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☆ More women describe having forced abortions in Nigerian Army programme
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +20 min

And both lost their pregnancies after they were taken into custody by Nigerian soldiers and given unidentified pills and injections. Nigerian military leaders previously have adamantly denied the existence of the abortion programme and the deliberate killing of unarmed children. We respect every living soul.”Asked about the military’s comments on the programme, Yau replied: “This happened to me, and they are denying it. After she was put into a room with three other pregnant women, Yau said, army personnel gave her pills and more injections. Reuters was unable to determine if this tally overlapped with others cited in its December story about the abortion programme.

☆ A 1960s-era cannon is 'kicking ass' against Russia's drones, but the country that makes ammo for it won't send more to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

But Switzerland, where Gepard ammo is made, is not allowing more of that ammo to be sent to Ukraine. The Gepard SPAAGA German Gepard anti-aircraft tank during an exercise near Munster in June 2007. German defense company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann built 570 Gepards between 1963 and 1980 — 420 for the German Bundeswehr, 95 for the Dutch army, and 55 for the Belgian army. Kay Nietfeld/picture alliance via Getty ImagesAfter being criticized for its reluctance to send heavy weaponry to Ukraine, the German government promised some 50 Gepards to Ukraine in April 2022. In February, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced that German firm Rheinmetall would restart ammo production for the Gepard.

Kyiv and the West accuse Russian forces of committing war crimes in occupied Ukrainian territory, which Moscow denies. Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk and Donetsk are the four regions that Putin proclaimed annexed last September following what Ukraine said were sham referendums. Russian forces only partly control the four regions. HEAVY ARTILLERYFighting has raged in and around Bakhmut in Donetsk region for months, with Ukrainian forces holding out despite regular claims by Russia to have taken the city. "Any use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons by Russia would be met with severe consequences," they said.

☆ A fighter plane designed for the US Navy during World War II was still taking down jet fighters over Vietnam 20 years later
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Douglas A-1 Skyraider was designed for the US Navy in the final years of World War II. The US Air Force and its South Vietnamese counterpart also began operating the plane that year. Navy Skyraider pilots even managed to down MiG-17 fighter jets on two occasions. By the end of the war, Air Force Skyraiders conducted more than 90,000 combat sorties, including more than 1,000 a month during the peak of the fighting. The last Air Force Skyraider mission was on November 7, 1972, and all of the service's remaining Skyraiders were transferred to the South Vietnamese air force in 1973.

☆ What the Boston Marathon Finish Line Means Now
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Talya Minsberg | Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +14 min

The Boston Marathon is arguably the most elusive finish line of all, and not just anyone can cross it. In 2013, on a cool, partly sunny day, this ebullient scene was shattered when two bombs exploded near the finish line. On Monday, nearly 30,000 runners will journey, down and up and down, toward the finish line of the 127th Boston Marathon. Volunteer, runner I used to volunteer at the finish line, reading information about runners as they finished for the announcer. It means something so different crossing that finish line compared to other marathon majors.

☆ China hopes Germany supports peaceful Taiwan 'reunification' -Top diplomat
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang attend a joint press conference at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, April 14, 2023. Suo Takekuma/Pool via REUTERSBEIJING, April 15 (Reuters) - China's top diplomat Wang Yi "hopes and believes" Germany will support China's "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday. Wang made the remarks at a meeting with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who is visiting China until Saturday, adding that China once supported Germany's reunification. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's government rejects China's position, saying only Taiwan's people can decide their future. Wang also said China is willing to strengthen exchanges and communication with Germany to enhance mutual understanding and prepare for a new round of Sino-German government consultations.

☆ China says hopes Germany supports peaceful Taiwan 'reunification'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang attend a joint press conference at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, April 14, 2023. Suo Takekuma/Pool via REUTERSBEIJING, April 15 (Reuters) - China's top diplomat Wang Yi "hopes and believes" Germany will support China's "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday. Wang made the remarks at a meeting with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who is visiting China until Saturday, adding that China once supported Germany's reunification. Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday it strongly approved of Baerbock's comments. "The Foreign Ministry thanks many high-level officials in the executive departments of various countries, including Germany, for their solidarity with Taiwan," it said.

