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The Storm Corps – the 11th Army Corps of the North Korean military – are “better trained, (have) better physique and (are) better motivated than your average North Korean soldier,” Chun said. KCNA/Reuters/File‘Fair game’Mental strength, however, may not be enough to overcome the worst challenges the North Korean soldiers could face. But some North Korean military units are well supplied, and “have regular food and logistical supply,” said 38 North’s Madden. “These North Korean units, their main mission is to disrupt,” said Chun, the former South Korean army officer. South Korean intelligence suggests North Korean soldiers in Russia could be receiving salaries of $2,000 a month.

Persons: —, –, Kim Jong, “ indoctrinated, Chun, ” Chun, Kim, Michael Madden, ”, ” Oleksandr, Kim Seong, Kang Ri, they’re, North’s Madden, “, Kim’s, ” Madden, Madden, Ng Han Guan, “ He’s, he’s, that’s, Ukraine’s, it’s Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, North Korean, Koreans, Storm Corps, South, US Navy Seals, Rangers, SAS, 11th Army Corps, Korean, Stimson, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, US State Department, State Department, 225th, CNN, CIA, Factbook, North, United Nations, Washington -, Strategic, International Studies . Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Hong Kong, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Pyongyang, Ukrainian, Koreans, Russian, Russia’s, Kursk, North Korea, Washington, Vietnam, Korea, North Korean, Kaesong, Korean, North Koreans, South Korean, China, Fangchuan, China's Jilin province, North

☆ China's special forces are untested. Success in a Taiwan invasion could depend on them.
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-07 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

China's special forces have serious problems that would limit their effectiveness in a Taiwan war. AdvertisementIf China invades Taiwan, China's special forces would be key to its success, the first forces ashore to clear obstacles for inbound troops and then to scout for command centers and air defenses for airstrikes. China's SOF includes 15 army brigades, as well as special operations units in the People Liberation Army Marine Corps, Airborne Corps, and Rocket Force. AdvertisementBut China's special forces have serious problems that would limit their effectiveness in an assault on Taiwan. Still, despite their limitations, Chinese special forces could disrupt Taiwanese defenses enough to enable an amphibious assault to succeed.

Persons: esprit, John Chen, Joel Wuthnow, —, Chen, Wuthnow, it's, Michael Peck Organizations: China Maritime Studies, US Naval War College, Special, US Navy, Argentine, Royal Navy, U.S . Department of Defense, Operations Command, People Liberation Army Marine Corps, Airborne Corps, Rocket Force, People's Armed Police, Getty, PLA, Business, Brigade, Green Berets, SOF Forces, Delta Force, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Taiwan, China, U.S, Ukraine, Iran, South China, Forbes

☆ OpenWeb's ousted CEO who refused to quit speaks exclusively with BI about his battle with the board
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-05 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Shoval's messy battle with the board goes publicTensions boiled over in mid-2024 when OpenWeb's board changed Shoval's reporting line, a move he felt breached his contract. Then the company announced to staffers that Shoval would be replaced with an interim CEO, OpenWeb's former chairman Tim Harvey. AdvertisementShoval made his dispute with the OpenWeb board public by posting on LinkedIn in October. His complaint argued that he should be reinstated as CEO and able to appoint two new board directors of his choosing. Kimberly White/Getty Images for TechCrunchShoval maintains that OpenWeb board meetings and decisions were conducted improperly and that he still has the right to appoint two new board directors of his choosing.

Persons: Nadav Shoval, Shoval, podcaster Scott Galloway, Tim Harvey, OpenWeb, Ariel Zimmerman, he's, Kimberly White, TechCrunch Shoval, Omer Cygler, — Galloway, Cygler —, Scott Galloway, cohost Kara Swisher, Andrew Harnik, it's Organizations: BI, BlackRock, Insight Partners, Georgian Partners, New York Times, NYU Stern, LinkedIn, Tel, New, Israel Defense Forces, Maglan, TechCrunch, Big Tech, Fox News, CNN, Yahoo, Lion Investments Locations: Shoval, OpenWeb, BlackRock, Tel Aviv, New York, New York City, San Francisco

