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☆ How Ukraine's artillery is doing more damage than Russia's, even with fewer rounds
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( David Hambling | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

While Ukraine has fewer guns firing fewer shells, it appear to be doing more damage than Russia. But while Ukraine has fewer guns firing fewer shells, they appear to be doing more damage even though, with some notable exceptions, they are using the same weapons as their Russian opponents. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated in February that Russia was firing around four times as many shells as Ukraine. This suggests an improvement of a factor of 7-10, which is roughly what we see in the ratios of artillery shells: casualties above. A vast number of Ukrainian drone videos show this process in operation.

CNN —The son of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Nikolai Peskov, claimed in an interview with Russian media that he decided to serve in Ukraine with Russia’s Wagner mercenary force. Children of government figures and Russia’s elite have received criticism in the past for failing to fight in Ukraine. Nikolai Peskov’s interview comes after the Wagner chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said on Friday that the Kremlin spokesperson’s son had served as a gunner with his mercenary force. According to Prigozhin, Nikolai Peskov served in PMC Wagner for six months under false documents with a different last name, working as a loader of an ammunition supply vehicle. The Wagner chief said Peskov attended a three-week training at their base in Molkino and later “left for Luhansk.”

☆ Russia having difficulty building new weapons, but might have enough older ones, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“The quality of the Russian military in terms of advanced equipment will likely decline, at least over the near term,” the CSIS report says. Western officials, speaking during a briefing Tuesday, also noted the pressure on the Russian tank fleet. The CSIS report highlights the problem Russia faces in new tank construction, citing Russian media reports. ‘Less reliable suppliers’Sanctions have cut Russian access to optical systems – needed for tank gunners to pick out targets – ball bearings and machine tools, the CSIS report said. Russia still retains numerical advantages over Ukraine, the report said, because it has large inventories in reserve.

☆ 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.

☆ Peace, love, and Hitler: How Lex Fridman's podcast became a safe space for the anti-woke tech elite
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Julia Black | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +26 min

Seemingly overnight, episodes of Fridman's podcast began racking up millions of views. YouTube/Lex FridmanIn his podcast, Fridman asks world-renowned scientists, historians, artists, and engineers a series of wide-eyed questions ("Who is God? But recently, "The Lex Fridman Podcast" has become a haven for a growing — and powerful — sector looking to dismantle years of "wokeness" and cancel culture. Twitter"The Lex Fridman Podcast" offered a rare opportunity to listen to four-hour conversations with luminaries of tech and science. Bhaskar Sunkara, the founder and publisher of the socialist magazine Jacobin who appeared on Fridman's podcast in December, praised Fridman's interviewing style.

☆ Trump's legal troubles are threatening to upend the 2024 GOP race, and he's not even charged
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Former President Donald Trump faces possible criminal charges as he's running for president. "If it's a circus, there's only one ringmaster and that's Trump," said GOP pollster B.J. Operatives thinking of ways to land punches on Trump say GOP primary candidates could argue that he would lose the general election because of his legal troubles. Political insiders widely concede that a potential indictment — and how Trump responds — could still backfire on GOP challengers and strengthen Trump. While the circumstances surrounding the 2024 primary are uncharted territory, polling shows a cohort of GOP voters has grown weary of Trump and is seeking an alternative.

☆ Iraq Veterans, 20 Years Later: George W. Bush ‘Owes Me a Beer, at the Least’ - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Petra Epperlein | Michael Tucker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Months after the United States invaded Iraq in 2003, I began filming the U.S. Army’s 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment (known as the Gunners) in Baghdad. They told the story of the war as only they could: They played guitar, spat out rhymes and played to the camera. But behind all their bravado and posturing, they were just kids who desperately wanted the world to understand the war through their eyes. In the last two months of 2003, the Gunners lost three men to I.E.D. In the short documentary above, the veterans grapple with a past that still reverberates powerfully through their lives.

Persons: Donald Rumsfeld, “, ” Organizations: Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, Gunners Locations: United States, Iraq, Army’s, Baghdad

☆ France is already sending one armored 'oddity' to Ukraine. Now it might send a slightly odder one.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

France is reportedly considering sending AMX-10P amphibious infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine. France has already sent its AMX-10RC armored vehicle to Ukraine, among other military hardware. Troops exit an AMX-10P armored vehicle in France KEYSTONE-FRANCE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty ImagesAbout 2,000 AMX-10Ps were manufactured between 1973 and 1985. It is also relatively easy to learn and operate, Péria-Peigné said, describing it as "simpler than most modern" infantry fighting vehicles. As Ukraine struggles to assimilate a plethora of Western arms quickly, an old but simple armored vehicle may be good enough.

