MTQ News

  CNBC : Xi at Communist Party anniversary: China won’t accept ‘sanctimonious preaching’ from others    * Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke Thursday about China’s firm resolve to stand up to foreign pressure while laying out national aspirations at the celebration of the 100th anniversary of China’s ruling Communist Party.  * He said Beijing would never allow any foreign force to bully it, and anyone attempting to do so would “find themselves on a collision with a great wall of steel forged by over 1.4 billion people.”  BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke Thursday about China’s firm resolve to stand up to foreign pressure while laying out national aspirations at the celebration of the 100th anniversary of China’s ruling Communist Party.  China will not accept “sanctimonious preaching from those who feel they have the right to lecture us,” Xi said, according to an official translation of his Mandarin-language remarks.  He did not name a...

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, water is released from the dam of Baihetan hydropower station in Ningnan county, in southwestern China's Sichuan province on June 27, 2021. The Chinese government says it has turned on the first two generating units of the world's second-biggest hydroelectric dam. (Jiang Wenyao/Xinhua)   CNN: China is facing its worst power shortage in a decade. That's a problem for the whole world   Hong Kong (CNN Business) - China is in the middle of a huge power crunch as extreme weather, surging demand for energy and strict limits on coal usage deliver a triple blow to the nation's electricity grid. It's a problem that could last for months, straining the country's economic recovery and weighing on global trade.   Several Chinese provinces have said they are facing a power crunch in recent weeks, including some of the country's most important engines for economic growth.  Guangdong province — a manufacturing center resp...

Donald Trump on Wednesday called on Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley (right) to resign so he can be replaced by 'someone actually willing to defend our military'   Daily Mail: Trump calls for Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley RESIGN and be replaced by someone who is 'actually willing to defend our military' and doesn't fear 'upsetting the woke mob'   * Trump ramped up his criticism of Milley in a statement on Wednesday  * He said the top US general should resign for caving to the 'woke mob'  * The former president mocked Milley for being a 'fool' during BLM protests  * Claimed he 'begged' him not to send in the military to deal with rioters  * Also said Milley is determined to 'shove critical race theory down the throats of our soldiers'  Donald Trump on Wednesday called on Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley to resign so he can be replaced by 'someone actually willing to defend our military'.  The president s...

  Daily Mail: US Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher will NOT be prosecuted after he admitted he did mean to kill ISIS detainee despite being acquitted of war crimes in 2017 as he tells Sean Hannity he was 'demonized' for doing his job    * U.S. Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher will not be prosecuted after admitting in a podcast he intended to kill a teenage ISIS detainee in 2017  * In the interview earlier this year, he said his intention was to kill the 17-year-old and said his fellow Navy SEALs tortured him until he died  * He described how he cut 'an airway' in the boy's throat and said he was going to die regardless, as the SEALs were not planning to take any prisoners  * But an assistant chief of information for the Navy told DailyMail.com his comments 'were not corroborated and no substantive information was found  The military will not prosecute Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher after he admitted he meant to kill an ISIS detainee, despite being acquitted of war...

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer John S. McCain joints the Royal Australian Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force in the South China Sea for a multinational exercise on Oct. 19, 2020. (U.S. Navy)   Defense News : Democratic appropriators want to spend more on weapons procurement than Biden   WASHINGTON ― Tweaking President Joe Biden’s Pentagon spending request for next year, House appropriators have proposed $1.7 billion more for weapons procurement and $1.6 billion less for development and testing of cutting-edge technologies meant to deter China.  The House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday morning released its fiscal 2022 Pentagon-funding bill, which proposes $706 billion in defense spending, or roughly $10 billion above the amount enacted for the current fiscal year.  When added to the $11 billion for military construction appropriators are seeking separately, that sets it about even with Biden’s $716 billion request.  The le...