☆ Former Green Beret rates 11 military explosion scenes
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-05 | by ( Ian Phillips | David Ibekwe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Retired Green Beret David Harris rates portrayals of explosions in movies and TV shows. He talks about the effects of stun grenades in "The Town," starring Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, and Jon Hamm. David Harris served in the US Army for 20 years, including as a Special Forces weapons sergeant. He is the CEO of Harris Strategic Solutions, which provides tactical training to military and law enforcement members. Find out more about David Harris and Harris Strategic Solutions here:https://www.harrisstrategicsolutionsllc.com/about

Persons: Green Beret David Harris, Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Eric Bana, Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr, Jack Black, Jamie Foxx, Channing Tatum, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Chris Hemsworth, Idris Elba, Ram Charan, Rama Rao Jr, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bob Odenkirk, Christopher Lloyd, RZA, Chadwick Boseman, Delroy Lindo, Isiah Whitlock Jr, Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Jon Hamm, Mel Gibson, Sam Elliot, Greg Kinnear, David Harris Organizations: Green Beret, Valor, US Army, Special Forces, Harris Strategic Solutions

☆ Northern Gaza: Former defense minister Moshe Ya’alon accuses Israel of ethnic cleansing
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-02 | by ( Mick Krever | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —A highly decorated former Israeli defense minister has caused a firestorm by accusing Israel of carrying out ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in northern Gaza. The interviewer expressed surprise at Ya’alon’s use of the phrase “ethnic cleansing,” asking, “Is that what you think – that we’re on the way there?”“Why ‘on the way?’” he responded. The Israeli military has for two months been carrying out an intense and deadly operation in northern Gaza, targeting what it says are resurgent Hamas militants. Vanishingly few aid deliveries have been allowed into northern Gaza, according to the World Food Programme. “Under this title, ethnic cleansing is effectively being carried out; I don’t have another word for it.”The interviewer said that such a phrase evoked “dark periods” in history.

Persons: Israel, Moshe Ya’alon, ” Ya’alon, ’ ”, They’re, ”, Ya’alon, Giora, “, ’, Bezalel Smotrich, Josep Borrell, Jack Guez, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Netanyahu, Benny Gantz, ” Naftali Bennett, –, Ben Gvir, Daniela Weiss ” – Organizations: CNN, Israel Defense Forces, Israel’s Democrat TV, Hamas, “, Gush, Israel TV, Kan, Haaretz, Rights Watch, Getty, IDF Locations: Gaza, There’s, Jabalya, Katif, Israel, ”, AFP

☆ Israel says it captured senior Hezbollah operative in amphibious special forces raid
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-02 | by ( Tamar Michaelis | Mohammed Tawfeeq | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The Israeli military says it has captured a senior Hezbollah operative in an amphibious special forces raid in northern Lebanon. Members of the elite Shayetet 13 force seized the alleged Hezbollah operative after landing on the coast in Batroun, a town in northern Lebanon, then took him back to Israeli territory, an Israeli military official told CNN. The official added that the seized operative was now being investigated by Unit 504 – an intelligence unit of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The Lebanese government said its security services were investigating “an incident that took place in the Batroun area,” at dawn Friday. Hezbollah released a statement referring to an incident of “Zionist aggression in the Batroun area” but did not provide further details.

Persons: Israel’s, “, Imad Amhaz, speedboats, ” NNA Organizations: CNN, Unit, Israel Defense Forces, National News Agency Locations: Lebanon, Batroun, ” Lebanon’s, Israel

☆ Israel's clash with Hezbollah may be shaped by its past mistakes in Lebanon
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-02 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Israel launched a ground incursion that risks repeating its past mistakes in Lebanon. From 1985 to 2000, Israel occupied a 15-mile-wide "security zone" in southern Lebanon, ostensibly run by a Lebanese Christian faction backed by IDF troops. Israel returned in 2006, when 30,000 Israeli troops crossed the border in retaliation for a Hezbollah ambush of IDF troops in northern Israel. AdvertisementAs Israel's prime minister in 1998, Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to keep troops in southern Lebanon "whatever the cost." Currently two IDF divisions are operating in southern Lebanon, to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure there.