☆ 'I really want to go back to fight:' A wounded Ukrainian soldier reflects on his recovery
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Amanda Macias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The 6-foot-3-inch Ukrainian marine smiled and extended his right arm, a lightweight fusion of silicon, carbon fiber composites and thermoplastic. In a separate conversation with CNBC, Revived Soldiers Ukraine President Iryna Discipio said the effort to aid wounded soldiers "is extremely important." "I was in this sort of dark basement shelter with other wounded soldiers. "At that facility, there was one side for the [uninjured] imprisoned, another for wounded Ukrainian soldiers and a separate area for injured Russian soldiers." Russian troops staying in the hospital who could move on their own were allowed access to the open room where wounded Ukrainian soldiers were kept.

☆ Wagner troops wouldn't 'stop coming' and climbed over bodies of dead comrades like something out of a 'zombie movie,' says Ukrainian soldier
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Ukrainian soldier compared fighting Russia's Wagner Group to something like a "zombie movie." "They're climbing above the corpse of their friends, stepping on them," the soldier told CNN. He said the fight was between 20 Ukrainian soldiers and about 200 Wagner troops and described it as a "frightening and surreal experience." He even suggested that the Wagner troops might be "getting some drugs before the attack." The soldier said his group's AK-47 rifles became so hot from constantly firing at the Wagner troops that they had to keep switching out guns.

☆ Rare battlefield footage shows how Ukraine's upgraded Soviet-era tanks are outperforming Russia's upgraded Soviet-era tanks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ukraine upgraded many of its tanks before the war, but Russia also had newer, higher-quality tanks. On the outskirts of a destroyed town, the Ukrainian tank is advances down a road, straight toward the Russian tank. Without stopping, the Ukrainian tank fires a round at its adversary. Ukrainian troops perform maintenance on tanks near the frontline in Donbas on January 18. More victories, better weaponsUkrainian troops inspect a destroyed Russian tank near Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region in December.

☆ This is the M1 Abrams, the powerful US battle tank that Kyiv wants but can't have
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

But German Leopards and American Abrams tanks are still off the table. "I just don't think we're there yet," Colin Kahl, undersecretary for defense policy, said this week, "The Abrams tank is a very complicated piece of equipment," he argued. Just over 2,000 Abrams tanks were deployed with combat units during the war, and only 23 were damaged or destroyed. In the aftermath of the Gulf War, the US military developed the M1A2 Abrams, which has steadily been upgraded over the past two decades. The Abrams tank also saw extensive combat early in the Iraq War and was used to some extent in Afghanistan.

☆ The UK says sending Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine is a potential 'game changer' in the war. This is how they could impact the conflict.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The UK confirmed it will send a small number of Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine. The powerful tank would easily outmatch any Russian battle tanks, an expert told Insider. Representatives for Poland said on Wednesday that the country plans to transfer Leopard tanks to Ukraine, but needs Berlin's permission to re-export them. The Challenger 2 is far superior to Russia's battle tanksThe powerful Challenger 2 tanks would easily outmatch Russia's battle tanks, mainly the Soviet-era T-72s, Crump said. In the first Gulf War in 1991, a British Challenger tank scored the longest tank-on-tank kill ever, according to reports, after knocking out an Iraqi tank three miles away.

☆ Prince Harry hits out at press over reports of Afghan killings in book
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

British newspapers, heavily criticized in the book, and some senior former British military figures have attacked his decision to make public the figure of those he had killed, saying it could put him and others at risk of reprisals. [1/2] A staff member arranges Britain's Prince Harry's autobiography 'Spare' at Waterstones bookstore, in London, Britain January 10, 2023. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls 1 2"Without doubt the most dangerous lie that they have told is that I somehow boasted about the number of people that I killed in Afghanistan," he said. "I'm not going to lie the last few days have been hurtful and challenging," Harry said. Reporting by Michael Holden; additional reporting by Shivani Tanna in Bengaluru; Editing by Conor Humphries and David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Taliban criticize Prince Harry's claim he killed 25 fighters
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Henry Austin | Henry Austin Is A London-Based Editor For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Among the killers of Afghans, not many have your decency to reveal their conscience and confess to their war crimes,” he said. Several British news outlets, including the broadcaster Sky News, have reported that Harry has written that he did not “think of those 25 as people." A poster advertising the launch of Prince Harry's memoir in a store window in London on Friday. His elder brother, Prince William, is the next in line to their father, King Charles III. Among the most serious of Harry's accusations is that his brother physically attacked him during an argument over his marriage to Meghan.

☆ Taliban leader hits out at Prince Harry for calling his Afghanistan kills 'chess pieces' in new tell-all book
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The early release of Prince Harry's tell-all memoir "Spare" is triggering anger from plenty of different sources, from loyal monarchy supporters to television pundits and ordinary Brits — and most recently, the Taliban. Among the many controversial revelations in the memoir is Harry's disclosure that he killed 25 Taliban fighters while on deployment in Afghanistan with the British Army. The ones you killed were not chess pieces, they were humans; they had families who were waiting for their return. Haqqani added, "Our innocent people were chess pieces to your soldiers, military and political leaders. The Taliban returned to full power over Afghanistan when the U.S. withdrew its last troops from the country in August of 2021.

