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This undated handout image obtained July 30, 2021, courtesy of the U.S. Department of Justice, shows oil tanker M/T Courageous docked in an undisclosed location.   Reuters: U.S. says seizes tanker used to evade North Korea sanctions   WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department (DoJ) on Friday announced the seizure of a 2,734-ton tanker it said was owned and operated by a Singaporean national and used to make shipments of petroleum products to North Korea in violation of international sanctions. A DoJ statement said the M/T Courageous was seized by Cambodian authorities in March 2020 in accordance with a U.S. warrant, having been used to transfer oil products to North Korean vessels and to make direct shipments to the North Korean port of Nampo.  "Criminal charges of conspiracy to evade economic sanctions on the DPRK and money laundering conspiracy are pending against the alleged owner and operator of the Courageous, Kwek Kee Seng, a Singaporean national who ...

U.S. Air Force photo   Arab News: US brings B-52 bombers back into action as Taliban sweep across Afghanistan   * Washington’s strategy to deploy the heavily armed planes a ‘worrying sign’  KABUL: A US B-52 bomber has pounded Taliban positions in Afghanistan’s western Herat province after the group gained ground near the area amid intense clashes with government forces, officials and lawmakers said on Saturday.  The strike took place on the outskirts of Herat city on Friday, with flights to and from the area suspended after increased violence near its airport.  “Unfortunately, all flights to Herat have been canceled due to the fighting and the information we have received suggest that a B-52 was used in the fighting yesterday (Friday) in Herat,” provincial lawmaker Habib Ur Rahman Pedram told Arab News. No further details were given, such as the number of casualties or the scale of the attack.   Read more ....   WNU Editor : This is definite...

    BBC: Afghanistan: Fighting rages as Taliban besiege three key cities   Fighting is raging around three major cities in southern and western Afghanistan as Taliban militants seek to seize them from government forces.  Taliban fighters have entered parts of Herat, Lashkar Gah and Kandahar.  They have made rapid gains in rural areas since it was announced almost all foreign troops would go by September.  But the fate of these key cities could be crucial amid fears of a humanitarian crisis and how long government forces will be able to hold out.  The fundamentalist Islamist militia is already thought to have captured up to half of all Afghanistan's territory, including lucrative border crossings with Iran and Pakistan.   Read more ....  WNU Editor: The Taliban are now claiming that they have seized the city of Herat.  More News On the Afghan War   Fighting rages for key Afghan cities as Taliban blamed for attack on UN ...

A KFF survey found young people, rural residents and black adults are among the groups most likely to refuse a vaccine, along with registered Republicans  Daily Mail: Pelosi and White House blame Republicans for fueling spread of COVID but fewer than half of young people and 36% of black people have had shots while 92% of older Americans are jabbed   * Nancy Pelosi has attempted to blame the spread of COVID-19 on unvaccinated Republicans  * However, data that shows many key Democrat groups are also not signing up to be immunized  * Young people aged 18-24 - who are reliable Democrat voting bloc - are among the most hesitant groups; almost a quarter say they'll never have the shot  * Meanwhile, more than half of black and Hispanic Americans have not had a single dose of the COVID-19 vaccine  * One survey revealed that one-third of black Americans would not have the shot even if it was determined safe by scientists  Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden's ...

  Spokesman.com : Biden directs Pentagon to plan for mandatory COVID-19 vaccines   President Joe Biden on Thursday said he was taking the first step toward making the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for members of the military .  “Since many vaccinations are required for active-duty military today, I’m asking the Defense Department to look into how and when they will add COVID-19 to the list of vaccinations our armed forces must get,” Biden said in an address from the White House.  Service members already are required to get as many as 17 vaccines, depending on where they are based around the world.  They include inoculations against measles, mumps, diphtheria, hepatitis, smallpox and the flu.   Read more ....  More News On President Biden Directing The Pentagon To Plan For Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccines   Pentagon, reacting to Biden order, working on plan for mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations -- Military Times   Pentagon says it will star...

  CNN: Biden says US will 'in all probability' see more guidelines and restrictions amid rising Covid cases   (CNN)President Joe Biden said Friday the US will, "in all probability," see more guidelines and restrictions amid rising coronavirus cases and the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant.  "And by the way, we had a good day yesterday," Biden told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House before departing for Camp David, referring to what he said were encouraging numbers of people who got vaccinated Thursday.  Pressed Friday on whether the US is headed for more lockdowns amid rising cases, White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters, "The way we see this is that we have the tools in our tool belt to fight this, this, this variant," adding, "we are not going to head towards a lockdown."   Read more ....   WNU Editor : It looks like a national vaccine mandate has been shot down .... Chaos ...