Persons: Israel, —, Benjamin Netanyahu, EFFI, Boots, 2S0qw1pBaJ — Emanuel, Mannie, Fabian, Hassan Nasrallah, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Lebanese Christian, IDF, Getty, Hezbollah, Hamas, Division, Egoz Commando, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Lebanon, Israel's, Lebanon's, Vietnam, Israel, Afghanistan, Soviet Union, —, Gaza, AFP, Forbes

☆ Wigs, robotic guns and exploding pagers: Israel has a long history of hunting down its enemies
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-20 | by ( Dan De Luce | Dan De Luce Is A Reporter For The Nbc News Investigative Unit. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Over the years, Israel has viewed “targeted killings” as a way to deter attacks on the county, fuel fear among its enemies and exact revenge. Iran’s nuclear program is closer to building a bomb than ever, even after several nuclear scientists were killed, he said. But the Mossad operation dismayed Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, who demanded the resignation of the spy service’s chief. Almost four decades later, Israel killed a major Hamas official, Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, in a Dubai hotel in a complex plot involving more than two dozen Mossad operatives. In an echo of this week’s attacks in Lebanon, Israel killed a Hamas bombmaker, Yahya Ayyash, in 1996 with a cellphone outfitted with explosives.

Persons: ”, Bruce Riedel, Adolf Eichmann, Eichmann, David Ben, Gurion, God —, Russell Mcphedran, Ehud Barak, Ahmed Bouchikhi, Ali Hassan Salameh, Yasser Arafat, Bouchikhi, Israel, Mahmoud al, Mabhouh, Mohammed Salem, Ahmed Jibril, Ronen Bergman, Jibril, Yahya Ayyash, Ayyash, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Fakhrizadeh, Ismail Haniyeh, David Barnea, Israel “, ” Barnea Organizations: Lebanese, CIA, Argentine, Nazi, Damocles, Palestinian, Fairfax Media, Getty, Palestine Liberation Organization, Hamas, New York Times Locations: Israel, British, Nazi, Argentina, Egypt, Munich, Beirut, Moroccan, Norwegian, Lillehammer, Europe, Dubai, Gaza, Israeli, Lebanon, U.S, Iran’s, Absad, Tehran, Syria, Iran, Mossad’s

Nesmith said she had flown into Greece on Sunday, the day the wildfire initially broke out in the village of Varnavas, about 20 miles north of Athens. As the danger spread, Greece implored fellow European Union members to help respond to the blaze. “We stand with Greece as it battles devastating fires,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement on X on Monday. While wildfires are common during the summertime in Greece, climate scientists have warned that unusually hot and dry weather connected to climate change can make fires more likely to ignite and spread. A satellite image shows the ongoing fire near Athens, Greece.

Persons: Nesmith, Vassilis, Ursula von der Leyen, Kikilias, Angelos Tzortzinis, Maria Sidiropoulou, Chantal Da Silva Organizations: Reuters, Officials, Volunteers, Aris Oikonomou, Getty, Union, Copernicus, NBC Locations: Greece, Varnavas, Athens, “, Vrilissia, AFP, EU, Italy, France, Czechia, Romania, Chalandri, European, Libya, Stamata, London

Further unrest was expected on Tuesday, when a military court is expected to decide whether to extend the soldiers’ detentions. Since the start of the war, the Israeli military has captured at least 4,000 Gazans, mostly from inside Gaza, and brought them to Sde Teiman, a military base in southern Israel, for detention and interrogation. Former detainees and some Israeli soldiers have said that guards routinely abuse Gazans held at Sde Teiman; at least 35 detainees have died either at the site or shortly after leaving it. Video Israeli protesters broke into the Sde Teiman military base in support of the detained reservists. Neither the professor nor the Israeli military would confirm that claim.