☆ Taiwan president thanks fighter pilots as Chinese drills ebb
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Taiwan Presidential Office/Handout via REUTERS/File PhotoTAIPEI, April 14 (Reuters) - Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on Friday thanked fighter pilots who scrambled against China's air force during its drills around the island and pledged to keep strengthening the armed forces, as Beijing's military activities around the island ebbed. On Friday morning, Taiwan's defence ministry said it had not spotted any Chinese military aircraft crossing the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait in the past 24 hours. In its regular morning report on Chinese military activities in the previous 24-hour period, Taiwan's defence ministry said it had seen four Chinese military aircraft and eight Chinese warships around Taiwan. But in an accompanying map of China's activities it did not show any Chinese warplanes crossing the Taiwan Strait's median line, an unofficial boundary between the two. China says it does not recognise the median line and has since August, when it staged war games after then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, flown fighter jets regularly across it.

☆ The US Navy's Super Hornets are having trouble keeping up with the rest of the military's fighter jets
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

F/A-18E/F Super Hornets have mostly replaced F/A-18 Hornets as the US Navy's carrier-based fighters. The Super Hornet — which includes the single-seat F/A-18E and the two-seat F/A-18F — made its maiden flight in 1995. Super Hornet availability is now about 41% compared to about 26% for the Hornet, whose readiness dropped sharply at about the 25-year mark. But the CBO asked a more specific question: How did Hornets compare to Super Hornets at a similar age? Was the discrepancy caused by Super Hornets flying more hours than Hornets?

☆ Photo catches Taiwan pilot with a patch of Winnie the Pooh getting punched in the face — a jab at China's Xi as Beijing ups the pressure
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Amid this, Taiwan's defense ministry published a photo of a patch worn by fighter pilots. The patch depicts a cartoon Winnie the Pooh getting punched by a bear — a dig at Xi Jinping. Her visit stoked ire in Beijing, with China's defense ministry calling it "provocative." Beijing's defense ministry said the war games — dubbed "Joint Sword" — are meant to be a "stern warning" to Taiwan, which sharply criticized the exercises. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and tasked CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond these activities," Taiwan's defense ministry wrote in a statement posted to social media.

☆ The Russian air force's struggles in Ukraine reveal glaring problems in now Moscow trains its pilots
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Alex Hollings | Sandboxx News | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +35 min

Despite being bigger and more advanced than its enemy, Russia's air force has struggled in Ukraine. It's commonly said that Russian fighter pilots are not as well trained as their Western counterparts, particularly those from the United States. But however ineffective you may think Russian pilot training is compared to the West, the truth seems to be … much worse. A Russian air force pilot prepares to take off in an Su-35 fighter jet at Hemeimeem air base in Syria in September 2019. Put simply, the Gulf War air campaign creates a damning juxtaposition when compared directly to Russia's air campaign over Ukraine.

☆ North Korea's Kim calls for more 'practical, offensive' war deterrence
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, April 11 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for strengthening the country's war deterrence in a "more practical and offensive" manner to counter what it called moves of aggression by the U.S. and South Korea, state media KCNA said on Tuesday. North Korea has been reacting angrily to a recent series of the allies' joint military exercises, which KCNA said were intended to prepare for "an all-out war" and forced Pyongyang to explore "powerful practical action", including military options. Kim ordered further reinforcing the country's war deterrence with "increasing speed" and in a "more practical and offensive" manner, KCNA said. The meeting "discussed practical matters and measures for machinery to prepare various military action proposals that no means and ways of counteraction are available to the enemy," it added. South Korea and the U.S. forces have conducted annual springtime exercises since March, including air and sea drills involving a U.S. aircraft carrier and B-1B and B-52 bombers, and their first large-scale amphibious landing drills in five years.

☆ Taiwan president slams 'irresponsible' China military drills
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TAIPEI, April 11 (Reuters) - China's military exercises have caused instability in Taiwan and the region and are irresponsible acts for a major country, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen wrote on Facebook after Beijing ended three days of drills around the island. China began the war games on Saturday after Tsai returned to Taipei following a meeting in Los Angeles with U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy. "However, China used this to launch military exercises, causing instability in Taiwan and the region. China simulated precision attacks and blockades of Taiwan during the drills, sending up dozens of fighter jets and bombers. "Although China's military exercises have come to an end, the nation's military and national security team will continue to stick to their posts and defend the country," she added.