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According to information released by the Italian Navy on July 30, 2021, the first Italian Navy F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) fighter aircraft landed on the Cavour aircraft carrier after the test and certification activity carried out with U.S. F-35 during the "Ready for Operations" (RFO) campaign concluded at the end of April this year. Read full Naval News at this link ... First landing of Italian Navy F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) fighter aircraft on Cavour aircraft carrier. (Picture source Italian Navy) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/3ifkMLj via IFTTT

Iran and Saudi Arabia could be on the verge of a rapprochement. Photo: Facebook   Asia Times: Iran, Saudi Arabia on the edge of rapprochement   Backchannel talks that began in April are now an open secret and poised to produce a symbolic breakthrough in the coming days  Iran and Saudi Arabia are inching towards a rapprochement that, if achieved, would profoundly shift the region’s dynamics, diplomacy and stability. Officials from both sides have recently hailed backchannel talks held first in Iraq and now in Oman as “constructive.”  In May, Iraqi President Barham Salih confirmed his country had been hosting quiet talks between the two often bitter rivals. The talks, which started in April, have recently been attended by high-profile delegates, including Saudi chief of General Intelligence Directorate Khalid al-Humaidan and Iranian Deputy Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Saeed Iravani.   Read more ....   WNU Editor: There are stil...

Belarus' leader Alexander Lukashenko (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin enjoy a close relationship    DW: How Russian money keeps Belarus afloat   Moscow does not financially support any other country as generously as it does Belarus. DW spoke with economic experts to learn about this lopsided relationship, and the strain it places on the Russian budget.  Russia has supported its western neighbor Belarus for decades — long before the European Union and the United States imposed sanctions on Minsk and President Alexander Lukashenko. Earlier this summer, Moscow loaned its ally $500 million (€423 million) — six months prior, it had issued Lukashenko's regime a similar sum.  Looking on from the outside, such figures appear to be a largish run-of-the-mill loan that one country grants another and for which interest is collected. But the situation with Belarus and Russia is different. According to observers: interest is mounting and debts carry on growin...

According to a Tweet published by PGZ (Polish Armament Group) on July 30, 2021, Polish Company BUMAR has delivered two more Leopard 2PL Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) to the Polish Army. The Leopard 2 PL is a modernized variant of the German-made Leopard 2A4 MBT. Read full Defense News at this link ... Leopard 2PL Main Battle Tank for the Polish Army. (Picture source Twitter Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/3C1TZtJ via IFTTT

© Unsplash / Dmitry Ant   RT: Back to Stalingrad? Disputed poll claims TWO THIRDS of Russians want Volgograd to return to name used during legendary WW2 battle   A majority of Russians support restoring the name of the country’s twelfth-largest city back to ‘Stalingrad,’ 60 years after it was renamed Volgograd in the Soviet program of de-Stalinization, a controversial poll has revealed.  The survey, commissioned by the center-left political party ‘A Fair Russia’ and made public on Thursday, revealed that 68% of Russians are in favor of returning to the title it bore from 1925 to 1961, with just 28% wanting to keep the current name.   Read more ....   WNU Editor : This is what happens when the young in Russia are not educated on how much of a homicidal maniac Stalin really was. Those who lived during the Stalin era and their children who were taught by their parents on how much of a vicious tyrant Stalin was are overwhelmingly against changing this name....

  Live Science: Why do nuclear bombs form mushroom clouds?   What forms this iconic shape?   When a bomb goes off, energy is shot out indiscriminately in all directions. So, instead of an expanding ball of fire, why do nuclear explosions result in mushroom clouds?  Although the outburst of energy does initially form a sphere of hot air, that's only the beginning of the story, according to Katie Lundquist, a researcher of computational engineering at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. Because hot air rises, the larger bulk of the sphere in the middle column — where the core of an apple would be — experiences more buoyancy than the edges do.   Read more ....   WNU Editor : This is one of those things that I hope I never see or experience in my lifetime. from War News Updates https://ift.tt/3lfWjr7 via IFTTT

According to information published on the Twitter account of the U.S. Army on July 31, 2021, a Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Cost Reduction Initiative (CRI) surface-to-air missile was launched during the recent successful Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) flight test at White Sands Missile Range. Read full Defense News at this link ... A Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Cost Reduction Initiative (CRI) missile is launched during the recent successful Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) flight test at White Sands Missile Range. (Picture source U.S. Army Twitter) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/37azih5 via IFTTT