Persons: Sde, Israel, Sde Teiman, Yoel Donchin, Donchin, Nati Rom, Honenu, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, —, ” Naftali Bennett, ” Mr, Bennett, Hanoch Milwidsky, ”, Gabby Sobelman Organizations: Video Locations: Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Israeli, Sde, Beit, Rehovot

☆ World leaders, veterans, commemorate D-Day's 80th anniversary in Normandy
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Veterans and world leaders gathered in Normandy on Thursday to mark the 80th anniversary of the June 6, 1944 D-Day landings, when more than 150,000 Allied soldiers arrived in France by sea and air to drive out the forces of Nazi Germany. With war raging in Ukraine, on Europe's borders, this year's commemoration of this major turning point in World War Two will carry special resonance. Leaders are set to draw parallels with World War Two and warn of the dangers of isolationism and the far-right. Under glorious blue skies, they were joined by a collection of Second World War jeeps. But Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, touching off Europe's biggest armed conflict since World War Two, was not invited.

Persons: Joe Biden, Bob Gibson, Biden, Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Britain's King Charles ,, Olaf Scholz, Brigitte Perdrix Organizations: Commando, Veterans, Reuters Locations: Gold, Asnelles, France, United Kingdom, United States, Normandy, Nazi Germany, Ukraine, U.S, Arromanches, Normandy's Utah, Ukrainian, Ver, Russia, European, Colleville, Trouville

☆ Another European country is flying fighter jets off highways like NATO has been doing to protect its warplanes
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

It marked the first time since 1991 that the Swiss air force has operated from a highway. During the Cold War, aircraft in Europe trained to operate from non-traditional airstrips and improvised runways to reduce vulnerability. To reduce their vulnerability to long-range strikes, the air force is focusing on disaggregating and using improvised runways to conduct operations. The fighter aircraft were quickly refueled while their engines were running — a tactic known as hot-pit refueling — before they took off again. Not only for the Norwegian Air Force, but also for the Nordic countries, and for NATO," Chief of the Royal Norwegian Air Force Maj. Gen. Rolf Folland said in a press statement at the time.

Persons: —, Russia's, Rolf Folland, They've Organizations: Service, NATO, Business, Swiss, Swiss Army, Norwegian Air Force, Nordic, Royal Norwegian Air Force, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, Commando Locations: Ukraine, Swiss, Europe, Switzerland, Norway, Finnish, Finland, Michigan, Wyoming, Texas

☆ Tattoo artist Shani Louk became a symbol of the music festival massacre by Hamas. The IDF has finally recovered her body.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewThe Israel Defense Forces recovered three hostages' bodies from the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military announced on Friday. Shani Louk became a symbol of Hamas' October 7 terrorist incursion into Israel after photos and video footage of her body being abducted went viral. AdvertisementLouk's father, Nissim Louk, spoke of the "relief" of finally having secured the body of his 22-year-old daughter. Hamas militants drive back to the Gaza Strip with the body of Shani Louk. AdvertisementOn October 7 Hamas militants also seized 252 hostages in Israel; 129 hostages are still in captivity in the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli broadcaster Kan.

Persons: —, Daniel Hagari, Shani Louk, Amit Buskila, Yitzchak Gleren, Nissim Louk, Ali Mahmud, Shani, Louk's, Ali Mahmud More, Kan Organizations: Service, Israel Defense Forces, ISA, Business, Nova, Daily, Press, Reynolds Journalism, Hamas, AP, UN Office, Humanitarian Affairs Locations: Gaza, Israel, Kibbutz Re'im, of Israel

☆ Withholding US weapons from Israel could force changes in how it fights but may not stop its devastating assault
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The US paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week amid rising concerns over a Rafah assault. Israeli soldiers work on armored military vehicles at a staging ground near the Israeli-Gaza border, in southern Israel on May 8, 2024. That would be a more difficult fight for the Israeli military, Byman said. A view shows Israeli F-16 fighter jets on a runway in an airbase in southern Israel on March 4, 2024. It is not necessarily an unprecedented move, as past US administrations have also threatened to withhold military support from Israel.