  Sandboxx: Why can’t America build any new F-22 Raptors?   The U.S Air Force has two air superiority fighters in their stable in the F-22 Raptor and F-15 Eagle, but when looking to bolster the fleet with purchases of a new (old) jet for the job, it was the Eagle, not the famed Raptor, to get a second lease on life.  That really begs the question: if America can buy new F-15s, a design that’s nearly 50 years old, why isn’t it looking to build new F-22s instead?  By most accounting, the F-22 Raptor remains the most capable air superiority fighter on the planet, with its competition in China’s J-20B beginning to shape up and Russia’s Su-57 still lagging a bit behind.  The F-22 really is still at the top of its game… but that doesn’t mean building more actually makes good sense.   Read more ....   WNU Editor : There are currently 183 F-22s in service. from War News Updates https://ift.tt/3qDRWH7 via IFTTT

Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman and Muhammad bin Nayef. The Saudi cousins pictured at a GCC meeting in Riyadh in December 2015 (AFP)   NBC: Saudi intel chief who saved U.S. lives was detained, allegedly mistreated by Saudi government   "The Trump White House did nothing — absolutely nothing — to help him," said Bruce Riedel, a former CIA officer.   TEL AVIV — The Biden administration is under increasing pressure to help a former Saudi intelligence chief credited with saving American lives who was initially detained by the Saudi government during the Trump administration. Two sources familiar with the matter allege he was physically abused to the point he is unable to walk unassisted.  Mohammed bin Nayef, 61, was Saudi Arabia's interior minister and a close partner of American intelligence agencies in the fight against al Qaeda after 9/11. Having survived four assassination attempts by terrorists, he was arrested in March 2020 by Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman...

  DW: Ethiopia: Uncertainty in Tigray after rebels take control of restive north   The rebel Tigray Defense Forces claimed Mekele and Shire were under their control.  Experts warn of a precarious situation after Ethiopia's federal government called a unilateral ceasefire.  The former ruling party in Tigray said it took back control of the regional capital Mekele on Monday after Ethiopia's federal government troops controlled the city for eight months.  The Tigray Defense Forces (TDF) is "in control of Mekele and people are now dancing in the streets," said Million Haileselassie, a DW correspondent based in the city.  The TDF is the military wing of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) party, which ruled Tigray until they were ousted by the federal government in November 2020.  "Residents are celebrating in different parts of the city. Fireworks were seen in the sky, cars and motorcycles honking. I saw people in the streets waving regio...

The Chinese Communist Party is about to turn 100 but Xi will be the real star | Analysis by @Ben_Westcott https://t.co/RHOXSubMBo pic.twitter.com/7nB2O7TWEf — CNN International (@cnni) June 30, 2021 ABC is owned by Disney Are you paying attention yet? https://t.co/UbnqSv5RN8 — Test Ballot Poso (@JackPosobiec) June 29, 2021 NYPost: CNN ripped for glowing coverage of Chinese Communists’ 100th anniversary   CNN is being mocked for glowing coverage of the Chinese Communist Party’s 100th anniversary and “star” leader Xi Jinping — with critics dubbing it the “Communist News Network” and even “Xi-N-N.”  “The Chinese Communist Party is about to turn 100 but Xi will be the real star,” CNN International tweeted early Wednesday advertising an article with the same headline.  The centenary “is an opportunity for the party to reaffirm its credentials, while ensuring loyalty,” the network’s Ben Westcott wrote, hailing how the party had remained an “ever-present fixtur...

An aerial view shows part of a highway near Podgorica, the capital of Montenegros. The highway project, constructed by a large Chinese state-owned company, risks derailing Montenegro's economy. Savo Prelevic/AFP   NPR: How A Chinese-Built Highway Drove Montenegro Deep Into Debt   PODGORICA, Montenegro — The section of highway that threatens to cripple Montenegro's economy begins in the foothills outside the capital Podgorica, where scaffolding lines a multi-lane expressway closed off to the public. The highway ends, for now, in the remote mountainous terrain east of the city.  The Chinese state-owned company hasn't finished construction yet, so cars are using the old road underneath it. The highway hasn't been paid for yet, either. The first installment of the $1 billion loan from a Chinese state bank is due in July, and it's unclear whether Montenegro, whose debt has climbed to more than a 100% of its gross domestic product due to this project, will be able to...