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‘Hard-won gains are in jeopardy or being lost, and health systems in many countries are being overwhelmed,’ World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said as the highly transmissible COVID-19 Delta variant spreads https://t.co/z6tV2yLzTB pic.twitter.com/XyhVwjoNTM — Reuters (@Reuters) July 31, 2021 China races to contain its worst coronavirus outbreak in months as fresh cases are reported in two more parts of the country including the sprawling megacity of Chongqing https://t.co/TxAdhQWC5Q pic.twitter.com/fNhptWcvuw — AFP News Agency (@AFP) July 31, 2021 #UPDATES Brisbane and other parts of Queensland state will enter a snap Covid lockdown from Saturday as authorities race to contain an emerging Delta strain outbreak Millions of residents will be placed under stay-at-home orders for three days pic.twitter.com/7mLQAkHmVE — AFP News Agency (@AFP) July 31, 2021 Really? Seriously? https://t.co/tJeNGLF9EK — Don Winslow (@donwinslow) July 30, 20...

A demonstrator yells in front of burning tires outside the Public Ministry building during a protest to demand the resignation of Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei and Attorney General Maria Porras, in Guatemala City, Guatemala. REUTERS/Sandra Sebastian   WNU Editor : The above picture is from this photo-gallery .... Top Photos of the Day (Reuters). from War News Updates https://ift.tt/2VpSEfq via IFTTT

President Biden was prompted to wipe a yellow mark from his face during a Zoom meeting with state governors on Friday after a staffer handed him a note saying: 'Sir, there is something on your chin' He ate it pic.twitter.com/tbAF0koOON — Mongodog (@Mongodogtx) July 30, 2021 Daily Mail: 'Sir, there is something on your chin': Moment Biden wipes his face after staffer spotted a yellow mark and handed him a note during Zoom meeting with governors   * Biden was handed a note during a Zoom meeting with western governors Friday  * An aide passed him a card saying: 'Sir, there is something on your chin'  * The president inadvertently held up the note to the camera  * Biden then subtly wiped his face and continued looking through his cards  * He told the governors: 'The threat of western wildfires this year is as severe as it's ever been'  President Biden was prompted to wipe a yellow mark from his face during a Zoom meeting with western govern...

  FOX News: Navy sailor accused of setting fire to billion-dollar warship denies allegations: lawyer   Lt. Col. Gary S. Barthel is representing the unnamed sailor  The sailor charged by the U.S. Navy in connection to a fire that destroyed the USS Bonhomme Richard warship in 2020 has "absolutely" denied any allegation of wrongdoing in the matter, his attorney told Fox News.  The unidentified sailor, a member of the ship's crew at the time, has been accused of starting the July 12, 2020 blaze.  The charges are based on evidence collected during an investigation, Navy spokesperson Cmdr. Sean Robertson, said in a statement.  Lt. Col. Gary S. Barthel, with the Military Law Center, is representing the sailor and he told Fox News he has not seen any evidence against his client.  "It’s been an obviously difficult time for my client," Barthel said, stressing that his client is "presumed innocent."  The sailor was just charged Thursday, meaning Ba...

India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar welcomes Blinken at Hyderabad House in New Delhi [Jonathan Ernst/Reuters]  Al Jazeera : Afghanistan to become ‘pariah state’ if Taliban seizes power: US   US Secretary of State Antony Blinken makes the statement on his India trip as a Taliban delegation visits China.  Afghanistan would become a “pariah state” if the Taliban takes control by force, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says, as a top-level delegation from the armed group visits China to assure officials of their international obligations.  “An Afghanistan that does not respect the rights of its people, an Afghanistan that commits atrocities against its own people would become a pariah state,” Blinken told reporters in India on Wednesday during his first official visit.  In China, the Taliban’s leadership assured Beijing the group will not allow Afghanistan to be used as a base for plotting against another country.  A delegation including...

Al Jazeera : UN compound attacked as battle for Afghanistan’s Herat rages   Afghan guard killed in attack amid intense fighting between gov’t forces and Taliban on western city’s outskirts.  An Afghan security guard was killed on Friday when a United Nations compound came under attack in Herat, officials said, as fighting raged between government forces and the Taliban on the outskirts of the city in western Afghanistan.  Violence has surged across the country since early May when the Taliban launched a sweeping offensive as the US-led foreign forces began a final withdrawal which is now almost complete.   Read more ....   WNU Editor: I have trouble believing this .... Over 24,000 Taliban killed, wounded in 4 months: Afghan Ministry (Times of India). More details here .... Taliban conduct 22 thousand attacks against ANDSF in four months (Khaama Press).   Update: Expecct more revenge killings from the Taliban .... Taliban Admit to Killing Afghan...