SummarySummary Companies China starts three days of drills around TaiwanTaiwan says 71 Chinese planes crossed Taiwan Strait median lineTaiwan says it will respond calmlyChina angered by Taiwan president meeting U.S. House SpeakerAnnouncement comes shortly after French president left ChinaFUZHOU, China/TAIPEI, April 8 (Reuters) - Seventy-one Chinese military aircraft crossed the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait on Saturday as China began drills around Taiwan in anger at President Tsai Ing-wen's meeting with the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. The People's Liberation Army said it had started the combat readiness patrols and "Joint Sword" exercises around Taiwan, having said earlier it would be holding them in the Taiwan Strait and to the north, south and east of Taiwan "as planned". SITUATION 'AS EXPECTED'There was no broader sense of alarm in Taiwan about the drills, where people are long accustomed to Chinese threats. European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen, also in China this week to meet Xi, said stability in the Taiwan Strait was of paramount importance. The Taiwan security source said China's recent efforts to charm foreign leaders proved in vain after the announcement of the drills.

☆ China's military encircles Taiwan in new drills following its president's visit to the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

China's military has encircled Taiwan during three days of "combat readiness patrols." The move follows Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen's visit to the US. China has described the drills as a "stern warning against the collusion between separatist forces." House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., second from right, welcomes Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen as she arrives at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., on April 5, 2023. McCarthy said, "America's support for the people of Taiwan will remain resolute, unwavering, and bipartisan," per AP.

☆ North Korea says U.S.-South Korea drills push tension to 'brink of nuclear war'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Yonhap via REUTERS/File PhotoSEOUL, April 6 (Reuters) - North Korea on Thursday accused the U.S. and South Korea of escalating tensions to the brink of nuclear war through their joint military drills, vowing to respond with "offensive action," state media KCNA reported. KCNA released a commentary by Choe Ju Hyon, whom it called an international security analyst, criticising the exercises as "a trigger for driving the situation on the Korean peninsula to the point of explosion." "Now the international community unanimously hopes that the dark clouds of a nuclear war hanging over the Korean peninsula will be removed as early as possible," it added. "The drills have turned the Korean peninsula into a huge powder magazine which can be detonated any moment," it added. North Korea has reacted furiously to the exercises, calling them a rehearsal for invasion.

☆ 'Nationalizing bond markets' left central banks unprepared for inflation, top HSBC economist says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"Part of the problem with QE was the fact that you're basically nationalizing bond markets. Bond markets have a very very useful role to play when you've got inflation, which is they're an early warning indicator," King told CNBC's Steve Sedgwick. Central banks around the world have hiked interest rates aggressively over the past year in a bid to rein in soaring inflation, after a decade of loose financial conditions. The swift rise in interest rates has intensified concerns about a potential recession and exposed flaws in the banking system that have led to the collapse of several regional U.S. banks . The prolonged period of loose monetary policy after the global financial crisis equated to central banks "nationalizing bond markets," and meant policymakers were slow off the mark in containing inflation over the past two years, according to HSBC Senior Economic Adviser Stephen King.

☆ Judge fires as Yankees make fast start
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Amy Tennery | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Mar 30, 2023; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge (99) hits a solo home run against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY SportsNEW YORK, March 30 (Reuters) - American League MVP Aaron Judge kicked off the New York Yankees season in style on Thursday, launching a solo homer in his first at-bat of the year in a 5-0 win over the San Francisco Giants. Judge quickly reminded the sellout crowd at Yankee Stadium why hope springs eternal for the 27-times world champions, however, launching one over the center field wall after assuming the captain's job in the off-season. While Judge is coming off a blockbuster 2022 in which he broke the AL single-season home run record, however, he cannot do it alone. Judge and DJ LeMahieu added to the advantage with an RBI each in the seventh.

☆ Russia says suspension of nuclear pact not impacted by US data move
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Russia said on Wednesday it would voluntarily stick to agreed limits on the number of nuclear warheads it can deploy regardless of the U.S step. Putin justified Russia's suspension last month by saying, without providing evidence, that the West had been directly involved in Ukrainian attacks against bases for Russian strategic bomber planes deep inside Russian territory. He said NATO demands that Russia should allow inspections of its nuclear bases under the New START treaty were therefore absurd. Signed in 2010 and due to expire in 2026, the New START treaty caps the number of strategic nuclear warheads that both countries, the world's largest nuclear powers, can deploy. Under its terms, Moscow and Washington may deploy no more than 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads and 700 land- and submarine-based missiles and bombers to deliver them.