Persons: Joe Biden, —, Israel, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Daniel Byman, Byman, Israel's, CNN's Erin Burnett, We're, Raphael Cohen, Cohen, Hatem Khaled, John Kirby, Mohammed Salem, Netanyahu Organizations: US, Service, AP, State Department, Attack Munitions, Transnational, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Hezbollah, REUTERS, RAND Corporation, AIR FORCE, US Army Reserve, White House National Security Council Locations: Israel, Washington, Gaza, Rafah, I'm, Egypt

☆ Leaving the army to go corporate is a tough road to take. We asked 3 veterans how they survived and thrived.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The decision, Tan told BI, came to him after his aunt died. Tan told BI that he left the SAF without any job offers and had to rely on his savings while job hunting. But contextualizing the skills they'd picked up in the military and maintaining their resilience, the veterans told BI, was their key to success. I got to interact with new soldiers and helped to make their training more interesting," Tan told BI. Tan told BI that he spent six months taking courses before he landed his first full-time role in the private sector.

Persons: —, Tan, who'd, Tan wasn't, they'd, Jiahui Ong, Ong, Kwong Weng Yap, Yap, Jianhui Tan, Euromonitor, you'll, Adrian Choo, Choo Organizations: Service, Singapore Armed Forces, SAF, BI, Business, DBS Bank, DBS, Navy Locations: Australia

☆ Ukraine’s border villages feel full force of Russian war machine as Putin moots possible ‘sanitary zone’
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Andy Carey | Olga Voitovych | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Sumy region, Ukraine CNN —“Evacuation! Luhivka, in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, lies just a few miles from the border with Russia. Workers inspect fortifications being built in Ukraine's Sumy region on March 16, 2024. Even though Russia’s leader might seem impervious to small military setbacks, his comments last week following the announcement of his poll victory suggest a possible further intention to force Ukraine’s border areas into submission. Even discounting the Russian-occupied territories – and Belarus – Ukraine’s border with Russia runs for many hundreds of kilometers.

Persons: Dmytro Piddubnyi, Grandma, She’s, Vladimir Putin, Olha Mykhailivna, ”, Iryna Mishchenko, “, ” Mishchenko, Volodymyr Artiukh, Artiukh, Volodymyr Zelensky, Gleb Garanich, Vyacheslav Gladkov, Kozinka, Ukraine’s, Putin, Melnyk Organizations: Ukraine CNN —, Russian, Getty, CNN, Radio Liberty, Kyiv’s Defense Intelligence Directorate, Kyiv, Kremlin, Kyiv’s Locations: Sumy, Ukraine, Luhivka, Ukraine’s, Russia, Russian, Belgorod, Kursk, AFP, Ukrainian, Ryzhivka, Grad, Popivka, Yizdetske, Sumy region, Russia’s, Russia’s Belgorod, Kyiv Russian, Kremlin Russian, Kozinka, Kyiv, Ukraine's Sumy, –, Belarus

☆ Israeli Soldier’s Video Undercuts Medic’s Account of Sexual Assault
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Adam Rasgon | Natan Odenheimer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

New video has surfaced that undercuts the account of an Israeli military paramedic who said two teenagers killed in the Hamas-led terrorist attack on Oct. 7 were sexually assaulted. The unnamed paramedic, from an Israeli commando unit, was among dozens of people interviewed for a Dec. 28 article by The New York Times that examined sexual violence on Oct. 7. He said he discovered the bodies of two partially clothed teenage girls in a home in Kibbutz Be’eri that bore signs of sexual violence. The Associated Press, CNN and The Washington Post reported similar accounts from a military paramedic who spoke on condition of anonymity. But footage taken by an Israeli soldier who was in Be’eri on Oct. 7, which was viewed by leading community members in February and by The Times this month, shows the bodies of three female victims, fully clothed and with no apparent signs of sexual violence, at a home where many residents had believed the assaults occurred.