According to information released by the United States Department of Defense on July 31, 2021, the U.S. Navy christens one of its newest Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines, the future USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN 795) at General Dynamics/Electric Boat, in Groton, Connecticut. Read full Naval News at this link ... The USS HYMAN G. RICKOVER (SSN-795) is part of the Virginia-Class of submarines which are multi-mission submarines able to perform a variety of peacetime and wartime missions. (Picture source SeaForces.org) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/3ygQ9uI via IFTTT

Afghans line up at the passport office in Kabul as the completion of the withdrawal of U.S. forces approaches.Photograph by Rahmat Gul / AP  Politico: ‘Complete disaster’: Inside the Biden team’s chaotic bid to evacuate Afghan interpreters   The Biden administration has expedited the process for a number of applicants who are in the final stages, but thousands are left waiting for answers.  President Joe Biden had just announced plans to withdraw all American troops from Afghanistan in April when, during a classified briefing with top national security officials on Capitol Hill, one lawmaker stood up and asked a pointed question.  What was the Biden administration’s plan to evacuate the thousands of Afghan nationals who aided the U.S. war effort, and expedite their visas? Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin didn’t have an answer.  “We’ll get back to you on that,” Austin said, according to two people in the room and a defense official familiar with the interact...

  Daily Mail: First group of Afghan interpreters who fought with American troops FINALLY arrive in the US with their families after huge delays in their visa processing and constant threats from the Taliban   * The first planeload of Afghans and their families landed at Dulles airport in Virginia  * Flight included 57 children and 15 babies  * President Biden called it an 'important milestone' for those who served 'shoulder-to-shoulder' with allies in America's longest war  * They faced potential reprisals amid Taliban gains  The first group of Afghan translators who worked alongside American troops finally landed in the U.S. on Friday morning with their families after some waited years to have their visas approved.  A dozen buses filled with 200 men, women and children arrived at Fort Lee in Virginia after landing at Washington Dulles Airport as part of the State Department's Operation Allied Refuge to get interpreters to safety.  The U...

  BBC: Nanjing: New virus outbreak worst since Wuhan, say Chinese state media   A Covid outbreak first discovered in the Chinese city of Nanjing has spread to five provinces and Beijing, with state media calling it the most extensive contagion after Wuhan.  Almost 200 people have been infected since the virus was first detected at the city's busy airport on 20 July.  All flights from Nanjing airport will be suspended until 11 August, according to local media.  Officials also began city-wide testing amid criticism for their "failure".  All 9.3 million of the city's residents - including those visiting - will be tested, said state-controlled Xinhua news.   Read more ....   WNU Editor: China has already tracked where this outbreak came from .... Nanjing COVID-19 outbreak source detected: cleaning staff get infected in cabin of flight CA910 from Russia (Global Times).  More News On China Facing A New Covid-19 Coronavirus Outbreak ...

  The Guardian : Peru: new president appoints Marxist as prime minister   Appointment of Guido Bellido ends hopes of a moderate government and is likely to spook jittery investors  A day after being sworn in as Peru’s president, Pedro Castillo has appointed a far-left lawmaker and member of his Marxist party, Guido Bellido, as prime minister, ending expectations of a moderate government.  Beginning nearly three hours late, Castillo swore in an incomplete cabinet on Thursday night that included several figures from the far left and only two women. He did not appoint a finance minister, and Pedro Francke, the favourite for the post, was seen leaving the venue minutes before the ceremony began.   Read more ....   WNU Editor: Here is an easy prediction. This new government is not going to be a moderate one.  More News On Peru's New President Appointing A Marxist As His Prime Minister   Peru's new Marxist PM says 'don't worry' as chances of ...

Duterte's office said the Philippine president and Austin 'had an open and frank discussion of the status and future direction' of the Philippines-US ties [Robinson Ninal/Malacanang Handout Photo via Reuters]    The Hill: Duterte restores pact allowing US war exercises   Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte recommitted his country to a key military agreement with the U.S. during a visit by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin after repeatedly threatening to terminate the pact.  Austin, along with Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, announced the restoration of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) during a joint press briefing from Manila on Friday.  Austin thanked Duterte for the renewal, adding, “A strong, resilient US-Philippines alliance will remain vital to the security, stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific," according to CNN.  Read more ....  More News On President Duterte Restoring Philippines’s Key Military Agreement With ...