 Centigon France, a sister company of Centigon Security Group, a world leading provider of civil and military armoured vehicles, displays Fortress 200 Intervention during the SOFINS Special Forces Operations Equipment exhibition that was held in France from 29 June to 1 July 2021. Read full news at this link Fortress 200 Intervention of GIGN during SOFINS 2021 (Picture source: Army Recognition) Read more from World Defence News https://ift.tt/3jqpBTc via IFTTT

Researchers using commercial satellite images spotted 119 construction sites where they say China is building silos for intercontinental ballistic missiles. © Planet/Center for Nonproliferation Studies   Washington Post: China is building more than 100 new missile silos in its western desert, analysts say   China has begun construction of what independent experts say are more than 100 new silos for intercontinental ballistic missiles in a desert near the northwestern city of Yumen, a building spree that could a signal a major expansion of Beijing’s nuclear capabilities.  Commercial satellite images obtained by researchers at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, Calif., show work underway at scores of sites across a grid covering hundreds of square miles of arid terrain in China’s Gansu province. The 119 nearly identical construction sites contain features that mirror those seen at existing launch facilities for China’s arsenal of nuclear...

Airbus has developed a wide range of rotorcraft tailored for special operations including the H145M, the H225M, and the NH90. Already in service, the H145M and the H225M have proven their worth, while the NH90 is evolving to adapt to the specific needs of the special forces with the upcoming Standard 2. Read full News SOFINS 2021 at this link ... The NH90 Standard 2 helicopter tailored for Special Forces. (Picture source Airbus) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/3x7PSK4 via IFTTT

The 2021 edition of SOFINS is the opportunity for the Arquus Hornet Business Unit to present its range of Hornet teleoperated weapon stations, already chosen by the French Army to equip its new generation of combat vehicles: the Griffon, Jaguar and Serval. Read full news at this link... The 2021 edition of SOFINS is the opportunity for the Arquus Hornet Business Unit to present its range of Hornet teleoperated weapon stations (Picture source: Army Recognition) Read more... from World Defence News https://ift.tt/3xbapgy via IFTTT

 Merio is an equipment supplier for the various types of carriers: drones, gyros, planes, helicopters, aerostats, land vehicles, boats, etc. Specialized in the design of payloads, the company offers a range of high performance gyrostabilized turrets weighing less than 10 kg, as well as a full picture operator chain. During Sofins 2021, Merio displays Temis M25. Read full news at this link Temis M25 gyrostabilised gimbal (Picture source: Army Recognition) Read more from World Defence News https://ift.tt/3y5k6gA via IFTTT

French Company Soframe presents the Outfielder, a new generation of Special Forces vehicle at SOFINS 2021, the Special Operations Forces Network Seminar that takes place in the military camp of Souge near Bordeaux, France. Read full News SOFINS 2021 at this link ... Soframe Outfielder 4x4 Special Forces vehicle at SOFINS 2021. (Picture source Army Recognition) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/3ya5Tzg via IFTTT

  Daily Mail: Final US soldiers pack up and prepare to leave Bagram Air Base after defending it for 20 years as Taliban sweep across Afghanistan where 2,312 American died and US military spent $816bn   * Nearly 20 years ago, Bagram Airfield became the heart of American military power in Afghanistan  * The base, a mini-city behind blast walls, was initially a symbol of the US drive to avenge the 9/11 attacks  * Now, in just a matter of days, the last US soldiers will have departed Bagram - leaving behind what many consider a strained legacy  * US Central Command said last week it is well past 50 per cent packing up Bagram  * The Afghan military will then take over Bagram as part of its continuing fight against the Taliban - and against what many in the country fear will be a new eruption of chaos  * As the withdrawal date for the US troops approaches, thousands of Afghan translators now face being left stranded because they haven't yet been acc...