☆ Taliban criticises Prince Harry over Afghan killings comment
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Harry's highly personal book "Spare" went on sale in Spain days before its global launch on Jan. 10. When asked about Harry's comments, a spokesperson for Britain's Ministry of Defence said: "We do not comment on operational details for security reasons." Representatives of Prince Harry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. As is usual for the royal family, spokespeople for King Charles and Prince William have declined to comment. Some of those who were willing to talk said they thought Harry had gone too far.

☆ DeSantis is often described as 'Trump without the baggage,' but there are plenty of differences between the two Republicans. How they play up their contrasts will decide who wins in 2024, GOP insiders
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +20 min

DeSantis could end up running for president in 2024, and he's widely viewed as similar to Trump. He's "Trump without the baggage," "Trump with a brain," Trump "without the drama," and "Trump's Mini Me." The pile on is a problem for both men should DeSantis join Trump in the ring for the 2024 nomination contest. "We know what we get with President Trump," he said. In Florida, DeSantis pushed the legislature to limit ballot collection by non-family members.

☆ The Republican far-right is seeking to place new limits on aid to Ukraine after the GOP claimed a narrow House majority
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Far-right Republicans want Ukraine aid restricted, with some saying it should be cut off entirely. But one analyst told Insider that broader bipartisan support for Ukraine aid remains solid. Gunner Ramer, political director of the centrist Republican Accountability Project, told Insider that a narrow Republican majority in the House meant that lawmakers such as Greene would wield outsized influence. Ukraine aid bills have, to date, all passed with broad bipartisan backing. Ayres, meanwhile, cautioned House Republicans hostile to Ukraine aid that pressing the issue could alienate moderate voters, for whom core policy issues like crime and the economy remain key.

☆ Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt welcome second child
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Marianne Garvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Heidi Montag Pratt and husband Spencer Pratt have welcomed their second child. “The Hills” couple introduced their new baby boy on Thursday, with Montag posting to Snapchat from the hospital. Earlier, Montag had posted herself doing breathing exercises and rubbing her baby bump as Pratt drove her to the hospital. Oh yeah, definitely gonna have this baby very quickly. “I have been hoping and praying for this moment for so long!” Montag said on social media at the time.

☆ Republicans say they're skeptical the party will abandon Trump even after a disappointing midterms performance
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Republicans have been publicly criticizing Trump after the party's performance in the midterms. — We've heard this song before," Doug Heye, a veteran GOP strategist, told Insider on Thursday. In important races, Trump backed dozens of Republican candidates who embraced his politics and leaned into his baseless claims about the 2020 election. "And the Republican party's just not in a position to make that bargain." Current frustrations over Trump also don't mean much unless the chorus continues, and at all levels — local, state, and national, strategists say.

☆ NFL roundup: Tua Tagovailoa tosses 6 TDs as Dolphins rally past Ravens
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Tagovailoa completed 36 of 50 passes for 469 yards and six TD passes, tied for the second-most in a single game in NFL history. Buccaneers 20, Saints 10Tom Brady threw a tiebreaking touchdown pass to Breshad Perriman as visiting Tampa Bay defeated New Orleans. Lawrence completed 25 of 30 passes and Christian Kirk caught both touchdown passes for the Jaguars (1-1). Marcus Mariota pulled the Falcons (0-2) to within 31-17 with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Olamide Zaccheaus with 8:14 left in the game. Rush tossed a 9-yard touchdown pass to Noah Brown to cap a 12-play, 75-yard drive in the first quarter.

Un bărbat de 74 de ani și-a salvat câinele din gura unui crocodilMult cunoscutul proverb „Prietenul la nevoie se cunoaște” a fost aplicat în practică de un bărbat de 74 de ani, care a luptat cu un pui de crocodil pentru a-i salva viața propriului cățeluș de trei luni. Se pare că există mulți oameni neînfricați ca Richard, un bărbat din Florida care s-a confruntat cu un pui aligator, pentru a-și salva cățelușul în vârstă de trei luni. Într-un moment, un pui de aligator a sărit spre câine și l-a tras în apă. Imediat, Richard a sărit în ajutor, a tras crocodilul la mal și a început să-i desfacă gura, ca să-și elibereze câinele din capcană. El a explicat că, de îndată ce și-a văzut câinele prins între dinții aligatorului, adrenalina din sânge l-a împins în apă, unde a luptat împotriva prădătorului.

Persons: Richard, CNN . El Organizations: Federation Locations: Florida

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