☆ New York Yankees name homegrown prospect Volpe to Opening Day roster
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Mar 24, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (77) is congratulated in the Yankees dugout after hitting a two run home run in the third inning against the Minnesota Twins at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dave Nelson-USA TODAY SportsNEW YORK, March 26 (Reuters) - Top prospect Anthony Volpe was named to the New York Yankees' Opening Day roster, manager Aaron Boone said on Sunday, a dream come true for the 21-year-old homegrown shortstop who grew up idolizing the team. "I think when we take a step back and evaluate, he really checked every box that we could have had for him." The Yankees take the field for their regular season at home on Thursday against the San Francisco Giants. Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Three injured as Russia downs Ukrainian drone south of Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MOSCOW, March 26 (Reuters) - Russian air defences halted a Ukrainian drone attack on a Russian town on Sunday in which three people were hurt and apartment blocks were damaged, the Russian Defence Ministry said. The Defence Ministry statement said the attack on the town of Kireyevsk, in Tula region 220 km (140 miles) south of Moscow, involved a Ukrainian Tu-141 Strizh drone. "A Polye-21 electronic unit took action against the Ukrainian drone, and as a result its navigation system was taken out of action," the ministry statement said. "The drone lost its directional command and fell near the town of Kireyevsk in Tula region." Russia has previously reported drone attacks in several towns and cities, some of them hundreds of kilometres (miles) from its border with Ukraine.

Kyiv and its Western allies fear tactical nuclear weapons could be used in battle after Putin and others warned Russia was prepared to use all its vast arsenal in defence. WHAT ARE TACTICAL NUCLEAR WEAPONS? Academics and arms control negotiators have spent years arguing about how to define tactical nuclear weapons (TNW). The president is the ultimate decision maker when it comes to using Russian nuclear weapons, both strategic and non-strategic, according to Russia's nuclear doctrine. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, signed by the Soviet Union, says that no nuclear power can transfer nuclear weapons or technology to a non-nuclear power, but it does allow for the weapons to be deployed outside its borders but under its control - as with U.S. nuclear weapons in Europe.

☆ Inside Ukraine’s scramble for “game-changer” drone fleet
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Max Hunder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

It is hoping that domestic drone makers like AeroDrone will help it meet its ambitious goals. The government is now working with more than 80 Ukraine-based drone manufacturers, Ukraine's Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov told Reuters. RUSSIAN TERRITORYThe range and potency of Ukraine's drones is a sensitive issue. Danilov, the national security council head, acknowledged Ukraine’s reliance on other countries for more high-tech drone components. "We are trying to fulfil our needs in this sector with domestic production, but we realise that it's unlikely we will be able to fulfil everything," he said.

☆ South Korea, US to hold largest live-fire drills amid North Korea tension
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, March 22 (Reuters) - South Korean and U.S. forces will hold their largest-ever live-fire exercises in June in a show of force to North Korea, which has ratcheted up tension with numerous missile launches, South Korea's defence ministry said on Wednesday. "During the live-fire exercises, the combined forces will demonstrate the alliance's formidable firepower and mobility on an unprecedented scale." In recent weeks, North Korea has been ramping up its military tests, firing an intercontinental ballistic missile last week and conducting a nuclear counterattack simulation against the U.S. and South Korea over the weekend. The United States has about 28,500 troops in South Korea. North Korea has reacted furiously to those drills, calling them a rehearsal for its invasion.

☆ There are more F-35s flying today than all other stealth aircraft combined
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Alex Hollings | Sandboxx News | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

But with over 890 F-35s delivered, there are more of them flying than all other stealth aircraft. With more than 890 F-35s delivered to date, there are more of these advanced fighters flying for nations around the world today than all other stealth aircraft on the planet ... combined. Jerod Harris/Getty ImagesAlthough the world's first stealth aircraft to enter operational service, the F-117 Nighthawk, began flying four decades ago now, the number of different stealth platforms in service today remains relatively small. There are about twice as many F-35s today than all other stealth aircraft combinedBritish Royal Air Force F-35s and a US Air Force B-2 fly along the English coast near Dover. Here are the tallies of stealth aircraft in service today, from most to least:

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