  Daily Mail: Bill Cosby, 83, returns to his Pennsylvania mansion after PA Supreme Court overturned his sexual assault conviction and freed him from prison two years into 10-year sentence because prosecutor promised in 2005 that he wouldn't be charged   * Cosby was released from SCI Phoenix in Pennsylvania on Wednesday, two years into his 10 year sentence  * He was convicted in 2018 of sexually assaulting and drugging Andrea Constand at his Pennsylvania estate  * Dozens of other women accused him of sexual assault but none have had their claims prosecuted because they fell outside the statute of limitations  * Cosby appealed his conviction on two counts; he said in 2005, the then Montgomery County DA Bruce Castor made a 'deal' with him not to prosecute  * The deal wasn't written down anywhere - it comes from Castor announcing that he wasn't going to bring charges after Constand reported her claims  * Cosby also said it wasn't fair that the jur...

At SOFINS 2021, the French company Nexter Systems presents a solution of fire support vehicle for Special Forces using its ARX-20 20mm cannon mounted on a Masstech T6 6x6 light tactical vehicle. Read full News SOFINS 2021 at this link ... Masstech T6 light tactical vehicle fitted with ARX-20 20mm automatic cannon at SOFINS 2021. (Picture source Army Recognition) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/3w9IkFl via IFTTT

The Verney-Carron company is one of the oldest firearms manufacturers in the world. Founded in 1820 in Saint-Etienne, the French armory capital city, Verney-Carron is a family business based on several strategic activities: the production of security weapons with Flash-Ball launchers, 40 * 46mm grenade launchers and the Vertac range of rifles, and the production of defense weapons composed of the VCD 15, VCD 10, and VCD 9. Read full news at this link... Verney-Carron's VCD15 assault rifle, initially offered in 5.56mm, now includes a version in .300 AAC. (Picture source: Army Recognition) Read more... from World Defence News https://ift.tt/3y6zx8v via IFTTT

Wildsteer is a French manufacturer of tactical knives, located in Saint Etienne. Each of the company's products is designed directly with the operational units: GIGN, RAID, all the French Special Forces, Air, Sea, Land and certain army corps, ALAT, FELIN. Survive, fight, defend, get out of a dangerous situation, be in tactical support. Read full news at this link... Wildsteer is a French manufacturer of tactical knives. Each of the company's products is designed directly with the operational units (Picture source: Army Recognition) Read more... from World Defence News https://ift.tt/3h74i7t via IFTTT

  Daily Mail: Former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld dies aged 88: Architect of the Iraq war who served under Bush and Ford passes away 'surrounded by family in New Mexico'   Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has died at the age of 88. Rumsfeld served as Defense Secretary under Gerald Ford and George Bush and was central to the plans involving the invasion into Iraq and Afghanistan.  He died in Taos, New Mexico, according to his family.  The Princeton-educated Rumsfeld drew global attention for his televised briefings during the Iraq War, as when he spoke about weapons of mass destruction in 2002.  'As we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns,' he pontificated.   Read more ....   WNU Editor: He was in the public eye for six decades and served under four presidents. To say that he had a storied and controversial career is an understatement.  More News On Former U.S...

Former President Donald Trump leaves his New York Trump Tower building Tuesday afternoon, amid reports that prosecutors in New York are preparing potential charges against executives or the Trump Organization   Daily Mail: Trump Organization and CFO Allen Weisselberg are 'expected to be charged TOMORROW' with crimes related to President's firm 'not paying taxes on employee benefits including cash bonuses'   * Allen Weisselberg and the Trump Organization are expected to be charged on Thursday, according to sources * On Wednesday it emerged prosecutors are looking at cash bonuses as they examine whether employee benefits were properly declared  * Donald Trump won't be personally charged in the Manhattan district attorney's case against the former president's business organization in first indictment  * The former president called the DA's investigation 'a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt of all time,' in a lengthy, rambling stateme...