According to information published by the Defesa Aera & Naval website on July 28, 2021, Brazil will acquire American-made JLTV (Joint Light Tactical Vehicles) for infantry units of if its Naval Forces. The vehicles will be entered into service for 2022. Read full Defense News at this link ... U.S. personnel drive a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) through the cantonment area July 1, 2021, at Fort McCoy, Wis. (Picture source U.S. DoD) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/2WBynV3 via IFTTT

According to Defense Studies, the Ukrainian missile manufacturer State Joint Stock Holding Company (JSC) Artem has received a contract for the production of R-27 air-to-air missiles, as stated by the president of the company, Vladimir Zimin, on Artem’s website. Read full news at this link... Some variants of the Vympel R-27 air-to-air missile displayed at MAKS 1999 (Picture source: Wikipedia) Read more... from World Defence News https://ift.tt/3zR9lj8 via IFTTT

According to information released on July 27, 2021, Bangladesh has received its first batch of American Navistar MaxxPro Dash DXM Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles from the United States. Read full Defense News at this link ... One of the MaxxPro MRAPs delivered to Bangladesh, already painted in UN colors. (Picture source Defence Technology of Bangladesh) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/3lbCNMw via IFTTT

 According to information published by Tass on July 29, 2021, the Amur Shipyard integrated into the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) is planning to commission the Project 20380 corvette Rezky four months earlier than planned, Shipyard CEO Vladimir Kulakov told Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin during his visit to the outfitting pier. Read full news at this link The Rezky Steregushchiy-class or Project 20380 (Picture source: Duster-clubs) Read more from World Defence News https://ift.tt/3iW5NoE via IFTTT

According to information released on July 27, 2021, Defense technology company Anduril Industries announced on July 27, 2021, it was awarded a five-year Production Other Transaction (P-OT) Agreement by the United States Department of Defense (DOD) Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) for Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS). Read full Defense News at this link ... An Anduril Long Range Sentry Tower, used to detect and track threats + cue kinetic defeat options. (Picture source Andurill) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/3BWzG16 via IFTTT

Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), conducted a Command Post Modernization Operational Assessment July 22-26, at the Kinnard Mission Training Complex on post. Spc. Andrea Notter, 40th Public Affairs Detachment, reports. Read full news at this link... Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), conduct a Command Post Modernization Operational Assessment July 22-26, at the Kinnard Mission Training Complex, Fort Campbell, Ky. (Picture source: U.S. Army/Sfc. Jacob Connor, 101st Public Affairs Office) Read more... from World Defence News https://ift.tt/3j0A71K via IFTTT

 According to information published by the U.S. Navy on July 29, 2021, the Navy conducted its first test flight of the MQ-4C Triton in its upgraded hardware and software configuration at NAS Patuxent River, beginning the next phase of the unmanned aircraft’s development. Read full news at this link MQ-4C Triton Unmanned aircraft system (Picture source: Northrop Grumman) Read more from World Defence News https://ift.tt/3j7v8wb via IFTTT

Russia’s Defense Ministry has signed a contract with the Almaz-Antey company for the delivery of the first batch of S-500 Prometey air defense missile systems, a source in the defense industry told TASS. Serial supplies will begin in the first half of 2022. Read full news at this link... Russian Ministry of Defense has unveiled its new S-500 surface-to-air defense missile system. (Picture source: Print Screen Video Russian MoD) Read more... from World Defence News https://ift.tt/3faeCKy via IFTTT

Covid death rates in almost every US state have flattened to less than 1 death per 100,000 https://t.co/yPuXeI9XZ6 — Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) July 29, 2021 Delta Covid-19 variant appears to cause more severe illness and spreads as easily as chickenpox, internal CDC document says https://t.co/92pWMkWvEK — CNN (@CNN) July 30, 2021 Maps show the change in the number of new Covid-19 cases in the prefectures of Japan, host country of the #Olympics #AFPgraphics pic.twitter.com/LKuJsdV9YO — AFP News Agency (@AFP) July 29, 2021 Countries across the world say they've been let down by broken promises and stalled deliveries of Russia's Sputnik V Covid vaccine https://t.co/RZt0I0w5uh — BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) July 29, 2021 Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has reversed his termination of a key defense pact with the United States that allows large-scale combat exercises between U.S. and Philippine forces. https://t.co/tFBOyS99jv — The Associated Press (@AP) July...

Flight Line  Air Force F-22 Raptors and a C-130J Hercules taxi on the runway before taking off during Pacific Iron at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, July 22, 2021. The exercise is designed to project forces into the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s area of responsibility. from War News Updates https://ift.tt/3fbwTHu via IFTTT