Organizations: The New York Times, Associated Press, CNN, Washington Post, The Times Locations: Be’eri

The group got a dramatic second wind soon after the Taliban toppled the Afghan government that year. The attack raised ISIS-K’s international profile, positioning it as a major threat to the Taliban’s ability to govern. Counterterrorism officials in Europe say that in recent months they have snuffed out several nascent ISIS-K plots to attack targets there. And now the group has claimed responsibility for the attack in Moscow. “ISIS-K accuses the Kremlin of having Muslim blood in its hands, referencing Moscow’s interventions in Afghanistan, Chechnya and Syria.”

Persons: Biden, Michael E, “, Qassim Suleimani, Vladimir V, Putin, Colin P, Clarke, ” Organizations: Taliban, U.S, Islamic State, ISIS, military’s, Command, Counterterrorism, Soufan, Kremlin Locations: Kabul, Afghanistan, Moscow, State Khorasan Province, U.S, United States, Persian, Europe, Kerman, Iran, Gen, Iranian, Russia, New York, Chechnya, Syria

☆ Meet Prince William and Kate Middleton's inner circle who may be part of the team helping them navigate her cancer diagnosis
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Maria Noyen | Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Kate Middleton and Prince William may lean on their inner circle following her cancer diagnosis. AdvertisementWhoever gets the job will join a team dedicated to guiding Prince William and Princess Kate through Kate's diagnosis. Kate's private secretary is a palace veteranA month after Kate underwent surgery, she hired a new private secretary: Lieutenant Colonel Tom White. Meanwhile, William's private secretary is relatively new to the royal sceneLike Kate, William also hired a new private secretary recently. Natalie Barrows, an assistant private secretary, to Kate Middleton, has been pictured with her at several public events over the years.

Persons: Kate Middleton, Prince William, Prince, Princess of Wales, —, Wales, Kate, Princess Kate, Tom White, White, he's, Elizabeth II, Queen Elizabeth II's equerry, Max Mumby, Princess, William, Ian Patrick, Patrick, Lee Thompson, Adam, Edwina Iddles, The Royal Foundation of The Prince, Caroline Dinenage, Rhea Vernon, Natalie Barrows, Natasha Archer, Archer, Chris Jackson Organizations: Service, People Magazine, Royal Marines, Telegraph, British Foreign Office, NBCUniversal, CNBC, The Royal Foundation of The, EU, Office, Getty Images Locations: Wales, Kensington, British, London, Bosnia, Herzegovina

☆ What We Know About ISIS-K, the Group That Claimed Responsibility for the Moscow Attack
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-22 | by ( Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The group that claimed credit for the deadly terrorist attack in Moscow on Friday is the Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan called Islamic State Khorasan Province, or ISIS-K.ISIS-K was founded in 2015 by disaffected members of the Pakistani Taliban, who then embraced a more violent version of Islam. The group saw its ranks cut roughly in half, to about 1,500 to 2,000 fighters, by 2021 from a combination of American airstrikes and Afghan commando raids that killed many of its leaders. The group got a dramatic second wind soon after the Taliban toppled the Afghan government that year. During the U.S. military withdrawal from the country, ISIS-K carried out a suicide bombing at the international airport in Kabul in August 2021 that killed 13 U.S. troops and as many as 170 civilians. The attack raised ISIS-K’s international profile, positioning it as a major threat to the Taliban’s ability to govern.

Organizations: Islamic State, Taliban Locations: Moscow, Afghanistan, State Khorasan Province, Kabul, U.S

☆ US Air Force special ops forces are turning big cargo planes into bombers with a new weapon
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Lauren Frias | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Workhorse transport planes fighting as bombersThe rehearsals allow the airmen to rapidly employ a litany of effects via airdrop from airlift platforms, such as the MC-130J Commando II. US Army PhotoTraditionally, the Air Force's workhorse transport planes, like the C-17 Globemaster III and MC-130J Commando II, have aided in the strategic and rapid delivery of fuel and supplies via airdrop. These two types of planes were selected for the initiative because turning them into bombers required fewer modifications and training. Slife said the cargo plane can carry as many long-range weapons as a B-52. This plane, given its size, can carry three times as many long-range precision munitions as a B-52 bomber, according to Slife.