Armed men who are against Taliban uprising stand at their check post, at the Ghorband District, Parwan Province, Afghanistan. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani   WNU Editor: The above picture is from this photo-gallery .... Top Photos of the Day (Reuters). from War News Updates https://ift.tt/3x8MH4O via IFTTT

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  Reuters: Undeclared conflict? America's battles with Iran-backed militia escalate, again   WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's latest strikes against Iran-backed militia in Syria and Iraq were not the first nor likely the last of his young presidency.  For some of Biden's fellow Democrats, the crucial question is: does the pattern of attacks and counter-attacks amount to an undeclared conflict?   If it does, they say, there is a risk that the United States could stumble into a direct war with Iran without the involvement of Congress, an issue that is becoming more politically fraught after two decades of "forever wars."  "It's hard to argue, given the pace of attacks against U.S. troops and, now, the increasing frequency of our responses, this isn't war," Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat who leads a key Senate foreign relations subcommittee, told Reuters.  "What we always worry about is that the United States slips in...

  The Guardian: Armed forces open fire in crackdown on anti-monarchy protests in Eswatini   Teargas used against protesters in African kingdom with an overnight curfew imposed  Government forces in the southern African kingdom of Eswatini fired gunshots and teargas on Tuesday to break up protests calling for reforms to its system of absolute monarchy, witnesses said. A dusk-till-dawn curfew was also imposed.  The acting prime minister, Themba Masuku, denied media reports that King Mswati III had fled the violence to neighbouring South Africa.  “His Majesty … is in the country and continues to advance the kingdom’s goals,” Masuku said in a statement. “We appeal for calm, restraint and peace.”  Protests are rare in Eswatini, Africa’s last absolute monarchy. Political parties are banned, but violent anti-monarchy demonstrations have erupted in parts of the country.   Read more ....      More News On The Unrest In The African Co...

We are aware there is a discrepancy in the unofficial RCV round by round elimination report. We are working with our RCV technical staff to identify where the discrepancy occurred. We ask the public, elected officials and candidates to have patience. — NYC Board of Elections (@BOENYC) June 29, 2021 Eric Adams says “irregularities” in ranked choice voting results for the New York City mayor race raises “serious questions,” as absentee ballots could sway the election. Eric Adams: 51.9% (368,898) Kathryn Garcia: 48.9 (352,990) Adams +15,908 (≈120k remaining) pic.twitter.com/0uqtIQnsqe — Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) June 29, 2021 Zero Hedge: New York City Mayor's Race "Plunges Into Chaos" As 130,000 'Test-Run' Votes Lead To Unprecedented "Discrepancy"   Update (2220ET): Wtih the New York City Mayoral race "plunged into chaos" (as the NYT puts it), journalist Bob Hardt now reports that the Board of Elections counted 130,000 'tes...

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  Daily Mail: Xi Jinping warms up to celebrate 100 years of China's Communist Party with behind-closed-doors show boasting that the country has beaten Covid (without mentioning that they gave it to the world in the first place)    * China is preparing to celebrate 100th anniversary of country's Communist Party which takes place on July 1  * Spectacular event featured prominent celebration of country's Covid response where virus has been quashed  * Coronavirus first emerged in Chinese city of Wuhan before spreading across the World and killing four million   * President Xi Jinping reframed pandemic as victory for party organisation and Chinese resilience under watch  President Xi Jinping launched preparations for a celebration of 100 years of China's Communist Party behind closed doors, boasting that the country has beaten Covid while ignoring the fact it was the source of the virus.  The coronavirus first emerged in the central Chines...

