its intelligence collection facilities there in 2019, a Biden administration official said on Saturday, following a report about a new spying effort underway on the island. The official said the issue predated Joe Biden's presidency, as had Beijing's efforts to strengthen its intelligence collection infrastructure worldwide. "The PRC (People's Republic of China) conducted an upgrade of its intelligence collection facilities in Cuba in 2019. That includes a trip to China that U.S. officials say Secretary of State Antony Blinken is planning for June 18. The official said U.S. diplomats had engaged governments that were considering hosting Chinese bases and had exchanged information with them.

Persons: Biden, Joe Biden's, Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, Antony Blinken, Washington's, Donald Trump, Andrea Shalal, Phil Stewart, Dave Sherwood, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Biden, People's, Cuban, Foreign, Thomson Locations: China, Cuba, Florida, U.S, People's Republic of China, Washington, Cuban, America, Beijing, United States, Coast, Havana

He said the United States has had "real concerns" about China’s relationship with Cuba and was closely monitoring it. Brigadier General Patrick Ryder, a U.S. Defense Department spokesperson, said: "We are not aware of China and Cuba developing a new type of spy station." If such a facility is built, the Chinese will use Cuba "as a beachhead for collection against the United States," said Daniel Hoffman, a former senior CIA undercover officer. Cuba, an old Cold War foe of the United States, has long been a hotbed of espionage and spy games. It backed down and removed the missiles, but it is widely regarded as the moment when the United States and the Soviet Union came closest to a nuclear confrontation.

Persons: Fort Bragg, John Kirby, General Patrick Ryder, Jose Cabanas, Washington, Joe Biden's, Antony Blinken, Washington's, House's Kirby, Bob Menendez, ”, Daniel Hoffman, Biden, Vladimir Putin, Matt Spetalnick, Jonathan Landay, Doina Chiacu, Trevor Hunnicutt, David Brunnstrom, Patricia Zengerle, Dave Sherwood, Michael Martina, Kanishka Singh, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Nick Zieminski, Alistair Bell, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Wall Street, White House, Pentagon, U.S, U.S . Central Command, Tampa . Fort Liberty, Fort, White House National Security Council, Reuters, U.S . Defense Department, Embassy, Senate Foreign Relations, CIA, Taiwan’s National Security Bureau, Cuban, Moscow, Soviet Union, Thomson Locations: China, Cuba, Florida, Beijing, U.S, Tampa . Fort, North Carolina, United States, Washington, Cuban, America's, Coast, South, Taiwan, South China, Havana, Soviet, Lourdes, Russian

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