Persons: Jim Slife, Slife, Valerie Knight Organizations: US Army, Air, US Air Force Special Operations Command, Air and Space Forces Association, Business, 352nd Wing

☆ I was a commando who trained with Navy SEALs. Dealing with risky situations helped me navigate the corporate jungle.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

It's now been 10 fulfilling years that I have spent in the private sector. But if I were to liken corporate life to my military experience, I would compare working in the private sector to parachuting. Some mourn the loss of camaraderie and the sense of purpose when one leaves the army for the private sector. And in the military, things are straightforward. AdvertisementSo, it's true that the private sector is inherently transactional, albeit in a different way.

Persons: Kwong Weng Yap, —, Yap, Singapore's, Lim Chuan Poh, It's, I've, you'll, Kwong Weng Organizations: Singapore Armed Forces, Service, National Cadet Corps, NCC, SAF, Navy, Defence Force, Enterprise Singapore Locations: Singapore, Australia, Yap, Myanmar, Vietnam, Southeast Asia, Ukraine, China

☆ Ukraine said it sank a $65 million warship that Russia planned to use for an antiaircraft missile system
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine said it destroyed another Russian ship in the Black Sea using sea drones. The Sergei Kotov patrol vessel, part of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, cost $65 million, Ukraine said. AdvertisementUkrainian military intelligence said a $65 million Russian warship was the latest to be sunk in the Black Sea. It added that a Ukrainian special unit attacked the Black Sea Fleet vessel in cooperation with Ukraine's navy and the Ministry of Digital Transformation. In December, the UK's defense minister said that "over the past 4 months 20% of Russia's Black Sea Fleet has been destroyed."

Persons: Sergei Kotov, —, Andrii, Russian Sergey Kotov, 3KPMpgxXD8, 4LGiEYQaEY — Anton Gerashchenko Organizations: Service, Directorate of Intelligence, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Digital, Kyiv, Radio Free, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, Ukraine, Kyiv Independent Locations: Ukraine, Russia's, Russia, Ukrainian, Kerch, Radio Free Europe, Russian, Sevastopol, Crimea

☆ Dubai jet suit race: Real-life ‘superheroes’ take to the sky in inaugural event
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Against a backdrop of skyscrapers and super yachts, the airborne athletes competed in the inaugural Jet Suit Race Series, an event organized by the Dubai Sports Council and Gravity Industries, the manufacturers of the jet suit. Browning compares the 1,700-horsepower jet suit to “the power of a Bugatti Veyron” sports car in a 30-kilogram (66-pound) backpack. The jet suit uses aviation fuel or diesel, and can go at speeds of up to 136 kilometers per hour (85 miles per hour), Browning’s own record. In 2020, there was a fatal jetpack accident in Dubai, though it was not a Gravity suit.) Test pilots take off in Gravity Industries jet suits ahead of the inaugural race, in Dubai in February 2024.

Persons: Superlatives ”, ”, Richard Browning, “, Browning, Toby Patterson ‘, Browning’s, Toby Patterson “, Issa Kalfon, Paul Jones, Freddie Hay, Kaflon, Ahmed Al Shehhi, Al Shehhi, he’s, it’s Organizations: CNN, Dubai Sports Council, Gravity Industries, CAA, FAA, Royal Marines, Great North Air Ambulance Service, Industries, British Royal Navy, Commando Royal Marines, JetPack Aviation Locations: Dubai, “ City, Superlatives, UAE, Lake District, California

With Israel continuing to warn that it plans a ground invasion of Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza, South Africa has asked the International Court of Justice in The Hague to issue new constraints on Israel’s military offensive to prevent genocide. In December, South Africa filed a case with the International Court of Justice, the U.N.’s highest court, accusing Israel of genocide and asking the court to step in with emergency orders. In response, the court ordered Israel last month to ensure that its actions would not lead to genocide and to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza. Under court rules, the judges will have to consider South Africa’s request as a matter of priority. Israel’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday, but Israel has rejected accusations of genocide.

Persons: “, Israel’s, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Netanyahu, ” Johnatan Reiss Organizations: International Court of Justice, South, ”, Israel Locations: Israel, Rafah, Gaza, South Africa, The Hague

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