  CNN: Rebels in Tigray reject calls for ceasefire after Ethiopian government forces withdraw from regional capital   (CNN)Rebel forces in the war-torn Ethiopian region of Tigray have rejected a ceasefire offer from the central government, raising fears of further violence a day after the fighters retook the regional capital Mekelle.  The recapture of the city by Tigrayan fighters and the retreat of Ethiopian government troops on Monday marked a stunning about-turn in the country's devastating eight-month civil war.  In the wake of Mekelle's capture, the Ethiopian government announced a unilateral ceasefire for several months. But on Tuesday, Tigrayan forces categorically ruled out a truce, with a spokesman for the region's ruling party saying their forces would not rest until the Ethiopian military and its allied forces had left the entire region.   Read more ....  WNU Editor: It looks like the Ethiopian army has collapsed. More News On The Ethi...

Denis Grishkin / Moskva News Agency   RFE: With Record Daily COVID Deaths, Kremlin Says Vaccination Campaign Not Meeting Targets   Russia has reported another daily record for COVID-19 deaths as the country struggles with a jump in cases triggered by the highly contagious delta variant first identified in India and a sluggish vaccination rollout.  According to the official government tally on June 29, 652 coronavirus deaths were recorded in Russia over the past 24 hours, topping the record set in December 2020, while nationwide infections grew by 20,616, bringing Russia's caseload to nearly 5.5 million.  In another dose of bad news, the Kremlin announced on June 29 that the vaccination target set by authorities for the fall will not be met.   Read more ....   WNU Editor: Russia's Sputnik V vaccine is effective .... Russia's Sputnik V shot around 90% effective against Delta variant, developers say (Reuters). The problem in that Russians are not t...

General Austin Scott Miller, the United States' top general in Afghanistan, speaks to journalists at the Resolute Support headquarters, in Kabul, Afghanistan on Tuesday. AP   France 24 : US commmander warns Taliban to stop Afghan offensive or face air strikes   The top US commander in Afghanistan Tuesday did not rule out conducting air strikes against the Taliban if they pressed on with their campaign of capturing new territory across the violence-wracked country.  Fighting has surged across the rugged countryside since early May when the US military began its final withdrawal of troops, with the Taliban claiming to have recently captured more than 100 of the over 400 districts across Afghanistan.  "What I like to see is no air strikes, but to get to no air strikes, you stop all violence," General Scott Miller told reporters in Kabul on Tuesday, according to video footage obtained by AFP from US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.   Read more .... ...

U.S. Army Gen. Austin S. Miller, the U.S.'s top general in Afghanistan, speaks to journalists at the Resolute Support headquarters, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, June 29, 2021. Miller on Tuesday gave a sobering assessment of the country's deteriorating security situation as America winds down its so-called “forever war.” He pointed to the rapid loss of districts around the country — several with significant strategic value — and said he fears the militias deployed to help the security forces could lead the country into civil war. (AP Photo/Ahmad Seir)   MSN/Washington Post : U.S. military commander in Afghanistan warns of possible civil war   KABUL— The top American military commander here expressed deep concern Tuesday that the country could slide into civil war and face "very hard times" unless its fractious civilian leadership unites and the haphazard array of armed groups joining the anti-Taliban fight are controlled and made "accountable" for their...

  RT: WATCH: Dutch navy ship intercepted by jets after turn towards Russian waters, Moscow says – Amsterdam blasts ‘dangerous’ flyover   Fighter planes and bomber jets were dispatched to follow a Dutch naval vessel only after it changed direction towards Russian waters, defense officials in Moscow said on Tuesday, amid a growing diplomatic spat over the incident.  The frigate Evertsen was on course to violate the Russian border in the Black Sea, but was prevented from doing so by Russian jets flying at a safe distance from the vessel, Moscow claimed, in response to Amsterdam’s complaints.  The incident occurred on June 24, just a day after the British Royal Navy destroyer HMS Defender violated Russian territorial waters off Crimea’s Cape Fiolent and was warned off by jets and a coast guard vessel.   Read more ....   WNU Editor: According to the Russian Ministry of Defense .... While sailing in neutral waters, the HNLMS Evertsen “changed its cours...